“S/he serves as a bridge between the appreciator and that which is either real or imagined.”
Dear friends,
Having just aired stories about the anniversary of the unfortunate demise of the great Whitney Houston, all of the network television charlatans are getting North Americans ready for the annual “Awards” circuit. The Oscars are about to happen.
But what is the real point of giving awards to artists? I mean, the artist is asking for someone to “Come listen” or “Come see” or “Come hear” his or her work. The reason? S/he serves as a bridge between the appreciator and that which is either real or imagined.
In the process, art can serve the purpose of liberating or simply providing pleasure of some sort. And seldom are there financial rewards for being an artist.
Moreover, having people appreciate your creations, much less be willing to surrender some of their money to purchase them, in order for the artist to continue to survive so that s/he can keep creating his or her work, is the actual reward in and of itself.
Now, for most occupations, be they teachers, construction workers, architects, police officers, or janitors, or those in super markets, clothing stores, realty offices, automobile outlets, you name it, advertisers and their sponsors have a fairly easy time getting into the pockets of the average citizens mentioned above. However, artists are different. As well, their spending habits are unpredictable. Besides, for the very few who make any money, that means that a lot of money is left on the table. So how do you get some of that money, from these rich, non-traditional members of our society?
Guess what? You play on their egos. It’s that simple. The result is a myriad of formal clothing and hotel rentals. However, more importantly, television commercials that sell at astronomical rates prevail. Millions!
And so, for example, at the show, the announcement is made for the best singer. Then a commercial. Next, an award for the best singer who wore a blue dress. Then another commercial. Then a “Special Achievement Award” for the best singer to have ever worn a blue dress. I imagine that you get the point, by now.
Meanwhile, artists sit around engaging in an orgy of emotional masturbation, basking in illusions of their self-importance. And everyday people watching on television see the aforementioned commercials, and go out and buy more and more silly gadgets that they do no even need.
And there’s no better way to spend one’s time. Right?
Cheers!
G. Djata Bumpus
Read full post
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Re- visiting "Precious" - was it a cinematic masterpiece or a movie full of Black self-hatred, obesity,and greed?
"Still. at least to me, the issue of obesity should actually be attached to the much larger problem of emotional/sexual greed, much less the violence - due to Male Supremacy - against females. that fosters that whole social/health epidemic (i.e., obesity) and helps it proliferate."
Dear friends,
Seeking happiness is, perhaps, the main reason for which, as individuals, we tolerate the burdens, inequities, and inconsistencies of life in an advanced civilization such as ours. That is, it seems worth it. Additionally, in dealing with the aforementioned burdens, inequities, ad inconsistencies, we devise a variety of ways to internally run from ourselves, as opposed to confronting problems..
Consequently, passive entertainment like watching thoughtless Hollywood television and movie productions, instead of pro-active entertainment such as engaging our physical and mental powers through exercise of some sort – from running to reading, leaves most folks in this country in a constant state of apathy and confusion.
Moreover, it is to the benefit of those who control our society to make sure, as much is possible, that we, as a population, maintain homogenous thoughts and tastes about as many circumstances and towards as many things as possible. It would not be in the interests of the rulers, if our thoughts and tastes just mentioned were too heterogeneous, after all. We would be tough to manage and control.
So. through advertising conglomerates and a variety of cultural institutions like schools and government- and corporate-controlled media, the aforesaid rulers make certain that they stay in power, at all costs, for generations on end. And they legitimize their unfair existence by using the threat capacity of the police and military. Let’s face it; as Adam Smith put it so adequately and eloquently in his classic volumes that are titled The Wealth of Nations: For every rich man there are five hundred poor ones, and he wouldn’t get a night’s sleep if it weren’t for the local magistrate.
