THe Cold, Hard Truth (And On A More Serious Note)
I remember days of complete carelessness. My friends and I would drink like fishes underwater, watch Headbanger's Ball and an assortment of mind-numbing cartoons on MTV and then play a variety of videogames violent enough to appease even the most terminal gorehounds when we weren't getting completely annhilated on whatever substances we could get our hands on.
I was just thankful none of us owned cars back in those days. That, however, never stopped us from raising hell....and nine kinds of it. Everything from simple disturbing the peace to near-suicidal behaviors were our trip and it was a trip we revelled in 24/7.
I still remember the Megadeth video for Train Of Consequences airing as Headbanger's Ball entered it's twilight. Sure, it had aired numerous times but now, that I was clean (to an extent) I watched it again as the main character went through this train from car to car, looking to make sense of this Jacob's Ladder-Style scene when the startling realization hits him. He's on a train to Hell and there's no stopping it. He cheated a man, you see. It was shown in the flashback scenes and that man killed him. He'd been stuck on that train ever since and he was burning a path towards paying the price for not wanting to lose.
Hey, no one ever wants to lose. I can relate. Many times I've cheated Death, The System and Fate. How I've done it, I'll never know. I've gotten myself into messes of the worst variety and have gotten away clean. I've landed myself in the most sticky of situations and have come out on the other end smelling like a rose. I didn't deserve a damned bit of that. In fact, there are still days where I wonder how I'm not stuck in a cell somewhere or in an early grave when, by all rights, I should be.
http://tamra747.blogspot.com/
Enter Tammi. She's a friend of mine with a heart of gold and an iron will. Very few people in the world like her. She's been through hell. I met her in a discussion group and our conversations have been interesting. Having her own experience with the criminal element she's done the one thing I have seen most people NOT do....turn away and make a commitment to starting over without the crap.
Working for the Louisiana Department of Corrections, I've seen those get out with the "I'm not coming back here again, that's for sure" attitude only to end up back in with another excuse as to why they just couldn't stay away. I call it an excuse. I see us as Divinely Powerful Beings there's no reason we shouldn't be able to bounce back after being knocked down but then there's another side to reality, isn't there? It looms around the corner like some menacing beast waiting to consume it's first target and guess what? Lunch is in session.
Tammi, however proved to be the exception. Having served time in one of the worst places to ever have to run through. The Texas DOC. To me, having to server time in there would be like going through a really terrible mescaline trip. The mind recoils in horror and every last animal instinct to survive kicks in. The Texas DOC has never accepted a penny of Federal money, as I understand it. Meaning they can pretty much do whatever they want, whenever they want. Still, she made it through and day after day, she talks about her experiences and how they'll relate to present day. She doesn't want to go back. I don't blame her one bit. I read her blog when and where I can. The stories I find are amazing. Some, even make the likes of The Genocydal Maniac cringe. Some of the people she deals with sometimes. Even for an ordained minister I must admit, I'd let My Dark Side get the better of me in those instances.
Tammi, you're a far better person than I in a lot of respects.
That's when I came across this...
http://freddrickbrito.blogspot.com/
Tammi had made mention of him but I hadn't had the time to really check it out and check into it. Finally, this morning as I waded through email, I did. Fred, like Tammi, has been through the system and now, he's not just turning his life around, he's speaking out for ex-offenders in California.
Remember when I said "I Call It An Excuse" and then I said that thing about the dark side of reality rearing it's ugly head? Check this out.
Recidivism rates for prisons have skyrocketed. That old saying about prisons having figurative revolving doors? It's true. Let's say Joe Average gets caught once, goes to prison, gets out and swears he'll never do what he did to land himself in prison again. Ok so Joe's out, doing his thing. He's applying for job, after job, after job and he's getting turned down for each and every job he put in for. Why's he getting turned down? His record! Yeah, not only does Joe have to deal with the fact that he's been down but now it will haunt him for the rest of his life. Well, getting these jobs isn't working. He's trying to make an honest living but depending on area, what the job market's like and even qualification (just to name a few factors) his best efforts just aren't good enough.
Well, what other choices are there? Sins of omission or return to the life.
The Return To The Life is self-explanatory. Maybe he gets a deal making a little cash...enough to sustain him and then some so he does it but it's illegal. Well if Joe gets caught that makes him a repeat offender and it only gets worse from there.
Then there's Sins Of Omission. Joe can lie about his criminal past, get the job and then, depending on whether or not they do the background check right away, he might be able to survive on a meager income for some time.
Hey, guess what? There's always self-employment! And this is the thing that most ex-offenders do. In some instances, they make it and the business does well. In others, they don't and then the business venture either goes under and flops altogether or maybe some white-collar crime (like embezzlement) takes place. Whatever the case, that doesn't always work out for everyone.
So what's the score? What happens next?
