Actually, our whole penal system needs to be radically restructured from the ground up.
Nathan, I couldn't agree more with every word you say . . . except that, dammit, you've put it all better than I ever possibly could.
Right now, the US struts around the world stage proclaiming itself as a champion of freedom. I'm in touch with people from a lot of other countries (artists, authors, etc.; it's my job) and, believe me, they're perfectly well aware of the relative size of the US prison population and the racist disparities of conviction levels; until the kind of rebuilding you mention is started, the US will be the subject of international derision . . . and worse.
What amazes me is how tolerant people overseas are of Americans, as opposed to US governments. The first time we went to the UK after Bush's illegal and bloody invasion of Iraq, I was worried that Pam's US accent might draw thugs; quite the contrary, we had people come up to us in the street sympathizing that we had to live under the rule of the Il Buce junta. It was an amazing lesson in humanity for both of us.
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Actually, our whole penal system needs to be radically restructured from the ground up.
Nathan, I couldn't agree more with every word you say . . . except that, dammit, you've put it all better than I ever possibly could.
Right now, the US struts around the world stage proclaiming itself as a champion of freedom. I'm in touch with people from a lot of other countries (artists, authors, etc.; it's my job) and, believe me, they're perfectly well aware of the relative size of the US prison population and the racist disparities of conviction levels; until the kind of rebuilding you mention is started, the US will be the subject of international derision . . . and worse.
What amazes me is how tolerant people overseas are of Americans, as opposed to US governments. The first time we went to the UK after Bush's illegal and bloody invasion of Iraq, I was worried that Pam's US accent might draw thugs; quite the contrary, we had people come up to us in the street sympathizing that we had to live under the rule of the Il Buce junta. It was an amazing lesson in humanity for both of us.