MacKenzie Scott has achieved what no other philanthropist has. With no massive Gates Foundation-like staff to assist her she sought out some of the neediest charitable groups in the nation and donated nearly $6 billion to them. Six billion dollars. Think of that. … [Read more...]
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Citizen’s Arrests
Nearly every state has a citizen’s arrest law allowing civilians to detain someone if they have witnessed a crime being committed. Some of these laws allow only felony suspects to be held until law enforcement arrives while others also allow those suspected of “breach of peace” misdemeanors to be held.Does this mean you can use any force necessary to restrain the Peeping Tom outside your daughter’s window or the neighborhood vandal who is spray … [Read more...]
Do Sex Registries Really Protect the Public?
Sex registries are in the news again thanks to a couple of high-profile child sex abuse cases. (Think multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein and singer R. Kelly) Keeping track of ex-cons who have sexually preyed on others sounds like a good idea. But do these registries of convicted sex criminals really help keep us safe? Under a 2006 federal law each state, the District of Columbia, Native American tribes and U.S. territories were required to set … [Read more...]
Mugshots Live on – Even For the Not Guilty
When the mass shooting suspect was led into a Christchurch, New Zealand courtroom photographers captured his shackled image. The judge then ordered that the face of Brenton Harris Tarrant, accused of the worst mass murder in New Zealand history, be blurred from public view to insure he gets a fair trial. What a quaint judicial order in this media saturated day and age. … [Read more...]
Need a Unifying Mid-Term Issue? Curb Government Spending!
Call me crazy but I think if federal employees routinely waste millions of taxpayer dollars someone ought to be held accountable, criminally accountable if possible. And anyone who signs off on obviously outrageous spending, like the person who approved buying coffee cups for the Air Force at $1,200 each or the one that okayed spending $3 million to study how shrimps perform on tiny treadmills, let them come before Congress and explain their … [Read more...]
A Pause, Please, in the Sex Talk
Americans have been left breathless with all the talk of sexual improprieties over the last few months. Sexual harassment, sex acts with under aged kids, sexual assault, even rape. Allegations, admissions, apologies and confusion reign. Let’s take a collective deep breath and reflect for a moment. What are we to make of all this, what are the lessons we should take away? … [Read more...]