Isn't your complaint more in line with how high the minimums are, rather than their obsoletion?
Because no black person in this country can kill 4 people and just get probation. Hell we can't even purchase toy guns without getting killed.
Why would that be? Whether I am killed by a first-time offender who is a professional remorse-showing offender or a career criminal, it's exactly the same result for me and for my family. Same with this case; I can accept that a habitual offender might be more severely punished, but granting an indulgence to a kid who killed four innocent people (and wounded many more) is simply beyond the pale.No it's their mere existence. All crimes and criminals are not equal, there should be a mechanism for latitude in certain cases and mandatory minimums don't allow that. This is especially true for non-violent crimes. Don't get me wrong, I can perhaps go for mandatory minimums but even then it's a tough sell for me. A crime of passion committed by a person that is highly unlikely to ever commit a crime again should not be punished the same as a common criminal with no regard to human life.
Yeah, it's hyperbole, but it's not made from whole cloth. How many white guys have been shot dead while carrying a BB gun through Walmart? There is statistically a very small chance that a black guy picking up a BB gun at Walmart will be shot dead by cops before he makes it to the register, but there IS a chance. In the same vein, there is a MUCH better chance that a wealthy white family's kid kills four people and receives only probation than that a wealthy black family's kid. Although wealth speaks most loudly, race confers its advantages too.Not at all true, but good job living in make believe land.
Yeah, it's hyperbole, but it's not made from whole cloth. How many white guys have been shot dead while carrying a BB gun through Walmart? There is statistically a very small chance that a black guy picking up a BB gun at Walmart will be shot dead by cops before he makes it to the register, but there IS a chance. In the same vein, there is a MUCH better chance that a wealthy white family's kid kills four people and receives only probation than that a wealthy black family's kid. Although wealth speaks most loudly, race confers its advantages too.
Again, I understand why these factors exist, and even sympathize with some of them. However, the most upright, honest, law-abiding black man still bears part of that additional risk, and the most worthless, dishonest, white career criminal still realizes most of that benefit. So sure, it's hyperbole, but it's not baseless hyperbole.
I would agree that white people also get shot by cops and non-cops mistaking a BB gun for a real gun. But not carrying it through Walmart. If Homer is carrying a BB gun through Walmart and pretending to shoot kids (who pretend to shoot him - this isn't unusual or evil) there is a small chance he could be shot dead two seconds after the command to drop his gun. If I am carrying a BB gun through Walmart and pretending to shoot kids there is no chance I will be shot dead two seconds after the command to drop my gun. This difference is due solely to our respective skin colors. I understand there are valid factors that cause this pre-judgement, but those factors have absolutely nothing to do with Homer or with myself. At that point we are being judged differently based solely on our skin color.A quick google search will give you your answer. White people get shot all the time with bb guns by cops. It is stupid for anyone to have a realistic bb/pellet gun playing around with it, pointing it at people, or anything like that and then not dropping it if cops show up. A quick search shows it happened just 6 days ago, white guy shot by cops when carrying a bb gun. Before that? Just a week prior to that another white guy shot by cops when reports came out that a white male was chasing three kids with a gun. Have you heard about that? I doubt it. If things were different we all would have. I very briefly even looked, first two results were those. Fact is, people get shot holding a bb/pellet gun all the time. And yes, whites do too.
No, there isn't a chance is someone is just buying one leaving it in the package not waiving it around. I know what instance you and he are talking about, and it's so far from the truth to claim that a 'black man can't buy a bb gun'. The gun wasn't packaged, and the police were told he was waiving it back and forth. He was told to put the gun down, but was on the phone. The gun looked exactly real, he didn't comply, got shot. Terrible tragedy, but FAR from the saying that black men can't even buy a bb gun. That is idiocy and trolling.
Yes money matters. Better lawyers mainly. You don't think rich black people have gotten off charges? Please. This kid had some medical excuse that was bought. Looking back, bad idea. Just a few weeks ago a woman got out of a DWI because her defense was that her body brews the alcohol. I hope this mom and son get their due, because they've clearly played the system, and then fled.
I'm not going to do down that rabbit hole again, some people will use the Walmart "example" of something that isn't. The fact is his original comment is idiotic, and not true. But he knew that already. Now I am sure the same people will attack me like always, using name calling and insults because that is what they do. And why they're on ignore.
Just heard he now wants Mexico to deport him. Sounds like he doesn't like his Mexican jail.
I would agree that white people also get shot by cops and non-cops mistaking a BB gun for a real gun. But not carrying it through Walmart. If Homer is carrying a BB gun through Walmart and pretending to shoot kids (who pretend to shoot him - this isn't unusual or evil) there is a small chance he could be shot dead two seconds after the command to drop his gun. If I am carrying a BB gun through Walmart and pretending to shoot kids there is no chance I will be shot dead two seconds after the command to drop my gun. This difference is due solely to our respective skin colors. I understand there are valid factors that cause this pre-judgement, but those factors have absolutely nothing to do with Homer or with myself. At that point we are being judged differently based solely on our skin color.
