I read the news today oh boy

More kids, murdered. This is becoming a daily occurence. Do you think this crime is ever going to get solved? Not likely. Why not? Because our priorities are all screwed up.

The prison system is broken. We need to empty the cells of all non-violent offenders and to fine them -hit them where it hurts the most. Why should we have to pay for their crimes?

Time for a change.

We estimate that at least (bare minimum) 10,000 people get away with murder every single year, and that is not acceptable.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in 2004, 62.6% of homicides were "cleared," leaving a substantial portion of murder cases unresolved. The FBI's official site says a crime is cleared when either an arrest is made or "elements beyond the control of law enforcement prevent the agency from arresting and formally charging the offender, by exceptional means."

Does that mean that a case is "cleared" when it becomes, what is called a "cold case"?

In 2004, there were 16,137 cases of murder or nonnegligent manslaughter in the United States. Because 37.4% of these cases went uncleared, around 6,035 people "got away with murder" that year. Of course, this assumes each offender murdered only one person, which very likely isn't true.

And lets not forget all the innocent people who are responsible for inflating the "cleared" statistics, and that appears to be a very high number because the practice appears to be embedded in human nature.

I am fascinated by what Montaigne had to say about that over 5 centuries ago: In his words,

How many innocent people have we known that have been punished, and this without the judge's fault; and how many that have not arrived at our knowledge? This happened in my time; certain men were condemned to die for a murder committed; their sentence, if not pronounced, at least determined and cocluded on. The judges, just in the nick, are informed by the officers of an inferior court hard by, that they have some men in custody, who have directly confessed the murder, and made an indubitable discovery of all the particulars of the fact. Yet it was gravely deliberated whether or not they ought to suspend the execution of the sentence already passed upon the first accused: they considered the novelty of the example judicially, and the consequence of reversing judgments; that the sentence was passed, and the judges deprived of repentance; and in the result, these poor devils were sacrificed by the forms of justice. Philip, or some other, provided against a like inconvenience after this manner. He had condemned a man in a great fine towards another by an absolute judgment. The truth some time after being discovered, he found that he had passed an unjust sentence. On one side was the reason of the cause; on the other side, the reason of the judicial forms: he in some sort satisfied both, leaving the sentence in the state it was, and out of his own purse recompensing the condemned party. But he had to do with a reparable affair; my men were irreparably hanged. How many condemnations have I seen more criminal than the crimes themselves?