Repeat Offenders

[retiredguy123]

Why do prosecutors and judges release repeat violent offenders into society when they know (or should know) that these people will commit more violent crimes? Why don't they prosecute them and put them in prison for the maximum amount of time prescribed by law? I don't understand the rationale. Do they really think that these criminals will go home and suddenly become law abiding citizens?

[ThirdOfFive]

Why do prosecutors and judges release repeat violent offenders into society when they know (or should know) that these people will commit more violent crimes? Why don't they prosecute them and put them in prison for the maximum amount of time prescribed by law? I don't understand the rationale. Do they really think that these criminals will go home and suddenly become law abiding citizens?
It is a good question.

Don't know so much about here, but in a lot of places it comes down to available space. Can't sentence someone to prison if every prison in the state is already overcrowded.

There should be answers beyond that though. Home confinement with a non-removable ankle ring that reports where the offender is at all times. Maybe heftier retribution sentences in lieu of confinement. But the ONE thing that would help the most is the one thing that gets very little mention. I don't know the exact number but a whole lot, maybe half, of people sentenced to confinement are there for drug-related offenses, and a number of others are there because they turn to criminal behavior to support a drug habit. I have no problem with sentencing the drug lords, kingpins, suppliers, etc. to hefty sentences, but for probably most of the others, if we treat drug issues as a medical condition rather than a legal issue, we'd be going a long way toward opening up prison space for those who really deserve it.

[Keefelane66]

It's a continuous stream of revenue to the Sherriff and Police Dept with fines.

[Michael 61]

I am baffled by the recent sympathy towards criminals by the courts, at the expense of victims.

[Two Bills]

There are some parts of Sharia Law that make a lot of sense! :smiley:

[Bogie Shooter]

It is a good question.

Don't know so much about here, but in a lot of places it comes down to available space. Can't sentence someone to prison if every prison in the state is already overcrowded.

There should be answers beyond that though. Home confinement with a non-removable ankle ring that reports where the offender is at all times. Maybe heftier retribution sentences in lieu of confinement. But the ONE thing that would help the most is the one thing that gets very little mention. I don't know the exact number but a whole lot, maybe half, of people sentenced to confinement are there for drug-related offenses, and a number of others are there because they turn to criminal behavior to support a drug habit. I have no problem with sentencing the drug lords, kingpins, suppliers, etc. to hefty sentences, but for probably most of the others, if we treat drug issues as a medical condition rather than a legal issue, we'd be going a long way toward opening up prison space for those who really deserve it.

👍….

[Pairadocs]

It is a good question.

Don't know so much about here, but in a lot of places it comes down to available space. Can't sentence someone to prison if every prison in the state is already overcrowded.

There should be answers beyond that though. Home confinement with a non-removable ankle ring that reports where the offender is at all times. Maybe heftier retribution sentences in lieu of confinement. But the ONE thing that would help the most is the one thing that gets very little mention. I don't know the exact number but a whole lot, maybe half, of people sentenced to confinement are there for drug-related offenses, and a number of others are there because they turn to criminal behavior to support a drug habit. I have no problem with sentencing the drug lords, kingpins, suppliers, etc. to hefty sentences, but for probably most of the others, if we treat drug issues as a medical condition rather than a legal issue, we'd be going a long way toward opening up prison space for those who really deserve it.

As you pointed out, it is a very complicated, interrelated, issue, and most people want ONE SIMPLE answer. Have adult children in St. Louis. Interesting and tragic situation there right now. Young female teen, in town with her parents, volleyball team, and coach from her high school in Tennessee (big tournament) just lost BOTH of her legs as a result of an individual with a horrendous criminal record and, like so many cases now, should never have been free to harm anymore people. But that brings us back to the point of their chief circuit attorney, Kim Gardner, may finally be removed from office. But.... this is the same story over and over in nearly every big city. If and when some of these people are finally removed for incompetency, will it really make a difference ? Or. do our larger cities have so many complex and interrelated problems they are "insolvable" ? It would be a start, but, would her removal (or resignation) change things ?

[dewilson58]

have u been on a college campus in the last 30 years??

[tjlee500]

Incarcerations costs big bucks. There is constant pressure not to increase taxes or allocate more funds. Politicians want to be reelected to they will shy away from tax hikes. Same pressure on judges and prosecutors.

Reform is also needed: Overall, there are roughly 23,000 people still in jail for marijuana possession as their sole offense; and as of 2020, over 45 percent of nationwide monthly violations are still drug-related.

Personally, I believe the family structure in America no longer exists in many places and children grow without, respect, love, consequences and care.

[BillY41]

There are some states that will incarcerate for drug possession only not as a plea for dealing. Does not make half the convicts doing time. Cal, NY, NJ are closing prisons. How many other states have closed or will soon?

[Worldseries27]

How about for excessive felonies
1. Loss of usa citizenship after serving sentence

2. Immediate deportation

3. If found back in usa, minimum 30 yr sentence

4. No deals for murderers & treason

[djplong]

I'll risk being banned for this but, one PIECE of a solution might be if the prisons were NOT overcrowded with NON-violent offenders, there'd be room for the violent offenders. Someone who's only "crime" was having an ounce of marijuana on their person does NOT belong in jail.

[maggie1]

It's a continuous stream of revenue to the Sherriff and Police Dept with fines.

Huh? The prison systems are not overseen by the sheriff or the police departments. Prisons are under the control of the state department of corrections, or the federal prison systems. The police departments have temporary holding cells, and the sheriff can house convicted misdemeanor violators for up to six months. Any incarceration longer than six months would be classified as a felony and the person would be confined to prison.

I realize this is getting off course from the OP's original question, for which I have no answer on how to solve, except the drug problem does result in a number of crimes to feed their habit, and the preponderance of criminals come from one parent homes where there usually is no father to set the example. Is that the case with all of the convicted felons? Absolutely not! But it is in most

[Dantes]

It’s all about destroying this country

[Rodgerstar]

The present prosecution process enables bad behavior and the criminals know it. A culture of responsibility and accountability needs to be implemented so the Bad guys know they can’t get away with it.

[MandoMan]

Why do prosecutors and judges release repeat violent offenders into society when they know (or should know) that these people will commit more violent crimes? Why don't they prosecute them and put them in prison for the maximum amount of time prescribed by law? I don't understand the rationale. Do they really think that these criminals will go home and suddenly become law abiding citizens?

I’ve just read about a guy who stole two cartons of ice cream and some whipped cream from Walmart at Buffalo Ridge and was charged with a felony and released on bail. A 60 year old Villager who was found high and passed out under a shady tree in his neighborhood was charged with a felony for have a vaping device and an ounce of THC oil. He was released on bail, too. (The odd thing is that he could have gone to a marijuana doctor, said he felt anxious, and received a license letting him have that stuff legally.)

