[R-G] Prison industrial complex dialogue + letter to editor

[james m nordlund]

Dear Connexions, et al,

Mitakuye Oyasin.  D'accord.  Yes, all people, as all life, are threads in the whole of the fabric of life, which will always need mending; yet, "we" can't allow it to be torn asunder.  Thanx for replying and saying what you thought on the piece of another's that I included in my post, without replying to my post; though.  Quite an excellent and insightful reply you wrote, there.  Accentuated by your experiential wisdom and practicum; I appreciate it, and will share it.  I agree with your directions of study, thanx for the out and insights.   Yet, as always, I post articles, etc., I even disagree with, as I'm actuating study, not people agreeing with me. The latest trends, since you're interested, though, I've been saying these for decades :
a) The discernments of the prison industrial complexes defacto-slavery (of
inmates mainly) as an historical linkage to, and lineage of (in capitalist
terms and plans) the post-slavery period and abolitionist movements charge.
As the abolitionists of today are also charged, and taught by that history.
Yet, I would add that these movements including the struggle against nuclear
war, arms, and energy, are all linked, inextricably, as they have all life,
like flies; snared in those webs.
b) The re-education, reiteration of humanities evolutionary growth, as
charge, and charges as growth, to meet the needs of the 'materialism'
defined relation of middle to lower class as no more than those flies, all
caught; just when, where, and why, varying.  This conception of those
classes as food for the military to prison industrial complexes, in a
multitude of ways (especially men), thereby all dependent, on all sides, on
its growth, is historically linked, and has sociological linkage to the same
set of patriarchal sociological definitions of being as the empires of old;
ergo, a key to opening the prison of globalization.
c) The enabling and perpetuating of these societal cages determined by
sociological programming, by other puppets of the corporate structure, like
organized religions, academia, etc., underlies the conspiratorial processes
efficacy across the broad spectrum of humanity, bound by these shores, for
e.g..  Original sin, poverty as sin, inability to get work as failure,
emotional life, communication, coordination and cooperation as weakness and
justification for the perpetuation of determination of failure, etc., are
some examples.  Just as the hypocrisy of their redemption, etc., in supposed
Christian dogma, also determines the same in a society where the delusional
construct of winning or losing, kill or be killed, predator or prey, user or
used prevails; and is determinedly propagated for those purposes, all based
on the mothers milk of capitalism, 'materialism', which doesn't even exist.
A shaky house of cards they've built, no?

Yet, will "we" break those links in the chain of premeditated mass-murder,
when we seem satisfied to only weaken them occasionally?  Will "we", be the
people that demand a gov't be "of..., for..., and by..."?  Or will one man
one vote never exist, as they demand?  Yet, I know that, in no small degree,
what is the only possibility of all that fine stuff happening universally,
in reality, is if "we" address the corporate structure's convolutions global
direction of devolution; in a sentence.  Without addressing the sociological
effects that the causes of the delusional constructs, like 'materialism',
have wrought on society at large and small, we would just be manifesting
mirror images of the same societal constructions that determined the
position the earth finds itself in; at this time.  Some would suggest
dialectical, dichotomous approaches would be popular, and therefore
pragmatic, in terms of efficacy,  Yet, the constraints of the duality of
such social scenarios leaves those, and related solutions wanting.  More
elemental work with perception, discernment of experience, and the study of
any and all relations is a minimum; in a word, the evolution.  "We" can't
avoid the reality, as we can't avoid their machine like mental cells they
operate out of, made of walls of delusions, built with bricks of illusions;
technocrats doing away with life, itself.  Is there any wonder the
extinction of humanity and large mammals is racing towards us from the
future, and that we can see it in everything, as clearly as it can be seen
on our horizon?  What of this study of realism, this common language that
binds us and sets us free, can "we" be it; can it be?

