Brian Lee's RCL blog

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I will focus on the ethical issues involving the current conditions within our prison system, particularly within solitary confinement. We can begin by first pointing out that most of our prisons are operating at approximately 110%  capacity, while California’s prisons are operating at 140% capacity. This already makes the job of corrections officers way more difficult, depending on the level of security risk that the inmate poses. Furthermore,

As I viewed on a recent documentary regarding solitary confinement (this documentary focused in particular on Colorado State Penitentiary, but the general complaint about solitary confinement is similar). I aim to advocate for a reform of the regulations which thoroughly outline the behaviors which can land an inmate in solitary confinement, thereby improving prison conditions. I want explore this area because currently, petty offenses such as mouthing off to a guard or disobeying basic offenses can land an offender back in solitary for up to 6 months to a year.

Corrections officers need to know that their conditions are psychologically debilitating for offenders and need to work towards making inmates feel more like they still have a chance of mattering to people once they are done serving their sentence. I will use statistics regarding likelihood of psychological problems in inmates who spend a lengthy time in this mode of confinement.

I am interested in focusing on Gun violence for my paper. More specifically, I want to focus on issues with the “Stand your Ground” law in Florida and modifications that I feel need to be made in it. This law was called into question by the shooting death of Treyvon Martin, who was unarmed when he was shot by Neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman. I am calling for a modification of the “Stand your Ground” law. This modification will mandate a full police investigation in the event that anyone is fatally shot in an area which the law is in place. This will permit a thorough examination of all facts involved in a case. Most importantly, because of this modification, it will be officially ruled whether or not their was an imminent threat of death or grievous bodily harm to the shooter. If there exists any other situation where there is an alternative, particularly when the initial party making the threat is unarmed, using lethal force should be ruled as nothing short of Second degree murder.

This is an appropriate issue to discuss and formulate a policy for because the issue of gun violence will help society to understand how to fundamentally reduce crime rates. It addresses the key issue of whether the person shot actually deserved to die. There will be regulations in place which dictate a civilian’s right to use lethal force almost to the same degree that a police officer is restricted.

When thinking about blogging ideas, I have decided to focus on my belief in the importance of compromise. I feel that society must be able to come to quick agreements on important issues in order to be able to function properly. This gives confidence to every party involved in the disagreement and reduces the chances that they will feel awkward or self-doubtful. I can relate to this topic because my parents frequently disagree with each other. I think that they need to come to better agreement quicker on important issues. Another TIB idea for me is my firm belief in the saving of money. Saving money has taught me to realize how to delay instant gratification.

My CI blog will focus on: the war in Iraq, Legalization of Marijuana and firearms restrictions. I may add other topics as the semester progresses. I find these issues especially easy to write about because I feel very strongly about each of them. This blog will focus on the impact each issue had on American society and the rest of the world, with another focus on how each issue affected the impression of other nations on the U.S.

I think that my blog this year will be more spread out with regards to issues. The addition of my civic issues blog will help me to remain objective when talking about crucial topics which affect people today.

For my TIB (This I Believe), I have chosen the importance of compromise. I see compromise as the cornerstone of our relationships with the outside world. These could include: at work with one’s boss and colleagues, professors, fellow students or family. The relationships most important to me are those with my family and friends, which have played the most major part in shaping my current personality.