HGiles: Have you done it? Any of it? I have.

No one in power will see or care about this thread. Representatives at all levels care about letters (bonus points of an actual physical letter, they don't get many of those and it sticks out). I can assure you, volunteering at shelters, especially homeless shelters, is the exact opposite of useless. It helps people who desperately need it and relieves some of the burden on overworked county officials, it's a two-for-one deal. Joining local advocacy groups can have a huge impact, they're lobbyists at the local level and have a lot of sway in what laws are made and how they're enforced.

There are so many avenues for people in America to make government better. The problem is that 99% of Americans have stopped participating in their governments. Of course it's going off the rails! We're getting the government we deserve with our apathy. If a useless post is the most you can do - fair enough. But don't delude yourself that it's a substitute for taking actual action.

ETA: I laughed out loud at the idea that volunteering at a fire station or legal assistance charity is useless. You obviously haven't ever done either and have no idea how much a difference they can make.

qwixter: Go internet activism! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!

Whelp, I am exhausted. Time to go play some Dragon Age Inquisition. Glad I did my part to make the world a better place today.

GioVio123: And this is better?....

monkeydelarge: Washington man spent 19 yrs in jail on fake child molestation charges
http://rt.com/usa/207823-man-jail-fake-child-molestation/

In this country, our legal system hasn't evolved past the Salem witch trials. Maybe Americans should be pissed off about this instead of being pissed off at having to pay taxes?

monkeydelarge: So volunteering at homeless shelters will help change our legal system? The answer is no. So like I said, every thing you mentioned is useless. Everything you mentioned will not help change the legal system. If you weren't so dense, you'd realize I wasn't saying volunteering at a homeless shelter is useless when it comes to helping people... We are talking about changing the legal system... Duh.
monkeydelarge: So what if my thread is useless and I wasted my time. Making fun of someone for trying? Seriously? WOW, please go slip on your sidewalk and fall this winter into a massive pile of dog shit. Then you'll be face to face with your soul mate.

HGiles: You just keep getting classier, don't you? He's mocking you because you *aren't* trying. This thread does not count as trying. That's the point.

Volunteering at a homeless shelter will actually help with enforcement, because the more people off the streets the less time police officers and firefighters have to take away from their actual jobs to deal with them (plus, it would get you more familiar with how the legal system actually works, you don't seem to know much). All of the other things I suggested would either directly impact the laws or help address imbalances in getting access to proper legal representation.

More ideas: Help people fill out tax forms in the spring. Volunteer to ride along with a police officer or do community-oriented policing (focused on connecting police with their communities). Volunteer as a polling station attendant during elections. Donate to charities focused on improving laws you care about like the EFF, ACLU, etc. So many ways to get involved in improving governance and representation!

awalterj: Over here, we have the opposite problem with people getting away with murder - literally.
One well known example is the case of Vitaly Kaloyev from Russia who lost his family in a plane crash and then decided to stab to death Danish air traffic controller Peter Nielsen who was on duty during the fatal flight - in front of Nielsen's wife and kids.
Kaloyev only had to sit in prison for a laughable 3 years before he was let out and on his return to Russia they gave him a post as a minister and treated him like a hero - a convicted murderer.

That kind of BS is inexcusable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitaly_Kaloyev

monkeydelarge: Everything you suggested is 1000 times more useless than creating a thread on a forum. Are you that naive? If so, then why am I wasting time with you?

Rusty_Gunn: In reading the article, as an American, I don't understand why he's just now being released when the "victim" came forward about the false accusation two years ago

qwixter: Let's just quote this again. Creating a forum post is better than actually doing something like volunteering. A "1000 times" better no less. You think you have heard the dumbest thing you will ever hear/see/read on the internet, then there's always one guy/gal out there one upping.

monkeydelarge: Well then your legal system is garbage too. But I still think our legal system is worse because at least your legal system doesn't ruin people's lives based on what people say.

HGiles: People who think complaining on random forums is 'doing something' are part of the problem. Go volunteer at a shelter or a legal assistance charity to free up county workers so they can do actual policing. Does your local fire station need help? Check with your city and county government for other ways to help. Write an actual email or letter to your leaders about police accountability. Show up for town hall meetings. Did you vote in the midterm elections?

All of those are doing something. This? This is not doing something.

qwixter: Ok, thanks for the clarification.

chadjenofsky: 'Murica isn't crap.... but we sure do have a ton of stupid voters!

HGiles: You do realize that the US system has many more checks and balances than lots of other legal systems? Innocent until proven guilty is not actually always a part of the legal framework, even in other Western countries. And someone lying under oath is a problem in all legal systems. That's why perjury a serious crime. The issue that caused the false imprisonment isn't unique to the US.