FERGUSON AND THE PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX The deeper issue in Ferguson is really THE SYSTEM - the system that is strategically and purposefully designed to work against minorities and those without the means to overcome it. It is a Prison Industrial Complex - much of it privatized for the past few decades and run by corporations. And just like hotel chains like Marriott and Hilton want to keep properties fully occupied, so does this system and its prisons. Thats how they make profits for its investors. Tens of billions of dollars are made every from profits of THE SYSTEM. This system, demonically inspired, influences our public educational system, government policy makers on the Federal and State levels, etc etc, and so many other areas that have the potential to contribute to having an open pipeline to keep the hotels occupied. Having more African-America police officers in communities of color can help and should definitely happen, but its really only some icing on the cake, that will not address the root issue of THE SYSTEM. I believe the church has to address these systems that are demonically inspired, and find Kingdom solutions to implement. What is happening in Ferguson is the fruit of the root of THE SYSTEM as people are expressing rage and frustration over the injustice of a system they is stacked against them. And it most definitely is. I just came across this on a website. They are key points from a panel discussion held recently by academics and activists. One of my heroes as young man in the 1960s and early 70s was Angela Davis. Its amazing she just turned 70 and is still sharp as a tack and such an extremely articulate academic. Now I dont agree today with all her political or spiritual perspective on many things, but absolutely agree with her on a number of things. The following are some points from their panel discussion that are very interesting to consider as we hopefully enter into a national debate soon about how to deal with THE SYSTEM. Check this out: *Prison is a big business... Who do you think, among the major players, is actually going to try to undo such a profitable enterprise and operation? *For the most part, there is no - as in zero - rehabilitation that goes on in prison. The system actually wants people to return to prison. So-called prisoners are human beings... family members... and need the care and love from relationships while they are incarcerated. We must show them the same human dignity and compassion we are capable of. *We have to get to know their stories, and take those stories back out for the world to see, hear and understand. *We must come to understand the prison crisis in this country within the broader context of American history, especially the history of slavery and the decades following. *We must also understand that the prison populations in other countries tend to mirror the social and demographic patterns as the system in this country... the prisons tend to be filled with societys systematically disconnected and poor citizens. *The model of incarceration in this country is one squarely focused on punishment and removal from society, within with incarcerated labor as a profit-making carryover from the capitalist model developed and made efficient during slavery. *Whats currently happening in Ferguson, Missouri is a tragic but accurate illustration of everything thats wrong with this nations prison industrial complex. It is one of many that gets public attention, yet that dynamic is more common than not throughout this nation.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Nov 2014 01:44:23 +0000
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