The Punisher

I can’t get too excited about victimless crimes, that is to say crimes in which the only victim is the person committing it. Those who want to self-destruct – provided the consequences are not shouldered by others – have the right to do it. Everyone has the moral responsibility for their own person.

Crimes against others is another matter. Nobody has the right to inflict physical harm on another. Nor does anyone have the right to harm us emotionally or economically. There are degrees of damage, obviously. Defamation does not bring the harm that torture, rape or murder does. In a just world, the punishment must fit the crime.

Perfect justice must begin with absolute proof of guilt. Such is often not the case as evidenced by the numerous prisoners exonerated by DNA testing. Punishment meted out unfairly is one of the cruelest forms of torture. The desire to give innocence every chance to emerge is perhaps in large measure the reason our criminal justice system often bogs down with technicalities and loopholes. If a person is guilty of violent crime what do we do then? The first step in a rational approach is to decide whether we want violent criminals to be free to roam our streets. We could be “kind and understanding” and let them go after a little counseling. But the evidence does not demonstrate that works. To be safe we’d all have to arm ourselves as increasing numbers of violent criminals roamed the streets.

If we are to protect ourselves from such criminals, there are two logical choices:

1. We lock them away in a box six feet under ground after executing them. The most just way to do the killing is exactly the way they did it to their victim. That is a permanent solution, sure and just but it makes me uneasy since there is almost always the question of true guilt.

2. We lock them away in some type of secure institution. Since I am trying to come up with a logical solution, that institution would not be our present prison system.

The second option leaves room for the possibility of exoneration with new exculpatory evidence. But if not prison, what? Criminals should be put on secure restitution work farms instead. There they will toil producing useful labor or goods for society commensurate with the damage they have done. The victim’s medical bills, lost work and incapacities must be paid for by the offender. Moreover, all the costs to society for investigations, trials and room and board while incarcerated must be paid. (A great motivation for those guilty to admit it and reduce the legal costs.) The time it takes for economic restitution would by and large dictate the length of the term. For example, if you attack another, incapacitating them, then you get to spend whatever time is necessary earning the money to take care of them. Those who take another’s life must substitute their own life with a lifetime of productive work to repay society and the victim’s family.

Isn’t this an obvious solution? Mere imprisonment with society picking up the tab for the police and legal work and the maintenance of the criminal is nuts. Why should the victim and society pay for the evils of the wrongdoer?

How do you force someone in prison to work off his or her debt? Give them a choice. Either do it or go without food and shelter. That is the law that works throughout nature so why not apply it to humans? How do you maintain discipline on the farm? Well, a hard day’s work will leave little energy for much more than rest. As it is now, prisoners sitting in cells all day have nothing other to do with their energy than scheme more wrongdoing. With my idea those who are a problem get penalized with an extension of their stay and longer work shifts.

This is a fair and just way to deter crime and offset the damage created by it. It does not have the potential of unjustly taking the life of another since time would be provided for proof of innocence. And I’m not talking chain gang here, but rather passable work and living conditions with the product of labor going where it should, to the victims and society. U.S. companies are always looking for a cheaper labor force. Well here it is, right on our own shores numbering in the tens of thousands.

There is nothing better to sober someone up and drain them of the energy to think up nefarious deeds than a hard day’s work. For minor offenders who have a stint in these restitution farms and are then released, they will know what work is, actually improve their resume, spread the word on the street that crime means hard work and be motivated not to return. If they repeat offend, then society will not be the one to suffer. Criminals should be self-maintaining, even a profit center rather than an economic sinkhole.

Our present penal system does not work. It is a huge and unjust cost to society. To many it neither serves as punishment nor deterrent. About three quarters of all U.S. prison space has been built in the last decade. Just in California the chances that a person either lives or works in a prison is 1 in 200.

It’s a crazy state of affairs. I wish I could be warden of the world tomorrow and fix it all.

For further reading, or for more information about, Dr Wysong and the Wysong Corporation please visit www.wysong.net or write to wysong@wysong.net. For resources on healthier foods for people including snacks, and breakfast cereals please visit www.cerealwysong.com.