In any case, it has been interesting how, other than the exceptional Jen Armstrong of the Philadelphia Daily News (who also happens to be a very dear friend of mine), most journalists and other such opinion-makers who I’ve recently read have skillfully circumvented discussing that disgraceful cinematic expression of Black self-hatred based upon a book called Push, by the director of that movie, along with its executive producers and actors. Was the author of the book, or were any of the other “Black” folks who I just noted being greedy when they made this film? Who knows their intentions? Was either Stepinfetchit, or his spritual descendant Eddie “Professor Klump” Murphy, being greedy when he made/makes films? Who knows? In fact, no one ever knows the intentions of another, unless you subject the person to some kind of torture. Even then, you may only be told what the victim thinks you want to hear.
I do know that Black actors in this country continue to make plays, movies, and other performances that either invite us to come laugh at ourselves or make “white” folks feel sorry for us.
Nevertheless, up tp this point, aside from the fact that, other than a male transvestite named “Divine”, I’ve never heard of a morbidly obese “white” actress starring in a single Hollywood production – television or movie. Yet, “Precious” featured a young African American female who fit that bill named Gabourey Sidibe. Why is that?
Still. at least to me, the issue of obesity should actually be attached to the much larger problem of emotional/sexual greed, much less the violence - due to Male Supremacy - against females. that fosters that whole social epidemic (i.e., obesity) and helps it proliferate.
Paradoxically, the greed mentioned above is directly related to the fact that people in our society are starving from a lack of emotional/sexual fulfillment. Therefore, because the pursuit of happiness discussed earlier is so personal and always ongoing, folks are easy to manipulate, especially since, again, most citizens choose a passive route to satisfaction, as opposed to a pro-active one.
And so, obesity results from something that could happen to anyone who uses food to satisfy herself or himself in any way - for whatever reason(s). So why is there so much hype about people in our society being overweight? We all need food in periodic intervals or we will succumb. Everybody knows that.
However, from the Tiger Woods syndrome to the “Big Losers” television program, the insatiable market (conveniently claiming to be based on "supply and demand") takes no prisoners. Instead, voyeurism and consumption lead the sheep to the slaughterhouse of emotional/sexual greed. And, of course, greed is always short-sighted. That’s why it’s so hard for people to control their appetites of whatever sort, in this country. Hence, again, the obesity.
But, to me, the real educationally-useful point of “Precious” should have been about violence against females, including incest (which few people are willing to honestly discuss).
Violence against females was trivialized as being the personal problem of a Hollywood movie character, instead of what it really is: the number one human problem in the world today, over the “economy” - and even worldwide nuclear war.
As a matter of fact, as far as I am concerned, First Lady Obama should be focusing more on the aforementioned issue of violence against females, as opposed to an inescapable problem in an advanced civilization that thrives on power and emotional/sexual greed. She does have two daughters, by the way. And Male Supremacy along with the violence of all kinds that it brings against females already affects those two little girls – and Michelle too. Therefore, one may ask, “Does Mrs. Obama stand on genuinely moral grounds to be criticizing obese people?” Let’s keep it real, folks.
One Love,
G. Djata Bumpus Read full post
Dear friends,
Seeking happiness is, perhaps, the main reason for which, as individuals, we tolerate the burdens, inequities, and inconsistencies of life in an advanced civilization such as ours. That is, it seems worth it. Additionally, in dealing with the aforementioned burdens, inequities, ad inconsistencies, we devise a variety of ways to internally run from ourselves, as opposed to confronting problems..
Consequently, passive entertainment like watching thoughtless Hollywood television and movie productions, instead of pro-active entertainment such as engaging our physical and mental powers through exercise of some sort – from running to reading, leaves most folks in this country in a constant state of apathy and confusion.
Moreover, it is to the benefit of those who control our society to make sure, as much is possible, that we, as a population, maintain homogenous thoughts and tastes about as many circumstances and towards as many things as possible. It would not be in the interests of the rulers, if our thoughts and tastes just mentioned were too heterogeneous, after all. We would be tough to manage and control.
So. through advertising conglomerates and a variety of cultural institutions like schools and government- and corporate-controlled media, the aforesaid rulers make certain that they stay in power, at all costs, for generations on end. And they legitimize their unfair existence by using the threat capacity of the police and military. Let’s face it; as Adam Smith put it so adequately and eloquently in his classic volumes that are titled The Wealth of Nations: For every rich man there are five hundred poor ones, and he wouldn’t get a night’s sleep if it weren’t for the local magistrate.
