Casey Anthony - guilty, or not?

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by UofMfan

Yes, the nice people of Arizona thought it a good idea and better than nothing to pass a law that would use racial profiling to get rid of undocumented immigrants. A deterrent. To them, it was a good law.

The death penalty, another deterrent, has been proven to be ineffective.

The 1996 immigration and terrorist law was supposed to deter terrorism. Then we had 9/11.

What these laws have done is tear families apart and executed hundreds of innocent people.

Patriot Act, that seemed like a good idea too.

I could go on and on.

Yes- take a look at these and think! I would add the Enemy Alien Acts during WWII. Corkey has a good point about "knee-jerk" legislation. I know cases like this one (and how about Jaycee Dugard's- her abuser should never have neen out on parole in the first place) are just damn hard to deal with. We all want justice- or for kids to be safe in a world in which so many are not. it hurts- but the problems behind why these things go on need very different kinds of solutions- ones that the US has never actually fully funded in any of our institutions.

Originally Posted by Heart

By and large, I agree.

I just wish people would stop and think for a minute what it could mean to THEM to be a parent wrongly accused. Parents have brought their children to emergency rooms only to be reported and arrested for abuse and neglect because a doctor or nurse misinterpreted/misdiagnosed. I'm no fan of our criminal justice system or of juries, given that they tend to be as racist and sexist as the society they reflect, BUT I wouldn't want to be tried in the court of public opinion either.

Heart

Me either! And I don't think many people realize just how many parents are wrongly accused due to exactly the variables you bring up. I want the truely guilty stand trial and found guilty and serve time. But I also want a fair and unbiased criminal justice system along with fully funded and effective social services and programs that could prevent so many of these crimes in the first place. With the sociopath or psychopath, there is a difference they need to be kept away from society, perod. And our parole systems fail us terribly with these criminals.

Thinking of how important things like schools for pregnant teens and mothers with parenting classes are so impportant. And day care at community colleges with parenting classes for credit. Just some things running through my head.

Originally Posted by Corkey

I have no problem with a well thought out Constitutionally agreeable law that would protect kids from their parents. I sure don't want one that is a knee jerk reaction to a horrifying emotional crime/accident. Laws that effect the parent who by accident in an hour looses track of their kid could potentially go to jail for 15 years. Bit harsh don't you think?

Exactly! Sometimes these laws that spring from these situations are idiotic. Well thought out is what I vote for, too!