"Prosecutor Regrets Arrest Warrant For Nine Year Old" Yah. Really.

First there was this:   http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/13/justice/boy-arrested-gum-theft/

then this:  http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/idaho-prosecutor-arrest-warrant-year-mistake-28195388

This is my comment to McHugh:

"Dear Mr. McHugh,

I read about the arrest of the 9 year old Kootenai county boy over his theft of a pack of gum and failure to appear in court.

I also read your apology about it and that it was a "mistake."  I don't believe it was mistake.  Not really.  Of course, the genie is out of the bottle and this child is and will remain in the school to prison pipeline from now on.  Even upon him reaching the age of 18 and having his "records sealed" in the event that there are no further offenses will not protect him from having his childhood record exposed by anyone who chooses to do it -- not  in this era of cradle to grave surveillance and data mining and the increasing loss of our privacy rights via legislation and court judgements working hand in glove groups like the American Legislative Exchange Council. 

The combined law enforcement actions against this child also lend great support the narrative in this nation that the poorest among us will always be made examples of in the eyes the general public. The long arm of the law falls heaviest upon them no matter what. Your collective actions work to fulfills the social narrative of the moneyed classes that the poor don't deserve any thought, that there may be circumstances beyond their control, that their poverty IS a moral and character failing.  You, the judge who signed the warrant and the police all played your roles in backing up that narrative. 

You hewed to the letter of the law every step of the way. I'm sure you did. There are people who will applaud you for it. But others, like me, are also aware that not one of you showed any shred of genuine interest in the boy or his long term welfare.  You showed that service to justice was untempered by mercy or compassion.  Your public apology which has gone nationwide cannot undo the damage that has been set in motion and which will be played out over that boy's lifespan on levels you cannot begin to calculate. 

Each of you adults in your official capacities had opportunities to do better.  I'm sorry you didn't.  Even though I'm an ordinary person of ordinary means, I am a citizen of this nation and I can't be silent about this.  Sometimes a person has to speak up about the little things that, however well intentioned on the surface, work to undermine people's faith in honest, just government.  

As a courtesy, I should let you know that I am putting up the text of this comment to you on my blog at:   http://morgansher.blogspot.com/  

Cordially,
Morgan Sheridan"

Update:  I did receive a boilerplate reply from Mr. McHugh.   It a reiteration of the press release apology sent out to the media.  In other words, he had nothing to say.

Turkey Green Chile Stew

Ingredients

For roasting:

1 14 lb turkey

1 apple cut in half

1 medium onion cut in half

2 carrots cut in quarters

2 stalks celery cut in quarters

1/4 C olive oil

2 Tbsp melted butter

3/4 tsp black pepper

1 sprig thyme

For the stock:

2 bay leaves

1 Tsp dried minced garlic

1 Tsp peppercorns

2 large carrots cut into 2 inch lengths

2 stalks of celery cut into 2 inch lengths

1 medium onion quartered

For the stew:

6-8 whole fresh Hatch green chiles prepped & chopped up - medium to hot heat OR 1 C Bueno frozen prepared Hatch Green Chile.  Fresh or frozen. NO canned stuff.

8 medium red potatoes rinsed and quartered

Pinch of cumin

2 Tsp Kosher salt

Roasting the turkey:

• Remove giblets and neck.  Set aside or discard as you please.
• Rinse turkey and pat dry with paper towels.  
• Put 1/2 apple in the cavity near where the neck was.
• In the larger cavity put in the other half of the apple, the quartered carrots and celery and onion.
• Season with black pepper and thyme. 
• Mix the olive oil and butter and spread over the skin of the turkey.
• Cover with foil and put into a pre-heated oven set at 325F.  (Gas Mark 3 for those in Europe)
• Roast at 325F for 3 hours.
• Remove foil and baste using the pan drippings.
• Continue cooking for another 45-60 minutes until a meat thermometer says the internal temp is 165F when placed in the breast and 175F when placed in the meaty part of the thigh.

Remove from pan to a large platter and cover.  Let cool 45-60 minutes, cover tightly with foil and put overnight in the fridge.

Use the pan drippings to make your favorite turkey gravy & store.  --- After all, not ALL of the turkey is going to be used in this stew! 

After refrigerating your turkey overnight, you will be breaking it down:

• Carve off  the right half the breast, wing, both drumsticks and left thigh from the bird and set aside for other meals. 
• Remove the left breast half and divide that in half and add that to the set aside as well.   (Try to carve the breast meat as close to the breast bone as you can when you're doing this.)

You should be left with about a generous cup or so of white meat, the meat of 1 thigh, 1 wing,  the whole carcass as well as whatever meat is left on the carcass. 

Fill the stockpot 3/4 full with filtered water and add the stock ingredients:

• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tsp dried minced garlic
• 1 Tsp peppercorns
• 2 large carrots cut into 2 inch lengths
• 2 stalks of celery cut into 2 inch lengths
• 1 medium onion quartered

Pick off all the remaining skin and any visible fat from the carcass, thigh and wing. 

Dispose the skin and fat or add to a bowl for feeding pet dogs or cats later.

Break the carcass in half and add it the stock pot.  Add the thigh and wing bones as well.

Cook covered on a medium heat for about a 2 hours.  It should look like it's gently bubbling but the liquid should not be splashing out of the pot.  

Using tongs remove the carcass and all bones from the stock pot. 

Pick off any remaining meat from the bones and return the meat to the pot.  Dispose of the bones.

You should now have a good rich turkey broth with lots of tender meat in it.  Next add in the green chile, a pinch of cumin, the salt and the potatoes.  Cook on a medium heat for about 30-35 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.

Serve.  Enjoy..