Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Rep. James Fagan is Awsome

By

Sure he went over the top. But he is absolutely 100% right. And so is Martha Coakley. And all the District Attorneys. Even Dan Conley.

Shame on the vultures. People like Oliver Wendy Murphy and shallow demogogue republican legislators with zero court room or criminal law experience hoping to run state wide in two years such as Scott Brown and what’s her name Polito.

Yaaaay Jim Fagan  

Please share widely!
fb-share-icon
Tweet
0

Comments

  1. Judgecraft and the rule of law are NOT one size fits all.

    <

    p>Mandatory minimums lead to a mockery of the actual Bill of Rights and rule of law – and a situation like that in OUR state where we spend more on incarceration then we do on higher education – and

    <

    p>60% of the lockup population of minors are minority

    <

    p>AND the only place for most mentally ill folk – kids and adults – is prison.

    <

    p>Mandatory minimums shackle the legal system, in my opinion.

    <

    p>So, yes, Rep. James Fagan was perhaps a bit histrionic – but the fact is mandatory minimums do not lead to justice, and are grossly expensive – AND are not the way to curtail or end abuse of children, frankly.

    <

    p>On this one, Ernie, we agree.

    • I think this fact is immaterial. The question is what is the % of the population in prison relative to the % of people committing crimes. My most HATED newspaper in the world, THE BOSTON GLOBE, reports crime everyday and the vast majority of the criminals are minority. Sure crime has everywhere and crime is color blind but read the police reports, watch the news, read the paper and you will see for what ever reason a large % of crime is committed by minority groups. SO… the “60% of the lockup population of minors are minority” makes perfect sense to me. Now why does so high a % commit crime… who knows.

      <

      p>There was a real tear jerker of a story in the Globe yesterday about some scum-bag who shot a girl and paralyzed her. He was very sorry (Boo F’ing hoo) about it and thinks about it everyday. MAKE ME F’ING PUKE. I bet she thinks about it more in her wheel chair. The day before there was another sob story abot some other scum-bag who was in a wonderful “art” program for gifted youths, while he was a gangbanger at night. He went to jail and now turned his life around. Brought a tear to my eye!! So, should we NOT put these 2 losers in jail because it makes the % go up too high. Get real.

      <

      p>Fagan is going down. He will lose and his political future is OVER> GOOD BYE and good writ-hens!!! Mandatory sentences at least have the upside of keeping judges honest. They would never have enacted these rules if judges used their judgement correctly in the first place. I love mandatory sentence guidelines!

      • When you are done puking, hating newspapers, and boo f’ing hooing, you might think about supplying evidence that’s neither anecdotal nor impressionistic about your claims.

        <

        p>Currently, this is more rant than reason.

          • thanks for the pointer to Red man. I didn’t even know it existed. I looked it over and i certainly is populated by more of “my kind”. However, as I said in an earlier posting, who the hell would ant to post messages to people who feel the same way. Unless you are so impotent that you couldn’t stand someone having a differing view. I mean this on the Red page and the Blue page.

            <

            p>Someone made some SNIDE comment about “Oh, JohnD thank you for enlightening us, like we never disagree…”. I see some disagreements here, but they are more in line with picking different dressings for a salad vs. what restaurant to go to… whether Java is better than C++… You guys are very similar whether you like it or not.

            <

            p>I offer a differing view. If nothing else, take my attitude which is the more you know about the enemy, the easier victory will be accomplished. That’s also why I took some gender classes at Harvard, trying to get into the mind of the “other” side. Worked.

            • Like Asa you tend towards personal insults, EXCESSIVE USE OF CAPS, proof by assertion, demonization of liberals, incoherence, and much vomiting.  It obscures any point you may be making.  You’re free to pummel strawmen to your hearts content.  I’m free to think you’re not terribly interesting.

              <

              p>Your repeated mention of Harvard really is irrelevant to me.  I’ll be much more impressed when you stop railing about liberals and start posting backup for your arguments.  Heck, I’d settle for a coherent post where you don’t insult someone’s manhood.  

              • I can’t promise but I will try to…

                <

                p>- Personal insults – I’ll try but have you read any of the things bloggers here have said about me?

                <

                p>- STOP using CAPS – Got it.

                <

                p>- proof by assertion – I prefer to use this method, and again many here use it on me. If I assert something and people believe it is wrong then they should say so. If I believe something and nobody corrects me, why should I think otherwise?