Neither is likely to serve a day in jail for these crimes. The thing is, prison is very expensive. Apart from the fact that criminals choose to be criminals and that their actions damage or destroy lives and property, including their own, what are you willing to pay to put someone behind bars? Any trial is expensive by the time you pay for the time of all the people involved, from deputies to court reporters to janitors. Are you willing for we the people to pay, say, a total of $20,000 to mete out a 30 day sentence and another $30,000 for the incarceration costs? All for $10 worth of ice cream? A jury trial is much more expensive. District Attorneys don’t want to spend that money and time if they aren’t pretty much sure of a conviction. I read recently that incarceration in the New York City area exceeds $500,000 per year per prisoner. I’ve heard that it’s not much cheaper in Florida, but I’m not sure.

I myself believe we should follow the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution (ratified in 1865): “ Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” Sell these convicts as slaves or indentured servants for the term of their incarceration and let them do difficult and dangerous work. Better yet, make many violent crimes capital offenses and carry out the sentence within a few weeks in a humane way, like putting down a dog. I know most readers will disagree. Just my feeling on the topic. It would be cheaper and better for society and decrease the number of repeat offenders. I consider prison worse than death.

[GizmoWhiskers]

Why do prosecutors and judges release repeat violent offenders into society when they know (or should know) that these people will commit more violent crimes? Why don't they prosecute them and put them in prison for the maximum amount of time prescribed by law? I don't understand the rationale. Do they really think that these criminals will go home and suddenly become law abiding citizens?
At a very basic level, stupidity in the thought that the gift of freedom will automatically result in a redemption and a change in morals and values.

A deeper possible answer, to create a downfall of the US through total chaos. Leading good citizens that have morals and values to NEEDING the government to rescue society through policing those not falling in line with political agendas, classic, what do you call it?... communism?

Maybe Prosecutors and Judges are more important than people give credit? Is the US slowly being infiltrated through elections in the judicial process? Will the Villages will see more crime if there is a slow burn of "punishment fits the crime" and law enforcement and elected judicials being "woke"?
Could third world status of the US be knocking at the door in an effort to bring this country to its knees?

Who knows, but long as our golf courses stay nice we will all be OK.

[Veracity]

have u been on a college campus in the last 30 years??

I have not. But, I'm interested to hear why you ask this question. Can you please elaborate?

[GizmoWhiskers]

It’s all about destroying this country
Yeppers.

[dewilson58]

I have not. But, I'm interested to hear why you ask this question. Can you please elaborate?

do research...............hint, the political viewpoint being pushed on many campuses.

[Larchap49]

Why do prosecutors and judges release repeat violent offenders into society when they know (or should know) that these people will commit more violent crimes? Why don't they prosecute them and put them in prison for the maximum amount of time prescribed by law? I don't understand the rationale. Do they really think that these criminals will go home and suddenly become law abiding citizens?

For most places where this is happening the words of reasons are not acceptable to the moderator, sorry

[talonip]

QUOTE=Pairadocs;2190786]As you pointed out, it is a very complicated, interrelated, issue, and most people want ONE SIMPLE answer. Have adult children in St. Louis. Interesting and tragic situation there right now. Young female teen, in town with her parents, volleyball team, and coach from her high school in Tennessee (big tournament) just lost BOTH of her legs as a result of an individual with a horrendous criminal record and, like so many cases now, should never have been free to harm anymore people. But that brings us back to the point of their chief circuit attorney, Kim Gardner, may finally be removed from office. But.... this is the same story over and over in nearly every big city. If and when some of these people are finally removed for incompetency, will it really make a difference ? Or. do our larger cities have so many complex and interrelated problems they are "insolvable" ? It would be a start, but, would her removal (or resignation) change things ?[/QUOTE]
Who appointed Kim Gardner? This is the big question. The answer is money provided by non other than George. George who? Soros. He is trying to destabilize our citys by doing that and creating mass chaos so what will happen? Martial law. He is funding many more city prosecutors around the country. How do you take down a country? Martial law!

[ThirdOfFive]

I’ve just read about a guy who stole two cartons of ice cream and some whipped cream from Walmart at Buffalo Ridge and was charged with a felony and released on bail. A 60 year old Villager who was found high and passed out under a shady tree in his neighborhood was charged with a felony for have a vaping device and an ounce of THC oil. He was released on bail, too. (The odd thing is that he could have gone to a marijuana doctor, said he felt anxious, and received a license letting him have that stuff legally.)

Neither is likely to serve a day in jail for these crimes. The thing is, prison is very expensive. Apart from the fact that criminals choose to be criminals and that their actions damage or destroy lives and property, including their own, what are you willing to pay to put someone behind bars? Any trial is expensive by the time you pay for the time of all the people involved, from deputies to court reporters to janitors. Are you willing for we the people to pay, say, a total of $20,000 to mete out a 30 day sentence and another $30,000 for the incarceration costs? All for $10 worth of ice cream? A jury trial is much more expensive. District Attorneys don’t want to spend that money and time if they aren’t pretty much sure of a conviction. I read recently that incarceration in the New York City area exceeds $500,000 per year per prisoner. I’ve heard that it’s not much cheaper in Florida, but I’m not sure.

I myself believe we should follow the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution (ratified in 1865): “ Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” Sell these convicts as slaves or indentured servants for the term of their incarceration and let them do difficult and dangerous work. Better yet, make many violent crimes capital offenses and carry out the sentence within a few weeks in a humane way, like putting down a dog. I know most readers will disagree. Just my feeling on the topic. It would be cheaper and better for society and decrease the number of repeat offenders. I consider prison worse than death.
“I’ve just read about a guy who stole two cartons of ice cream and some whipped cream from Walmart at Buffalo Ridge and was charged with a felony and released on bail. A 60 year old Villager who was found high and passed out under a shady tree in his neighborhood was charged with a felony for have a vaping device and an ounce of THC oil. He was released on bail, too“

This may sound like looking at the world through rose-colored glasses, but the above quote is an indication of just how GOOD we Villagers have it. Back where I’m from (and I am assuming this is the case for a lot of us) someone walking out the door with unpaid-for ice cream and whipped cream wouldn’t even have caused the cashier to look up. In fact the de facto method of doing business in the Minneapolis - St. Paul metro area is to treat all shoplifting thefts under $1,000 as misdemeanors, and thefts OVER that amount are taken as reports that get acted on “if and when”.It has gotten so bad that businesses there (the few that remain open) have “customers” who walk in, take what they wan and walk out. And that reference is not to ice cream, but to some pretty fancy electronics, name-brand clothing, etc. The cops up there are just too few in number, too overworked, and too hamstrung by the very municipalities that hire them, to operate in any other way.

