Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2001 16:23:27 -0800 (PST)
From: Edler2u-AT-pseud.pseud
Subject: Re: M-INTRO: a 'free' country...From: Edler


I totally agree with Tamar Herzberg. I don't mean to
discount the great freedoms that we do have here in
the U.S., but there is a hypocracy that exists in our
system. We believe in freedom and call our nation a
democracy, but how free are we. When we vote, we are
voting on issues or candidates; we are not voting on
whatever we want, rather we are voting on choices that
have already been decided for us. Therefore whatever
we vote on has already been decided by only a few
political leaders. Our criminal justice system is a
joke, and very little equality exists. If you can
afford a high priced lawyer, you can get away with
murder, or at least reduce your sentence, but if you
make the mistake of committing a small petty crime and
can't afford a good lawyer then you rot in jail. Of
course there are many great benefits of living in the
U.S., such as having a freedom to choose our religion
and so fourth, but I think the only people who are
truly free are our strong policy makers, although I do
believe that interest groups do have some power, but
only when it is convenient for our politicians. Now,
what Tamar was discussing is correct in my opinion and

really disturbing. The number of people in prison for
petty crime is outrageous and the rehabilitation
system rarely works in prisons. Furthermore another
issue that bothers me is the company owned prisons,
such as the telemarketers in Utah. Companies pay a
ridiculously cheap wage to employ these prisoners and
do not have any benefit to rehabilitate and release
prisoners. It is totally in their advantage to keep
these prisoners and exploit them; and for every worker
they release, they must either hire a new one for a
regular wage, or put pressure on the system to to
incarcerate new offenders.  


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