Re: American society ignores and accepts prison rape

"T.Carr" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> "abracadabra" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> > "Proprclr" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> > news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > The horror of prison rape
> > >
> > > <http://www.vny.com/cf/News/upidetail.cfm?QID=161622>
> > >
> > > Tuesday, 20 February 2001
> > > By LOU MARANO
> > >
> > > WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- The high incidence of male-on-male rape
in
> > > U.S. prisons would be impossible without the complicity or
indifference of
> > > guards and wardens, testimonials from former convicts say. And much of
the
> > > public seems to tacitly accept the outrage.
> >
> > The fact is that Americans are pretty goddam stupid.
>
>   Considering how many vote 'dem the above is hard to argue with


Ahem - that's a real cheap shot - which is understandable. You've been more
pissy the longer Bush's war has been dragging out. I imagine you are
frustrated Clinton isn't President, because you cannot blame him for such an
awful failure, and you cannot yourself speak the truth about what a pile of
human shit the Administration is. I feel for you - and Colin Powell as well.
It's got to be sad to be part of such a disaster.

> They joke about prison
> > rape, because most of them will never get raped in prison. They don't
> > understand that prisoners are in the care and are the responsibility of
the
> > state, and allowing prisoners to be raped makes us all responsible.
>
>   Wrong, Wrong, Wrong. "We" are not "all responsible" for what occurs
> in prison.

We are responsible for what our government does. We are the government, and
the prisons are run by the government.

>First the responsibility for any rape resides with the
> Rapist..period.

Not in prison it doesn't. It resided with the attitude of wardens who use
rape as a way to control prisoners.

>Second, "We" pay the prison not only to protect
> society from the felons, but to maintain order within the prison
> population and whatever rehabilitation is appropriate.

So men being raped repeatedly (which amounts to torture in my book) is OK.
We disagree.

>  Sadly we
> > have a judiciary that is so far to the right that our constitutional
> > protections are worthless - unless you are wealthy and a Republican.
>
>   I guess you missed the Massachussets Supreme Court ruling last week,
> or the SCOTUS ruling on AA earlier this year?

WHich has what to do with anything? The fact is that under Reagan, BUsh and
Clinton we tended to get "tough on crime" judges. Just because two rulings
go against your extreme right wing views doesn't mean we do not have an
overwealmingly conservative judiciary.
But more important, we have D.A.s who are motivated to get people convicted
even when they know the person is innocent. So plenty of the men being raped
in prison are probably innocent.
COnservative justice - you gotta love it.

> > As a country, we are less concerned about the rights or our fellow
Americans
> > then the Germans were in pre-war Germany. When we fall, we'll have
earned
> > it.
>
>    More people are concerned about rights being threatened by the
> "Patriot Act" or Campaign Finance Reform" as they affect far more
> people.(imo) Prison should not be a country club, but it should not
> result in unnecessary brutality.

It shouldn't be a country club, but the purpose of prison ought to be
1) Protect society from the criminals
2) Reform the criminals so that when they get out they have something to do
with their lives.
Sadly most conservatives delight in the thought of torturing people, and
most Americans in general don't give a crap if people in prison are being
tortured, because they don't realize how easily they could end up in prison.