Letter from the White House
President Obama wrote me a letter today, thanking me for sharing my "thoughtful suggestions" (about putting prisoners to work, prison reform, etc ., as you may read on this weblog).
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Answer to Question: Why do some Americans like to call the United States of America, "The greatest country on earth" ? Answer by John Dewar Gleissner Because some of us believe it’s true. We’ve got: (1) The world’s oldest written constitution that enshrines and guarantees basic rights, federalism and the rule of law, that has provided for free elections every two years for over 228 years, always moved in the direction of inclusiveness, and which has been a model for other nations. (2) A history of defeating colonialism, fascism, dictatorships, diseases, the slave trade, slavery, legal racism and communism. The world looks to the USA and its strong allies for leadership when it is time to oppose evil forces. (3) A history of leadership in inventing or developing the lightning rod, light bulb, telephone, telegraph, the airplane, manufacturing, television, missiles and rockets, the computer, lifesaving medicines and medical devices, agricultural innovations, nu...
Prison Is Worse Than Slavery
Modern incarceration, sometimes called New Age slavery, is far worse than antebellum slavery when we compare the average American prisoner to the average antebellum slave. The average slave was not directly abused by his or her owners, other than the intrinsic injustice of slavery and the pervasive limitation of opportunities. A significant minority of slaves gave rise to the true horror stories of slavery. Almost all prisoners face loneliness, boredom and the threat of violence on a daily basis in the sick prison environment, punctuated of course by modern horrors. Perhaps the greatest disadvantage prisoners face is the absence of the opposite sex, which frustrates and encourages violence and deviancy. Antebellum slaves were encouraged to have sex from an early age and their owners frequently played the role of matchmaker. All prisoners are completely removed from their friends, families, spouses, communities and familiar surroundings and thrust into a terrible moral e...