Crime and Punishment

I am okay with shooting bears if we catch them hibernating

I can't find data on exactly that. But I did find a study in Sweden saying that 1% of the population was accountable for 63 % of all violent crime convictions.

It certainly seems likely that most of that 1% were repeat offenders.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/article...

All this talk about life sentences brought to mind Sirhan Sirhan, the guy who assassinated Robert Kennedy. He's at 57 years and counting. Two yesrs ago the CA parole board finally recommended parole but then in 2023 the governor rejected it. His oped explaining it is at the link.

One thing Gov Newsome points out is that in addition to the loss to the country of a political leader, RFK's 11 kids lost a father. And we are still feeling the effects of that today. Had RFK lived then today we probably wouldn't have RFK Jr running for president as a head case antivaxxer conspiracy theorist as his dad would likely stopped that from developing or if he couldnt he would have kept him prisoner on the Kennedy Compound for life (or 25 years).

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/20...

Not a fan of politicians making these decisions. Is anyone?

We can agree it's very significant. I dont agree whht your solution but do agree it helps tell us where to focus. The obvious win would be to end the drugs lunacy - some big chunk of the violent crime goes with it.

It's then likely a small proportion of that 1% who are most of the danger. This is where I concede 'life with the possibiltiy of parole' for the worse cases.

I belive Governors don't usually get directly involved in parole decisions, but only for very high profile criminals like this one.

If given parole, I would put the over / under of his remaining life expectancy around 2 years tops.

He's 79 years old, plus there are still a lot of people who think the country could have turned out so much different (better) if he had been elected president instead of Richard Nixon.

Also not particularly helpful to his image right now is that he is a Palstinian Arab (although not Muslim but was always a Christian, I learned something new today).

He will live longer in prison than he likely would back in society.

we're not goign to let people who are potentisally murderous because they are so convinced that it would be so much better if an event 57 years ago was different decide parole decisions are we?

Is it compulsory? Could he just not have applied for parole if he would rather stay safe inside?

No, that's probably not taking it into account, I'm just saying he likely has little to gain from parole.

Side note - every time the name Sirhan Sirhan came up, my father would curse the fact that he hadn't been executed.

I don't know if he has to be considered. It's likely automatic but he could request not to be considered if he wanted to.

Manson was never let out of prison, and he didn't even kill anyone himself. His speeches at parole hearings were sometimes put on TV and were quite entertaining.

So if a father attacks a guy who molested his child, he should get life? Or an 18 year old adult beating his abusive father after years of pent up fear and anger? There can be mitigating circumstances to even violent offences, sometimes and thankfully the courts view cases on their merits instead of a one size fits all manner.

Michael Valentine Smith believed that either a death sentence was appropriate or the person should go free. No prisons.

edit: RFK jr wants a new investigation and he doubts that Sirhan Sirhan did it.

RFK was shot in a hotel in front of a crowd. Sirhan Sirhan was subdued and disarmed on the scene by journalists and a couple of athletes. He admitted on direct examination during his criminal trial that he had committed the murder.

The odds that he is guilty are very, very high.

He admitted doing it in an interview.

Whether or not he deserves parole is another thing. After serving 56 years for a single murder, I personally wouldn't have a problem with it. Political assassination though is essentially an attack on the state/society itself, so I can also understand if he's denied parole.

IIRC, Sirhan was pretty deranged and apparently obsessed with the occult, although I don't know if that influenced him. He cited US support for Israel during the six day war as a reason and also supported Communism. (So victor should be rushing in to defend him any time soon 😃)
He also claimed in prison he was drunk at the time. Then claimed amnesia. Then said he was innocent.
So basically...

ofc I knew that. I also know that he didnt kill RFK.

Sounds like the perfect candidate for the 2024 democratic presidential nomination to me.

UP YER BLEEDIN GAME BRUV! 😡

Just a random drop of knowledge for the benefit of the forum, with no laundering of one's anti-social or transphobic views whatsoever. Sick scare quotes around '"puberty-blocker"'.

They call him Good Faith 57 on Red, Not At All A Transphobic Nazi

This guy posts in favor of some of the most abhorrent views known to man (and is, by a margin, the most offensive poster ITT) but since he writes so dispassionately, like a washed-up professor waxing esoteric to his students held in rapt attention to the wise old man, the dumber among you get fooled into thinking he is someone other than what he is -- the furthest-to-the-right-wing poster in this entire forum; a Nazi-adjacent, should-have-been-perma'd-a-decade-ago monster of a poster.

Seems a tad on the hyperbolic side.

^^ 🙄

Jasus ya think?

I think he is a Tony Blair supporter!

So even worse than suggested. Basically one step down from a devil worshiper

Vigilantes are not good for society, even if the victims deserved it.