Question: Does every group of like-minded deranged individuals have an official organization? Or, is it just the psychopathic predators that target children, who feel the need to organize?

Pedophiles have NAMBLA and those that view children as inconvenient or punishments have NARAL. The disgusting membership of one seeks to use children for their sexual pleasure while the disgusting membership of the other seek to kill children that result from sexual pleasure. Both organizations advocate harming children, the main differentiating factor is the age of the victim… that is assuming of course, that NARAL members have some upper age limit for slaughter. This might not be the case, however, since the type of individual that views the decision to kill the baby in the womb (or allow a born baby to die unattended should be the sole discretion of the mother) could reasonably believe that any killing is acceptable as long as the victim’s mother has given consent. This latter point of view could provide a permanent solution to behavior problems at liberal day care centers.

I don’t know if NAMBLA is supporting Barack The Baby Killer for president (and I refuse to go to their web-site to find out) but NARAL proudly supports Obama and his proposed policy, “No Child Left Behind… Unless It Is In A Soiled Linen Closet At A Hospital/Abortion Mill Associated With Trinity United.”

Many in the MSM would like for you to believe that evangelical Christian voters are flocking to Obama in hoards. This could not be further from the truth. In fact, the majority are running as far as they can from Barack Obama.

While research shows that some are not completely giddy over the idea of supporting John McCain, most willingly do so in order to achieve defeat over a a much greater evil-Barack Hussein Obama. Obama has achieved a platform and carries a past that is even more abhorrent to this voting block than that of John Kerry and Al Gore.

There’s a growing epidemic these days with the justice system and its jails. To put it simply — jail and prison space is in limited supply, especially in heavy populated states like California. Because of this space problem, DUI busts for first timers and even repeat offenders are often punished using methods other than cell time. This will be a small brief that will cover a few of the methods in the California penal system that is used by many counties as an alternate to using jail.

Hard Labor

The California Dept. of Transportation, often known as Cal Trans, is often the go-to party in a California DUI sentence. Since the overcrowding of jails and the heat coming from the ACLU, more and more trash pickers are found along freeways and beaches. Many California DUI lawyers will push for an alternative to jail time using overcrowding as a leveraging argument if the jail sentence is long, but for a short jail time option, working for Cal Trans would be not as favorable since the work is pretty rigorous and jail time sentences are often reduced for non-violent offenders.

Typically a job working with them involves going out in your prison suit and spending a few weeks (depending on the judge’s criteria and mood) on the freeway picking up trash and debris. The DUI offender would be under supervision from an officer.

Rehab and Sobering Up Prevention

Sometimes California courts will trade off time spent in rehab for jail time. According to state penal code section 2900.5 it equates the two as equal given some circumstances.

In a California DUI sentence, the court will determine the time spent in rehab, but usually it’s around a month or so of program attendance. Much of its beginning programs are a “detox” system, which is a mental and physical purge of the alcohol drug and the immediate mental addiction that is associated with alcoholism. And just like rehab, the transition into a sober living environment can count as jail time too. A sober living environment is the more extensive therapy to address the underlying emotional and lifestyle forces that are attributed to addiction.

Electric Monitoring

The most common secondary punishment that can take away jail time sentencing is the ankle bracelet. It’s also becoming a recognizable tool among laymen due to celebrities toting these around their leg. Lindsey Lohan is a prime example for a DUI offender, although some may remember Martha Stuart talking openly about it on her show (although her case was for insider trading charges).

This piece of electronic gadgetry is simply a monitoring devise that allows authorities to know where the DUI offender is located and if they are obeying their California court sentenced curfew or are at authorized places (home, work and a few stores are usually the only options).

Always use praise instead of punishment with dog training. Dogs respond best to positive dog training rather than negative. With all of this in mind you should be able to teach your dog the 3 basis commands such as sit - stay - fetch. There are many different dog training techniques that are out there today. Many people often don’t realize that dog training courses often utilize different dog training techniques. Unfortunately one part of dog training that is not gone over very well in dog training classes is chewing.

