Today, The Court System Worked

I told myself that I would leave the Casey Anthony trial alone for a while, but after hearing and watching the Twitterverse explode and my facebook feed erupt, I figured I’d chime in on a few things. I want to preface this web log by saying how lucky I am to live in a nation where presumption of innocence is the standard and where the state weighs the burden of proof. Americans often take this for granted, but the rights that we have, such as a fair and speedy trial, a jury of our peers, double jeopardy rules, etc. are not orthodox in all countries.

The U.S. justice system was designed firstly to protect the innocent. After that prerequisite is met, then and only then is condemning the guilty a concern. It may seem barbaric and less than utilitarian, but I would set 40 murderers free if it meant that one innocent person would not be charged for a crime he didn’t commit.

I’m not going to get into the details of the case, but I will say that I’m thrilled that we don’t sentence people to death because they look guilty anymore. Even the most vile of people still must be convicted beyond a reasonable doubt. Justice, in many of eyes, may not have been served, but the courts did not fail us.

Better Food vs. Less Food

I had an interesting conversation over dinner last night. We were comparing food regulations in the United States vs. other developed countries when it comes to commercial agriculture, farming, distribution, etc.

While I concede that the United States has under par standards, I made the argument that most developed countries don’t have the conundrum of feeding upwards of three-hundred million mouths (under the pretense that ever mouth is fed each day).

I argue that being overweight presents a much greater risk than the hormones, steroids, and pesticides that are in our meats and vegetables.

As a nation we don’t grasp what healthy weights truly are and how significant a 5-lb increase in weight (excluding muscle gain) can be. I’m sitting at here at 200 lbs. Granted, I may look like I could use a few gym sessions, no one would call me “fat.” Truth being, I’m 30 pounds overweight in accordance to the BMI index for my height (5’10”). I’m 4.5 lbs from being clinically obese.

As for steroids in red meats, we shouldn’t be eating as much red meat as we do. I’m guilty as the next guy. I absolutely love red meat, but it’s not the greatest thing for you if eaten frequently and in the portions it’s normally served in.

Our lack of standards for commercial agriculture and farming is not the culprit for our nations health problems. We eat too damn much crap. I’d rather be an ideal weight and eat pesticide-laden veggies and steriod-injected tenderloin in moderation than be 40 pounds overweight eating range-free eggs and organic prime rib.

This has been a little motivation piece for myself. I’m trying to lose 20 lbs. this months. I’m giving up drinking so that I can quit smoking so I can get beyond the 6-mile mark on my runs. It’s been 4 days and it’s been quite nice. Not too excited to miss National Beaner Day, but I guess the rice, beans, and Corona can wait ‘til Cinco de Junio!

Happy Cinco de Mayo fools,

stillz