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visagrunt
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19 Feb 2014, 11:26 am

I echo Dox47's post.

But beyond that, I am increasingly of the view that our policy approach to criminal law is precisely backwards. We formulate law, policy and practice in an effort to respond to crime; we do not formulate law, policy or practice in order to prevent crime from occurring in the first place.

This is due, in part, to populist democracy. "Tough on crime" policies are popular, and the population that clamours for them is not particularly interested in participating in a deeper debate about how to make communities safer.

But policy makers are shirking their responsibilities if all that they do is echo the mob. We should have a political system in which policy choices are made with evidence based analysis, and sound, non-partisan advice from sources both within and outside of government. That doesn't happen.

Economic studies time and again have demonstrated that the strongest social factor linked to violent crime is income inequality--not absolute poverty, but the gap between rich an poor. If there is, indeed, a causal link between income inequality and violent crime (and I'm not yet ready to state that with assurance) then it would follow that policy steps intended to close the income gap are not only good economic policy, but they are good social policy as well.

But the mob is deaf to economic analysis, and our political lords and masters hear only the baying for punishment.


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donnie_darko
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20 Feb 2014, 1:43 am

OliveOilMom wrote:
Oh, I support it wholeheartedly. Could I pull the switch on somebody or vote for them to die? Yep. There is a difference between an innocent that was murdered and somebody dying who needs killing. Yes, those are strange concepts to some of you, but some of the rest of us get it. It's not an NT thing or an AS thing.

And for a the people who say that those of us with AS can't support it, why don't you look at all the posts where people are wanting bullies to die, or people who were simply RUDE to them or picked on them? Double standard anybody?


I didn't say they couldn',t but rather as a general rule I've noticed most aspies oppose it while most NTs are for it. It doesn't mean AS people don't get angry but I have noticed a significant difference in forum death penalty polls between WP and other forums. Here you have a majority opposition to the death penalty as an idea while most other forums I frequent tend to always come out in favor of it.

In fact in the United States people with Aspergers and perhaps blacks are the only broad groups where a majority do not support the death penalty.

Also I think by saying "getting it" you are implying I am wrong about being opposed to executions, rather than simply disagreeing with you.