Active Users:350 Time:12/04/2025 07:07:57 AM
That's why we NEED to reform prisoners Nighthawk Send a noteboard - 22/03/2013 10:33:08 PM

View original post
“Stupidity cannot be cured with money money, or through education, or by legislation. Stupidity is not a sin, the victim can't help being stupid. But stupidity is the only universal capital crime; the sentence is death, there is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity.”

A fun little quote, of course that's merely discussing that nature tends to kill off the dumb.


View original postI simply agree with his opinion on imprisonment. I have never understood the thought process that inprisoning someone for 30 years and then releaseing them can accomplish anything positive.

It varies, I'm not a fan of prisons but I am a fan in confining dangerous people while they're dangerous and if you keep them there long enough they're too old to be much of a threat. Keep in mind that we can and usually do release people early from prison if it is felt they are reasonably reformed, which is at it should be though our method of determining when and the how involved is often disappointing.

My issue with Heinlein in the corporal punishment sense is I don't really see an advantage to hitting people, and a beating isn't exactly a scientific process. I do generally tend to agree with the notion that if you need to lock someone up for 30 years there's something flawed in your approach, but I've always viewed our method of long term imprisonment rather lacking, though alternatives are also rather lacking. With time we'll be able to tailor these things to the individual better.


Yes it is flawed. America needs to get away from long prison sentences and really revamp the prison system to where they really try to reform these people. People shouldn't be afraid of getting raped and beat up in prison. The loss of personal freedom is the punishment. Prisons should be like military bookcamps. You have your whole day laid out for you. You will learn discipline and respect. You will eat, sleep, and shit where they tell you and when they tell you. Releases should be handled by a committe who works at the prisons and works with the prisoners. Prisoners will have to serve a minimum sentence but it shouldn't be too drastic. But they can be held indefinitely if they are not cleared for release back into society.

