By: Edgar Saint George,
Editor-in-Chief
On behalf of our writers and editors, let me apologize in advance
if our articles sometimes seem a little nasty, combative, sarcastic
or disgusted. The truth is that many readers, particularly the
white middle class have been indoctrinated to believe the
fairy-tale that persons in authority are some how "good." Too
much of the public has bought into the myth that prison
administrators, government officials, guards, police and other
authority figures are sincere, honest people who are trying" to
do a good job and are just "misunderstood," or are justified in
acting badly.
Reality is very different. The "good" cop, guard or prison administrator is the exception to the rule. Generally speaking, persons in authority, especially prison bosses, the courts and the whole law enforcement racket, are not good. They are a necessity, but a necessary evil. We don't pretend to be unbiased. We don't pretend to be nonpartisan. We admit to having definite goals and points of view. A lawyer paid by the guards argued to the Commonwealth Court that we should be censored because we criticized persons in authority. She didn't like the First Amendment. Sometimes an article may seen overly nasty or critical. It's a legitimate response. Many of the things being done by or allowed by those in authority are bad and they are intended to be that way. Since the docile white middle class was old enough to pay attention, it was taught to obey and respect mother and father. Many of you transferred that sense of awe and obedience to other authority figures. We urge you to honor your mother, but be damn skeptical of government authorities. Mature into a critical citizen who looks honestly at the oppression in our culture. "Goodness is as goodness does!" Sad to say, the Department of Imprisonment (or "corrections" as they like to call themselves, "Doc" is systematically dishonest. DOC lawyers are notorious liars. I've never met an honest one! Pennsylvania prison officials rely on the same dishonesty. They are professionals at the cover-up. Between the con and a screw, always believe the con! In confronting this evil monster our articles are sometimes disgusted - because the situation is disgusting. Sometimes an editor seems a little combative - because oppression justifies revolution. Sometimes an author is nasty - because the situation is nasty. We never advocate or justify violence toward any person, but you can't cooperate with evil. If you lie down with the prison bosses, you get up stinking of their corruption. We have always been willing to negotiate and work within the system. Tragically, the system is poisonous, arrogant and unresponsive. Many supposed prison advocates from the venerable Pennsylvania Prison Society down to "CURE" and the Christian crazies are really in bed with the enemy. Cooperating with abuse makes them abusers too. It's not possible to be civil to the dog who's eating you alive. That doesn't make us animal haters. "The study of crime begins with You are welcome to use or republish
any of our material.
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