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He'll look at it as an attack on him by the haole in HPP.
Not exactly an eye for an eye though, since most HPP residents don't have brass knuckles and sawed off shotguns. As far as I know.
Perfect citizens: Those who do not like cake, but have a passion for producing eggs, butter, sugar & milk.
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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If violent people are released back into our community, then perhaps the local neighborhood watch could buy one of these for their patrols; it's not too much more expensive than a fully-equipped SUV:
http://www.mortarinvestments.eu/products...rrency=USD [
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It can also carry trees, so would come in handy during the next storm.
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Good that some folks keep a sense of humor regarding Hawaii's lackadaisical law enforcement agencies. It is a demoralizing situation, especially for crime victims. But all you can do is take it in stride. Change is unlikely.
Have observed law enforcement failures for decades. Several notable patterns:
1) Per regular good reporting of the Star-Advertiser (and former Honolulu Advertiser), numerous reports of arrests over the years where the perp is found to have amassed 60, 80, 100-plus prior arrests, or 25-30 convictions (or similar figures). How many other crimes did they perpetrate without being caught?
These cases are not alcoholics with repeated liquor violations or people stealing candy bars. They were mostly car break-ins and burglaries and some violent crimes. Compared to other states, Hawaii can be crediting with having a low violent crime rate. But we also have a very high property crime rate. Hawaii--a thieves' paradise. (Apparently the former contributes to the aforementioned lackadaisical attitude.)
2) Individuals arrested for assault, e.g., attacking tourists on a bus or at a beach park, and then the police release the offenders "pending investigation" or set bail at some ridiculously low figure like $1000-$3000.
One can contrast Hawaii's leniency on crime with the draconian three strikes laws of some states. Two violent crime convictions followed by a third conviction for a property crime can bring a 25-year jail term. Hawaii and these states are polar opposites. Neither serves the concept of justice well.
(Some three-strikes states like California have significantly reduced the severity of these statutes. Good for you, California. For Hawaii, it's business as usual: coddling thieves.)
One has to wonder if there is any connection between Hawaii law enforcement's strong stance against loosening our state's firearm laws and its poor policing. The type of chronic theft that is goes unpunished in Hawaii is not tolerated in many states, especially Western states with liberal guns laws. Here, if law enforcement doesn't do its job properly, the rate of criminals getting shot rises rapidly. (Good riddance.)
(My record in 43 years in Hawaii: suffered 3 burglaries, car broken into 5 times. Narrowly avoided being assaulted twice.)
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I'd appreciate it if this thread is not turned into yet another gun control thread. They never end well.
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The 3 strikes and you are out policy is a deterrent. It gets widely publicized and if a thief has already been caught twice, he/she knows what a 3rd conviction will do. They will either straighten their act up or they end up going away for a long time.
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I think the 3 strikes policy is a great idea. That being said, what it does in reality is put tremendous pressure on the judge to NOT hand out that third strike and have the criminal plead guilty to a lesser crime. A crime that will not be counted as one that would be considered a third strike. Many judges succumb to this pressure.
-Veritas odium parit”(Terence 195–159 BC))-"Truth begets hatred".
-Veritas odium parit”(Terence 195–159 BC))-"Truth begets hatred".
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If someone can't grasp the concept that it's wrong to hurt other people or steal their stuff, how are you going to rehabilitate them? Serious question, please tell me how one rehabilitates a sociopathic adult.
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The term sociopathy is really more appropriate for serious violent crimes, violence done gratuitously. (And arguably it does not benefit the criminal in most cases. Think psychopathic.) Fortunately these crimes are rare, especially in Hawaii.
The theft so frequent here is common behavior worldwide. It is pragmatic; people are ineffective at making money; they find it far easier to take it. (Or they want more money.) These people are making a calculation involving the risk of apprehension and punishment. (And they generally hope to avoid contact with victims; mugging is rare in Hawaii.)
Rehabilitation has a mixed record for thieves; the appeal to “do right” only works sometimes, especially as people get older. Age is the great mellower. Mostly, especially with young men, deterrence is needed: If we catch you punishment will be strict (retribution.)
If you have a state and people are regularly able to amass more than 8-10 theft convictions, punishment is not strict.
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Mandatory minimums for theft.
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I am going to subject this thread to an opinion on alternative means of punishment. Will try not to be too long. Topic is way overdue. Most criminals do not belong in prison. Only violent ones, really.
It is going to involve criminals being required to wear electronic bracelets that do a host of things: monitor their whereabouts, allow 2 way conversations (Computer voice: "Inmate 387, you are not allowed to go near any beach parks; you need to go straight home from your worksite. Please change your route.")
...body monitoring to indicate if the inmate is under the influence. ("Inmate 387, you violated the illegal substances code; your weekly authorization for a 1-hour mall visit is suspended for a month.") and more.
The technology is here; it will take overcoming opposition from civil libertarians and current justice administrators (and others). Interestingly, civilian libertarians (e.g. ACLU) never opposed electronic bracelets requiring people to stay home--technology some 30 years old now.
But I suppose they think it's better for people to be in prison for 5 years than being released on 5-year work programs while being controlled by a highly invasive body monitor.
Yes, inmates are going to work. If they do not want to work, no problem. Every day of work reduces sentence by say 1 day. There will be many volunteers. ("You want to sit around every day and do a 5-year sentence instead of work and do a 2 1/2 year sentence? Your call.") And if there is nothing available but farm work, so be it. (There will always be farm work.)
Civil libertarians, how many years do you want to debate this? 8 years? 15 years? 30 years? Whatever you want we will accommodate you. A lot of folks like the lock-em-up policy in any event, where non-violent offenders are mostly doing nothing all day at a cost to the taxpayer of $35 - $50 K a year.