In any case, it has been interesting how, other than the exceptional Jen Armstrong of the Philadelphia Daily News (who also happens to be a very dear friend of mine), most journalists and other such opinion-makers who I’ve recently read have skillfully circumvented discussing that disgraceful cinematic expression of Black self-hatred based upon a book called Push, by the director of that movie, along with its executive producers and actors. Was the author of the book, or were any of the other “Black” folks who I just noted being greedy when they made this film? Who knows their intentions? Was either Stepinfetchit, or his spritual descendant Eddie “Professor Klump” Murphy, being greedy when he made/makes films? Who knows? In fact, no one ever knows the intentions of another, unless you subject the person to some kind of torture. Even then, you may only be told what the victim thinks you want to hear.
I do know that Black actors in this country continue to make plays, movies, and other performances that either invite us to come laugh at ourselves or make “white” folks feel sorry for us.
Nevertheless, up tp this point, aside from the fact that, other than a male transvestite named “Divine”, I’ve never heard of a morbidly obese “white” actress starring in a single Hollywood production – television or movie. Yet, “Precious” featured a young African American female who fit that bill named Gabourey Sidibe. Why is that?
Still. at least to me, the issue of obesity should actually be attached to the much larger problem of emotional/sexual greed, much less the violence - due to Male Supremacy - against females. that fosters that whole social epidemic (i.e., obesity) and helps it proliferate.
Paradoxically, the greed mentioned above is directly related to the fact that people in our society are starving from a lack of emotional/sexual fulfillment. Therefore, because the pursuit of happiness discussed earlier is so personal and always ongoing, folks are easy to manipulate, especially since, again, most citizens choose a passive route to satisfaction, as opposed to a pro-active one.
And so, obesity results from something that could happen to anyone who uses food to satisfy herself or himself in any way - for whatever reason(s). So why is there so much hype about people in our society being overweight? We all need food in periodic intervals or we will succumb. Everybody knows that.
However, from the Tiger Woods syndrome to the “Big Losers” television program, the insatiable market (conveniently claiming to be based on "supply and demand") takes no prisoners. Instead, voyeurism and consumption lead the sheep to the slaughterhouse of emotional/sexual greed. And, of course, greed is always short-sighted. That’s why it’s so hard for people to control their appetites of whatever sort, in this country. Hence, again, the obesity.
But, to me, the real educationally-useful point of “Precious” should have been about violence against females, including incest (which few people are willing to honestly discuss).
Violence against females was trivialized as being the personal problem of a Hollywood movie character, instead of what it really is: the number one human problem in the world today, over the “economy” - and even worldwide nuclear war.
As a matter of fact, as far as I am concerned, First Lady Obama should be focusing more on the aforementioned issue of violence against females, as opposed to an inescapable problem in an advanced civilization that thrives on power and emotional/sexual greed. She does have two daughters, by the way. And Male Supremacy along with the violence of all kinds that it brings against females already affects those two little girls – and Michelle too. Therefore, one may ask, “Does Mrs. Obama stand on genuinely moral grounds to be criticizing obese people?” Let’s keep it real, folks.
One Love,
G. Djata Bumpus Read full post
Friday, February 22, 2013
Hollywood & Lies about LIncoln
"Why is there so much lying? And some wonder why we need to embrace Black History Month."Dear friends,
There are often great misconceptions about the results of the Civil War. However, one thing is for certain. No one "freed" the enslaved. Rather, African Americans - along with many European Americans - stopped the Southern enslavers' oligarchy from expanding their evil economic system while, at the same time, destroying the institution of slavery itself. The above-mentioned soldiers did all of this with courage, skill, determination, and WEAPONS!
