That is the conservative mantra… the left is too soft on crime! How many times have you heard that? That states like Connecticut are pansies, that we are too soft on crime.
First, I looked at the recidivism rates for the states. Which states have prisoners returning to the justice system? It turns out you can’t figure out that simple question. Some states record something as minor as getting a speeding ticket as a return to the justice system, while other states look at additional felonies. So, it wasn’t comparing apples to apples. That doesn't mean recidivism numbers are useless. It means we need to understand exactly what each state is measuring before declaring a winner.
Next, I looked at the crime rate, and there the differences stood out!
| State | Regional/Political Grouping | Violent Crime Rate (per 100k) | Homicide Rate Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Northern / Liberal | ~181.6 | One of the lowest in the nation. |
| Massachusetts | Northern / Liberal | ~322.0 | Regularly ranks in the top 10 safest states. |
| Vermont | Northern / Progressive | ~222.0 | Frequently named the #1 safest overall state. |
| Florida | Southern / Conservative | ~380.0 | Sits right around the national average. |
| Texas | Southern / Conservative | ~430.0 | Higher than the national average. |
| Mississippi | Southern / Conservative | ~245.0 | Features one of the country's highest murder rates. |
| Louisiana | Southern / Conservative | ~620.0 | Consistently holds the highest state murder rate. |
Whoa. That is an amazing difference.
This morning’s CBS Sunday Morning had a segment that showed the harm that “lock ’em up and throw away the key” can do to people.
One woman accidentally ate an edible at a party where pot is legal. She went home to Idaho, where they test every baby for illegal drug use. BINGO!
CBS NewsBy Erin MoriartyAugust 9, 2026Giving birth to her fourth child in January of 2021 was life-changing, says Nicole Hamann, but not in the way she ever imagined. While still at the hospital, Hamann was informed that both she and her newborn tested positive for a trace amount of THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana. [A urine test is given to mothers, which is followed up by testing the umbilical cord.] "I felt like, all of the sudden, I was a criminal," Hamann said.Hamann lives in Idaho, where marijuana is illegal. But a month before giving birth, Hamann, who has no criminal record, says she accidentally ate a pot-laced brownie at a relative's home in Oregon, where marijuana is legal. She says no one was interested in hearing her explanation of why she had THC in her system.Child and Family Services began an investigation immediately, because in Idaho (and a number of other states), a single positive test result of THC in a newborn is considered presumptive evidence of child abuse.[…]Although social workers found no evidence of drug use, Hamann's name was still placed on the agency's child protection central registry – a list of child abusers. That means she can't work in hospitals or daycare centers. Even volunteering at her children's school is not allowed.And Hamann's name remains on that list for a period of ten years. "It hurts … it hurts," she said. "It's heavy. It feels like somebody placed a big boulder on my shoulder and I have to carry it around for 10 years."Hamann is not alone. At least a thousand new mothers in Idaho have been placed on that same registry, many for using marijuana products to relieve pain and severe nausea.
The harm that their get-tough policy is causing people is excessive! Yeah, pregnant women shouldn’t… But should they be sentenced to 10 years? Period. No courts, no hearings to explain. Just pot in your baby’s blood… guilty.
We are tough on drugs! But what does it do to the people?
Like Nicole Hamann, McGrath and her fiancé were investigated, and then cleared, by social workers. But McGrath says having her name on the child abuse registry has had devastating consequences. "My career as a healthcare worker is not just at risk; it's completely thrown away," she said.
What would happen here in Connecticut for a situation like this? Well, for one thing, you wouldn’t be reading about it here. Why? Because this type of drug use would never have automatically elevated the situation to the level of law enforcement. Yes, they do refer cases to the police, but not at this level! So, no criminal records!
Yeah, you can look at the numbers from above… but the numbers do not reflect the human costs!
I have one word for you... strawberries!
You know what is back in the news... the Reflecting Pool! Yes, Donny had a hissy fit over the case being dropped. So little Donny dragged the Washington, D.C. U.S. Attorney to the carpet... how dare she let that evil criminal get off!
After repeatedly losing Trump-priority cases in DC, the DOJ may have discovered a workaround through Pirro’s officeThe IndependentAlex Woodward13 August 2026Under-fire acting U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro has taken a highly unusual next step after being sternly and publicly rebuked by President Donald Trump for dropping the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool case against a former Olympic rower, citing a lack of evidence.The former district attorney, judge and Fox News personality — who now answers to Trump’s ex-criminal defense attorney Todd Blanche after his confirmation as U.S. Attorney General this week — is leading a special grand jury that could be used to investigate the president’s political enemies, according to The Washington Post.Such a secretive special grand jury could be used to draft damaging reports about Trump’s critics, including current and former Democratic officials. The subject and scope of the special grand jury’s inquiry is unclear. The Independent has requested comment from Pirro’s office and the Justice Department.
Do you remember Captain Queeg in the movie "The Caine Mutiny" and Captain Queeg's obsession over strawberries... do you remember?
Do it remind you of anyone now?
By Sarah N. Lynch, Jennifer JacobsAugust 4, 2026 /CBS NewsThe top federal prosecutor in the nation's capital carted a box full of evidence to the White House on Monday, in a bid to prove to President Trump that the damage to the Reflecting Pool was caused by shoddy construction and not by vandals, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News on Tuesday.U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro, a staunch ally of the president, made the case in a sometimes heated private meeting in the Oval Office Monday, hours after Mr. Trump had publicly rebuked her for dropping criminal charges against Olympic canoeist David Hearn.She was later photographed leaving the White House carting a large white box and other bags, which sources said contained all of the evidence collected from the Interior Department that exculpated Hearn and several others from criminal vandalism.
Think of a can of strawberries!
Mr. Trump earlier in the day had accused Pirro of folding "like an umbrella," after her office on Friday filed a motion dismissing the felony case against Hearn.
Even with all this drama... remember in court the U.S. Attorney said it was poor workmanship, not vandals, that caused the damage, and that cannot be unsaid.
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