Obama talks 'The Wire' and crime in this short interview of David Simon

[UnderConstruction]

Very interesting. I'm sure those who hate Obama won't be able to see through their rage, but for the rest of us, it's a fascinating 12 minutes on the state of crime in america and what we can do about it.

http://www.theverge.com/2015/3/26/82...-interview-hbo

[Mr MojoRisin]

What did you get out of this video?


Jim

[UnderConstruction]

Originally Posted by Mr MojoRisin

What did you get out of this video?


Jim

Firstly, I'm a huge fan of The Wire, so there's that aspect of it. I like David Simon's writing and I think that he has specific insight in the area of crime in this country, having covered it for years at the ground level as he did. It's also interesting to me, regardless of political party, to see the human aspect of a President. I think they also hit on a lot of key points in how we police the drug war in particular and how it isn't really effective and maybe we should consider changing it up. Like he said, it's draconian AND it doesn't work. If it worked, maybe we could have a discussion, but it doesn't.

[Mr MojoRisin]

Originally Posted by UnderConstruction

Firstly, I'm a huge fan of The Wire, so there's that aspect of it. I like David Simon's writing and I think that he has specific insight in the area of crime in this country, having covered it for years at the ground level as he did. It's also interesting to me, regardless of political party, to see the human aspect of a President. I think they also hit on a lot of key points in how we police the drug war in particular and how it isn't really effective and maybe we should consider changing it up. Like he said, it's draconian AND it doesn't work. If it worked, maybe we could have a discussion, but it doesn't.

I am not familiar with the Wire. Their discussion revolved around a long standing concern of crime in this country particularly drug offenders and the high rate of recidivism. The criminal justice system is comprised of three parts. The police, who investigate crime and arrest the offenders. The courts who convict and hand down sentences, and corrections who house prisoners in jails and state penitentiaries. After a person has served his time he is released only to repeat another criminal offense and enter the system again. We have fallen short by not having an adequate rehabilitation program in place to give an offender the necessary skills to be productive to enter society again. Even Obama mentioned after a lengthy sentence offenders are unemployable after their release. They are unemployable because during their sentence they are just housed. Three hots and a cot. The prison system has become a microcosms apart from the outside world. Instead of being encourage and aided to live a life free of crime, prisoners end up becoming better criminals and the cycle repeats itself.

Jim

[UnderConstruction]

Originally Posted by Mr MojoRisin

I am not familiar with the Wire. Their discussion revolved around a long standing concern of crime in this country particularly drug offenders and the high rate of recidivism. The criminal justice system is comprised of three parts. The police, who investigate crime and arrest the offenders. The courts who convict and hand down sentences, and corrections who house prisoners in jails and state penitentiaries. After a person has served his time he is released only to repeat another criminal offense and enter the system again. We have fallen short by not having an adequate rehabilitation program in place to give an offender the necessary skills to be productive to enter society again. Even Obama mentioned after a lengthy sentence offenders are unemployable after their release. They are unemployable because during their sentence they are just housed. Three hots and a cot. The prison system has become a microcosms apart from the outside world. Instead of being encourage and aided to live a life free of crime, prisoners end up becoming better criminals and the cycle repeats itself.

Jim

Wow. We actually agree. We do very little to help turn these people back into productive members of society. Especially the non-violent offenders who most likely weren't hardened criminals when they went in, but after a lengthy sentence, they are indoctrinated and it's hard to break that cycle. And it effects the family structure, the community, etc. And Obama was right. In the inner city, if the opportunities are not there, kids are going to do what they have to do in order to make it. I think it starts with changing the way with deal with non-violent drug arrests. By and large, those are the ones that catch people who are not really hardened criminals but they become that way in prison because of lengthy sentences. And I thought Obama showed respect for the job that police officers have by acknowledging the difficulties they face in dealing with the problem as well.

[LexusLover]

Originally Posted by UnderConstruction

Wow. We actually agree. We do very little to help turn these people back into productive members of society. Especially the non-violent offenders who most likely weren't hardened criminals when they went in, but after a lengthy sentence, they are indoctrinated and it's hard to break that cycle. And it effects the family structure, the community, etc. And Obama was right. In the inner city, if the opportunities are not there, kids are going to do what they have to do in order to make it. I think it starts with changing the way with deal with non-violent drug arrests. By and large, those are the ones that catch people who are not really hardened criminals but they become that way in prison because of lengthy sentences. And I thought Obama showed respect for the job that police officers have by acknowledging the difficulties they face in dealing with the problem as well.

I wonder how many prisons and/or jail facilities Obama has actually visited in which he interacts and talks to prisoners who weren't handpicked and supervised when talking to him (if he actually talked to them at all). It is my understanding he never represented any!

Most prison systems have educational opportunities and job skill training, not to mention counseling of all kinds. There are time and monetary advantages for the prisoners to participate in the programs. When they are released and remain under supervision there are resources available to them through their supervising personnel. Sure it's tough to get a job with a prison record, and sometimes with a jail record. That's one of the reasons people should "THINK" before they do shit that gets them a trip to prison.

Except for higher violent crimes, most first offenders get probation with supervision, deferred adjudication with supervision, and even "pre-trial diversion" with supervision with expunction of the "record" available to them if they DO WHAT THEY ARE ORDERED TO DO.

By the time someone goes to prison he or she has had one or more prior opportunities to make changes in their lives and head in a different direction. And didn't change.

Don't blame it on the system. The system itself rejects the notion of "REHAB"!

BTW: If you want to provide college education and/or tech training for prisoners, with all the entertainment everyone out on the street gets, then pay for it with taxpayers' money, and remember you are making going to prison attractive and profitable for folks.

Going to prison is punishment. All this rehab bullshit is LIBERAL double-talk, trying to make themselves "feel better" about warehousing undesirables, who were not raised with the notion that there are rules by which we must live or SUFFER the CONSEQUENCES. Does Michael Brown come to mind?

[Whirlaway]

I am a fan of the "broken window" solution....in essence, deal with the small stuff first before it becomes a bigger problem. Ignoring victimless crimes that degrade neighborhoods isn't what the people want and only leads to more bad actors, deteriorating neighborhoods, and higher and more violent crime rates.

I don't see where Obama provides any solutions. But he sure is great at casting stones.

I think it is hysterically funny that the "smartest guy to occupy the White House" (cue laugh track) has to use pop culture fiction to make his points. Only a dumbed down Gruber would think this video interview is a serious discussion on crime, incarceration and our urban neighborhoods.

Obama is a poser. But his unchecked power as president are doing great damage to America.