The fact that “police discretion” exists means that police officers are not required to follow a specific set of policies for any particular instance. For example, if you do not stop at a stop sign, the police officer may give you a ticket, or just a warning. In theory, this is the only real way that police officers can operate. If they were legally obligated to pull over everyone that went 66 mph in a 65 zone, it would seem counterproductive. However, the problem is that this discretion gives police a power that they should not have; the power to interpret the law.
The police force operates in the executive branch of the law. This is the same branch as the president. It is not the police’s responsibility to decide the fate of alleged criminals. (I do say alleged here, because even if you are under arrest, you are still innocent until proven guilty in the court of law). This is where the judge, a member of the interpretive branch, comes in. According to the way our system of checks and balances work, the courts should (and in theory, do) determine whether or not someone has violated the law; and, if so, how they will be punished. Giving police officers discretion to interpret the laws themselves is dangerous to the foundation of our government.
The truth is, laws are going to broken. If they would never be broken, there would be no need for the law in the first place. It is difficult to conjure up a human that will never break any laws (think about jaywalking, trespassing, littering, etc.). When these infractions occur, it should not be up to the police officer to decide whether to “do things the easy way, or the hard way.” I am not suggesting that at some point or another, everyone should be subject to prosecution: rather, I am suggesting quite the opposite. Our legal system needs to reflect on the fact that certain laws are either outdated or need to be only enforced in certain situations. These “amendments” should be enforced in a specific, predictable manner. For example, if you litter a napkin on the ground, you should either be forced to pick it up or pay a small fine. The police officer should not have the power to determine the severity of your punishment (or whether you will not be punished at all). This can transform decent human beings into power-hungry vigilantes, and force the public to fear police officers.
I consider myself to be a moral person. I try not to harm or endanger others. Though the legal system is designed to reflect good moral standing, there are always situations where normal citizens can find themselves in the gray area of the law. In these situations, police officers should “execute” the law according to a pre-determined code (AKA “the law”), so that the outcome of the incident is not reflective of the citizen’s legal prowess or the current mood of the officer, but the severity of the crime, as determined by the legislative branch of the law, not the police. I do not want to fear police officers. I want to respect them for protecting and serving the public. However, it often seems that police discretion morphs into police oppression because of the excessive powers that they are given.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Special Guest Blogger: Los pensamientos de "Columbo" en "Weeds" de HBO
Hola Muchachos?!
Como estan? Me llamo Columbo y soy un escritor nuevo de este blog. Voy a tener una blog post cada semana para los leedores a quien le gustan o solo entiendan el espanol. Este vez nos hablamos de la programa de television "Weeds" de HBO.
En mi opinion, este programa fue muy interesante a principio, habia relaciones interesantes entre todas las personas y todos aprendimos mucho del negocio de vendidiendo mota. El negocio de Nancy, la mama y charecter principal cambio y crecio mucho durante los anos, pero ahora la tema principal es diferente. Miramos mas de su relacion con su novio. A mi, no me gusta. Que piensan ustedes? Enviame su respuestas!
Hasta la proxima semana!
Con carino,
Columbo
Monday, May 3, 2010
Babies with Rabies!
You can never truthfully say "Today is Opposite Day." However, I do want to contradict myself. When you refer to Opposite Day, this type of speech lies outside of the speech that is affected by Opposite Day. By speaking about Opposite Day, you are forced to use a meta-language which would not require you to reverse your statements. Therefore, on Opposite Day, you would say "Today is Opposite Day." Also, can't you lie on Opposite Day?
(not mine)
It’s harder to forget something than to remember something.
Hot chocolate: Wanted for mass murder of taste buds.
“What if I could run like a cheetah?” is a rhetorical question.
Maybe it’s not the cult members that are brain washed, but everyone outside of the cult.
Would a “physics of light” class make any sense to a blind person?
Palindrome/occurrence at The Relationship Zoo: Dad pets step dad
"Is not a Quine's paradox" is not a Quine's paradox.
I waved and saluted Bill and Alex, respectively.
If a rock hits you in the head and gives you telepathy, it would be both phenomenal and epiphenomenal.
“What if ‘I could run like a cheetah?’ is a rhetorical question?” is a rhetorical question.
Could intelligent aliens, without the capacity to hear, appreciate sheet music?
Inefficient incandescent inflorescent
A capitonym is a word that has a different meaning when capitalized.