Even Lincoln's signing of the Emancipation Proclamation is falsely represented in the government- and corporate-controlled media, and both public and private school systems. For there were actually two prior proclamations. The first was issued by General John Fremont, governor of the Missouri territory, almost two years earlier (August 31, 1861). Upon Lincoln getting word of Missouri captives being freed, the "Great Emancipator" sent a letter ordering Fremont to stop the releases. When the feisty general ignored him, Lincoln ordered Fremont back to Washington DC, and revoked that very first proclamation himself. The second one, by Governor David Hunter of South Carolina, issued in July of 1862, suffered Lincoln’s same condemnation. It was only soon afterwards, when it was clear that , especially since there were already thousands of Black Confederate soldiers who were fighting to preserve slavery, since there were also thousands of Black slave owners in the ante-bellum South, that Lincoln decided to allow the Emancipation Proclamation, the third one, mind you, to move forward. (see Lerone Bennett Jr.'s classic book, Before The Mayflower).
There is also plenty of literature in any local public library, as well as your Internet browser, to support that simple fact. Of course, the Hollywood garbage called "Lincoln" not only, conveniently, doesn't mention that just mentioned above, it also doesn't have any mention of Frederick Douglass who was the main person behind inspiring Lincoln to follow through with the enactment of both the 13th and 14th Amendments to the US Constitution. Why is there so much lying? And some wonder why we need to embrace Black History Month.
G. Djata Bumpus Read full post
Thursday, February 21, 2013
MusicWomen Conference October 9 through 13, 2013, in Ft Lauderdale, Fl
Greetings,
Pls MARK YOUR 2013 CALENDAR, and SAVE THE DATE - Nicki Mathis' Afrikan Amerikan Jazz will be performing at the MusicWomen Conference October 9 through 13, 2013, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Early Registration began October 9, 2012, through http://www.jwfamilytravel.com
The webpage: http://www.wijsf.com/conference.htm
Contact
Joan Cartwright, Executive Director
2801 S. Oakland Forest Drive #103
Oakland Park, FL 33309
Support women musicians!
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
FIGHTING THE CRIME INDUSTRY
"A dear friend of mine who lives in Florida has assured me that her state gives youngsters at the lower elementary level (2nd- and 3rd grades) statewide exams that help that state government decide how much additional prison space will be needed in future years, based upon how many youngsters fail the aforementioned exams. Imagine that! Did someone say, 'Crime Industry'?"
Dear friends,
Many of the young people in Our community, especially the teenage boys, are not either in jail or in contact with the criminal justice system, because they have been lucky thus far. However, it is only a matter of time before they may get swallowed into what is essentially an industry in this country. It is, the Crime Industry.
In fact, I do not care how well you raise your kids, for some reason, particularly, African American youth can fall prey to foolishness. Many great parents and those who work with youth through supportive community programs will attest to that. In other words, even those youngsters who have had all of the right parenting, environment, and so forth, can become food for the vultures of the Crime Industry. It's tough. The Crime Industry does not care about guilt or innocence. They make stuff up. Our children suffer. Also, peer pressure to be like the frauds on the hip-hop records is a major problem.
Again, it must be said: Crime in the USA is an industry just as enterprises that manufacture, for example, food, clothing, real estate, and automobiles are. Crime as an industry makes sense, of course. After all, less crime would mean less police, judges, prosecutors, corrections officers, court officers, prison architects to design prisons and construction companies to build them, food- and other types of vendors, you name it. Moreover, without the salaries and pensions of those groups just mentioned a large part of the overall economy of this country would be destroyed.
Actually, one would think that our energies should be used towards more useful purposes like finding cures to human maladies and the like. However, manufacturing crime is, also, a major component of programming for both print and electronic media - another source of great income for many.
Still, in especially urban settings, we hear talk about need to have more police and less guns in our communities as a means to solving our crime problems. Domestic guns are being made mostly for police purposes and sport hunting. Consequently, without the Crime Industry, the gun industry itself may have succumb by now. Let’s face it. In Philadelphia alone, during 2006, for instance, it has been reported that, at least, 20 people were killed by the police (17 of them unarmed). Consequently, the aforementioned data reveals that more police simply means more guns - and more deaths.
