Those who know me know I always have a plan. I may change it every year or so, but I always have one. And lately my thoughts have been turning to the future. What do I want, down the road?
I know I would like to retire from here. That keeps me at Hopkins until I am 57, if I want to retire with everything the University offers to retirees. After that, I am thinking I would like to snag a government job for 10 years, and then retire from there. That would give me whatever the government offers to its retirees.
What I really want is a place at the beach, and a place in the mountains. I'd like to keep our house forever, as it is now firmly fixed in my mind as HOME. But I would like a place of my own at the beach, somewhere I could go to whenever the need hit me for sand and sun and water. And a place in the mountains when I need trees and quiet and nature.
I wonder if it's doable, or if it's more or less a pipe dream. My husband would love the mountain retreat, and grudgingly go along with the beach, I think. I know we both see ourselves in the house in Baltimore forever. Everyone has to have a home, that place that pops in your head when you say the word. The thing that tugs at you when you are away, and gives ease to your bones. So I think that part is a given. But I do know that we both want to travel, to see as much of the world as we can. So somehow that will have to fit into the vision as well.
It's nice to think about. I guess we won't know how much of it we'll do, until we get there.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
twists of fate
I had an odd and unsettling experience today. I saw a couple of old friends today, while they were visiting the Kimmel Cancer Center. One friend is doing well, better than when we were younger. The other friend is not doing well at all -- he was the patient at the center. He is my age, married, with an 8 year old daughter. He has cancer. He is hoping the clinical trial he is participating in will save his life.
When we were all 17 years old, we were at basically the same point. We were all getting ready to graduate from high school. We liked to joke around, laugh, have a good time. Now it's 30 years later. And we are at really different points. The difference doesn't so much seem to come down to specific choices we made. It seems to be fate.
Why does life single out some people for hardship, and others for success? you fall in love, get married. It works out great for some people, awful for others. The starting point was the same. You have kids at 20, or at 30, or at 45. You lose a job, or luck into a career. You get sick, recover. You get sick, you die.
Random. Fate. Destiny. I don't know what to call it. I think though that sometimes awful things happen to good people. And sometimes great things happen to bad people. And there doesn't have to be something that turns that wheel in one direction or another.
We have to roll with what we have. And love the good stuff, because it's precious, and rare and maybe, just maybe, temporary.
When we were all 17 years old, we were at basically the same point. We were all getting ready to graduate from high school. We liked to joke around, laugh, have a good time. Now it's 30 years later. And we are at really different points. The difference doesn't so much seem to come down to specific choices we made. It seems to be fate.
Why does life single out some people for hardship, and others for success? you fall in love, get married. It works out great for some people, awful for others. The starting point was the same. You have kids at 20, or at 30, or at 45. You lose a job, or luck into a career. You get sick, recover. You get sick, you die.
Random. Fate. Destiny. I don't know what to call it. I think though that sometimes awful things happen to good people. And sometimes great things happen to bad people. And there doesn't have to be something that turns that wheel in one direction or another.
We have to roll with what we have. And love the good stuff, because it's precious, and rare and maybe, just maybe, temporary.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
the itch is back
The itch is back. The almost overwhelming desire to GO SOMEWHERE. I am buying travel books again. Rsearching flight prices. Hotels. I know I can't, just can't, afford to do this. But the impulse, and that's what it is, is really powerful.
I spent a week in the Outer Banks in April. I am going to OC for a few days in July. I am spending a week in Michigan in August. I am not vacation deprived. But it's not the same. This is connected to the concept of NEW. I want something NEW, DIFFERENT, not the same. I don't want to move again -- the other way I scratch this itch. I'm already in school, and that helps some. I need to stay at my current job for at least 7 more years, so that Michael can go to college, and JHU can help me pay for it. So no new job.
Hobbies don't work. A project doesn't do it. I suppose I could get a puppy, or adopt a child -- but those seem to have more downside than I like in a change, and the other folks in my life would NOT be happy with that version of NEW.
That leaves travel. And boy oh boy do I wanna go. Portugal. Laos. Hungary. Peru. Guatemala. Hell, Toronto would work. If only I could deduct travel as a mental health expense. In the meantime, I guess I could renew the passports. And dream.
I spent a week in the Outer Banks in April. I am going to OC for a few days in July. I am spending a week in Michigan in August. I am not vacation deprived. But it's not the same. This is connected to the concept of NEW. I want something NEW, DIFFERENT, not the same. I don't want to move again -- the other way I scratch this itch. I'm already in school, and that helps some. I need to stay at my current job for at least 7 more years, so that Michael can go to college, and JHU can help me pay for it. So no new job.
