Mass Incarceration verus better Education and Social policies

Mass Incarceration – Public Enemy # 1

I read an interesting view on the myths of ‘mass incarceration’ by Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall, in the Arizona Star opinion page, that prompted me to write this opinion on her most eloquently and accurate statement on these ‘significantly increased incarceration rates” and the facts behind them. She articulates the situation well enough for most to understand but she left out one big portion of the national debate on ‘mass incarceration’ - the solution to the problem.

Mass incarceration was part of a policy making by a group of DC based ‘think tanks’ that favored jail, detention and prison time for those who violated the law. Shortly after the end of the Vietnam War, these think-tanks promulgated penal policies for federal and state governments to impose ‘stiff drug-sentencing laws’ that carried over to repeat and habitual offenses that carried a three strikes and you’re out kind of consequence. Unfortunately, these policies have failed us badly and has taken a large amount of funding from other important element of federal and state budgets to finance and support our expanding prison systems.

There has been a major shift in Arizona law since 2006-07 that has impacted our state’s funding for prisons in the order of competing with our educational and infra-structure systems. I don’t blame the laws for committing more people into jails or prisons, that burden falls on the people who committed these violations.

County Attorney LaWall states that “Violent and repetitive crimes are the main drivers of incarceration-rate increases in Arizona.” This is true but she failed to show what drives these violent and repetitive crimes in our state. As a prosecutor, she enforces the law and does not recommend them but she has a public obligation to be part of the solution to the problem when she can articulate the reasons for our prison growth so well and clearly understands the dynamics of the criminal justice system process.

Her referral to read and understand the “complete and accurate analysis of the offenses” listed in this report titled “Prisoners in Arizona: A Profile of the Inmate Population” (azsentencing.org) to uncover the truth” is not the answer to the problem. An analysis says nothing about those incarcerated and the incarceration business is about people, not numbers. Her defense of people not being locked up for drug offenses takes away the attention why people are being locked up in the first place.

County Attorney LaWall states those inmates serving time are basically people who have “histories of felony violence, their prior criminal records and other material factors. The report shows that relatively few prisoners are locked up for drug offenses.” She then articulates who is really in our prisons but fails to state why they are in there locked up. She identifies “murderers, rapists, armed robbers, child molesters, kidnappers, prohibited possessors, gang-bangers, drive-by-shooters, repeat career burglars, auto thieves, arsonists and narco-traffickers”

Again, an accurate statement and relevant to who is being locked up. She failed again to explain, why they are locked up and instead delves into statistics that eliminate the human factor entirely.
When discussing crime and incarceration we must remember the root causes of such failures. The fact is that since the mid-80’s our schools have failed our children badly. It has in essence become a pipeline for prisons by design and operational methodologies. Social and political policies have abandoned all of us in the rural and urban areas, as we see our children struggle with finishing their schooling and lacking in academia or vocational training; impacting graduating and finding a decent job.

Most children drop out and end up being incarcerated as they barely reach an 8^th grade educational level. Although some get their GED inside prison, their abilities to find a good job has been hindered by the fact they are ex-cons looking for work.

Drugs are a problem and so is idleness due to unemployment rates. Gangs have grown over the last few decades as families suffer and endure stress and anxiety that are mentally related to the lack of care for those who need medical and mental health care. Mental hospitals have closed due to lack of funding and those who suffer serious psychotic disabilities, find themselves homeless or seek other means to cope and deal with their illnesses by self-medicating themselves with drugs.

These all fit the profile given by the county attorney. Finally, if the state would have spent more money on our children’s future, our educational systems and our social and economic growth for a sustained level of consistency and dependability, our mass incarceration rates would be reduced and the money spent would be a better investment in our children and their future.

http://tucson.com/news/opinion/column/guest/barbara-lawall-myths-about-crime-and-justice-in-arizona/article_75fa2ff6-43a7-511b-92bb-fff492d032c6.html

