I found this letter very interesting. It is true that this letter reflects the labels that are prevelant in the world and society. I found this part interesting "I was struck by the concept that I mentioned it to a benign fellow on the block I was housed on and he directed me to a theory known as “social reaction perspective” or “labeling theory”. After reading a little bit about it, I can now understand the professor’s distaste for our labeling of ourselves or worse, allowing others to label us. " There are so many labels in the world and it is horrible that every single person judges people or has a pre-concieved notion of them. Labels have a huge inpact on our society today, and it is sad and pathetic. It sucks that most poeple would not want to associate themselves or be friends with a lifer in prison. But i guess its cause they say you are the company you keep, and most people dont want to be around dangerous people or people who could get them into trouble. It just sucks that everyone gets udged, and judges people. I feel bad for people who come out of prison because everyone is going to look at them differently and label and udge them for the rest of their life

i loved this article and found it kind of funny. It is funny how this lifer in prison chose to write a letter that barely talked about the struggles of prison. Most lifers write about how hard it is to deal with prison and how their life has turned upside down, but this letter was different. It showed a new perspective from a point of view of a man who feels guilty about how he treated women. It was so interesting and very cool to see this new perspective. I highly enjoyed reading this letter because it is something that women dont believe men know. I liked this part.A man is not afraid to totally open up. Whose secrets are her secrets as well. He is able to let his guard down and take her opinions without regretting them. A man will shower his love with gifts and compliments without there being a reason. He is spontaneous. Who at the drop of a dime takes her on a voyage to wherever the wind may blow them.

To me, these are some of the qualities a woman would like to have in a man. My question is, if I’m right, why is it I had to come to prison to figure this out. Why did it take me so long to get this understanding of females? I’ve been brain washed into believing that all women want is sex and money. Seeing videos, movies and television shows gave me this false impression. Watching how women in those environments accepted the treatment given to them by men only added fuel to the fire. Its weird so see a man say that because us women dont believe that men truly think like this. It is funny that he wrote an entire letter about the way men percieve women or how he personally thought of women but it was very cool that at the end of his letter he apologized to women everywhere. I lenjoyed it.

I absolutely loved this letter. This inmate is so optimistic and has showed me a very very cool perspective on prison life. Its funny because the author of this letter is right in every way. WE (as in people who are not in prison) really do not know what it is like. We have no clue. Just like he said it isn't anything like what the movies try and percieve it as. Its cool how he was a good person pre prison and even though he has been in jail for over ten years his high school teachers and loved ones and childhood friends still write letters with him and try and keep in touch. It saddened me that he is recieving less mail than he used to, so much that I almost want to find out his address and write him a letter to cheer him up and tell him how much i liked his letter.It is funny to hear how the people who dont get mail are the bad guys. i enjoyed this part of the letter "Of the men here at Rockview, the ones who have the strongest family ties are the ones who aren’t assholes! Let’s be real, would anyone want to be friends with assholes? There are guys here who believe that their families owe them, despite the fact that they treated them like trash when they were home. They abused their families/friends in so many ways that it’s hard to think that the pople who used to take care of these scumbags aren’t happy that they’re in prison." Its funny to see that the guys who treat their family like crap get it back in return. I mean just because someoe is in jail doesnt mean you are gonna be their friend all of the sudden. I really liked this authors point of view and perspective on his life and his jail experience. It is really amazing that he is almost a mentor to younger and newer inmates. It is cool that he is building relationships with the guards and inmates and has developed a new "world" and family outside the real world and his real family. It is sad that he feels "out of the loop" of the real world so that is why he has created a family in jail and a new world. It is very cool and i eel that he is inspiring other inmates to think like him and succeed in their lives.

