Heidi:

Just had to reply to your rant because many of the things you said struck a nerve, even though not experience them personally. I go back far enough to remember when people complained about the police states of communist nations. Never in my wildest dreams did I vision that one day we would become close to becoming one ourselves, but that is what seems to be happening. Do you find it astonishing that those who denounced police as "pigs" in the 1960's are today clamoring for more police? Do you feel that the 9/11 attacks were used as an excuse to wield more control on every aspect of society?

The drug war, although I do not condone drug use, is as ineffective as was the war on alcohol in the 1920's, and has spawned much of the same kind of thug mentality, albeit more vicious this time around because the firepower is so much greater.

And how can prison(er) reform be truly successful if those incarcerated cannot find jobs upon their release. I bet that if it were easier for at least those jailed for non-violent offenses to find jobs upon release, the rate of recidivism would be far lower. But how can that be at a time when even those never convicted of an actual crime be disqualified for jobs based on things they may have posted on the internet, with the background check zealotry of most potential employers these days? They must think that the scarcity of jobs means that we are likely to fall for anything. I wonder if we will ever again have a musical spokesperson for things such as prison reform and other human rights issues to match the late, great Johnny Cash.