Hi Gail,

I have to go with the Voice of Reason this time. "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely". Although economics may be the starting gun, I believe corruption breeds from power. Even among the homeless poor that age old struggle dominates. "All men want to be rich, and rich men want to be king, and the king ain't satisfied until he rules everything". 

I grew up in the sixties, not so much the "flowerchild", I saw too much corruption at that young age to be throwing petals around. I, like so many of that era, worked hard, sacrificing our youth, to bring change to our society. When I say sacrificling, I don't mean we did not get to wear flowers in our hair and flash the peace sign. Many of us were forced underground, beaten, raped, electrical shock therapy, and that final sacrifice, beaten to death. I'm not tallking about the idiots that were blowing up buildings for change, we worked on free newspapers to educate, we demonstrated peacefully, we helped setup free clinics for the kids that fell victum to the herion the goverment felt quieted the "lunatic fringe". That was of course, until the returning soldiers from Vietnam flooded the country with addictions the goverment had to pick up the tab on.  

Good grief, I think I was just ranting. LOL I quess I can sum it up as "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times". Coming from that place though, it's hard for me to agree with the Voice of Reason that we "intrust our future because we're too busy", I think it's because we will not make the sacrifice needed for change. Well, not yet anyway, right?

I agree that people have to take responsibility for their choices, but unjust justice is not justice. The Voice of reason is right that we have become a police state. There again, "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely". Let the crime fit the punishment. That is justice. Not warehousing your citizens and providing them with airconditioning and cable ready TV among the criminally insane, the insane and the most hardened of criminal minds. That's not justice, that's a business.

It was great to hear from both of you. I love the "agree to disagree" therory. I hope your day is full of promise and great ideas.

Your Friend

Kelly