Your good sojourning is an important step in the evolutionary path, thanx!
Still, we must ask, what do the people do who don't discern la machine's
machinations for what they are; and suffer under the yoke of 'materialism',
for e.g..  I've found, as you probably have too, that no matter how much
losses, nor how much 'they' take away from me, I am my soul, and spirit,
manifesting as it does. I've always known 'using', 'having' are illusions,
and 'possessing' a delusion, experientially; that knowledge has helped me
and all a great deal. For, whose strength is in the arm that outstretched
gives another a hand up, no matter how strong or weak the hand of either?
I've always known it wasn't mine, or our common humanities', alone. For
e.g., we must study to relax, also, if one pushes themselves or others too
hard, reality usually pushes back. The slow-motion blitzkrieg that "we" have
all been facing for decades from the republican conspiracy (which is
facilitated by the dempublicans), has been focused on some individuals,
groups, demographics more than others, and more or less intensely at varying
times; in order for them to facilitate their delusions like 'have it like
that', etc., and the division and conquering of a formidable opposition to
it. How, because most or parts of most of that formidable opposition have
thought they 'have it like that', and have facilitated their and others
evolving processes demise. Now that the republican conspiracy has seemingly
successfully taken it to the whole world, life may be realizing it has to
stand against it to avert humanities' and large mammals extinction, or even
to just slow it down; so, there's hope. Not hope for one, or any group, but,
rather, for all people and life, as all life are threads in the whole of its
fabric. Yet, it will always need mending, and if my life was just a stitch
in time in life's fabric, that may have saved nine, that slowed 'la
machine's' 'krieg, then so be it.  The losses of humanity and life will be
astronomical before the delusional
constructs of destruction and murder, etc., defined as 'power', etc., are
dissipated; and reality is left more evident and real than ever before. You
know if "we" waste the time to dwell on life's losses, it's time not spent
in its defense. You know if someone's not taking bullets, they're making
them; a lesson humanity learned from WWII. If "we" don't find the ways, or
trailblaze them, to unify in a common direction, albeit only paralleling at
times, the evolution, you and I know 'they' will end any hope. You, and I
friend, will continue to the breach, singing our own song of fraternity
while we appreciate others'...; i look forward.

In closing, here's a question that could easily be said to sum up "we" the
people's evolutionary and spiritual dilemma. If the roots of lack of
compassion for the diseased, disadvantaged, children, etc. and the en vogue
economic tool war, one being psycho-pathic greed, aren't addressed in
Western societies sociological programming of their populaces, won't the
corporate structure's convolution's devolutionary direction eventually
determine more apathy and social pathos in global society; ergo, less
funding for prevention, treatment, and research into curing AIDS, defense of
reproductive rights, and opposition to war as a substitute for economic
growth and foreign policy, in the long run? Yet, who will entertain it, let
alone pose it? What does the fact that it won't be posed, like the question
of spiritual relations with others, portend for the existence of whole
continents, like Africa, nay humanity itself?  Sample Letter To Editor :
Deaths of those in all gov't institutions:
The fact that inmates are dying in record numbers is indicative of the fact
that the Justice system is broken, just as the fact that the death penalty
is unfairly applied to lower income citizens and minorities is, as well.
Before it becomes the injustice system, it needs fixing. State Initiatives,
like Sonny Scroggins in Kansas, which look to establish programs that can
independently investigate any death of a person held in institutions by the
gov't, can go a long way towards addressing these injustices.

We've a moral obligation as citizens to insure that no person held in
institutions of our gov't are abused, or killed. Therefore, there should be
a full investigation when anyone dies while in any gov't institution. For,
being American isn't only having the rights guaranteed to us by the
Constitution and Declaration of Independence, it's also affording them to
others. As well, while rights are being taken away from one, they are
slowly being chipped away from all. So, when we are doing our civic duty by
insuring the rights of those held in institutions, we're also insuring that
our and our families' rights will be upheld.

