Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Sociocultural Outlook
I very much liked Dr. Muth's perspective on the prisoners and reconnection with their children. It took a very positive sociocultural perspective on a very sensitive subject. I think this appeals to me because ultimately it ends in some form of action or plan moving forward (as he ended the paper). The power perspective on these issues seems to get bogged down in blame and responsibility as opposed to action and solutions. Thank you, Dr. Muth, for exposing me to this program and these issues. Remind me never to get locked up.
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Thank you Greg: and yes, don't ever get locked up! I agree that the Hope House program is positive, constructive and filled with grace (really). But, it is also highly political. The first three years of summer camp we had to counteract numerous attempts by staff, the press and the community who were (and still are) outraged by bringing kids inside prison. Carol Fennelly, the House House founder has been a social activist her entire life. She and Mitch Snyder conducted hunger strikes and disrupted the orderly running of Washington DC (I know, that's an oxymoron!) throughout the 1970's to raise awareness of homelessness. This resulted in the founding of the Center for Creative Non-Violence, the largest homeless shelter in DC. Here is her interview with Amy Goodman on Democracy Now:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.democracynow.org/2004/6/11/reagan_and_the_homeless_epidemic_in
The point is, what looks lovely and non-controversial from the vantage point of my paper was an ideological fore-grounding resulting from my values and biases. I was not giving voice those who had opposing views. My advocacy is a value judgment. But, as always is the case, I suppose, we tend to care about those we are closest too. Having grown very close to these vulnerable and resilient families over the years, I wanted their stories to be heard. Because if not me, who? :)
I had some of the same feelings that your opponents have. Why should a prisoner get to see their kids? They are in prison for a reason and should be suffering, right? They abandoned those rights when they committed the crime, didn't they? But I also felt for these guys because I am a dad, and not seeing my kids would be the worst punishment you could give me, whether I was in prison or the south of France. I actually began to wonder if the joy of a week together would be worth the sense of loss and yearning that would result. I was glad to hear they are able to maintain these relationships moving forward
DeleteGreg,
ReplyDeleteI'm not trying to throw shade, but I must address the final sentence of your posting: “Remind me never to get locked up.” It struck me as insensitive, snarky, and removed from the realities of more than 2 million incarcerated people in the US. I am going to preface my remarks with a bit about my history given that I know a bit about your background from the internet. I went to UVA as undergrad, as did you. I excelled academically despite coming from a poor family; I lived on the lawn; yatta yatta yatta. However, when it came time for me to stand up for my beliefs (after 3 years of an escalating campaign), I participated in the living wage sit-in with 16 other students. We were all arrested (illegally, without any directive to leave or to sign a summons), had our arms twisted behind our backs which fractured the wrists of two participants, and were dragged down a flight of stairs before being thrown into a van. We were never read our rights, although the cops lied in court and said they did. Before this, I believed the criminal legal system (I refuse to call it a justice system) was in place to protect people. I then saw it as a system to protect certain people; I am not one of them. Actually, I would encourage you to get locked up and see how dehumanizing the process is – strip searching, arbitrary and always changing rules, the constant threat of rape. Once you're behind the bars, no degree or impressive CV will help you. If those conditions are not OK with you, what will you do to change it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0Bpvk0HR2g
I did not mean for that comment to come across as snarky. I meant it. I actually have been "locked up." Not in prison, but I have spent the night in jail. Luckily, I didn't sustain any injuries, but I experienced the same arbitrary, unjust, and dehumanizing treatment from the police (if I had a degree or CV at the time I'm positive it would not have mattered). It got no better as my case moved through the system. I think we are very close in our opinion of the legal system (I like your refusal to use the word justice). I have a few stories from patients of mine about the legal system that will blow your mind if you ever want more reason not to trust cops.
DeleteHi Greg! I didn’t think your comment was ”snarky”. I don’t want to be locked up either. I thought it was very interesting to see the different reaction to the literature from the class. Many weighed the pros and cons of the program and all of us thought about how the children might feel. For me the program is effective and powerful due to the connection made from the Father and Child. The bonds between parents and children over power any of the potential negative aspects of the program. I enjoyed your post. Thanks for blogging.
ReplyDelete