Reply to message
US Senate Democrats - already cave-in on the gun control bill - 19/03/2013 10:44:55 PM 1380 Views
right wingers are always point out there is no point legislating cosmetics - 19/03/2013 11:52:28 PM 798 Views
Late Term Abortion, Terry Schavio? *NM* - 19/03/2013 11:57:25 PM 395 Views
You know, what you are hoping for will not make any difference whatsoever..... - 20/03/2013 01:07:58 AM 664 Views
"if at first you don't succeed..... fuck it...." - 20/03/2013 04:10:47 AM 672 Views
I can agree with some of what you stated, though I prefer "logical" to "right winger" - 20/03/2013 01:56:34 AM 710 Views
you are correct. i forget sometimes that there **is** some common ground here.... - 20/03/2013 04:19:13 AM 621 Views
There'd be more common ground if anything were ever offered in exchange for concessions - 20/03/2013 02:20:26 PM 670 Views
Ben Franklin said it best... - 20/03/2013 04:14:45 PM 642 Views
interesting how that quote always applies to so many things, isn't it? - 20/03/2013 05:14:30 PM 630 Views
Absolutely - 21/03/2013 12:20:45 AM 700 Views
if there have to be concessions, what do you recommend? - 20/03/2013 05:10:53 PM 746 Views
That would depend, something of equal value - 20/03/2013 09:13:23 PM 639 Views
when very little is being given up, how do we determine equal value? - 20/03/2013 10:31:59 PM 911 Views
Outside of legislature people do it all the time, its called negotiation and bargaining - 21/03/2013 10:53:22 AM 661 Views
Re: Outside of legislature people do it all the time, its called negotiation and bargaining - 21/03/2013 07:16:57 PM 714 Views
Re: Outside of legislature people do it all the time, its called negotiation and bargaining - 21/03/2013 08:53:20 PM 796 Views
some answers - 21/03/2013 10:04:45 PM 1030 Views
Re: some answers - 21/03/2013 11:33:21 PM 795 Views
Re: the NRA - 22/03/2013 07:44:06 PM 656 Views
This is a matter of POV bias - 22/03/2013 09:04:25 PM 589 Views
we will have to agree to disagree then - 22/03/2013 10:12:02 PM 648 Views
I already knew we disagreed, that's why I suggested bargaining - 22/03/2013 11:11:04 PM 620 Views
i am merely taking the NRA at their word(s) - 23/03/2013 12:13:18 AM 590 Views
Re: i am merely taking the NRA at their word(s) - 23/03/2013 02:04:39 AM 851 Views
i am not trying to sway, just come to an understanding - 23/03/2013 03:03:14 PM 817 Views
I think you've actually managed to widen our gap - 23/03/2013 03:53:55 PM 825 Views
yes, because it was a failed attempt to re-boot and start the debate from the beginning..... - 24/03/2013 03:33:05 AM 1008 Views
I've difficulty seeing the point of going back to first principles but I'm willing to try - 24/03/2013 02:13:29 PM 628 Views
this has been more insightful than our previous tit-for-tat responses, actually - 26/03/2013 07:40:27 PM 614 Views
There's always room for reaosnable dialogue - 26/03/2013 10:09:58 PM 899 Views
even so, we are at yet another impasse.... - 26/03/2013 11:37:04 PM 716 Views
Probably, I don't know why that surprises you - 27/03/2013 02:02:54 AM 599 Views
I can see the argument for limiting magazine capapcity but it would be hard to enforce - 20/03/2013 05:11:51 PM 642 Views
It would be a stupid meaningless "feel good" law as changing magazines takes almost no time. *NM* - 21/03/2013 01:05:34 PM 350 Views
I can't argue that - 21/03/2013 06:14:09 PM 658 Views
canada's magazine restrictions are credited with reducing fatalities in a mass shooting - 21/03/2013 07:22:45 PM 728 Views
what is high capacity? - 21/03/2013 11:09:09 PM 622 Views
according to the law, whatever is larger than the legal limit - 21/03/2013 11:31:08 PM 648 Views
There is no gun control, only gun *centralization* - 20/03/2013 05:32:59 PM 684 Views
Regarding guns sold which are used in crimes - 20/03/2013 10:41:21 PM 630 Views
Your specified legal requirements already exist. *NM* - 21/03/2013 02:05:12 AM 341 Views
So what other stipulations would you put into effect? *NM* - 21/03/2013 02:42:53 AM 327 Views
none- I'd simply actually punish criminals instead of trying to "reform" them. *NM* - 21/03/2013 01:13:29 PM 351 Views
Criminals need to be punished AND reformed for their inevitable release back into society *NM* - 21/03/2013 11:58:20 PM 322 Views
I've always been rather partial to the criminal justice system in Heinlein's Starship Troopers novel - 22/03/2013 02:42:09 AM 732 Views
Yeah you're right. Let's just kill everybody who commits a crime - 22/03/2013 02:46:49 AM 665 Views
*NM* - 22/03/2013 10:55:36 AM 350 Views
That's not in Starship Troopers - 22/03/2013 12:51:44 PM 661 Views
Yeah, there was a small number of capital offenses (13 I think), most not specified. - 22/03/2013 05:27:11 PM 636 Views
14 then, he lists stupidity as one in another book - 22/03/2013 07:35:13 PM 676 Views
That's why we NEED to reform prisoners - 22/03/2013 10:33:08 PM 612 Views
It is probably an option we should work harder to develop - 23/03/2013 12:38:33 AM 665 Views
Out of curiosity. Is anyone against background checks at gun shows, and if so, why? *NM* - 21/03/2013 09:38:59 AM 334 Views
Not in principle but somewhat in practice - 21/03/2013 11:25:25 AM 783 Views
For what its worth.... - 21/03/2013 03:13:44 PM 628 Views
Personally, I am worried about criminals with guns. BUT... - 22/03/2013 03:44:47 PM 919 Views
What you are not factoring into your though process is that most criminals feels the same way. - 24/03/2013 12:56:04 PM 930 Views
I realize that can be the case. But... - 25/03/2013 03:32:59 PM 845 Views
Twice I was almost robbed, and my parents were robbed several times. - 26/03/2013 01:35:11 PM 547 Views

Reply to Message