Open Thread for Non-Personal Stuff: May 2015 Edition

@ellesar, I’ve always heard there are major differences in the law enforcement system in the US vs the UK, For example that in the UK police don’t carry guns.

The one thing we seem to have in common is the increasing privatization of prisons. In the US, since for profit prisons took off in the early 2000s, there’s been a 37 percent increase in the number of facilities being built and not surprisingly a similarly huge spike in the number of people incarcerated.

Minor drug possession, child support default, even traffic violations in some cases are now warranting significant jail time. “Sting” operations and mass arrests of people thought to be associated with suspected criminals (which jn some cases amounts to no more than living in the same neighborhood) are increasing.

Law enforcement is under pressure to “round them up and bring them in,” and public defenders are under pressure to “plead them out.” Something like 90 percent of those represented by public defenders plead out, which almost always results in some jail time.

I’m not at all saying Freddie Gray is dead because of prison industrial complex. I’m a black woman, I live less than 45 minutes from Baltimore and have done work with a few of the nonprofits and public agencies serving the city. So I am well aware of the state of relations between police and young black men in Baltimore.

But if we want to have a serious discussion about reforming law enforcement practices we need to know that there are powerful people who are reaping profits from locking up the poor and disenfranchised in the country and they’re influencing everything from local elections to federal policy. And somehow I doubt this is a conversation they are interested in having.

Just my thoughts.

For the record: I don’t excuse deadbeat dads. I just wonder how locking them up where they can’t earn income and limiting their future job prospects with a criminal record helps to get support to their children.

Who remembers the author and title of a short story where a man has killed a woman and thinks no one knows he’s guilty; he’s at a party where people are playing tableaux and he thinks the scenes are spelling out the letters of his victim’s name?

@guest

That kinda sound like the Tell-Tale Heart or The Black Cat (both by Poe), but I’d imagine it might be a more modern version with a less horror but more suspense spin?

@epitome

I think the best part is that the CEO states, “We would never condone disrespectful or irresponsible behavior (sic).” Buuuut their campaign, for their beer, is called #UpForWhatever.

I mean, really.

And notice how half-assed and evasive the reply was! It’s not like beer commercials are known for their social responsibility, but seriously, actually ADDRESS the problem, dude. Anyway. My attitude to beer itself is: 1) more expensive than water, so not my usual beverage and 2) I prefer dark-coloured beer like Guinness to this Bud Light and Molson stuff (I’m a terrible Canadian, aren’t I?) Anyway.

The comments on that article are just as bad with fake tweeters showing up to brag about or trying to blame the anti-gamergate crowd for making the tweets.

The recent Boston magazine article about gamergate attracted the usual swarm dismissing it as a “hit piece”, but also a couple of commenters comparing the movement to #blacklivesmatter.

http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/article/2015/04/28/gamergate/

Actually, it’s about ethics in false equivalence.

TW re: suicidality

@Leum, I relate to you… I also have mental health issues, and have been suicidal in the past over oppression/world-stuff. I’m an activist, mostly for women’s rights, and I get like- how are we ever, ever going to do this? I want to change things, and no one even believes misogyny is a thing, let alone a problem, let alone a big one… but the worst is when I tell someone how fucked I’m feeling over it and they’re like, don’t you think that’s an overreaction?

I think things are bad in the world, and I think some points are being sorely missed if people aren’t pretty damn upset over it- so I don’t think it’s an overreaction… but it feels even more isolating being told that. And ties into the original issue- that someone would think misogyny is a small enough issue that freaking out because of it is a little much.

I’m being really careful at the moment, and at the moment have a DIY propaganda thing going on… I’m not exposing myself to any outside views, and am frequently visiting websites and talking to people who’s political views I agree with! Theoretically not great, but in practice, I’m well aware how much and in what ways the greater world thinks I’m wrong, so I’ll live 🙂