en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2487931 Comments by nufcfan13 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/if-prison-has-taken-anything-away-from-me/#IDComment145261265 This truly is one of the most depressing entries that I have read since the start of this class. This prisoner actually seems likely he is truly sad about what his life has come to. Usually the prisoners that write these entries have found some kind of peace in what they’ve found in jail but this guy is just a complete emotional wreck in jail. He makes me feel extremely sorry for him throughout the entire reading. This guy really has nothing in jail besides feel sorry for himself, which he needs to stop doing. He really should take the time in jail to reflect on his life and think about what he could do to better the situation. There is no reason for him to just sit around and cry about things. That will do nothing to better his situation in jail. I can’t imagine how all of the other prisoners must feast on this prisoner. I am actually surprised that this prisoner hasn’t already killed himself with the way he seems to loathe his life. He should at least be happy that he still has a life to live and shelter for himself although it Is behind closed bars. His absolute obsession has me concerned as well. I feel that even as a child, he must have not experienced enough love because e talks abou t the loss of being loved which I would think he should have already received enough of that. He really should take the time to just try and become a new person in jail and he says he has hobbies but obviously those aren’t enough because he wouldn’t sit and stare at the ceiling for awhile if those hobbies were worthwile. Hopefully this guy can one day overcome his sadness and just learn to accept what has happened to him. I know that is easier said than done, but I feel that is the only way that this guy will be able to live what is considered a normal jail behind bars. Once he does that, then he will find his “happiness” behind the jail bars. Sat, 23 Apr 2011 01:17:12 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/if-prison-has-taken-anything-away-from-me/#IDComment145261265 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/11/lifer/#IDComment142283962 Reading this entry really help me to realize how much labels do actually affect our society. Everywhere go people are given different names for the way their actions are perceived by others. Some people are able to simply ignore these labels but others unfortunately let these labels drastically affect themselves and think about themselves in a negative light. These labels also cause some people to change the way they act and often leads to changing of personalities to fit in. I know that being an African-American, often times when I was younger simply because of how I would choose to dress or the music I would listen to, I would be perceived as “white”. That same idea is thrown at many African Americans who supposedly act outside their culture for things simple as the friends they chose to hang out with, way that they spoke, and how they act in school. Many of these labels are given to these kids at such a young age and causes some kids to resent themselves at such a young age. Having labels affect me personally, I have tried to go through out my life without labeling people just because I know how big of a role it plays. Labeling people without ever giving them a fair chance is just truly unfair. Every person has their own special qualities that make them their own individual and they should have the chance to express that without having a preconceived notion made by people who will truly never take the chance to know them. Labels truly have a larger impact on our society than most people fail to realize. Some people who are given labels whether it be positive or negative simply choose to run with it because that they feel that once this is already thought about them that they must just follow it. Although I don’t agree with that, I can easily see how some people choose to go down the path that their label has chosen for them. I hope that many people who are given these labels, take the high road and don’t follow their labels but live their lives the way that they have chosen for themselves. Tue, 12 Apr 2011 20:17:50 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/11/lifer/#IDComment142283962 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/03/what-a-man-is/#IDComment140603482 Reading this entry really took me by surprise. This entry really strayed away from the subject that most of these entries have been centered around all the previous postings. They all would talk about what the inmates missed about living in the real world but this one goes to talk about the treatment of women, which caught me by surprise. All of the points that was made about the way women should be treated were completely spot on. Women today don’t get anywhere near the treatment that they deserve. They are subjected to ridicule and are often demeaned everyday by countless men. The reason though that happens is because most of these women choose to let that happen and often choose the wrong guys as their partners. A prime example of how women were demeaned was seen in the video about music videos. All of the things that occurred in that video should never be done to any women. That is exactly where men get the ideas that they can treat women anyway that they want. Once women can realize this and take themselves away from all that trash then, hopefully men will be able to see them as people too and end all of this subjective treatment. This is seen numerous times and you would think that women would figure this out by now but no they never do. It is refreshing to see that this guy was enlightened while in prison. Everything that is stated by C. is exactly how all women should be treated. As I read this though, I wondered how badly this individual used to treat women before realizing this and what he had been sentenced before. Had this realization come from prior horrible treatment of women or had he seriously come to this conclusion because he felt that is he had treated his own lover when he had her. Regardless of what may had happen, all men and women need to read this and realize that this is how they should be treated while men must take tips from this and treat their cherished females the same way. Thu, 7 Apr 2011 00:27:18 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/03/what-a-man-is/#IDComment140603482 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/27/family/#IDComment139159700 Reading this response really quite confused. The way that this person describes themselves makes him to see a quite great individual. He