                <

                p>- Demonization of liberals – Again, read what is said here about Conservatives. However, I will try to back up this from time to time. Someone here recently told me to backup what I was saying. Read any comments today from others and there is rarely any backup, they are comments.

                <

                p>- Incoherence – I believe I am very coherant, but maybe a bad typist. Any examples?

                <

                p>Vomiting sorry but I get mad sometimes. I love good things and I hate bad things. It bugs the living crap out of me when the bad things get press, are trumpeted and held up in worship while good people, good acts, good anythings are forgoten. It pisses me off but I will work on the vomiting.

                <

                p>My remarks on my school was in response to some personal remarks about me being a “troll” “insignificant” or other demeaning inferences. I wanted to show I have hung out with many many liberal people and haven’t been exposed to differing opinions. It will not be mentioned again.

        • Although I do want to take this opportunity to ask why you are asking ONLY ME to who is asked to “supply evidencethat’s neither anecdotal nor impressionistic about your claims”?

          <

          p>This blog is filled everyday with people spouting information like it is FACT when it is no more than opinion!!! The post I was replying to said “60% of the lockup population of minors are minority” but nobody asked the poster to provide the evidence to support this.

          <

          p>I am not a loon living in a lilly white suburb on a rant. I have a lot of first hand knowledge concerning what I am writing. However, considering all the cognitive dissonance on this blog, even with empirical data to support my rant, I am sure I would not get people to admit the truth. The argument would shift into “why” the minority population commits crime at a higher percentage than whites. As they say in AA, the first step is admitting there is a problem. I am not saying minorities are all bad people, all I was trying to say is this eternal remark about the percentage of minorities in prison is no more discriminatory than saying the percentage of minorities playing basketball is clearly discrimination. Blacks commit more crimes than whites and the incarceration rates should be higher. Why this happens is good issue to address, but don’t ignore the truth. Or go for a walk tonight around 2:00 AM down Blue Hill Ave and call me in the morning, if you are still breathing!!!

          <

          p>And I do hate newspapers like the Boston Globe. Wonder what wonderful stories will be in there this week about rotten scumbags who have raped, assaulted, murdered or kidnaped someone, but have just graduated from basket weaving in prison and the Globe will be giving them a F’ing medal and a six-figure job.

          • I have zero stats on this offhand, but I’d be willing to bet the cost of prison upkeep way outpaces the cost of welfare nationally, esp after welfare reform of 96 and the prison population reaching 1% of the general.

            <

            p>Also, which particular rapist/murderers did the Globe employ for 6 figures, again?

            • As for the Globe, why is it you guys love humor and rhetoric ONLY WHEN YOU ALL SAY IT?

              <

              p>The 6 figure remark was an OVERSTATEMENT of how the GLOBE just falls all over itself trying to paint these losers as wonderful humans. I mean they must have to dig really deep to find these sad sacks who have committed horrible crimes to get in prison, then they keep their noses clean for 90 days, say they are sorry and the next thing you know the GLOBE prints front page stories of how wonderful they are and have seen the light, changed their ways and want to get out of prison so they can save the world. JUST GO DIE (them not you jaybooth)!! Why not pick one of the people who hung out with this loser who DIDN’T become a career criminal, who got a job instead of selling drugs? Write a happy success story of these people instead of rewriting The Prodigal Son story in modern terms?

              <

              p>Stop trying to make the guilty people feel better and start rewarding the guys wh do the right thing to begin with.

              <

              p>Guess nobody else had the nags to reply to the rest of my remarks, unless they are out for walk on Blue Hill Ave…

                • We Repubs would be glad to increase taxes… for he right reasons. Building fences around country, paying electricity bills death penalty (Is there a good ENERGY ALTERNATIVE to the electric chair… solar powered electric chair???)…

                  <

                  p>PS I’ll add the emphasis was on “little” extra.

                • I would like to see that one a Republican platform.  Here’s the problem, the tax issue if the first knee jerk reaction from a Republican on any issue.  Don’t vote for him, he’ll increase your taxes!! and other blithering nonsense.  It make no difference what the issue is, that’s the reaction.  It doesn’t matter that that we had a non-existent governor that continued to let our infrastructure decay, had absolutely placed zero effort in job creation and placed no emphasis in municipal support when you actually have someone who’s willing do work on these issues all you get is: watch out, he’s going to increase our taxes!, What we don’t get is counter plans on how we are going to accomplish anything, just some weak ass attempt at attacking people. So don’t give me this load of crap about Republicans gladly paying for things that are needed.  Solar powered electric chairs?  Are you crazy, if we do that the terrorists will win! …and they will raise your taxes!

