Policing, Mass Imprisonment, and the Failure of American Lawyers

Post by dragonwriter » Wed, May 20, 2015, 11:05 PM UTC

millermp12 wrote: post #302

nmrm2 wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your theory is just damn racist. You make a huge jump from correlation to causation that isn't warranted from the data you present -- it's that (I stress, obnoxiously unsubstantiated) jump that's damn racist. Ex: "Melanin is positively correlated with crime. " is exactly the same argument, and is (I hope obviously) damn racist. The study cited also doesn't say what you think it does, and your misreading is obnoxiousl…

If testosterone has nothing to do with incarceration rates, what mechanism do you propose for why men are in jail at much higher rates than women? (Structural) sexism? Poverty? Poor fashion sensibilities?

Post by enraged_camel » Thu, May 21, 2015, 12:29 AM UTC

element4y wrote: post #206

enraged_camel wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>>Not unlike the lottery, which the poor regularly spent their meager pittance on. Taxation of the poor as Lincoln noted. Not sure if you're trolling. Assuming you aren't, allow me to point out that your analogy is ridiculous. Fines are mandatory: you have to pay them or you face stiffer fines, and even jail. Lottery is completely voluntary. No one is forcing them to play.

Actually, the two are very related. While one is bound by law enforcement and the other is a "voluntary expenditure" they both accomplish the same goal, taxing those who have the least to give. And while we are involved in a discussion of human psychology. Maybe consider the mental aspects of extreme poverty and you can see that purchasing lottery tickets is not exactly voluntary but a desperate attempt to change the…

Post by Cthulhu_ » Thu, May 21, 2015, 10:36 AM UTC

sillygoose wrote: post #19

comrade1 wrote: post #2

I guess the best you can do is hopethat you know the laws for the area you live in. The u.s. has so many laws that are different across states and also so many laws that are enforced arbitrarily. Some states you only have to verbally identify yourself to police. Some states you're required to show I.d. if requested. Some states you can decline a breathalyzer and other states you cannot. And if you know the law then y…

There's this widespread misconception that there are things the police can't do to you because some text somewhere says so. In reality, it's just a question of what they want to do, and whether they can get away with it. For example, if an officer insists on seeing your ID even if the rulebook says you don't have to show it, he can escalate until he gets his way. A police officer can saw off your leg and feed it to s…

Post by jongraehl » Thu, May 21, 2015, 5:57 PM UTC

bambax wrote: post #295

DanielBMarkham wrote: post #35

I completely agree that we overcriminalize things and imprison far too many people in the U.S. I'm 100% on-board with this. It's our shame the way we treat non-violent offenders. A disgrace. But guys, nothing is ever 100% one way or the other, no matter how much you support it. So you have to look at differing points of view -- unless the objective is just to have a good rant. Here are the things that come to mind re…

> the country is safer than it ever has been This is only true if you exclude from "the country" all the prisons where people are routinely raped and stabbed. Also, even if it were true, the important question is: what caused it, and could that result be achieved with other means? How do other safe countries address the problem?

Post by entangld » Fri, May 22, 2015, 7:17 AM UTC

darkroasted wrote: post #279

beat wrote: post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Never evolved an indigenous culture? You've heard rap music, haven't you? Of course it's an indigenous culture... one that the mainstream cultures of the "blue and red tribes" finds alienating and strange. The indigenous culture of the African-American community has, among other things, created the basis of American music for over a century. To argue that what culture they have is simply handed to them by the "blue t…

"To argue that what culture they have is simply handed to them by the "blue tribe" liberals is shockingly ignorant and condescending." I will not deny the charges of being condescending and privileged, though personally I would describe myself as being in advantaged position and having a sense of Noblesse Oblige . I do not appreciate the name calling on your part. I will not admit to being ignorant, as I am both well…