Monday, March 23, 2015

Legal issues in the US

Watch out as I'm digressing big time.   Here, living in the bush, my news feed is the internet.  There's something really satisfying to be outside, looking in, but it's also very disturbing to read about the craziness that seems to be taking over our beloved country.  Living in Belize with a much more basic lifestyle and few laws dictating every breath we take, gives me an interesting comparison.  Some view Belize as a dangerous country as they hear murder statistics.  Yes, there is violence here, as there is everywhere in the world, but the greatest share is in the City.  I can't say with authority where and why, but I do know that we don't feel threatened here, but rather feel watched over by our village and neighbors. 


Today, the news was about a case before the Supreme Court in the US, deciding how the police are supposed to treat a mentally challenged person who is threatening others.  GIVE ME A BREAK!  If a person is a danger to others, who has the rights?  How do the police determine that a person has a mental issue?  Will every criminal with a rifle in hand holler, "I'm mentally challenged", and you have to treat them specially?  That's what's really insane.  More and more it seems that the criminals have all the rights while everyone else is just a victim.  People want and expect the police and the laws to protect them and give them justice, but there the laws themselves seem to be the crime.  I can't imagine anyone, unless they have a death wish themselves, wanting to become a police officer.  They have to know and juggle so many laws while being diplomats, always in the view of the public with their cellphone cameras.  How many of us could survive that constant scrutiny?  Now they might be called upon to be psychologists or psychiatrists to be able to judge the person they're facing who doesn't really care.  Every criminal will be laughing at all of us, claiming a mental issue.  Heck, we're all a little crazy to put up with all this BS. 


We're hearing more and more from disenfranchised folks in the US and Canada saying that they want to get out.  They're confused, saddened and frustrated with the direction things are headed and the futility of it changing. 


We live outside the US for economic reasons.  We can afford to live our little life here on our social security.  We do return to the US once a year for medical reasons.  More and more as we're in the downward end of our lives, we're questioning whether to return to the US or remain in our peaceful, simple life here in the bush. 



1 comment:

Corozal Dave said...

I understand what you're saying. But I also have to share with you my feelings 1 year after selling and moving back to Canada for health reasons. When I lived in Belize I never realized I was wearing my Belize "rose colored" glasses. Don't get me wrong, I still love Belize and its people, but now have a more realistic view of life in Belize now that I now longer wear my Belize "rose colored" glasses. I still own 4 acres of waterfront in Corozal and plan on returning to Belize one day. I go for my 2 year screening next week. Once I pass it, I'll no longer have to go every 90 days, it will then be every 6 months for the next 2 years. So I'll be looking at Belize once again.