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: Grits for Breakfast

Why is the solution to every social problem more cops, courts and punishments?

Our buddy Charles Kuffner has a couple of posts up at Off the Kuff that, following up on our discussion of Rep. Solomon Ortiz Jr.'s graffiti enhancement bill, made me think this morning about how Democrats (really both parties, but I'm picking on Kuff today) need to revamp their methods to stop using the justice system to address social problems.If the only tool you own is a hammer, everything looks like a nail, the saying goes. And thus for too long a bipartisan tool shortage has encouraged reformers of all stripes, and from all points on the political spectrum, to reach first for solutions involving police, courts, fines and punishments instead of other less coercive strategies.Kuff offers up two workaday posts on subjects that even he says should be noncontroversial - opposition to smoking and use of child booster seats in parents' cars...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on December 14, 2008 (boomark / email).