In all fairness, that just mentioned reflects only one side of the Crime Industry. On the other side, we have an inordinate amount of African American and Latino young people who display absolutely no dignity for themselves or respect for others, including a lack of consideration for authority. In other words, we have a population filled with young people who, emotionally and intellectually, seem to want to remain in the infant stage of the human experience.
Many of these youngsters were brought into this world by those who were children themselves. Now, the former are repeating what their parent(s) did. Moreover, these African American and Latino youth are the chief commodities of the Crime Industry, whether as petty thieves, drug-dealers, stooges for either drug distributors or the district attorney and the like, or those who are caught up in the court and prison systems with its probation and parole agents. The worst part of all of this lies with the fact that, in the general population of US society, European American (so-called white) youth, clearly, must commit more crimes, because of their numerically greater levels of poverty; however, they are not victims of a marked group that is "profiled".
At any rate, our children’s current behavior reflects our own. Let’s face it, again, history is the story of generations of families of varying sizes. Historically, these families have been headed by a single mother, because men have died young, gone off to war and been killed, or just left to indulge in selfish behavior. The fantasy of the Ozzie and Harriet two-parent household is a fabrication of Hollywood. Moreover, wisdom suggests that a young person, male or female, having a male figure around to help direct him or her through life's uncertain journey, is essential. Yet, single mothers do quite fine, and have done so for millennia. Hence, what is even more important than having male “mentors” is having a community that supports the development of its youth.
Of course, a civil society certainly needs some of those people mentioned at the beginning of this piece (e.g., police, judges, lawyers, and so forth). However, many jobs are created, specifically for and because of the Crime Industry, and maintained by those whose best interests are served by continued criminal behavior in our society. A good example lies with the fact that, all across the country, in many municipalities, district attorneys, are allowed to use confiscated drug money, for instance, for future hires, raising wages in their offices, and improved pensions for the same workers just mentioned. It is not, therefore, in the best interests of prosecutors and their agents to be too “tough on crime”. Dig? As a matter of fact, it makes more sense for such people (DAs, and so forth) to actually regulate crime.
******************************
Here are a few ways that we can fight against the proliferation of the Crime Industry which robs African American people of so much of our potentially productive energy and resources. Can you think of some ways to do the same?
1.) Free Buses To Prisons Program
Transport children to prisons for the explicit purpose of having reading lessons with their incarcerated parents. Dr. Seuss books and other “phonics” type of reading materials are a great way to start. Many of these folks who are incarcerated have only first- and second grade reading levels. By learning their phonics better and due to the fact that they are older than their children, thus more experienced in life, invariably, these "parents" will begin to read at a higher grade level, acquiring deeper comprehension as well as greater mental stamina. This means that they will gain new ideas, by reading more informative literature, instead of only consuming thoughts from people who, like them, are locked up as well and just as clueless about how to be productive citizens.
As stated above, many of the brothers in prison either cannot read or read only at first- or second grade levels. More help in the classrooms at the first- or second grade levels (and a relationship with a loving elder) may have kept them trying in school longer. Their children deserve a better chance than they had. Also, regarding females, sisters in prisons are often there because of some knucklehead males. Therefore, young girls will also benefit from having a wider range of caring adults in their lives, whether those elders are incarcerated or not. Note: A dear friend of mine who lives in Florida has assured me that her state gives youngsters at the lower elementary level (2nd- and 3rd grades) statewide exams that help that state government decide how much additional prison space will be needed in future years, based upon how many youngsters fail the aforementioned exams. Imagine that! Did someone say, "Crime Industry"?
2.) Letters to Prisoners Program
Get people to be pen pals with inmates in area prisons. The main problem here will be that we need to make sure that inmates are not being selfish and engaging in deceitful behavior, in order to borrow money or get “favors” done on the outside. Telephone calls should be prohibited from being a way for inmates to connect with their pen pals. Incarcerated people should learn to write, so that they can think about why they are in that situation in the first place. A phone call does not require such reflection; people can just talk and feel good - then hang up.
3.) Convict Redemption Program
Get those convicted of either human or property damages - of any kind, to construct ways themselves to make up for their transgressions against their fellow community members. For example, as part of the “Buses” program, inmates who are not parents can still donate time to read and learn with young people.
