Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2001 10:53:16 +0000 (GMT)
From: Tamar_Herzberg-AT-pseud.pseud
Subject: Re: M-INTRO: a 'free' country


 --- REDBREN-AT-pseud.pseud wrote: > On December 01, 2001
 calvin-AT-pseud.pseud wrote:
> 
> "The whole concept of a "free" country now has a new
> meaning"
> 
> What meaning might that be??

I'll tell you: - 

The United States has the highest rate of prisoners in
the world, per population. 

Most of these prisoners are held on non-violent and
minor drug charges that in other, less-free countries,
such as the Netherlands, are either disregarded or
dealt with in other ways (in-community rehabilitation,
for example). 

Some are held for long sentences, because they stole a
box of cigarettes or signed a bad check. Americans
call this free system "Three Strikes Out". 

Needless to say, that instead of getting any fat rich
drug dealers, the system is full of poor people with
minor offences. 

One in three African American men had either been in
some sort of imprisonment, or is right now. 

In many states, if you have been convicted in any
felony and served time, you can't vote (no matter how
"rehabilitated" you are later). In other words,
America also has the most democratic system in the
world. 
 

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