One of the biggest bullshit phrases around is when companies pay a massive fine to various regulators (SEC, Justice Department, etc) and then the two release a statement saying "Company [XYZ] neither accepts or denies responsibility for said infringements."
I hate that phrase.
Showing posts with label justice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label justice. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Saturday, February 9, 2008
America Behind Bars
People like to commonly refer to democracy as "rule of the majority." This may be theoretically correct, but in most democracies in the world, it would more properly be described as "rule of the majority" while protecting the rights of the minority. The second part, as previously mentioned, is often forgotten but is an integral part of the situation.
Liberals, and Democrats, like to claim a monopoly on minority rights. During campaigns we hear them promising to "protect the downtrodden," and make the government work for the less priviliged. Republicans and conservatives also claim to protect minority rights, such as CEOs and business owners that have been villified by the media and the left.
However, though both claim to defend the "indefensible," with the success of the Republicans in the last few decades, Democrats have joined Republicans in the "law-and-order" campaign. Democrats promise to crack down on offenders while growing police numbers. This shift has caused a serious problem in American politics. No major party is willing to stand up for the criminals, unless they can score some talking points in doing so.
The numbers get worse and worse, the most recent survey shows that currently, as we speak, more than 1% of Americans adults are in prison, 2.3 million. Both in raw data, and per-capita, the United States leads the world in incarceration, ahead of countries like Russia, China, and Ukraine. One out of 9, more than 10% of young Black men are in prison. This is an absolute stain on the American government and American society. We are expending billions of dollars to imprison these people and losing untold dollars in lost potential.
Despite the stagnant crime rate, the incarceration rates have been steadily growing. Terrible policy like "Three Strikes laws" and the inherrent fear instilled in Americans have caused this growing crisis. In Kentucky, the crime rate rose 3% in approximately 30 years, while the state's inmate population rose 600%. This is an absolutely obscene number. Not only that, 1 in 32 Americans are either in prison or on parole. I couldn't find any statistics that indicate how many Americans have been in jail, but I would guess it is near 7-10%. This is a huge problem. Our incarceration rate per-capita is 6-7x the world average.
Why is it so high? Are Americans inherrently more criminal, or is our society less tolerant? Certainly not the former, the statistics are impossibly outside even several standard deviations. Who is to blame? Well, first, politicians, for their awful policies and campaigns to pander to voters. And secondly, of course, the voters. I'm not sure voters understand the magnitude of this situation. We created scapegoats for society's problems and no one, except organizations such as the ACLU and Libertarian Party, were willing to defend them.
How can we fix it? Ultimately, it rests with the voters. But we need to change the way this country looks at crime. First- no jail time for non-violent crimes. Before we campaign to legalize drugs (as I believe it's everyone's right to do whatever they want, if it doesn't hurt others) we should focus on decriminalizing drugs. There is no reason to throw drug users in jail, as long as they aren't committing other crimes. Fine them and send them on their way. It is mutually beneficial to both sides.
A Houston-based Texan State Senator said, “We have 5,500 D.W.I offenders in prison,” he said, including people caught driving under the influence who had not been in an accident. “They’re in the general population. As serious as drinking and driving is, we should segregate them and give them treatment.”
We need to lessen the amount of non-violent offenders who go to jail. Repeat offenders need help, not jail time. Parole violators deserve fines, not to be thrown back into jail. Sadly, in this two-party system, we are going to need one of the parties to stand up and have courage. They need to defend those who society, and the media have already convicted. Unless there is a change in culture...we are going to continue down this path and more defenseless Americans are going to be serving time in prison.
Liberals, and Democrats, like to claim a monopoly on minority rights. During campaigns we hear them promising to "protect the downtrodden," and make the government work for the less priviliged. Republicans and conservatives also claim to protect minority rights, such as CEOs and business owners that have been villified by the media and the left.
However, though both claim to defend the "indefensible," with the success of the Republicans in the last few decades, Democrats have joined Republicans in the "law-and-order" campaign. Democrats promise to crack down on offenders while growing police numbers. This shift has caused a serious problem in American politics. No major party is willing to stand up for the criminals, unless they can score some talking points in doing so.
The numbers get worse and worse, the most recent survey shows that currently, as we speak, more than 1% of Americans adults are in prison, 2.3 million. Both in raw data, and per-capita, the United States leads the world in incarceration, ahead of countries like Russia, China, and Ukraine. One out of 9, more than 10% of young Black men are in prison. This is an absolute stain on the American government and American society. We are expending billions of dollars to imprison these people and losing untold dollars in lost potential.
Despite the stagnant crime rate, the incarceration rates have been steadily growing. Terrible policy like "Three Strikes laws" and the inherrent fear instilled in Americans have caused this growing crisis. In Kentucky, the crime rate rose 3% in approximately 30 years, while the state's inmate population rose 600%. This is an absolutely obscene number. Not only that, 1 in 32 Americans are either in prison or on parole. I couldn't find any statistics that indicate how many Americans have been in jail, but I would guess it is near 7-10%. This is a huge problem. Our incarceration rate per-capita is 6-7x the world average.