Inmates must redeem themselves! Merely proclaiming belief in God or asking to be forgiven does nothing to repair the damage done. Besides, neither apology or claims of religious loyalty has meaning, if the person has not repaired the damage that he or she caused. For example, people go to AA and NA meetings and hold what amounts to religious revival forums. Yet, as far as I know, not a single member of those groups has ever gone back to a victim and said, "Here's the $100 that I stole from you." Instead, that AA or NA person says, "Will you forgive me for what I did?...I believe in God now." Well, guess what? Everyone on death row, conveniently - now - believes in God, after the fact. Moreover, no one can forgive anyone else. Rather, people must forgive themselves, then redeem themselves by trying to undo the wrong committed against the victim. Otherwise, there is no justice. You just have a crook who has gotten away once more.
The three programs mentioned above are only some of the ways that the community can reach out to our fallen brothers and sisters, in hopes that they will be appreciative for the love that the community has shown them, and, thus, return to the community as productive members.
One Love,
G. Djata Bumpus Read full post
Dear friends,
Many of the young people in Our community, especially the teenage boys, are not either in jail or in contact with the criminal justice system, because they have been lucky thus far. However, it is only a matter of time before they may get swallowed into what is essentially an industry in this country. It is, the Crime Industry.
In fact, I do not care how well you raise your kids, for some reason, particularly, African American youth can fall prey to foolishness. Many great parents and those who work with youth through supportive community programs will attest to that. In other words, even those youngsters who have had all of the right parenting, environment, and so forth, can become food for the vultures of the Crime Industry. It's tough. The Crime Industry does not care about guilt or innocence. They make stuff up. Our children suffer. Also, peer pressure to be like the frauds on the hip-hop records is a major problem.
Again, it must be said: Crime in the USA is an industry just as enterprises that manufacture, for example, food, clothing, real estate, and automobiles are. Crime as an industry makes sense, of course. After all, less crime would mean less police, judges, prosecutors, corrections officers, court officers, prison architects to design prisons and construction companies to build them, food- and other types of vendors, you name it. Moreover, without the salaries and pensions of those groups just mentioned a large part of the overall economy of this country would be destroyed.
Actually, one would think that our energies should be used towards more useful purposes like finding cures to human maladies and the like. However, manufacturing crime is, also, a major component of programming for both print and electronic media - another source of great income for many.
Still, in especially urban settings, we hear talk about need to have more police and less guns in our communities as a means to solving our crime problems. Domestic guns are being made mostly for police purposes and sport hunting. Consequently, without the Crime Industry, the gun industry itself may have succumb by now. Let’s face it. In Philadelphia alone, during 2006, for instance, it has been reported that, at least, 20 people were killed by the police (17 of them unarmed). Consequently, the aforementioned data reveals that more police simply means more guns - and more deaths.
In all fairness, that just mentioned reflects only one side of the Crime Industry. On the other side, we have an inordinate amount of African American and Latino young people who display absolutely no dignity for themselves or respect for others, including a lack of consideration for authority. In other words, we have a population filled with young people who, emotionally and intellectually, seem to want to remain in the infant stage of the human experience.
Many of these youngsters were brought into this world by those who were children themselves. Now, the former are repeating what their parent(s) did. Moreover, these African American and Latino youth are the chief commodities of the Crime Industry, whether as petty thieves, drug-dealers, stooges for either drug distributors or the district attorney and the like, or those who are caught up in the court and prison systems with its probation and parole agents. The worst part of all of this lies with the fact that, in the general population of US society, European American (so-called white) youth, clearly, must commit more crimes, because of their numerically greater levels of poverty; however, they are not victims of a marked group that is "profiled".
At any rate, our children’s current behavior reflects our own. Let’s face it, again, history is the story of generations of families of varying sizes. Historically, these families have been headed by a single mother, because men have died young, gone off to war and been killed, or just left to indulge in selfish behavior. The fantasy of the Ozzie and Harriet two-parent household is a fabrication of Hollywood. Moreover, wisdom suggests that a young person, male or female, having a male figure around to help direct him or her through life's uncertain journey, is essential. Yet, single mothers do quite fine, and have done so for millennia. Hence, what is even more important than having male “mentors” is having a community that supports the development of its youth.
