Judge sentences man to yoga

[ca3799]

In Houston, a judge has sentenced a man to one year of weekly yoga classes (among other things) for slapping his wife. Here, the judge explains his reasoning:


STANDLEY: I'll tell you what compelled me to do it, simply put, anger is a result of a feeling of a loss of control. And more and more I start seeing people that feel like they can control others around them. And the people that are really into yoga, just being in their presence, it is calming. And if it takes effect, I think it will help this individual. If not, then he will get revoked and do a year.

The rest of the story is here:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/01/24/cnna.standley/index.html

And here is my opinion: The judge is an idiot.

First, he seems to have trouble forming sentences.

Second, he admits he doesn't do yoga himself because he has a bad back. His explanation about why he imposed the sentence also included that he, the judge, felt calmer around people who do yoga. He seems to be imposing the yoga sentence based on his vague experiences with it and likely has no idea of what yoga encompasses. He has some idea that yoga will help with anger and loss of control issues. His personal experience with yoga is no more valid than mine.

Third, he already ordered the man to take anger management classes. The judge says he just basically added the yoga part on after everyone agreed to the sentence already.

Next, the judge reports the complainant has a documented substance abuse problem, so the judge orders the defendant to random drug testing? It is entirely possible that both parties have substance abuse problems. Or not. I hope the judge has some kind of evidence to sentence the man to drug testing, but given his reasoning in other areas, I'm not so sure...

Oh, I guess I could go on.

 

[crimresearch]

This reminds me of the judge in California who sentenced two youths to endure 'Native American' justice instead of a more traditional sentence.
Their tribal council elder (later revealed to be their uncle) told the judge that they would be cast out onto a deserted and inescapable island, to live or die as the Great Spirit wished, and the judge fell for it...a news crew went up to the village a few months later and found them zipping around on their ATVs.

Paul Nunis

 

[thaiboxerken]

I think that ordering "yoga" therapy is unconstitutional because Yoga's "effectiveness" is based on religious/superstitious nonsense.

 

[T'ai Chi]

I think that ordering "yoga" therapy is unconstitutional because Yoga's "effectiveness" is based on religious/superstitious nonsense.

You'd be correct if you were talking about yoga as in real yoga in India. But this is yoga (ie. 99% physical exercise) in the USA.

There has been a lot of positive studies of the benefits of yoga. I'd suggest going to http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed and doing a search for yoga.

 

[thaiboxerken]

Sorry, but it doesn't sit well and it's still unconstitutional. This is the same as sentencing a person to daily prayers. Even if it is 99% exercise... 1% religion is still too much.

I'm all for rehabilitation, as long as it's secular. To force people to do religious rituals is illegal.

 

[ca3799]

Yoga may well be beneficial in some ways, but compelling someone to do it for 'anger management' is silly.

 

[KelvinG]

Personally, I'm getting sick and tired of hearing about yoga.

I've worked out for the last 7 years through weight training and traditional cardio. However, since yoga has become all the rage in the last year or so, I've had so many people tell me that I really should be doing yoga. Why? What I'm doing works perfectly well and I feel great because of it.

Yet, apparently I've been missing out all this time because I haven't done the great and wonderful yoga.
Well, you know what, I've seen people doing yoga and I can tell it's not for me. If other people love it, great. But don't try and pretend it's some sort of panacea because it ain't.

Down with yoga.

 

[thaiboxerken]

Ever notice how Yoga practitioners tend to be wimpy little hippies?

 

[!Xx+-Rational-+xX!]

Ever notice how Yoga practitioners tend to be wimpy little hippies?

The superior humans known as skeptics should beat them up to further our cause in the war against quackery!

 

[TheERK]

Ever notice how Yoga practitioners tend to be wimpy little hippies?

Wow, I am saddened that a person like you represents skepticism.

Yoga has health benefits. It doesn't have to be religious at all, although it can be. Besides, you said that the health benefits, not the practice itself, are based on religious superstition. Either retract this statement or refute the evidence for the health benefits.

Eric

 

[T'ai Chi]

Wow, I am saddened that a person like you represents skepticism.

He represents the fundamental variety very well.

 

[thaiboxerken]

Wow, I am saddened that a person like you represents skepticism.

I don't represent skepticism. I'm just a skeptic, not a spokesperson for skepticism. Did you not see my disclaimer?


Yoga has health benefits. It doesn't have to be religious at all, although it can be. Besides, you said that the health benefits, not the practice itself, are based on religious superstition. Either retract this statement or refute the evidence for the health benefits.

What evidence? Do you have evidence that Yoga has health benefits that are any more effective than other stretching exercises? The practice itself is based on superstition. It's "health benefits" are just a fortunate side-effect of stretching.

 

[T'ai Chi]

The practice (yoga) itself is based on superstition. It's "health benefits" are just a fortunate side-effect of stretching.

*sigh*, here is Ken's basic argument, turned around for illustration purposes:

Ken, you practice muay thai, a sport/martial art where they pray to spirits (wai kru) (http://www.thaiboxing.com/ceremony.php?SID), do ritual dances before their fights (ram muay) (http://www.bangkokpost.net/kat/graphics/211002k2.jpg), other Buddhist rituals, and wear special symbolic headgear (mongkol) and armbands for good luck.

