Just Dessert is Just Stupid

As of 2005the recidivism rates in the US were at a staggering 65% for men and 50% for women. In 2009 these rates for both genders totalled in at 67%. Now is it just me or is this very disturbing to everyone? The problems in our criminal justice are far and wide and we all see the end result of what is becoming (and has been for many years) the theory of just dessert. We have all heard this expression at one time or another in our adult lives but for those of you who just think it is a witty saying let me clarify; just dessert is getting what one deserves. In our crimnal justice system it is simply put as punishment for the sake of punishing. Even the simplist mind can conclude that is is wrong and does not work in any way, shape, or form. Think about it from the prespective of a parent. Personally, when I punish my children there is a purpose behind the punishment. For instance, if my son won't clean up his toys I will take them away. The lesson found in that is if you don't care for your things you will loose them which is something they need to know for their adult lives. My kids are still young so though I am not here yet I think if they came home late that maybe I would take their driving privlages away showing them if they abuse their freedom they will loose it which is also an important lesson to learn in life. M point is that there should not just be punishing for the sake of punishing. In order for it to be effecive a lesson must follow the punishment. If we follow this model with our children why do we take criminal offenders and not do the same? We take criminals, stick them in prison and let them think on it. What is the point of this just dessert? Locking away a person and not being active in their recovery and teachings is like taking a childs video game away becasue they didn't eat their dinner. Where is the lesson in that? It is my strong opinion that almost every offeder can be rehabilitated. I cannot prove this theory as our rehabilitation system is poor at best so I have nothing to truly compare it to. But what I do know for sure is this; what we are doing now DOES NOT WORK. Many people do not agree with me. Many people are of the opinion that if a person has killed, stolen, or dealt drugs that they have gotten what the deserved and are in no way worthy of getting treated or helped. To those people I say this; I in no way condone what an offender has done. His or her victims are the ones who have suffered and did not deserve whatever experience they must live with. However, even if you cannot see it in your heart to want the offender to get better you can at least see the benefit of rehab for the community as a whole. What good does it do to release an inmate back into societywho has not been helped while locked up? Many people go to prison and when they come back out they are worse criminas then they were to begin with. Who does this effect? ALL OF US. It is not just bad for the offender but the community as a whole who has to be kept safe from them. Isn't it more sensible to attempt to rehab an offender so that there is a chance that they can become productive and safe members of our society then to give them their just desserts and allow them to reenter society no better then they were before? People are people and we can all be fixed with the exception of sociopaths. What we so desperately need is a complete overhaul of our justice system which has not run properly for as long as I have been alive. Our government needs to open their eyes and fix what is not working, but I am not holding my breath on that one. Just because it needs to happen doesn't mean it ever will and in all honesty, I am sure that things will never change. But that is just my pesimestic opinion.

Not So Snow White

Snow White is an enchanting story for children and has been since 1937. Disney has made a mint off this classic story and boys and girls alike love the story as a whole. And what could be bad? I mean come on, Snow White? Sounds beautiful and pure. Maybe, maybe not. Sticking with the theme in various other fairy tales of its time, Snow White tells the story of a young and beautiful girl who gets saddled with a bitch of a step mother. Herein starts the trouble I have with the story. I am a step mother and even when I get pissed at my stepkids I WILL NOT try to poison them and leave them for dead. That would put a strain on my marriage and would just be bad form. Next is the fact that the queen mother is totally out of control jealous of the step daughter. That is in itself majorly dysfunctional. Again, bad form. Aside from the utter violence and over the top response the stepmother had I seriously question the living arrangment Snow White finds herself in. Seven dwarfs? Really? There are so many problems with this it isn't funny. You have a hot girl living with 7 short men with obvious Napolean complexes. She cooks for them, cleans for them, and washes their clothes. What else does Snow White do for these little guys? HMMMMM. I realize that there are many analysis on this movie and I just gave a very simple lay verion. As a mental health professionl Icould really give some deep meaning to each and everything in this movie but hell this is for pure entertainment here not a college level lesson. The basics are that Snow White is a anti feminist story (she can only be saved by some guy she really doesn't know if violates her sleeping mouth? Give me a break.) full of jealously, murder, and sexual inuendo. This is not my idea of a good story to pound into little peoples heads, but then again, how many stories really are good for our kids beneanth the surface?

