Newtown.

The recent events in Newtown, Conn. are tragic and inexplicable. I read article after article arguing the causes of it. I need to share some of my thoughts.
First of all, as noted by videoblogger Dan Brown, the epidemic of mass murders is a new phenomenon. He also notes that as more and more mass murders are committed, they get more and more twisted. In the beginning, there was a sense of strange justice. Brown talks about how there was a USPS worker who got fired and came in to work the next day and killed his boss. In interviews, the coworkers of the murderer said that the boss was a bully to the fired employee. And that there was some sort of justice. But as time goes on, things get more "f***ed up."
It seems that most recently, the mass murders have gotten more inexplicable and more unacceptable. Don't get me wrong, no murder is acceptable. Or at least, the vast majority of murders aren't. But the most recent murders have been the most twisted. It seems like the murderers are trying to see how much of a "wow" they can get. This isn't necessarily true, but it's just a trend that I have noticed.

I am on both sides of the debate of gun control. As a hunter and sportsman, I believe that gun ownership for sport shouldn't be restricted. I know from experience that hunters treat guns differently. We take different precautions. In my own family, guns are locked up in a fireproof safe. There is no circumstance in which we point a gun at another person, even if it's a toy gun. I think there is a difference between people who have guns for sport and people who just own guns. I don't believe that people should have guns to use on other people. I'm really on the border with owning guns for things like self defense. I haven't done enough research and I haven't heard enough opinions.
I think that our mental illness assistance in the US should be reofrmed. If someone is having a mental breakdown, they should be able to get help immediately. The mental institutions should somewhat resemble LAMP Community in Los Angleles, California. They provide shelter and food to the homeless with mental illness and provide services for them. They don't pressure patients into care but they nurture. I believe that this is the best way to help people with mental illness.
I am torn by the shooting and humbled by the entire nations support of Newtown. I think that this shooting is vastly different from the previous shootings because it really sounds like people truly want to prevent this. I am hearing "this can't happen again" more and more.

A Small Follow-Up on the Death Penalty

In class, we have recently finished talking about the death penalty after having several mock-capital court cases. Going into this unit, I didn't have a particular stance on the death penalty but I leaned against it. After all of the debates, I feel that the death penalty is far too imperfect to be implemented in all cases. The death penalty is too arbitrary. There are too many factors to consider such as the manner of the crime committed and the possible non statutory mitigating factors. There is too much burden on the jury and on the potential executioners to have to sentence someone to be executed or execute someone. I think that all non-statutory mitigating factors should also be considered by the jury. In a capital case, a life is at stake, therefore a culmination of one's life should be considered.
I think the only humane way to execute someone is through lethal injection. I am shocked that other methods such as electrocution and gas chamber aren't considered cruel and unusual punishment. I understand that if the crime is bad enough, the offender should be punished more severely, but there has to be limits. The punishment should be death, not the unnecessary pain that may come with it.
I am still unsure whether an inmate on death row should be allowed to change his/her ways, like Clifford Boggess. I think that there is no way to tell if someone has actually changed and therefore, there is no way to give someone the chance to change.
I am against the death penalty now because I believe there are better solutions that an eye for an eye.

R.I.P. Dave Brubeck

This week, jazz legend Dave Brubeck died on December 5th, 2012, one day before his 92nd birthday. Brubeck was born on December 6th, 1920 in Concord, California. His father, Peter, was a cattle rancher and his mother, Elizabeth, was a piano teacher. His mother taught him piano, but he could not read music and faked his way through. He entered College of the Pacific with the intention of studying zoology, but he switched over to study music. He was almost thrown out of the conservatory when his professor found out he could not read music but his understanding of harmony and counterpoint saved him. After graduating, Brubeck was drafted in to the army. He volunteered to play piano and was so popular that he was ordered to form a band. Brubeck then made one of the first integrated military bands. He returned to school after his service. His long musical career took off from there.
Brubeck's contributions to jazz are beyond the music. He has stood to fight racism in the music industry. His quartet's bass player was black and he was sometimes declined performances because they wouldn't let his bass player play. In 1958, Brubeck turned down a $17,000 deal to tour South Africa because of ordinances that prohibited a black person from being on stage into the country.
Dave Brubeck is not only inspiration through his music but through his actions against racism.