Tuesday, March 16, 2010
...I Would Simplify and Clean Up the Stats!
Global warming - yes/no? Gun laws reduce violent crime - yes/no? Eggs are good for you - yes/no? Stimulus money? Evolution?
Aren't we all tired of flip-flopping on these things and getting spin from both sides?
Why can't we have comprehensive, concise info on these topics?
I think we all have a gut feel on this stuff but it's frustrating when I start to lean one way, and then somebody starts in with info that's skewed or incomplete that persuades in a direction that is convenient for their agenda but is misleading.
Tell it like it is!
My views: No. No. Yes. Maybe a little. Definitely not!
Friday, January 30, 2009
...The Prisoners Would Get to Work!
No more sittin' around. These guys want to hurt people, create a burden on society? Guess what? They're going to work. No more reduced sentences because there isn't enough prison space. They can build the cage themselves, then live in it. The taxpayers will pay for the materials and a few cents an hour so that they've got a few bucks to get a start when they get out. If they get out. I'm tired of seeing violent offenders get convicted, spend several months of a three to five year sentence in jail, then go back into society on probation only to offend again.
Phooey on rehabilitation. Look at the stats. It's not working. And we're paying millions to keep these people comfortable because they have "rights." (More on rights later.) I think everyone should have a right to appeal. Let's be honest. Bad mistakes have been made. But when you've been convicted of multiple violent crimes, you need to be punished.
I don't think hard work is going to go over too well with this group of folks. What if we lived in a world where it was obvious that being in prison doing tough physical labor were harder than just holding a regular job and having freedom to boot? I say we make it really unpleasant to be in prison even for the ones who are connected and know how to play the game. Let's make a three to five year sentence mean at least three years (that's if your behavior and progress are excellent). Is it conceivable that when people decided that a certain offense should be punished by three to five years that they had it in mind that the time period might be reduced to a mere six months? It happens all the time. Let's make prison a place to avoid at all costs. Then we'll wait a while and revisit the statistics.
How about killing two birds with one stone? We don't have the ability to upgrade transportation and infrastructure because the labor costs are too great. Manufacturing is being exported to countries where labor is cheap. How about a tightly regulated labor force that we can get for a bargain? Get these guys rebuilding railways, roads, bridges, producing goods, for a fraction of what it normally costs. There are some who would say that you can't do that because if an "inmate" were to get hurt he could sue the government for millions, or that forced labor is against their rights. I'm sorry but if you take away others' fundamental rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness you forfeit the right to frivolously engage the government in civil action. Go build something.
Phooey on rehabilitation. Look at the stats. It's not working. And we're paying millions to keep these people comfortable because they have "rights." (More on rights later.) I think everyone should have a right to appeal. Let's be honest. Bad mistakes have been made. But when you've been convicted of multiple violent crimes, you need to be punished.
I don't think hard work is going to go over too well with this group of folks. What if we lived in a world where it was obvious that being in prison doing tough physical labor were harder than just holding a regular job and having freedom to boot? I say we make it really unpleasant to be in prison even for the ones who are connected and know how to play the game. Let's make a three to five year sentence mean at least three years (that's if your behavior and progress are excellent). Is it conceivable that when people decided that a certain offense should be punished by three to five years that they had it in mind that the time period might be reduced to a mere six months? It happens all the time. Let's make prison a place to avoid at all costs. Then we'll wait a while and revisit the statistics.
How about killing two birds with one stone? We don't have the ability to upgrade transportation and infrastructure because the labor costs are too great. Manufacturing is being exported to countries where labor is cheap. How about a tightly regulated labor force that we can get for a bargain? Get these guys rebuilding railways, roads, bridges, producing goods, for a fraction of what it normally costs. There are some who would say that you can't do that because if an "inmate" were to get hurt he could sue the government for millions, or that forced labor is against their rights. I'm sorry but if you take away others' fundamental rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness you forfeit the right to frivolously engage the government in civil action. Go build something.
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