From: john grigg (starman125@hotmail.com)
Date: Mon Jan 24 2000 - 20:08:43 MST
Sasha wrote:
>For every kid dehydrated from happy dancing there are a thousand
>who were thrown into jail and raped there by hard criminals,
>millions who live in fear, and billions of dollars floating
>from the kids' hands to mafia, jail industry and corrupt cops.
>Coca-Cola, over-sugared cereals, and greasy hamburgers
>definitely take a greater toll on life than pot or Ecstasy.
>Not to mention alcohol and tobacco.
When I think of the horror that goes on in AMERICAN prisons I am sickened.
I remember growing up being told never wind up in a Turkish or Russian
prison, they're the BAD ones. I think things are changing in terms of
public awareness but very slowly. There are actually support groups for men
who have lived this nightmare but as J.R. would point out women get the
press on rape and not men in prison though I do not negate at all the
important progress in aiding and defending women.
I saw a PBS documentary where they showed the "new breed" of corporate
prisons where private companies actually took seriously the government
exhortation to build a better prison. The corporate take on this was to
build a high-security prison that kept prisoners by themselves for about 23
hours of the day. When they did eat or go to the yard it was for a brief
time and while watched by numerous guards.
This format was very effective at eliminating the violence, rape and
criminal trade that is so common in U.S. prisons. Ironically civil
liberties organizations protested saying the prisoners were being
emotionallly damaged! Some prisoners hated it because they wanted business
as usual but others thought it a safe haven because now they could relax and
not fear for their lives and bodies.
Could you imagine if the health food devotees of the U.S. gathered enough
power and influence to make illegal soft drinks, fast food and sugar-laden
cereals? It sounds funny just thinking about it but that would be too much
for the american people! But with all the money being made giving the
american people what they want I do not see it being eliminated anytime
soon. That logical line of reasoning does go further though...
Law-enforcement agencies have never had it so good with the Rico act, every
shift begins the random treasure hunt for more revenue.
sincerely,
John Grigg
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