Returning to Judicial CP makes the Washington Post

Usually only Tories and Sun readers support the death penalty on this side of the pond! Glad we abolished it and lets hope it never comes back!

I read a study that concluded that 50% of the people in prison should never have gone there, 35% should have been put in prison, but only for short time, and the other 15% are so dangerous that they should never be let out. That sounds about right to me.

In my opinion it is possible that corporal punishment would be useful in the first 2 groups. It would be particularly useful if it was an option; for example offered to the offender as an alternative to incarceration or a fine.

The dirty little secret is that I'm a newspaper junkie as well as a perv. In the age of the web that only gets more intense as the old hard copy newspaper goes the way of the dodo. My link list of English language papers world wide is about two pages of single space listings long. I don't use them all daily of course, but do look at about a dozen every morning. And yes I am experimenting with google and others to provide head lines and links to stories rather than doing it myself. The best part is when something like the 'Arab Spring' happens and you can look at local English pub's to see what's really happening. Services like Al Jazeera English are simply indispensable if you want facts from on the ground. What the Indian's have to say about Kashmir is another good example. Unless it's a crisis in progress the western news services have morphed into infotainment outlets that are more interested in fashion, gossip, and pitching products than hard news. If you want to stay informed you have to work at it. And you have to practice the old adage; 'you can't believe everything you read in the newspaper' assiduously.

I am fascinated by everyone's response to this. It started for me here at the LSF with some comments exchanged between me and DrGrace. I invite others here to check in and state an opinion. After reading some stories of course and then leaving a comment for the writer. Grin!


ps: What do any of you think should be done with old man Murdoch?

Personally, I'd like to see his testes removed with a rusty hacksaw.

I've already put in my two cents on incarceration for non-violent criminals, but tiptopper's pointed observations got me worked up again.

It's nearly impossible for someone who's been imprisoned - even for short stents - to get fully vested back into society. I knew a physician who had a drinking problem - that says a lot in and of itself, but the fellow was a very good physician when sober. He could have done many more years of good in this world under the right circumstances.

He got busted for DUI for a second time in too short a period - as prescribed by law - and the penalty was "automatic" prison time. And, of course, surrender of his medical license. The fellow enjoyed as much time as he was allowed by the court and sentencing process - then, when it came time to surrender and go inside, he elected to put a 0.38 in his mouth instead.

In the old days, we had banishment as a potential sanction. I often think of how many lives he could have extended if he had just been allowed to take his skills to a place that needs medical skill, but lacks vehicles for him to drive drunk. I'm not sure he would have accepted such an option, but I do know that the options he was presented with represented an "end of life." He simply made it official.

This is not to excuse drunk driving either - I do not approve. But I despise "zero tolerance policies" and other abdications of judgment. And I despise incarceration except for murderers, child molesters, mother rapers, father rapers, armed robbers, etc.

Wow. Somebody else besides me grew up with Frank Zappa! Grin!

Sorry, twisted - I didn't know Frank and the Mothers used that line.

I was actually quoting from the Arlo Guthrie movie, "Alice's Restaurant." Arlo was arrested for "litterin'" and was taken to county jail and handcuffed to a bench with "murderers... mother rapers... FATHER rapers... and then they asked me what I was in for - and I said 'litterin'' - and they all moved aWAY from me there on the bench...."

Billboard. You are right of course but this line is also somewhere on Zappa's 'Lumpy Gravy' album. I'd check it out but don't want to be reminded that I was a teenager in that era. Mid-age guy Grin!

I vote "AYE" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'd second that. And Rebekah Brooks should be publicly spanked till her bottom matches her hair. Then repeat daily for a week.