Category: History

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Crime and Punishment

Or The Lack thereof in America today.

In other words, cause and effect

Dateline America 2020. If you lived 100 years ago and time traveled or were transported into the future, into 2020, your mind would be blown and you would think you were on a different planet. It would feel like the Twilight Zone. You might even question where you were and what is this lawless nation. 100 years ago people who commited a crime were arrested and would receive swift justice. No waiting for your court sentencing and certainly no waiting to go to prison. Prison.

It is not always through the perfect goodness of virtue that one obeys the law, but sometimes it is through fear of punishment~Saint Thomas Aquinas 

You see, there was a time, not too long ago, that laws in this country were upheld. Crime and punishment went together. That if someone commited a crime, they would be arrested. People were scared to get caught and thrown in jail and that would be a big deterrent not to do a crime. Kill someone meant the death penalty, not waiting forever being taken care of with free meals and television, activities and college courses.

Soft on Crime

Very early this year I heard a true, but scary piece of news. There was a woman, lets call her Janelle. Janelle was single mother and worked at a bank in town. Each morning she would get the kids to school and head to work at the bank. One day she was getting her station ready when she looked up and saw a man shoving a note at her with one hand and a gun in the other. The armed robber demanded she give him $1100. Shaken, she gave him all she could gather.

Apprehended

About 2 blocks away, he was found counting the money as he said he was going to give back the overage. He said he was in his 70’s, his wife had died, his dog was sick, he was homeless living in his car and it was about to be repossessed. That is why he needed the money and only wanted that amount. Because of his sob story, he was let go with a small probationary period and a promise not to do it again.

Meanwhile, Janelle the single mother, was so upset and shaken, she cannot go back to working at the bank and is traumatized with PTSD and has a hard time taking care of her kids. Her life is turned upside down but this guy who freely chose to break the law walks free. There is no further thought about the victims!

It takes time to persuade men to do even what is for their own good~Thomas Jefferson

Changing times

When did the change start? Why did we stop holding people accountable for their actions? Part of it comes because we no longer teach our children right and wrong. Winning and losing. Give everyone who shows up an award. No longer having a first place winner. When my daughter was in first grade, the principle of the (private)school said a boy would not be punished for hitting another child because he was having a bad home life.. what?!

Law cannot persuade where it cannot punish~Alexander Hamilton

This is exactly how society is today, “well he was…oh they had a bad upbringing”. It is a choice to break the law and do wrong. Not everyone with a bad childhood chooses to go down the wrong path. Everyone has things they go through but don’t choose to do illegal activities. Choices create consequences.

Nashville Police Dept.

Being so soft is not working out. I was working at a radio event and had the opportunity to speak at length to two police officers. They spoke of how crime is growing in juveniles and they are much more violent at a younger age. If there is no fear of punishment, why would they not do whatever they want? Who or what is to stop them?

Repeat offenders

Recidivism rates are on the rise. In the US, it is as high as 76.6%!! In Missouri it is 44% according to the MO Department of Corrections. 2 out of 3 are repeating crimes within 3 years of release. Recently I heard about a horrific killing in FL by three men who between them had 230 Felony arrests. yes, 230 FELONY ARRESTS!

State of California

Lately, prisoners and those in jail have been set free do to the Covid-19 pandemic. Some areas are not even taking to jail those that are caught. In CA, in one day, the same man was arrested 4 times and let go. 4 times! Why, because he knew nothing would be done so why not!

Ways to change

Crime and Punishment. Is it even a thing anymore? Do we even teach that choices come with consequences? Would in prison programs help? Community support? As most everything, I think it starts at home. Teaching our children right and wrong. After all, we are their first teachers. If not us, then whom?

1866 publication

Have you ever been a victim of a crime or have you been in jail or prison? Have you read Crime and Punishment? Leave a comment or thought. How would you go about change? Like and share to continue the conversation.

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What We Learn From History

How History Can Shape the Future

“The history of the past is but one long struggle upward to equality”~Elizabeth Cady Stanton

I am a self confessed history geek. I love history. All kinds. I don’t believe in past lives, but I am drawn to certain decades more than others. Early American history 1770-1800, women’s history and the suffragettes, the gilded age, the 1920’s and 30’s( mostly for the style and movies). As with everything I do, learning about these and other time periods brings me great joy. We must not forget the past, nor the people who lived through it.

The Buildings

What did this look like back in the day? St. Louis, MO.

Seeing older, abandoned buildings, I want to know more about what it was like when it was first built. What was it used for, who lived or worked there? What happened to cause it to be no longer in use. I want to know what kind of people lived in an old house. Where they worked, were they happy there, what circumstance caused them to leave the home, sometimes leaving their belongs, where did they go and why is it no one bought or restored it.

“History, despite it’s wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again”~Maya Angelou

Ghost Signs

Passing some buildings, mostly brick, I search for old signs. Some are barely visible and some have layers of advertising through the years. These give us a glimpse of the past. How people lived, what and how they purchased. Fashions and lifestyles. An anthropologist’s dream. Or perhaps, an archaeologist. Both study history and how people lived to an extent.

