Locking alleged offenders like these up, experts say, often just momentarily delays their offending, rather than challenging them to change their lives.

The experts have adopted the “soft” philosophical position that the sole purpose of criminal justice is remedial.

Most non-experts would argue that imprisonment also the serves the purposes of punishment, community protection and deterrence to others, particularly when the subject is a repeat violent offender.

Many (most?) in the general community would also say the remedial model of criminal justice applied to youths has been tried and found wanting and has aggravated the offending and thus done wayward youths themselves no favours.

I’d say the non-experts have it right.

@MikeBenzCyber

On today’s stream, we broke the absolutely bombshell news that USAID gives *TWICE* as much money ($27 million) to the fiscal sponsor of the group controlling Soros-funded prosecutors than Soros gives ($14 million).

USAID Prosecutors.

Deary phucking me. Albo sez no deals with Greenfilth. Mzzz Allan sez hold my beer. Herald Sun:

New hate speech laws have been given the green light after Labor struck a last-minute deal with the Greens, as the opposition warns the changes will have a “chilling effect on freedom of speech”.

Vilifying LGBTQIA+ people, women and people with disabilities based on their ‘protected attribute’ — including posting offensive comments or photos online — will be punishable by law as part of the controversial overhaul of Victoria’s anti vilification laws.

After a marathon sitting in the upper house on Tuesday night, the Bill passed at 4am with a series of Greens amendments.

Under the contentious changes, police must continue to seek authorisation from the Director of Public Prosecutions before pressing charges, despite criticism that the rule was one of the biggest roadblocks to existing laws being used.

Jewish community advocate and fierce campaigner against the laws Menachem Vorchheimer said the original legislation was supposed to empower Victoria Police to commence proceedings for hate crimes.

“But Jacinta Allan and Labor have watered down the legislation and removed Victoria Police’s authority to prosecute,” he said.

“This will render them useless.”

Decision makers, including the police and the courts, must also take into account the “social, cultural and historical circumstances” surrounding conduct that is alleged to constitute unlawful vilification.

The Bill is expected to sail through the lower house on Wednesday.

During debate in the lower house on Wednesday, Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny said the Coalition had missed a “historic opportunity” to tackle hate speech and hate crime.

“This is a proud day for Victorians,” she said.

Mr O’Brien hit back, accusing Labor of striking a “grubby deal” with the Greens and “writing identity politics into law”

He said forcing the DPP to consider the historical context behind why someone might vilify another person was “nonsense”, and that civil provisions would see activists “line up” to sue people they disagree with at VCAT.

Meanwhile, Victorian Greens equality spokesperson Aiv Puglielli called the passing of the contentious Bill a “historic moment for LGBTQIA+ people” after years of advocating for better legal protections.

The Coalition, who opposed the new hate speech laws, have warned that the Greens changes will have serious repercussions.

Shadow Attorney-General Michael O’Brien blasted the government for backing a Greens push to instruct the Director of Public Prosecutions on how the criminal law should apply, saying it undermines the DPP’s independence.

He said the “Labor-Greens backroom deal” would also have a “chilling effect on freedom of speech, belief and worship in Victoria”.

“They will encourage different groups of Victorians to sue each other rather than show understanding and tolerance towards each other,” he said.

As per the original proposal, tougher penalties, including up to five years jail time, will also come into play for serious vilification cases such as threats to members of marginalised groups.

In a move that has been fiercely opposed by some Christian groups, the legal threshold to prove vilification will also be reduced to “likely” to incite contempt, revulsion or severe ridicule against a minority group.

Criminal provisions will come into law by September, while civil elements of the Bill — including dispute resolution at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal — will be rolled out next year.

The civil pathway will give people alternative options to address vilification, including an apology, compensation or removing harmful material.

Mr O’Brien said while the Coalition supported stronger criminal sanctions against those who threaten or incite on the basis of a person’s protected attribute, he called the civil provisions “over the top”.

He took particular issue with a civil harm provision that would give marginalised groups greater power over what is deemed unlawful vilification, rather than it being determined through the current ‘reasonable person’ test.

“Labor’s adoption of a subjective standard is bad law and will lead to ordinary Victorians being sued for honestly held views,” he said.

Despite a major push by Jewish, Muslim and LGBTQI groups to hurry the proposed anti-vilification laws through the parliament last month amid rising community tensions, Labor was forced to delay a vote in the upper house by weeks.

The Greens had pressured the government to wind back protections for religious speech, suggesting that it could be used as a guise to vilify queer communities.

However, protections for “preaching and proselytising” remain in the Bill.

Jewish leaders are understood to be largely supportive of the new laws.

The Islamic Council of Victoria had largely supported the Greens, fearing that the government’s removal of a ‘political purpose’ defence could stifle pro-Palestine protesters.

The fat lady is warbling in fine fettle.

The Wisconsin election for a Supreme Court post looks very likely to go to a communist, which means tampering with electoral boundaries, thereby giving a huge advantage to the Demons. Nice knowing you, GOP House majority.

Demons don’t give a rats about current polls suggesting electoral support is at record low levels. This is how they win.

Eyrie

 April 2, 2025 1:34 pm

 Reply to  bons

I once read his Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.

Please.
No second hand accounts.
Let’s ask Lizzie.

A wife arrived home after a long shopping trip, and was horrified to find her husband in bed with a young, lovely thing.

Just as she was about to storm out of the house, her husband stopped her with these words: “Before you leave, I want you to hear how this all came about. Driving home, I saw this young girl, looking poor and tired, I offered her a ride.

She was hungry, so I brought her home and fed her some of the roast you had forgotten about in the refrigerator.”Her shoes were worn out so I gave her a pair of your shoes you didn’t wear because they were out of style.

She was cold so I gave her that new birthday sweater you never wore even once because the color didn’t suit you. Her slacks were worn out so I gave her a pair of yours that you don’t fit into anymore.

Then as she was about to leave the house, she paused and asked, “Is there anything else that your wife doesn’t use anymore?” “And so, here we are!”

An elderly Florida lady did her shopping and upon returning to her car, found four males in the act of leaving with her vehicle. She dropped her shopping bags and drew her handgun, proceeding to scream at the top of her lungs,

“I have a gun, and I know how to use it! Get out of the car – NOW!”

The four men didn’t wait for a second threat. They got out and ran like mad. The lady, somewhat shaken, then proceeded to load her shopping bags into the back of the car and got into the driver’s seat. She was so shaken that she could not get her key into the ignition. She tried and tried, and then she realized why. It was for the same reason she had wondered why there was a football, a Frisbee, and two 12-packs of beer in the front seat.

A few minutes later, she found her own car parked four or five spaces farther down. She loaded her bags into her own car and drove to the police station to report her mistake. The Sergeant to whom she told the story couldn’t stop laughing! He pointed to the other end of the counter, where four pale men were reporting a carjacking by a mad, elderly woman described as white, less than five feet tall, glasses, curly white hair, and carrying a large handgun.

?No charges were filed.