The way that the law operates down here is a carbon-copy of how Giuliani cleaned up New York. Constant, unrelenting pressure on the petty thieves and criminals is a guarantee that the little stuff will rarely, if ever, blossom into the big stuff.Do you think that many, if any, of those electronic and designer-clothes ripoff artists would have graduated to the (relatively) big time of $1,000 thefts made with impunity had they been made to face felony charges for absconding with a few containers of ice cream? I sure don’t.

At least part (not the entire, of course) of the answer is fair, equitable law enforcement across-the-board by law-enforcement agencies that have adequate manpower AND the outspoken support of the powers-that-be that employs them. I share the frustration of the poster at the felony charge leveled at the ice-cream thief who was allowed to go free on minimal bail. Happens a lot around here. But by the same token how many even get charged down here with thefts in there $1,000 range? Very, very few when compared to the small-timers.

A lot of municipalities around the country could take a valuable lesson from how Giuliani cleaned up New York and from how law-enforcement operates in The Villages. But of course they won’t.

[NoMo50]

It's a continuous stream of revenue to the Sherriff and Police Dept with fines.

Wrong. Police departments and Sheriff's departments do not receive monies levied as fines. That money typically goes into the city or county general operating fund. And, believe me, no one is more disgusted with the revolving door that criminals pass through than law enforcement officers.

[Javin53]

Well I am curious if those that sympathize have ever gone through an event. Just had our house up north burglarized, thrashed and our other car stolen right out of our garage. My wife is totally traumatized and not sure she can go back in house.

The only good news is the ******* was caught a few days later riding around in my car.

Because he had mask on and gloves and Hoodi they won't prosecute for actual burglary. Only for possession of stolen goods, a felony, and drugs and such. Looked him up online......20 pages of previous offenses.....and he is still out on the street. 45 yrs old.....so don't talk about rehabilitation. He should be in jail for the rest of his life before he kills someone. Or maybe take up a little mid east justice and chop off his hands.

Yes very ****ed off right now. Ill gladly pay more taxes to put these creeps where they belong.

[Joe Mack]

Why do prosecutors and judges release repeat violent offenders into society when they know (or should know) that these people will commit more violent crimes? Why don't they prosecute them and put them in prison for the maximum amount of time prescribed by law? I don't understand the rationale. Do they really think that these criminals will go home and suddenly become law abiding citizens?

If you're wondering why, you haven't been paying attention to what's been going on in this country for the past 7 years.

[chuckpedrey]

Too much “situational ethics” being practiced around here. The Good Book is a users manual that provides very clear guidance for every imaginable event that confronts humanity.

[chuckpedrey]

Wow! Mandoman for President.

[Wondering]

Why do prosecutors and judges release repeat violent offenders into society when they know (or should know) that these people will commit more violent crimes? Why don't they prosecute them and put them in prison for the maximum amount of time prescribed by law? I don't understand the rationale. Do they really think that these criminals will go home and suddenly become law abiding citizens?
Why are you "asking" us? Ask the judges and prosecutors. People commit crimes, are convicted, serve their time and are released.

[Worldseries27]

Heard the ukranians are looking for able bodied individuals. Now that's a presidential pardon i can get behind.

[MrFlorida]

Good reason for constitutional carry , isn't it.....

[bsloan1960]

Why do prosecutors and judges release repeat violent offenders into society when they know (or should know) that these people will commit more violent crimes? Why don't they prosecute them and put them in prison for the maximum amount of time prescribed by law? I don't understand the rationale. Do they really think that these criminals will go home and suddenly become law abiding citizens?
When a person chooses to become a Predatory Animal, and sees his neighborhood as his Hunting Ground and his neighbors as Prey he must be neutralized to protect his Intended Prey, and Future Intended Prey.

[nn0wheremann]

As you pointed out, it is a very complicated, interrelated, issue, and most people want ONE SIMPLE answer. Have adult children in St. Louis. Interesting and tragic situation there right now. Young female teen, in town with her parents, volleyball team, and coach from her high school in Tennessee (big tournament) just lost BOTH of her legs as a result of an individual with a horrendous criminal record and, like so many cases now, should never have been free to harm anymore people. But that brings us back to the point of their chief circuit attorney, Kim Gardner, may finally be removed from office. But.... this is the same story over and over in nearly every big city. If and when some of these people are finally removed for incompetency, will it really make a difference ? Or. do our larger cities have so many complex and interrelated problems they are "insolvable" ? It would be a start, but, would her removal (or resignation) change things ?
Kim Gardner is incompetent past the point of insanity. Missouri, though, will not build enough prisons, or adequately staff those that are there, nor does the State adequately train or pay the prison staff they have. Crime does not pay, it costs, and it is real expensive. Maybe they should outsource some of their prison responsibilities to the Chinese “reeducation “ system.

[dewilson58]

Good reason for constitutional carry , isn't it.....

We should start a thread.

[wamley]

Don't' know of any in todays world of someone going to state prison for possession of small amounts of drugs, commonly refered to as recreational quantity. State prisons are where we send the violent actors and those that sell, transport or distribute larger amounts of drug. As the courts and prosecutors have become more lenient, crime continues to rise. Population increases and prison cells are pretty stagnant in numbers. We literally see it every day so many being arrested and let go without bail. Not that ability alone helps unless it so high it keeps the violent offenders in. The answer by some is to make a serious crime,a felony, so that the jails don't overflow. Thats working great as car hijackers, that are committing ROBBERY and many times with a DEADLY WEAPON, both serious felonies in the Penal laws. There are just too many serious felonies happening and criminals let out to solve the issue.The criminals are having the time of their lives and the expense of the law abiding public. Until we're either going to build more prisons, just like we build more housing as the population grows so does the criminal population. Be safe out there.

[wamley]

Don't' know of any in todays world of someone going to state prison for possession of small amounts of drugs, commonly refered to as recreational quantity. State prisons are where we send the violent actors and those that sell, transport or distribute larger amounts of drug. As the courts and prosecutors have become more lenient, crime continues to rise. Population increases and prison cells are pretty stagnant in numbers. We literally see it every day so many being arrested and let go without bail. Not that ability alone helps unless it so high it keeps the violent offenders in. The answer by some is to make a serious crimethat is a felony and make it a misdemeanor so that the jails don't overflow. Thats working great as car hijackers, that are committing ROBBERY and many times with a DEADLY WEAPON, both serious felonies in the Penal laws. There are just too many serious felonies happening and criminals let out to solve the issue.The criminals are having the time of their lives and the expense of the law abiding public. Until we're either going to build more prisons, just like we build more housing as the population grows so does the criminal population. Be safe out there.

