Memnoch

Thank you, Hal. You said exactly what I was thinking.



Your statement, for me, is personally ironic on two levels. First of all, I have an uncle named Moose. Secondly, and on a more serious note, that same said uncle is in jail. I do insist that he be forced to do the 3 years given to him, and certainly in no better conditions than anyone else convicted of a fatal hit and run. I have no sympathy for him, not even a bit. He committed a crime, he killed someone, and didn't report it. He deserves to sit in that cell until he comes to terms with the facts that he a) killed someone and b) was a coward. If he can't realize that by the time his three years is up, I hope they find a way to keep him in there longer. He may be my uncle, but if he can't take responsibility for, much less learn from, his massive moral misjudgments, I don't want him to be a part of my society. That's not being uncaring or unloving - quite the opposite. It's trying to care for and love my family, friends and fellow humans. The safety and solace of many citizens far surpasses the comforts of one criminal.

What most liberals don't understand is that the vast majority of the inmates in the prison system either can't or won't be "rehabilitated." Punishing them to an extent where they're going to fear going back to prison is one of very few alternatives we have. Frankly, the only problem I see with our prison system is that they're not hard enough on inmates. I agree that this particular sheriff may be on the more extreme side of things, but at the same time, I would feel safer if my state's prisons were run a little more like that and a little less like small, free apartments.

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Doing my best not to end up like Kathleen Chang.