Hello Z. I have seen this momentum before, during what was known as the Arab Spring, as an attempt to throw out repressive regimes. Only more death and chaos followed it. I’m not optimistic about this momentum in the USA. And I call it USA, not America, because America is a continent and the USA is only a small part of that. Yet acts like it is superior and in charge of said continent. I digress. This momentum I hope it carries through, but, unfortunately people have short attention spans these days and a ‘ what’s in it for me’ attitude. In prisons in the USA it is racially segregated and willingly so by the participants of it, should there be an uprising there too, a coming together of the races, the gangs and the other ways they divide and rule? . Separately you are easy to control. What should be addressed, straight away and without then need to protest to bring it before the public consciousness is police brutality. That needs to stop and straight away. All cops should wear go pro cameras, and lose their pensions and jobs and medical advantages in the case of assault or the death of a member of the public. They are supposed to protect and serve the public, not themselves. As a person married to a person who does not share my skin colour, religion or culture, and our children who blend beautifully what we have, I am cautiously optimistic about the future. But most change in life, actually even from birth is violent, painful and uncomfortable, so we will have more years of this to ride through. I’m not a yank myself, , I’ve often thought that the baton was dropped in 1969 after the murders, of Dr King, Malcolm X and Bobby Kennedy. There have been no real mentors in civil rights matter since, briefly of course The Panthers held the public’s trust for a while then imploded with infighting and CIA interference. As each outrage hit the newspapers, the usual black leader would address each point, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, StokelynCarmichael, but back they went, never really punching through. And everyone sort of had amnesia until the next outrage. Watts Riots, Rodney King, Eula Love, Latisha Harlings, now Ahmud Arberry George Floyd and Rayshawn Brooks, names no one beyond their communities would ever have known, now they are known globally. They protested in Paris, Rio de Janerio, London, Africa. The butterfly effect of change, the USAs dirty laundry shown in public, Teump doesn’t even address it. Just punches the air with labels, Antifa, Thug, Communist, Socialist, anti patriot. There is an energy in the streets. But we will have to wait and see how it ends. As Dave Chappelle said in his YouTube clip 8:46 the streets are talking, and he is going to leave it to them because they are beautiful. All the best. T
Your letter is a half arsed attempt at ‘politicising’ your indignation that you, one, were caught, and two, want your affiliates out here in the free world to have a better chance of viewing some new photos. You thought you were the smartest person in the room. You never were. You speak of injustice, a trigger word for the liberal hand wringing lefties, of which I am not one. Justice was served. You will never be released. You can’t be released. My acid test is this. How would I feel if you were on the bus sitting next to me one day. Would you present a danger to the people on that bus? The answer is clearly yes.
You are a master manipulator, but you won’t manipulate me, I’m sure if we met I would discover you are a charming, affable amiable chap. You have to be, thats the bait you used on the outside. The rights of youth are absolutely none of your business. Nothing at all to do with you. You don’t even understand simple sexual boundaries, youths do not need you as an advocate. Forget about it. You are a coyote, you hunt the youths, they are sheep to you. In no way, shape or form are you a person who should lobby, speak up for, or in deference to young people. It’s like putting an arsonist in charge of a fire station. You don’t get it though. You do not think you ever did anything wrong. In your mind you were just being you. You don’t know who you are. You have no real understanding of the damage you caused in society. Your posts are full of fishing comments. Unfortunately for you part of my previous career was looking for codes and algorithms in print. I spotted you pretty quickly. You are transparent.
I’m a deeply religious person. I advocate for prisoners rights. I write to several men in long term sentences. I offer them support. What I don’t do is bull sh*t them. Most of us are not the sum parts of our one moment of madness, violence or anger. Captivity isn’t the place for most men. But it is the correct place for you, regardless if you see it that way or not. You are in the right place. Because you cannot control your impulses and society will always be fishing pool for you, compounded by the internet which would probably have served up more,victims to you You do not understand that you went off like a hand grenade in many children’s lives. You decimated them. You blew families to pieces. You destroyed the ability of many of them to build trusting intimate relationships as adults. You did that. Not just a few either. Many many kids, even the ones that didn’t come forward. Ergo you were sentenced to 600 years.
Thank you for writing. I feel that it is difficult to give my views on your debate without actually knowing the specifics of this vehicle related law. Though, my initial thoughts would be that what is most important is the right of an individual to safety. I don't think that depriving someone of the right to do something which poses a risk to the lives of others is really depriving them of a right. Surely they should not have this right in the first place? I guess one of the most important reasons why we have laws is to protect people from the harm that they might face from others. And, with this in mind, I would be inclined to support this vehicle related law (though my opinion might be different was I to know its specifics). Law in itself will always be a compromise, protecting some people at the expense of what others might deem their liberty to engage in certain practices or activities. However, I would once again tend to the view that to engage in an activity or practice that does pose a direct risk to the life of another is not a right that one should really have.
I look forward to hearing any further thoughts of yours.
Hi Jennifer! I worked on the transcription for your post. Thanks for writing and sharing your story! Your experiences are incredibly meaningful and I wish you all the best of luck and hope for the future. Parole is just around the corner.