Fred's out there in California right now asking the same questions. These politicos out there are finding themselves with a real hardcase coming straight from the system to their doorstep, bringing the whole thing to their attention. It's hard for employers NOT to discriminate based on criminal backgrounds. But there are those that still do. Granted, there are some situations where it's warranted. I mean, would you let a convicted Child Molester work in a day care center? No way! Anyway, Fred's cracking down on the unwarranted employment discrimination and fighting hard for offender rehabilitation. Wicked cool, if you ask me.
Now I'm all for being tough as hell on crime. Let's face facts we have overwhelming amounts of crime in this nation and instead of making tougher enforcement on laws already in place, we make more laws which will only jack the crime rate up, statistically speaking. The penal system and our legal systems have become proportioned completely incorrectly. The Burden Of Proof now lies on the defendant in every courtroom in America and, if you don't have the money to defend yourself you're lucky if you even get a public defender who's worth his weight in the cheap suits he puts on every morning. What's worse is the corruption that's spread throughout the system. Listening to Dope's cover to "Fuck Tha Police" I hear this guy at the beginning of the song saying, "There's a whole generation of these kids getting screwed by the police. They rough em up they throw them in jail, the judges are cold...they give them ridiculous sentences, they don't give a shit all they care about is headlines...." stop...that's it. Headlines and elections. Bringing this topic right back to where it needs to be. One Part In The Whole.
Elections. Judges are elected to carry out justice and to see to it that the system works fairly. If they appear soft on crime then doesn't that kill their chances at reelection? If they appear tough on crime, they can kill their chances at reelection. Let's face it, you can't make friends sitting on that bench unless you buy em.
So far, we have lack of employment, a system that caters to the rich and shits on the poor...and on both sides of it might I add, and political corruption enough to make The Devil's Advocate seem like more than just a movie.
Yeah, I think Fred and Tammi are right. We need to really be careful and think twice before dismissing someone based on their criminal past. I'm not saying just give them free rein but I'm not saying just blow them off either. Give them a chance. Let them earn the trust again. For some, that's all they want is a chance to be trusted.
Fred and Tammi didn't quite get as lucky as I did and to this day I know how it is to be discriminated. My discrimination is different though but for good or ill, in the end, there are a few who rise above the shit and take on those doing the shitting.
There's a revolution taking place. Soon, even politcal types won't be able to ignore it.
"Now is the time for me to rise to my feet
Wipe your spit from my face, wipe these tears from my eyes..."
- Hatebreed "I Will Be Heard"
"Set the ball a-rollin, I'll be clickin off the miles
On the Train Of Consequences, my boxcar life of style
My thinkin is derailed, I'm tied up to the tracks
On the Train Of Consequences, there ain't no turnin back"
- Megadeth "Train Of Consequences"
I was just thankful none of us owned cars back in those days. That, however, never stopped us from raising hell....and nine kinds of it. Everything from simple disturbing the peace to near-suicidal behaviors were our trip and it was a trip we revelled in 24/7.
I still remember the Megadeth video for Train Of Consequences airing as Headbanger's Ball entered it's twilight. Sure, it had aired numerous times but now, that I was clean (to an extent) I watched it again as the main character went through this train from car to car, looking to make sense of this Jacob's Ladder-Style scene when the startling realization hits him. He's on a train to Hell and there's no stopping it. He cheated a man, you see. It was shown in the flashback scenes and that man killed him. He'd been stuck on that train ever since and he was burning a path towards paying the price for not wanting to lose.
Hey, no one ever wants to lose. I can relate. Many times I've cheated Death, The System and Fate. How I've done it, I'll never know. I've gotten myself into messes of the worst variety and have gotten away clean. I've landed myself in the most sticky of situations and have come out on the other end smelling like a rose. I didn't deserve a damned bit of that. In fact, there are still days where I wonder how I'm not stuck in a cell somewhere or in an early grave when, by all rights, I should be.
http://tamra747.blogspot.com/
Enter Tammi. She's a friend of mine with a heart of gold and an iron will. Very few people in the world like her. She's been through hell. I met her in a discussion group and our conversations have been interesting. Having her own experience with the criminal element she's done the one thing I have seen most people NOT do....turn away and make a commitment to starting over without the crap.
Working for the Louisiana Department of Corrections, I've seen those get out with the "I'm not coming back here again, that's for sure" attitude only to end up back in with another excuse as to why they just couldn't stay away. I call it an excuse. I see us as Divinely Powerful Beings there's no reason we shouldn't be able to bounce back after being knocked down but then there's another side to reality, isn't there? It looms around the corner like some menacing beast waiting to consume it's first target and guess what? Lunch is in session.
Tammi, however proved to be the exception. Having served time in one of the worst places to ever have to run through. The Texas DOC. To me, having to server time in there would be like going through a really terrible mescaline trip. The mind recoils in horror and every last animal instinct to survive kicks in. The Texas DOC has never accepted a penny of Federal money, as I understand it. Meaning they can pretty much do whatever they want, whenever they want. Still, she made it through and day after day, she talks about her experiences and how they'll relate to present day. She doesn't want to go back. I don't blame her one bit. I read her blog when and where I can. The stories I find are amazing. Some, even make the likes of The Genocydal Maniac cringe. Some of the people she deals with sometimes. Even for an ordained minister I must admit, I'd let My Dark Side get the better of me in those instances.
