In response to Seth Abramson's post on March 22. Check out his blog at http://sethabramson.blogspot.com/ I very much admire Seth for his expressive capabilities. He's as much an artist as a lawyer, but I often think his brand of politics may be facing extinction.
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Time and again, we find that numbers lie. They therefore neither adequately support nor undermine an argument in favor of one policy or another. And while mandatory sentencing is generally odious to me since it undermines the power of the judicial system, we must acknowledge on some level that we sometimes have to make decisions that aren't ideal, but at least approach our objectives. In this case, we find ourselves with a need to provide better protection for the population at large, and especially for those who are unable to defend themselves, by which, in this case, I mean children. We haven't done a good job. I can think of Jessica, Danielle, Samantha, and several others just in the past few years that have died horrible deaths at the hands of sex offenders who had a history. And truth be told, I'm much less inclined to care about the offenders, whatever their crime, than about their next victims. This is not to say they are completely undeserving of consideration, but instead that we can't practically institute a system that gives everyone an entirely fair shake - sex offenders, tax payers, kids etc. - without consequences. I'm happy to pay a little more and to punish more severely a few people than is necessary if it means better protection for even one or two children.
We find, unfortunately, that we are sometimes required to make sacrifices in order to meet our aims. One can't get around the sad fact that having your cake and eating it too is simply an impossibility.
And by way of extension, one of the biggest reasons for the unfortunate national lean to the right of late is that there is a type of overcorrection - a backlash - against the liberal MO wherein problems are defined less in pragmatic terms and more in theoretical or philosophical terms. We more liberally minded sorts have simply been too concerned with knocking down practical solutions to real problems because they aren't perfect, and not concerned enough with finding and implementing workable solutions.
Tuesday, March 28
Saturday, March 11
Late Breaking Ad Lib
2:56 a.m. and can't sleep. Lightbulb: blog! Hey, I can't find time in my daily life to keep up with it, but I can find it in my night life!
Alright, fair warnings and legal disclaimers upfront, this blog is NOT, I repeat NOT a good place to come if you want the latest, most up to date info on trends (outside of fashion), gadgetry, etc. I'm the girl who writes on Brian Greene how long after he published The Elegant Universe after all. The one who discovers "new" shows after they've already gone to syndication (I watched every West Wing episode available on Bravo). The one who only just discovered itunes and ipods. But on this point, I must express public thanks for what a friend of mine refers to as 'our wonderful capitalist system.' My nano is the most amazing little thing - so much sound in such a tiny package. And the ability to browse music in a whole new, personally-directed, interactive way... to have immediate access to totally new sounds for under a buck... amazing. Actually, I discovered itunes first after being challenged by my Indian friend to create a CD for him and my other friends. He's a big music buff and seemed rather emphatic about the CD: had in fact made me three. I began creating a CD that is personally reflective of musical influences in my life, my name, where I live. But to find just those right songs... only online (all state songs and an ecletic but elegantly arranged mix of jazz, folk, country, rock and roll and blues.) It was my hubbie who thought if I was into itunes I could be into a nano. And he was, indeed right. An early birthday present of sorts, it has already brought big booming joy into my, well, ears.
And aren't nanos still cool?
At least I'm wearing my brand new Nannette Lepore pants - very hip cool designer I discovered at local boutique Twigs, and my gorgeous Burberry polo which was hugely sought after this season and unbelievably hard to find. So cute. Fashion I can do. My two year old takes after me in that way - it's been very important to her that everything "match" (and look out if it doesn't).
Books I can also do (forgive my late find on the Brian Greene Elegant Universe discussed in an earlier post. Did I ever share that I heard him speak thanks again to my hubbie? He seemed rather a polished speaker, and not so much the impassioned young physicist I took so much pleasure in listening to during his NPR video. That said, he can still hang out in my basement as my sexy human pet.) But all that aside, here's one you should try if interested in armchair physics: Parallel Worlds. An excellent compendium on the latest trends in physics and cosmolegy. (Sigh, I once wanted to be an astrophysicist and now it's all come to this.)
Alright, 3:17 now....
3:18...
3:20...
Snore.
Alright, fair warnings and legal disclaimers upfront, this blog is NOT, I repeat NOT a good place to come if you want the latest, most up to date info on trends (outside of fashion), gadgetry, etc. I'm the girl who writes on Brian Greene how long after he published The Elegant Universe after all. The one who discovers "new" shows after they've already gone to syndication (I watched every West Wing episode available on Bravo). The one who only just discovered itunes and ipods. But on this point, I must express public thanks for what a friend of mine refers to as 'our wonderful capitalist system.' My nano is the most amazing little thing - so much sound in such a tiny package. And the ability to browse music in a whole new, personally-directed, interactive way... to have immediate access to totally new sounds for under a buck... amazing. Actually, I discovered itunes first after being challenged by my Indian friend to create a CD for him and my other friends. He's a big music buff and seemed rather emphatic about the CD: had in fact made me three. I began creating a CD that is personally reflective of musical influences in my life, my name, where I live. But to find just those right songs... only online (all state songs and an ecletic but elegantly arranged mix of jazz, folk, country, rock and roll and blues.) It was my hubbie who thought if I was into itunes I could be into a nano. And he was, indeed right. An early birthday present of sorts, it has already brought big booming joy into my, well, ears.
And aren't nanos still cool?
At least I'm wearing my brand new Nannette Lepore pants - very hip cool designer I discovered at local boutique Twigs, and my gorgeous Burberry polo which was hugely sought after this season and unbelievably hard to find. So cute. Fashion I can do. My two year old takes after me in that way - it's been very important to her that everything "match" (and look out if it doesn't).
Books I can also do (forgive my late find on the Brian Greene Elegant Universe discussed in an earlier post. Did I ever share that I heard him speak thanks again to my hubbie? He seemed rather a polished speaker, and not so much the impassioned young physicist I took so much pleasure in listening to during his NPR video. That said, he can still hang out in my basement as my sexy human pet.) But all that aside, here's one you should try if interested in armchair physics: Parallel Worlds. An excellent compendium on the latest trends in physics and cosmolegy. (Sigh, I once wanted to be an astrophysicist and now it's all come to this.)
Alright, 3:17 now....
3:18...
3:20...
Snore.
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