The Adventures of Rich and Vince

Characters courtesy of Planearium

Money Floats

I'm going to buy a stock in a company that I know is barely afloat. However, there is upside potential. The company has lots of parties and is a big hit with the ladies. I'm sure they'll turn things around.

Fast forward and they actually tank. My options are underwater and I'm sinking in debt. Thank goodness that my government will give me all of my money back for my mistake of investing in something that was not really a wise risk.

What, the government won't refund my money? Why then will my tax dollars go to rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina?

Let's analyze this, the mean elevation is something like 8 feet below sea level and the city is sandwiched between a lake and a river, both near the ocean. Rebuild ... yes, but let's take the opportunity to rebuild ... 100 miles inland instead of in flood plain between a lake and the Mississippi river, for Christ's sake.

The Adventures of Rich and Vince

Characters courtesy of Planearium

The Adventures of Rich and Vince

Characters courtesy of Planearium

The Adventures of Rich and Vince

Characters courtesy of Planearium

The Adventures of Rich and Vince

Characters courtesy of Planearium

Insanity of the Insanity Plea

As a civilized society, we do not tolerate folks killing other folks. We call that murder and there are laws against differing degrees of intent for the act of homicide. To keep a fair standard, we can not impose discretions on those who trespass against our laws because of reasons of mental incapacity. Insanity is not a valid plea for anything - let alone murder.

Ignorance of the law is not an excuse for breaking it. Anyone would be prosecuted for breaking any law whether they know it is a law or not. There can not be special treatment for those who are "incapable" of understanding a law or even that laws exist. Their mental incapacity is not an excuse for ignorance, which as previously stated, is not an excuse for transgressions.

I read an article today about an Arizona man who for no apparent reason gunned down two people in cold blood. Court documents are now showing the man may be mentally unstable which I'm sure any defense lawyer worth his salt will turn into an insanity plea. Supposing it works, the insanity defense would send our criminal to a hospital where caregivers would try to mend his broken brain. There is no justice in this for the family of the real victims.

Too many times, criminals are being portrayed as the victims because they were abused as children or they feel their civil rights were violated. Committing a crime forfeits your civil rights.

Whether you do or don't believe in the death penalty, there can be no excuses for what boils down to acquittal for criminals when they subvert our legal system with an insanity plea.