: I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be REDUCED by it! [DR. MAYA ANGELOU] Imagine if these young men who were terrorizing people - instead - got together and started one big legitimate business or a few smaller legitimate businesses (and HELPED people; by teaching the people in the surrounding neighborhoods how to do the same thing); and worked hard on making that business or those businesses grow and expand. People can unify for criminal activity, but revert to being crabs in a barrel when anyone wants to do something POSITIVE. How curious...! Human nature and human depravity are quite POWERFUL, it seems; because human beings will gladly do everything that works completely against their best interests rather than doing the things that will build them up, and build up their community. A few of my peers rail against the Prison Industrial Complex and the outlandishly stiff penalties that Black and (often) Latino males receive. However, these men [and sometime the women, also] need to STOP doing things that will cause them to become SLAVES to the American penal system. THIS kind of SLAVERY is wholly VOLUNTARY. If I know that the system is already working AGAINST me, Id be totally INSANE to provide that loaded gun - aiming at my face - the ammunition it needs to be effective AGAINST me. Twenty (20) years ago, I may have been a bit more compassionate, sympathetic, or empathetic. In 2014, most of that compassion, sympathy, and empathy - especially on this issue - is dried up!
Posted on: Thu, 05 Jun 2014 22:57:44 +0000
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