Albums to Listen to:
"Sung Tongs" by Animal Collective
"Shame, Shame" by Dr. Dog
"Psychic Chasms" by Neon Indian
"XX" by The XX
“A pro-choice vegan is a hypocrite.”
“What should I do my speech on: acid or baseball?”
BONUS WORD GAME:
What does "oculesics" mean?
A) The measurement of physical characteristics for identity verification.
B) A therapeutic system based on the interactions of the spine and nervous system.
C) The science of heredity, dealing with resemblances and differences of related organisms.
D) The study of eye contact as a part of non-verbal communication.
(not mine)
It’s harder to forget something than to remember something.
Hot chocolate: Wanted for mass murder of taste buds.
“What if I could run like a cheetah?” is a rhetorical question.
Maybe it’s not the cult members that are brain washed, but everyone outside of the cult.
Would a “physics of light” class make any sense to a blind person?
Palindrome/occurrence at The Relationship Zoo: Dad pets step dad
"Is not a Quine's paradox" is not a Quine's paradox.
I waved and saluted Bill and Alex, respectively.
If a rock hits you in the head and gives you telepathy, it would be both phenomenal and epiphenomenal.
“What if ‘I could run like a cheetah?’ is a rhetorical question?” is a rhetorical question.
Could intelligent aliens, without the capacity to hear, appreciate sheet music?
Inefficient incandescent inflorescent
A capitonym is a word that has a different meaning when capitalized.
Albums to Listen to:
"Sung Tongs" by Animal Collective
"Shame, Shame" by Dr. Dog
"Psychic Chasms" by Neon Indian
"XX" by The XX
“A pro-choice vegan is a hypocrite.”
“What should I do my speech on: acid or baseball?”
BONUS WORD GAME:
What does "oculesics" mean?
A) The measurement of physical characteristics for identity verification.
B) A therapeutic system based on the interactions of the spine and nervous system.
C) The science of heredity, dealing with resemblances and differences of related organisms.
D) The study of eye contact as a part of non-verbal communication.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
What Is Life?
Remember that little wrapper that you threw on the ground the other day? That polychromatic piece of plastic that was still in your hands after you finished eating the snack it encapsulated? You looked over your shoulder briefly to make sure that no one saw you litter it. Ringing any bells? It remembers you. And it’s very angry that you dropped it on the ground when there was a trash can 15 feet away. Why couldn’t you just throw it out? That piece of plastic is going to blow into a river and harm the environment. And the ecosystem. And also the biome. If you had just thrown it out, it would be chilling in a landfill somewhere in New Jersey by now. Thanks for caring.
Pathogenarian: An 80-year-old virus.
“Communism sounds good on paper but when you actually try to carry it out, it never works because people naturally just get greedy.” I’ve heard peers say this over and over again. And it pisses me off every single time. Is this true? Probably. Is this something that I learned in 7th grade after reading Animal Farm? Definitely. Enough, people.
I was blown away to learn as a kid that 2 x 3 is the same thing as 2 of 3.
Sometimes I check my blog to see if there is a new post. There never is.
FUN FACT: Humans can distinguish 10 million different colors.
Urinals should have floor pedals.
I wonder if I’ve forgotten more things than I’ve remembered.
When I put my name in Google, it says “Did you mean ‘air hockey’?”
I hate hearing people tell a story that they already told me. Usually even the inflections of the words and cadence of the sentences are identical. I also wonder how many people they told before I heard it.
The Roots have an album called “Tipping Point” named after the book by Malcom Gladwell.
It started as an epiphany and ended as a magazine subscription.
If you were on Death row, what would be your last meal?
Today I set a new personal record by sneezing 7 times in a row. It made me feel like Esau.
I get confused when black people refer to other black people as “light-skinned.” (I’m not sure if that’s racist but I don’t intend it to be).
"Sometimes I can't find my good habits."
"Gangsta gumbo, I'll serve them a pot of it."
Pathogenarian: An 80-year-old virus.
“Communism sounds good on paper but when you actually try to carry it out, it never works because people naturally just get greedy.” I’ve heard peers say this over and over again. And it pisses me off every single time. Is this true? Probably. Is this something that I learned in 7th grade after reading Animal Farm? Definitely. Enough, people.
I was blown away to learn as a kid that 2 x 3 is the same thing as 2 of 3.
Sometimes I check my blog to see if there is a new post. There never is.
