How callow have we become?

I'm at a point, and many of you have heard me say this before, where I'm not even sure if national politics represent anything tangible. I won't reveal who I would vote for, but I'm on the verge of just not voting. When the system fails so often, and politicians in power don't do anything about, words like "change" and "hope" are fairly meaningless.

Take for instance, the federal and state prison systems. With an incarceration rate that gives the US 25 percent of the total inmates in the world (714 per 100,000 residents), its obvious that something is very wrong. Drug laws and policing unfairly target minorities, creating large groups of broken families in impoverished areas. (I'm not saying that all minorities live in poor neighborhoods, but a large portion of sale and possession charges come from these areas.) This in turn raises the possibility of the next generation turning to crime, and creates a vicious cycle.

Furthermore, when convicts are released into society, most do not hold high school degrees, which makes finding a job difficult. And, with the exception of a few industries, employers simply will not hire ex-cons. So what are these people supposed to do? Well one really good option would be to return to a life of crime. Its profitable enough.

So, with 7 in every 1000 Americans in prison this moment, shouldn't politicians be extremely worried about this demographic? Are we hearing anything about this?

On a side note, the fact that the National Democratic Party stripped Michigan of its delegates because it held a too-early primary should serve as proof to anyone that our primary system is ridiculous.

Why shouldn't states' candidates all be chosen on the same day?