Apart from making me smile, your post also makes me think about how we're able to justify anything in our minds. How, through self-justification, if we encounter any cognitive dissonance or situations that are inconsistent with our beliefs, we are able to justify any behavior with the added ability to deny any associated negative feedback.
This is how we are able to teach our soldiers to kill to defend our countries or how an executioner can carry out state sanctioned murder and sleep peacefully at night. You've spoken before too of how you yourself, felt you had a legitimate reason to kill someone who was harming others.
It is this same principal that allows the powers that be to justify building a more 'suitable prison cell' above providing him with the appropriate psychological help he no doubt needs to curb his current inappropriate behaviors.
I have to agree with you that the criminal justice system is creating a larger problem than it had to begin with by caging people indefinately, who would benifit from rehabilitation and psychological intervention. I don't think we will ever be able to 'eliminate' crime, but as you say, "by curing the ills that cause it" this is the only hope we have. I don't think the societal structures of the USA have the foundations necessary to build strong individuals and the most recent mass shooting there in the US is a good example of that. What sort of hopelessness and helplessness must that individual have felt to make the decisions he did...
I heard Obama said in recent days something along the lines of 'for things to change WE have to change' so I'm hoping with the addition of his voice, this discussion will keep going and not stall until the next tragedy occurs there.
Have a Merry Christmas Nate.
Thank you for entertaining me and for your help with my studies this year. Take care!
Thanks for your reply Kyle! I wrote a long screed in reply, but haven't posted it (yet?) since it was too big to fit in the comment box.
But suffice it to say that I guess I don't really understand anarchism. Plus, there seems to be so many to choose from! :-) So, taking the clear-cutting example, I'll ask a few questions, and perhaps you can help me understand in some future blog post.
So, according to your understanding of Anarchism:
Who makes the decisions? i.e. Who decides that clear cutting is wrong? For example, if the chainsaw was just invented and clear cutting is now a real possibility that never existed before, this is a new challenge that society must deal with. How is this dealt with?
How are decisions made? (voting? volunteers only?)
What plans are made to enforce those decisions? Are decisions enforced at all? If so, who enforces them?
What happens to those people who voted differently and disagree with the final decision?
How does society change its mind? i.e. if clear cutting was not seen as a problem until the cherished Walnut Grove is now just Walnut Plains, how does society change course in the face of past precedent?
What happens to those people who rebel against the final decision? Who stops the clear cutters? And how are they stopped? Other forms of government use violent means, such as police or army. How does anarchism handle it?
Nicki, "The long term causes of segragation are something that I have wondered about and what you describe here brings to my mind how a puppy might react when he's been mis-treated by his captors; being timid, withdrawn and untrusting as he doesn't know what to expect".
Perhaps you meant to say "long term EFFECTS".
As a psychology and criminology student, surely you know that the cause vs effect of SEGREGATION (note spelling) are two completely different concepts.
Your words are incredibly touching. The long term causes of segregation on the human spirit are something that I have wondered about and what you describe here brings to my mind how a puppy might react when he's been mis-treated by his captors; being timid, withdrawn and untrusting as he doesn't know what to expect. It proves to me how damaging and wrong it is to hold someone captive in such a small space day and night, year after year. It has become unacceptable to treat circus animals in this way the world over, yet we continue to justify this unacceptable environment towards our own.
I take a small degree of comfort knowing you take control over what you can, and live with love in your heart. Although I am not a religeous person, I do hope my words provide some small degree of comfort, support and appreciation for your strength of mind.
I read this post several days ago and I keep thinking about it in my quiet moments and coming back to it. I also wrote to my friend who is serving life in Arizona discussing the things you speak of and saying to him how thankful I am that he has the ability to move about and utilize his social skills when others such as you don't have that opportunity.
Thank you once again for sharing, your words continue to touch me and make me so very thankful for all I have in my life, regardless of any struggles I may face. Thank you for showing me that appreciation.
You don´t seriously believe that - that the world would be better without Christians or other religions, do you?
According to my opinion, it´s not religion but the human nature that makes people suppress others, kill others etc. If they didn´t do it because of their religion, they´d do it because of skin colour or because the other ones´ noses aren´t straight. The ones who want to act like that always find a reason.
But I agree that you don´t have to be a Christian to be a good human being. I know good Christians AND good atheists as well as bad Christians and bad atheists..... depends on the person.
PS Someone changed the imagination of God from wrathful to forgiving? Yes - that guy´s named Jesus and if he really was God´s son, he had every right to do that, and for the better if God is like He told us. But of course, that´s a matter of faith and it´s completely okay if you think it´s not true.
absolutely agreeing about Ronnie´s hateful postings about Mr. Reddish.
That´s exactly the reason why I didn´t expect him to write an answer to your comments which is not in that style.
I know you don´t believe he´s able to change (at least that´s what I understood of your other comments - correct me if I´m wrong please). Maybe you are right with that, I can´t know that. Neither do I know if he really felt what he was writing here.