[ThirdOfFive]

Don't' know of any in todays world of someone going to state prison for possession of small amounts of drugs, commonly refered to as recreational quantity. State prisons are where we send the violent actors and those that sell, transport or distribute larger amounts of drug. As the courts and prosecutors have become more lenient, crime continues to rise. Population increases and prison cells are pretty stagnant in numbers. We literally see it every day so many being arrested and let go without bail. Not that ability alone helps unless it so high it keeps the violent offenders in. The answer by some is to make a serious crimethat is a felony and make it a misdemeanor so that the jails don't overflow. Thats working great as car hijackers, that are committing ROBBERY and many times with a DEADLY WEAPON, both serious felonies in the Penal laws. There are just too many serious felonies happening and criminals let out to solve the issue.The criminals are having the time of their lives and the expense of the law abiding public. Until we're either going to build more prisons, just like we build more housing as the population grows so does the criminal population. Be safe out there.
“The criminals are having the time of their lives and the expense of the law abiding public. Until we're either going to build more prisons, just like we build more housing as the population grows so does the criminal population. Be safe out there.“

Maybe at least a part of the answer is to make the laws regarding protection of one’s person and property a bit more sensible. Two things immediately come to mind that would aid in that:

1. If it is provable that a criminal was killed during the commission of a felony, or to prevent loss of life or substantial bodily harm to the intended victim or others, then the person who stopped the crime from happening will be forever immune from criminal prosecution for the act in question; and

2. Anyone who acts in the manner above to stop a felony in progress or to prevent loss of life or substantial bodily harm to the intended victim or others, shall be exempt from all civil lawsuits on the part of the perpetrator’s family or by the perpetrator, in the event that the perpetrator survived the incident.

Draconian? Maybe. But all too often, in all too many jurisdictions, the law has proven itself either incapable or unwilling to protect the law-abiding citizenry.

[Pairadocs]

have u been on a college campus in the last 30 years??

Absolutely ! Saw "it" evolving for at least the last 20-25 years in three different states. Must add, state universities where I taught definitely had a different administrative "political flavor" than I experienced at two private universities and one private college !

[jimjamuser]

Why do prosecutors and judges release repeat violent offenders into society when they know (or should know) that these people will commit more violent crimes? Why don't they prosecute them and put them in prison for the maximum amount of time prescribed by law? I don't understand the rationale. Do they really think that these criminals will go home and suddenly become law abiding citizens?
We should farm out our prisoners to Japan! They don't heat the cells and use punishment when necessary to improve the attitude and psychology of their prisoners with the intent of releasing them ONLY when they can resume a productive life in Japanese society.

[jimjamuser]

It is a good question.

Don't know so much about here, but in a lot of places it comes down to available space. Can't sentence someone to prison if every prison in the state is already overcrowded.

There should be answers beyond that though. Home confinement with a non-removable ankle ring that reports where the offender is at all times. Maybe heftier retribution sentences in lieu of confinement. But the ONE thing that would help the most is the one thing that gets very little mention. I don't know the exact number but a whole lot, maybe half, of people sentenced to confinement are there for drug-related offenses, and a number of others are there because they turn to criminal behavior to support a drug habit. I have no problem with sentencing the drug lords, kingpins, suppliers, etc. to hefty sentences, but for probably most of the others, if we treat drug issues as a medical condition rather than a legal issue, we'd be going a long way toward opening up prison space for those who really deserve it.
Maybe paying teachers better salaries and having more competition for teachers' jobs would HELP turn young CHILDREN into BETTER, more productive, smarter, and happier well-adjusted ADULTS ?
..........OH Yes, I forgot we don't REALLY want that because our TAXES might have to go up a notch.

[joelfmi]

Why do prosecutors and judges release repeat violent offenders into society when they know (or should know) that these people will commit more violent crimes? Why don't they prosecute them and put them in prison for the maximum amount of time prescribed by law? I don't understand the rationale. Do they really think that these criminals will go home and suddenly become law abiding citizens?
With all the mind-numbing statistics thrown about in the criminal justice system, perhaps none is more important than the recidivism rate – the likelihood that someone who broke the law once will do it again after being set free. This is the number that tells us who we would be wise to keep locked up, and who is (statistically) safe to send home
The U.S. Sentencing Commission released the results of a major study of all 25,431 federal offenders released in 2005. For the most part it reaffirms the conventional wisdom of criminologists: older offenders and those with more education are less likely to return to a life of crime and the culture of their upbring.has alot to do with this problem. The single best indicator of whether an ex-offender will become a re-offender is the length and seriousness of his or hers rap sheet. The conclusions bear repeating, since they offer some guidance to policy-makers but are looking to please a lot of their constituents and who are mostly not criminologists.

[dewilson58]

Maybe paying teachers better salaries and having more competition for teachers' jobs would HELP turn young CHILDREN into BETTER, more productive, smarter, and happier well-adjusted ADULTS ?


Pay the teachers all you want................without engaged parents, you ain't gonna have better, more productive, smarter, happier.

[dewilson58]

Absolutely ! Saw "it" evolving for at least the last 20-25 years in three different states. Must add, state universities where I taught definitely had a different administrative "political flavor" than I experienced at two private universities and one private college !

agree.................i was using "college" generically.

[ThirdOfFive]

Maybe paying teachers better salaries and having more competition for teachers' jobs would HELP turn young CHILDREN into BETTER, more productive, smarter, and happier well-adjusted ADULTS ?
..........OH Yes, I forgot we don't REALLY want that because our TAXES might have to go up a notch.
An all-too-common misapprehension. As a matter of fact, the only provable correlation between money spent for public school education and the quality of the finished product (graduation rates, test scores, post-secondary education rates) is inverse. Take any state you care to choose, compare the money spent for public schooling district-to-district, and then apply the criteria mentioned and I’ll guarantee you that as a whole the districts that spend the most, have the poorest results. To propose addressing that problem by throwing even more money at those districts is the definition of illogic.