The Dark Side of Cartoon

Every day I sit in front of the tv with my kids and watch the same things over and over and over again. The top cartoons in my house are Tom and Jerry and Scooby Doo. While I used to love these shows (they were my very favorite as a child) I have grown sick of watching the same episodes repeatedly. But alas my kid love it and I love them so I will have to suffer though having it burned into my brain forever. As I was once again watching Scooby run from the pirate ghost my mind began to wander. I began contemplating the actual meaning behind Scooby and his mystery solving pals. I came to several conclusions as I had plenty of time to think on it. I am first wondering where these kids parents are. I mean they are running all over the place in a van solving mysteries at all times of day. They must have had no upbringing and are obviousy high school dropouts. This may seem farfetched for some considering that Velma is a super genious but really it is not. Let u look at the facts. Shaggy and Scooby are obvioulsy smoking dope. Who else stops in the middle of being chased by a ghost in order to eat a liverwurst alamode or get motivated to go into seemingly dangerous situations by the promise of "scooby snacks"? Actually yummy cookie snacks or really hash brownies? And just what are they doing in the back of the mystery anyway? My vote is that they are puffing on a bong. Why else would they be so paranoid and hungry all the time? Now Fred looks like a clean cut boy from a nice family right? No way. Fred is an obvious coke addict with possibly a roid problem. He's buff and well dressed and knows his way around the rough parts of town. He has the need to be the alpha male which shows in the company he keeps. Dahpne is a diet pill addict for sure. She is obsessed with her looks. Case in point, when their boat is sinking in d1ark and foggy water her final words as she goes under the murky water is "oh no, my hairdoo!" WTF? And it is totally obvious that her and Fred have sex on the sly. They are always going off alone to "look for clues". Velma is more of a mystery then the others and possibly more complicated then the rest as well. My opinion is that she comes from a very demanding family whose expections she cannot live up to. In order to make them proud she runs around solving mysteries and due to the long hours and hard work she takes speed to stay on top of things. I also think she is a closet homosexual. She has never made a move for Fred and seems not to mind when Fred and Daphne pair off toghether. I don't have any hard core evidence of this last theory but I just feel it in my gut. Of course my kids won't see what I see until they are much older and more cynical so for now I will let them enjoy their ghost mysteries and the meddling kids who bust them wide open.

Just Becaue I am Not 300lbs

So many things in this world irritate me and one of them is weight issues and and problems with body image in women. I say in women becasue this is the area I have experience with and knowledge of and because I have never had a conversation about it with a man. I am not an overweight person by any means. I am 5'2 and weigh only 111 pounds at last check. Sounds ok right? Well its not a bad thing but just because I am this size does not mean that I am in any way perfect or at the place I wish I was. It truely pisses me off that when I say anything about my stomach or ass in front of other women I get the response of "I don't want to hear about it! Look at you theres nothing wrong" My typical response is "you haven't seen me naked" That usually works to shut people up but it enrages me. Why is it that just becasue I do not weigh 300 pounds I don't have the right to be unhappy with my body? I have never said I need to loose weight or that I am fat. I have expressed the fact that I would be happier with myself if my body was closer in image to the way it was when I was 16. Of course at age 31 I know that will not happen, I'm not in any sort of denial about my aging. But, I think I have a good shot of getting at least close, maybe even 21. No, I am not fat. Yes, my stomach and sides are not what they used to be. I want them flat again and I want to be able to have a nice defined curve again. I want my thighs slimmer then they are. What is wrong with that? Nothing. Then why do I feel like a complaining bitch who is totally unawares of the plight of truely fat women? It's just plain stupid. If you are fat and want to loose weight please don't let my wants stop you or make you feel fatter. It's not my problem. And please, when and if I do reach my goals, feel free to talk about me behind my back because I did it and you did not. It's just petty and takes away from the time you have to loose your own fat. Go ahead and continue to roll your eyes at me when I voice a complaint about my tummy. In a year when it is flat I really won't give a shit how you felt about it.

Princess? No way I want to be a vampire!

