Puppies Behind Bars

[GSB]

I heard a segment on the radio last night ... Puppies Behind Bars is a program where they have inmates train service dogs for disabled Veterans ... I didn't catch the entire program, but it sounded like it has been successful so far ... I believe they said that they have placed 35 service dogs that perform tasks such as alerting Veterans with PTSD when someone is coming up behind them or around corners ( I guess PTSD makes you very paranoid and jumpy ) ... dialing 911 ... turning on or off lights and appliances ... getting the phone, answering the door etc etc . ... and I suppose the thing is that the inmates are learning a trade, performing a service and being calmed and loved ... Anyone else hear anything about this or have any thoughts?

I saw it on TV last night. The inmate was Michael Vick.

Ok, that was a really good one.

[SiberianQueen]

GO PUPPY GO!

[Skarp]

Puppies. How nice. I think that perhaps Oingo Boingo said it best:

Johnny was bad
Even as a child everybody could tell
Everyone said if you don't get straight
You'll surely go to hell

But Johnny didn't care
He was an outlaw by the time that he was
Ten years old
He didn't wanna do what he was told
Just a prankster
A juvenile gangster

His teachers didn't understand
They kicked him out of school
At a tender early age
Just because he didn't want to learn things
(Had other interests)
He liked to burn things

The lady down the block
She had a radio that Johnny wanted oh so bad
So he took it the first chance he had
And then he shot her in the leg
But this is what she said

Only a lad
You really can't blame him
Only a lad
Society made him
Only a lad
He's our responsibility

Only a lad
He really couldn't help it
Only a lad
He didn't want to do it
Only a lad
He's underprivileged and abused
Perhaps a little bit confused

His parents gave up
They couldn't influence his attitude
Nobody could help
The little man had no gratitude

And when he stole the car
Nobody dreamed that he would
Try to take it so far
He didn't mean to hit the poor man
Who had to go and die
It made the judge cry

Only a lad
He really couldn't help it
Only a lad
He didn't want to do it
Only a lad
He's underprivileged and abused
Perhaps a little bit confused

It's not his fault that he can't behave
Society made him go astray
Perhaps if we're nice he'll go away
Perhaps he'll go away
He'll go away

(Repeat chorus)

Hey there Johnny
You really don't fool me
You get away with murder
And you think it's funny
You don't give a damn if we live or if we die
Hey there Johnny boy
I hope you fry!

[GIMNEPIWO]

Puppies. How nice. I think that perhaps Oingo Boingo said it best:

Johnny was bad
Even as a child everybody could tell
Everyone said if you don't get straight
You'll surely go to hell

But Johnny didn't care
He was an outlaw by the time that he was
Ten years old
He didn't wanna do what he was told
Just a prankster
A juvenile gangster

His teachers didn't understand
They kicked him out of school
At a tender early age
Just because he didn't want to learn things
(Had other interests)
He liked to burn things

The lady down the block
She had a radio that Johnny wanted oh so bad
So he took it the first chance he had
And then he shot her in the leg
But this is what she said

Only a lad
You really can't blame him
Only a lad
Society made him
Only a lad
He's our responsibility

Only a lad
He really couldn't help it
Only a lad
He didn't want to do it
Only a lad
He's underprivileged and abused
Perhaps a little bit confused

His parents gave up
They couldn't influence his attitude
Nobody could help
The little man had no gratitude

And when he stole the car
Nobody dreamed that he would
Try to take it so far
He didn't mean to hit the poor man
Who had to go and die
It made the judge cry

Only a lad
He really couldn't help it
Only a lad
He didn't want to do it
Only a lad
He's underprivileged and abused
Perhaps a little bit confused

It's not his fault that he can't behave
Society made him go astray
Perhaps if we're nice he'll go away
Perhaps he'll go away
He'll go away

(Repeat chorus)

Hey there Johnny
You really don't fool me
You get away with murder
And you think it's funny
You don't give a damn if we live or if we die
Hey there Johnny boy
I hope you fry!

So, ... that's one vote for No Puppies being trained by inmates ... or do you think Cats would be better service animals for Disabled American Veterans ?

[Skarp]

So, ... that's one vote for No Puppies being trained by inmates ... or do you think Cats would be better service animals for Disabled American Veterans ?

Well, let's see. This is supposedly providing inmates with skills that they can then use in the job market when they are released. So there must be a private industry right now trying to compete directly with 25-cents per hour prison labor. And when little Johnny gets released, he'll be the one having to compete with the prison labor. Not that he will bother...he'll be off stealing cars again.

So no...I'm not in favor of any programs in which government tax dollars are used to compete unfairly with free market participants. If you want inmates to work (and I do), have them dig holes and fill them back up again. Good training for ditch-digging, and nobody gets driven out of business by it.

