Arkansas's Governor Beebe and His Band of Free Roaming Brigands

          Arkansas's Governor Beebe is contemplating flooding Arkansas with freed friendlier felons. He has proposed that “non-violent” criminals be turned loose on the people and streets of Arkansas rather than incarcerate them. Not totally uncontrolled mind you. The worst of them would probably have to wear ankle bracelets and all would probably be required to report to their respective Parole Officer on some type of schedule; sort of an ‘Honor System’ for the nicer criminal crowd.

The basis for this recommendation is thoughtfully backed by the leading ‘Progressive” thinkers of the day. After all, perhaps less than 50% of ‘non-violent’ criminals become violent criminals if left on their own and on the streets.

           The primary purpose of freeing the felons is to save the money that Arkansas would otherwise spend on building more prisons, maintaining them, staffing them, plus the feeding, housing, and caring for ‘non-violent’ criminals. Sounds sort of appealing, making the ‘non-violent’ criminals support themselves, rather than the taxpayer having to foot the bill.

"What Shirley? What's a 'non-violent' criminal, you ask?" Well, the best definition is a criminal that has not yet been CONVICTED of a violent crime. Doesn’t mean that the miscreant hasn’t already perpetrated a violent crime, or won’t do so in the future if left to roam the streets; just means that up to this point in time, no conviction of such a violent nature. An example of a ‘non-violent’ criminal offense probably entails: drug dealers, drug pushers, drug users, ladies of the evening, and the Bernie Madoff and Allen Stanfords of this world. Of course the folks along the Mexican border might not put some of these offenses into the ‘non-violent’ criminal class seeing as over 35,000 folks have been murdered down there in drug disagreements and related activities; but that’s their problem. Governor Beebe has a great solution brewing for the citizens of Arkansas; bring on the flood of friendly felons.

But Governor Beebe, prior to flooding the streets of Arkansas with felons, give the citizens that you profess to serve and protect the additional protection of the very best “CASTLE LAW” and “STAND YOUR GROUND LAW”! Don’t save the State money at the expense of hundreds or even thousands of citizens being subject to criminal activities and the resulting cost to each of them in stolen property, emotional distress, personal injury, or death.

Currently Arkansas has weak laws protecting “citizen defenders” when the “citizen defender” is faced with using physical or lethal force to protect him or herself, or loved ones, or other innocents, or their own property.

At a minimum give the Citizens of Arkansas the added legal protection against your ‘band of brigands’ that “Castle Laws” and “Stand Your Ground Laws” provide.