Hobbies don't work. A project doesn't do it. I suppose I could get a puppy, or adopt a child -- but those seem to have more downside than I like in a change, and the other folks in my life would NOT be happy with that version of NEW.
That leaves travel. And boy oh boy do I wanna go. Portugal. Laos. Hungary. Peru. Guatemala. Hell, Toronto would work. If only I could deduct travel as a mental health expense. In the meantime, I guess I could renew the passports. And dream.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
effective, but it doesn't matter
I just watched a news program where torture was the topic of discussion. The CIA type answering questions said it was effective, and the people being tortured weren't Americans so it didn't matter. WRONG.
The question isn't whether torture is effective. It might be. It might produce the best results in the shortest amount of time. BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER.
The question isn't whether torture is effective; it's whether it's the right thing to do, under any circumstance. And the answer is a resounding NO. It is never the right thing to do. It is a terrible action under all circumstances. You may still choose to do it -- people choose to do bad things all the time. But you also choose to accept the consequences of doing this wrong action.
Torture does not have a place in a civilized nation. Period. No question.
The question isn't whether torture is effective. It might be. It might produce the best results in the shortest amount of time. BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER.
The question isn't whether torture is effective; it's whether it's the right thing to do, under any circumstance. And the answer is a resounding NO. It is never the right thing to do. It is a terrible action under all circumstances. You may still choose to do it -- people choose to do bad things all the time. But you also choose to accept the consequences of doing this wrong action.
Torture does not have a place in a civilized nation. Period. No question.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
that time of year again
It's that time of year again. The "I need this like I need a hole in the head" time of year. Yup -- it's term-paper time. Except this time, I have two papers due. So, I am writing about world-building in science fiction film, and civil rights and marriage for justice class.
I don't know why I never start earlier. And why I never have a clear grasp of what I am going to say. And why I never make enough time for research, or proof reading. I repeat the same mistakes over and over, without ever really improving my habits.
Perhaps I am addicted to procrastination. It works so well for me in my work life. If I wait long enough, projects tend to disappear as needs change. Or I would have spent weeks on something, only to have to re-do it a few months later because of new needs. While it works for me in some areas, clearly it is not working for me in others.
I think though, that habits are fairly difficult to change the longer you have had them. And this one has been with me for most of my life.
Oh well, I will work on it. Next year.
I don't know why I never start earlier. And why I never have a clear grasp of what I am going to say. And why I never make enough time for research, or proof reading. I repeat the same mistakes over and over, without ever really improving my habits.
Perhaps I am addicted to procrastination. It works so well for me in my work life. If I wait long enough, projects tend to disappear as needs change. Or I would have spent weeks on something, only to have to re-do it a few months later because of new needs. While it works for me in some areas, clearly it is not working for me in others.
I think though, that habits are fairly difficult to change the longer you have had them. And this one has been with me for most of my life.
Oh well, I will work on it. Next year.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
money confusion
America is seriousl f*ed up about money. Yet again, a father has murdered his entire family, and then killed himself. Over financial troubles. He was in financial difficulties, which would have come to light very shortly. He just couldn't face being broke, and he couldn't face telling his family what he had done.
Earlier this week, another father did the same thing. Same reason.
WTF??? We seriously need to look at values and get over our love affair with money.
If you are broke, you are broke. Not a lesser being. Not worthless. Just broke. If you can't live in a 2 million dollar house, don't. It doesn't mean you are not worth anything in the eyes of the world. Money is nice. It isn't everything. If you need help, say so. To everyone, anyone. And stop judging yourself by an artificial yardstick of financial success.
Some folks don't have a roof over their heads. They don't get enough to eat. Help them when you can, and take help when you are in the same boat. There is a reason other people are in this world with you. To help and be helped. We are in this together, truly.
When a person can get several million dollars a year for dribbling a basketball, and a teacher can change the lives of hundreds of kids for less than $50K a year, it becomes clear that there is little real worth attached to income. If you were to lose everything, absolutely everything, you would still be alive, breathing, getting a chance to move around in this world. Priceless. If you had nothing, you would still be the owner of this most amazing gift of life. Don't squander it, and don't steal it from others.
Earlier this week, another father did the same thing. Same reason.
WTF??? We seriously need to look at values and get over our love affair with money.
