Knee Jerk Legislation

The tragedy in Aurora Colorado is a senseless act that forever changed the lives of the families involved. It's hard to imagine any reasoning someone could use to justify those actions. I grieve for the loss of lives, and the permanent injuries some of the survivors will experience, as well as the psychological trauma they'll live with.

It didn't take long though for the political activists to seize the opportunity to exploit a tragedy to push their agenda.

Anyone that says that more gun control will prevent future tragedies such as this hasn't thought out their conclusions. The United States Constitution protects the right to bear arms for a reason. The People have a right to defend themselves not only against domestic terrorism, and other acts of violence against themselves or their family, but against the tyranny of government. When the government begins to erode and eradicate the rights citizens have to defend themselves, we should be very concerned.

Any criminal or criminally minded person can tell you that to perpetrate harm on others one does not need to legally purchase firearms. These laws the activists are pushing serve no purpose except to keep law-abiding citizens from purchasing firearms. Criminals can and will find guns whenever they 'need' them. Case in point: How many people are currently in prison for "Felon in possession of a firearm"? Plenty. They didn't purchase these firearms legally.

Our country has a long and storied history of jumping on the band-wagon of some ill-conceived 'protective' legislation that erodes the rights our founding-fathers designed for the free people of the United States to have.

Knee-jerk reactions to tragic events do nothing but erode the rights and privacy of free citizens and to give the government power to intrude more and more into the lives of the People.

We can't prevent every tragedy. We can, and should, try to prevent tragedies as much as we can, but limiting the right and freedoms of free citizens won't solve the problem.

Confirmation Bias

I read something recently that I'd heard before, but was still struck by the truth of it.

We tend to see things we want to see and ignore what we've already chosen to disbelieve. This is called "Confirmation Bias." It's the tendency for people to prefer information that confirms their pre-conceptions or beliefs, whether or not they are true. People then reinforce their existing attitudes by selectively collecting new evidence, by interpreting evidence in a biased way, or by selectively recalling information from memory.

This psychological flaw has been shown to explain "belief perseverance" (when beliefs remain after the evidence for them is taken away) and "illusory correlation" (in which people falsely perceive an association between two unrelated events).

Confirmation bias, belief perseverance, and illusory correlation are all rampant in criminal prosecutions. As I've stated before, most people in prison are actually guilty of the crimes they pled guilty to (over 90% accept a plea deal). But pleading guilty to one crime does not automatically mean the person is guilty of all the crimes they were charged with. That's nearly impossible to overcome though. If you're willing to plead guilty to one charge, this initiates confirmation bias in the prosecutor (and others) to believe you are guilty of all charges.

While accepting a plea often means reduced charges, or an agreement to drop additional charges, in the State of Michigan, the courts still sentence you as if you had been found guilty of all charges!

Political campaigns infamously exploit these psychological tendencies by creating belief perseverance that a candidate holds a certain belief or position even when the evidence shows otherwise or illusory correlation by leading you to falsely associate something their opponent said as defining their belief or position on an issue.

We all tend to believe what we want to believe, but perhaps if we're aware that we do this, we'll open our eyes to the truth of what's real and what isn't.

Juvenile Lifer Laws

The United States Supreme Court recently ruled it unconstitutional for states to sentence a juvenile offender to life in prison without parole. This decision affects around 350 prisoners in Michigan, second only to Ohio in numbers. 

Because juveniles do not have fully developed brains, their reasoning is undeveloped and they are incapable of fully grasping the seriousness of their actions. Their cause-and-effect sequencing is not yet mature. This doesn't mean they shouldn't be held accountable for their decisions, but to apply adult standards of law to juvenile offenders is irrational.

For instance, if a 15 year old participates in an armed robbery as a look-out, and during the course of the robbery his adult co-defendant shoots and kills someone, under current Michigan law, that juvenile would be charged with first-degree murder. This charge carries a mandatory life without parole sentence. 

To expect a juvenile to have the maturity to think through the possible consequences of his actions is irrational. Judges need the flexibility to differentiate between a juvenile offender who gets caught up in behavior coerced by other adult offenders, and those who commit heinous, cold-blooded murder themselves, and to fashion sentences accordingly. This recent Supreme Court ruling makes that possible. 

