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[–] Glory_Beckons 1 point 5 points (+6|-1) ago 

Hey guys, I'm a felon. Now let me lecture you on the meaning of justice and explain why you are the problem.

Gotta say, that's pretty ironic. Kind of like when that whore and that faggot decided to get on TV to lecture everyone on morality.

I'd be curious what exactly you did to earn that status but, short of being wrongfully convicted or being the victim of some serious legal bullshit, I can't really think of anything that would make this reasonable.

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[–] Trash_Panda 1 point -1 points (+0|-1) ago  (edited ago)

I never said that. I said if you think a 5 year DoC sentence is reasonable for this crime then you're part of the problem. I guess my opinion that I've had my entire life is suddenly invalid because I committed a crime? I'm not allowed to engage in philosophy or justice because I messed up once?

I'd be curious what exactly you did to earn that status but, short of being wrongfully convicted or being the victim of some serious legal bullshit, I can't really think of anything that would make this reasonable.

It's in my comment history if you are curious

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[–] Glory_Beckons 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

I never said that

No, it was obviously not an actual quote. But you did do that. You announced you were a felon and, then, acting as if that made you an authority on the subject, proceeded to lecture us on what is and isn't true justice and how we are the problem if we think this punishment was just. This is quite absurd, and making that point was easier using a cheeky "quote" than spelling it out like this.

I guess my opinion that I've had my entire life is suddenly invalid because I committed a crime? I'm not allowed to engage in philosophy or justice because I messed up once?

All I know is you got caught once. No idea how often you messed up. But felonies are not infractions or misdemeanors. And "felon" is not a title you often find on an upstanding citizen, who never did anything wrong in his life, until that one fateful day, when he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, "just this once, officer, I swear."

It happens, I'm sure. But it's just not very likely.

Putting your past aside, your objection seems to be that this sentence is far too harsh, because it damages the perpetrators life and prospects, and because many felons carry on committing crimes afterward. I disagree with that objection on principle.

A prison sentence isn't meant to be kind, or pleasant, or to help you build a better life for yourself. It certainly isn't meant to take you by the hand and gently walk you through how being a decent human being works. That's what parents, and school, and friends, and community are meant to do for you. If you wind up in prison, that ship has sailed. They failed you, or you failed them, or both. And you fucked up hard as a result.

Prison isn't there to fix that for you. It's there to help everyone else, by getting you off the streets for a while. And it's there to punish you, harshly, to let you know that this kind of shit won't be tolerated, and to instill fear of fucking up like this again. The carrot failed, so here's the stick.

Sure, many criminals continue being criminals. Nothing surprising about that. Prospects are bleak to being with. If anything, the high repeat offense rate is an argument for harsher sentences, stricter conditions in prison, and more death penalties. No sense in letting career criminals loose in society... they just create the sort of environments that cause new generations of youngsters to become criminals too.

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[–] UlyssesEMcGill ago 

Why would he dig through your comments (unknown amount of time) when you could explain it now (short amount of time)?