The mongkol is believed to bestow luck to the wearer because it has been blessed by a monk or the boxer’s teacher. They believe the armbands offer protection, as they hold small Buddha amulets inside. Muay thai's health and martial benefits are clearly therefore based on superstition and religious/superstitious nonsense.

What's that? You don't practice these aspects of traditional muay thai, or if you do you merely consider the dances/etc. stretching and warmups, so you think it is absurd when I say it is based on supersition?

Now follow that idential argument but with yoga, and you'll know where a lot of us stand and just how absurd and unfair your argumentation is. Just like you are not practicing all the aspects of traditional muay thai, nor do you consider muay thai as practiced by the vast majority in your location to be that, we are not practicing all the traditional aspects of yoga, nor do we consider yoga as practiced by the vast majority in our location to be that.

You are, in effect, saying that because at least one type of yoga is like that, all are, which is, needless to say, a flawed belief.

 

[thaiboxerken]

False, strawman argument and false analogy. I did not say that Yoga's health benefits are based on superstition and religion. I am saying that Yoga is a ritualistics exercise based on superstition and religion. I doubt that Yoga has health benefits that are greater than other stretching methods. My real argument is that Yoga's "effectiveness" is based on superstition.... as in it's behavior modification effective, that is why the judge sentenced the man to Yoga, after all.


I'm saying that the benefits of Yoga calming a person and giving them more self-control are not evident. The judge thinks that Yoga will cause that person to become less violent. The judge bases his opinion on people that he knows who practice Yoga, not on any valid reason.

 

[thaiboxerken]

double post.

 

[T'ai Chi]

False, strawman argument and false analogy. I did not say that Yoga's health benefits are based on superstition and religion. I am saying that Yoga is a ritualistics exercise based on superstition and religion.

Great, so is muay thai in that case.

Cheers.

 

[thaiboxerken]

Great, so is muay thai in that case.

Cheers. [/B]

False analogy, yet again. The effectiveness of Muay Thai as a fighting art is not based in superstition and religion. The rituals performed by Muay Thai practitioners were added by Buddhists after the martial art was invented. The rituals also have nothing to do with the actual fighting, they are often done to keep evil spirits out and also to pay respects to the gods.

In Yoga, however, the effectiveness of it's techniques are rooted in superstition. It's claimed that the stretching exercises bring one closer to spiritual harmony and also improves ones ability to access the energy of their "chakra".

Do you have a non-fallicious argument to offer?

 

[T'ai Chi]

False analogy, yet again. The effectiveness of Muay Thai as a fighting art is not based in superstition and religion.

Great! Then neither is the effectiveness of yoga then.

The rituals performed by Muay Thai practitioners were added by Buddhists after the martial art was invented.

Modern muay thai is laden with ritual.

The rituals also have nothing to do with the actual fighting,

They perform them before fights. I'd say that has to do with fighting.

In Yoga, however, the effectiveness of it's techniques are rooted in superstition.

Bzzz. It is in physiology.

 

[thaiboxerken]

Great! Then neither is the effectiveness of yoga then.

Non-sequiter. What is contained within Muay Thai does not affect Yoga. Your argument is fallacy.

Modern muay thai is laden with ritual.

After the fighting system was invented. The fighting system was not invented based on superstition, but what worked in combat.


They perform them before fights. I'd say that has to do with fighting.

Well you are wrong and only show how stupid you are. Simply because someone does an activity before fighting, doesn't mean that activity has to do with the fighting. The rituals have nothing to do with the actual martial art or fighting itself.



It is in physiology.

The benefits of stretching are physiological. However, Yoga is more than stretching. It teaches that such exercises will bring a person closer to spiritual enlightenment. They claim that the chakras are opened up and this allows cleansing energy to flow through the body.

Sorry, you lose again.

Do you have a rational argument, or will you keep this up ad-nauseum?

 

[Suddenly]

Not that I want to derail the whole exercise seminar or anything, but I feel like subjecting people to my opinion...


I've always hated the whole "I could have sent him to jail" rationale for these silly conditions upon probation. There isn't a whole lot to be done about it, as most defendants would be so thrilled to stay out of jail, or conversely afraid to be sent to jail, that there is often no objection to these sorts of requirements. It just isn't worth the risk to fight it. A few yoga classes beats the heck out of a year in jail, no matter how BS you think it is.

Judges who do this sort of thing are popular, and it is spreading as I fear it is becoming an election ploy to get pubicity and name recognition. We have people being required to tend to graves, carry around pictures, and now yoga. I wonder if anyone has been ordered to attend church. Matter of time. Would attract votes.

Of course, the person is "free" to "choose" jail, so he isn't being "forced."

Right.

This is when it sucks being a lawyer, when a judge pulls some silly crap like this, and you would like to get it thrown out, but the client is (and perhaps understandably so) too afraid of jail to stand up for his rights.