                • We both have our stereotypes of every Repub hating taxes and Dems never hating taxes. I do disagree with you that Repubs hate every tax, but we definatey have differences as to which tax, how much and whom it applies to. I am very much in support of a 2-1/2 override for my town to support a new school. See, a tax I support and actually will campaign for.

                  <

                  p>I think one of the central tenets of Republicans hating taxes and we know most taxes are created or increased to get more money from us and pay more money to you (Dems). Think about it, when was the last time a tax was going to hit the Dems more than the Repubs? And don’t give me some babble about % of income, be honest.

                  <

                  p>Another issue is wanting the taxes that actually raised pay for something instead of a job creation program. Everytime the government performs a service or is involved in managing a service, the costs are 2-?? times higher than a private company doing it. I hate my taxes being raised under some the veil of some need only to be squandered by unions, mismanagement and waste.

                  <

                  p>I think it is often valid to say a candidate should not be elected since he will rasie taxes. Money does NOT fix everything. What’s wrong with reallocation of funds? The former Gov did NOT raise taxes, you are right. You may not like that fact but as a significant tax payer I appreciate the fact he didn’t raid my wallet to take care of cronies, hacks and friends of the House/Senate. Don’t you think it is easy to throw money at problems like Deville?

                  <

                  p>Want me (and other Repubs) to support a tax, make the project economical and efficient, make the tax be for EVERYONE (not just the overtaxed), make someone accountable for the project (who can be fired or arrested for mismanagement), make it stick to budget (not like the big dig) and make it benefit everyone (not just another pool for Boston’s inner city…).

      • “The question is what is the % of the population in prison relative to the % of people committing crimes. “

        <

        p>Well, given that we have the highest incarceration rate in the world, it seems that you contend that Americans are more inclined to commit crimes than any other people in the world.  What reasons do you have for your claim that the people of our country are more criminally inclined than any other?

        • I never said ANYTHING about American committing crimes… NEVER!!!!

          <

          p>Don’t put words in my mouth!

          <

          p>I will try to talk slowly… I simply said that the common quote from Libs is about the overwhelming percentage of minorities in prison, like it is a sweeping indictment of the system against blacks. What I said was the % of guilty people (minorities in prison) was in sync with the % of the people committing those crimes, and that this itself was not discriminatory. Just like the % of blacks playing basketball, % of white people playing golf, % of white people in the US Senate, % of jewish lawyers and doctors, % of woman nurses, % hispanic baseball players, % blacks playing Ice Hockey, % of female politicians… These PERCENTAGES are NOT in line with general population but their existence alone is not PROFF of discrimination!!!!!!

          • “I’m not a racist, I’m just pointing out that black people are criminal morons.”  

            <

            p>Whatever gets you through the day, buddy.

            • my argument apart. If there is a factual error, point it out. Most times I find people argue about something like this until you prove it and then they switch to WHY what I said is true, not if.

              <

              p>Your attitude is the same attitude so many people have in our country which makes it difficult to talk about things. So many people feel certain ways but are so nervous of being called a racist or misogynist or most other things. I mean I know you can critique white people anytime and get away with it. But why can’t we talk about issues concerning minorities without being labeled a racist.

              <

              p>Black on black crime is at an all time high in this country. Did I just say something racist? Am I a bigot for stating this fact?

              <

              p>You guys need to loosen up and have some dialogue and don’t pressure people to be dishonest with their views.

                • meaning to express an opinion or to discuss or explain things. I believe this becomes a constructive dialogue when people “comment” on issues. Let’s check out the presidential debates and count how many times candidates answer “whatever”.

                • “Whatever” is not an inappropriate response to an unsubstantiated opinion on an important matter. If you want to share your personal mythology, prejudices, life experiences, and questions from your friends, that’s all very nice for you but not very interesting.

                • Is your above comment an opinion of fact? IMO, what people find interesting is very subjective. Sharing a personal mythology, prejudices, life experiences, and questions from your friends is exactly what everyone else on this page does, including yourself. Do you think your thoughts are all created in your brain spontaneously. Are you gifted from the Gods with inate opinions on everything? Plus I just read many your posts, talk about not interesting (boring).