There is a very good reason for this, and it has nothing to do with the schools. It has everything to do with how the kids are socialized. There are of course exceptions, but in general a kid’s direction in life is determined between birth and age five when the majority of that kid’s socialization happens. So what do you think will be the result if a young toddler is exposed to two wholesome parental influences, solid role-models, praise given to older siblings who succeed in school, a strong moral code with solid values, etc., as compared to a kid who from infancy on hears about how bad the establishment (read “Whitey”) is, whose only parental influence may very well be only a mother whose “mothering” is tepid at best, no solid father figure but rather a series of older males (siblings, whatever) who are involved with the criminal justice system from a very young age, whose knowledge of the school system before he ever entered it extends to hearing it ridiculed at home and those who succeed in school routinely put down, and then topped off by being told by various means that he is incapable of succeeding UNLESS he accepts help from the very establishment he has been taught to hate—and what is the result? Answer is obvious. Many if not most of these kids are beyond hope by the time the school system has anything at all to do with them, and to expect to buy miracles by throwing ever-more money at the schools who have to deal with these kids—well, in my book that’s a pretty good definition of insanity.

The only logical answer to this is the one the advocates would never allow, and that is to fix these kids during that zero-to-five window when his or her future is shaped, and that can happen only if the family itself is fixed. All the present course dictates is that we will be saddled with a permanent underclass that our own shortsightedness helped bring into being.

[jimjamuser]

Pay the teachers all you want................without engaged parents, you ain't gonna have better, more productive, smarter, happier.
Post # 49 says, "the more educated the LESS likely to turn to CRIME. So, THAT is BASICALLY what I said about teachers and education in MY post. Also, I believe that I remember reading somewhere that teachers in Europe get paid MORE than the average US teacher. And, within the US, Florida is close to the bottom in education OUTCOMES. That MAY (?) correlate to Florida being the oldest state. And because many have grown children that live in other states, Fl residents may be LESS willing (and able) to FORK-OVER an increase in property tax to go toward teachers and schools.
.....I need to look up what Norway and Finland pay their teachers.
.........If that correlation between crime and low education is correct, if someone did a cost-benefit analysis, they might find that the cost of crime in Fl exceeds the cost of making IMPROVEMENTS to schools and teacher pay

[JMintzer]

Incarcerations costs big bucks. There is constant pressure not to increase taxes or allocate more funds. Politicians want to be reelected to they will shy away from tax hikes. Same pressure on judges and prosecutors.

Reform is also needed: Overall, there are roughly 23,000 people still in jail for marijuana possession as their sole offense; and as of 2020, over 45 percent of nationwide monthly violations are still drug-related.

Personally, I believe the family structure in America no longer exists in many places and children grow without, respect, love, consequences and care.

Many of those incarcerated for "possession" as their sole offense, really were dealers and had gun charges that were dropped if they pled to lower charges...

[jimjamuser]

I’ve just read about a guy who stole two cartons of ice cream and some whipped cream from Walmart at Buffalo Ridge and was charged with a felony and released on bail. A 60 year old Villager who was found high and passed out under a shady tree in his neighborhood was charged with a felony for have a vaping device and an ounce of THC oil. He was released on bail, too. (The odd thing is that he could have gone to a marijuana doctor, said he felt anxious, and received a license letting him have that stuff legally.)

Neither is likely to serve a day in jail for these crimes. The thing is, prison is very expensive. Apart from the fact that criminals choose to be criminals and that their actions damage or destroy lives and property, including their own, what are you willing to pay to put someone behind bars? Any trial is expensive by the time you pay for the time of all the people involved, from deputies to court reporters to janitors. Are you willing for we the people to pay, say, a total of $20,000 to mete out a 30 day sentence and another $30,000 for the incarceration costs? All for $10 worth of ice cream? A jury trial is much more expensive. District Attorneys don’t want to spend that money and time if they aren’t pretty much sure of a conviction. I read recently that incarceration in the New York City area exceeds $500,000 per year per prisoner. I’ve heard that it’s not much cheaper in Florida, but I’m not sure.

I myself believe we should follow the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution (ratified in 1865): “ Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” Sell these convicts as slaves or indentured servants for the term of their incarceration and let them do difficult and dangerous work. Better yet, make many violent crimes capital offenses and carry out the sentence within a few weeks in a humane way, like putting down a dog. I know most readers will disagree. Just my feeling on the topic. It would be cheaper and better for society and decrease the number of repeat offenders. I consider prison worse than death.
Lots of stuff there. Personally, I would NOT want the 60-year-old Village man to be charged with a FELONY. If I were running the world that would be ONLY a misdemeanor.
.........I would NOT, "sell prisoners as slaves". And if it was an "open and shut" case that someone murdered another person, then I would have NO problem with a swift execution to save taxpayer money. But, rape and battery or some lesser violent crimes, I would be inclined toward long terms in prison.
........And have prisons more like the Japanese style with harsher conditions and more rehabilitation for when they get out later in life.

[fdpaq0580]

Just remembering a line from old movies that police would sometimes say, "stop or I will shoot". If the person didn't give up and got shot, it was their own fault.

And what ever happened to "three strikes, you're out"? For violent crime it seems reasonable to me.

How about using a lie detector to help determine if one leaving incarceration is fit, mentally and emotionally to be released back into society. Just one of many diagnostic tools.

Q. Is allowing groups of people with "bad or violent tendencies" to gather and "socialize" a good or bad idea?

At what point, if ever, does the incarcerated finally understand and accept the fact that the reason the are in prison is their own fault?

[jimjamuser]

An all-too-common misapprehension. As a matter of fact, the only provable correlation between money spent for public school education and the quality of the finished product (graduation rates, test scores, post-secondary education rates) is inverse. Take any state you care to choose, compare the money spent for public schooling district-to-district, and then apply the criteria mentioned and I’ll guarantee you that as a whole the districts that spend the most, have the poorest results. To propose addressing that problem by throwing even more money at those districts is the definition of illogic.

There is a very good reason for this, and it has nothing to do with the schools. It has everything to do with how the kids are socialized. There are of course exceptions, but in general a kid’s direction in life is determined between birth and age five when the majority of that kid’s socialization happens. So what do you think will be the result if a young toddler is exposed to two wholesome parental influences, solid role-models, praise given to older siblings who succeed in school, a strong moral code with solid values, etc., as compared to a kid who from infancy on hears about how bad the establishment (read “Whitey”) is, whose only parental influence may very well be only a mother whose “mothering” is tepid at best, no solid father figure but rather a series of older males (siblings, whatever) who are involved with the criminal justice system from a very young age, whose knowledge of the school system before he ever entered it extends to hearing it ridiculed at home and those who succeed in school routinely put down, and then topped off by being told by various means that he is incapable of succeeding UNLESS he accepts help from the very establishment he has been taught to hate—and what is the result? Answer is obvious. Many if not most of these kids are beyond hope by the time the school system has anything at all to do with them, and to expect to buy miracles by throwing ever-more money at the schools who have to deal with these kids—well, in my book that’s a pretty good definition of insanity.