This story was heartbreaking and shocking. Honestly i can't even blame this lifer for what he did. Yes what he did was terrible, but what his family did was one of the most awful stories i have ever heard in my entire life. It is so terrible that he grew up wanting to die every second and having to deal with the torture and abuse that he grew up with .It is so awful that even his own brother and sister would not help him and would even participate in the abuse and put him through hell. It is crazy that althoug he had not seen his parents for years he still could not live with knowing that they are alive. It is crazy that his own mother poisoned him and let his father rape him and sexually and physically abuse him to almost the poin of him taking his own life. It is awful that his own parents wanted him to commit suicide. Why are these people even parents? Why didnt he call the police and get a rape kit or show them his pain or why didnt he set up a hidden camera? I dont understand how he let himself grow up like that without running awawy or living with a friend or reporting it to the authorities. It is so sad that he lived in fear every minute and he still lives in fear in jail. The saddest quote that touched me was "I was afraid of prison but no more afraid than I have always been. You can get used living in fear. You can get used to most any situation if you have to. In prison you would be surprised at what you can get used to.

People ask me how I can live with a life sentence. I tell them that my life was never that good and it is not that bad now. As far as fear goes, I am still afraid but I deal with it and do not show it. If they know you are afraid, you are done for. If you appear confident they usually leave you alone. " It is truly awful to see that he had such an awful life and it wont get better any time soon. It is so awful that he had to kill his own parents but they deserved it. They would not even buy him a pair of glasses? How can you call tthem parents?

i Found this article extremely interesting. I think if you were to take a giant survey worldwide that the majority of people would LOVE to win the lottery. Yet litle do these people know it is not it is all perked up to be. You would think that money equals happiness. Money can buy you anything you want, clothes a new house cars and evern vacations for those travel lovers. But the thing is this article brought up some interesting points that really opened my eyes to how awful it could be and showed me what exactly the bad parts about winning the lottery would be. I never though anything negative about free millions. I didnt realize that people in your life would try an take advantage of you and get some of that mula. But now that i have read it, i truly understand t and i could definately see that happenng. Friends and family would do anything for a lend out of cash. Also people who grew up in poor communities would probably continue to shop at the stores and live in the neighborhoods that they would typically live at. I dont think their lives would change THAT much it is not like they are a completely different person. It was interesting to read that some lottery winners even were to afraid to tell their friends they won the lottery for fear of what could happen. Its true there are a lot of people out there who USE people for their money. And your so called "friends" could easily start mooching off of you or even using you for your wealth. Its interesting to read this because most people would think winnning the lottery is the best thing in the world. There are some people who buy lottery tickets every single day just hoping to be that lucky someone who wins! But what they dont realize is all the stress and issues that money come along with ! This wasa great article and i truly enjoyed seeing how inheriting a ton of cash could change your life forever.

I was very interested by this letter about fear. It was extremely interesting to see that the author of this letter said fear was his main motivation. Fear is what drives him. Having to conquer his fears is what keeps him going and motivated. He seems really strong and it is interesting to see that he appretiates his fears. This is such a cool poem it teaches you to appretiate this little things in life or it can give the reader a new perspective on an isue and it really made me start to think about the fears that are relavant in my everyday life. This poem made me question my own fears and even inspired me to want to conquer my fears and even appretiate my own fears. The amazing thing about this poem is that this guy is in jail and has a lot to fear yet he is so positive and is trying to conquer all of his fears. (even though some of the fears are rediculous, like not waking up every morning). This poem really opened my eyed. My favorite like is "Fear could either work in your favor in a good way or a bad way depending on how you look at it." The main part of this article is perspective. persecutive of how you fear things and how you ochoose to deal with your fears and handle them. Fear drives your subconcious to make the right and wrong choices. Fears drives you to be the person that you are and if you are a good person or a bad person. fear drives you to do the right thing because you fear what would happen if you did something wrong or bad. Fear should be everyones main motivation.

This article is really interesting because most of us DO NOT want to pay for other peoples mistakes (like having to pay taxes for health reasons for people who eat unhealthy) YET, most americans do not want the government to tell us what to do. There needs to be a healthy middle ground between government control and government responsibility of the people. The governemnt should have a big influence on people's decisions and i think for the first couple years that the new regulations are implemented that we have a responsibility for our country as well as a responsibility for ourselves too. If at first the country is angry for extra taxes they will just have to see how the taxes can benefit our health care. Maybe people will stop eating big macs if they realize that they will have to pay extra taxes! WE should appreciate that our government has let us come this far with out the rediculous taxes for obesity and such issues. We should appreciate that we have the FDA to protect us against bad foods and regulate the food we eat. I think there should be a five year plan where we can be taxed or "told what to do" by our governemnt. I feel that allthough it isnt fair and isnt right it will benefit us in the future!