If you are broke, you are broke. Not a lesser being. Not worthless. Just broke. If you can't live in a 2 million dollar house, don't. It doesn't mean you are not worth anything in the eyes of the world. Money is nice. It isn't everything. If you need help, say so. To everyone, anyone. And stop judging yourself by an artificial yardstick of financial success.
Some folks don't have a roof over their heads. They don't get enough to eat. Help them when you can, and take help when you are in the same boat. There is a reason other people are in this world with you. To help and be helped. We are in this together, truly.
When a person can get several million dollars a year for dribbling a basketball, and a teacher can change the lives of hundreds of kids for less than $50K a year, it becomes clear that there is little real worth attached to income. If you were to lose everything, absolutely everything, you would still be alive, breathing, getting a chance to move around in this world. Priceless. If you had nothing, you would still be the owner of this most amazing gift of life. Don't squander it, and don't steal it from others.
Monday, April 20, 2009
a wee bit of a rant
OK. The weather is crappy, and it's Monday, and I am feeling pressured on all sides. So of course, things are bugging me today. I am mostly irked about the casual attitude people have toward bills and debt.
Where we live, a beloved local institution is in foreclosure. The postings and letters about this event are beginning to really tick me off. Apparently the bank is considered the bad guy in this transaction for asking for its money. They have worked with the business owner for YEARS and YEARS, extending deadlines, extending new lines, doing basically everything a bank can do to help the man out. And now they want payment. I don't find this unreasonable. Banks lend money, with terms, as a buisness transaction. They do not lend money to support the community. They do not lend money because they are "nice guys". And you wouldn't want them to. Banks would fail, and everyone would be in worse shape.
A loan is a CONTRACT. You are obligated to pay it back. If you put up collateral, you do so with the expectation that the bank can take that collateral if you don't pay your bills. It is sad when things go wrong, and people have a business fail, or lose their homes. But unless the bank was deceptive or fraudelent (not the case in this instance), or you were congenitally incapable of executing a contract, really, you can't blame the bank, and yes, you still owe the money. The bank should not "forget about it". That's how banks fold.
Item #2 on my list of peeves today. People are up in arms in the city because they are being hit with late fees for parking tickets. If you get a ticket, you can pay it, or you can go to court and appeal it. That's the law. If you don't pay your ticket for a few years, and you are aware you got a ticket, you owe fines and penalties. Also the law. It is not the city's fault that you decided not to pay, and now your $21 ticket is $620... that's the law. If you felt you got the ticket in error, it says right on it that you have x days to appeal. So appeal it, if you think you shouldn't have gotten it. Don't ignore it, and then whine about penalties.
Item #3 on my list, and it's the last one. Do not WHINE about your taxes and then take advantage of every government program in existence. If you don't want to pay taxes -- don't take any services. You can't have it both ways. I'm not saying taxes aren't wasted. That's what voting is about, and what representation is for. Don't like how things are going? Protest, write your congressman, VOTE.
Where we live, a beloved local institution is in foreclosure. The postings and letters about this event are beginning to really tick me off. Apparently the bank is considered the bad guy in this transaction for asking for its money. They have worked with the business owner for YEARS and YEARS, extending deadlines, extending new lines, doing basically everything a bank can do to help the man out. And now they want payment. I don't find this unreasonable. Banks lend money, with terms, as a buisness transaction. They do not lend money to support the community. They do not lend money because they are "nice guys". And you wouldn't want them to. Banks would fail, and everyone would be in worse shape.
A loan is a CONTRACT. You are obligated to pay it back. If you put up collateral, you do so with the expectation that the bank can take that collateral if you don't pay your bills. It is sad when things go wrong, and people have a business fail, or lose their homes. But unless the bank was deceptive or fraudelent (not the case in this instance), or you were congenitally incapable of executing a contract, really, you can't blame the bank, and yes, you still owe the money. The bank should not "forget about it". That's how banks fold.
Item #2 on my list of peeves today. People are up in arms in the city because they are being hit with late fees for parking tickets. If you get a ticket, you can pay it, or you can go to court and appeal it. That's the law. If you don't pay your ticket for a few years, and you are aware you got a ticket, you owe fines and penalties. Also the law. It is not the city's fault that you decided not to pay, and now your $21 ticket is $620... that's the law. If you felt you got the ticket in error, it says right on it that you have x days to appeal. So appeal it, if you think you shouldn't have gotten it. Don't ignore it, and then whine about penalties.
