Criminal Justice (Also see Death Penalty)

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WA State moves closer to abolishing the death penalty!

February 23, 2020 GlenAnderson 0

The WA State House of Representatives committee hearing will occur on MON FEB 24, 2020, and more action will occur on THURS FEB 27. The Washington State Senate has already passed SB 5339 to abolish the death penalty, and the House Public Safety Committee will hold its hearing on SB 5339 on Monday February 24, 2020, at 1:30 pm in Hearing Room D of the O-Brien Building (slightly SW of the Capitol Bldg). I will testify to the House committee. Here is a fleshed-out version of what I will say to the committee during the brief time allotted to each […]

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“Let’s Boldly Create the Future We Really Want”

February 21, 2020 GlenAnderson 0

The June 2020 episode of my TV series “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” is already on my blog, and is watchable at any time from now into the distant future.  You may also read the transcript, which ends with many links to additional sources of information.  (SEE BELOW) It will air on Thurston Community Television’s channel 22 for cable TV subscribers in Thurston County WA three times a week throughout June 2020:  every Monday at 1:30 pm, every Wednesday at 5:00 pm, and every Thursday at 9:00 pm. This TV program and the transcript start by confronting the serious problems in our […]

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GOOD NEWS! WA State Senate passed SB 5339 to repeal WA’s death penalty law.

February 8, 2020 GlenAnderson 0

On Friday January 31, 2020, the Washington State Senate passed SB 5339 to repeal our state’s death penalty law.  The final vote was virtually identical to last year: 28 yea; 18 nay; 3 excused. In 2019 the State Senate had passed SB 5339, but it never received a vote on the House floor.  Now during the second year of the Legislature’s 2-year cycle, the bill was sent back to the Senate Rules Committee and had to pass the Senate again in order to move to the House. Please urge the House Public Safety Committee to hold a hearing on SB […]

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A new report highlights 2019’s new trends in criminal justice policies

January 26, 2020 GlenAnderson 0

The Sentencing Project is a TRULY EXCELLENT non-profit organization that monitors and analyzes information about criminal justice sentencing — and pushes effectively for progressive reforms.  I donate financial support to them and receive regular news from them.  I hope you will connect too.  See www.sentencingproject.org In 2019 they — and formerly incarcerated activists, lawmakers, and advocates — worked to challenge mass incarceration. They made good progress in 2019, as they have in recent years.  See their new 4-page report, “Top Trends in State Criminal Justice Reform.” https://www.sentencingproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Top-Trends-in-State-Criminal-Justice-Reform-2019.pdf?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=8251ac2a-bedb-41ec-a088-cc1e529d01e8 It highlights key changes in criminal justice policy achieved in 2019, including these examples: […]

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To reduce gun violence, the U.S. must STOP THE WARS and CREATE A NONVIOLENT FOREIGN POLICY!

January 19, 2020 GlenAnderson 0

Overwhelmingly huge percentages of the American people support various proposals for reducing gun violence (background checks, denying guns to domestic violence abusers, banning assault weapons, etc.). Several nationwide, statewide and local groups keep promoting these worthy proposals.  I support them. But they are OVERLOOKING THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM! The U.S.’s VIOLENT, MILITARISTIC FOREIGN POLICY assumes that shooting people solves problems!  Our federal government spends BILLIONS OF OUR TAX DOLLARS to promote that mistaken notion.  The federal government SETS A BAD EXAMPLE for ordinary people who follow the government’s bad example that SHOOTING PEOPLE would solve their problems! If the […]

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Imagine McConnell’s Senate impeachment trial behavior in a regular criminal trial

January 8, 2020 GlenAnderson 0

Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell’s behavior in the Senate’s trial about impeaching Trump is truly outrageous.  No reasonable person would think it anywhere near acceptable in a regular criminal trial, but in the Republican-dominated perversion of the U.S., this is the “new normal.” Suppose some SERIOUS CRIMES have occurred anywhere in the U.S., and PROSECUTORS HAVE COMPILED OVERWHELMING, EXPLICIT EVIDENCE. Just when the criminal trial is set to begin — BEFORE THE DAMNING EVIDENCE IS PRESENTED — THE JURY DECLARES that it REFUSES TO HEAR THE EVIDENCE and simply DECLARES THE DEFENDANT INNOCENT. That is what the Republican-dominated U.S. Senate […]

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THESE should be Articles of Impeachment to remove Trump!

