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A dose of reality about crime in America

Posted by freedomforall 2 years, 6 months ago to Philosophy
17 comments | Share | Flag

Excerpt:
"Whether one agrees with David French or not, he is a bright man. When he writes about alternative approaches to treating criminals, given the unprecedented rise in crime over the last year, perhaps it's worth paying attention. Or perhaps it's not. A brilliant Twitter thread exposes facts that French conveniently ignores. More than that, the thread reveals that soft-headed criminal justice reform is incredibly cruel to the communities most affected by crime.

After a wordy introduction meant to prove his woke bona fides, French gets to the point: there's been a 29% increase in crime over the last year. French skips completely over the "why" of this increase (hint: "defund the police") because he wants to discuss a more Sunday sermon point, which is that the system has been riven in the past with injustice, and we now have the opportunity to change that.

French accurately says there is no justice when criminals or police get away with violating the law. Under-policing is also a form of injustice, he says, although how he manages to say this and then takes eight paragraphs before mentioning the defund the police movement is beyond me.

That's just a warm-up, though. The real point French wants to make is that "vengeance is unjust" and that "proportionality is an absolutely indispensable element of justice." May I quote my kids from their teenage years here? "Well, duh."

And that's when French falls into the fallacies every leftist does, which is to point to the fact that lots of people in America are imprisoned for having committed crimes. And of course, he castigates Three Strikes laws, which are easy targets (although I'm betting a lot of people in Chicago who are preyed upon by people revolving through prison doors would love a little Three Strikes justice, or any justice, for that matter)."
SOURCE URL: https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2021/09/a_dose_of_reality_about_crime_in_america.html


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  • Posted by GaryL 2 years, 5 months ago
    I did 27 years in the NY Prison system and retired as a sergeant but refused the promotion to Lt. numerous times. I think I am qualified to speak on crime and incarceration.
    The idea of rehabilitation is a complete farce. Most who go to prison have to learn real fast how to be tougher than they thought they were. My problem with the entire criminal justice system in this state and country is I don't have any answers. I firmly believe the thugs should be taken off the streets and out of society and at the same time I know that prison does them No Good for the most part. Keep in mind I am referring to the thug bad guys and not the dopers and addicted druggies. Too many times I saw a convicted robber finish a 4 year prison stint and we put him on a bus back to NYC. Busted again for robbing someone while on the bus ride and right back to prison a few months later. Many have little or no real education and not much in the line of skills. As a convict they often cannot find any job so they are wandering the streets because even their own families refuse to put up with their crap. Some do learn while in prison and go straight but that number is far lower than those who become better and much worse criminals. Birds of a feather flock together and gangs in prisons flourish. Tell me a solution if you have any. How can we force the incorrigible among us to educate themselves so they can live a productive life and work instead of rob. It's not just black or Latinos as most might think and the prisons are filled with every race, color, religion and social economic class of criminals. The vast majority do not have a HS education or even a GED. We often hear the warning, "Don't Feed The Animals" because they become dependent on the free meals yet we feed the masses with welfare programs and teach them to become dependent. We shun the thought of Socialism in this country while we already have deep socialisms all around us.
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    • Posted by $ allosaur 2 years, 5 months ago
      Me dino did 23 years, retiring May, 2003, as an officer for the Alabama Department of Corrections and consistently refused promotion to sergeant.
      Asked why I did not want to be a sergeant, I'd oft simply say "Denis Brown," who was my exact same age, became a sergeant and died of a heart attack just one year later.
      I agree with everything you wrote. In Alabama three felony convictions ("three strikes you're out") nets life without parole. Alabama inmates called that "the bitch law" and stuck me as having no interest in rehabilitation for saying that.
      I've seen some faces come back as if through a revolving door until they had to stick around forever. I'm thinking of one face in particular who came back a third time during the Nineties. Here I am having freely moved four times to this and that place to live by 2021. I know where that particular inmate is. He may not still be in Cell Block 2 but I'm pretty sure I know which Alabama prison he is at. That little son he spoke of is all grown up by now.
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      • Posted by GaryL 2 years, 5 months ago
        Promotions were probably the same for you. Almost never could you promote in the prison you were working in and instead you had to travel half way across the state and hope to transfer back home some time soon. That and the compensation for the promo was not enough to cover your travel expenses.
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        • Posted by $ allosaur 2 years, 5 months ago
          Just before I retired, I recall a goofy guy being affirmative action promoted instead a really sharp white guy applying for the same position.
          Goofy guy who I had known for many years did indeed get transferred elsewhere in the state. As far as I was concerned, the prison I worked at was better off.
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          • Posted by GaryL 2 years, 5 months ago
            YUP! Until goofy got transferred back home and became your new boss. Same crap here. I retired in 1999 and before I could make any promotion affirmative action said two minorities had to jump ahead even with much lower test scores before a white guy could take an open slot. Seniority was always based on time in grade so the two who got the slot ahead of me would have seniority and get back home before me. Stupid system but that is what the GD union agreed to.
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            • Posted by $ allosaur 2 years, 5 months ago
              Me dino graduated from the Department Of Corrections class of (19)82-2 and from one prison transferred to a prison (close to Birmingham where I wanted to be) opened by by the class of 82-3. That made me the senior officer but that was totally ignored for two-to-three years.
              That was not the only way we were treated like crap.. That prodded a lot of coworkers being laid-off steel workers used to having a union into getting one. Now I was treated like the senior officer that I was, getting first choice for this and that. But I recall how my stomach turned when the AFL-CIO sent their magazine to my home with Slick Willie smiling at me from its cover.
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    • Posted by CaptainKirk 2 years, 5 months ago
      I am going to be an extremist here...
      1) If we assume our current legal system of "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt"
      2) We MUST want the punishment to be so much worse than the crime, that a normal person will avoid the crime.
      3) We MUST assume that anyone who STILL commits the crime is either SO BROKEN or SO POOR in Abilities, that they are no longer valuable to society.