Item #3 on my list, and it's the last one. Do not WHINE about your taxes and then take advantage of every government program in existence. If you don't want to pay taxes -- don't take any services. You can't have it both ways. I'm not saying taxes aren't wasted. That's what voting is about, and what representation is for. Don't like how things are going? Protest, write your congressman, VOTE.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
the beauty around us
Today we went to the McKeldin area of the Patapsco River Valley State Park. We hiked the switchback trail, a 4 mile trail that winds through the hills and valley near the river. It was rated moderate, meaning that in my current slothful state, it was very difficult. But oh so worth it.
We could hear the river gurgling. The first green plants were coming up in the marsh areas. We saw deer bounding through the woods. The turtles were out sunning themselves. The canada geese are nesting, and tried to drive us away with their honking. It was warm, 75 degrees and sunny.
Beautiful, beautiful.
We could hear the river gurgling. The first green plants were coming up in the marsh areas. We saw deer bounding through the woods. The turtles were out sunning themselves. The canada geese are nesting, and tried to drive us away with their honking. It was warm, 75 degrees and sunny.
Beautiful, beautiful.
Friday, March 27, 2009
update: the new frugality
So, we decided to get serious about being frugal, and I figured it was time for an update.
Through meal planning and coupon cutting, I have cut our food bills by more than 25%.
We took advantage of the low interest rates to refinance the house, cutting our mortage by more than 15%
We kept our car, and didn't get the 2nd one
And big big sacrifice -- the dog goes to daycare only one day a week
Where we haven't done so well: we booked two vacations for the year, still eat out too much, added a Netflix account, added HBO on Demand.
the next six months are about building savings and reducing debt. I'll post an update in September and we will see how we did.
Through meal planning and coupon cutting, I have cut our food bills by more than 25%.
We took advantage of the low interest rates to refinance the house, cutting our mortage by more than 15%
We kept our car, and didn't get the 2nd one
And big big sacrifice -- the dog goes to daycare only one day a week
Where we haven't done so well: we booked two vacations for the year, still eat out too much, added a Netflix account, added HBO on Demand.
the next six months are about building savings and reducing debt. I'll post an update in September and we will see how we did.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
who knew?
Today, I was doing some reading for class, and stumbled across the ideal job description:
"those who are called philosophers, or men of speculation, whose trade it is not to do anything, but to observe everything: and who, upon that account, are often capable of combining together the powers of the most distant and dissimilar objects"
that's want I want, to do nothing and observe everything... where do I apply?
BTW, the quote is from Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations
"those who are called philosophers, or men of speculation, whose trade it is not to do anything, but to observe everything: and who, upon that account, are often capable of combining together the powers of the most distant and dissimilar objects"
that's want I want, to do nothing and observe everything... where do I apply?
BTW, the quote is from Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
ten days, two papers
And so it begins. I have ten days to write two papers. Two completely different, no intersections at all, 5-7 page papers. The first is on The Problem of Atheism and Natural Rights. The second is on how sci-fi films create a world, a sense of plausible reality.
It's all very schizophrenic, and interesting and exhausting.
It's all very schizophrenic, and interesting and exhausting.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
I don't think that word means what you think it does
That's what I always thought it meant, in a work context. But clearly I am misinformed. AIG is awarding $100 million in bonuses to the executives in the business unit that brought the company to the brink of collapse this year. AIG got billions in bailout funds from the federal government so they could stay afloat. So what performance are they rewarding with these bonuses? Why aren't they firing the losers? Why a bonus? If they have an extra $100 million floating around, why not use it to pay back a small fraction of the taxpayer's money?
How clueless can you be, and run a multi-national corporation??
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
the Catholic Church strikes again
The Catholic Church has its head up its ass again. I say this with all due respect. Seriously. The Church has condemned an abortion. Not surpising, except this abortion was performed in Brazil, on a 9 year old girl. No typo, folks. This poor girl was expecting twins, as a result of being raped by her stepfather. Her life was threatened by the pregnancy. The girl weighs 80 pounds. Her doctor says her body was just too small for one baby, let alone two.
Abortion is illegal in Brazil, except in cases where the mother's life is threatened. If the courts in Brazil can see that this is a compelling instance for abortion, why can't the Catholic Church? The Church is considering excommunicating the girl's mother and her doctor for participating in this "heinous" act. Apparently the act her stepfather committed is considered less offensive.
I hope the pope burns in a hell of his own making. I really do.
Abortion is illegal in Brazil, except in cases where the mother's life is threatened. If the courts in Brazil can see that this is a compelling instance for abortion, why can't the Catholic Church? The Church is considering excommunicating the girl's mother and her doctor for participating in this "heinous" act. Apparently the act her stepfather committed is considered less offensive.
