Tough guys

It's jut incredible the number of really bad ideas foisted upon this country by right-wing reactionaries. Since they refuse to accept any reality-based testing to see if their experiments in social planning actually work, we are left hold the bag or the bill for their obsessions.

Boston Globe: Unfree in America

"...Attorney General John Ashcroft's policies would only make the problem worse. Last month he directed all US attorneys to notify him whenever a federal judge imposes a criminal sentence for less time than recommended under federal guidelines, a move that would chill judicial discretion. That directive has been opposed by Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, a Reagan appointee known for his tough anticrime stance. Sanctions for lawbreakers should vary according to the crime. A one-size-fits-all approach to fighting crime is no deterrent and is costly for society, as lawmakers in Washington and in state capitals should recognize. And locking up a greater percentage of citizens than any other nation is not a milestone of American pride..."