Reprimanding your dog should not happen often as dogs respond better to positive reinforcement used in dog training. A dog that has been properly trained won’t take a nip at other dogs or pedestrians when you are out for walks. Your frustration can cause you to want to force the issue and end up taking two steps backward with your progress. See http://www.dogtraining-online.us/know-your-dog/opting-for-a-purebred-dog.html

The dog may run back and forth and bark. The owner may think this is annoying or anxious behavior on the part of the dog and that training is the answer. There are several things to keep in mind before starting any dog obedience training. You need to understand that dogs have an attention span of no more than ten to fifteen minutes. A well socialized bred and adjusted puppy or dog will feel no need to act aggressively. A dog that acts this way demonstrates that there is a problem with the dog’s relationship to humans. ” To let your dog up from sitting give him a release command such as “free” or “break.

When these feelings are all mixed up their only known protection for themselves is to bite because they cannot understand the situation logically. Therefore people should know that in order to avoid such circumstances. So– How do you work with a “high functioning” abused dog? And how do you teach your dog to relax and enjoy life? Dogs bark because we humans want our dogs to bark. For years our domestication process and selective breeding has allowed our dogs to develop their barking abilities. The sit command: This is usually the first command new owners teach their dog.

Choosing a drug rehab treatment center is a decision that calls for both negative and positive emotions. Nobody wants addiction to overtake their life to the point that rehab is the necessary step. However, the decision to go to one is something to look forward to, as it is the decision to rebuild a healthy life. It is the conscious realization of a problem, and it is the first conscious step towards healing. Understanding what drug addiction entails and how it affects the user is important for healing substance abuse. As well as understanding addiction, knowing what rehabilitation is will help the patient understand what he is going through and the purpose of the treatment. Lastly, the type of rehabilitation program is of vital importance for the patient. Understanding that a rehabilitation program is as personal as the patient’s problem will certainly help to ascertain the treatment needed for the specific patient. Rehabilitation must be a positive program motivating the patient by his successes and discouraging him from relapses. To reach the stage of being in a rehab center that positively works to heal addiction, the patient and all concerned must understand three things: what addiction is, what rehabilitation is, and what treatment can and should be like.

Drug addiction is much more complex than merely ‘too much drug use’. Drug and substance dependence is beyond the control of the user - he is no longer in control and does not have much choice in the matter of continuing use. In the short term, drug use affects the brain’s reward system, flooding the brain with dopamine, otherwise termed ‘a high’. While the high is a short term effect, long term effects are to follow, which cause the addiction. When our brain’s reward system is working, proteins activate which teach us to pursue the behavior which causes us to feel so good. Naturally, this reaction is in response to food, exercise, and sex. Due to the larger amount of dopamine released due to drugs, the protein reaction is stronger than normal. As a result, drug use is quite addictive, and once the moment is reached that a person cannot control his use of drugs, this is termed addiction, or substance dependence. While willpower is important to controlling anything in one’s life, in drug addiction a lack of willpower is not to blame. Willpower is at play at the first stages of drug experimentation, but at a certain point in addiction, it loses its function. Drug addiction is an illness, and rehabilitative treatment is the only means of curing this behavior.

Rehabilitation, then, is the path that leads to an effective treatment of drug use. Research has shown that addiction is treatable. Research has not shown, and will not show, that treatment is easy. Rehabilitation is the recovery of diminished capacities due to injury or illness. The word itself comes from the latin prefix re meaning ‘again’, and root habilitar meaning ‘to inhabit’. Thus ‘rehabilitate’ literally means to inhabit yourself again - and that is the aim of rehabilitation: to return former capacities to the inflicted person. This is especially true in drug addiction. Freeing oneself from addiction is a type of homecoming to a life of control.

Rehabilitation aims at more than ending drug use. As previously mentioned, rehabilitation cannot be a punishment for drug use. It must be the gradual process of ending dependence while also rehabilitating the patient into society. This is often the most difficult aspect of rehabilitation. It is important that the patient realistically understand that the future will consist of effort to reintegrate and rejoin society. The patient is assisted by counselors throughout the treatment, but the patient himself is the main catalyst in rehabilitation. The family and friends of the patient must also go through aspects of rehabilitation, for life after rehab will not be a continual sunny day. The forecast predicts many rain clouds at first, with occasional storms down the road. The family must know how to be supportive and helpful throughout the stormy weather.