I hope the pope burns in a hell of his own making. I really do.
Monday, March 09, 2009
is DST really worth it?
I am a creature of habit. Really serious, deeply ingrained habit. So Daylight Savings Time is hell for me. It takes me several days to adjust to the time change. I feel out of sorts, cranky, disrupted and unsettled. I KNOW that it's only an hour either way. I know it. But my body doesn't. It insists on feeling like someone yanked the rug out from under my feet, and the feeling won't go away for another couple of days.
So really, now that we are not farmers anymore -- do we really need this? Does it really make a difference in our economy? couldn't we come up with a better scheme? I vote for let me get up when I'm awake, and go to sleep when I'm tired, and work when I feel like it. Doesn't that sound better than making everyone march to the same drum?
So really, now that we are not farmers anymore -- do we really need this? Does it really make a difference in our economy? couldn't we come up with a better scheme? I vote for let me get up when I'm awake, and go to sleep when I'm tired, and work when I feel like it. Doesn't that sound better than making everyone march to the same drum?
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
deja vu
This week, I had to read portions of Hobbes' Leviathan for my course on justice. Almost 30 years ago, as a college freshman, I was doing the exact same thing. I was in bed, reading the other day, when I was struck by this incredible sense of deja vu. And then I remembered. I was in bed in my dormroom, back in Denton Hall, struggling to get through the exact same passages. I felt the same, I really did. I was more successful this time -- I didn't actually fall asleep every two pages.
Back then, I remember being furious, absolutely furious with a dear friend. We were taking the same government course. I told her how tedious the reading had been for me. And she said it. The truly terrible thing. "Me too, until I found the summary in the back of the book." There was a summary? A SUMMARY?? I hadn't had to read the hundreds of pages of tedium? AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!
This time, because I am infinitely more mature [no snorting from the peanut gallery, please], I actually read and followed the arguments. I can't say I enjoyed it, but I can say that I didn't fall asleep. And I didn't look for the summary.
Back then, I remember being furious, absolutely furious with a dear friend. We were taking the same government course. I told her how tedious the reading had been for me. And she said it. The truly terrible thing. "Me too, until I found the summary in the back of the book." There was a summary? A SUMMARY?? I hadn't had to read the hundreds of pages of tedium? AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!
This time, because I am infinitely more mature [no snorting from the peanut gallery, please], I actually read and followed the arguments. I can't say I enjoyed it, but I can say that I didn't fall asleep. And I didn't look for the summary.
Monday, March 02, 2009
good things
The DOW dropped 300 points today. It snowed. I'm cold. And you know what? Doesn't really matter. Things are good. GOOD. We have all we need. And increasingly, I am reminded what a big, big deal that is.
I was resentful this past week. Too much of my time had claims on it. I had work, and school, and our son had a ton of stuff to do. We had family stuff to do. And then it hit me -- I was cranky about good stuff.
I had family stuff to do -- I had family that wanted to spend time with us, and us with them. My son needed me to drive him places. Because he was serving dinner at a soup kitchen, going to a Habitat leadership meeting, worked in an East Baltimore park, prepping it for spring. I had classes to go to. Because I love going to school, and my work graciously pays for it. Poor poor me.
I had to go to work. Damn it. To a job I enjoy, with people I like, at a salary I only used to dream about. Poor poor me.
Sometimes I need to take a breath, and remind myself how damn good it all is.
I was resentful this past week. Too much of my time had claims on it. I had work, and school, and our son had a ton of stuff to do. We had family stuff to do. And then it hit me -- I was cranky about good stuff.
I had family stuff to do -- I had family that wanted to spend time with us, and us with them. My son needed me to drive him places. Because he was serving dinner at a soup kitchen, going to a Habitat leadership meeting, worked in an East Baltimore park, prepping it for spring. I had classes to go to. Because I love going to school, and my work graciously pays for it. Poor poor me.
I had to go to work. Damn it. To a job I enjoy, with people I like, at a salary I only used to dream about. Poor poor me.
Sometimes I need to take a breath, and remind myself how damn good it all is.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
a month, more or less
Barack Obama has been president for just over 4 weeks. I hear people every day saying he isn't doing enough, he hasn't changed anything. He has been president for just over 4 weeks! It took 8 years of the Bush presidency to flush the country down the drain -- it will take more than 4 weeks to fix it.
Why the excessive expectations? Is it because we believe so much in Obama's message that we expected miracles? or is it really that many people want the president to fail, because he isn't the person they wanted for the job? I suspect the latter.
