Let's Bring Back Corporal Punishment!

OK, folks... one "free association" rant... coming right up!

The other day... Election Day... I was at the supermarket and upon exiting was "ambushed" by the minions of a local candidate for a local judgeship.

Well... you know me; I asked "Where's the candidate herself?" Turns out she was there and the minions called her over.

My first words to her, "Hey... question... why don't we bring back corporal punishment?"

She of course... laughed.

Folks... I wasn't being funny. It's a real question.

What do you suppose it costs to incarcerate someone?

Let's take the whole "slap on the wrist" thing off the table; let's assume we're actually gonna send some miscreant - say a shoplifter - to the county lock-up for a few months. What's that cost the taxpayer?

Why not bring back the stocks for "minor" criminal offenses? Heck... I'd be all if favor of public lashings!

Anyway... you get the idea. Humiliation... and/or physical pain. I bet it would work! And I sure as heck believe it would be a lot cheaper than "imprisoning" non-violent offenders!

I bet it would cut down on recidivism! An early intervention of this type at a young age... now that's a way to "scare 'em straight."

Of course 9 out of 10 of you will disagree. That's because you're morons.

(*SMILE*)

I know... I know... I'm used to it.

You may not "approve" of the way things are now - but you certainly aren't going to "approve" of my time-honored proposal. It's just not... er... civilized - right? (As if prisons are "civilized...")

(*JUST SHAKING MY HEAD*)

Now, folks... I'm not calling for cutting the hands off of thieves...

(*GUFFAW*)

I'm just sayin'... our present legal system is basically a joke - and I believe most of you know it.

So... let's try something new! (Well... something old...)

Start with the schools! (The out of control schools - as we all know!)

Bring back the disciple and logic of knowing there will be consequences - PAINFUL consequences - to misbehavior.

Again... I know... most of you are aghast. How "barbaric," right?

(*ROLLING MY EYES*)

Well... for the pussies with money... send your sweet little angels to the private schools of your own choosing; pay for that "civilized" education for your "civilized" adolescents and teenagers.

But how'bout the ghettos? Why not tackle the breeding grounds of budding criminals and likely gang members? Why not at least attempt to create order out of disorder the old-fashioned way!? (If it doesn't work... well... at least we'll have tried!)

I know...

(*ROLLING MY EYES AGAIN*)

The majority of you think I'm nuts. The minority think I'm kidding. (I'm not, by the way!)

And so treat this as yet another meaningless Bill Barker rant. Because it's not gonna happen. Nothing is going to change. It's just gonna get worse.

But... I guess that's what most of you are comfortable with. The continued decline and fall of not only a once great nation - but a once great culture.