Children Face Criminal Checks from the Cradle
March 31st, 2007Via: Telegraph:
Checks will be made on all children to identify potential criminals under an extension of the “surveillance state” announced by Tony Blair.
A Downing Street review of law and order also foreshadowed greater use of sophisticated CCTV, an expanded DNA database and “instant justice” powers for police.
The review is intended to chart a course for the next 10 years by focusing more “on the offender, not the offence”.
Most crime is committed by a small number of offenders who could be identified almost from birth, ministers believe.
Parents guilty of thought crime can surely expect their children to be targetted. Why don’t they just have posters everywhere saying Big Brother Is Watching You, and be done with it.
Part of the reason a msall minority of people commit most of the crime, as the article puts it, is that once you veer off the tracks society forces you in the direction of more criminality. Many employers here in the states do criminal background checks these days – it is easy and cheap to do – and will not hire people with criminal pasts. The time you serve in prison for your crime isn’t enough, apparently. With few if any job opportunities, it should not be surprising that convicted felons are tracked into a life of crime.
Treat people like criminals, and they will become criminals.
True,”treat people like criminals and they will become so”
http://www.ashidakim.com/zenkoans/zenindex.html
45. Right & Wrong
When Bankei held his seclusion-weeks of meditation, pupils from many parts of Japan came to attend. During one of these gatherings a pupil was caught stealing. The matter was reported to Bankei with the request that the culprit be expelled. Bankei ignored the case.
Later the pupil was caught in a similar act, and again Bankei disregarded the matter. this angered the other pupils, who drew up a petition asking for the dismissal of the thief, stating that otherwise they would leave in a body.
When bankei had read the petition he called everyone before him. “You are wise brothers,” he told them. “You know what is right and what is not right. You may somewhere else to study if ou wish, but this poor brother does not even know right from wrong. Who will teach him if I do not? I am going to keep him here even if all the rest of you leave.”
A torrent of tears cleansed the face of the brother who had stolen. All desire to steal had vanished. “