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What is happening to this country? I have no feeling about Paris, one way or another, and it amazes me that she could possibly cause so much angst. She doesn't strike me as a bad or evil person in any sense of the world. She is just a silly 26 old girl who has a little more growing up to do. Big deal!
What scares me to no end is the mob mentality to railroad her into a substantially increased punished beyond anything anyone else in her situation would get to satisfy the "mob." America is so prone to a mob mentality, it really stuns me, and scares me.
There are laws, and there are rules and regulations for a well ordered society. Laws are of the "Thou shalt not" variety, while rules and regulations. She broke no serious laws. Yes, she blew a .08; however most alcohol related traffic accidents and fatalities are caused by drivers with much high blood alcohol levels. Yes, she drove on a suspended license, but she wasn't drinking.
Consequently, what we have is a 26 year old girl with no previous criminal record who blew the minimum BAL, and then drove with a suspended license. The judge threw the book at her because he doesn't want to look soft on her, and basically sentenced her to 45 days in solitary confinement.
Where is the proportionality? Sheriff Baca was just being realistic. Average Jane would have been released on this set of circumstances after 3 or 4 days max. However, because the media watching mob doesn't like Paris, she requires a non proportional punishment to satisfy the mob sense of outrage in some symbolic fashion to prop up the power structure against revolt?
That is not justice.
Why not address the real issues concerning how come we continue to crimanlize, incarcerate, and basically torture an increasing number of low level offenders in horrible conditions? Is basically torturing one mentally fragile, blond girl from the upper class the payback the mob demands?
