it's been a while since I posted any linkspam

[firecat]

The very important question of how to order bacon sandwiches
http://separatedbyacommonlanguage.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/sandwiches-more-particularly-bacon.html

"Ethical sensitivity," a Buddhist perspective.
For me the challenge is how to do this and still promote social justice. (Promote social justice without getting constricted by anger over injustice.)
http://www.insightmeditationcenter.org/books-articles/articles/ethical-sensitivity/

Ethical maturity for Buddhists has less to do with moral values than with enhanced moral sensitivity. In fact, I believe that adhering to moral values alone can hinder the development of ethical maturity. Buddhism certainly does put great importance on moral values, including the precepts. Buddhism’s cardinal ethical principle is to avoid causing harm. However, these values are often understood to be expressions of goodness flowing from a responsive heart, not rules of behavior originating in external sources of authority.
...
The impulse to cause harm brings with it a tightening, a limiting, a darkening of the heart....One of the most challenging Buddhist teachings is that nothing whatsoever is worth the cost of a contracted heart.
...
Ethical strength is developed by exercising it. In some circumstances this means restraint; in others, action. Sometimes it entails learning to say no; sometimes it is saying yes. And in situations where it is not clear how to act, strength may take the form of remaining present and committed to understanding.

Long, very good article on data privacy, which also has lots of cute animal pictures.
http://idlewords.com/bt14.htm

Charging people for the use of public defenders
http://www.npr.org/2014/05/19/312158516/increasing-court-fees-punish-the-poor

The county charged the man $600 for his public defender. You probably think of that as a free lawyer for people too poor to pay for one on their own. But the NPR survey...showed that 43 states now allow defendants to be charged at least an administrative fee for the use of a public defender.

Comments

[submarine_bells]

Re the data privacy article: the author is saying exactly the same things that I've been saying for the last few years. I'm still a "conscientious objector" to Facebook and Google. It's frustrating how many web-based things seem to rely on these two services. But I ain't signing up, just because it's convenient. Call me Cassandra.

[firecat]

Yep, the way I like to put it is "Google is a good search engine, but I wish they hadn't hired Pinky and the Brain as their business developers."

I use both FB and Google, in somewhat limited ways, but they probably have TMI on me anyway.

[elainegrey]

your public defender snippet + me = huge WTF

argh

[firecat]

Me too. I keep finding these pockets of my brain where I believe we actually have a somewhat fair justice system.

[johnpalmer]

And an ugly part of this is, it's hard to argue against it in today's political climate. The dollar figures will frequently look small to people who can be in a state legislature, "of course" criminals should be forced to perform some kind of restitution, can't coddle them, you know, and so forth.

[flarenut]

And then you get the cycle where people have no resources for the restitution, so now they're in violation of a court order, which sends them back to jail. Which costs them more, including charges for room&board or for supervision once they get out, rinse, repeat.

[firecat]

Exactly.

[johnpalmer]

Yeah, that's hideous. One of the nastiest things is we talk about "justice" in that context, but that's not what justice is about. Justice is about the idea that people are treated fairly and properly.

I try to think about criminal prosecution as mostly being in the realm of quarantine - we have the right to protect ourselves - and if rehab is possible, okay, good. That makes it about us serving our interests, meaning it's expected we bear the costs. But the idea of our just protecting ourselves isn't popular. People are big into vengeance now.

[firecat]

Sounds like even people who win their case have to pay for their public defender sometimes. In that case it turns into "of course poor people who don't have lawyers on tap should be forced to perform some kind of restitution..."

[johnpalmer]

Oh, I'm sure that's now they justify it to themselves - not in their out-loud voice at least. But I wouldn't be surprised if there an undercurrent of "well, see, they didn't get sent to jail, they should be grateful," forgetting that an acquittal means that they are (in the eyes of the state) actually *innocent*, not "guilty but got off on some stupid technicality".

[selki]

I attempted to get a BLT at the food truck outside work today. "BLT" is what the truckboard menu prominently listed. What I got:
* Some sort of "turkey bacon", not crisp. More like ham.
* Fresh lettuce.
* Fresh tomato.
* In a whole wheat wrap.
* Cold.

:(

But it was filling, at least.

[firecat]

Geez, you would have been better off going to 7-11.

[selki]

Oh well, the asparagus from the farm stand next to it was really good.

I do care about the public defender issue. I just don't have much to add to the discussion.

[firecat]

Mm, asparagus.

Yeah, what can you say on DW about charging defendants for their constitutionally mandated public defenders except GRRR? Although if you're the ACLU certainly hope you will say a lot more.

[johnpalmer]

I should also note that I'm modestly horrified - I assumed a bacon butty was two slices of toast, buttered, with bacon in between. I can't imagine eating plain bread with butter and bacon. I mean, I can... but it's not very appetizing. Unless the UK has better bread than we do in the 'States.