FUN FACT: Humans can distinguish 10 million different colors.
Urinals should have floor pedals.
I wonder if I’ve forgotten more things than I’ve remembered.
When I put my name in Google, it says “Did you mean ‘air hockey’?”
I hate hearing people tell a story that they already told me. Usually even the inflections of the words and cadence of the sentences are identical. I also wonder how many people they told before I heard it.
The Roots have an album called “Tipping Point” named after the book by Malcom Gladwell.
It started as an epiphany and ended as a magazine subscription.
If you were on Death row, what would be your last meal?
Today I set a new personal record by sneezing 7 times in a row. It made me feel like Esau.
I get confused when black people refer to other black people as “light-skinned.” (I’m not sure if that’s racist but I don’t intend it to be).
"Sometimes I can't find my good habits."
"Gangsta gumbo, I'll serve them a pot of it."
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Apathetic Theocracy
I like elevators. To start with, their name summarizes their function pretty well. (However, that is a little unfair, because they de-elevate, as well. [I wonder if it saddens elevators that they are stereotyped as machines that elevate, but if you got to know them, I’m sure you would find that they are widely diverse and entertaining devices]) There aren’t too many other things like that. Chairs are not referred to as “sitters." *
Even more interesting, though, are their social implications. Elevators grab people from all walks of life and force them to stand one foot apart for a period of time. During this not-short-enough time frame, people seem to have different strategies of coping. The most common type involves communicating as little as possible. This involves walking in, staring at the screen that displays the floor, and walking out without saying one word.
Other people try to strike up a friendly conversation. “Can you press four please?” is usually how the exchange starts. Now that the ice is broken, “It’s pretty hot in here.” The conversation ensues for the remaining 15 or 20 seconds. Then you never see that person again. In that respect, it is essentially useless to start a conversation in an elevator with a stranger. However, a similar argument could be made for starting any conversation in general.
How come sometimes being nervous makes me have to pee, but other times, I have trouble peeing when I'm nervous?
I always get an urge to steal that unattended Pepsi truck with the engine running parked on the side of the road.
I never want to be a statue. I've never seen a statue of someone and thought, "Oh man, that guy was cool."
I wasn't sure whether to use the word pee or urinate in my comment above. How come there is no word that is more sophisticated than pee but less sophisticated than urinate? When in doubt, always go with pee.
I want to go flavor tripping.
I once held the record for the world’s youngest person.
Post-modernism is not the same thing as retro-futurism.*
Architecture is like construction, but with art.
Cognitive Biases
Stumble Upon: “The internet is literally surfing itself.”
“No, we don’t need to add 20 saxophone parts to this section.”
*Thanks Chris
Even more interesting, though, are their social implications. Elevators grab people from all walks of life and force them to stand one foot apart for a period of time. During this not-short-enough time frame, people seem to have different strategies of coping. The most common type involves communicating as little as possible. This involves walking in, staring at the screen that displays the floor, and walking out without saying one word.
Other people try to strike up a friendly conversation. “Can you press four please?” is usually how the exchange starts. Now that the ice is broken, “It’s pretty hot in here.” The conversation ensues for the remaining 15 or 20 seconds. Then you never see that person again. In that respect, it is essentially useless to start a conversation in an elevator with a stranger. However, a similar argument could be made for starting any conversation in general.
How come sometimes being nervous makes me have to pee, but other times, I have trouble peeing when I'm nervous?
I always get an urge to steal that unattended Pepsi truck with the engine running parked on the side of the road.
I never want to be a statue. I've never seen a statue of someone and thought, "Oh man, that guy was cool."
I wasn't sure whether to use the word pee or urinate in my comment above. How come there is no word that is more sophisticated than pee but less sophisticated than urinate? When in doubt, always go with pee.
I want to go flavor tripping.
I once held the record for the world’s youngest person.
Post-modernism is not the same thing as retro-futurism.*
Architecture is like construction, but with art.
Cognitive Biases
Stumble Upon: “The internet is literally surfing itself.”
“No, we don’t need to add 20 saxophone parts to this section.”
*Thanks Chris
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
White Sidewalks With Halogen
Whenever I don’t do the reading assignment for a class, I always use the “speak first” gimmick, and I suggest you do the same. The first opportunity you get to answer a question or give your input, take advantage of it. Even if you have no idea what the “correct” answer is, use your creative license to interpret the question so that you can give a vague and acceptable answer (see
Forer effect).
