I think you misinterpreted some of Red's sarcasm.What is with our society's obsession with incarceration and punishment? It has long been accepted among psychologists (a relatively conservative group of people) that punishment DOES NOT TEACH LESSONS. It simply does not work. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find a worse way of getting someone to change their ways. Educators are finally beginning to understand how this applies to children, but unfortunately the rest of society is not following suit.
We need to stop focusing on after-the-fact treatments (which don't work anyways... consider recidivism rates, and maybe volunteer to spend a few months in jail if you still think they help the problem). We need instead to focus on the roots of the problems. Why do people do what they do? (Some example answers might include poverty, violence in the media, too easy access to firearms and so forth) How can we ADDRESS these issues so that the problems don't ever arise? (Some solutions might include fighting inequality, homelessness, poverty, and abuse; speaking out against violent entertainment, and demanding media responsibility for violent content; stricter gun-control legislation; peer mediation and community support programs and counselling services)
Our methods of dealing with crime are akin to our methods of dealing with health: after the fact. Find a cure for cancer and heart disease so we can keep eating shit and polluting our lungs. Hmmm.... seems to me the simplest and most cost-effective way to address the problem is to educate and change our lifestyles. But is this where the FOCUS is? No. The focus is on cures. Where is the money and energy better spent?
We must struggle free from this mentality which is effectively driving us to buy extra bandages for the house rather than taking the sharp, pointy objects away from toddlers.
In your post you mention the "scumbag addict and welfare abuser." This attitude sickens me. My parents are alcoholics, but they are hardly scumbags. I have had friends addicted to drugs before, but they are not scumbags. As for welfare abuser, stop perpetuating the stereotype, it only leads to hatred. Welfare abuse is SIGNIFICANTLY less common than income tax cheating, and the money lost is pitifully small in comparison. Why then must we be suspicious of the whole lot of welfare recipients, many (most?) of whom are victims of society, while those who victimize society (the wealthy and middle class) continue to abuse the taxation system. Worse still, they are already favoured legitimately by this system. The extra ten thousand dollars they save on tax breaks may buy them a new boat. It might, however, have gone to feed a family for the year. I guess you like picking on the underdogs, and I guess your sacred tennet of "Judge not, lest ye be judged" only rings true when YOU say it to OTHERS. I don't want any scumbag drug addict child abusing welfare abusing thieving alcoholic living in my neighborhood. The three strikes law is a good way of telling those people either you clean up your act or you spend the rest of your life in jail, you choose.
By the way, where do you get off deciding who should or should not be a member of society? I thought we all were by default. I know no one asked me. I wasn't even given a choice. Where do I go if I opt out? Jail, I suppose, in your messed up mind. You frighten me with your self-righteous doctrine of hate. Pretty harsh, isn't it, to say someone doesn't even deserve freedom? ("People who shouldn't be even allowed to be in society are, and they are committing more crimes. They don't even deserve freedom.")
Whatever happened to walking a mile in others' shoes? You seem to be suggesting there is no REASON why people commit crimes. They just are bad, evil people. End of story. (If you don't believe this, why do you not suggest addressing these REASONS, to avoid these problems?) If you do believe this, then I guess you are saying that there are more "bad" african americans and first nations people. Remember, they are over-represented in the american (and canadian) prison systems. Is it 'cause there are more of them who are inherently evil, or is it because of some experiential factors? If the latter, why not address these? Please help me to understand your anger.
