News and culture
For some reason in the last few years this country has seen a shift in paradigms. It began a few decades ago when James Q Watson began the conservative approach to crime. Those under his tutelage expanded and multiplied until they were in many, if not most, positions of power. Even now, after most of his theories have been debunked, these people continue to rule.Watson refused to accept things like a correlation between poverty and crime, and the factors associated with race that play into both poverty and enforcement. These are (now that they have been studied extensively) factual certainties. However, he still argues that crime is merely the result of evil people, and NEVER the result of people in trying circumstances. It is wrong. This Maybe not the most palatable statement, or the easiest to comprehend that good people can do bad things, but it has been proven time and again.
Now the news tries to sell these ideas that were intellectually discarded years ago on a nightly basis. Sex crimes (Which include public urination in some locales) should be greated with life in prison. They drove public opinion, and now in many states, a sex offender can be subject to civil confinement for life even after his prison sentence is over.
Terrorism. If you call in a bomb threat at the age of 16 because you are not prepared for a final exam, you might forego your ability to invoke the bill of rights. Dumbass kids who make mistakes, or people who car bomb SUVs on dealers lots (eco terrorists, or perhaps people that publicly support the plight of the palestinians. Drunken threats,... where is the outer bound of terrorism. At least the government should be allowed to listen to our phone calls to know if there is a threat.
Once again, night after night of the same shit on the news drives public opinion to believe that we are somehow in an ultradangerous world, and we should give up our rights and liberties.
I say that this is bullshit. The world is no more dangerous than ever before. Perhaps it is no more safe either. Police state tactics do not work. The simply divert money from social welfare programs, such as education. Education and wealth are the two most determinant factors in whether someone will become a criminal. However, we cannot fund education (or infrastructure upgrades, mental health services, etc) when we spend so much of our national treasure on crime control.
There will always be those that dont give a damn about others. They are the exception. Cops and jails will never change that. It is time that we as a people reject the spoonfed Wilsonian propaganda that we get nightly on tv. Give the people's money to the people. Dont use it to oppress the people. Will this end crime? No. Does the way we are doing it now end crime? No, only more people suffer.
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Comments
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1I stopped reading after "It began a few decades ago when James Q. Watson..."
This has got to be the best example of a "too long, didn't read" rant ever.
Posted 3 months ago | Report -
2Ugh don't get me started on Nancy Grace...
Posted 3 months ago | Report -
3TLDR; blah blah crime, blah blah terrorism, blah blah police, I'll wait for the movie to come out.
Posted 3 months ago | Report -
4Good rant. I'm actually able to read, unlike the other three commenters.
Posted 3 months ago | Report