Hakkensprachen

According to their neighbors in Tampa, former employers, and people who know the family, they seemed like a pretty normal, well adjusted family.  A friendly couple, with two super cute sons, 4 and 2 years old.  They were both professional engineers.

The Hakken Family

Then, in June, they were attending an “anti-government” (according to the police report – I read that as Teabagger) rally in Louisiana.  Police came to their hotel room because somebody had reported a disturbance.  They busted the dad, Josh Hakken, for a bit of marijuana, which is messed up, but that’s not nearly the end of the story.

(none of the accounts I’ve read talk much about the mother, Sharyn Hakken, from this point up to when they picked them up in Cuba)

Police also said there was a gun in the room (which might have been totally legal) and (this part is the clincher for me) they were saying stuff about “completing their final journey” and they were “going to the Armegeddon.”  The kids got put in protective custody right away.

Rightly so, IMHO.  Not only did they put a superfluous article in front of a proper name but the  whole Armegeddon thing is cultish – like Jonestown, apocalyptic cultish.  Armageddon is the end of the world.  Who would talk about that as if it were a good thing?

Then, when Josh got out of the slammer, he went to the foster home and was waving a gun around, demanding his children, but they wouldn’t let him inside.  Strike two.

Time passes and permanent custody is eventually awarded to Sharyn’s parents.  So, the boys’ grandparents on the mother’s side.  Well, a few days back Josh went round to his mother in law’s house in the early morning hours, tied her to a chair, and drove off with the boys.  I’d certainly call that strike three.

Sharyn was waiting for them, they got onto a boat, and cruised on down to Cuba.  Cuba?!  Cuba?!

What are they, some kind of commie sympathizers like Jay-Z and Beyonce?

I don’t get it.  If you are a teabagger (They  were at an “anti-government” event, in the state of Louisiana, talking about “the Armageddon.”   I think we can safely say it wasn’t a Greenpeace rally.) and resent government control, why on Earth would you choose Cuba, with its socialized medicine and whatnot?

Anyway, the Cubans didn’t want the hassle, they  turned them over to the Americans straight away and now Josh and Sharyn are in jail and the kids are back with their grandparents.  Which is as it should be.

I don’t see any  reason for Joshua and Sharyn to go to jail for a very long time,  but….

I don’t think they should be allowed to have firearms in the future.

I don’t think they should ever get custody of their children back.  Because they are nuts.

I know a lot of teabaggers are  up in arms over this case, saying that the Hakkens are being  persecuted for their political beliefs,  so let me be clear on this point…I don’t think the Hakkens are nuts because they are teabaggers.  I believe they are teabaggers because they are nuts.