Thinking that because I am against the death penalty, I must be in favor of murdering people is the epitome of absurdity. Some folks really lack critical thinking skills.
We live in a nation driven by base desires. The refrain, “How would you feel if your loved one was murdered?” belies a certain approach to life that is very American: that what I feel like is what I should be allowed to do. It is actually quite sick.
True freedom lies in knowing that how one feels should not be the determining factor for action. But we’re stuck on the Southpark definition of freedom: “I do what I want”.
I know people hate the word nuance, but it’s exactly what lacks in the bulk of American social education. Absolutism rules the day. There are options for justice in murder cases that do not involve strapping a man to a chair and inviting people to watch us kill him.
We teach our children that two wrong don’t make a right. And then, with practices like the death penalty, we teach them that a second wrong does make a right so long as it’s done with vengeance in our hearts and the sanction of the state.
So, we must look deeper into the reasons for collective violence and what purpose it serves. There must be a reckoning with our need for the scapegoat if we are to transcend it.
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I’ve seen this floating around lately. While I understand the sentiment of the list, it’s WRONG. Here’s why (thread):
Since we’re trying to place #COVID19 in the list, we also have to include the Spanish Flu. They didn’t do day-by-day tracking of death back then, but we do have monthly tabulations. They’re astonishing.
In October of 1918, more than 195,000 Americans died of the Spanish Flu. That averages out to 6,290 deaths per day in that month, more than double the number of people currently perishing of #covid19 in America. But we can’t just put the Spanish Flu at #2 in the list...
Since 1960, the Federal Government has executed 12 people. Donald Trump is responsible for 8 of them - all of them since July. Tonight, he will execute another.
This is a human being we're talking about here. A human being.
I had a cell mate who took a plea bargain of 7 years to life in 1977. “The matrix” available at the time said he’d be paroled in 14 years if he stayed out of trouble. So he took the deal and he stayed out of trouble. 43 years later, he’s still in prison.
I’m not an expert in this, but my understanding is that people took these indeterminate plea bargains in the 1970’s because the parole board really did let people go home. But then policy changed in the 80’s and folks got stuck behind their plea bargains.
I think it was around that time that the parole board officially ceased focusing on release into the community and became an instrument designed to keep people inside, no matter what. I believe it even changed its name (I’ve tried Googling it but can’t find a history of this).
I see the attacks about Biden’s love for his son and it hurts my heart. I was a drug addict, I was in prison for many years, and the unconditional love from my father was pivotal in my journey out of the darkness. Let me talk about it.
Growing up, my Dad was stern. I used to fear him - not in an abusive sense - but in the sense that he was the disciplinarian. He was also angry, something that I now attribute to being overworked and having a crumbling marriage with my mother.
I was addicted to meth in high school and dropped out. My parents debated whether to send me to rehab before I turned 18 - but my Dad didn’t like the idea of forcibly snatching me up and sending me away.
When I vote, I do my best to consider those most affected by my vote. I try to think of the worst possible consequence of a vote, apply that consequence to myself, and decide if I’d be willing to endure it. If not, the choice is clear.
Part of this practice is recognizing that I, as a straight white man without serious financial troubles, will not bear the greatest burden of any vote cast. Thus, voting is almost entirely an exercise in considering the welfare of others.
And this is essentially the definition of systemic racism / sexism / homophobia / classism: the fact that in any given election, the worst possible consequence for any vote will invariably fall upon those who are not white, not male, not straight, or not rich.
My local leadership is considering scrapping a $390 million jail construction project after seeing that a decreased jail population - down 1/3 since covid - has led to no spike in crime. This is what I like to see.
“If this unintentional pilot program is working, I question whether we need to build a new jail altogether,” Cortese said. That’s @DaveCortese, my local county supervisor. Thank you.
“We know community care is the best model for these patients,” @SupEllenberg said. “We could make a facility light and bright and more therapeutic, but ultimately, it’s still a jail, and we know the jail is not an appropriate environment for rehabilitation.” Again, thank you.