When did life get so damn hard? Bills, bills, and more bills. Work and more work. Finding a job that can actually support your family is a monumental task at best and I am getting sick of hoping. Here I am at 31 years old and a grad student. At age 28 I completed my AA in criminal justice. At age 30 I completed my BS in Psychology. When I turn 33 I will have completed my MS in Mental Health Counseling. Just who will want me then? Agism is a very real thing and not just for people in their 50's and up. What do companies want? I can tell you....they want twenty somethings right our of college. What they DO NOT want is someone like me; in my thirties, a mother of 2, little experience in the field. That is what employers see in me. What they are missing is my life experience, my talent for helping people, and my utter dedication to my passion. They MIGHT see that if they would allow face to face incounters but no. What do I get? A website to put in an application that they can glance at and toss into the reject pile. I will be the first to admit that I do not look wonderful on paper. It is when I am able to open my mouth that I can sell someone on myself but that is a rare chance indeed. And I will tell you my favorite line from prospective employers that I do get the chance to actually speak with..."You have the education but not the experience." Well thanks a lot! I have enough education to know that I am lacking in experience but tell me just where in the hell am I supposed to get the experince if no one will hire me in the first place? Which brings me to my next fav employer saying..."You are over qualified educationally speaking." Wow! Who knew that would be a bad thing? EXAMPLE:I applied for a position as a HAB tech in a mental health facility. Granted the job only requires a high school education but hell I was told I needed experience! I was turned down for having too much education! Personally, I would much rather start at a low level, low paying position that I am WAY overqualified for and work my way up through experience gained then sit here wasting away with 3 degrees and no one to hire me except a freaking home health company which by the way pays crap and gives little satisfaction. So now I am forced to consider the fact that I have wasted the last 5 years of my life and a ton of money getting a steller education only to wipe peoples asses for minumum wage and no respect. Nice thought huh? Where is my happy ending? Why can I not be like my precious vampire characters living in a huge home, sitting on mounds of money, and having nothing to do but love each other with each passing moment of their forever lives? I swear to God if they were real I would seek them out and force my way into immortality. Living forever sounds fantastic if you don't ever have to worry about where your next months bill money is going to come from! I would not mind going to high school over and over again though if I was turned at my age I could probably start up my own private practice and spend forever doing what I love to do as I do not think anyone would buy me as a high school student. So, if I ever find out that there is even a remote chance that vampires are real, I am packing my bags and heading to Forks. Yeah, its a long shot but if I can't dream I may very well loose my mind and that would be very ironic seeing my choosen career path.

No insurance...go home and die

As I have already mentioned, I have strong opinions on most everything and people being denied life saving medical treatment because they cannot afford it is one of those things. My friend called me tonite to tell me how her husbands doctors appt. went. Turns out he has several blood clots in is legs. The treatment? He has to take 2 shots per day for a month in order to stop the nasty things from detahing and going straigt to his heart with the end result being his death. My friend has no insurance even though her and her husband work very hard everyday to survive. So she gets to the pharmacy and turns the scrip over only to find out that it will cost $6,000 dollars! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? So now she has to go home to face her ill husband. She has to tell him that they cannot get this medication that means his life or his death. No insurance? Go home and die because you don't matter enough. Sickening.....

UPDATE: So my friend took her husband to the local hospital, and I use the word hopsital without much conviction as it is more of a spare parts shop where the nurses and other staff appear to have been lobotomized (spl?), and told them that he needed the shots and they could not afford the script. So this "hospital" administered the shots and admitted him for the next few days to monitor the situation. Maybe even the worst chop shops can grow a little bit of a concious.

This is me

So I never thought I would do something like start a blog. No one will read it anyway but I thought "Why the hell not?" I like to write and I always have something to complain about and as a yankee redhead I have a strong opinion about almost anything anyone can imagine. I am liberal, compassionate, caring, and always have a good time talking about whatever topic may pop into my mind at any given moment. I will be adding to this as often as I can, which again, I suppose that doesn't matter as I am a nobody to anyone besides my family and God knows they won't take the time to read this. If by some chance someone does read this then please, feel free to throw out whatever is on your mind and I will be glad to chat, rant, or challange you on your thoughts. Bye for now.