Transcript
FREEDOM THROUGH SPACE . AND SUFFERING By: Arlando "Tray" Jones The most dreadful fate that could befall any man is to be imprisoned. For freedom, through space, is essential to the human spirit. Of all the animals God. created, none requires more space than man. Hell, we tell elephants to get out the jungle because it ain't enough space there for them and us. We, man, need the jun.g le, too, for resort and recreation. Where you see man exploring the heavenly space or the depth of the oceans, you're witnessing man demand his need for forever more space, the essential element to his happiness - his soul, his spirit - his everything. Only a Roman type slave, like an Epictetus perhaps, could find solace in not being free - in being imprisoned - living like a slave .••. Any man of honor and dignity whom have experienced the lost of freedom - and endured all the misery and hardship you'd associate with imprisonment knows that the experience will either destroy you or make you strong - and wise. For any man who gains wisdom must suff~r. Wisd9m doesn't come otherwise. And, the greater the suffering, in which a man overcomes, the greater his wisdom. • Here I somewhat reiterate: There is no suffering greater than to be imprisoned. If you committed a dog to the space available to men serving time in today's prisons, The Humane Society and so many governmental agencies will sweep in to prosecute you and persecute you your head will spin. Yet, we, man, created a multi-billion dollar a year industry (the prison system) that's predicated upon maintaining human suffering of the worse kind. 1 Man's inhumanity to man is evident in prisons around the world. Yet the prisons are so necessary because we live in a world that's often harsh, cruel, and unforgiving. Some brilliant philosopher declared that, "Man alone is cruel. For he inflicts pain and suffering for the sheer pleasure of it." So, what do we do to those who criminally inflict pain? I likely boggled that quote. But if I did it well, attribute it to my wisdom. In the end, it all comes back around anyway ..•. In order to be free, we must first experience the lost of freedom having your space limited via imprisonment - and poverty. Once a man has gathered all that he can from losing his freedom - his ability to explore space, he most be freed - in life or in death. Each man born and breathe has a fundamental right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. And I claim, through authority, that nothing is more cruel and unusual than to maintain a man in prison for his entire lifetime - even if he deserves it. I don't deny that there are some things (crimes) for which there can be no expiation. But the truth remains: to imprison a man for life is the cruelest manifestation of man's inhumanity to man. While I seemingly speak only about the "prison system" -- I speak also about poverty, ignorance, laziness .- and trifling. I utterly repudiate anything that renders a man trapped - imprisoned and limited in space for a lifetime •..• Alas, I have learned that it's best to live one glorious hour than to live a lifetime without a name. Not unlike my hero, Lord and Saviour, I spoke from authority. If I prattled - or articulated a profound wisdom, it's my own experience, observation, and beliefs. I dared to be authentic, which many don't. Who wants to be the odd man out? The one who is ridiculed and left friendless. It seems you choose the longest and loneliness road on earth when you choose to be 2 authentic. When you follow your conscience and be convicted by your own experiences, observations, and beliefs. How arrogant! How Buddha? How Christ-like? to be free. 3
