why do you think we’re culturally closer to Europe than, let’s say, Mexico or Australia? I fail to see almost any cultural similarities between let’s say, Amsterdam and Atlanta that would be reason to compare the two cities. How is Miami, FL like Moscow? How is Dallas, TX like Paris? I don’t buy the argument that we can be like the Europeans because our culture is not European. In many cities we are still “pioneers on the frontier.”

You should re-read what It Takes a Village wrote and you will not find one word that even comes close the idea of valuing the rights of the accused over the victims of violent crime.

What you will find is a well reasoned plea for a system of justice that works from both ends, building community and nurturing lives early so crime can be prevented, and also dealing appropriately with criminals on the other end.

It is a culture that does not believe in punishment or jails; a collective culture that neither recognizes nor rewards the law-abiding and is not civilized nor urbane at all, but relishes in lawlessness and disorder where individual choices in life are made for you by the collective because you are not capable of making them for yourself.

It takes a village raises these criminals.

It doesn’t take a village. It takes good parents; two of them.

No matter how good life is or can be, that mindset sees unfairness and injustice in everything.

They defend the scofflaws, the criminals, and these barbarians. For them, their sympathy is endless.

Lost in their guilt, passing judgement on everyone else, and seeking what makes them feel good, the collective and the rights of the accused are more important to them than the woman that was shot in the face and killed at her place of work; and more important than her family left behind.

1. America already has the largest prison population of any country. One percent of all American males are in jail tonight.

2. American politicians are STILL campaigning on a platform of “we need to put EVEN MORE people in jail.”

3. The above politicians are actually getting elected.

What is wrong with this picture? Isn’t this good for at least a little “anguished hand-wringing”?

The countries of Europe, in general, have much less crime, and less than a fifth of our prison population. What is their society doing right? What is our society doing wrong? Because I refuse to believe that Americans are just genetically more evil.

I’d say a little “anguished hand-wringing” is in order. The experience of the WHOLE REST OF THE CIVILIZED WORLD tells us that we’re doing it wrong.

I’m all for investing in underprivileged children to make sure they have many of the same opportunities that children from good families have. But once those kids get to a certain age, they are fully formed. And if they are formed badly, they are beyond hope. Sure, maybe we as a “society” have failed them. Our mistake. But at some point, it becomes too late to correct certain mistakes, and blaming ourselves for the misfortune or bad behavior of others is ridiculous. I have enough trouble keeping my own life under control, so why should I be my brother’s keeper, especially after he is an adult? You can’t go back and change those guys’ lives; you have to deal with the here and now, and the here and now says those guys are killers who are beyond repair.

I don’t understand these anguished, hand-wringing wimps who don’t believe we should be tough on crime.

The argument isn’t “ignore the criminals because it’s not their fault”, far from it. Rather, the argument is “invest some effort to keep kids from becoming criminals, and you eventually won’t have to deal with so many criminals.”

But our society is so wrapped up in making sure every Evildoer gets his rightful Biblical Retribution that we ignore our role in making sure that today’s cute baby doesn’t become tomorrow’s thug.