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Pastimes : Don't Ask Rambi -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: coug who wrote (36403)	8/28/1999 3:27:00 PM
From: PCModem	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 71178

coug, "Well have we matured??" Indeed. Like all such discussions arguments can be made on both sides of such a generalization. I think we have matured in several areas as a society. But not all areas. Also, I think that we may be more mature than we used to be in some areas, but are not yet mature in those areas. Kids today are much better educated about the dangers of drugs, issues concerning sex, and so on. That's more mature. The way our society addresses the crime problem is evolving, but not necessarily maturing. One of the backward steps in this regard is the very thing you bring up: "Our jails and prisons are overflowing with youthful and not so youthful offenders of indescretionary behavior that so many of us were guilty of. and NOW somewhat FLAUNT by discussing it lightly and thinking it was cool. JMO.." IMHO many people are in jail for things which happen to be against the law, but which are not crimes against anyone except themselves. We have all heard this before: "you can't legislate morality." That is one of the most insane statements I have ever heard. Every law seeks to declare what is right and what is wrong -- the very essence of what is moral. Every legislative action is an act of declaring what is officially "moral" and what is not officially "moral." Our prisons are overflowing with people who cannot and will not benefit in any way from being there, in fact, the exact opposite will happen -- they will become much 'worse' than they were before going there. This observation of mine has nothing to do with the crime, but everything to do with the criminal. I believe that many must be separated from society, for their protection and for our protection. I also believe that for many, "prison" is the wrongest thing that could ever happen to them. It is like sending kids to Crime University. The criminal justice system is an industry with one product: increased criminality. It is a self-perpetuating business with the inmates and their keepers working together to accomplish their mission: "Make more activities crimes, make more actors criminals, make more prisons and make more work for us and more money for the criminal justice system." IMHO 50% of those in prison don't belong there -- that is NOT based on what they were convicted of doing, but based on who they are as individuals and what would be an appropriate punishment for them. Those reading this who have several children will recognize the fact that the "punishment" that got through to one child, doesn't always work with another child. The same is true of people... One ancient model basically divided punishment for breaking the laws of the community into three categories: (a) death; (b) restitution; and (c) exile. In this model there were no laws against victimless crimes (I guess because the results of the crime were assumed to be punishment enough...) I am absolutely against the death penalty, so I'd have to replace it with a stronger kind of exile than simple expulsion from the community. Thanks for listening. The above is the result of my brain working the matter over. Your results may vary. PCM