                  <

                  p>Although I did find your latest post Elitist food? Cindy McCain’s Passion Fruit Mousse to be incredibly interesting showing no prejudice at all (guess I’m not the only prejudicial person around here).

                  <

                  p>There was also a comment “Perhaps if McCain shared the free ride he gets from the press, it would help out with gas prices.” but I couldn’t find any link or substantiation for the comment. Or was it a joke? Seems like nobody lets me joke on this blog without vomiting on me. Not very tolerant Kbusch.

                • This is like some sort of odd exercise in Kantian ethics. Can KBusch enunciate a principal that generalizes to all cases? How can one be thoroughly consistent on BMG?

                  <

                  p>I don’t know the answer to that question — and I don’t care to think about it. My ethics are more utilitarian than Kantian and I think these are matters of social context rather than universals anyway.

                  Look, I’ve tried to take you seriously. I think we have one excellent conservative who gives thoughtful commentary. He is somewhat abrasive but he is particularly thoughtful on economic matters. The others dish out too much gotcha or sound bite for me to be interested — i.e., they care more about winning than understanding. I joust with them.

                  <

                  p>Unlike the wiser Huh, I had had some hope that your contributions would be careful and challenging. Alas, your previous comment smacks of resentment and your recent diaries reek of it. Resentment can be quite thrilling, I suppose, if one savors adrenalin. Like many, I find white racial resentment distasteful. If I’m going to have to read it, I’d at least prefer something thoughtful not something that was recently pulled out of an anatomical part.

                • In reality, this isn’t a Presidential debate.  There’s no pundits weighing in on who won and no outcome to affect.

                  <

                  p>More importantly, there’s no requirement that I give a detailed response to “have you stopped beating your wife” non sequiturs. FWIW, I wouldn’t argue with Jay Severin, either.  It’s simply not worth the energy.

  2. Fagan actually had a respectable point to make, namely, that with mandatory minimums you pretty much eliminate the possibility of a plea bargain, which means that every case goes to trial, which means that more kids have to take the witness stand.  But he could hardly have chosen a less effective or more offensive way to make that point.

    <

    p>If you’re interested, Fagan tried to defend his comments on Eagan & Braude.  (If that link doesn’t work, go here and click through to the June 25 Eagan & Braude show.)

    • who wanted to go home and tell their constituents they were tough on crime. Lazy, ignorant and oppotunistic state reps who needed to be grabbed by the lapels and slapped.

      <

      p>First rule David, know your audience.

      • “The public isn’t watching, that’s a closed broadcast,” pretty much sums up the state legislature doesn’t it.

        <

        p>On another note you never revealed the salon who was caught drunk driving and let go ernie.  Did his name end in a vowel. I’ve been told about someone and wanted to know if it was the same guy.

    • And THERE he said he realized that there would be plea bargaining, with the possibility of higher penalties for a lesser offense in order to avoid the minimum.  THAT is why he opposed it – he regards zero jail time for repeat child rapists as his holy Grail, his bounden duty, as a defense attorney.

      <

      p>Actually, it was helpful that Finneran is a lawyer, as some of his more outrageous assertions were trounced – still, it WAS a Rep-friendly venue and the discussion was enlightening.

  3. His constituents need to decide whether they are properly represented by someone who delivers legitimate points like a blithering moron.

    • I am highly confident that at this stage in the game with our draconian ballot access laws it will be unlikely to oppose him. Even if he has an opponent I doubt most Taunton residents will look past the D next to his name. The Herald and Fox 25 did really terrible reporting on this one. They said in news articles not opinion articles mind you, that as a defense attorney he was “protecting his business at the expense of victims rights”. Victims rights is a nebulous legal concept in the first place but thats a digression-that could not have been a more misrepresenting article in todays Herald and he has every right to sue for libel.

      <

      p>Lastly I would say that mandatory minimums is just one of those things thats a dumb idea, like draconian drug laws, the death penalty, farm subsidies, etc. that solons will vote for to look good since a vote against it can be easily interpreted as a vote against a certain interest group be it parents, farmers, victims, and in Fagans case a vote against children. I respect him for the courage of his vote but deplore his poor choice of words to defend it  

Archives