Wrong person, wrong classification
Mar. 13th, 2003 10:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
magidSuppose someone has been convicted of a crime, served part of the sentence, and then the person is found to be innocent. New DNA testing, or whatever, has shown the person innocent. Person is let out of jail. What happens then? Does Person still have a criminal record (so Person has to say yes on the job applications when it asks if the applicant has a record)? Is Person compensated for lost time by the state, or given training/help in finding a job (how do you hide that gap on a resume?)/ counseling? Of course, any financial compensation doesn't make up for losing one's life for however many years, all the memories not made, the relationships strained or broken, the reputation damaged, but it's a start towards making things just a little bit easier.
I was listening to the news last night (Evening Edition on WBUR), and there are motions to get last month's fire in Providence declared a federal disaster, or something, so victims can get FEMA money, especially since all the likely groups with potential liability are unlikely to have enough cash to compensate. I understand why people are suggesting the federal government step in here, but it feels very strange, too. A fire like that is just not in the same category as a hurricane or a flood. The other part that was extremely distasteful to me was how there were comarisons between the fire and the events of 9/11. Yes, there are many people bereaved after each event. But there is a difference between terrorist acts and a potentially preventable fire. The comparison went on and on, and not one person in the story seemed to find it a bad comparison to make. Ugh.
t
I was listening to the news last night (Evening Edition on WBUR), and there are motions to get last month's fire in Providence declared a federal disaster, or something, so victims can get FEMA money, especially since all the likely groups with potential liability are unlikely to have enough cash to compensate. I understand why people are suggesting the federal government step in here, but it feels very strange, too. A fire like that is just not in the same category as a hurricane or a flood. The other part that was extremely distasteful to me was how there were comarisons between the fire and the events of 9/11. Yes, there are many people bereaved after each event. But there is a difference between terrorist acts and a potentially preventable fire. The comparison went on and on, and not one person in the story seemed to find it a bad comparison to make. Ugh.
t