It's a trip to read that SMS is finally up and running, as a dear friend of mine would say: downright spiritual! It is an honor to be a part of that bold vision of yours that now comes into reality for all to see and grow. Congratulations on your patience and perseverance. Much love, DJ Jules
july4: Dear xzyzst, I got your letters of 6 april and 13 april. I forwarded the one to M. I'm horrified by whats happening at SQ. I hope you are healthy and are doing ok amidst the craziness. I also wonder if not communicating by the vent is a good idea as it might spread that way. big big hug, Ju
I just finished the transcription for your post, thank you so much for writing! I found your work hugely interesting to read, and so much of what you say truly resonates with me.I feel that, regarding your views society's general response to coronavirus, you make a very good and true point. In some respects, it has to me seemed quite extreme and not entirely logical. I have always struggled with my views on the way people panicked so much so early on, and now can't get my head around how people are starting to act as if everything is back to normal, when it is not.
I agree, of course, that it is the case that a certain number of people will be infected, and that the same goes for how many will die. But, I do still believe it is in our power to determine what this certain number is. It is not out of our hands, but literally in them. If we are able to stick to restrictions and constraints on our daily lives (which I think are being lifted too soon), and if we are able to find a vaccine, the difference this will make to the impact of coronavirus will be huge. I believe that there is still hope that eventually we will take control of this virus, as it has done over us.
I completely agree with you that we have no idea what our "new normal" will be. This is what scares me the most. Even if we are able to find a vaccine for this virus (which is by no means a certainty), I worry that there will remain a greater fear of the next pandemic, and that there may be long lasting effects on how we live our daily lives. Of course, only time will tell.
Thank you again, and I look forward to reading what you write next.
Thank you so much for your reply! It made my day hearing from you again, so please keep replying! I'm so pleased that reading my response felt good but please please do not for a second feel shamed! That is entirely besides the point! Any anger that you feel is inevitably justifiable, and never ugly! I loved your post on anarchy--not because it was ugly in any way, but because it was so passionate and knowledgeable. Even now, you're able to recommend numerous theorists and philosophers to look into (which I will definitely do!). It's very impressive AND inspiring, so don't for a moment second guess yourself or convince yourself that you need to do better because it sounds like you're doing pretty bloody awesomely! I can't imagine feeling like you're constantly screaming into the void, and it sounds impossible, but as you say, the fact that there are connections to be made and like-minded people to scream to, shows that it is always ALWAYS worth the effort so please don't ever stop! And with Proudhon, I think that's very good advice! And quite possibly he'll come under intense scrutiny very soon given the current social climate! I just want to say thank you again for your reply, and for all your recommendations! I will check out Emma Goldman and let you know how I get on next time! Best wishes, Mimi
RSS
I have seen this momentum before, during what was known as the Arab Spring, as an attempt to throw out repressive regimes. Only more death and chaos followed it. I’m not optimistic about this momentum in the USA. And I call it USA, not America, because America is a continent and the USA is only a small part of that. Yet acts like it is superior and in charge of said continent. I digress. This momentum I hope it carries through, but, unfortunately people have short attention spans these days and a ‘ what’s in it for me’ attitude. In prisons in the USA it is racially segregated and willingly so by the participants of it, should there be an uprising there too, a coming together of the races, the gangs and the other ways they divide and rule? . Separately you are easy to control.
What should be addressed, straight away and without then need to protest to bring it before the public consciousness is police brutality. That needs to stop and straight away. All cops should wear go pro cameras, and lose their pensions and jobs and medical advantages in the case of assault or the death of a member of the public. They are supposed to protect and serve the public, not themselves.
As a person married to a person who does not share my skin colour, religion or culture, and our children who blend beautifully what we have, I am cautiously optimistic about the future. But most change in life, actually even from birth is violent, painful and uncomfortable, so we will have more years of this to ride through. I’m not a yank myself, , I’ve often thought that the baton was dropped in 1969 after the murders, of Dr King, Malcolm X and Bobby Kennedy. There have been no real mentors in civil rights matter since, briefly of course The Panthers held the public’s trust for a while then imploded with infighting and CIA interference. As each outrage hit the newspapers, the usual black leader would address each point, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, StokelynCarmichael, but back they went, never really punching through. And everyone sort of had amnesia until the next outrage. Watts Riots, Rodney King, Eula Love, Latisha Harlings, now Ahmud Arberry George Floyd and Rayshawn Brooks, names no one beyond their communities would ever have known, now they are known globally. They protested in Paris, Rio de Janerio, London, Africa. The butterfly effect of change, the USAs dirty laundry shown in public, Teump doesn’t even address it. Just punches the air with labels, Antifa, Thug, Communist, Socialist, anti patriot. There is an energy in the streets. But we will have to wait and see how it ends. As Dave Chappelle said in his YouTube clip 8:46 the streets are talking, and he is going to leave it to them because they are beautiful.
All the best.
