Until 1985, it was easy to tell the difference between Democrats and Republicans on crime issues. As a result, far too many campaigns hinge on how eager the candidates are to send people to jail. As president, Bill Clinton continues the effort he began as governor of Arkansas to be a no- nonsense crime fighter. This concern is due in part to his other failures. As James V. DeLong observes in the March American Enterprise , many activities that were not illegal 10 years ago now are.
Landlords can have their buildings seized if tenants are found using drugs.
People who don't properly fill out forms required under the Clean Air Act can go to jail. Employees of corporations can be considered criminals if they can't tell the courts what a petty cash fund was used for, or why a particular investment doesn't appear on company books. The result is an erosion of our sense of what is right and what is wrong. Even as people are sent to jail for minor crimes, high-profile defendants appear to be set free due to technicalities in the law or to variants of the insanity defense. The average American, flooded with reports about the Menendez brothers, the Bobbitts, the trials resulting from the Los Angeles riots, as well as the guests on salacious talk shows, might well conclude that anyone can finagle his or her way to freedom with a sad story and slick attorneys.