Obama goes to jail!
- Thread starter Ralphy1
- Start date
Warrigal
SF VIP
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
Well, I reckon that members of congress, parliament etc should visit gaols, hospitals, public schools, work places and homeless shelters to ask questions and to listen to the answers. They should do this away from the media and the cameras.
I was fortunate enough to be invited to a session where community leaders were able to meet with PM Gillard and four of her front bench. It was not a session where we asked questions and they answered. Rather we spoke, telling them what we thought was important and they listened. The subject was youth crime and what needs to be done to prevent young people joining gangs.
There should be more of this as long as it is not just a media stunt.
I was fortunate enough to be invited to a session where community leaders were able to meet with PM Gillard and four of her front bench. It was not a session where we asked questions and they answered. Rather we spoke, telling them what we thought was important and they listened. The subject was youth crime and what needs to be done to prevent young people joining gangs.
There should be more of this as long as it is not just a media stunt.
Debby
Well-known Member
- Location
- East coast of Canada
I think it's very open and honest to view what is a large part (apparently) of America's culture. What I found interesting is his comment about '5% of the worlds population and 25% of the worlds incarcerations'. Seems like that is definitely something that officials need to be considering. Seems like it should be 5% of population/5% of worlds incarcerations. That would make more sense wouldn't it?
Yes, it would. But the US has been number one in the percentage of the population in prison for many years.
QuickSilver
SF VIP
- Location
- Midwest
Yes... and unfortunately it goes back to Clinton.. and his passing minimum mandatory sentencing that forced judges to impose huge sentences for nonviolent drug offenses. He has now admitted that that was a mistake. However, think about how the owners of our private prison system LOVE it.. and will fight to have this upheld.. It all goes back to $$$$$...
I haven't really read much about it but it seems to me that private prisons is just asking for corruption.
QuickSilver
SF VIP
- Location
- Midwest
Yes.. and they have lobbied Congress for longer mandatory sentencing.. and stricter drug laws which has caused our prison population to explode.. Americans aren't more criminal.. it's simply that private corporations have found a way to make money off of crime and imprisonment.
Davey Jones
Well-known Member
- Location
- Florida
mandatory sentencing?? Nothing wrong with it, just try not to get caught in the first place by simply obeying the law.
AZ Jim
R.I.P. With Us In Spirit Only
- Location
- SURPRISE, ARIZONA
Mandatory sentencing has resulted in our prisons being crowded with non-violent offenders so that the only alternative is to lighten the sentences of convicted violent felons to meet regulations on Prison population. It was a bad idea. Why have judges if they can't have the latitude to set appropriate sentences?
QuickSilver
SF VIP
- Location
- Midwest
and that was lobbied for by the for profit prison industry... keep the customers coming... lots and lots of them and for longer and longer sentences.. all on the tax payers dime.
There are reasons people are in jail. Yes some get over charged, excessive sentences and found guilty by association only. But there are reasons people from the drug culture especially wind up in jail.
Meth head beats up senior citizen.
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/20...t-palo-alto-church-suspect-pleads-not-guilty/
Meth dealer/manufacturer starts fire risks other lives in apartment.
http://www.kvrr.com/news/local-news/Fire-Possibly-Caused-By-Meth-Lab/34115458
Pothead drives intoxicated and kills.
http://www.krem.com/story/news/loca...na-involved-in-fatal-july-4th-wreck/29819571/
A drunk driver with 6 prior arrests kills.
http://patch.com/new-jersey/morrist...regnant-alleged-drunk-driver-arrested-6-times
5 girls escalate an a simple argument into criminal assault with one girl trying to run down four others with her car. Supposed the driver was pepper sprayed moments before. What do you do with people like this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osTOnHtwj-k
Criminals like these shouldn't be incarcerated??? May be not as long as many are currently getting but crime is committed by criminals. People like this need to be incarcerated. Perhaps shorter mandatory sentences with no chance of parole. All these perpetrators are selfish pieces of crap giving their petty existence priority over everyone else's safety. This is just a slice of the last month of crime in the US. And I'm sure at least one of these pos's will cry I need rehab and not get poop then be out on the streets doing the same crap all over again.
Shouldn't Bernie Madoff, a non violent criminal who stole millions with a capital S of MANY people's life savings still be in jail for fraud?
If someone was wrongly convicted I support and appeals, pardons, early release etc but most criminals are in jail for a crime which frequently affects people and not just property.
AZ Jim
R.I.P. With Us In Spirit Only
- Location
- SURPRISE, ARIZONA
Don M.
SF VIP
- Location
- central Missouri
If some of our politicians were held to the same standards that the rest of us have to live with, many of THEM would wind up in prison.
Warrigal
SF VIP
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
You should see the kerfuffle going on over here. The Speaker of the House of Representatives has been found out claiming for a chartered helicopter to take her from Melbourne to Geelong, a distance of about 80 km down the motorway to attend a party political fundraiser.
Never mind that the Speaker's role is to be impartial in her duties and that she has been the most biased person towards her side of parliament we have ever seen, and that she holds party fundraisers in her parliamentary office, there is no way that attending a fundraiser is part of her official duties as Speaker. However, it is suspected that that is how she justified claiming over $5,000 for the most expensive helicopter service available rather than travelling down the motor way by Commonwealth car. He arrogance is mind blowing, and the paperwork submitted to the Finance Dept is possibly criminal.
Looking back, a few of our politicians have served time, mostly for corruption and at least one for sexual misconduct with minors. If you dig deep enough you'll possibly find that some of yours have also been inside.
Don M.
SF VIP
- Location
- central Missouri
Politicians, are Politicians...no matter which nation they are from. Corruption, pandering to the special interests, and putting their own selfish goals first, are all common denominators for the vast majority of those in public office. Anyone who believes the Crap they spew during the campaigns would probably be interested in buying some stock in the Brooklyn Bridge.
It is very rare to hear of one of our Washington politicians getting into trouble....because they are Very Protective of each other...and know that if they "ratted" on one of their colleagues, dozens of them could be in serious trouble, for similar actions. If they DO screw up enough so as to get tossed out of office, many of them simply go a few blocks away from the Capital, and take a cushy job with one of the Lobbyist firms on K Street...and "officially" start to represent the special interests they have been paying homage to "under the table" while in office.
It is very rare to hear of one of our Washington politicians getting into trouble....because they are Very Protective of each other...and know that if they "ratted" on one of their colleagues, dozens of them could be in serious trouble, for similar actions. If they DO screw up enough so as to get tossed out of office, many of them simply go a few blocks away from the Capital, and take a cushy job with one of the Lobbyist firms on K Street...and "officially" start to represent the special interests they have been paying homage to "under the table" while in office.
Warrigal
SF VIP
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
In Federal politics over here the gloves have been off since the election of our first female prime minister and the elevation of a gutter fighter as her opposite number. He's now PM and karma is dumping on him and his party. The Labor Party has never been very forgiving.
More politicians need to BE in prison, but I digress.<sorry, couldn't help it>
Seriously, people need to see what their tax dollars are paying for. Prison is expensive, need to make sure that the people being sent there really need to be there.