mentions that he has so many support systems while he is in jail. Just some of them being high school teachers, the parents of his friends , and all of his childhood friends show that this is a quality individual who must be a person with great characteristics. I can’t believe how someone like C could even end up jail. I am afraid to believe that this is another case of someone who unluckily was thrown into a bad situation set up by some of his friends or even people he doesn’t associate with and caused him to get in unnecessary trouble. I found it really upsetting that some of the inmates in prison lose connection with their family. It’s hard enough being in jail but losing the support of the people who are supposed to love you no matter what really has a terrible psychological effect on the morale of those inmates. No one should have to lose the support of their family unless they have actually lost them to death. It’s slightly warming to hear that some of the staff at these facilities sympathize with them. As he says when you envision prisons from television, you see the faculty as horrible tyrants who have no respect at all for the inmates and treat them like absolute garbage all the time. C’s take on prison really helps to show that some inmates are actually able to adapt to prison and turn it into a second functional home. It was nice to hear how he has found his second family and became a mentor for some of the other inmates in the prison. C really is a standout guy for taking on that role when he could simply just rot away in jail and forget about how to be a good person. Not that I know from experience, but it must be extremely tough to not allow prison to take over you and let it change you and C is doing a great job by keeping true to himself. Fri, 1 Apr 2011 17:44:51 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/27/family/#IDComment139159700 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/b-s-response/#IDComment137511059 Reading this post really help to put in perspective, how there are other ways to obtain a life sentence. As the writer said, when I hear life sentence, I automatically think that the lifer had to have taken someone’s life from them but as he says, he simply in jail for the rest of his life as an accessory to murder. I honestly feel that is extremely unfair. I do agree that yes helping someone commit such a heinous act should result in some sort of extreme punishment but not one that results in someone having to spend the rest of their life behind bars. I believe in the whole concept of a life for a life so when murderer are given life sentences that is easily justified, but someone who plays an accessory shouldn’t see the same punishment as an actual murderer. While accessory to murder is a serious crime, you must think of all the other incidents that allow people to enter prison. Some people commit acts such as sexual assault, rape, and child molestation. These people are the ones who get shorter sentences and released back into society to live normal lives when really they are for more likely to become repeat offenders than someone who played a small role in a murder. Thinking about that is absolutely absurd. Anyone who molests a small child should never have the opportunity to live a normal life. Child molestation seriously traumatizes kid and usually affects them for the rest of their lives. With the impact that has on our young really should have any pedophile locked behind bars for their entire life. Anyone who is sick enough to mess with young children never be allowed to be a part of society at all. Hearing the lifer bring up the often used phrase, watch the company you keep really hit home because your friends do play such a huge impact on your life and if just simply being in the wrong place when such a crime goes down really makes me think that you must choose your friends wisely and always be aware of your surroundings. Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:52:30 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/b-s-response/#IDComment137511059 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/m-s-story/#IDComment135966458 After hearing the class today, I really have a new outlook on all people who receive life prisons. Hearing the examples given in class really made me realize how easy it is to become in the same predicament as any of those individuals. The life that we all live is full of many tough decisions and causes us to make mistakes almost one hundred percent of the time. Hearing some of the ways that these people can be put in these predicaments sometime cause them to make careless decisions makes me think how easy it really is to have myself be put in the same situation as all of them. As seen in the story, sometimes life throws into situations where really you have no idea how to handle what happens or even to really think about the idea that you are put in. Unfortunately for the writer, that is the situation that he was placed in. Left in a shitty spot where he really had no control over the outcome and was left to really wait it out and hope for the best concerned with really the present and not what could result from the general actions. That same situation can easily happen to anyone and he was unlucky enough to have it happen to him. What are you really supposed to do in a situation of life or death, try to stop the situation from happening or just go with it hoping that in the end, there are no negative results for yourself. That is what our writer was faced with. In that situation, I feel that anyone would’ve done the exact same thing. Not think about the consequences but just focus on surviving for the time being. As you see in the reading, he extremely remorseful for his decision and wishes with all his heart that he can take back that careless night but as life works, there is no rewind button and what’s done is done. People mistakes in everyday life some small and some big, but when it comes down to it, the law is the law and they had every right to punish him for what was done. Sat, 19 Mar 2011 03:06:46 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/m-s-story/#IDComment135966458 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/fear/#IDComment130748398 Reading the article Fear reminds of when I was much younger and lived everyday scared of something bad that would happen. I would constantly think about how things could go wrong with school, life, and just other miniscule things that really didn’t matter that much at all. I feel that at this point in the author’s life there is no reason to still have fear. This reading quite surprised me, it was really strange to hear that someone who has committed an act that has left them in jail still has so much