Of course, a civil society certainly needs some of those people mentioned at the beginning of this piece (e.g., police, judges, lawyers, and so forth). However, many jobs are created, specifically for and because of the Crime Industry, and maintained by those whose best interests are served by continued criminal behavior in our society. A good example lies with the fact that, all across the country, in many municipalities, district attorneys, are allowed to use confiscated drug money, for instance, for future hires, raising wages in their offices, and improved pensions for the same workers just mentioned. It is not, therefore, in the best interests of prosecutors and their agents to be too “tough on crime”. Dig? As a matter of fact, it makes more sense for such people (DAs, and so forth) to actually regulate crime.
******************************
Here are a few ways that we can fight against the proliferation of the Crime Industry which robs African American people of so much of our potentially productive energy and resources. Can you think of some ways to do the same?
1.) Free Buses To Prisons Program
Transport children to prisons for the explicit purpose of having reading lessons with their incarcerated parents. Dr. Seuss books and other “phonics” type of reading materials are a great way to start. Many of these folks who are incarcerated have only first- and second grade reading levels. By learning their phonics better and due to the fact that they are older than their children, thus more experienced in life, invariably, these "parents" will begin to read at a higher grade level, acquiring deeper comprehension as well as greater mental stamina. This means that they will gain new ideas, by reading more informative literature, instead of only consuming thoughts from people who, like them, are locked up as well and just as clueless about how to be productive citizens.
As stated above, many of the brothers in prison either cannot read or read only at first- or second grade levels. More help in the classrooms at the first- or second grade levels (and a relationship with a loving elder) may have kept them trying in school longer. Their children deserve a better chance than they had. Also, regarding females, sisters in prisons are often there because of some knucklehead males. Therefore, young girls will also benefit from having a wider range of caring adults in their lives, whether those elders are incarcerated or not. Note: A dear friend of mine who lives in Florida has assured me that her state gives youngsters at the lower elementary level (2nd- and 3rd grades) statewide exams that help that state government decide how much additional prison space will be needed in future years, based upon how many youngsters fail the aforementioned exams. Imagine that! Did someone say, "Crime Industry"?
2.) Letters to Prisoners Program
Get people to be pen pals with inmates in area prisons. The main problem here will be that we need to make sure that inmates are not being selfish and engaging in deceitful behavior, in order to borrow money or get “favors” done on the outside. Telephone calls should be prohibited from being a way for inmates to connect with their pen pals. Incarcerated people should learn to write, so that they can think about why they are in that situation in the first place. A phone call does not require such reflection; people can just talk and feel good - then hang up.
3.) Convict Redemption Program
Get those convicted of either human or property damages - of any kind, to construct ways themselves to make up for their transgressions against their fellow community members. For example, as part of the “Buses” program, inmates who are not parents can still donate time to read and learn with young people.
Inmates must redeem themselves! Merely proclaiming belief in God or asking to be forgiven does nothing to repair the damage done. Besides, neither apology or claims of religious loyalty has meaning, if the person has not repaired the damage that he or she caused. For example, people go to AA and NA meetings and hold what amounts to religious revival forums. Yet, as far as I know, not a single member of those groups has ever gone back to a victim and said, "Here's the $100 that I stole from you." Instead, that AA or NA person says, "Will you forgive me for what I did?...I believe in God now." Well, guess what? Everyone on death row, conveniently - now - believes in God, after the fact. Moreover, no one can forgive anyone else. Rather, people must forgive themselves, then redeem themselves by trying to undo the wrong committed against the victim. Otherwise, there is no justice. You just have a crook who has gotten away once more.
The three programs mentioned above are only some of the ways that the community can reach out to our fallen brothers and sisters, in hopes that they will be appreciative for the love that the community has shown them, and, thus, return to the community as productive members.
One Love,
G. Djata Bumpus Read full post
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