The only logical answer to this is the one the advocates would never allow, and that is to fix these kids during that zero-to-five window when his or her future is shaped, and that can happen only if the family itself is fixed. All the present course dictates is that we will be saddled with a permanent underclass that our own shortsightedness helped bring into being.
Last paragraph...."the zero to 5 age window".........well there has been SOME addressing of that problem. The lunch or breakfast idea - so that they don't have their brains stunted due to malnutrition. And school attendance is getting earlier and earlier - they are called preschool programs. PBS also has childhood and preschool educational and MOTIVATING.
......The 1st paragraph....."take ANY state you choose".......Well, I chose to NOT pick a state because I wanted to compare all US states to Finland , Estonia, France, Sweden, and etc. That is the comparison to make and I believe that the European countries VALUE their teachers MORE than we do.( and pay them more and REQUIRE MORE qualifications than we do)
.........Now, the middle paragraph.......I was in agreement with MOST of it. It lost me with the "Whitey" reference because that is a little....you know------------. Also, there are single WHITE mothers or fathers that are financially and attitude-wise INCAPABLE of providing a SAFE and loving home - and yes DRUGS can play a big role.
........Overall, these problems of preschool kids WOULD OFTEN lead to lives of crime and incarceration. I would like to see a cost-benefit analysis that might PROVE that it is cheaper to raise some taxes and get GOOD teachers and preschool activities and nutrition versus the COST of PRISON incarceration. Plus add in the cost to society of crime and murders. Difficult to put a dollar amount on a human life. There was that volleyball college lady from Tn. that lost BOTH legs AFTER some violent criminal attack. She HAD a lot of future potential and now has a great setback.

[jimjamuser]

At a very basic level, stupidity in the thought that the gift of freedom will automatically result in a redemption and a change in morals and values.

A deeper possible answer, to create a downfall of the US through total chaos. Leading good citizens that have morals and values to NEEDING the government to rescue society through policing those not falling in line with political agendas, classic, what do you call it?... communism?

Maybe Prosecutors and Judges are more important than people give credit? Is the US slowly being infiltrated through elections in the judicial process? Will the Villages will see more crime if there is a slow burn of "punishment fits the crime" and law enforcement and elected judicials being "woke"?
Could third world status of the US be knocking at the door in an effort to bring this country to its knees?

Who knows, but long as our golf courses stay nice we will all be OK.
As far as conspiracy theories go..........I would think that it MIGHT(?) be possible for Russia to have HELPED in the distribution of killer Fentanyl into the US. That IS possible.

[jimjamuser]

I have not. But, I'm interested to hear why you ask this question. Can you please elaborate?
College today has a lot MORE veracity.

[jimjamuser]

QUOTE=Pairadocs;2190786]As you pointed out, it is a very complicated, interrelated, issue, and most people want ONE SIMPLE answer. Have adult children in St. Louis. Interesting and tragic situation there right now. Young female teen, in town with her parents, volleyball team, and coach from her high school in Tennessee (big tournament) just lost BOTH of her legs as a result of an individual with a horrendous criminal record and, like so many cases now, should never have been free to harm anymore people. But that brings us back to the point of their chief circuit attorney, Kim Gardner, may finally be removed from office. But.... this is the same story over and over in nearly every big city. If and when some of these people are finally removed for incompetency, will it really make a difference ? Or. do our larger cities have so many complex and interrelated problems they are "insolvable" ? It would be a start, but, would her removal (or resignation) change things ?
Who appointed Kim Gardner? This is the big question. The answer is money provided by non other than George. George who? Soros. He is trying to destabilize our citys by doing that and creating mass chaos so what will happen? Martial law. He is funding many more city prosecutors around the country. How do you take down a country? Martial law![/QUOTE]
Well, the old saying really IS, "Let George Do It".

[jimjamuser]

Well I am curious if those that sympathize have ever gone through an event. Just had our house up north burglarized, thrashed and our other car stolen right out of our garage. My wife is totally traumatized and not sure she can go back in house.

The only good news is the ******* was caught a few days later riding around in my car.

Because he had mask on and gloves and Hoodi they won't prosecute for actual burglary. Only for possession of stolen goods, a felony, and drugs and such. Looked him up online......20 pages of previous offenses.....and he is still out on the street. 45 yrs old.....so don't talk about rehabilitation. He should be in jail for the rest of his life before he kills someone. Or maybe take up a little mid east justice and chop off his hands.

Yes very ****ed off right now. Ill gladly pay more taxes to put these creeps where they belong.
I agree except the "chopped hands" part. We lost $ 2K of tools here in TV Land to a burglary and about $ 20 K of household stuff and vehicles in Tn. burned down by criminals that left a "calling card" of many crack needles - we were here in Fl at the time, fortunately. Police there had a shootout with the WHITE old gang leader and he pulled his gun and they shot him very DEAD. I was sad about losing the house, but NOT too much for his loss.
........So, I can relate to your loss!!!!!!!!!!! It is a SO_.

[jimjamuser]

We should start a thread.
I could have had a bazooka, a tank, and a squad of Marines with me when these atrocities happened to me because we were out of town. Even 2 states away when it happened. Unless I had a camera system protecting the 2 houses and the speed of Superman, no gun of ANY kind could have helped my situation and many other people's situation as well.
.........The answer to crime is to have a SYSTEMIC solution, NOT just a gun in your pocket or purse. But, in SOME situations it would HELP, of course.

[tjlee500]

I am sick and tired of people using the word Woke for everything they have an issue with. Look up the real definition.

[Caymus]

I am sick and tired of people using the word Woke for everything they have an issue with. Look up the real definition.


Who decides the "real" definition?

[jedalton]

FYI, George Sorus "bought" 27 State attorney generals. They only proscute who he tells them to.

[Sandy and Ed]

They are following the law and procedure laid out for them by their progressive political masters. Criminal Justice is just another one of those systems that used to work just fine until woke progressivism became the order of the day. No immediate solution but to identify the really bad ones and vote them out and impeach Judges that will not follow the law. This will be very difficult as our standards in Judicial selection have flipped. Many Judges now state at their appointment hearings that they do not consider the Constitution in their legal considerations and get appointed to the Federal bench anyway.
If a law is constitutionally correct and there are minimum sentences ( not guidelines) and a person is judged guilty by a jury of peers and has gone through a fast appeal process (also adjudicated by peers) why the heck would you even need a judge?? Or a District Attorney to decide if the perp would be charged? My admittedly uneducated opinion is that our legal system has become entirely too complicated. No, I do not think Sharia is a good alternative (know it was said in jest) but something a bit more stringent is needed on our system.

