mr-knowitall's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Reversal... I�ve been writing here for well over 18 months now. For the longest time I�ve felt that I have to update daily, and sometimes I do. But then there are times where I just don�t have much to say, and I don�t feel like writing. So I guess you could say I come in spurts... (Oh I know some of you will have fun with that one�) I have been rather busy in my personal life, and usually when school starts picking up you can tell because my journal starts falling off. Plus I don�t get to read many others as oft as I like either. For years one of my staunch conservative positions has been the death penalty. I feel that to a large degree if you deprive someone of their life for reasons other than self defense, you should soon suffer the same demise. I know that there are other mitigating circumstances, and certainly I feel that it should be on a case by case basis in the spirit of equity. But that is exactly what it is not. And over the last couple years, my position has started to moderate on the issue. And when Governor Ryan of Ill. Came out over the weekend and explained why he overturned and commuted all of those sentences, I could find little to argue with in his reasoning. One of the problems he brought up was about one particular person who was on death row for 20 years, and was exonerated of his crime. The person responsible was caught and convicted� and got life. Was the crime any less heinous because it was done by a different person? This complied with the number of people who are being exonerated because of DNA technology is only telling me one thing: how many innocent people have died because the system failed? For these and other reasons, I hereby change my stance, and I no longer support the death penalty in the system as it exists today. Until a system of clear and fair standards comes into being, I will find it hard to see any justice in it. However, I do reserve the right based on highly publicized cases to make a judgment call. Like in the case of David Westerfield; based on the evidence, and the crime committed, I believe the punishment fits the crime. Much of everything else in my life is still the same. Cheryl and I are still �status quo�, and the kids are doing well. My daughter is having trouble in school again. The initial evaluation by the school has concluded that she exhibits symptoms of ADHD. I was not too surprised by this, because I was once diagnosed with it as well. Cheryl is vehemently opposed to using Ritalin or any other drug for treatment. We have to find an alternative. I do not see the benefit of stuffing our kids full of drugs to control their behavior. We are doing it the old fashioned way; we are helping her through her areas of weakness. Katie�s problem is not that she doesn�t understand, and doesn�t pay attention; it lies in her lack of discipline and organization. We�ve found her greatest problem is not that she isn�t learning, but rather that she is not turning anything in. IN FACT� she has done the majority of her work, but she either loses it or she is afraid to turn it in because it isn�t finished at the end of class. The difference between now and 2 years ago in now she has a good group of friends who just love her. And we are very happy about that. Later, Rick 4:43 p.m. - 2003-01-13 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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