Why would anyone think that the Republican Party is soft on crime? Is it, because there are 67 Federal judgeships vacant and 34 nominees waiting to be confirmed? One might ask, why hasn’t President Barack Obama submitted a nominee for every opening? One possible reason he hasn’t is, because it costs around $50,000 for a thorough background check. It would be quite a waste of taxpayer money if they were not confirmed.
So, what’s the big deal about having 67 judgeships vacant? That [leads to] cases postponed. Usually violent crime cases take precedence, which moves non-violent crimes to the back of the list. These crimes are usually what they term as “white collar” crimes–like embezzlement, fraud, and pyramid schemes. They are financial crimes and are violations of regulations. Think Enron, WorldCom, or the New England Compounding Center recently in the news. Of course, these corporations and companies are big contributors to the Republican Party, the Party of deregulation.
So what does this have to do with all the vacant judgeships? Could it be the statute of limitations? Could it be for lack of prosecutorial staff and resources they end up getting a plea bargain, which is a bargain for the offenders and a slap in the face to their victims who no longer have a nice-sized 401 K? Is deregulation a Republican “code word” for legalizing what is now corporate crime? One has to wonder. These are not victimless crimes. These are not necessarily non-violent crimes. In the case of New England Compounding Center, people have died from the contaminated steroid shots. In the not-long-ago case of the Koch Brother-owned coal mine disaster, the regulations [which were] violated cost miners their lives. They ignored regulations in order to make more money. They put profits ahead of people. The results are people being killed by their indifference. How does that differ from the guy killing a clerk while holding up a liquor store? Are they not both violent crimes?
Ahh, but who would ever think that the Republican Party is soft on crime?
We need to wake up and realize there is more to protecting the American people than worrying about terrorists.
Perhaps we should worry about the “corporate terrorists” who would pollute our air, poison our water, and steal our savings, so they can make more bucks at our expense. It is a shame when a guy smoking crack does more time in prison than these corporate terrorists.
Therefore, I have to wonder, is the Republican Party soft on crime?