Wanted - Hillary Clinton

Making fun of people who talk different than me -

Making fun of people who talk different than me -

I see this so very often in the media as they slam and crash on Donald Trump and how he talks. Then, we carry it onto the web via social media and in real life real time we mock and ridicule others for the way they talk and use words we sometimes believe to be rude and crude but basic and simple to them in order to speak or communicate in a style or manner they are comfortable with most of the time.
People laugh when someone doesn't pronounce a word properly, don't write something in proper English, spelling mistakes etc. – mostly, it’s the mainstream media who have targeted Trump for his English grammar shortcomings and finding easy targets in this game of Hit Trump in the mouth kind of game.
But this laughter goes deeper than that – it dwells into left field and becomes political fodder for many. Why is it okay to laugh at someone who is trying to write or speak in a language which he/she is not so good at but has to or chooses to do it due to circumstances or lack of proper education. Maybe, Trump talks the way he does because that’s his comfort zone and most people understand his words and related to them better than those politically correct double meaning coded words politician speak all the time.
What makes it okay to laugh about something that might be so sensitive to some who struggle to find the right words at the right time? What about the other characteristics that makes them a good person or better at heart than others?
I get that someone mispronouncing a word can be quite funny for someone who is quite fluent in that language, but where's our humanity? The kind of posts I see on vlogs, MSM articles and blogs which make fun of people's not so good English – quite I honestly don't like them.
I don’t have or need the urge to laugh at other people's poor English but after I actually started learning another way of understanding my own language. I came to know by trying to understand how and what they were saying.
Then, in repeating what was said, I began to experience how embarrassing and humiliating it can be to be made fun of. I would probably never even dare to try to speak in that language due to fear of embarrassment or at least, it was a thought that I had under those circumstances.
People who grow up being familiar with English, at least to some degree speak very well and pronounce every syllable and complete sentences most of the time. It’s not a fixed rule but a common practice to do it that way. Being familiar with a language and actually learning to speak, read or write that language is a totally different ball game. however, taking in the rule of ridicule, they both have the same lasting impact.
I have watched people who only speak foreign languages struggle with English and understand their disabilities. I think I have some familiarity with various languages, but I don't know how to speak any of them fluently or well enough to write it but I try at times and make a fool of myself doing so but not purposely.
I can say some words, understand some words but that's it. That's how the situation is real for some people here. They don't know how to speak English properly or write it but the lack of familiarity gives them kind of a false confidence, when trounced by others, I would say, for the lack of a better word.
But it doesn't mean you can make fun of them. Because it would only make the situation worse, because they would become defensive and I don't know how that would be helpful. I think not making fun of them and allowing them to make mistakes while guiding them in a subtle way is what should be done. Family is usually the best source for such guidance.
This very same principle applies to those who chose to communicate in words and sentences they are comfortable with and fits their own style to communicate - Whether they are educated or not, foreign or domestically raised, it is never right to make fun of anyone who chose to speak different than you do.
Thanks for reading

Hillary Clinton - Rational or Irrational

OPINION - History will show Hillary Clinton as one of the most prolific and unresolved Secretary of State officials ever. She was at one time brilliant and a high caliber producing official who showed results in her work or missions. In many ways, she was a good American patriot working for our government and sacrificing her time and effort to keep our national security safe and secure.

Time took its toll – she was no longer the humanitarian once believed to be. People were dying around her as her wealth grew and foreign influence fostered. She was no longer a woman of wit and humor; she had turned into a political machine. Her ideas, mental state, and methods became unsound and ruthless. Unsound to the definition of the word. Secondarily, her mental health is not the best of mind and could cause short term problems for her abilities to make critical decisions.

Today, she is worshipped like a goddess by the Democratic Party, her staunch political allies, the Saudis and anyone else who managed to get an audience with her and her entourage for the hefty fees she demands to be engaged. She had and still has, an Army of men and women, willing to do anything she asked or demanded without question. She controlled embassies, foreign interest and negotiated deals only known what these terms were, by those present at the signing or handshake.

Well, I have some shocking news to tell you. Hillary Clinton is about to be arrested for treason and other federal law violations. If you don’t follow the train of thought, there are emails of gun-running, overthrowing the government of Libya and the destruction of Syria by aiding and arming rebels to overthrow the existing governments. All in the name of American and Mideast regional stability and safety. The eventual demise of our government’s weaknesses has been exposed to the work via the internet and time is not on our side to recover these vulnerabilities.

In most cases, it is presumed that emails will disclose she had double agents working the fields to garner lucrative contracts for resources and weapons. For the most part, she stood alone from the POTUS and took matters in her own hands. You see, we are at war – at war with Islamic Terrorists Extremists and things get confused in this war. War is about power, control, money, ideals, morality or lack of such values and practical military necessities.

Hillary Clinton handled it all – she was our foreign affairs broker with other countries including Russia. Being out there, all alone by herself, there is a strong temptation to feel like a god or in her case, goddess. By herself, she dealt with the rational and irrational, between good and evil and we have learned from war, the good does not always triumph in war. Sometimes the dark side takes over and leverages the outcome that often brings us to a breaking point.

Today, we are at that breaking point. Everybody has one – you and me and Hillary Clinton. She has allowed the dark side to take control of the angels of our nature bringing out the evil in men. Obviously, she has reached her breaking point and is not certifiable insane.

Clinton is operating without “any decent restraint that is totally beyond the pale of any acceptable human conduct.” People in power like this need to be lawfully and methodically terminated from power, control and access to further resources that may destroy our civilization as we know it to be with extreme prejudice.

A political windfall is not acceptable. Hillary Clinton needs to be defeated in her run for the office of the President of the United States. America must find a viable legal and lawful method or alternative to stop the election or selection of Hillary Clinton as our next president.

