In spite of what Jesus taught, being punitive and beating up on the poor and troubled has been good politics. It provides a circus and a scape goat for failed policies. It looks like the government is doing something when the headlines are filled with drug addicts being locked up for most of their potentially productive lives. Maybe the public perception and these destructive (for us and the prisoners) practices will soon end and we'll enter the civilized world-not because of Christian charity, but because it costs too damned much money and it doesn't work. See, 1 in 100 adults now in prison 2,319,258 Americans behind bars in 2008, most of any nation
Friday, February 29, 2008
What Are We Thinking? The Land of the Free Imprisons More Than China, Russia, Cuba, Iran, and Every Other Country In The World.
In spite of what Jesus taught, being punitive and beating up on the poor and troubled has been good politics. It provides a circus and a scape goat for failed policies. It looks like the government is doing something when the headlines are filled with drug addicts being locked up for most of their potentially productive lives. Maybe the public perception and these destructive (for us and the prisoners) practices will soon end and we'll enter the civilized world-not because of Christian charity, but because it costs too damned much money and it doesn't work. See, 1 in 100 adults now in prison 2,319,258 Americans behind bars in 2008, most of any nation
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3 comments:
So, if Benton County has a population of 200,000, that can only mean two things. (1) No more humiliation of having those 11-xxxx license plates while Washington County smirks with 5-xxxx; (2) Andy Lee will have 2,000 parishioners to learn the 10 Commandments to.
The Benton County jail is a hell hole painted drab, with lights on and noise at all hours. There are no clocks. Inmates are undernourished, sleep deprived, and disoriented. Thank god for them commandments Sheriff Lee provided. Sheriff Ferguson has continued the enlightened tradition. Any slug of a man may visit inmates, but there is a "Dress code for women: only conservatively-dressed ladies will be allowed to visit inmates."
Having to be both a "lady" and conservatively dressed" will learn women to act right.
I agree with C. that the jail could and should be a more humane place, and that jail personnel should not be fashon police and should not treat women differently. However, I believe that Keith Ferguson is a good, well meaning, man who is limited by a right wing constituency, over crowding, and underfunding. I hope he's re-elected.
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