Is Bell back in?

[J.A. Terranson]

On Sun, 22 Aug 2010, R.A. Hettinga wrote:

> > JUDGMENT ON REVOCATION OF SUPERVISED RELEASE
> 
> Thanks, Greg.

I neglected to say thanks in my reply - bad Alif. 

Thank you for the PACER-puff Greg.

> Sometimes, it helps *not* to stand on a street corner and throw rocks at cop
> cars.

Pretty much what everyone is likely thinking.  While I wrote pretty much 
the same thing, I *do* get his rage (I'm involved in a>2 year old BS 
federal case myself, and I also get madder and madder every day) at being 
the floppy boneless chicken that is thrown about the grounds for the 
entertainment of those who are mad at Jim for having a lick of sense, and 
a taste of freedom (he had so heavily paid his price for).

I just hope that whenhe gets out, next, he is able to either work 
*somewhere*, or lacking that, find some way to get by. It's tough having a 
felony in these post 9/11 days: there is no longer a concept of "done the 
time, the crime is paid for" - today, a crime is punished by lifetime 
unemployment (even Walmart won't let you sell sodas if you have a felony 
behind you. Even 40 years behind you!), as well as lifetime punishments 
that are unexpected: no more fair access to the courts (any case filed 
against you, no matter how off the wall or just plain crazy will succeed, 
and any case you file, no matter how locked-in and unquestionable, will be 
dismissed at your costs); little to no protection from the police (but 
plenty of harassment); extreme difficulty in finding housing; a permanent 
loss of basic rights to self defense (this one I *really* don't get, at 
least for non-violent offenders - of course, if you've punched that 
ticket, you're *obviously* violent, right?); the loss of you pretense at 
picking your leader (no loss there), etc.

Really, the *only* upside to having a felony is that you are permanently 
barred from jury duty.

//Alif

-- 
"Never belong to any party, always oppose privileged classes and public
plunderers, never lack sympathy with the poor, always remain devoted to
the public welfare, never be satisfied with merely printing news, always
be drastically independent, never be afraid to attack wrong, whether by
predatory plutocracy or predatory poverty."

Joseph Pulitzer, 1907 Speech