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The Tragedy Of No Redemption
icture this scenario for
a moment. A 60-year- old man, fresh out of prison after serving a 35-year bid, sitting on the edge of his bed inside a rooming house wondering how he’s going to feed himself and earn enough money to pay his weekly rent, along with other bills he’s forced to contend with on a monthly basis, including back child support, the anxiety medica- tion he takes so he can sleep and a cell phone he’d rather not have, but was told he can’t function without.
Even though he’s in great physical condition his age prevents him from obtaining a decent job because of his felony record and lengthy incarceration. He ultimately finds himself competing with a multitude of men like himself for the few day la- borer positions available in an environment where much of the work has gone to automation.
If he’s lucky, he may be able to earn $40-$50 for his trouble. It isn’t much. But it’s enough to pay for his lunch, dinner and bus fare back to his room, where he’ll get on his knees and pray that he can repeat the same level of success tomorrow.
His transition would have been easier if he had a support system in place when he got out. But, unfor- tunately for him, his parents and siblings all died while he was away. The girlfriend or wife he once had moved on and his kids (the ones he’s paying back support for) barely know him and have little interest in establishing a relationship.
He is a man without a family around to offer him assistance in any shape,
form or fashion. Though his struggle is significant he sol- diers on, committed to mak- ing a life for himself, the honest way, in spite of the circumstances.
To him, it helps that the time he’s spent behind bars has hardened his heart. The numbness he feels allows him to deal with the aban- donment. But it also leaves him with a lack of compas- sion and has stolen some of his humanity.
After a year of barely get- ting by, and dealing with nu- merous obstacles that impede his ability to move forward, frustration begins to take a toll on his already fragile mental state. He be- gins to wonder why he’s even attempting to do the right thing when it seems like the world is doing its best to facilitate his failure?
The little money he makes that day he doesn’t bother to save. Instead he spends it on booze, drugs, sex and anything else that helps ease the pain of defeat.
It is in this inebriated state that he decides to no longer play by the rules of, what he sees as, a game he can’t win. He uses what little resources he has left to pur- chase a gun that he plans on using in a robbery scheme.
He has already made up his mind that he’s never going back to prison. So, if he gets caught he’s prepared to hold court in the street in hopes that he either gets away from the scene or is killed before handcuffs can ever again be applied to his wrists. And, sadly, the latter is exactly how his story ends.
To add insult, to his al- ready disgraced name, his death at the hands of police officers is used by anti-
prison reformers as a prime example of why the status quo of harsh sentencing should be maintained. To them, his case is further proof that the laws may not be tough enough.
There isn’t any talk of the things he went through or what led him down this path to destruction, only that he returned to a life of crime after his release. In the eyes of sympathetic observers he becomes another statistic that raises the percentage rate of recidivism.
The irony, of course, is that none of this had to hap- pen. Had he not been sub- jected to minimum mandatory sentencing and had his entire life taken away, things could have turned out a lot differently.
Being released at a much younger age would have meant maintaining his fam- ily ties and possibly further- ing his education, which would have helped him se- cure gainful employment. Instead, he was warehoused for almost half a century and then expected to smoothly adjust to a society ill- equipped to handle his re- turn... The hard luck he encountered during the process was inevitable.
While this anecdote was- n’t based on an actual per- son, these all too real circumstances are faced by thousands of men and women who leave prison every day after being thrown away by the system. To most people it comes off as just another cautionary tale. But to those who’ve lived or are living this kind of existence it is a bitter reality.
And, the worst part of it all is that, until it finally dawns on those making the decisions that mass incar- ceration simply doesn’t work, a story like this always has the potential to leap from a page to become a true to life tragedy.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bul- letin Publishing Company. You can contact Mr. Barr at: cbarronice@gmail.com.
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The Fable Of The Lion And The Pachyderm
sk your mama (or mayhaps, your grandmamma)
to tell you about the story of the lion and the pachyderm (elephant) way down in the jungle, many years ago. And when your people regale you as to that age-old “I’m trying to teach you something” tale, then go to Twitter and share what you’ve learned with America’s 45th president.
Goodness knows, as he continues to poke a stick in the eye of China (the world’s second mightiest export economy), Trump needs it.
In case you’ve forgotten, it goes like this: There was once a mischievous chimpanzee (call him Bright Bart) who happened to have sway with the lion’s inner ear. Fake news, false facts were all part and parcel of what the chimp fed to the King-of-Beasts with a greasy spoon of emotionalism.
So, this particular day, ol’ Bright (Alt-right) saun- tered over to President Lion and whispered, “King Leo, were you aware that there’s another animal in the jun- gle who says he’s economically badder than you?”
“WHO MIGHT THAT BE?” roared the lion. “I will beat him badder than his mama ever did!”
So, the chimp bade Leo to lower his head then whis- pered in his ear, “I believe they call him ‘Pachyderm” . . . “Elephant” for short.”
The lion went ballistic . . . ‘went roaring through the jungle bullying everybody else until he came to the ele- phant who was sunning himself, and who raised his trunk and said with a smile, “How you doin’, Brother Lion? Come and sit for a while.”
But the lion didn’t listen and balled up his fist then prepared to give the elephant a knockout kiss.
For, he was the lion king . . . that was true. But he had never witnessed what that elephant could do.
Now, what’s that got to with President Trump who for some stranger reason has picked up a bundle of tar- iffs and is overly busy jabbing them up the nose of The People’s Republic of China (one of our nation’s staunchest trade partners)?
Perhaps, we’ve already answered the riddle: Trump and his administration would do well to realize that everyone does not respond well to “Bully-Economics.” Such was the lesson learned the hard way by the King of the Jungle when he met his physical match.
And the rest is a lesson learned by anyone who has common sense. Like we said earlier, ask your mama or grandmamma to tell you the story.
Then call up Donald Trump and introduce the story to him . . . soon!
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FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2018 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 5-A