I see people use this fallacy all the time. The thing is... You don't know that! There is a very high probability that a white kid in that exact situation, same gunman and all, would have been shot within 2 seconds as well.
Why would that be? Whether I am killed by a first-time offender who is a professional remorse-showing offender or a career criminal, it's exactly the same result for me and for my family. Same with this case; I can accept that a habitual offender might be more severely punished, but granting an indulgence to a kid who killed four innocent people (and wounded many more) is simply beyond the pale.
A lack of minimum sentencing guidelines allows the people most sympathetic in the judge's eyes to skate. Granted, occasionally this will be a Social Justice Warrior granting leniency to some treasured minority, but the vast majority of the time it's just the same old same old, where the people with money (and therefore first rate lawyers) get to not live by the same rules as everyone else. It's like the judge in Vermont sentencing to probation only a man who had raped a child over a hundred times over a four year period because he was "unlikely to offend again". It's bullshit, and it should not be tolerated.
Just heard he now wants Mexico to deport him. Sounds like he doesn't like his Mexican jail.
Two flaws in your post.
We are not getting any stories I can recall of unarmed white people being shot/killed by police. Even armed groups of white people who threaten law enforcement are treated with deference.
Second, there were simulator tests when an armed person in a course with targets were shown to give more time in deciding to shoot white targets vs darker skinned targets.
he's dropped his appeal against deportation and is ready to go back to the US
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...n-couch-drops-defense-in-fatal-car-crash-case
I wonder why. was it the mexican jails suck really bad? he run out of money for paying his lawyer?
I figured a year or two in mexico jails would be good for him heh.
Agreed, but we can always justify doing nothing by pointing out that someone with money can get around it. At least mandatory minimums require two parties to get around, and usually at least one of those two parties is subject to voters.While I agree completely with your sentiment, it's already possible, and quite a common occurrence, to get around them already. The prosecutor, who it all starts with, simply reduces the charges in some bullshit plea deal and the "Social Justice Warrior" grants it thereby getting around mandatory minimums completely. Do a bit of research into it and I'm sure that you will find that mandatory minimums almost exclusively effect the poor and non-rich. So again, while I agree with your sentiment I do not agree that mandatory minimums are the way to achieve your goal. There are currently way to many ways around them for the rich and connected while the poor are giving absurdly long sentences for rather minor and very often non-violent offenses.
Like I said before, we aren't number 1 in incarcerations for nothing.
Only thing wrong with burritos every day would be the lack of pizza.I think the burritos he had to eat everyday in that Mexican shithole did him in.
Two flaws in your post.
We are not getting any stories I can recall of unarmed white people being shot/killed by police. Even armed groups of white people who threaten law enforcement are treated with deference.
Second, there were simulator tests when an armed person in a course with targets were shown to give more time in deciding to shoot white targets vs darker skinned targets.
We have though gotten statistics that show more unarmed white people than black are killed by police. That "We are not getting any stories" about this is simply a social construct. And not purely one by the media; whenever white people are belligerent and end up getting shot by the cops, we tend to say "dumb ass".Two flaws in your post.
We are not getting any stories I can recall of unarmed white people being shot/killed by police. Even armed groups of white people who threaten law enforcement are treated with deference.
Second, there were simulator tests when an armed person in a course with targets were shown to give more time in deciding to shoot white targets vs darker skinned targets.
I wonder why. was it the mexican jails suck really bad? he run out of money for paying his lawyer?
I figured a year or two in mexico jails would be good for him heh.
We have though gotten statistics that show more unarmed white people than black are killed by police. That "We are not getting any stories" about this is simply a social construct. And not purely one by the media; whenever white people are belligerent and end up getting shot by the cops, we tend to say "dumb ass".
I do agree with your second point. Everyone (including most black people) recognize blacks as greater threats statistically. This leads to prejudging people based solely on the color of their skins. I agree this is unacceptable; I just haven't seen an easy solution. Better selection and better training of people who are authorized deadly force is one good partial solution, but ultimately the only full solution is to eliminate the disparity that causes the, um, disparity.
If you were black and killed by the cops, there is a 33% chance you were unarmed.
If you were hispanic and killed by the cops, there is a 25% chance you were unarmed.
If you were white and killed by the cops, there is a 15% chance you were unarmed.
I wonder why. was it the mexican jails suck really bad? he run out of money for paying his lawyer?
I figured a year or two in mexico jails would be good for him heh.
Because no black person in this country can kill 4 people and just get probation. Hell we can't even purchase toy guns without getting killed.
True. The Man limited OJ to just two.