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Moderators: jcmanson, Sly Fox, BuryYourDuke

By paradox
Registration Days Posts
#621305
Did anyone notice Pelosi scolding Catholics last week for not voting for Biden? She claims that 50% voted for Biden and 50% for the other guy. She went on to say that the 50% who didn't vote for Biden, did so because of the abortion issue. Then she implied that it was shameful to assume that the abortion issue mattered more than the most crucial issues at hand.

What she fails to realize is that abortion is an ethics issue of the highest order. Simply put, If you believe in Judeo-Christian values, then there's a whole host of other issues that are not going to jive with the Dem's enthusiasm for ideology.
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By RubberMallet
Registration Days Posts
#621311
It is an ethics issue, but seeing as the republicans had 2 years to deal with it and didn't at this point why is it even a political matter? Its not a priority for either party, vote because of other reasons. I know I do. There are plenty of other reasons to not vote for a war monger corporate shill like Joe Biden.
ATrain liked this
By paradox
Registration Days Posts
#621313
What I was saying is that the Dems are a lost cause. Abortion is just the most glaring issue. They are opposed to Judeo-Christian principles and aim to replace them with ideology. That's reason enough to move in the other direction.
flamehunter, LU 57, Kricket liked this
By rogers3
Registration Days Posts
#621316
JK37 wrote: January 23rd, 2021, 8:12 am
rogers3 wrote: January 22nd, 2021, 4:14 pm
stokesjokes wrote: January 22nd, 2021, 4:04 pm
Well, she isn't bad looking. Nothing else good to say.
Would you have said that if she was a he?
You have to look for something positive...I guess I ask my wife?
Last edited by rogers3 on January 25th, 2021, 10:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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By Purple Haize
Registration Days Posts
#621318
Based on Bidens rash of EO’s he certainly is angling for those Culture War wins
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By Jonathan Carone
Posts
#621322
I thought his covid and economic EOs were solid. I like the Buy American one. I’m not educated enough on the environmental ones to have a firm opinion there. The ethics one was for show but it was nice to see. I get where he was going on the equity ones but he overreached and tried to placate the far left which was too far. There were much better options there.
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#621326
Jonathan Carone wrote: January 25th, 2021, 11:58 pm I thought his covid and economic EOs were solid. I like the Buy American one. I’m not educated enough on the environmental ones to have a firm opinion there. The ethics one was for show but it was nice to see. I get where he was going on the equity ones but he overreached and tried to placate the far left which was too far. There were much better options there.
Totally agree on the last one.

Executive order establishing the Covid-19 Health Equity Task Force

In an effort to address social inequities exacerbated by the pandemic, Biden’s order created the Covid-19 Health Equity Task Force, which will provide recommendations on the allocation of resources and funding in light of “disparities in COVID-19 outcomes by race, ethnicity and other factors.”

Trying to address disparities in Covid outcomes based on race and ethnicity is looking past the actual reasons for those disparities, which are pre-existing conditions which happen to occur more in certain populations. Most importantly, it does not specifically address the greatest factor in disparity of outcomes, which is age, and opens the door for some to receive preference based on race/ethnicity over elderly who are at far greater risk.
By stokesjokes
Registration Days Posts
#621327
I’m not sure everything the task force entails, but I will add that pre-existing conditions that “happen to occur in certain populations” implies that these are just genetic differences. There’s plenty of research that suggests that economic and social factors contribute to the disparity of pre-existing conditions.

First, note that there are very real economic disparities between communities of color and white communities. The cause or fix for that is a different topic, but the disparity is undeniable.

Foods full of salt, fat, and sugar are cheap. Healthy foods are not. People who eat more salty, fatty, and sugary foods are more likely to develop certain medical conditions.

Education plays a big part in health outcomes as well. People who don’t know how to take care of their bodies develop chronic conditions.

Finally, access to good medical care helps create these disparities too. Poorer communities often have worse options for medical care and either have bad insurance or no insurance, reducing the ability to engage in preventative care.


So if the task force focuses on some of those underlying issues, then it would be a societal good. It remains to be seen what it actually does.
Jonathan Carone liked this
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By Jonathan Carone
Posts
#621329
stokesjokes wrote: January 26th, 2021, 10:18 am I’m not sure everything the task force entails, but I will add that pre-existing conditions that “happen to occur in certain populations” implies that these are just genetic differences. There’s plenty of research that suggests that economic and social factors contribute to the disparity of pre-existing conditions.

First, note that there are very real economic disparities between communities of color and white communities. The cause or fix for that is a different topic, but the disparity is undeniable.

Foods full of salt, fat, and sugar are cheap. Healthy foods are not. People who eat more salty, fatty, and sugary foods are more likely to develop certain medical conditions.

Education plays a big part in health outcomes as well. People who don’t know how to take care of their bodies develop chronic conditions.

Finally, access to good medical care helps create these disparities too. Poorer communities often have worse options for medical care and either have bad insurance or no insurance, reducing the ability to engage in preventative care.


So if the task force focuses on some of those underlying issues, then it would be a societal good. It remains to be seen what it actually does.
While I agree with everything said here, I hope the task force is looking at the rural poor as well as the typical inner-city poor/minorities. The rural poor - especially in the South - is both black and white and experiences the exact same type of issues as inner-city poor. The medical and food deserts in the rural poor areas are often even worse than inner cities. It's got to be both/and.
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By stokesjokes
Registration Days Posts
#621330
Agreed. That’s mostly who I work with out in Campbell County here. It’s shocking some of the basic health knowledge people don’t have. And with a good portion of my clients being on SNAP, you quickly learn that money goes a lot further when you’re buying junk processed food than when you’re trying to buy fresh fruits and vegetables.
Jonathan Carone liked this
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By Jonathan Carone
Posts
#621345
He’s now signed two more criminal justice ones I can get behind:

Making it harder for police units to get military equipment

Ending private prisons
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By thepostman
Registration Days Posts
#621349
Agreed. Why any company should be able to profit on having more people in jail is insane to me.

