Transcript
Slavery: Unacceptable Under Any Circumstance! It is unfathomable to me how that in this modern day, and suppose civilized American society, the institution of slavery is still accepted and condoned! While American history books are filled with numerous recorded accounts of the disparaging plight of the American slave, and how its inhumane execution was, through blood shed and war, abolished. Amid such historical propaganda that even goes so far as to christen and celebrate heroes of that era and effort; it never ceases to amaze me how; both the books that are written, and those to whom it is intended, equally dismiss the concrete reality that slavery, in its most destructive form, continues to exist! And in a real sense has never completely been abolished! Although American history books may endeavor to color the truth and sidestep things it finds distasteful, the brutal fact of the matter is that the institution of slavery was never completely done away with through the writing of the Emancipation Proclamation on the 13th Constitutional Amendment. It was only refashioned! It was given a seemingly justifiable method of application by way of which a two-pronged ambition could be realized, and its malignant presence accepted throughout generations to come. The first prong to be attained was that there be a legal way in which the newly freed negro could be returned to the bondage of slavery. And the financial benefits that were derived from such, continue to be attained. The second prong to be reached was to make sure that the degrading stigma of slaverys' unjustifiable victimization; which was the essential objection concerning the slaves plight, be removed. Ensuring complete acceptance of its continued existence by both the white and the black alike. This unilateral justification would be achieved by projecting the distorted idea that this newly enslaved party somehow merited and or deserved their enslavement. Guaranteeing (or at least severely limiting) that the moral conscience of the majority would not ever again challenge or seek to end this inhumane system of oppression and exploitation based primarily on an ethical or righteous indignation! In creating this said method of enslavement the future slavemaster gave himself an ironclad approach. All but guaranteeing a large number of negroes would return to the slave institution, and as an added benefit, his newly designed method of enslavement would now allow for additional races outside of the negro, to be captured and exploited. "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude except as a punishment for crimes whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction" (13th Amend. Cons) The mathematical equation for the making of a modern day penological slave is as follows... 1 crime + 1 conviction ='s 1 slave! As diabolically ingenious as this method of systematic slavery is, it is essentially and ultimately unjust and grossly unacceptable; and will forever be so, based on an inherited, irrefutable, and inexchangeable right that all humans possess by virtue of divine endowment... A human being can never, ever be owned by another! To quote our former president Lincoln in his objection and disavowal of the institution of slavery he was recorded to have said: "I object to it because it assumes that there can be a moral right in the enslaving of one man to another." (Letter rejecting the Kansas/Nebraska Act) It can easily be understood that even the very idea that a human can be reduced to property or chattel to be owned and used by another is a monstrous crime against ones humanity. Humans are not to be unwillingly bartered, sold, or made to exist in a standard - whether positionally or morally - beneath that which dignifies the created office they hold. That of a human being! Within this dehumanizing idea exists a practical definition so abhorrent that no professed modern civilized society should have any problem rejecting it outright. Who in a sane mindset can determine that he or she possesses the authority to own another human being!?! And under what rationale or circumstance can a human being be deemed less than human (the necessary element for justifiable enslavement) and reduced to slavery!?! Yet within the very Constitution of the United States exists and 'Exceptive Clause' which provides for the most inhumane socio-economic system of oppression that has ever existed in the free world, to both continue to exist, and, even flourish unchallenged! The sense of abhorrence that was once connected to the idea of one human owning another in America has all but been replaced by a distorted perception that it becomes an acceptable practice as long as the person owned has been convicted of a crime! How incredibly absurd!!! So if one is looking for a valid motive as to why the 'Exceptive Clause' engrafted in the 13th Constitutional Amendment sanctioning slavery, should be abrogated, they would not need to look any further than their own unbiased heart; as it considers the divine right of human existence. It is essentially contrary to the dignity and nature of the human existence to be enslaved (in any capacity; despite the offense) by another. It is morally and ethnically reprehensible. And it is long overdue, as being understood by the free American citizenry, that slaverys continuance is indeed a great miscarriage of justice! Not to mention a terrible crime against what is supposed to be a modern and civilized society! "Slavery is a monstrous injustice... an unqualified evil to the negro, the white man and the state... If slavery is not wrong then nothing is wrong." (quotation from President Lincoln) The abolishment of this draconian and barbaric institution would undoubtedly have a tremendous impact on the health, wealth and prosperity of the entire nation. Not just for those who are 'freed' from the oppressive condition but also (even more so) for the society that undertakes to remove 'it!' The most precious and valuable resource that has been placed on this planet is the human, living soul! Out of all of the living creatures that inhabit this planet, there is only one that is understood to have been given the image and likeness of his creator! And whatever else that may entail, one meaning is for certain; the human being has the capacity to reason, adjust and change for the better if given the chance. We are not just irrational entities that should find ourselves held captive in an inextricably fixed position, unable to positionally evolve; suiting the situation of the slave! Yet the value of