I believe that people need to be held accountable for their criminal behavior, but there needs to be reason employed in making sentencing laws. I believe there should be a balanced, rehabilitative approach rather than purely for retribution. 

Prison Misconceptions

People have a lot of misconceptions about prison. Some that I've heard include:

* Prisoners watch TV or lift weights all day.
* Taxpayers pay for the prisoner's TV channels (basic cable), weights, and other activities or recreation. 
* Longer prison sentences reduce recidivism (re-offending).
* Prisoners get free college degrees.

Although some prisoners do spend much of their day watching TV or lifting weights, many more prisoners spend much of their day working for the Department of Corrections (DOC) making on average, less than $1 per day. Whether it is sweeping, mopping, and dusting, preparing or serving meals, or dozens of other "prison jobs", most prisoners stay busy working, not playing. 

It is prisoners, not taxpayers, who pay for recreation equipment, activities, and cable TV channels. Prisoners are required to purchase their own hygiene items, OTC meds, supplemental vitamins and snack foods, and even their own seasonings like salt and pepper. By over-charging prisoners for these items, the DOC is able to use the "profit" to create a "Prisoner Benefit Fund." This fund is what pays for most of the "extras" prisoners have. It even pays for new books for the library. Most people would be surprised to find that the majority of the corrections budget is for officer salaries/benefits, and retirement plans, not for prisoner benefits.

Recent studies conducted by the federal government and several state governments show that longer prison sentences do not equate to reduced recidivism. In fact, longer prison sentences tend to result in fewer community and family connections which can contribute to higher instances of re-offense. Education, psychological counseling, and vocational training, which are all proven to reduce recidivism, are being cut due to federal and state budget woes.

Years ago the federal government allowed prisoners to apply for PELL grants. This allowed some prisoners to earn college degrees while in prison. While I think this is an excellent idea because education is proven to reduce recidivism, the federal government caved under pressure and has stopped allowing prisoners to apply for PELL grants. Because there are no known organizations that will pay for prisoners to get a college degree, prisoners must pay for their own. Since most prisoners come from poor situations, this is next to impossible. 

I'm sure there are many other misconceptions about prison due to TV depictions and long-held beliefs. Hopefully this information helps dispel some of those myths and misconceptions. 

How's your Energy?

Years ago I heard the concept of being an "Energy Giver" and not an "Energy Taker." Because of the source, I had pretty much discounted it as yet another method of control over easily manipulated people. It was often used to manipulate people into 'demonstrating cheerfulness', even when they didn't feel cheerful. Not a way to encourage authenticity, right?

Well, like many things that sound good on the surface, there's actually some validity to this concept. My problem was with the application of the truth and how it was abused. I guess you could call it, "truth out of balance."

What is true is that people are affected by the emotions of others around them. You can't help but feel happy when you walk into a room full of smiling, genuinely happy people. And you can't help but feel depressed around someone who is incessantly down. But how deep does this go? What other attitudes do we pick up from those around us? What about people who complain? If you're surrounded by people who constantly complain, you too will find yourself complaining, whether inwardly or outwardly. You'll find yourself generally dissatisfied with your life or circumstances. You'll find the worst in every situation. You'll have a negative outlook on life in general. 

But if you surround yourself with positive people you'll find you look for the best in circumstances, or in people. You'll brush off things that try to bring you down. You'll have a 'spring in your step' and a 'song in your heart', so to speak. 

I'm not sure what makes us mirror our surroundings, but, be it people we associate with, books we read, TV we watch, or music we listen to...we can't help but find that it affects our attitudes about life. 

That ought to make us think hard about how our attitudes affect those around us. Are we positively charging people with our energy, or are we dragging them down with our negativity?

It's easy for me to avoid people who bring me down, but I'm still working on being someone who positively affects those around me. 

What's Your Shack?

I just finished reading an excellent book titled "The Shack" by William Paul Young. It's not a new book, but I hadn't read it before. 

The story is about a man who is deeply affected by his childhood relationship with his father, and then by a tragedy involving one of his own children. When life seems to become overwhelming and he's ready to completely abandon what he thought was his faith, he gets an unseemly invitation to meet God at the place of his deepest tragedy. His experience with God in this place casts an amazing light on God's desire for relationship with us. 