For example, if you are reading Descartes’s “Discourse on Method” and your teacher asks whether or not cogito ergo sum is valid, feel free to immediately reply, “Well, in my opinion, Descartes uses implicit reasoning in order to try to prove a point that has already been muted by the earlier works of Plato and Aristotle. He eschews establishing a logical argument in favor of appealing to the reader’s emotions.”
Is this even remotely true? Beats me. Most likely, your teacher will appreciate the references of other philosophers, and there is no way to argue against the fact that someone is “appealing to the reader’s emotions.” It’s your opinion, and opinions are never wrong.
She was the type of girl that would choose salad over soup.
Caffeine is ridiculous right now.
Musings
You can get 2000 plastic bags for $36.10
Nihilism is like poetry; nothing more, nothing less.
I’m only passive-aggressive when it comes to the air conditioning in my dorm room.
I wonder what music the musicians I listen to, listen to.
Hydras and certain jellyfish have "biological immortality" meaning that they can theoretically live forever. There are some life extensionists that hope humans will one day be able to live indefinitely.
What language is the most comprehensive (is capable of expressing ideas the best)? Also, what does English sound like to non-English speakers?
“Papercut” by Linkin Park has a hot beat.
There's a Wikipedia page for "bromance."
Record a cover of a song, where the vocals are replicated with instruments, and the instruments are replicated with vocals. (“The Great Gig In The Sky”)?
Quotes
“Hey, you guys wanna make a power ballad?!”
“It tastes like you’re drinking a Christmas tree.”
“It makes me sound like I’m Aretha Franklin on a big-ass stage.”
“I sing in a style known as vocal ejaculation. I’m just spittin’ out those words.”
Forer effect).
For example, if you are reading Descartes’s “Discourse on Method” and your teacher asks whether or not cogito ergo sum is valid, feel free to immediately reply, “Well, in my opinion, Descartes uses implicit reasoning in order to try to prove a point that has already been muted by the earlier works of Plato and Aristotle. He eschews establishing a logical argument in favor of appealing to the reader’s emotions.”
Is this even remotely true? Beats me. Most likely, your teacher will appreciate the references of other philosophers, and there is no way to argue against the fact that someone is “appealing to the reader’s emotions.” It’s your opinion, and opinions are never wrong.
She was the type of girl that would choose salad over soup.
Caffeine is ridiculous right now.
Musings
You can get 2000 plastic bags for $36.10
Nihilism is like poetry; nothing more, nothing less.
I’m only passive-aggressive when it comes to the air conditioning in my dorm room.
I wonder what music the musicians I listen to, listen to.
Hydras and certain jellyfish have "biological immortality" meaning that they can theoretically live forever. There are some life extensionists that hope humans will one day be able to live indefinitely.
What language is the most comprehensive (is capable of expressing ideas the best)? Also, what does English sound like to non-English speakers?
“Papercut” by Linkin Park has a hot beat.
There's a Wikipedia page for "bromance."
Record a cover of a song, where the vocals are replicated with instruments, and the instruments are replicated with vocals. (“The Great Gig In The Sky”)?
Quotes
“Hey, you guys wanna make a power ballad?!”
“It tastes like you’re drinking a Christmas tree.”
“It makes me sound like I’m Aretha Franklin on a big-ass stage.”
“I sing in a style known as vocal ejaculation. I’m just spittin’ out those words.”
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Stir Fry First Try
I think it's time for Microsoft and Apple to start making more logical keyboards. The QWERTY keyboard was invented well over 100 years ago for typewriters. It was purposely designed to make people type slower, as typewriters would get jammed if the keys were hit too quickly in succession. With the advent of computers, the QWERTY keyboard became obsolete.
Though many people have become swift at typing on this keyboard, they are not typing at their full potential. This is because common letters like "r," "e," and "t" are not on the home row. If more people began using more logical keyboards, the world as we know it would become much more efficient.
Quotes of the Week
"I'm pretty sure they put Nyquil in my smoothie."
"No, feminism is about not making sandwiches."
Animal Collective Remixes Phoenix
Girl Talk Remixes Grizzly Bear
How did they make the first ruler?
Every character on "The Office" (when first introduced) is unmarried.
Next time you watch a basketball game, only watch one player until he makes a shot. When he finally does, it is very rewarding.
Feats of Strength
"I remember on the trip home on Apollo 11 it suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small."
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