Alito, Danforth, and a damn fine rant!

It looks like the judge is faithless, and that is a bad thing for a jurist to be pegged. Financial improprieties among the judiciary are especially galling to the American public, because we tend to fervently believe that we have the fairest most capable and least corrupt system of justice that exists anywhere. Judges are not above the law, but we expect them to behave as if they were - but in a good way. That an appeals judge put himself in the position that his ethics could be questioned and still accepted the nomination is unsettling at best. In the political climate of today, with Tuesdays rebuke of Republican policy from coast to coast still stinging, this nomination is doomed.

But I have an idea that could make the third time the charm, and give everyone pause, Republican and Democrat alike; a nominee that would garner near-universal support. I encourage the President to withdraw the Alito nomination and instead send John Danforth, the former Republican Senator from Missouri, before the Senate Judiciary Committee. This is virtually the only thing he can do to help his party next November. A lot of those conservative Democrats who were wooed by Reagan are looking back to the Democrats as the Republican agenda becomes clearer. A second failed nomination and a third right-wing conservative nominee that the populace sees as a threat to certain rights and settled matters, and the Republican Overreach will have achieved the tipping point and down it all will come crashing.

Danforth is the guy. He is a voice of reason. He has a stellar intellect and a smooth, comforting style. An ordained Episcopal Priest, his ethics are beyond reproach. His presence would steer the court to the center, where sane rulings come from. The center, where most people classify themselves. The center, where we want them.

I am a Liberal, and my cousin Sarah is a Conservative. We are in opposition on most things political. Except the Supreme Court. We both want a moderate supreme court. I want rights protected, both for the individual and the individual states (states rights.)

If you ask most people, they prefer moderation. Most people do not fit neatly into categories. Yes, I am a liberal, but I have environmental views that are more in keeping with the Green Party than the Democrats. I have fiscal concerns that place me with conservative democrats, moderate republicans, and the occasional Libertarian. But unlike them, I am willing to pay more taxes to fix some of our problems and get our troops off food stamps; IF the money would be spent wisely. This brings us back to liberal again, doesn't it?

When it comes to issues of privacy, I am a downright zealot. I feel like what I do in my own home and on my own time and with my own body is no business of anyone besides me and my husband. My life is mine, and I don't want anyone to even try to live it for me, I want to be left the hell alone. If I decide some day to move to the country and take my background in environmental biology and botany and put it to use growing herbs for resale at health-food stores, and to naturopathic physicians, I don't want the government poking their nose in as long as I pay my taxes. And I am willing to pay taxes, I use their roads, and other government services that everyone except the occasional Mountain Man uses. I'm willing to pay my way, so long as it's fair. in exchange I want to be left alone. That's libertarian, except for the taxes part, that's kinda liberal again.

I also think it is stupid that we have the highest rate of imprisonment in this country, and at least half of the inmates are imprisoned for non-violent drug offenses, such as possession of more than 14 grams of marijuana. These kids were not criminals before they went to prison. They are now, however. I think we should grant amnesty to every one of the non-violent drug offenders who were arrested with four ounces or less of pot and let them go tomorrow. Then start reviewing the rest of the non-violent offender cases one at a time, by hand. That is a pretty damned libertarian stance to take.

After releasing the people who don't belong there, keep the budget the same for at least five years, and review results after that time. Instead of caging and warehousing the inmates who do belong in prison like so many wild animals, improve the prisons. Structure the day. Centerpiece education. Bring them into the world that many of them were shut out of before, and conduct classes on current events, along with job skills, social skills, anger management, whatever the individual prisoner needs to give him the tools to transition successfully and never return to prison. I believe if we just tried this model, it might just reduce recidivism and allow inmates to integrate back into society after serving their time and paying their debt. Part of the reason nobody wants to live near a convict is the knowledge the neighbors have of prison conditions, and the lack of rehabilitative services. They are scared that the neighbor is worse than when he went in, and sometimes they are right. I just don't believe it has to be that way.

Here is where I confess that I got sidetracked into Psychology a few years back when we moved to a new base and I had missed the Neuro window. It was a new science back then, and groups of students accepted into the program started as a group every other year. I got there the second semester and group had just started in September. Another would not start for 18 months, which is about how long a military wife can plan on staying. Psychology kept me peripheral to Neuro, especially when I managed to get into a couple of bio psych courses, so I wouldn't lose my credits.

I had always had at least three pure-science courses per semester, and only took the minimum general studies. When I had to switch gears to liberal arts, it seemed too easy, so I pursued a dual degree in psych and criminal justice. (Maybe study Sociopaths later? Always an eye to the Doctorate...) So I am not just making up out of whole-cloth. I am relating the conclusions we came up with in our senior thesis, which was a group project to design a better prison. My group got an "A" and our computer models were encouraging. What does that make me? (Certainly not an expert on prison management) I guess this is where the Liberal deal is sealed. If I could get that old Tandy 8088 to boot up, I could access the file for the research paper. The old 5 1/4 floppy is in my desk. If I can manage to access the research paper I will link to it. Perhaps those who disagree with my proposal as too liberal might be persuaded to give it another look if I can access the actual research...