I'm not sure I can wholeheartedly recommend all the theology presented in the book, but the gems I picked up were very impactful. Here are some of those gems: 

God speaking..."Your choices are not stronger than my purposes and I will use every choice you make for the ultimate good and the most loving outcome."

When we think of our future it is often dictated by fear of some kind, and rarely, if ever, pictures Jesus there with us.

"When all you see is your pain, perhaps then you lose sight of God."

"Grace doesn't depend on suffering to exist, but where there is suffering you will find grace in many facets and colors."

"Paradigms power perception and perceptions power emotions. Most emotions are responses to perception - what you think is true about a given situation. If your perception is false, then your emotional response to it will be false too. So check your paradigms, and beyond that check the truthfulness of your paradigms - what you believe."

In addition to these gems were many others, but they are too closely intertwined with the story to share them here. If you want to read an emotionally charged book that will challenge you to look at your relationship with God and will test the boundaries of 'religion', I highly recommend you read this book.

What are you when the wind blows?

"The eternal substance of a thing is never in the thing itself, but in the quality of our reaction toward it. If in the hard times, we are kept from resentment, held in silence, and filled with inward sweetness, that is what matters. The event that distressed us will pass from memory as a wind that passes and is gone. But what we were while the wind was blowing has eternal consequences." - Amy Carmichael

Thank-you Mentors

I've always been one to enjoy mentoring and being mentored. I feel like it's important to pass on the things you've learned to others who are eager to learn, and to learn from those who are willing to teach. 

Throughout the years, I've had a few mentors whom I've admired on different levels. Some have mentored me spiritually, some personally, and others in business. A mentor doesn't have to be older than you, but just willing and able to teach you something you don't know. But it's more than teaching too. Sometimes it's just a matter of being a cheerleader of sorts. A mentorship is sometimes a two-way street. One where you're learning and teaching, or even just pushing each other to greater heights of knowledge and achievement, or courage and commitment. 

I currently have a mentorship with a driven, young guy who has been pushing me to pursue the things I want to pursue and to use the knowledge I already have. And he's been learning from me as I share the knowledge I've gained from my life experiences. 

I think everyone needs a mentor, and everyone should be a mentor. we have a responsibility to pass on the lessons we've learned, and the knowledge we've gained, to others.

Thank you, to my many mentors over the years!

A Life Remembered

A year ago today someone I loved dearly and admired greatly passed away. Don was like a father to me, who took me under his wing and taught me many different things, like how to gold (which I LOVE), the game of Cribbage, how to frame a roof, and how to properly care for my home. But he taught me other things too. Like how making memories is more important than buying things. And how a husband should put his wife first. And how important relationships are in business. He also demonstrated to me how important it is to love people just the way they are. I don't think I ever heard him say a mean word about anyone. Even when he was being maligned and mistreated, he'd say something nice about the other person and make excuses for their behavior. He was one of the most authentic people I've ever known, and I truly miss him. Don, I love you and I'm a better man because I knew you. Thank you for leaving your legacy with me.

Do You Believe In Redemption?

I saw a beautiful example of hope the other night when I was watching a program on TV. There's this prison in Texas where they house some 5,800 of the 'worst' inmates in Texas. The warden at this prison believes in rehabilitation, even though many of the inmates are serving life sentences.

This warden has designed a program in his prison that allows inmates to earn the right to work in desirable positions like cattle herding, or working with horses as the inmates demonstrate good they move up the stepped 'benefits' program this warden has in place. Likewise, bad behavior results in loss of privileges.

Every prison system uses some sort of punishment for bad behavior, but in Michigan the only incentive for good behavior is to eventually go to a less restrictive lower level. The Michigan Department of Corrections has removed nearly all incentives for good behavior, such as good time, and desirable skills training, educational opportunities, etc. They claim budge woes, but studies have shown that education and skills training reduce recidivism rates. So the department is choosing to spend money on the back-end, rather than the front end.

It's time for the legislature to start thinking differently about corrections. It's time to start thinking about rehabilitation and corrective training rather than housing prisoners to create jobs for thousands of DOC employees.

Seeing what is working for this prison in Texas gives me hope that there are some people that believe in the redemptiveness of criminal offenders.