Tammi, you're a far better person than I in a lot of respects.
That's when I came across this...
http://freddrickbrito.blogspot.com/
Tammi had made mention of him but I hadn't had the time to really check it out and check into it. Finally, this morning as I waded through email, I did. Fred, like Tammi, has been through the system and now, he's not just turning his life around, he's speaking out for ex-offenders in California.
Remember when I said "I Call It An Excuse" and then I said that thing about the dark side of reality rearing it's ugly head? Check this out.
Recidivism rates for prisons have skyrocketed. That old saying about prisons having figurative revolving doors? It's true. Let's say Joe Average gets caught once, goes to prison, gets out and swears he'll never do what he did to land himself in prison again. Ok so Joe's out, doing his thing. He's applying for job, after job, after job and he's getting turned down for each and every job he put in for. Why's he getting turned down? His record! Yeah, not only does Joe have to deal with the fact that he's been down but now it will haunt him for the rest of his life. Well, getting these jobs isn't working. He's trying to make an honest living but depending on area, what the job market's like and even qualification (just to name a few factors) his best efforts just aren't good enough.
Well, what other choices are there? Sins of omission or return to the life.
The Return To The Life is self-explanatory. Maybe he gets a deal making a little cash...enough to sustain him and then some so he does it but it's illegal. Well if Joe gets caught that makes him a repeat offender and it only gets worse from there.
Then there's Sins Of Omission. Joe can lie about his criminal past, get the job and then, depending on whether or not they do the background check right away, he might be able to survive on a meager income for some time.
Hey, guess what? There's always self-employment! And this is the thing that most ex-offenders do. In some instances, they make it and the business does well. In others, they don't and then the business venture either goes under and flops altogether or maybe some white-collar crime (like embezzlement) takes place. Whatever the case, that doesn't always work out for everyone.
So what's the score? What happens next?
Fred's out there in California right now asking the same questions. These politicos out there are finding themselves with a real hardcase coming straight from the system to their doorstep, bringing the whole thing to their attention. It's hard for employers NOT to discriminate based on criminal backgrounds. But there are those that still do. Granted, there are some situations where it's warranted. I mean, would you let a convicted Child Molester work in a day care center? No way! Anyway, Fred's cracking down on the unwarranted employment discrimination and fighting hard for offender rehabilitation. Wicked cool, if you ask me.
Now I'm all for being tough as hell on crime. Let's face facts we have overwhelming amounts of crime in this nation and instead of making tougher enforcement on laws already in place, we make more laws which will only jack the crime rate up, statistically speaking. The penal system and our legal systems have become proportioned completely incorrectly. The Burden Of Proof now lies on the defendant in every courtroom in America and, if you don't have the money to defend yourself you're lucky if you even get a public defender who's worth his weight in the cheap suits he puts on every morning. What's worse is the corruption that's spread throughout the system. Listening to Dope's cover to "Fuck Tha Police" I hear this guy at the beginning of the song saying, "There's a whole generation of these kids getting screwed by the police. They rough em up they throw them in jail, the judges are cold...they give them ridiculous sentences, they don't give a shit all they care about is headlines...." stop...that's it. Headlines and elections. Bringing this topic right back to where it needs to be. One Part In The Whole.
Elections. Judges are elected to carry out justice and to see to it that the system works fairly. If they appear soft on crime then doesn't that kill their chances at reelection? If they appear tough on crime, they can kill their chances at reelection. Let's face it, you can't make friends sitting on that bench unless you buy em.
So far, we have lack of employment, a system that caters to the rich and shits on the poor...and on both sides of it might I add, and political corruption enough to make The Devil's Advocate seem like more than just a movie.
Yeah, I think Fred and Tammi are right. We need to really be careful and think twice before dismissing someone based on their criminal past. I'm not saying just give them free rein but I'm not saying just blow them off either. Give them a chance. Let them earn the trust again. For some, that's all they want is a chance to be trusted.
Fred and Tammi didn't quite get as lucky as I did and to this day I know how it is to be discriminated. My discrimination is different though but for good or ill, in the end, there are a few who rise above the shit and take on those doing the shitting.
There's a revolution taking place. Soon, even politcal types won't be able to ignore it.
"Now is the time for me to rise to my feet
Wipe your spit from my face, wipe these tears from my eyes..."
- Hatebreed "I Will Be Heard"
"Set the ball a-rollin, I'll be clickin off the miles
On the Train Of Consequences, my boxcar life of style
My thinkin is derailed, I'm tied up to the tracks
On the Train Of Consequences, there ain't no turnin back"
- Megadeth "Train Of Consequences"
posted by Lord Genocyde at 1:20 AM
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