[ThirdOfFive]

Last paragraph...."the zero to 5 age window".........well there has been SOME addressing of that problem. The lunch or breakfast idea - so that they don't have their brains stunted due to malnutrition. And school attendance is getting earlier and earlier - they are called preschool programs. PBS also has childhood and preschool educational and MOTIVATING.
......The 1st paragraph....."take ANY state you choose".......Well, I chose to NOT pick a state because I wanted to compare all US states to Finland , Estonia, France, Sweden, and etc. That is the comparison to make and I believe that the European countries VALUE their teachers MORE than we do.( and pay them more and REQUIRE MORE qualifications than we do)
.........Now, the middle paragraph.......I was in agreement with MOST of it. It lost me with the "Whitey" reference because that is a little....you know------------. Also, there are single WHITE mothers or fathers that are financially and attitude-wise INCAPABLE of providing a SAFE and loving home - and yes DRUGS can play a big role.
........Overall, these problems of preschool kids WOULD OFTEN lead to lives of crime and incarceration. I would like to see a cost-benefit analysis that might PROVE that it is cheaper to raise some taxes and get GOOD teachers and preschool activities and nutrition versus the COST of PRISON incarceration. Plus add in the cost to society of crime and murders. Difficult to put a dollar amount on a human life. There was that volleyball college lady from Tn. that lost BOTH legs AFTER some violent criminal attack. She HAD a lot of future potential and now has a great setback.
It would be far better to do a comparative study of the children entering the public school systems for the first time in the inner cities of Finland, Estonia, Sweden, etc., as compared to a similar group of inner-city children in American public schools. Compare things like how many of each group come from two-parent households, homes where the parents support the family rather than depending on the dole, criminal activity family-to-family, Academic records of older siblings, etc. How do you think the derived statistics relating to the American kids would compare to those of their Nordic counterparts?

It has nothing to do with intelligence. Kids at birth are blank slates and there have been no independently verifiable statistics that show that children of any one ethnicity are brighter or less intelligent than any other. It has everything to do with motivation. And kids from homes that stress positive values and value achievement within the system are going to be far more motivated.

You can’t teach a kid that has decided he or she doesn’t want to be taught.

[JMintzer]

Last paragraph...."the zero to 5 age window".........well there has been SOME addressing of that problem. The lunch or breakfast idea - so that they don't have their brains stunted due to malnutrition. And school attendance is getting earlier and earlier - they are called preschool programs. PBS also has childhood and preschool educational and MOTIVATING.
......The 1st paragraph....."take ANY state you choose".......Well, I chose to NOT pick a state because I wanted to compare all US states to Finland , Estonia, France, Sweden, and etc. That is the comparison to make and I believe that the European countries VALUE their teachers MORE than we do.( and pay them more and REQUIRE MORE qualifications than we do)
.........Now, the middle paragraph.......I was in agreement with MOST of it. It lost me with the "Whitey" reference because that is a little....you know------------. Also, there are single WHITE mothers or fathers that are financially and attitude-wise INCAPABLE of providing a SAFE and loving home - and yes DRUGS can play a big role.
........Overall, these problems of preschool kids WOULD OFTEN lead to lives of crime and incarceration. I would like to see a cost-benefit analysis that might PROVE that it is cheaper to raise some taxes and get GOOD teachers and preschool activities and nutrition versus the COST of PRISON incarceration. Plus add in the cost to society of crime and murders. Difficult to put a dollar amount on a human life. There was that volleyball college lady from Tn. that lost BOTH legs AFTER some violent criminal attack. She HAD a lot of future potential and now has a great setback.

None of those European countries you mentioned pay their teachers more than the US...

Teacher Salaries by Country (https://www.businessinsider.com/teacher-salaries-by-country-2017-5)

Access Denied (https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/05/heres-how-much-teachers-around-the-world-are-paid.html)

In fact, your beloved Sweden pays significantly less... $62.1K vs $47.6K

And Finland is even LOWER @ $44.1K...

Facts Matter...

[JMintzer]

As far as conspiracy theories go..........I would think that it MIGHT(?) be possible for Russia to have HELPED in the distribution of killer Fentanyl into the US. That IS possible.

Do you have a "shred" of evidence to support that theory?

[ThirdOfFive]

I am sick and tired of people using the word Woke for everything they have an issue with. Look up the real definition.
My problem with the term is that it is one-word oxymoron.

How is it possible to be “woke” and comatose at the same time?

[JMintzer]

Who appointed Kim Gardner? This is the big question. The answer is money provided by non other than George. George who? Soros. He is trying to destabilize our citys by doing that and creating mass chaos so what will happen? Martial law. He is funding many more city prosecutors around the country. How do you take down a country? Martial law!
Well, the old saying really IS, "Let George Do It".

She was ELECTED! No one APPOINTED her...

It took 15 seconds to find that FACT.

[jimjamuser]

I am sick and tired of people using the word Woke for everything they have an issue with. Look up the real definition.
let's start an anti-woke club. There are clubs about everything in TV Land.

[jimjamuser]

FYI, George Sorus "bought" 27 State attorney generals. They only proscute who he tells them to.
That idea only exists in the environment of the dark web. And exists BECAUSE of his RELIGION. Looks like we need a deprogramming program in TV Town

[jimjamuser]

FYI, George Sorus "bought" 27 State attorney generals. They only proscute who he tells them to.
The idea ONLY EXISTS on the dark web and primarily because of his RELIGION. And please NOTE that physical and verbal attacks are INCREASING greatly for those of that same RELIGION here in the US - the country which PROFESSES (?) to believe in religious freedom.

[jimjamuser]

It would be far better to do a comparative study of the children entering the public school systems for the first time in the inner cities of Finland, Estonia, Sweden, etc., as compared to a similar group of inner-city children in American public schools. Compare things like how many of each group come from two-parent households, homes where the parents support the family rather than depending on the dole, criminal activity family-to-family, Academic records of older siblings, etc. How do you think the derived statistics relating to the American kids would compare to those of their Nordic counterparts?

It has nothing to do with intelligence. Kids at birth are blank slates and there have been no independently verifiable statistics that show that children of any one ethnicity are brighter or less intelligent than any other. It has everything to do with motivation. And kids from homes that stress positive values and value achievement within the system are going to be far more motivated.