The rehab treatment center can be considered the umbrella in the stormy weathers. It cannot control the weather, but does shield and help the patient and family on their way through the tempest. While there is no one correct rehabilitation treatment, as each treatment must be tailored to the particular needs of the patient, there are means of ensuring that the rehab center chosen is one that will provide a positive environment to optimize the long term results of rehabilitation. The personal treatment for the patient must be continually checked and improved, as different steps throughout the treatment call for different measures, and each patient needs a different length of time for treatment. The personal treatment must also take into account the various problems beyond drugs which the patient faces. Drug addiction is often the result, and not the core of the problem - this core must be dug up through various therapies, counselors, and activities, which all should be readily available through the treatment center. A forced treatment is not necessarily a bad thing - again, depending on the treatment center. With a good treatment center, a person who initially will not admit to his problem or the need for a solution can be fully rehabilitated. Extremely beneficial are experiential therapies, which, through their communion with nature help the patient gradually reintegrate into life, which will eventually ease reintegration into society. A rehab treatment center must be rigid in its aims to help the patient, but cannot be rigid in its process.

Understanding what addiction is and why it happens is vital for the patient and the chosen treatment center. Once this is established, there can be a mutual respect, in lieu of distrust and judgment. The next step is to understand what rehabilitation is. It is a dedication, again, on the part of both the patient and treatment center, to heal a drug problem and, more importantly, rebuild a life - to bring the patient home in the spiritual sense. With these two concepts well understood and looked after, the patient has great chances of succeeding to overcome the addiction. The treatment center that fully understands addiction and rehabilitation will be the center that offers a full and varied program that will be created and recreated for the particular needs of its patient, and that will guide the patient not only through his addiction, but through his reintegration into life and society.

Should a drug addict be punished? There can be a long debate on this issue. If you punish and penalize a drug addict, is it possible to bring the person back to the right path? Can imprisonment provide those corrective measures required to improve the mental, physical and social changes in a drug addict? If yes then legal punishment procedure is always welcomed to treat the drug addict. But sorry to state that such changes cannot take place behind bars.

Laws for drug related crimes

Several laws already prevail in the society to protect you from the effects of drugs. Drug trafficking itself is a very big offence. The trafficking of illicit drugs must be put an end and sever legal steps should be taken against the gang and the individuals involved in carrying out such menace.

The problem lies how will law look at the persons who are indulge in the drug consumption activities. How will law take action against the drug addicts? Well there is a specific law that states that the person will be imprisoned for a term if he is found to take drugs. The fact doesn’tmatter whether he is committing this illegal thing for the first time or not. But taking drugs is punishable.

You must have heard of the Harrison Act. This famous Act had been passed in the year 1914 just before the First World War to inhibit the sale of illegal drugs in any form. Once caught, it will immediately put the person or the group involved into legal action.

The irony behind al these legal steps lies in the reality that the law exists in its own way and the crimes associated with illicit drugs has their own rule.

Rehabilitation is successful

Drug trafficking should be legally treated but drug addiction requires a much more sensitive and humble concern to help the victims come out of this path. Drug rehabilitation is the broader way to look at the drug addiction problem. If an addict is directly designated as a criminal and imprisoned, later when he/she gets released the aftermath can be further worsened. As a criminal the person will never get the support to heal.

Drug rehabilitation is the best healing aid to a drug addict. Right from psychological therapies, remedial techniques including right dose of medicines, the person is gradually helped to step out from the wrong path. The criminal instinct is also put to an end. Isn’t this the better way to look at the whole issue instead of limiting it to the domain of crime?

My girlfriend and I were watching the news the other day and the topic of corporal punishment grabbed our attention.

What is Corporal Punishment?

[Corporal punishment is the deliberate infliction of pain intended to punish a person or change his/her behavior. Historically speaking, most punishment, whether in judicial, domestic, or educational settings, were corporal in basis.] wikipedia.org

I remember being paddled in junior high school when I was a kid but some of these cases are more extreme.

We found out that 21 States allow corporal punishment. We wonder though, should paddeling kids be allowed? According to headlinenews.com, 223,000 people each year are punished for one reason or another.

