Mini Rant

The background on the following paragraphs is that I got an email with a link reminding us all the Scots have added to our modern world and that if you want to boycott Scotland do it wholeheartedly and avoid the use of everything Scottish, including what they've invented that we enjoy so well. Most of you know that somehow this led me from isn't that neat to thinking of forwarding it on to friends with a wee note. Needless to say the email wasn't forwarded on because it became this larger, more serious thing.


I sympathize with the families who lost loved ones at Locherbie. It was a disgraceful act perpetrated by people who wrought irreparable damage and instilled fear on a global level. The following thoughts are not meant in disrespect to these people, nor is it a commentary on whether Scotland did the wrong or right thing in releasing al-Megrahi. Ultimately as an American living in Scotland it is more a matter of "who are we to judge".

While feeling very mixed in my own right about the release of al-Megrahi I remind myself that it is their country and not ours. They choose to deal with crime much differently than we do, as is their right. In a society such as ours where we have 52 non-identical criminal justice systems, each with their own rules and punishments I am not sure how we are on a higher moral ground to tell them that they messed things up. (The 52 comes from each state having a system, the federal system, and the military system, which I don't normally include but as we are focusing on an act of terrorism it has to be identified.)

Among American's highlights in criminal justice:

• We allow violent criminals to return to the community after serving only a fraction of their sentence knowing full well that it is a simple coin toss as to whether they will re-offend.
• We identify that 5g possession of crack is punishable by 5 years imprisonment but that it takes possession of 500g of powdered cocaine to receive the same punishment.
• We sentence people to 20 and 25 year sentences for a third felony, regardless of whether it was a violent crime, property crime or even a public order crime. I am still not exactly sure how theft or burglary is equal to rape or aggravated assault.
• We have white collar offenders who rip the money out of our pocket twice (rip us off and get us to pay higher taxes to offset their tax breaks), and at times have shown such wanton disregard for human life as to blame the victims for their injuries and deaths as well as say that employees could have taken other jobs.
• We have drunk drivers who have been convicted no fewer than 5 times and in some cases have been caught 25 or more times.
  

Hardly grounds to talk about moral superiority when it comes to dealing with convicted criminals. As distasteful as we find Scotland's action in the al-Megrahi case do we really want to go about seeing how we measure up in dealing with criminals. We would be wise to remember that most of these countries don't rub our faces in all of the discrepancies that exist in American criminal justice. It wouldn't take much for them to point at the issues raised above, realizing that those don't even start to scratch the surface of the inequalities in our system related to race, class, gender, or age that we have failed to put behind us. Inequalities reminding us that in America Justinia may be peeking out from her blindfold.

To quote the thin white duke "Ch- Ch- Ch- Changes"

Have nearly reached the end of the week and all the faculty have arrived. The students aren't slated to be here until Wednesday next week so we still have a bit of time before everything goes full speed. We do have orientation on Friday for faculty and staff, but should be no great shakes. Things around the house and the bit of the property I have seen is still generally the same, albeit with the scaffolding covering the center and faculty wings of the house now.

What keeps sticking out in my mind is the changes in the town itself. Of course the Farmfoods and Lidl are still there, as are the banks, the consignment shops, and of course Kabob Mahal. The town has lost Woolworth's, which was actually slated to close when I was here last. The little sports store Intersport has been bought out and moved to Leith, which is quite the jump in location from Dalkeith. There is talk yet again of the Country Hotel closing its doors, which seems to be a continual possibility over the last couple of years.

Even with these changes and all of the things that have stayed relatively similar the business loss I see, and feel, most is the closure of Sam's. For people who were in the Wisconsin In Scotland program quite the ways back it was the Greyhound prior to being Sam's. The place has metal shutters over the windows and over the doorway, but the board outside still says Welcome Wisconsin. I know that the residents of the program don't always make the same choice in pubs, but it is definitely not quite the same without Kath and Liam there just before the BMW motorcycle shop (can't believe that thing has made it in Dalkeith, but what do I know).

In Edinburgh the biggest visible change is way that Princes Street and Leith Walk are torn up and limited, if not closed, to install the tram. It definitely is not a pretty sight and anyone who has kept up with the process can attest to the fact that it is going to be horrendously over budget and the city may quite possibly sue the contractors before all is said and done. It may turn out to be one of those bright spots once it is finished, but right now it just gives the place a different vibe. Then again there is still festival crowd here so once all that gives out its last gasp things will potentially feel a bit more normal.

Even the weather is different this time around. In 2007 we were getting rain as little as once a week, but this time we have been keeping our fingers crossed that it goes without raining at least once a week. Even last evening and tonight there were periods of rain after what were very nice sunny and partly cloudy days, respectively. Rather than just walking onto the grounds and down to the house without a thought, it is now a matter of paying attention at night so that you don't do the slug slip. There are slugs out along the drive like there is no tomorrow and the walk home tonight even had it's own slug orgy - or whatever it is that they do when they group together en masse.

Well now that I have brought up slugs I guess I had best head on for the night, cheers to all and the hopes of bright sunny days ahead. -- casino

And so it begins

25 August 2009

Now that I have successfully navigated furlough day and other faculty will be arriving today, it seems that the work here in Dalkeith can begin in earnest. I have to say I feel much more relaxed about the fall semester this time around, having done this just two years earlier. The courses are the same as the last time, but so much else will be different - the schedule, the faculty, the staff, the students. I am looking forward to it all and don't feel the same pressure as last time since there are no new courses to prep this time around.

Today's plan is to take some time getting the office space organized, deal with my work email (which I haven't checked in two weeks as I was on vacation - I will not feel guilty, I will not feel guilty, I will not feel guilty), take a walk around the grounds, and just maybe starting to set up the schedules for the syllabus. I also have to get all of the photos up and posted from our kayaking and hiking adventures of this month as I promised people they would be up by week's end. As I get the chance I will also post blog entries from the time kayaking and hiking just to fill all of you in on the adventures.

Well I have procrastinated enough for one morning. And so it begins . . . .