Time and Truth - Trump will win but our country will Lose

Time and Truth -

Let me make one thing very clear – I hate the Republican party and how it turned out after the 2012 general election. I went downhill after 2008 but it really took a dump after the Romney 2012 sellout. My mother and father were Republicans. I took their pledge and oath to become a Republican in silence and carried that card for a very long time because I do not agree with Democrats and their party principles.

Today, after all this time, I hate the Republicans almost as much as I do the Democrats. Because of that, I am voting for Trump because I won’t vote for Hillary Clinton, a democrat. Not just a democrat but a corrupted lying democrat. It doesn't even deserve to capitalize her party because of the manner they destroyed people.

I hate Trump and what Trump did to the party. It was pure extortion. I hate Cruz for crossing the line and his selfish needs to feel like he is the ‘chosen one’ and everybody else is wrong or not entitled to what he wants. I hate McCain for his abandonment of conservative and legitimate principles of conservatism. He is a sellout as well. I hate Kasich for not having the balls to come to Cleveland and show his face but time will reveal the real reasons soon.

Although I believe Mayor Rudy Giuliani has good intentions, he is malicious, I suspect that he has been on a vengeful path to pay back Islamic Terrorists since day one of the attack on his watch. Mitch McConnell is a traitor and there are a few more who will show their real value [or lack of] later. I hate Rubio, but I will learn to forgive him in time.

You see, in general, if you pay attention to my writings, it’s about time, not about politics. Time is more important than polarized comments or statements made by anyone in any party. The party, today, hate Cruz more than they do Trump – after all, Trump is their savior and the party needs to survive as it was on life support and emergency resuscitation during the primary and now until the November election. Motive is always a factor when it comes to money and power and don’t be fooled, this is about money and power.

In time, the wobbling wheels of the Trump train will derail somewhere along the line because Trump is not a sustainable person – he goes up and down and when he goes down, he really goes down. It is my own believe that Trump is no different than Barack Obama, as both are narcissistic in nature and power seeking persons. I can see in time, Trump’s ego will make more changes than Obama and that’s not what we need. In the end, it will be those exact same qualities that will tie him down to the puppet masters who have chosen him in lieu of others who couldn't make the grade during the primary runoffs.

Cruz chose to not be included in the Trump deal of quid pro quo on deals made in the backrooms of the convention. I can respect that but I don’t like him for breaking his word. However, looking back in time, they all threatened to break their words; every one of them were liars and cheaters - they might not have said it out loud but their body language and their lack of support told a story. Thus we need to keep his situation in content and context - something that time will clear up for us.

Don’t let it fool you about party unity – there is no unity – just a party that is superglued together and when the heat is applied, the glue will undo all the pledges and all the bonds that were put together for this quick façade. It has already begun as the party is desperately seeking new funding to keep the campaigns going. Here again, promise broken and expectations falling short of the financial supports pledged or made. They are desperately looking for donors who don't have America's best interest at heart. There goes the campaign promise of not owing anyone any favors.

Cruz was a wrecking ball because he didn’t deliver the oath of the pledge for a nominee endorsement. However, in time, the truth will be revealed how matters were manipulated and how the convention was a sellout to those who came there with high expectations. Not to mention the party’s leadership expectations. I suspect that the party threatened Cruz and Trump punked him out. Yes, Trump is that kind of guy – he is himself a selfish punk. A rich punk but never the less, a punk who called Cruz a selfish person and took personal insults one step too far. Who better to judge another when they understand each other so well.

Tomorrow when things start falling apart, everybody who remembers will thank him for staying the course – others, although living with regret, will try to work themselves back in favor as this ‘wrecking ball’ will turn out to be quite the opposite in time. In time, and with the truth, Cruz will become a leader again of the anti-establishment crusade in addressing and resisting the Washington DC cartel. Why you ask?

Because he took a stand against the “real establishment” that tried to force him into a submission of his own conscience and principles. A stand he had a right to take without any recourse but with heavy consequences that will haunt him for years. However, time and truth will mend those fences, and it will clear the path to his own resurrection. Someone said that truth is a long game, more than 4 quarters of football and more than 9 innings of baseball. Time and Truth have no limit – it can happen anytime and I am betting it will be around 2018 when the Congress has it next election and time will show who stands up for the party and who remains seated.

Lastly, 2020, is not that far away and time will demonstrate how the truth stands up and reveals how dark the Republican party really is if you look close enough to their core values and principles. It might be shocking. If Mr. Abraham Lincoln could speak, he would say the world has changed for the worst and nothing can heal us now, I see the end of the Republican Party and time will change the direction of this country away from where our founding fathers thought it would remain. So gloat your victories now; tomorrow will bring you demise and sorrow.