Why is it so high? Are Americans inherrently more criminal, or is our society less tolerant? Certainly not the former, the statistics are impossibly outside even several standard deviations. Who is to blame? Well, first, politicians, for their awful policies and campaigns to pander to voters. And secondly, of course, the voters. I'm not sure voters understand the magnitude of this situation. We created scapegoats for society's problems and no one, except organizations such as the ACLU and Libertarian Party, were willing to defend them.
How can we fix it? Ultimately, it rests with the voters. But we need to change the way this country looks at crime. First- no jail time for non-violent crimes. Before we campaign to legalize drugs (as I believe it's everyone's right to do whatever they want, if it doesn't hurt others) we should focus on decriminalizing drugs. There is no reason to throw drug users in jail, as long as they aren't committing other crimes. Fine them and send them on their way. It is mutually beneficial to both sides.
A Houston-based Texan State Senator said, “We have 5,500 D.W.I offenders in prison,” he said, including people caught driving under the influence who had not been in an accident. “They’re in the general population. As serious as drinking and driving is, we should segregate them and give them treatment.”
We need to lessen the amount of non-violent offenders who go to jail. Repeat offenders need help, not jail time. Parole violators deserve fines, not to be thrown back into jail. Sadly, in this two-party system, we are going to need one of the parties to stand up and have courage. They need to defend those who society, and the media have already convicted. Unless there is a change in culture...we are going to continue down this path and more defenseless Americans are going to be serving time in prison.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Violent Crime in New Orleans
This picture will never fully convey the anguish and the pain going on in New Orleans. For every red dot on this GoogleMap image of New Orleans, there has been a murder in 2007. We are only 6 months into the year, it is likely that this map will continue to be colored red. In 2006, a Tulane University professor estimated that the murder rate was the highest ever recorded in the United States, beating New Orleans previous national record set in 1994, when 425 people were killed. In July 2006 alone, 26 people were killed. By comparison, in the same month, 43 US soldiers were killed in Iraq. There's something seriously wrong when a city is losing almost as many people as an occupying force in a warzone. Compared per capita, it's disturbingly close, considering we are not in a war. (New Orleans had an estimated population 223,000 in July '06, the US had about 140,000 troops in Iraq, and given the fact that Iraq is much much much larger than the city of New Orleans.)New Orleans is down on its' knees, and the murder rate is killing our potential reconstruction and rebirth. The city is beginning to see white flight, which threatens us economically and culturally. The violence is a huge deterrent to tourism, which accounts for 40% of New Orleans income as well as 85,000 people. (Not including the multiplier effect) Combining these two losses, it's unlikely rebuilding will proceed at any reasonable rate and the already-strained social services will be cut back even further. While the influx of Latinos (to a traditionally "Chocolate City") has provided cheap labor to aid reconstruction, it has fuelled a violent drug gang war between Blacks and Hispanics.
What's the solution? I'm not sure, but I am sure what's in place is not working. It is clear that the city of New Orleans needs federal and state aid, they do not have money to police the entire city. (One reason why they commissioned University Police as full police officers at all New Orleans colleges this Spring) This deficit only allows for more violence which perpetuates the downward spiral. A dearth of economic and educational opportunity also causes the violence. New Orleans public schools are barely functional, I can't even imagine what the dropout rate is. Good decent paying jobs are leaving the area and we are left with dead-end reconstruction which is generally being filled by imported Mexicans.
To save New Orleans, the city, state, and federal governments need to act. We need to immediately deploy more police to stop the senseless killings, but at the same time we need functional schools. New Orleans and Louisiana needs to woo companies to come to New Orleans (the 4th largest port in America and within 30 miles of the 4th largest port in the world) to provide decent jobs to attract talent to the city. (Read: wealthy taxpayers) We need to rebuild the oil and gas infrastructure destroyed during Katrina. (Southern Louisiana is the 2nd biggest oil refiner in the US after Texas. Wonder why gas prices shot up during Katrina and still remain high? We're still operating far below capacity)
Whatever the solution, Nagin, Blanco and others must act now, otherwise New Orleans is well on track to reclaim the ignominious title of the United States' murder capital for the 3rd year in the 21st century.
What's the solution? I'm not sure, but I am sure what's in place is not working. It is clear that the city of New Orleans needs federal and state aid, they do not have money to police the entire city. (One reason why they commissioned University Police as full police officers at all New Orleans colleges this Spring) This deficit only allows for more violence which perpetuates the downward spiral. A dearth of economic and educational opportunity also causes the violence. New Orleans public schools are barely functional, I can't even imagine what the dropout rate is. Good decent paying jobs are leaving the area and we are left with dead-end reconstruction which is generally being filled by imported Mexicans.
To save New Orleans, the city, state, and federal governments need to act. We need to immediately deploy more police to stop the senseless killings, but at the same time we need functional schools. New Orleans and Louisiana needs to woo companies to come to New Orleans (the 4th largest port in America and within 30 miles of the 4th largest port in the world) to provide decent jobs to attract talent to the city. (Read: wealthy taxpayers) We need to rebuild the oil and gas infrastructure destroyed during Katrina. (Southern Louisiana is the 2nd biggest oil refiner in the US after Texas. Wonder why gas prices shot up during Katrina and still remain high? We're still operating far below capacity)
Whatever the solution, Nagin, Blanco and others must act now, otherwise New Orleans is well on track to reclaim the ignominious title of the United States' murder capital for the 3rd year in the 21st century.
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