monumental washington (weekend)
28 September, 2009
So I have noted how little I have been recording about my daily goings on, perceptions, and life changes since moving to the nation’s Capitol. There are innumerable experiences that I’ve had which will probably go forever untold (for better, or for worse) but I hope that my pattern as of recent weeks will subside now.
Thus far D.C. has been wonderful. Beyond finally being immersed in the subject matter which most interests me, I’m a generally happier person than I can remember being in a long time. On a daily basis, almost, I have to remind myself that I’ve been here just over a month and I’ve known these people that same short period of time. There are, of course, a few observations which keep me reminded that this place isn’t “home” in the truest sense.
Smoking. I’ve met and just generally encountered more smokers in this city than I ever knew in florida..ever.
Liberalism. ‘Nuff siaid, I think.
Lack of chivalry. To be expected I suppose but still a little sad.
Oversaturated cell phone use. You cannot walk down any street without the vast majority of people you meet being on their cell phones. (She says as she posts on her blackberry- ironic.)
My love of city life. This one best be kept on the down low as I could have never imagined liking (to the great extent that I do) the invisibility cloak that you are provided with in the city. And all of the wonderful things to do. That being said, I miss Florida and everything that it entails (minus the humidity maybe).
That is all for now. But yes it’s already cold and I suppose that is because of how fast time is flying. Summer internship seems to be around the corner!
Unbelievable:
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/viewpoints/articles/2009/09/19/20090919maceachern0920.html
In other news, my posts have gotten increasingly shorter, which is both a contrary to the entire idea of having a blog and a disservice to the important and interesting ideas which have been swirling in my head recently.
Must remedy this. Soon. Also, still need a bookshelf.
Probably going to be my new favorite movie:
http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/the-blind-side/trailer-b
First off, Florida at number 1. Never gets old saying that. Secondly, not only have we won our combination of games by about 100 points total, but an opposing team has yet to score a touchdown against us. Bring on Kiffin and his Vols.
Moving on, I am starting to do what everyone says you do in law school. Today during the Redskins/Giants game, there was an altercation between two players. Instead of being interested in what was actually happening on the field, I found myself thinking “Is this tortious?” I was embarrassed and I quickly pushed the thought out of my mind. But it wasn’t the first instance of such an occurrence and I know it wont be the last.
Still need a bookshelf. And a few more household necessities.
Home sweet HOME in four days. Mom/Dad+Gainesville+Gator Football+NPR+the beach+ a few other special people = exactly what I need right now.
I love college football. Although this time of year the same thing is talked about over and over and over again. The BCS and how terrible it is, and we need a new one. News flash- this happens every single year. Fix it if you hate it so much and stop whining if you’re too lazy to fix it.
Finally got to see Gina Tambourina this weekend. Cannot believe that it’d been 8 months! Time’s so funny.
think before we act.
1 September, 2009
After spending the latter half of my senior year deeply engrossed in the research and writing of my thesis, the issue of jail populations and post release programs is near and dear (?) to my heart. Therefore, I am fully aware of the need, the incredible need– for reform in our court systems and criminal justice system more generally. The entire thing is flawed, from start to finish, without question. I realize I am rambling to some extent, but there is a point, and in this I promise. Given my deep interest in the subject, and somewhat bleeding heart sympathy for those less fortunate, taken advantage of by the system, one would assume that my perspective of the proposed legislation in California regarding the release of 40,000 inmates would be nothing but the utmost praise. Sadly, this is not so. I do think that we need to lower the number of jailed inmates, thereby significantly cutting costs and perhaps even raising (ideally) the standards within jails (after having rid them of their overcrowdedness). I don’t, however, think that the legislation proposed is necessarily the best solution for this. Here’s my visual, you release these people, they likely have no where to go, they end up on the streets where they are much more likely to commit another crime (out of necessity alone, if not merely because they have been geared toward that behavior after spending time in our non-rehabilitative correctional institutions) and thereby keeping or even raising the already sky-high recidivism rates in this country (California in particular).
Basically my plea is this: Yes, we have a huge problem in this country. The number of people in corrections is sad, disturbing, troubling, shocking, frightening (I could go on) and needs to be addressed. But we must remember the need for mechanisms, institutions, procedures, and safety nets for those who can and will be released back into society. We need to eradicate the crime-committing instruction that is going on, we need to increase job-training, education, and place much emphasis on REHABILITATION as it is truly the only way that these costs in the criminal justice system will be lowered. Let us not be hasty as we were in the 1960s with the closing of the psychiatric hospitals all over the country. We can easily see where that has landed us today, it needn’t happen again in any form.
(This rant is brought to you today by the following article, enjoy.)
Schwarzenegger to take prison fight to U.S. Supreme Court
AN FRANCISCO, Sept 1 (Reuters) – California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court a federal court’s order that the state reduce its prison population by 40,000 inmates, a spokesman said on Tuesday.
The appeal will be a dramatic escalation in the long-running legal battle over the state of California’s overcrowded prisons and their often criticized medical care for inmates.
Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear said the appeal will be filed later this week, adding that cutting the state’s inmate population of about 170,000 must be done methodically and by state officials.
“We don’t believe it’s right,” McLear said, referring to the federal court order. “We need to reduce the prison population but we need to do so in a responsible way.”
Schwarzenegger is pressing for state legislation to cut the number of prisoners in order to bring down spending on prisons, one of the state’s top expenditures.
He backed a bill approved last month by the state Senate that would reduce the state’s prison population with a number of measures, including releasing elderly and ailing inmates. But the Assembly passed a rival and less ambitious bill on Monday, raising doubts the two bills can be reconciled.
A legislative battle over releasing prisoners may take shape amid public resistance to the idea after a sensational kidnapping case broke near San Francisco last week with the arrest of a paroled sex offender for abducting an 11-year-old girl, holding her for 18 years and having two children with her.