T
Your letter is a half arsed attempt at ‘politicising’ your indignation that you, one, were caught, and two, want your affiliates out here in the free world to have a better chance of viewing some new photos. You thought you were the smartest person in the room. You never were. You speak of injustice, a trigger word for the liberal hand wringing lefties, of which I am not one. Justice was served. You will never be released. You can’t be released. My acid test is this. How would I feel if you were on the bus sitting next to me one day. Would you present a danger to the people on that bus? The answer is clearly yes.
You are a master manipulator, but you won’t manipulate me,
I’m sure if we met I would discover you are a charming, affable amiable chap. You have to be, thats the bait you used on the outside.
The rights of youth are absolutely none of your business. Nothing at all to do with you. You don’t even understand simple sexual boundaries, youths do not need you as an advocate. Forget about it. You are a coyote, you hunt the youths, they are sheep to you. In no way, shape or form are you a person who should lobby, speak up for, or in deference to young people. It’s like putting an arsonist in charge of a fire station. You don’t get it though. You do not think you ever did anything wrong. In your mind you were just being you. You don’t know who you are. You have no real understanding of the damage you caused in society.
Your posts are full of fishing comments. Unfortunately for you part of my previous career was looking for codes and algorithms in print. I spotted you pretty quickly. You are transparent.
I’m a deeply religious person. I advocate for prisoners rights. I write to several men in long term sentences. I offer them support. What I don’t do is bull sh*t them. Most of us are not the sum parts of our one moment of madness, violence or anger. Captivity isn’t the place for most men. But it is the correct place for you, regardless if you see it that way or not. You are in the right place. Because you cannot control your impulses and society will always be fishing pool for you, compounded by the internet which would probably have served up more,victims to you
You do not understand that you went off like a hand grenade in many children’s lives. You decimated them. You blew families to pieces. You destroyed the ability of many of them to build trusting intimate relationships as adults. You did that. Not just a few either. Many many kids, even the ones that didn’t come forward. Ergo you were sentenced to 600 years.
I have only one question for you.
How do we stop predators like you?
T
Thank you for writing. I feel that it is difficult to give my views on your debate without actually knowing the specifics of this vehicle related law. Though, my initial thoughts would be that what is most important is the right of an individual to safety. I don't think that depriving someone of the right to do something which poses a risk to the lives of others is really depriving them of a right. Surely they should not have this right in the first place? I guess one of the most important reasons why we have laws is to protect people from the harm that they might face from others. And, with this in mind, I would be inclined to support this vehicle related law (though my opinion might be different was I to know its specifics). Law in itself will always be a compromise, protecting some people at the expense of what others might deem their liberty to engage in certain practices or activities. However, I would once again tend to the view that to engage in an activity or practice that does pose a direct risk to the life of another is not a right that one should really have.
I look forward to hearing any further thoughts of yours.
Grace
I worked on the transcription for your post.
Thanks for writing and sharing your story!
Your experiences are incredibly meaningful and I wish you all the best of luck and hope for the future. Parole is just around the corner.
Free turtle island,
-H
big big hug, Ju
I just finished the transcription for your post, thank you so much for writing! I found your work hugely interesting to read, and so much of what you say truly resonates with me.I feel that, regarding your views society's general response to coronavirus, you make a very good and true point. In some respects, it has to me seemed quite extreme and not entirely logical. I have always struggled with my views on the way people panicked so much so early on, and now can't get my head around how people are starting to act as if everything is back to normal, when it is not.
I agree, of course, that it is the case that a certain number of people will be infected, and that the same goes for how many will die. But, I do still believe it is in our power to determine what this certain number is. It is not out of our hands, but literally in them. If we are able to stick to restrictions and constraints on our daily lives (which I think are being lifted too soon), and if we are able to find a vaccine, the difference this will make to the impact of coronavirus will be huge. I believe that there is still hope that eventually we will take control of this virus, as it has done over us.
I completely agree with you that we have no idea what our "new normal" will be. This is what scares me the most. Even if we are able to find a vaccine for this virus (which is by no means a certainty), I worry that there will remain a greater fear of the next pandemic, and that there may be long lasting effects on how we live our daily lives. Of course, only time will tell.
Thank you again, and I look forward to reading what you write next.
Grace
Thank you so much for your reply! It made my day hearing from you again, so please keep replying! I'm so pleased that reading my response felt good but please please do not for a second feel shamed! That is entirely besides the point! Any anger that you feel is inevitably justifiable, and never ugly! I loved your post on anarchy--not because it was ugly in any way, but because it was so passionate and knowledgeable. Even now, you're able to recommend numerous theorists and philosophers to look into (which I will definitely do!). It's very impressive AND inspiring, so don't for a moment second guess yourself or convince yourself that you need to do better because it sounds like you're doing pretty bloody awesomely!
I can't imagine feeling like you're constantly screaming into the void, and it sounds impossible, but as you say, the fact that there are connections to be made and like-minded people to scream to, shows that it is always ALWAYS worth the effort so please don't ever stop!
And with Proudhon, I think that's very good advice! And quite possibly he'll come under intense scrutiny very soon given the current social climate!
I just want to say thank you again for your reply, and for all your recommendations! I will check out Emma Goldman and let you know how I get on next time!
Best wishes,
Mimi