The studies also suggested that blacks were targeted and that 100 countries around the world have banned corporal punishment.

I suppose you have to ask yourself the question

“Do I want my kid to by spanked at school if he or she misbehaves?”

Consider the PRO’s and CON’S.

PRO’s

Empowers teachers to control an unruly student.

Gives other kids in the classroom a sense of security and perhaps justice.

Setting a precendence for other students to follow. Or set an example.

CON’s

The student may be humiliated excessively

Can be considered abuse

Biased punishment, as in the cases where blacks were targed

Mom does not approve

Loss of Trust and Respect to the school system

Abuse of Power, some teachers may simply “go to far.”

When I was growing up I was spanked for my wrongdoings. I think it did teach me a lesson and perhaps I turned out better because of it. But, as we can see, some parents may go to far. What do you think? Is corporal punishment abuse, or should it be okay?

You can comment here or at our blog: www.DragonDefenseSupply.com/blog Thank you.

Punishment is the use of an adverse stimulus on your dog in order to reduce the probability of problematic behavior recurring in the future. The general belief among dog trainers and owners is that punishment is only marginally effective in dog training due to the time gap between behavior and reinforcement. An example of punishment might be, you coming home to find some shredded paper on the floor.

You angrily proceed to drag your dog to the mess and both verbally and physically reprimand him or her for the mess. Your dog will almost certainly be afraid of your actions and may show subordinate behavior or even aggression as a result of the forceful nature of the punishment. However your dog may not make the mental association between the wrong act and the punishment.

This is because the timing between events often makes it extremely difficult for your dog to make the connection. As a rule I suggest that punishment should be avoided whenever possible. Those who have used punishment as a training tool often say it rarely works out, admitting that the technique may not teach the dog anything and may very well cause conflict in the relationship between the dog and its owner.

There are a number of innovative albeit unusual ways of bringing your dog in line but for them to work, the first thing you need to remember is… Your dog is not human. Unless you believe in pet psychics, there is really no way for you to read your dog’s mind and figure out exactly what he or she is thinking.

The good news is that, like many dog owners, the problems you’re having can probably be traced to one simple thing: you’re trying to communicate with your dog from a human standpoint, and your dog isn’t a human. Sure, you know that, but lots of humans try to relate with their dogs in the ways that they think are rational as humans. The problem is that dogs are driven in every act and every moment by very strong instincts.

Deciphering those instincts and leveraging them to build a productive relationship is like finding the keys to the city. The second thing to remember is that your dog doesn’t speak English. Take the word no, for example. Does your dog speak English? No!

Neither does she understand English.

What is meaningful to her is your tone of voice, not the word itself. Now let us think about that for a moment. We are taking up excess time trying to teach our dog a word she will never speak and that probably does not mean much to her anyway. Sure, it is meaningful to us, but that is only one side of the equation. What about something that is meaningful to both humans and dog?

You know what a growl means, and your dog knows what a growl means. If you think that mutually meaningful language does not exist, you are not thinking creatively enough. What does it say to you when a dog growls at you? Anything from get away from my food to back off, right?

Yet in every case, a dog’s growl typically means that she is not happy with whatever you have done. And you have seen dogs react to other dogs growls? So you know what a growl means, and your dog knows what a growl means. The answer? Growl at your dog!

No, seriously! The next time your dog starts stepping outside her bounds or doing something you do not like, growl at her. A nice, strong, guttural growl that would put the alpha wolf in a pack to shame. While you are growling, look directly into her eyes. You are almost guaranteed that she will back off. This works because instincts save time and communicate effectively.

You worked with your dog’s instincts and the information hardwired into her brain. The result was instantaneous. Why spend tons of time trying to work against that instinct and end up frustrated, angry, and still miscommunications? This approach works in everything from basic discipline to full-on obedience training. You just need to figure out how to apply it in each of those situations.

(c) 2008 Jennifer Koretsky

We’re back from the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) Conference in Minneapolis and, as usual, it was fantastic!

My presentation on ‘Overcoming the Chronic Overwhelm Associated with Adult AD/HD’ was a hit.

I encouraged everyone in the audience to get a handle on overwhelm by managing stress, slowing down, and making self-care a priority.