the human potential that relates to his God given identity is grossly squandered and terribly lost via the present penological slave system, created and upheld by the 13th Cons. Amends 'Exceptive Clause.' The very nature of the institution of slavery truly opposes and dismisses the idea of human value other than as chattel and abstract property. It does not promote or encourage rehabilitation, education or advancement of the slave beyond that which is useful for the profit of the slavemaster. All personal health and wellness of the slave centers around the primary objective of ensuring the slaves existence be beneficial to the slavemaster and his posterity, and his colleagues. The slaves quality of life is an afterthought (if it is that!); being only held in consideration to the degree that the quality of the slaves life be meted out in direct proportion to what is necessary for the slave to accomplish the orders and tasks he has been given and assigned. The rest is controlled in a completely arbitrary fashion with scant consideration to the slaves desires or potential. Penological slavery encompasses and promotes these very same oppressive atrocities. It is not essentially interested in the rehabilitation and restoration of the prisoner; not because its agenda is punitive in structure - although there is definitely a punishmental facet attached to it for sure - but because it was actually designed to be used as a method of segregation, oppression and exploitation. And in light of these goals, even punishment takes a back seat. It is for this reason that recidivism remains a major problem for the ex-offender. By way of his conviction, he enters into a slave colony (correctional facility) that largely endeavors to dehumanize him. Instead of being curative, it's hell-bent on stripping him of what degree of dignity he may have entered its confines with, and endeavors to systematically reinforce into his consciousness that he is indeed less than human. On a plethora of levels the penological slave is forced to endure subliminal and overt assaults against his divinely endowed humanity. And the longer that he exists under this assault the more the chance he is likely to succumb; believing the pernicious, perverted lies about his own identity. It is the most devious of mental, emotional and psychological dismantlings ever employed. He enters the penological slave colony wounded and traumatized. He then has his conscience violently assaulted, to remove any shred of human dignity he may possess, and is forced to defend his heart and mind (for an undetermined length of time) from infiltration by the slave mentality advanced through a series of systematic oppressions, eg. separation from family (while being thrust into and told to embrace and identify with an alien culture that is viewed as 2nd class and less than human (inmate species)); denied the opportunity to be self-sustaining financially; and finally, is forced to look to an overwhelming slavemaster, A.K.A. the State, for the supplying of all of his needs. Who also arbitrarily governs the granting or withholding of various liberties. Yet with the slave component removed from the penological institutional system, the prisoner would be encouraged to address his errors and character flaws through the filter of what he was (is) created to be, instead of simply being exploited and oppressed at the whims of those who constantly create ways to profit off of his captivity. They would be given viable and tangible opportunities to heal and recover themselves. The criminal activity and lifestyle would be viewed as an illness that should be diagnosed; and treated with a view to ultimately cure and then subsequently release them back into society as a constructive, productive member. The recovery process would extend beyond imprisonment to include being placed into re-entry communities that will aid the newly released to transition and get established in the free world. Encouraging and facilitating their success with a view to using them subsequently as a role model to motivate other prisoners to seriously and genuinely embrace change. With the slave component removed and replaced with the 'recovered humanity' model, the nations largest liability can be for the most part turned into one of its greatest assets! Instead of throwing away countless lives, where they languish unproductively in legal slave colonies designed to reduce them to chattel property, it would serve all involved better if the lives in question would be recovered, healed, restored and then utilized to its full, God given potential. There are numerous practical aspects where this 'recovered humanity' model of incarceration can be explained as far as its implementation is concerned. And there of course are areas of weakness in it - because of the fallibility of the human nature - that is, there are those offenders who, irregardless of encouragement and aid, will incorrigibly choose to remain criminal. However, the fact remains, that before any improvement on the existing slavery institution can be implemented (no matter what its projected overall improvement may promise), the powers that be must 1st be willing to admit that slavery in any context is in fact inhumane, immoral and unacceptable in the American society. With no exceptions or justifiable applications. So I, with this perspective as an impetus, encourage any fellow laborers in the advocation of a better, more humane way to address criminal justice - other than mass incarceration - to please consider take a more active approach to abolitionism. It is long overdue that any true and lasting advocational effort concerning the repairing of our C.J.S. must essentially begin with an understanding that any perspective, idea or notion that allows for a view of the convict as a slave is one that should be rejected outright. A human can at no time fit the position of a slave any more in this present day and age than he or she did years ago!!! So in answer to your query; yes you (or anyone in and of any kind of influence) should seek a constitutional amendment to abolish slavery for all! How could anyone in good conscience do anything less!!! And its impact, if applied with a recovery of humanity model of incarceration, would be immensely profitable in both the saving of human lives - the worlds most valuable resource - and the exemplification of the grand American values enumerated in our great Constitution! Certificate of Service I hereby certify that a copy of this brief was furnished to... by U.S. Mail; this day of