MzHyde in front of a ghost sign with several layers/years of advertising! Columbia, TN Living history!

Through learning about the past, we gain understanding of what worked and what doesn’t. How not to make the same mistakes.

This building, in Benton Park, STL had a ghost sign on each side.

“History is a gallery of pictures in which there are few originals and many copies.”~Alexis de Tocqueville

Older buildings have charm and character not found in today’s build it fast world. Historic places are being demolished in the name of progress and modernization. New is not always better.

Grand Blvd and Chouteau, What was left of the Pevely Dairy complex. Saint Louis University (SLU)purchased land to continue their expansion, despite this building being on the National Registry of Historic Places! Dated to 1915. This was a four story brick building with white glazed brick walls just on the inside.

Heritage of a City

Preserving our heritage is also practical. Materials can be recycled and reused, thereby continuing the aesthetic look of the city. This is what gives a unique, rich character. Having roots also makes us feel like we have ties to the community.

“History isn’t about dates and places and wars, it’s about the people who fill the spaces between them”~Jodi Picoult

Biographies and Documentaries

Biographies and documentaries are great sources of learning. Almost like a living history where you are in the shoes of another seeing life through their eyes. Reading a biography is my favorite, as I am also a book worm. Rich and detailed information on a past generation. A documentary can take you visually into another time. My favorites are books about inventors, movie stars and people who have changed the world.

“Those who do not know history are destined to repeat it”~Edmond Burke

Of course not all of history is good and therefore we must learn from the mistakes of our forefathers and make sure not to repeat it. Removing stories from books and monuments and not teaching certain lessons in classrooms does not remove what happened. We must not forget the pain, but teach our children the wrong and what makes it wrong and to not let it happen again.

“We cannot escape History”~Abraham Lincoln

Image via PBS

A television show I love is Finding Your Roots with Dr. Henry L. Gates, Jr. , about genealogy. Knowing your personal history and where you come from is very important.

Part of the defunct Lemp Brewery complex,St. Louis, MO

I will leave you with a quote from another American President. Leave a comment about your favorite part of history. Like and share.

“The More You Know About The Past, The Better Prepared You Are for the Future.”~Theodore Roosevelt

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Ecclesiastes 3 A time for everything

A time for every purpose unto heaven

There is a time for everything. A season or reason. In the Bible verse, Ecclesiastes 3 tells us there is a time for everything to happen. A time to reap, a time to sow. A time to be born and a time to die. God has it determined what will happen. These are extraordinary times we are living through. No one knows what will happen or what to do. At this point it is a waiting game.

The best of times or the worst

Spring is a perfect time to get out and enjoy God’s wonder.

This could bring out the best in us or the worst. We have already seen how some people fought over toilet paper trying to hoard it. Others not following guidelines set out by public health officials and doing what they want. On the flip side, more people are meeting their neighbors and making sure medical personal have supplies. People can sit and watch television and eat all day and come out of this having gained weight, or go outside and walk, run, bike and play with the kids and be more fit. It’s a mind set. You get to choose what you use this time at home for. It could be a blessing or a curse.

Home School

So many people are complaining about having to homeschool their children. If you are a parent, you are your child’s first teacher. This one really gets me angry. It is not the school’s place nor a teacher’s to show your child basics of living or right and wrong. It’s not that hard to teach counting and reading. When my daughter was two I placed printed words around the house. DOOR on the door. TELEVISION on the TV, ect. She learned how to read, also helped that I read to her often and we didn’t spend hours in front of a screen each day.

Easy and fun way to teach basic math. Yum!

Simple math was made fun by using candy. M&M’s work best, but this is what I had when writing and taking pictures. If Jr. has three pieces of candy, and mom eats one, how many will Jr. have left? Fun and rewarding way to add or subtract. I home schooled from 4th grade through 8th, with the munchkin going to public school a few hours a week for the gifted program. It seems it would be much easier now with a lesson plan from the school online.

The Byrds

By now, you may have noticed a few themes run through my blogs. Music and Movies (Oz mostly) how they relate to life, positivity and God. How you can change your mindset and change your life. The folk rock band The Byrds had a number one song in 1966 titled, “Turn, Turn, Turn” based on the bible chapter and verse, Ecclesiastes 3: A time to kill, and time to heal, a time to laugh a time to weep. A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing. See, now is not the time to embrace.

Useful

No, it wasn’t a Sunday. Feels like the Twilight Zone. Not a soul in sight!

What will you use this time for? It is a gift, for the most part. Yes, it can be difficult. I worked at a radio station, in promotions. All of the events were canceled, leaving me out of a job. The positive side is I get to see family, to read and write and do research. Drive with the top down and take photos. The things I love to do, but hadn’t had much time to devote to. Will you learn a new craft, or finish a book? Do a DYI project around the house. Plant flowers. Learn a new language. Start a journal so your kids can remember this time. Read the Bible and the rest of Ecclesiastes 3.

Maybe just spend more time with the kids and those you love. From a distance. Be safe and use common sense. Let me know what you are doing or plan to do. There is a time for everything.

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