In the Q&A at the end of my talk, a woman raised her hand and patiently waited to be called on. By all accounts, she was kind, articulate, and put together very well. So I was a bit surprised when she said something along the lines of:

Everything you’re saying makes sense, but I feel like I bring chaos everywhere I go. How can I possibly spend time managing stress or taking care of myself when I cause so much stress for everyone around me?

As I asked her a few more questions, many in the audience were shaking their heads in agreement. I even saw a few people tear up. The general consensus was:

I make so many mistakes and I’m so difficult to deal with that I don’t deserve to spend any time taking care of myself.

I was really glad that this woman had the courage to ask that question because it allowed me to address a mind set that I see over and over again in adults with ADD.

We think that we’re so high-maintenance to those around us–what with our disorganization, trouble managing time, and lack of focus, among other things–that we need to be constantly making up for all the things we are, and are not.

If this is how you feel, then please take a deep breath and read me loud and clear on this: YOU ARE WRONG.

You are wrong, wrong, wrong! You could not be more wrong! And you’re punishing yourself for who you are.

I know that sounds harsh, but this is one instance in which I have no problem telling someone that they are flat out wrong!

Having adult ADD might make you high-maintenance at times (I certainly am), but:

* Having adult ADD does not make you a bad person.

* Having adult ADD does not make you a difficult person.

* Having adult ADD is not a reason to punish yourself.

Rather, having adult ADD does mean that you have certain strengths and certain challenges. And guess what? So does everyone else.

You might have a hard time staying organized at work, AND be a superstar when it comes to customer service.

Meanwhile, your coworker might be extremely organized, but not so great when it comes to dealing with people.

Different people with different strengths make the world go ’round. And your strengths play an integral part…even if you have adult ADD!

I asked the audience a question as we were talking about this. I don’t remember it exactly, but it was something like:

Would you ever tell your coworker, “Oh, you didn’t get a chance to clean up your desk today? Yeah…then you better skip that dinner date and stay late until you get it done!”

Of course, everyone laughed. We would never dream of imposing the same punishments on others that we so easily impose on ourselves.

And when it comes to overcoming overwhelm, one thing is absolutely clear: if you don’t allow yourself time to manage your stress, slow down, and make self-care a priority, then you’ll never break out of the overwhelm-burnout cycle.

You’ll be forever stressed out, trying to catch up, and feeling like you owe something to everyone.

Stop punishing yourself. Start living.

If your parenting methods include abuse of any kind; physical, sexual, emotional or verbal, please get help to stop as soon as possible. Adults are supposed to safeguard and protect the young among us. You may be repeating patterns learned in your family of origin or not know any other methods of parenting.

I have included a number of different approaches to discipline that won’t damage the spirit of your precious children, but none will work if you haven’t acknowledged that what you were doing in the past was harmful and that your family deserved a more nurturing environment. I am not a psychologist or a counselor, but I know there are good ones out there who can assist you in shifting your paradigm of discipline to a more loving and respectful relationship.

You owe it to your children and yourself to break the bonds and cycle of abuse and get help. Change is possible; I see it every day in families I work with. You are a good, kind and loving person or you wouldn’t be reading this book and attending these classes, so I encourage you to take the steps that will change the lives of your children and their children.

You can do it. I believe in you.

A list of talking points to help you discipline without damage is listed below.

• The meaning of the word discipline

• Is your love unconditional

• Be both firm and kind in discipline

• Adults also need time out

• Teach them that mistakes are never final

• We all need boundaries

• Consistent does not mean rigid

• Discipline but never punish

• Catch them doing things right

• Teach without anger, shame or blame

• There is no such thing as a “good” or “bad” child

• Issue a warning, but mean it

• Spanking and screaming are not effective teachers

• Eliminate “Who’s at Fault?”

• Be aware of your body and facial language

• Treat each child as an individual

• Be careful of abusive adjectives, they really hurt

• Recognize effort and improvement

• Don’t punish them for telling the truth

• Deal with problems in private, praise in public

• Distinguish between minor mishaps and major problems

• Teach them to forgive and ask for forgiveness

• Be curious not furious-Ask questions