Looks like Proposition 66 is going to pass tonight. This is the proposition to pussify the Three Strikes Law and would require that a criminals third felony be a "serious" (like violent) one in order for them to be locked up for 25+ years.

The REALLY exciting thing about this, is that the law applies retroactively and will release at a minimum 4,000 (claimed by supporters of this proposition) people currently locked up for being stupid and ****ty criminals three times in a row. So if their crimes weren't violent, they were probably drug related or theft/burglary related (like burglarizing your home). The opposition to the bill estimates that 26,000 people will be released from prison, which is REALLY bad.

YAY for more crime!

Sources:

http://www.thekcrachannel.com/politi...61/detail.html

http://www.keep3strikes.org/facts.asp

 

i just saw that. who in their right mind would actually vote in favor of that?

 

oh man I hope it does not pass

 

They tricked a lot of people by adding in some stuff that would keep very stiff penalties for those who commit molestation type crimes against children. A lot of people heard that and signed up, not realizing the true effects.

 

what i thought was pretty wierd was that Polly Klass's father was an opponent of 66, but her grandfather was a proponent.

 

Here's basically why the 3 strikes law was somehwat weakened; what happens in places where rape is a capital crime, for example? The rapist kills the victim, that's waht. Raped and in therapy is better than raped and dead, so we make the punishment harsher for murder than for rape. Same thing with the 3 strikes law- if you commit your 3rd bulglary, and the homeowner catches you, or the police happen by, you gonna drop your gun and surrender, or figure ****, I'm in for life anyway, maybe if I kill the witnesses I'll get away?

 

our prison system is based on the idea of rehabilition.. you go in, you do your time and your "cured".. as screwed up as that sounds it is the underlying concept that surrounds our correctional system, hence the term "correction", they are getting corrected and its done by their time served in prison/jail.. to hold someone accountable for a crime they have already paid for according to our justice system(a la 3 strikes law) is wrong..
--bobby

 

I don't buy too much "rehabilitation" honestly. But, I do believe that the punishment should fit the crime, and as such, once you get out of jail, you're square with society, as long as you keep it that way.

 

As is the case with most of the propositions it’s worded so well/poorly that it’s difficult to tell what the proposition is actually doing. While the 3-strikes law puts most individuals in jail just as they become old enough that they are statistically finished with committing crimes, the proposition was so poorly conceived that I couldn’t vote for it. Apparently the wording got enough people

 

As more precincts are reporting it looks like 66 might be defeated. GO GO GO!!

 

Don't forget to acknowledge that a ridiculous percentage of our state's population consists of encarcerated people. They don't have three strikes laws in other states, and yet my relatives in other states don't feel the need to lock their doors as often as I do. I'm not for or against this prop, but I'd rather see some effort put towards fighting the problem where it starts. Why do people steal? Because they're not satisfied with what they're capable of buying based on what they can earn. So educate, stimulate the job market, etc.... we can continue to lock up people, and more people will take there places and continue to steal, then we lock them up, more people commit more crimes, lock them up, and on and on. How many people do we lock up before we start to recognize a pattern?

The problem has to be solved at the source. And regarding rehabilitation, I can understand how some people don't think rehabilitation is workable, but don't forget that rehabilitation relates mostly to people who commit violent crimes. People don't steal because there's something fundamentally wrong with them. They steal because they're poor, or can't easily afford the things they want. There's no rehabilitation needed there.... so what's the need to lock them up?

 

What a horrible idea. Horrible. I don't give a damn if statistically they're done comitting crimes at the age that they're incarcerated. You do the crime, you go to jail, it's that simple. Releasing twenty six thousand people from jail?! Every day there's more and more that makes me want to get out of California. Even just the thought that the bill could even be submitted makes me angry.

But of course, I'm a big supporter of the death penalty. And I beleive in the right to protect one's own property. I'll kill a mother****er for messing with my property and my loved ones.

[/end rant]

 

...but you are out.

We can't depend entirely on the legislature and law enforcement to protect us and our property all of the time. I suggest that those of you who have never used a firearm either take a class or go to a shooting range with someone who has a gun and knows how to use it properly and safely. I don't suggest gun ownership lightly - it's not for everyone and I know several people that I think should never have a gun in their hands because they aren't responsible enough. Hotheads need not apply. You don't own a gun 'to teach someone a lesson' but as a line of defense when you or your loved ones are threatened with bodily harm.

If you do have a gun, go to the range and practice. It isn't necessary to become an expert marksman but to get a feel for the weapon and how handling it will become second nature that will serve you well should you find yourself in an emergency situation.

--
0==WW==0
"…axles of evil…" - george w. bush

 

What's the FBI statistic, most gun engagements last 3 seconds and take place at a range <6'? Something like that.

 

I've had my eye on a Kimber Custom II for a while, but my money keeps getting spent on cars. I am a firm beleiver in the right to bear arms. And having a weapon is nothing without the training and experience behind it, kind of like tightening the nut behind the wheel.