      That leaves me to my final point. A Swift Death Penalty for ALL Severe Crimes (Murder, Rape, Child Molestation, 2nd offense discharging a firearm illegally, etc)

      For all Felonies below that. They are TAGGED with a number (1,2,3). Upon that many additional crimes, they are executing for REFUSING to live within the boundaries of society.

      Now that we have emptied the prisons of the "incurable", now lets use the misdemeanors as a HINT we need to educate this people and give them some skills and a better sense of community. (Both of which have been shown to reduce drug dependencies). We work HARDER on those we MIGHT Save.

      Finally, we add to that final leg ANOTHER number... If you can't help but commit small crimes, at some point, we have no need for you in society, and you are subjected to a Swift Death Penalty...

      Don't ask how I would address the drug addicted... I would provide FREE drugs with a 10% chance of containing too much fentanyl... If you are so addicted to drugs, that you would do them with THAT risk profile... I would again argue that you do not fit into Society...

      It's time we grew up. Adopted MUCH Harsher Stances, and forced people to either be part of the community/society or make it completely on their own, or be removed thereof...

      Again, some people might think this is extreme. But if you associate enough pain with bad decisions... FEWER people will make those bad decisions... And those that do... Get what they earned!
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  • Posted by DrZarkov99 2 years, 5 months ago
    Look at where criminal activity is the worst - big cities. I think we need to spell an end to these glorified rat warrens that give the criminal enough anonymity to prey on others. Technology is creating the means to disperse the US population to smaller communities, where everyone knows their neighbors, and where it's more difficult to hide criminal activity.

    A dispersed population is more difficult for government to control, and diffuses justice to lower levels. We need to draw away from centralized authority and make people more responsible at a community level.

    Bringing back the chain gang at an updated level should be done. Giving inmates activities that provide service to the community and teach them marketable skills can give them an avenue out of the criminal world.
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  • Posted by $ Thoritsu 2 years, 5 months ago
    I think this is another part of the plan to make things so bad, the people beg the government to protect them. The Government swoops in, confiscates all the weapons from lawful people, and complete domination follows.
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  • Posted by LarryHeart 2 years, 5 months ago
    The Israelites solution to crime was to sell the services of those those convicted of theft and other crimes except murder to upstanding families as a servant or worker and to be educated by that family in morality and whatever is needed to for rehabilitation. The purchase money is used to pay back the victims of the crime and eventually the indentured person earns enough to pay back the family and is released.
    Murder was punished by the court with death.
    Accidental murders were given to relatives to carry out the sentence they felt was just. However sanctuary cities were provided where no one was allowed to kill anyone so the accidental murderer could .live there.
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  • Posted by $ 25n56il4 2 years, 6 months ago
    I don't know what this is all about, but the Police Department in my town and the Sheriff's Office in the County, even the Texas Rangers, respond as quickly as ever. When my dog was attacked by a viscious dog four police cars with 4 officers in them showed up and the Humane Officer. Already at my place were four big men (my neighbors). It looked like a riot! I would have laughed but I was too frightened for my little Fred. The culprit 'Bear' spent ten days in confinement ($100 fine) and then came to visit me trying to make amends. I patted his butt and stroked his head...he wiggled his tail, so I guess we are friends, but Fred still snarls at him. He hasn't forgiven Bear for attacking him. We have five food pantries feeding folks veggies and necessary other food items. The teenagers have moved from under the bridge to a vacant building manned by the Presbyterian ladies. They are warm, comfortable and well fed. They can go looking for jobs or working now and still stay there. I'm not seeing anyone sitting on a curb anymore or even strolling down the street. I suspect there are other safe places I don't know about. We have school police at the various campuses and the college police department along with our city police. The Sheriff's Office patrols through as does the Highway Patrol guys. It's quite peaceful here and has ever been. I hope it remains this way. The entire county is quiet. And we are the largest county, area wise, in Texas.
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    • Posted by CaptainKirk 2 years, 5 months ago
      Interesting. One argument for BlackRock to buy all the houses is to HIDE the number of houses becoming empty from Covid (Vaccines)...

      I wonder if these homeless are finding abandoned homes.
      If this were true, and suddenly the death rate ticks up because of the vaccinated dying faster (Recent articles about Cancers being found in vaccinated at unprecedented rates, or Cancer Patients who can SEE the difference between the 2 groups, because the vaccinated are succumbing to their cancers suddenly)...

      So, imagine a sudden increase in homes. Then the prices drop... The panic sets in. With Oil Prices higher. Seems like something UGLY could come out of this...

      And if Boomers are dropping like flies, I am not sure I want to own extra real-estate...
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    • Posted by $ 25n56il4 2 years, 6 months ago
      Now don't ask me about our Political situation I am not yet informed on what is going on at the District Court. The District Clerk resigned, a very well educated intelligent Municipal Judge temporarily took her place until we can have an election. The District Attorney resigned and we have a new DA. I read in the paper the Texas Rangers were investigating and maybe even the FBI. Something about faulty practices with Jury notification?? Our DA who resigned may have just been exhausted and decided to retire after many years in office. She is a lovely person. Our District Clerk was a long-time employee even before she was elected and I really liked her. This could be a nothing thingy! We'll see. I hate to think this might be a Republican/Democrat matter.
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