Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Friday, March 16, 2007
Search Party
((HUGS)) to you Mickey Z
Posted by Bigger Hugs on from uk 03/16 at 09:41 AMHi All...I have been away from the computer for a day or two and am just catching up. I missed a discussion here about “Restorative Justice”. We have that system here. At one point there was some talk by the government “officials” that I should go into that program. Public remorse by the convicted for the wrongdoing is part of the program. My reply was that I would NEVER apologize to the community for opposing the war, and did the government REALLY think that it could “rehabilitate” me from my views.
Is today the anniversary of the death of Rachel Corrie and also the massacre in Vietnam?
In response to global warming and the energy crisis, the state legislature here is considering action. Among other things, a tax on wind power is being proposed ????????????
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 03/16 at 09:54 AMMy newest way to get around the web has been random blog roll strolls. ‘I told three friends, and they told three friends, and so on.’ Sometimes I end up with a virus. (Whats that you said about microcosm, mickey?) Most times its an enjoyable and interesting meander through neighbourhoods and side streets. Some make it to my favourites, which I am thinking of deleting and starting fresh. Photo journalism, poetry and humour is what is capturing my attention these days.
My latest side-bar search trip favorites:
Princess sparkle ponys photo blog
Bouphonia
dependable renegade
The institute for cultural researchcheers
Posted by frances on from rainy bc 03/16 at 10:03 AMMorning RMJ, Hugs and Frances.
Hitler cats, huh?
I’m a dog guy myself...used have a German Shepherd, but his name wasn’t Adolf.
I find it both funny and sad when looking through the key words people use to find my site:
what do they call afghanistan gooks
poems about being a drunk fool
why do the iraqis hate usPosted by JOS on from Chicago 03/16 at 10:24 AMHey, RMJ, from what I understand with both the Navajo Peacemaking and the Restorative Justice, the community is supposed to participate in the process, to get to the root of the problem. So part of your Restorative Justice would have needed to be the country getting out of Iraq! That’s my view on things anyway.
Mickey, I found your blog by searching something about zoos and wars.
I looked it up, and it is indeed the 4 year anniversary of Rachel’s death today.
Posted by Deb on from NoVa 03/16 at 10:27 AMHi Hugs, JOS, frances, and Deb…
Deb...I like your idea of Restorative Justice. That’s not the way that it works here. Here it is used sort of like a public flogging, a way to humiliate in an attempt to “rehabilitate” the criminal into a law-abiding citizen. Life here very often reminds me of the short story about life in these parts, “The Lottery”. Has anyone read it? Actually the author’s son used to protest with us during the beginning of the war in 1991.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 03/16 at 11:17 AMHello Expendables...from a snowy NYC. Thanks for the much-needed hugs, too.
I’ll be back in a little while.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 03/16 at 11:38 AMRMJ, I can see how it could be misused. It is not exactly the way european culture has developed! But read this:
“Our sentencing policy uses the concept of “traditional probation officer.” Let me explain it this way: In the Navajo way of thinking, when someone “acts as if they had no relatives,” relatives have certain responsibilities. It is shameful to have a relative who acts out against others. That hurts your relationships with others. So, you assume responsibility for your relative’s actions. The same holds true of victims. If my relative is hurt, I have a responsibility to step in and help.There is an action verb in our policy which is important to understand. It is nalyeeh. You can translate it in a couple of different ways. It can be translated as “restitution” or “reparation.” Articles on indigenous traditional law often use that translation. However, those are nouns, aren’t they? I said an action verb. The other translation is that it is a demand to be made whole. It is also a demand to enter into a respectful discussion of the hurt. The aim of nalyeeh is not punishment or the correction of a person. That would violate the Navajo maxim, “It’s up to him.” Instead, the aim is correction of the action. It is to cure the harm caused by bad “conduct."”
(from http://tinyurl.com/26xnz7)
I’d ask who comes to mind when you read that, but it is a stupid question! But really, you were acting as a “relative”, and trying to get the one who acted out to see the error of his ways. Too bad we do have “chiefs”, or it might actually work.
Mickey, any news, or is it still too soon?