You can’t teach a kid that has decided he or she doesn’t want to be taught.
I agree with everything in that post - except for one tiny part.......and it is just my personal opinion, but with a little bit of psy 101 thrown in. Babies are not EXACTLY a blank slate for a lot of reasons. One that has come to light recently is that Black mothers and children do NOT have the same survival rate in births, WHITES are higher. The reason is that many Doctors have an implicit bias and they make statements like, "BLACKS have a higher tolerance of PAIN".......which is false!
........Psy 101 talks about NATURE AND NURTURE. Basically saying, that the DNA that a person is BORN with has great INFLUENCE on their health and success. Within that basic Nature framework, then Nurture takes over and an individual can push themselves either to achieve higher or lower than the Nature (DNA) framework would predict.
.......For example - Asian mothers are NOTORIOUS for driving / motivating their children upward toward success.
........Another ethnic example.........BLACKS in the US as opposed to say France or Germany have a century or more of slavery to overcome and it has been 2 steps forward and one step backwards throughout US history, which needs to be told PRECISELY as it happened.
........Hispanics would fall somewhere in between those groups in financial terms and social acceptance. ( and interesting and NOT coincidental, their skin tone is ALSO somewhere in between.

[JMintzer]

That idea only exists in the environment of the dark web. And exists BECAUSE of his RELIGION. Looks like we need a deprogramming program in TV Town

Which RELIGION would that be?

[JMintzer]

I agree with everything in that post - except for one tiny part.......and it is just my personal opinion, but with a little bit of psy 101 thrown in. Babies are not EXACTLY a blank slate for a lot of reasons. One that has come to light recently is that Black mothers and children do NOT have the same survival rate in births, WHITES are higher. The reason is that many Doctors have an implicit bias and they make statements like, "BLACKS have a higher tolerance of PAIN".......which is false!
........Psy 101 talks about NATURE AND NURTURE. Basically saying, that the DNA that a person is BORN with has great INFLUENCE on their health and success. Within that basic Nature framework, then Nurture takes over and an individual can push themselves either to achieve higher or lower than the Nature (DNA) framework would predict.
.......For example - Asian mothers are NOTORIOUS for driving / motivating their children upward toward success.
........Another ethnic example.........BLACKS in the US as opposed to say France or Germany have a century or more of slavery to overcome and it has been 2 steps forward and one step backwards throughout US history, which needs to be told PRECISELY as it happened.
........Hispanics would fall somewhere in between those groups in financial terms and social acceptance. ( and interesting and NOT coincidental, their skin tone is ALSO somewhere in between.

Gobbledygook...

[Two Bills]

My Sainted Aunt!
I am guilty of posting a lot of rubbish, but in this thread, the experts are giving a Master Class!

[chrissy2231]

Why do prosecutors and judges release repeat violent offenders into society when they know (or should know) that these people will commit more violent crimes? Why don't they prosecute them and put them in prison for the maximum amount of time prescribed by law? I don't understand the rationale. Do they really think that these criminals will go home and suddenly become law abiding citizens?
It's overcrowding! How sad that there are so many criminals...

[Pairadocs]

[QUOTE=tjlee500;2190894]Incarcerations costs big bucks. There is constant pressure not to increase taxes or allocate more funds. Politicians want to be reelected to they will shy away from tax hikes. Same pressure on judges and prosecutors.

Reform is also needed: Overall, there are roughly 23,000 people still in jail for marijuana possession as their sole offense; and as of 2020, over 45 percent of nationwide monthly violations are still drug-related.

Personally, I believe the family structure in America no longer exists in many places and children grow without, respect, love, consequences and care.[/QUOTE

I believe you are correct, lack of a traditional family structure is a big part of the problem, but I maintain this issue has so many interrelated parts (example: "could" shockingly filthy lyrics of popular songs, disengagement in traditional social communications person to person, easy availability of both legal and illegal drugs, lack of community interest in an engaging school curriculum that teaches actual skills leading to steady jobs with higher than average pay, public school emphasis on social/cultural issues of sex, gender, equity (not "equality" but equity) at the same time parents SHOULD be demanding more challenging instruction in basics of mathematics, science, READING and writing, technology, and industrial offerings in welding, auto mechanics, woodworking, etc. We "could" demand classes on caring, quality, parenting, but we (the community paying for the schools) do not, instead we demand the emphasis be on how to change ones sexual orientation both mentally and physically; something once considered a matter to be pursued OUTSIDE the public school curriculum, not a basic education component. To all that, the continued legalization of marijuana, regardless of how any reader here feels about that personally, to our young people, it only holds out an easy answer to alleviate the suffering they endure from the hateful "social" media that is probably 75-80% of their "social lives". So many contributing factors, and the vast majority are not only solvable, but at no, or very little cost ! It takes a community that cares to develop a curriculum that actually helps build a strong, stable, future citizen. Just a simple, nearly cost free, move such as making high school graduation mandatory in the USA, or denying driving privileges until age 18 to any teens who refuse to attend school. Yes, many may be thought of as small, incremental, changes, but TOGETHER they would make a HUGE different in the crime statistics. Sadly, aside from a very small minority in any community, few people care anything about these issues: rising crime, decaying schools, depresses students, violence (this past week a student beat into a come a teacher aid here in Florida who "took away his video game consul he was playing in class". Does make one think that forbidding cell phone, I pods, video games, etc. etc. in public school classes would eventually result in HIGHER TEST SCORES and HIGHER SKILL LEVELS for seeking a career later. But, again, tax payers are not even interested in trying this just for one or two years to SEE if this one simple thing would result in reversing this (shameful) trend here in the USA.

[Kelevision]

Why are you "asking" us? Ask the judges and prosecutors. People commit crimes, are convicted, serve their time and are released.

:bigbow: :agree:

[Djean1981]

Because they are not held person responsible for releasing violent criminals that hurt more people. I'm all for second and third chances, but not when violence is involved.

[johnadamsUSMC]

Do you have a "shred" of evidence to support that theory?

I really do try to understand where the other side is coming from when I'm involved in a disagreement so let me know how these things make sense.

I teach classes to the military all over the world so I get to hear quite a few odd things

1. As an old telephone company splicer I worked in 100's (if not thousands) of manholes. Today I'm forbidden to say "manhole". I'm told to "maintenance hole" why???? Before you answer, look up the history of manholes

2. I can't say "male to female connector". I have to say "plug and insert"

3. In Australia I couldn't say "downguy" whch is the wire that stops a telephone pole from leaning due to stress. I had to say "stay" because someone was offended by "guy"

4. I worked in 29 prisons in Michigan and I couldn't say prisoner I had to say "client of the State" and the "clients don't have cells they have "living quarters" and outdoor payphones had to be called "outdoor communication devices for rehabilitation

5. And finally, I dont know if this was ever verified but I was told you could order a Whopper at Burger King with two top buns or two bottom buns if you were offended

wow, I feel better thanks for allowing me to vent

[Moderator]

You all who have been debating this issue responsibly can thank the political commenters for the closing of this thread. It has just become too much moderation work.