But I wanted to try to encourage him to continue more in this way than in that hateful manner. If he doesn´t - well, he´s adult and has to decide himself how he wants to continue. But it´s worth a try, in my eyes.
The quotation is one he really sent me and he sometimes wrote postings on his blog which asked others, especially Christians, for more forgiveness and less hatred. I can only hope that he - at least one day - understands that this demand is valid for him too. That´s why I wrote "always remember the texts you sent me...".
I hope I could make my posting a little more understandable.
Have a nice evening! (....at least, it´s evening here.)
RSS
This is how we are able to teach our soldiers to kill to defend our countries or how an executioner can carry out state sanctioned murder and sleep peacefully at night. You've spoken before too of how you yourself, felt you had a legitimate reason to kill someone who was harming others.
It is this same principal that allows the powers that be to justify building a more 'suitable prison cell' above providing him with the appropriate psychological help he no doubt needs to curb his current inappropriate behaviors.
I have to agree with you that the criminal justice system is creating a larger problem than it had to begin with by caging people indefinately, who would benifit from rehabilitation and psychological intervention. I don't think we will ever be able to 'eliminate' crime, but as you say, "by curing the ills that cause it" this is the only hope we have. I don't think the societal structures of the USA have the foundations necessary to build strong individuals and the most recent mass shooting there in the US is a good example of that. What sort of hopelessness and helplessness must that individual have felt to make the decisions he did...
I heard Obama said in recent days something along the lines of 'for things to change WE have to change' so I'm hoping with the addition of his voice, this discussion will keep going and not stall until the next tragedy occurs there.
Have a Merry Christmas Nate.
Thank you for entertaining me and for your help with my studies this year. Take care!
Nicki
But suffice it to say that I guess I don't really understand anarchism. Plus, there seems to be so many to choose from! :-) So, taking the clear-cutting example, I'll ask a few questions, and perhaps you can help me understand in some future blog post.
So, according to your understanding of Anarchism:
Who makes the decisions? i.e. Who decides that clear cutting is wrong? For example, if the chainsaw was just invented and clear cutting is now a real possibility that never existed before, this is a new challenge that society must deal with. How is this dealt with?
How are decisions made? (voting? volunteers only?)
What plans are made to enforce those decisions? Are decisions enforced at all? If so, who enforces them?
What happens to those people who voted differently and disagree with the final decision?
How does society change its mind? i.e. if clear cutting was not seen as a problem until the cherished Walnut Grove is now just Walnut Plains, how does society change course in the face of past precedent?
What happens to those people who rebel against the final decision? Who stops the clear cutters? And how are they stopped? Other forms of government use violent means, such as police or army. How does anarchism handle it?
Thanks!
- Chris
Perhaps you meant to say "long term EFFECTS".
As a psychology and criminology student, surely you know that the cause vs effect of SEGREGATION (note spelling) are two completely different concepts.
I take a small degree of comfort knowing you take control over what you can, and live with love in your heart. Although I am not a religeous person, I do hope my words provide some small degree of comfort, support and appreciation for your strength of mind.
I read this post several days ago and I keep thinking about it in my quiet moments and coming back to it. I also wrote to my friend who is serving life in Arizona discussing the things you speak of and saying to him how thankful I am that he has the ability to move about and utilize his social skills when others such as you don't have that opportunity.
Thank you once again for sharing, your words continue to touch me and make me so very thankful for all I have in my life, regardless of any struggles I may face. Thank you for showing me that appreciation.
Take care.
Nicki
According to my opinion, it´s not religion but the human nature that makes people suppress others, kill others etc. If they didn´t do it because of their religion, they´d do it because of skin colour or because the other ones´ noses aren´t straight.
The ones who want to act like that always find a reason.
But I agree that you don´t have to be a Christian to be a good human being. I know good Christians AND good atheists as well as bad Christians and bad atheists.....
depends on the person.
PS
Someone changed the imagination of God from wrathful to forgiving?
Yes - that guy´s named Jesus and if he really was God´s son, he had every right to do that, and for the better if God is like He told us.
But of course, that´s a matter of faith and it´s completely okay if you think it´s not true.
The King Of All Kings
Brooklyn's Finest Poet
My heart smiled seeing your work on the Internet.
Sincerely,
BF
absolutely agreeing about Ronnie´s hateful postings about Mr. Reddish.
That´s exactly the reason why I didn´t expect him to write an answer to your comments which is not in that style.
I know you don´t believe he´s able to change (at least that´s what I understood of your other comments - correct me if I´m wrong please).
Maybe you are right with that, I can´t know that.
Neither do I know if he really felt what he was writing here.
But I wanted to try to encourage him to continue more in this way than in that hateful manner. If he doesn´t - well, he´s adult and has to decide himself how he wants to continue. But it´s worth a try, in my eyes.
The quotation is one he really sent me and he sometimes wrote postings on his blog which asked others, especially Christians, for more forgiveness and less hatred.
I can only hope that he - at least one day - understands that this demand is valid for him too.
That´s why I wrote "always remember the texts you sent me...".
I hope I could make my posting a little more understandable.
Have a nice evening! (....at least, it´s evening here.)