[anonlooker]

It would be so much easier if we just chopped them up and canned them, like Spam, and distributed the recycled end product to the needy.

Of course I'm not suggesting we recycle puppies, but rather the convicts.

[coachmatt]

It would be so much easier if we just chopped them up and canned them, like Spam, and distributed the recycled end product to the needy.

Of course I'm not suggesting we recycle puppies, but rather the convicts.

your a sick puppy...

[GIMNEPIWO]

So, ... that's one vote for No Puppies being trained by inmates ... or do you think Cats would be better service animals for Disabled American Veterans ?

Well, let's see. This is supposedly providing inmates with skills that they can then use in the job market when they are released. So there must be a private industry right now trying to compete directly with 25-cents per hour prison labor. And when little Johnny gets released, he'll be the one having to compete with the prison labor. Not that he will bother...he'll be off stealing cars again.

So no...I'm not in favor of any programs in which government tax dollars are used to compete unfairly with free market participants. If you want inmates to work (and I do), have them dig holes and fill them back up again. Good training for ditch-digging, and nobody gets driven out of business by it.

Wait a minute ... one of my business ventures is digging holes and filling them back in ... ... I see what you mean ... How do you feel about clubs or organizations competeing unfairly with business' ? ... i.e. The Band boosters selling oranges, pumpkins or what have you ? The softball team washing cars ? Is that okay because it is not your tax money supporting it ? Not trying to be a hose head ... just interested in your opinion ...

[Skarp]

So, ... that's one vote for No Puppies being trained by inmates ... or do you think Cats would be better service animals for Disabled American Veterans ?

Well, let's see. This is supposedly providing inmates with skills that they can then use in the job market when they are released. So there must be a private industry right now trying to compete directly with 25-cents per hour prison labor. And when little Johnny gets released, he'll be the one having to compete with the prison labor. Not that he will bother...he'll be off stealing cars again.

So no...I'm not in favor of any programs in which government tax dollars are used to compete unfairly with free market participants. If you want inmates to work (and I do), have them dig holes and fill them back up again. Good training for ditch-digging, and nobody gets driven out of business by it.

Wait a minute ... one of my business ventures is digging holes and filling them back in ... ... I see what you mean ... How do you feel about clubs or organizations competeing unfairly with business' ? ... i.e. The Band boosters selling oranges, pumpkins or what have you ? The softball team washing cars ? Is that okay because it is not your tax money supporting it ? Not trying to be a hose head ... just interested in your opinion ...

I don't have a problem with that, because yes, they are not being financed with public money.

It is somewhat problematic that various businesses have to pay licensing fees, taxes, etc., that the types of organizations you describe do not have to pay. Ask the car wash proprietor who has invested his life savings in his business how he feels when some softball team or another sets up shop every weekend across the street and undercuts his pricing. But the bottom line is that volunteer labor will always be able to undercut paid labor, and telling people they can't volunteer their labor is ridiculous.

[GIMNEPIWO]

So, ... that's one vote for No Puppies being trained by inmates ... or do you think Cats would be better service animals for Disabled American Veterans ?

Well, let's see. This is supposedly providing inmates with skills that they can then use in the job market when they are released. So there must be a private industry right now trying to compete directly with 25-cents per hour prison labor. And when little Johnny gets released, he'll be the one having to compete with the prison labor. Not that he will bother...he'll be off stealing cars again.

So no...I'm not in favor of any programs in which government tax dollars are used to compete unfairly with free market participants. If you want inmates to work (and I do), have them dig holes and fill them back up again. Good training for ditch-digging, and nobody gets driven out of business by it.

Wait a minute ... one of my business ventures is digging holes and filling them back in ... ... I see what you mean ... How do you feel about clubs or organizations competeing unfairly with business' ? ... i.e. The Band boosters selling oranges, pumpkins or what have you ? The softball team washing cars ? Is that okay because it is not your tax money supporting it ? Not trying to be a hose head ... just interested in your opinion ...

I don't have a problem with that, because yes, they are not being financed with public money.

It is somewhat problematic that various businesses have to pay licensing fees, taxes, etc., that the types of organizations you describe do not have to pay. Ask the car wash proprietor who has invested his life savings in his business how he feels when some softball team or another sets up shop every weekend across the street and undercuts his pricing. But the bottom line is that volunteer labor will always be able to undercut paid labor, and telling people they can't volunteer their labor is ridiculous.

Agreed, people should volunteer to whatever cause they feel passionate about ... it makes good sense ... but I disagree about them selling a service or product and putting themselves into competition with local business' ... the one situation I described, similar to your scenario, happened to us ... we had the Band Boosters from a local HS set up shop and compete directly against us selling pumpkins ... after 3 years of them ruining our October sales, we gave up ... since then, they grew tired of selling pumpkins and have moved on to oranges, Christmas trees or whatever ...