Marty: It was late, I was tired, and I probably should have refrained from posting. I hear what you're saying about prisons, that is, that they are not punishment; but please hear my point, they weren't designed originally for punishment, but for the forceful rehabilitation of "penitents." The walls are there to force the conversion and contain any damage to the greater society in the meantime. Some souls just fail to "get with the program" so-to-speak. Some prisoners, I understand, even break the rules so as to earn solitary confinement and thus get out of any work details. I simply can't account for some human behaviors.
Some countries are more intentional about punishment, cutting off a hand for stealing, stoning women for adultery (men are often viewed as the victim of the woman's wiles), I suppose castration would be an option for rape. I find it significant that most of these countries do not have a Christian heritage, while many of those which have backed off the death penalty and other "punishments" for crimes do share a Christian heritage.
As far as crime and punishment, there seems to be a lot of emphasis these days on getting justice for the victim. The trouble is, some victims are never satisfied! The law, in my view, should try to fit the punishment to the crime, setting a "eye-for-an-eye; tooth-for-tooth" standard to keep things from getting out of hand. In the best cases, judgement can even be tempered with mercy. The goal is, or should be, in my opinion, restoring the order to the community that the crime violated. That is, the crime breaks the peace, justice is executed, and peace is restored. Ideally, the restoration includes the offender (the offender is brought back into the community), but if that doesn't work, the offender is excluded (kicked out of town). Prison is a means of excluding someone until such time as they can again be included.
Charlie: Your graphic depicts the uncontrollable pressures that can develop when religion and politics are brought into close proximity. However, I would contend that each will inevitably seek to influence the other. Throughout most of human history each has sought to support the other in the interest of building a strong, cohesive culture for the tribe, the city-state, and finally the nation. The American experiment sought to change that dynamic and to separate them into their own spheres of influence. Because both religion and politics speak to the nature of the human condition, and because each seeks to influence current and future human endeavor, there is always going to be a conversation with "static" around the edges. The genius of the American experiment is that it seeks to "limit the damages" by not allowing either one to get the upper hand.
Marlin: I fixed my YouTube connection and enjoyed your video links, it's been a long time since I'd heard either song; they brought back a lot of memories. I find it impossible to explain the 1960's to someone born in the 1980's --perhaps sharing the music is the best.
I hope everyone soon gets enough ammunition and the panic buying stops so that business can get back to normal.