[murrylove]

I do believe in harsh punishment, but for harsh crimes. My mom works for CPS, and it's a shame what kids can get away with now. They actually get parents into trouble for washing their kids mouth out with soap now. When my mom did that to me when I was young, it definitly made me not do what I did to have my mouth washed out. Back to the harsh crimes part. To me someone selling pot should not be sentenced to jail time. Do you guys know just how many people smoke pot in the US? Forget about the entire world. I bet we all know someone who smokes or sells weed. Look at the crime rate in places like Amsterdam, where pot is not a criminal offense. They also have things like needle exchanges and other drug programs in place to help hardcore drug abusers. Their crime rate is lower, because they dont waste time or money on petty things like pot. For rape, murder, vehicle manslaughter due to DWI, or other violent crimes, those people should be hit hard. I'm all for the death penalty. There are some choices you make in life that are undoable?. You chose to rape or murder, those are a choice that you made, and are just to big to ignore. I'm also in support of not letting someone on death row sit and waste my taxpaying dollars for 20+ years. If they took a life and get the death penalty, they should'nt get to live for another 20+ years with 3 hots and a cot. I've been locked up, and it aint to bad in there. There are people who live better in jail than they do in the outside world. Drugs, sex, food, clean clothes, a bed, whats not to like for some of these guys. I do belive that harsher penaltys for harsh crimes will deter some of these people before they make that bad judgement choice. It's a shame though, when a drug user gets a felony conviction that will haunt him for the rest of his life. People look at them like they were the 1 murdering peole or raping them. I also think it wrong that cigarettes and alcohol are Legal, while pot isn't. Is it because both the cigs and alcohol companies donate and give millions to politicians? That judge sending that BOY to jail might have not made him get his GED, but might have ruined his life. Whats he to do now when he gets out to nothing waiting for him, a conviction on his record. If he had it tough before, it's now going to be 10 times tougher for him when he gets out. FYI, I dont do any drugs, or drink, but I think if not making pot legal, we should at least decriminalize it. If it was legal though, with all the people who smoke it, it would be a boon to our economy. Sorry to rant. Thanks all.