I almost teared up while reading “remember” a letter from an inmate. I honestly feel so sorry for the guy. What he did was so awful, and what is also awful is the fact that he regrets what he did so much. He knows he had no real reasons to kill the man. He barely knew anything about “Kevin” and I can tell from reading this that his life would have been much better if he hadn’t of killed Kevin. He let his drunken rage take over him and cause him to kill a man. But the person who is truly suffering is himself because he is the one who is in prison for the majority of his life! It is a pretty sad letter because its clear that the inmate is suffering a great deal. He has nothing left in his life, he even says he has only a tiny teensy bit of hope left. Its sad to see that his family wont even talk to him, even the women he thought he loved and even had married. It sucks to see someone in jail suffering in the life they live. I think in cases like this only ten years of prison should be required not 46! that is basically his entire life in jail and it is quite rediculous. By reading this i really felt bad for inmates who slrewed up and dont really deserve to live in the conditions they live in. I think its so sad that he is suffering the majority of his life alone in cells without family members or anyfriends. It is IRONIC that he killed a man over pride or dignity and now he isnt even look at as a man anyways, he is ust a number.

When I read this article it was truly intriguing to me. When I think of a murderer I think of a cold blooded killer, not someone who regrets what they did. It was surprising to me that the author talked about how remorseful they were and how awful they felt but did not go into detail as to who was murdered or why the murder took place? If the inmate was going to have this guilt resting on his shoulders, then why was the murder committed in the first place? And who was the victim who actually forgave the inmate for killing their loved one? And who was the victim who did not forgive the inmate? This letter leaves out a lot of large portions of the case making it mysterious and me question was the motives of the inmate were. He was a murder, but why? And how? And when? I am surprised that the murderer feels sorry but it is noble and brave of him to want to face his victims and apologize for what he has done. It is interesting to see that a news reporter covered the apology too and I think that a lot of people would find the apology and the conversation in general to be very intriguing and interesting. I almost feel sorry or the inmate, even though he murdered two people. It is because he is truly sorry for what he did, it takes a strong person and soul to apologize for their actions. I cant even imagine how hard it would be to apologize to someone for doing such a horrible crime and taking their loved one away. It must have been one of the hardest and bravest thing he has ever done. Its cool that someone actually generally forgave him for what he did, it is also pretty shocking !

I definitely was horrified by this video. It truly makes me sick and disgusted to see four-year-old girls all dolled up in make up and ridiculous costumes putting on a show for people. Not only is the whole thing just ridiculous and completely inappropriate, but I do not think that these children really are given a choice, they are merely being brainwashed by their stage mom mothers who are living vicariously through their daughters. It is not morally right to start judging a two year olds looks and appearance. These young girls will truly be screwed up and self-conscious when they are alder because they were judged so harshly when they were younger and they would prepare themselves for weeks on stupid routines and dances. It makes me sick to think girls this young are already competing with each other based on their looks and so called “talents”. Child pageants are disgusting. Then again adult pageants are ridiculous too, but at least the adults in pageants had a change to experience a somewhat normal childhood and had the chance to decide if a beauty pageant is right for them. It is just wrong that pageant moms are basically forcing their little girls to dance around like a bimbo and thrusting around everywhere. The stage mother said “it is no different than a dance recital” but who’s to say a dance recital isn’t morally wrong too? These girls are not even teenagers yet and are already so hyper sexualized, it is disgusting. If I was a judge or a mother I would honestly not be able to handle it because of how wrong it is. I think seeing young girls all hyper sexualized and wearing all that make up definitely promotes petifileism and is disgusting. It seems as if the girls in the pageant are willing but also have a strong force behind them pushing them which are their parents.