December 29, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Trump has committed MANY, MANY violations of the Constitution and MANY, MANY violations of federal law. But the House Democrats have given him a FREE RIDE — negligently EXONERATED him — for NEARLY ALL of those violations, which REALLY ARE IMPEACHABLE OFFENSES! THESE ITEMS IDENTIFY SOME TRULY IMPEACHABLE OFFENSES.  The House should create Articles of Impeachment for these:   Ted Rall, who — besides being a skilled cartoonist — is also a savvy political analyst, urges these impeachable offenses:   https://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Articles-of-Impeachmen-by-Ted-Rall-Articles-Of-Impeachment_Bipartisan_Conviction_Senate-191228-892.html   Paul Blumenthal urged impeaching Trump for these reasons:  https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-impeachment-impeachable-act_n_5de6edb3e4b0913e6f872731?ncid=newsltushpmgpolitics   One of the strongest, most consistent non-profit organizations urging […]

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“State and Local Efforts to Protect Immigrants’ Rights”

December 23, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

The January 2020 episode of “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” TV series (also watchable anytime through Glen Anderson’s blog — SEE BELOW) brings you up to date on what has been happening to immigrants – and what people at the state and local levels are doing to solve the problems. If you are a little fuzzy on understanding the problems and solutions, this program is for you. And if you are already well informed people will learn more. Also, everyone will be inspired and encouraged by the positive work that’s being done statewide and here in our local community. Two knowledgeable guests […]

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This smart strategy could help REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE

December 22, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Public opinion polls keep showing OVERWHELMING PUBLIC SUPPORT for several kinds of strong, common-sense laws and policies to reduce gun violence.  The laws propose such remedies as: • Restricting access to high-capacity magazines • Requiring background checks for ammunition sales • Addressing the intersection of alcohol abuse and gun violence • Keeping kids safe from guns where they learn and play • Supporting community-based violence prevention programs All of those are good ways to reduce gun violence.  But all of those focus on THE GUNS THEMSELVES and IGNORE THE LARGER CONTEXT in which the U.S. government PERSISTENTLY SUPPORTS SHOOTING! The […]

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Impeach Trump for MANY, MANY reasons!

December 11, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

For nearly half a century Common Cause (www.commoncause.org) has been working for honest, accountable government. They support impeaching trump for MORE REASONS than merely his crimes related to his Ukraine scandal. See their report at this link: https://www.commoncause.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/PatternsofDeception_Report_WEBBlanks.pdf Urge House members to impeach Trump for MANY REASONS, including these. Limiting the Articles of Impeachment to Trump’s attempt to get dirt on Joe Biden can be dismissed as mere partisanship (in some people’s simplistic view), because House Democrats have been EXONERATING Trump on all of his MANY, MANY violations of federal law and MANY, MANY violations of the Constitution. House Democrats […]

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House Democrats helped COVER UP Trump’s many crimes and violations of the Constitution!

December 11, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats allowed Trump to ESCALATE his crimes and his violations of the Constitution for almost three years.  Trump is a bully, so he recognized the Democrats’ timidity as EXONERATION and an opportunity to ESCALATE into doing worse and worse things. From Trump’s VERY FIRST DAY IN OFFICE he was using his presidential power to enrich himself.  This BLATANTLY VIOLATES the Constitution’s explicit prohibition against “emoluments” (a late-1700s word for this kind of corruption), both for enriching himself from domestic sources and from foreign sources by exploiting his powers as President of the […]

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Impeach Trump for MANY, MANY reasons besides his Ukraine-related crimes

December 8, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Trump has committed MANY, MANY federal crimes. Trump has violated the Constitution in MANY, MANY ways. The Constitution EXPLICITLY PROHIBITS using the power of the presidency to enrich oneself.  The Constitution’s term “emoluments” means exactly that, and the Constitution EXPLICITLY PROHIBITS both foreign and domestic “emoluments. Trump has been violating those parts of the Constitution CONSISTENTLY — EVERY DAY — since his first day in office.  But the House Democrats have refused to impeach him for those constitutional violations. Trump has REPEATEDLY violated the Constitution’s explicit “separation of power” that authorize the Congress to do certain things.  But Trump has […]

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Worldwide and in the U.S. the public has turned against the death penalty, but Trump insists on more federal executions.

December 8, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

Worldwide, the trend has been against the death penalty.  More and more nations have abolished it.  Some nations that still retain their laws allowing the death penalty have stopped using it. The UK’s Amnesty International published a report at the end of 2017 that death sentences and actual executions are both DECLINING in the world:   https://www.amnesty.org.uk/report-executions-death-penalty-2017?utm_campaign=MEMA1645_UPD_DPEN_Death%20penalty%20report&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Campaigns&utm_content=1097     American public opinion is turning against the death penalty!  More states have abolished the death penalty — or have stopped using it without repealing their laws. A 2017 public opinion poll showed U.S. support for the death penalty is the lowest since […]

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After a man who threatened Rep. Ilhan Omar pleaded guilty, she asks for compassion in his sentencing

November 26, 2019 GlenAnderson 0

U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar came to the U.S. at the age of 10 as a refugee from Somalia.  She is Muslim and African.  She is one of the most progressive and humane members of Congress, but Trump and the right wing have been relentlessly attacking her. A man threatened to shoot her to death.  He was convicted of his crime, and she practiced Restorative Justice by asking for compassion when the judge was sentencing him. Read these articles: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/11/19/1900598/-After-a-man-who-threatened-Rep-Ilhan-Omar-pleaded-guilty-she-asks-for-compassion-in-his-sentencing?detail=emaildkre https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/11/19/rep-ilhan-omar-asks-judge-show-compassion-hateful-man-who-threatened-put-bullet-her?cd-origin=rss&utm_term=AO&utm_campaign=Weekly%20Newsletter&utm_content=email&utm_source=Weekly%20Newsletter&utm_medium=Email