Posted by Deb on from NoVa 03/16 at 01:01 PMPosted a diary over at DailyKos - Four Years Ago, Today (Rachel Corrie), in case anyone’s interersted. Basically a cross-post from my humble blog. Been interesting to watch the conversation there evolve (or is that devolve). To be fair, I had braced myself for much more of an onslaught from the Zionist apologists than I’ve received.
Posted by Dr. B on from Oklahoma, U$A 03/16 at 01:20 PMHello again, everyone. Welcome, Dr. B. Thanks for the link. It’s still snowing and hailing here.
Deb (and all Expendables): Round Two of my mom’s treatment begins on March 26, so she’ll be back in the hospital again. This time, my uncle (her brother) will go to Texas to help out. Shortly after that, Michele and I will return to bring my mom for tests to see how it’s all working. To add to the madness, my mom’s surrogate mother ("Grandma Helen") passed away last week at the age of 95. One positive is that I was there to tell her in person.
All this has me plenty busy and plenty distracted but I am doing my best to read all comments...even if I don’t reply.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 03/16 at 01:30 PMHi RMJ, hi Deb,
Yes, I have read “The Lottery”. 25 or 30 years ago,so I only have a vague memory of the story line. It takes place in a small town, rather macbre and dreary, the townspeople drew lottery tickets to see which one of them was to be stoned to death. Have I got that right? Wow, I never would have remembered that story if you hadnt of mentioned it.
On restorative justice my own first hand experience with it comes as result of my 14 yr old sons’ attempt to bust into a liquor store at 2 am. Imagine my surprise when I picked up the phone in the middle of the night and it was the police telling me they have my son locked up with another boy.....it was so completely out of character for my son to do anything like that, even to leave the house at night was an anomoly. I was thrown into a state of shock. Anyway, long story short. Several months later, with the court date looming I chose to pursue restorative justice as an alternative to his being involved with the court system. We attended a healing circle with the arresting officer, the head of the RJ program, the owner of the liquor store, and the manager of the mall. Each member of the group spoke about how they were effected that night. This is what helped my son, hearing how real people in real time were effected by his actions. I felt the best way to help change his behaviour was to have him held accountable for what he had done. He is now performing 100 hours of janitorial work around the mall to help offset the cost of the broken window. He feels like he gotted ripped off, because the other boy who was not eligable for the program, had the charges dropped in court. But the other boy has gone on to commit more petty crimes and is moving deeper into the ‘juvenile rehabilitation system’ which is scarey. I have chosen to go the opposite direction and have removed my son from school, that has helped alot! Go figure. My one complaint about restorative justice is there has been no follow up.
To use restorative justice for war protesters seems really lame to me. Likely they are more interested in not bogging down the courts, then they are at solving the problem.
enough for now, francesPosted by frances on from british columbia 03/16 at 02:37 PMMickey, I am sad to hear about Grandma Helen. I hope this latest course of treatment for your Mom makes the big difference.
Dr B...I will check your blog as soon as I get off here.
Deb #8...I really like your explanation there. Restitution, reparations, being made whole - what can be more important than that. That is why I continually call for reparations. Your explanation reminds me a little of the Alcoholics Anonymous philosophy. I have always believed that restitution is necessary for healing of both the one who offends and also the victim....in big things like war and peace and also in more personal matters between friends, family members, etc.Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 03/16 at 02:47 PMfrances...we were symutyping. Yes, you have it right about “The Lottery”. It is an interesting sociological study that has been made into a movie. I am told by locals here, that the author wrote it to describe life as she saw it in this community. I see the same symptoms now that she saw way back then. You seem like a great parent. The RJ system helps sometimes.
Dr B...Your blog has a lot of interesting things on it. I like it a lot.
Is anyone following the case of Sami Al-Arian? He is now on a hunger strike. He has been in prison for a long time. I don’t think that he has never been convicted of any crime. In Albany, NY 2 Muslim men have just been sentenced to prison. They had NEVER broken any law until they were entrapped by the government. The protests coming up this week-end would probably be more effective if they honed in on getting Justice for these prisoners.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 03/16 at 03:26 PMToday is the anniversary of the Mi-Lai massacre.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 03/16 at 03:44 PMHey everyone-- lots of great comments here as usual… in case anyone’s curious about one of those search engine results mentioned on the main post:
http://www.catsthatlooklikehitler.com/
Posted by James on from Hell's Kitchen 03/16 at 07:34 PM
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