This November, Massachusetts voters will have the opportunity to vote for a referendum to decriminalize possession of 1 ounce or less of marijuana. Voting YES will keep casual users out of jail, save the state millions of dollars, and free up space in the jails. Please allow me to address some common arguments from opponents [...]
Entries Tagged as 'love not hate'
Marijuana Policy: MA Residents vote YES on 2!
October 16th, 2008 No Comments
Tags: drug policy · fact check · love not hate · psa · Things that are not okay
Let's talk about blaming the victim
May 13th, 2008 7 Comments
Most of you know me as an advocate for the accused. One reason that I have chosen to pursue that path is to put into practice my belief that all living creatures are worthy of love and compassion, even those who, in the eyes of many, have forfeited that worth. Recently, circumstances have forced me [...]
Tags: cops · love not hate · public defender
Supreme Court says "All Systems Go" for Suffering and Death
April 17th, 2008 2 Comments
Yesterday, in an epic split decision reminiscent of Furman v. Georgia, the Supreme Court released its opinion in Baze v. Reese, the lethal injection challenge case. A copy of the opinion is at http://www.scotuswiki.com/index.php?title=Baze_v._Rees.
Tags: courtwatching · love not hate
Comparing Euthanasia with the Death Penalty: a Response to Colb
April 2nd, 2008 2 Comments
In an article published this morning on Findlaw, Sherry Colb argues that comparisons of death penalty methods against animal euthanasia are fundamentally inapt. She responds to those of us who have cited the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) euthanasia standards in the death penalty debate by saying that nobody should be surprised that the most-beloved [...]
Tags: courtwatching · death · love not hate
Sexually-Exploited Youth Court
March 31st, 2008 1 Comment
Regardless of how you feel about adult prostitution, I think we all agree that child prostitution is a Bad Thing (TM) and is inherently an inherently abusive practice. If that’s the case, it doesn’t make sense to treat it as a crime and punish the children involved. They are the victims, not the offenders. On the other hand, it would be clearly inappropriate for the system not to do something to stop it–every bit as repulsive as sending a battered child back to live with the abusive parents (something that our system does regularly).
And now, a Las Vegas Judge is working on a solution.
Tags: love not hate · social work · The Shiny in the Dark · therapeutic courts