Apparently there is a hunger strike going on in one of the state maximum security prisons. It's been All. Over. The. News. lately and my question is: why should I get worked up over a hunger strike in a prison?
If the prison guards and/or administrators were starving the inmates as a form of torture, sure, then I could find some compassion.
But when guys who care so little about society's rules that they end up in Pelican Bay decide to exercise the only choice they should have left to make - to eat or not eat - why does it become national news and why does it divide the nation?
These individuals all CHOSE to flout the law, CHOSE to commit a crime - and a really serious one to end up in Pelican Bay - CHOSE to do it multiple times in some cases, and then CHOSE to stop eating.
I say, have at it.
Why does this guy:
"Beasley is serving a life sentence for murder. Once behind bars, he joined a violent white power prison gang. And that's when officials sent him to Pelican Bay"
Deserve my sympathy and support?
Sure, solitary confinement is not pleasant and I'm sure there are things the guy could be doing that would make him feel better. Next time, DON'T KILL SOMEONE! and then when you get to prison, DON'T JOIN A GANG! Especially a VIOLENT WHITE POWER PRISON GANG!
It's not rocket science people.
Not an easy call for the prison authorities to make. Lock the guy up; be called cruel and inhumane. Protesters, media coverage, extra audits and inspections.
Let him out with others; guards, inmates and innocents on the street die.
Nice options.
My two cents are these. We have some of the nicest prisons in the world. Offer these complainers a choice; same sentence in either place.
Stay here in America's maximum security facility or prison in North Korea.
This is me and they're not doing well with captivity.
Almost literally:
Perhaps more accurately, auditioning for Christmas.
In July.
This is me and the weird stuff I see around town.
I am just going to stop with the back dating of posts, start afresh and use this post to cover all the ground I lost. It's harder to try and write something as if it just happened and none of the intervening events did, than to look at a six week gap in my posting history.
Just some random things I have noticed this summer.
- Despite June 21st being the longest day of the year - and therefore the days are getting shorter now - July seems to have really bright evenings. As in it's 7pm before I start to think about cooking dinner.
- As a child, I did not appreciate the beauty of summer vacation as much as I should have. Think of it; two+ months off to just bum around, go swimming, read, lay in the sun, visit the beach/park/museum/library/zoo/botanical gardens, sleep late and play with explosives. I totally understand the phrase "youth is wasted on the young."
- This is not so much a summer observation but a note, now that I'm drafting again, WHAT did we do in the days before email and Google maps? Roof plans are so easy now that I can get a satellite image and just copy it!
- Took a trip over to my "local" Asian market and found exactly what I have been searching for:
- Ran down one of the local streets and discovered the OTHER thing I have been searching for. You might have to zoom in a
lot little to see the sign. (P.S. It says Virgin Malaysian Hair):
This is me and my summer so far.
