Buy Them a Ticket

The Supreme court yesterday ordered the state of California to release between 35,000 to 40,000 prisoners from state prisons, because overcrowding in the prisons caused "needless suffering and death". I'm asking here and now why release this "suffering and death" on the general public?

These inmates are in the prisons for a reason, and honestly I think the reason for the "suffering and death" is not the overcrowding,it's the fact that these people are criminals. DUH!

I am wondering how the Supreme Court Justices would feel if the citizens of California chipped in and bought one way bus tickets for all the released criminals to go live in Washington DC, in the Justices neighborhoods.

Or, here's a plan to help reduce prison overcrowding. Start executing the inmates on California's death row. I think this might deter more people from acting criminally.

I'm just saying...

I'm just saying releasing these prisoners is not a smart move, and hopefully the state will have some better ideas that the court will go with, rather than the insane release of over 40,00 criminals...who will only end up back in prison anyway.

When did running a stop sign become a capitol offense?

On May 10, 2011 Allen Kephart, a local mountain area resident ran a stop sign. He was pursued by a San Bernardino County Sheriff deputy. When he came to a stop at a local gas station the deputy ordered him out of the car. The deputy reports that he became uncooperative and combative, at which time the deputy used his taser on Kephart. Long and short of it is Kephart ended up dead as a result of the incident.

People who knew Kephart say he was not he kind of man who would become combative. Eye witnesses report that the deputy, and a second deputy who responded to the incident tasered Kephart between 5 to eight times. One witness told me they held the taser gun to the man's temple. To me this seems like excessive force, especial for a traffic stop. I don't feel running a stop sign requires this kind of action. If the deputies suspect this was a dangerous person, they could have run the plates on the car and seen there was no criminal record on the owner, and so this kind of force was probably not needed.

I don't have all the facts, and don't claim to know everything about this case. But I do know the San Bernardino Sheriff Homicide investigators are investigating, and that due to possible conflict of interest the autopsy is being conducted by Riverside county's coroner. I have not heard the autopsy results, or more detailed sheriff reports. But I'm still pretty sure America has no death penalty for running a stop sign...I'll keep you posted as I know more details.

Osama's death...a cause for rejoicing?

The portions of the blog written here in brown were my initial thoughts, since publishing at lunch I realized I had missed a few points I wanted to make, so I'm adding them in blue.

Today I am conflicted. Osama Bin Laden has been killed by the US military. We have finally completed an objective set before us after the attacks of 9-11-01. I am relieved that Osama will no longer be able to spread havoc around the world. But I am sickened as I watch news reports of people celebrating in the streets and cheering over his death.

I understand that he was an evil man, and that he more than deserved the death penalty for the terrorist acts he committed. But when i see the celebrating in the streets I can't help but think back to the news immediately after 9-11 and the horror we, as Americans, felt to see people in Middle East cheering and celebrating in the streets. Are we not supposed to be better and more civilized than "them" and yet we too are celebrating the death of an enemy.

Now, I can completely understand people who lost loved ones on 9-11 wanting to express joy that the killer of their family/friend has finally been brought to justice. And the families of military people over the last ten years who have lost their lives fighting in the Middle East may feel some sense of joy, that the loss my seem more meaningful, now that Osama is dead. But I have to ask, after they are done celebrating Osama's death, is their loss any less? Has the death of Bin Laden brought their loved one back? Will there not still be an aching in their heart tomorrow.

But I have to ask myself, does losing one evil man make the world a much better place, or is it all balanced out by all the good people who have died recently ( I think of 4 friends at work who have lost a parent this year). And of course the loss of a leader will only make Al Quida want to destroy America (& Americans) even more.

Does God rejoice at the death of Osama? I can't answer that, but I think not, for it is a Soul that can now never be reclaimed to Him. (okay, shortly after writing this I found this verse posted on Facebook: ‎"Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?" ~Ez. 18:23 I think that answers the question I posed.) Some may argue that his Soul was so evil, it could never have been reclaimed, and maybe God was using the US military as his tool to rid the world of evil, and this may well be true. I do know that Satan is rejoicing in Osama's death because that is one more soul that is eternally his.

I want to add here that I am grateful beyond words to our military and all they have done over the last ten years in the Middle East, and hope my thought here have not given an impression otherwise. They should be congratulated for capturing a public enemy of the country. I'm just saying that the partying in the streets over someone's death bothers me a bit.

Several of my friends posted this quote today, and I'd like to share it here: ‎"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." --Martin Luther King, Jr.

I don't have answers to all the questions I pose here, and that is why, as I stated at the start of this blog, I am conflicted today. I do not hold it against you if you choose to celebrate Osama's death today, please don't hold it against me if I don't join the celebration.