Yea and as Jrzy pointed out, tried that and it didn't go to well.

I know, remember I am pro choice. Must also qualify that the men who impregnate these women are just as responsible as well, wanted to make sure this was not turned into a gender argument.

Until women have other options beside abortion, abortion is a necessity. There are many women who do not have access to birth control, they are poor, they have been raped, etc. That is why Planned Parenthood is important.

No one likes abortion. A fetus is not viable at 12 weeks, and I am pro-choice up to that point, but after that, only for medical necessity.

I think that's a rather naive statement.  Investigative reports on how low-SES, minority, and borderline mentally disabled suspects often get the shaft from the legal system when they end up being accused of crimes doesn't sell newspapers or soap.  Politicians have little interest because championing such classes of people does not garner them votes.

There are exceptions, such as free weekly newspapers, Mother Jones, Detroit Free Press, and so on who would seem to be the type of publications who would run stories on miscarriages of justice happening to people who aren't white, wealthy, and educated; occasionally, the most egregious examples do get a brief mention in the MSM, but that seems to be the exception.

What the media are interested in, and what sells newspapers and ad time, are stories about where the missing white women are at, stories about young white mothers accused of killing their children, etc.  Politicians pick up on this and grandstand over tragedies like the death of Polly Klaas (they even passed the three strikes law supposedly as a result of this tragedy), but with a few exceptions, seemingly have no interest in grandstanding over the fate of your typical death row inmate who might be there wrongfully.  It doesn't get them votes.

If in fact, "a lot of" death row inmates were victims of a failed legal process, I suspect there would be quite a lot of investigative reporting underway/done.  And politicians grandstanding on the issue and clucking about.  

Absolutely.  For the biggest bang for our taxpaying buck, I think we should outsource the who shebang to, as I call it, the country of least resistance.  Or Upper Elbonia, if they're up for submitting a bid once again following that last fiasco.

I am beginning to think the only way this system will ever work at this point is to split it in 2 countries along the lines of historically liberal and conservative states and have a separate government and pres for each. If you don't like the way your state is leaning just move to one of the ones on the other side.

Yeah, I'm afraid we're going to have to disagree on a whole bunch here.

Yes, you did insult the legal profession,  unless of course you can prove out your statement with correlating numbers that justify the choice of words used - namely, "a lot of"  

To review: " A lot of those sentenced to death had very poor representation at trial (attorneys really just going through the motions), and a lot of them are if not innocent at least only guilty of a lesser offense than the one for which they're sentenced."

If in fact, "a lot of" death row inmates were victims of a failed legal process, I suspect there would be quite a lot of investigative reporting underway/done.  And politicians grandstanding on the issue and clucking about.  "A lot of"  — how much is that anyway?  10% ?  20%?  1%?  What's that translate to?  10 persons, 500 persons?   To be clear, I'm not saying it has never happened.  I am merely questioning the justification of your choice in using the phrase "a lot of".

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And the cost of justice and quality of justice is and always will be a balancing act.  At what point do we say, okay, we're convinced this dude is ultra bad, and throw away they key / ready the lethal injection?  If we can never reach that point where we can justify an execution, then I submit that we as a society have failed.

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 On  the more cops and better weapons thang, I won't presume you've never heard of the concept of 'deterrence'.  Nor will I presume you've forgotten the lessons of Columbine.  If I assume you know these things, I wonder why you would question even the slightest move of funds from incarceration to enforcement.

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Yep, we'll just have to disagree and leave it at that. 

yeah! Civil War is hysterical!

I used to have a map that did this, it was hilarious

B-b-b-ut, they already have all the good spots.

I am beginning to think the only way this system will ever work at this point is to split it in 2 countries along the lines of historically liberal and conservative states and have a separate government and pres for each. If you don't like the way your state is leaning just move to one of the ones on the other side.

it already is

Can it be blinds?

don't forget to build an iron curtain to divide us.

I am beginning to think the only way this system will ever work at this point is to split it in 2 countries along the lines of historically liberal and conservative states and have a separate government and pres for each. If you don't like the way your state is leaning just move to one of the ones on the other side.