"Mindless Glorification of Barbarism"

That phrase from Kevin Drum could describe the vast majority of repug legislation for the past 30-plus years, but it is particularly apropos for the latest abomination:

The Economist's Jon Fasman reports on the latest political pandering from a member of the Greatest Deliberative Body On Earth:

On Wednesday David Vitter (pictured), a Republican senator from Louisiana, proposed—and the Senate agriculture committee accepted—an amendment to the farm bill that would, in Mr Vitter's words, "prohibit convicted murderers, rapists and pedophiles from receiving food stamps." It's not hard to see why this amendment passed. All Mr Vitter needed to do was propose it []. Then the tacit question arises: Does anyone in this chamber want to stand up and say that taxpayers should feed murderers, rapists and pedophiles? No? Of course not.

This is revolting. It obviously has no fiscal impact worth mentioning, and just as clearly does nothing to reduce the future rate of murder, rape, or pedophilia. It's just pure political grandstanding from a guy who knows an amendment like this will play well with the rubes back home. It's a mindless glorification of barbarism for the sake of a few votes.

If you think the current sentencing standards for murder, rape, and pedophilia are too lenient, then lobby to change them. Until then, though, anyone who's released from prison is someone who's done their time and paid their debt. Their punishment at the hands of the justice system is sufficient. They don't deserve more at the hands of every showboating senator with his next election on his mind.

So, back in your teen years you punched a guy in a bar so that he fell and hit his head causing substantial enough damage that you were charged with a violent felony and sentenced to five years in state prison.

You regretted the punch immediately, pled guilty and accepted punishment.  You were a model prisoner for your entire stint, getting out a year early for good behavior.

But now you're a convicted felon with a GED you earned in prison. You're not qualified for any but the most menial jobs, and those you can't get because you have a record.

You get by doing odd jobs for cash, living with your parents to make it less expensive for all of you, and you walk the straight and narrow, declaring to the IRS and Social Security every fucking dime you earn.

The one thing that makes it possible to live without resorting to crime is food stamps. Now the United States Congress - for whom, in Kentucky, you cannot vote, because you are a convicted felon - has decided you don't deserve $1.40 per meal to keep your parents from starvation and yourself from crimes of desperation.

Mindless glorification of barbarism is putting it far too mildly.