Are we building ourselves a cage with harsher laws?

Question

Seems to me there are three ways you fight crime:

1. Law as a deterrent
2. Police as a physical deterrent
3. Armed citizens as a physical deterrent

Sadly, our legislatures seem focused only on #1 above, and each time one of them comes into office, it's with the promises of "getting tough on crime" by jacking up the laws and penalties.

Don't believe me? Just ask the guy in California who is serving a life sentence for stealing a slice of pizza (thanks to the draconian "Three Strikes Laws").

Bottom line, is we're not just getting tough on criminals, we're getting tough on ourselves, because it's only a matter of time before you, I, or a friend or loved one crosses the line and gets hammered with some ridiculous sentence.

Want to really get tough on crime? Then fund more police and get your CHL (Concealed Handgun License). But please stop piling on the laws.

Thoughts?

For the person questioning the veracity of the guy getting life for stealing a slice of pizza, here is one link (it's way down in the text):

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0126-01.htm

Now, as far as my views, I'm not saying we need to slap criminals on the wrist. As with any crime, the sentence is generally variable. For repeat offenders, judges could simply hand down the maximum sentence for the crime in question. So maybe that slice of pizza was worth a year in jail, not 25 years-to-life.

But if we keep stacking on these harsh penalites, we'll end up like Singapore where tossing a cigarette but onto the ground gets you 3 lashes with a Rattan cane wielded by a martial artist. A bit much.

Answer 1

What? Pizza for life in prison. Haven't heard about this and frankly I doubt it's true.

Answer 2

I completely agree with you. This country is becoming a police state. People tend not to worry about it if it doesn't touch them. And once it does, it's too late for anything to be done about it. The system needs to go back to common sense, and get rid of minimum sentencing laws.
Right now the prisons are overcrowded with people convicted for non-violent, victimless crimes. These people's lives are ruined, even when they get out of the physical prison. It's created a class of unemployable people who can never get ahead. It's destroyed families. And it's usually in the name of the drug war.
I don't know what we can do though, when our figureheads are so concerned with appearing tough on crime. It's already a disaster, what's it going to take to change things??

Answer 3

Soon, we will be able to relate to the Jews of pre- WWll, in Nazi Germany !!!! If you or I do not conform to the way's the "Politicians / Leaders / legal processors" think, all of us will be subject to being dragged into a court to determine IF we constitute a " danger to society", and upon the third conviction, we will be confined to a prison !!!!
AM I CRAZY ?? The fore warners in Germany, during the time from of 1935 to 1941, were called crazy also !!!!
It may be a bit much to many, but I do have a 2Nd / retirement home in the mountains / desert of Mexico!! In my traveling's around the world, I have learned " DO NOT TRUST POLITICIANS" !!!!!!
Uncle Wil

Answer 4

I find the 3 strikes law not to be draconian but a salvation from career criminals. How many mulligans would you give to somebody who continues to commit crimes knowing the next would send them to jail for life?!

Answer 5

The whole country is already caged with all types of restrictions imposed on free mobility of people!