Why the excessive expectations? Is it because we believe so much in Obama's message that we expected miracles? or is it really that many people want the president to fail, because he isn't the person they wanted for the job? I suspect the latter.
Monday, February 23, 2009
old home week
It feels like old home week. Yesterday I had lunch with a dear friend, one I haven't seen in twenty years. Neither one of us has changed a bit. Okay, we've changed tons, but it didn't FEEL like we had. Not once we started talking.
And then, through the miracle of modern technology, I was contacted by another old friend. This one was the best man at our wedding. We haven't seen him in maybe 15 years or so. It feels great to know how he is, what he's doing now.
I absolutely love "finding" people, which is really another way of saying I hate losing them.
And then, through the miracle of modern technology, I was contacted by another old friend. This one was the best man at our wedding. We haven't seen him in maybe 15 years or so. It feels great to know how he is, what he's doing now.
I absolutely love "finding" people, which is really another way of saying I hate losing them.
Friday, February 20, 2009
sign of the times
We are in the process of re-financing our house. The interest rates are at their lowest, and since we plan to be here for years, it just makes good financial sense. The appraiser came out today to inspect the property. Now, this not our first house. It is our fourth. So we have dealt with appraisers many times in the past. On the last two occasions, the appraiser drove by the house, and then phoned in his appraisal. That's it.
This time, the appraiser walked around outside. He took pictures. He moved piles of leaves next to the foundation. He measured the thickness of the tile on the porch. He came in, looked at every room, on every floor. He even went into our basement. He asked a bunch of questions, took a lot of notes. It was scary.
Banks have to be more cautious now. They don't want to lend money (or in our case re-lend money, since our current mortgage is with the same bank) without being sure, absolutely sure, of their investment. But it is frightening, when you already have property, to have it judged on an entirely different scale.
It really makes me feel for people who have mortgages that now exceed the value of their property. What happens to you in that situation? What happens if you have to move?
This time, the appraiser walked around outside. He took pictures. He moved piles of leaves next to the foundation. He measured the thickness of the tile on the porch. He came in, looked at every room, on every floor. He even went into our basement. He asked a bunch of questions, took a lot of notes. It was scary.
Banks have to be more cautious now. They don't want to lend money (or in our case re-lend money, since our current mortgage is with the same bank) without being sure, absolutely sure, of their investment. But it is frightening, when you already have property, to have it judged on an entirely different scale.
It really makes me feel for people who have mortgages that now exceed the value of their property. What happens to you in that situation? What happens if you have to move?
Thursday, February 19, 2009
what's just
What's just? The nine year old Arizona boy who killed his father and his father's room-mate has plead guilty to 1 count of negligent homicide. This was a deal arranged by the prosecutor, who frankly had no idea what to do with a 9 year old killer. Neither does the judge, or the court system.
The family of the slain room-mate is unhappy with the decision. The child took away their family member, he planned the act, he carried it out, he understood the consequences enough to concoct an "alibi". The will serve no jail time, and may get to go home with his mother. The family feels this is unjust.
The problem -- what is just?
This is a little kid, 8 years old at the time of the murders. He told a case-worker he was not going to be spanked any more. He had been taught how to shoot by his father. Is fear of spanking self-defense? Is being 8 years old diminished capacity? Does a child understand consequences in the same way as an adult?
But there are two dead adults. What of them? Is it just that their killer walks free? Is it just to pay more attention to the perpetrator than we do to the victims?
Is fairness the same as justice? How do we decide? What best serves society, whom the laws are written to protect? How much weight do the various parties have in this? Do the living outweigh the dead?
How we mete out justice is a defining action of what we are as a people. So, what's just?
The family of the slain room-mate is unhappy with the decision. The child took away their family member, he planned the act, he carried it out, he understood the consequences enough to concoct an "alibi". The will serve no jail time, and may get to go home with his mother. The family feels this is unjust.
The problem -- what is just?
This is a little kid, 8 years old at the time of the murders. He told a case-worker he was not going to be spanked any more. He had been taught how to shoot by his father. Is fear of spanking self-defense? Is being 8 years old diminished capacity? Does a child understand consequences in the same way as an adult?
But there are two dead adults. What of them? Is it just that their killer walks free? Is it just to pay more attention to the perpetrator than we do to the victims?
Is fairness the same as justice? How do we decide? What best serves society, whom the laws are written to protect? How much weight do the various parties have in this? Do the living outweigh the dead?
How we mete out justice is a defining action of what we are as a people. So, what's just?
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