CommentsALPERN AT LARGE-In the past few CityWatch articles, I focused mainly on the money measures/propositions, and to summarize my $.02:
1) Vote YES on County Measure M (transportation funding), and NO on every other city, county, and state funding measure/proposition on school construction, parks, homeless initiatives, LAX police pensions, health initiatives, etc. unless you:
a) Believe our current spending for these otherwise-excellent priorities is being performed efficiently, effectively, and transparently.
b) Believe that businesses, homeowners, and all taxpayers are doing just swimmingly well, and can afford more taxes because our taxes are relatively low.
2) That means to Vote NO on Measure A, LA Community College District Measure CC, LA City Measure HHH and LA City Measure SSS, as well as State Propositions 51, 52, 55, and 56)
3) Vote YES on governmental reform and transparency (LA City Measure RRR, State Propositions 53 and 54) but NO on governmental overreach in hiring, building and contracting in the City of LA (Measure JJJ)
And now it's on to "law and order" initiatives. Do we:
1) Want another surge of crime from "early release" parolees who were let out early because they "only" had nonviolent crimes on their records (but which were done to be compromising/kind in the hopes they would have enough time in prison to reform their lives)?
2) Do we trust those who've fought and made a joke of every death penalty case to defend us from some of the most violent felons imaginable? Do we reward the naive individuals who defend those who are blatantly guilty (not just hearsay, but undeniably guilty) of murder and prolong their capital punishment appeals for years and decades on end?
3) Do we believe that the marijuana out today is the same relatively weak-potency material present in the 1950's, or recognize that some purified marijuana is about as dangerous as LSD?
4) Do we want marijuana and other controlled substances promoted all over the place, so that our children, even as young adults believe it's more acceptable? Do you want YOUR kids, even as young adults, to start using marijuana?
I'm a physician by trade, and during my training I actually VOLUNTEERED to take every prison patient/rotation I could because I wanted to learn more about the realities of prison life and those who reside within the prison system.
There is room for kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and reform throughout the law enforcement and prison systems. More and more police officers and prison guards are learning that the best forms of law enforcement include the encouragement of personal and professional reform in prisoners' lives...even felons. Recidivism is awful, and a reformed life is beautiful.
Furthermore, medical marijuana--while requiring reform such as proper dosing and evidence-based medical literature that is non-anecdotal--has a proper role in our society, but a "go for it!" message to our youth in the same manner we see with alcohol is a BIG problem that requires attention in a sober (pun intended) fashion.
Is marijuana as big a problem as heroin, crack, bath salts, etc.? Of course not--many people use it recreationally, or even just to relax, and they are high-functioning. But saying it's wonderful and OK for a larger percentage of society?
No, no, and no again to all who think that marijuana plays no deleterious role in the lives of those who become addicted (and it is addictive, particularly with the more potent forms we see today).
1) NO on PROP 57
We should avoid the early release of criminals who will have rap sheets that include rape by intoxication or of an unconscious person, human trafficking, drive-by shooting, hostage taking, arson, failing to register as a sex offender, and a host of other major offenses (LINK: http://www.stop57.com/ballot-argument/)
2) Vote NO on PROP 62, and YES on PROP 66
The death penalty consideration already can be swayed by the families of the victims who had everything (their lives) taken from them. Prison for life without parole is already a consideration for those under special circumstances.
But to reward the crazies and the naive do-gooders who've warped the intent of the appeal system, and who knowingly defend those truly guilty of unforgiveable crimes (particularly when the family of the victims believes that their loved ones' lives merit the death penalty to their loved ones' murderers) is itself a crime.
All efforts should be made to make sure that absolutely NO death penalty is administered on an innocent defendant. DNA testing and investigations should be funded without limitation. Yet when the murderer is truly, honestly guilty, then the death penalty:
a) Establishes that the life of the victim, who is NOT present to represent what they went through when they had their lives ripped away from them, means something.
b) Provides closure to society that wants justice served, and the message promoted that murder is horrible, unforgiveable, and will have BIG consequences.
c) Still exists to let all of society know that murder is never acceptable, and to persist as a deterrent to some, but not all of our criminal population (which does exist, whether we want to acknowledge that or not).
3) Vote NO on PROP 64
When law enforcement officers state that recreational marijuana is "no big deal" then maybe it's not, but the marijuana we see today is too potent, too addicting, and too problematic to just open the doors at this point. DUI convictions are already a problem, and they will go up big time if this ill-advised proposition passes.
By and large, most recreational marijuana users keep it on "the down low" and the police tend to ignore those not using while driving--this was established in laws and policies set up during the Schwarzenegger era.
And medical marijuana, while needing much, MUCH better science to support dosing, indications, side effects, best-practices, etc. that the rest of medicine adheres to, has its benefits and roles within both experimental and clinical medical practice. However, equating marijuana and alcohol at this time as "the same" is too premature and inaccurate to pass this proposition.
So … listen to the police, highway patrol, and other law-enforcement agencies! They can't keep us safe if we undermine their efforts!
And please take the time to vote November 8, ya hear?
(Ken Alpern is a Westside Village Zone Director and Board member of the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC), previously co-chaired its Planning and Outreach Committees, and currently is Co-Chair of its MVCC Transportation/Infrastructure Committee. He is co-chair of the CD11Transportation Advisory Committee and chairs the nonprofit Transit Coalition, and can be reached at [email protected]. He also co-chairs the grassroots Friends of the Green Line at www.fogl.us. The views expressed in this article are solely those of Mr. Alpern.)
-cw
Election 2016: On ‘Law and Order’ Props, Listen to Law Enforcement!
