I think that you are full of horse shit.
--- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "sail4free" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > ========== > Fred Stevens K2FRD <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: "sail4free, I think you > took Tom's post in less than the light sense in which it was posted." > ========== > It's big of you to defend him. Do you know him well enough to do > that? I work every day with four convicts who are within their last > year or two of being managed for maximum profit for the system -- > much like farm animals. Perhaps this intimate exposure doesn't allow > me the luxury of a cavalier attitude toward the suffering of > others. When someone says they LOVE the sight of those striped > uniforms picking up trash along the highways, where is the "light > sense" in that? These young men have spouses and kids they love and > miss and ache to hold and comfort. Their lives are a freakin' mess > but somehow they get up every day and go to work for someone like me > for $3 a day. They smile and have good attitudes and eat mountains > of shit from prison guards and other prison staff just to get through > another 24 hours and hopefully get to have a life again some day. > They haven't done anything I haven't done at one time or another. > Many of the things they're doing serious prison time for NOW weren't > even against the law when I was their age. And if they were against > the law, you didn't go to prison if you got caught. People haven't > changed. Only the laws have changed. And they need to be changed > BACK! > ========== > (Man, I can hear it already, "What does this have to do with > boondocking?") Absolutely nothing; say it again. > ========== > FRED: "While there are certainly problems with the Federal and > states' penal system, and in the means by which they are filled, it > wasn't necessary to debase Tom for a casual observation and statement > in which he was neither bragging nor gloating." > ========== > It seems to me he WAS saying, "Look at these two states; they're > doing it "right" -- complete with chain gangs!" We have to remember > that at least 80% of these guys are NON-violent offenders. They > aren't there for rape, murder, or child molesting. They're in prison > for DUI, insurance fraud, bad checks, identity theft and often times > possession of very small quantities of drugs. Do you realize there > is a mandatory federal prison sentence of 5 YEARS for possession of 2 > grams of crack cocaine (about the same weight as two pennies)? It > goes way beyond "problems." Amnesty International says our system > of "justice" and incarceration in this country is "beyond repair." I > don't know that I "debased" Tom for his loving observations -- but > should we just tolerate unlimited ignorance; keep turning the other > cheek and chanting, "Gee honey, I'm sure he means well?" > ========== > FRED: "BTW, do you have a real name or do you prefer to reside within > the anonymity of a username?" > ========== > I have a "real" name and I do prefer to use the same username I've > used for years on the net. A simple Google search will provide more > information about me than you're likely to ever use; it's not like > I'm trying to hide from anything or anyone. I think my username says > more about me than my given name ever could -- besides you might be > related to me and I wouldn't want your half-baked conclusions about > my radical nature to cause you to write me out of your will. But I > must observe I find this particular "challenge" common among those > who seek to marginalize someone or discredit them. I'm not saying > this is what YOU are doing. You don't have to take it personal -- > that's always optional. > ========== > FRED: "Everyone else participating in this discussion, the > sub-discussions, and the sub-discussions have been using > their christian names." > ========== > Do you seek to alienate all non-christians with that reference? > Because -- presumeably -- NONE of them have "christian names." And > since when did what "everyone else" is doing ever have the slightest > impact on what I should be doing? They're not me. I'm not them. > They do what makes sense to them. I do what makes sense to me and if > everyone stays calm -- nobody gets hurt. > ========== > FRED: "Also, BTW, my native New York state has county jails > in 56 of its 59 counties (three counties have arrangements with > adjacent counties). Seems the numbers of county jails nor the numbers > of prisons in counties isn't any indicator of anything beyond the > manner in which each states' department of corrections is established > and operated." > ========== > I didn't realize we were talking about county jails -- most every > county has one of some form or another. I'm talking about state > PRISONS and when a state (Florida) has at least one PRISON in 78% of > its counties, I think that is worthy of mention. And when another > state (Texas) has 115 of them, I think that is worthy of mention > too. The numbers are indicative of a rapidly expanding > national "prisoners for profit" trend which should be extremely > troubling for all of us but, apparently, most people couldn't care > less (as long as THEY aren't the ones in prison). Therefore it is > imperative that those of us who DO care have to care even more to > make up for those who can't allow their comfy little lives to be > troubled by such negative facts. > ========== > It is clear that in addition to our military industrial complex, we > now have a prison industrial complex in this country -- a group of > individuals and companies so wealthy they are able to purchase > political influence to change public policy to increase their profits > with no end to this madness in sight. And the conservatives who > began this fool's game called "war on drugs" during Reagen's first > term are laughing their bloated bellies all the way to the bank. > More than anything else, this change in public policy has given us > the highest incarceration rate of any country in the world. Over two > million of our citizens are currently in prison -- many on trumped- up > charges -- many gals because their husband's or boyfriend's stash was > found in the car when they got stopped and were the only one in the > car at the time. It's a national disgrace and something we all > should be aware of. The police are NOT your friends. And the only > thing they'll turn on quicker than one of us is one of their own. (I > have websites where you can read all about the boys in blue who have > been wrongfully convicted by their former comrades -- names, dates, > places -- many years of their lives lost forever for something they > didn't even do. Often times, those who lied and convicted them were > promoted because of their ability to turn in one of their own. When > these former officers are acquitted -- years later -- the vermin > don't loose their promotions and the minds of their prosecuting > attorneys and judges remain unchanged.) > ========== > A few more facts for those whose comfort isn't threatened by the > truth: > ========== > We are the nation that has imprisoned a million non-violent drug > offenders in the last decade. (And anyone in the know will tell you > that "rehabilitation" has absolutely zero priority in our current > prison system . . . they are no more than warehouses . . . where > violent predators are mixed with innocent men and guards stand by > while an estimated 12,000 involuntary sexual acts (sodomy -- rape) > occur every day. What kind of rage might that instill in your > heart? Think some innocent might have to pay the price for what > happened to you some day? So we have to ask, "Why are these men and > women in prison? They hurt noone other than themselves. Are we > protecting them from themselves? Can we afford to do that?) > ========== > Private prison investors are jubilant about an expected U.S. Supreme > Court ruling that would bar any inmate from suing a privately run > prison for civil rights violations. > ========== > Stocks of private companies that build and operate prisons for > governments have zoomed as high as 300 percent in anticipation of > internment camps and new prisons. > ========== > Even China, with one party rule and a population that is 4.5 times > larger than the US population, has 30% fewer total prisoners than the > US. China's per capita rate is a small fraction of the US rate. > ========== > sail4free > ========== > We'll never forgive. We'll never forget. > Fight the rich, not THEIR wars! > Vietnam Veterans Against War > ========== > Do you dare to feel responsible for every dollar you lay down? > Are you going to make the rich man richer or are you going to stand > your ground? > Hear Woody speak out at: > http://www.voiceyourself.com/03_thoughtsfromwithin/03_movie.php > ========== ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/z1TolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To reply to this message, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Boondocking/post?act=reply&messageNum=7534 Please do not reply to this message via email. 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