We must remember Angela Davis' words, "Prisons don't disappear problems,
they disappear human beings." Also, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.s', "We're
caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of
destiny. Whatever affects one directly, effects all indirectly." Lest "we"
forget, if you don't exercise responsibility, its Siamese sister, freedom,
will wither, as well. Also, injustices have costs, if addressed their
individual, if not addressed, their global, too. For example, the U.S. has
5% of the world population, yet, 29% of its prisoners. The number of
immigrants in the Federal system grew 90% in the last 7 years, although
98.5% are of them are nonviolent.   If we really wish to address the unrest
in the world, we have to start in our own back yard, for e.g., violent
offenders being cut loose very early to make room for all the 'new' non-
violent ones they wish to put into the system.  Thank you.  Truly Yours,


Remember: "We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a
single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, effects
all indirectly." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. ~ Mahatma Gandhi, "we must be the
changes we wish to ee in the world." "Prison is designed to break everyone's
spirit and destroy one's resolve. To do this, the authorities attempt to
exploit
every weakness, demolish every initiative, negate all signs of
individuality, all with the idea of stamping out that spark that makes each
of us human and each of us who we are." ~ Nelson Mandela   "We" can
challenge ourselves and society by challenging defacto slavery established
by the injustice system in the U.S. and everywhere it is? Isn't an important
part of that challenging, working towards abolishing their tool of terror
which
determines most follow their leaders out of fear, if little else? For, we
all know the innocent are premeditatedly murdered by the state to that
purpose, the death penalty being a tool of the war on freedom.
Lest "we" forget, if you don't exercise responsibility, its Siamese sister,
freedom, will wither, as well.  Sadly, now, it first needs to be exorcized
before its exercised. As always, feel free to copy and share, as well.  Viva
la evolution, viva green party! For those interested : "of or pertaining to
the morning, day : relating to or happening in the morning or in the early
part of the day (formal), (Mid-16th century, from late Latin matutinalis,
from Matuta, goddess of the dawn.)".   Enjoy a festive eve' as you
can.  Oyate.  Thanks!    Matutinally Yours,     james m nordlund

Katie wrote :  "I appreciate your discussion into the Criminal Justice
System. It is my hope that Szasz's Psychiatric Protection Order will (with
its use by choice by consumers of mh services) allow people choice of
responsibility for their behaviour and the right to accountability for their
behaviour without the 'additional' burden of being charged with a "mental
'illness'". In this way:
1) people will become aware of the fullness of human behaviour (in all its
positive/negative forms) as it will be much more difficult to label the
aberrant with a mental illness i.e. biologically predisposed to a genetic
brain disorder and therefore bury the socio/political ramifications of
cultural aberrations, which are in fact their behaviour deemed criminal.
2) instead of diagnosing more and more inmates in criminal justice
incarceration as mentally ill - prone to self-harm and suicide and
recidivate, the quality of criminal justice system and incarceration may
become something for the specialists to investigate to unbury the corruption
that is the mirror of the culture.
3) people may then become aware that in the past the rehabilitation efforts
were only on paper and in the mouths of politicians and administrators and
out of their pockets in an ongoing effort to bury the aberrations of the
culture.
4) people may become aware of which populations of peoples (in the 'we the
people' that is never 'we the peoples' invested with self-determination' )
are the 'criminals' in the culture and seek to make amends and reparations
and undo the very corruptions in the culture that is mirrored in the prisons
that will become prevention.
Working in a medium security mens' prison in Spruce Pine, NC tore me up! I
got through 1 month training and 1 week on the job. Then they fired me.
Apparently I am unsuitable. The inmates are there to be punished as with all
sacrifical peoples to cleanse us of our guilt and shame, such as our need to
make 'the war on 'all' things' as a form of rehabilitation and correction of
corruption by exclusion of participation in the culture by large numbers of
certain groups of peoples.  Maybe in the next millenia 'we the people' can
say 'we the self-determining peoples'. For me 'hope' is 'compassion',
because when one who is hopeless is enabled to have hope it stems from
self-compassion, where self is self-centred within other instead of
self-centred within I. A nasty by-product of the patrilineal, vertical power
structure is that the gentlest amongst us and the most subjected to abuse
are our criminals or our pseudocriminals in the mental health system.
Katie"  Au revoir.


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