SHEsaysWITHaSMILE.blogspot.com

  I do wish I could write at the very moment I am inspired with an idea, thought, etc.  but time/circumstance rarely allow.  so, I jot down big picture ideas minus details..  let  them percolate; eventually I can pour 

***

and last I saw of my sister almost two years ago..  recovering from surgery; still not even driving yet when I left..   fast forward and she is groovin' on the dance floor with a big smile, surrounded by family and friends  "thank you!" Jesus  -and a million people in the background who contributed in small and large ways to a happy milestone celebration

"how can you even celebrate?"     -asked a few times, when recent tragedy was factored in..

the upshot is this, and worth re-mentioning:  we had (have) a shared spiritual mindset:  not to let evil claim even more territory

because if you do not proactively set a boundary..   claim away it will.

Joy is our Strength. Peace is our Power. Jesus is our Savior.  Holy Spirit is our Guide.

***

speaking of upshots and evil   -I will say only this:   we know ryan had a history of violence.  he had been in jail for  (6 months?) and then released

pull anyone off the streets and ask the question:

if a violent criminal beats someone nearly to death

-spends 6 months in jail and then is released back into society

is that released criminal now a better human being and no threat to society?

pull anyone off the streets..

it does not need to be a well educated, highly trained person..

although both the well educated and the average person know:

a dangerous violent person does not spend 6 months in jail and then leave a less dangerous or less violent person.

period.

it only escalates.

this formula is proven out too many times to count.

we all already KNOW IT

and yet..  year after year

decade after decade..

violence. jail time. release. greater violence

in this case

as is true with countless others

the violence went from beating nearly to death..

6 months/release

beat to death; not nearly..    but to death.

everyone is devastated; no one is surprised.

***

I wont pretend to have answers as to the why's.   I am not inspired to activism trying to convince mass amounts of people violent criminals should be permanently removed from society

louder, more influential people have already..

and with no results.

the cycle repeats.    and the cycle will continue to repeat.

the hows/whys people become dangerous, violent, murderous is its own novel length topic

but, while we continue to study, research, understand the hows/whys

the most important thing in my opinion and experience

is that WE DO KEEP VIOLENT CRIMINALS OFF THE STREETS

and what the answers are, as to how long...under what circumstances

I only believe this,

that a violent criminal

a dangerous violent criminal should be kept away from society

and no dangerous violent criminal should go directly from jail back to society

there needs to be a place you 'graduate' to

and you stay there..   -for your life, or until you have proven..

rights to function in society should be permanently removed from dangerous violent criminals

that would be the parade I would march in.

I could go on and on here..   force myself to stop and move on...    /but it should start with bullies in school.. you should be removed and put in an entirely separate facility until you master respect for other human beings.

***

in this way..   nearly beating his mother to death..   6 months in jail...  released, and ultimately beating his mother to death; murder

in this way..   that he was ever released..

it is my opinion/observation that ryan was set up to fail; and Cynthia was set up to die.

everyone saw that coming.    current laws/cultural will and practices do nothing to stop it

***

what grand sympathies have accumulated over the past decades toward criminals in general  -but if we were to assess the results..

sympathy/compassion toward criminals -though the intention has been noble

has not yielded the result it may have intended  -less crimes?   safer place for innocent people?   criminals being reformed into good, law abiding citizens?

perhaps we have over-corrected and need to swing back...

I can promise you this, and also pull anyone off the streets for this knowledge/understanding:

if a dangerous violent criminal goes to jail

removing chains, adding big flat screen tvs, popcorn, movies, laundry, healthcare, recreation, and classes

none of this results in a reformed human being when it comes to the mind, heart, soul

you are only giving flat screen tvs, popcorn, movie nights, recreation time and classes to dangerous violent criminals, while the law abiding law enforcement officers are held responsible for any and all bad behaviors the criminals act out

we need to return to consequences. personal accountability.

authority figures that actually have authority and subordinates learning respect.

I have already mentioned conversations with teachers in elementary schools  -how it parallels..  what we see in the classrooms; what we see in the jails..

we have taken away authority from teachers and given it to the students..

we are witnessing the results and the results are not good..  we have once again, over-corrected, and need to swing back..

we need respected authority figures everywhere  -in our schools, in our places of work, on the sports fields, in churches, in jails; everywhere..

we need respected authority figures who actually have authority

and, I believe what happened is that we had a small % of unworthy authority figures popping up here and there, and we over-corrected;

but clearly we can see..     removing authority figures is a disaster

the answer was not to give authority to criminals and children, instead of law enforcement and teachers and parents

but rather to start addressing the criteria for being in a position of authority to begin with.

ive gone on more than I wanted to already..

but bounce here with me before I move on

-criminals.

and criminals released from jail/prisons:

I am a good citizen, with a college degree and a decent resume, no addictions, healthy.. etc.

and with everything I have on my side

I still found job hunting..  interviews..

trying to rent rooms for shelter..

I found the process daunting.

when a criminal has served their time and is released..

to join society and find a job; a place to live..

the odds are so stacked against, it seems they are set up to fail

but even with the abundant addition of classes, resources, programs on their side to get better results..

so  -keeping dangerous violent criminals OFF THE STREETS is my number one issue; 

crucial; vital   -off the streets while we continue to ponder the whys/hows

-oh, we have the numbers and news reports on when police shoot or are shot/killed

but you know what numbers we do not have:

we do not know how many houses were not robbed last night;

how many innocent people were not beaten/stabbed/kidnapped/raped;

how many people made it safely from home to work and back;

how many drugs were not sold/taken;

because of the criminals currently in jail and off the streets

-many people believe we should not even concern ourselves with 'reforming' criminals

prison is the consequence; forever; period.

its worth discussing

but I do still have a heart for..   

which is why I think violent criminals should serve time in jail/prison; yes..

and where the criminal is the subordinate; the prison guards, deputies, law enforcement are the authority figures with authority

after sentence is served    -school/education, still removed from society..

everyone by now has the understanding that 

'reforming'

-where you take a violent person and that person, under any stress is no longer violent

-an addicted person, and under any stress does not turn back to addiction..

a person with no respect for human life, -gains value for all human life..

a hateful, spiteful person with love and respect..

the very changing of minds, thoughts, heart, soul

this is not now

never has been

never will be

accomplished through giving even more compassion and privileges and rights to the criminal; while simultaneously removing autonomy/authority from leaders

all you have done is further empower/embolden the criminal; ego, selfishness, power, violence, escalate; worsen

mind, thinking, soul, spirit, heart changes..  attitude adjustments...

for a human to actually evolve

personal accountability; answering to a higher authority.  

/enough for now..         in Jesus name amen.

***