But with just an EO behind it I don't see it sticking around unless congress gets involved and puts something together.

That could be said about almost anything done using the EO power.
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By TH Spangler
Registration Days Posts
#621351
Private prisons are operated in the United States of America. In 2018, 8.41% of prisoners in the United States were housed in private prisons.
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By Jonathan Carone
Posts
#621352
thepostman wrote: January 26th, 2021, 9:22 pm Agreed. Why any company should be able to profit on having more people in jail is insane to me.

But with just an EO behind it I don't see it sticking around unless congress gets involved and puts something together.

That could be said about almost anything done using the EO power.
Most of the EOs are for show, but they do give Congress a litmus test to gauge reactions. That will help them know which ones are worth pursuing and which ones aren’t. My hope is the backlash to Biden’s equality EO shows Congress that while most Americans are in favor of LGBTQ protections, there is a such thing as going too far.
thepostman liked this
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By Purple Haize
Registration Days Posts
#621354
TH Spangler wrote: January 26th, 2021, 10:15 pm
Private prisons are operated in the United States of America. In 2018, 8.41% of prisoners in the United States were housed in private prisons.
Current prisons are over crowded. So where are they going to go?
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By thepostman
Registration Days Posts
#621356
We should probably stop throwing so many people in jail. We have the highest incarceration rate in the world. There are lots of reasons for that but for profit prisons only add to the problem. They aren't part of the solution.
By rtb72
Posts
#621358
Jonathan Carone wrote: January 26th, 2021, 8:39 pm He’s now signed two more criminal justice ones I can get behind:

Making it harder for police units to get military equipment

Ending private prisons
Private prison are abhorrent....but the "military equipment" you speak of. What do you think he is talking about there? What type of equipment should be restricted? Bearcats? Acutally...there was one parked in the circle on many home games in 2019. I was glad to see it. Those are used by LEO so they won't have to send humans through front doors or as breachers on search warrants that are considered high risk warrants...thus saving lives on both sides potentially. AR15 platform rifles? Have you heard are seen what active shooters use.....I think you would want LEO to be able to neutralize such threats. FYI....handguns and shotguns won't do it, and the military is not coming. What is the "military equipment" that you speak of and that President Biden thinks is causing a problem? Does he even know....or is this just what he assumes and has heard from his "advisors". Perhaps armed robots like the Dallas Chief used after five of his people were killed. yes....he blew the bad guy up...after multiple attempts to get him to surrender. Guess what....it was the safest way so as to not put more lives in jeopardy. I know of no PDs who have tanks or military grade munitions (TOW, grenades, mortars, etc) but there are weapons that are used by LEOs that can be considered for military or LEO only...however, to think some of those same weapons aren't on the street, in the hands of some bad folks, who LEOs may and do encounter, is naive.
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By thepostman
Registration Days Posts
#621363
I'd argue that the Clinton crime bill was simply a continuation of what was going on for years prior. The war on drugs began in the 70s and went into full force with Reagan. The prison population close to doubled under his administration. Bush Sr continued it and Clinton doubled down because at the time it was poltical advantageous to do so. I am just assuming here but my guess is what we see today isn't what they had planned. They had good intentions but throwing people in jail that have no real threat to harm society does more harm to them, society and our jails and prisons.

Here is a pretty quick writeup about how we got here.

https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ ... arceration

So yes, Biden was around for so much of this and has admitted it was wrong. Even Bill Clinton has admitted as much. I don't know if we will end up in a better place or not but it is a start for the Biden administration.

I would be disingenuous to ignore the First Step act passed 2 years ago which had bipartisan support and was exactly that, a good first step. Oftentimes that gets overlooked by people who like to crap on Trump. Of course it was a modest beginning and one he spent far too much time hanging his hat on but the point is, his administration should get credit for it.

I think overcrowded prisons and the mass incarceration rate in the United States and finding solutions for those problems is a bipartisan issue. If both parties continue to work together on this then maybe we will be able to get somewhere.
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By Purple Haize
Registration Days Posts
#621369
So no answers as to where these prisoners are going to go?
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By thepostman
Registration Days Posts
#621372
There was an answer. Stop throwing so many people in jail for things that don't warrant it.

Also. This is for the federal system only. It doesn't change anything that the states are doing. Yet anyways.

There has been progress on the overcrowded problem in federal prisons in recent years. Starting with the Obama administration and continuing with the Trump administration.

The federal prison population fell from a peak of nearly 219,300 inmates in 2013 to 188,800 in April 2017, a nearly 14 percent reduction, according to BOP statistics. The decrease reflects a dramatic shift in federal policies away from stiff penalties for drug trafficking and other drug-related offenses in recent years. It also has mitigated overcrowding at BOP facilities – the inmate population, once at 37 percent overcapacity, is now at 13 percent overcapacity.
SOURCE
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By Class of 20Something
Posts
#621374
I think the obvious answer is going to be, released. I think criminal justice reform needs to be in the style of a Continental congress. Everything is open for change all at once. Removing disparities in mandatory sentencing, differentiating crimes that we believe people can be rehabilitated from crimes where the person is effectively removed from soceity. Establishing trade schools in prisons.

My wild idea: If private prisons are a necessary component in the future, higher payments for prisons with low recidivism.
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