to be worried about in their life. If he really lived his life with all of those fears, then you think he wouldn’t have done whatever he did to land him in this situation. With all that has gone on in this individual’s life, fear still shouldn’t have such a large impact on this individual’s life. He should now live life as it comes and not worry about what could happen whether it may be a positive or negative effect. I don’t like that he uses fear as his motivation. I feel that success should be used as your motivation because being gripped with fear hurts your drive and leaves you questioning every decision, analyzing it in the smallest way due to that fact of how the fear compels you. Having all that fear doesn’t allow live life the correct way and leaves you feeling constantly miserable. All that fear just continues to induce stress upon yourself and I feel that as an inmate you should just focus on one thing at all time since you already find yourself in such a terrible situation. The way in which the writer states his fears also cause me to think that he lets the fear control him which is completely unhealthy in my opinion but he does state that he does manage to conquer a new fear which does show that although he lets those fears control him, he makes an effort to actually overcome some of those fears. That shows that as he continues on with life, he will eventually have one die where he is no longer compelled by and of those fears and is completely done with fear. Sat, 26 Feb 2011 02:41:58 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/fear/#IDComment130748398 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/09/4092/#IDComment127401285 I found remember to be quite exhilarating. At the beginning of the reading, I was quite confused with all of the I cannot and was not sure at all where the writer was going with that concept. As I went on, I was able to see why exactly these memories had lost value to him when he went on to describe some of the more vivid things that had taken place throughout his life. When reading all of these blogs, it always gives me a quite shock that a such an age where I’m having the greatest experiences of my life, individuals at the same age made terrible mistakes that completely altered their life for the absolute worst. At the age where he committed such a heinous act, he should be ready to embark on his way into the real world not into the harsh life that is behind those horrible prison bars. Although the I can remember memories are much more vivid than the I cannot, it is extremely depressing to think how this individual has no real friends due to the incident that occurred and how his whole family who should always stand by you has simply dwindled down to just his mother. That is simply something no one should ever have to go through because no matter what goes on in someone’s life, they should always have their family to turn to no matter what occurs in their life. The way that this murder affects inmates, it almost leads me to think they are almost not even considered human anymore. As he says in the reading, he clearly is now just a number in his prison and merely a crime statistic to all others as well. Even though I do agree with the sentence, it is almost slightly over the top the way that his humanity is taken away from him. He now truly has no one and lives behind bars in the same way as animals do in the zoo and only has one person who truly forgives all no matter what act they’ve committed and his name is God. Fri, 11 Feb 2011 20:42:20 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/09/4092/#IDComment127401285 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/i-too-am-free/#IDComment126053336 I am completely taken back by the fact that a kid so you could be so lost in the world so early and also that his absentmindedness lead him to do such an unforgivable act such as taking someone’s life away. This though really makes me realize how lucky I was to have a such a childhood where I had found my niche in my surroundings and was not concerned about trying to find myself. At that age, you always see some kids who could be considered to be “lost” and know I wonder if any of those kids were near the brink of committing such a heinous act as the one that was committed by the writer or even near the point of taking their own life. The kids that are lead to have such hard lives are obviously influenced by their surroundings, which is such a shame that kids so young have to deal with such terrible things. The people around him were the type to not even want to try and nurture him and maybe allow for him to come out of that terrible state of mind. As with the other stories, it is again refreshing to see that this person has come to terms with what occurred in their past and has moved on from that. This individual having the courage to meet the friends and family of the individual that he murdered, shows how much this person’s character has changed over the years. Listening to those individuals pour out all of their different emotions as they scream and cry must have been almost the equivalent as hard to take as killing an individual. The thoughts of those people must’ve made him realize how much of an impact the decision he made when he chose to take the life of another human being. As I read though, I wondered how many murderers actually regret their decisions to do such a heinous act and wish that they too had the opportunity to meet the loved ones of their victims and if that would have even gave them a sense of forgiveness or relief. At least with this individual he can now live the rest of his sentence with a sense of relief. Sat, 5 Feb 2011 02:14:40 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/i-too-am-free/#IDComment126053336 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/24/life-without-parole-001-blog/#IDComment124465793 After reading this article, I feel that prisoner truly is a different person than the one that was first thrown into his prison after the sentencing. It is almost heartwarming to see someone who is undergoing what he is, actually trying to better themselves as a person instead of just becoming a degenerate that has no values about anything at all and just continues on a downward spiral in life. Reading his moral code was quite surprising seeing how there is no reason to have those set of values while in jail where the majority of those people live their day to day lives to break the ideas that he thinks make some a good person. Seeing all of the different stages that he went through shows that the is taking the reformation of himself very serious and that he is actually putting into hard work into fixing himself. Hearing his perspective on prison was an eye opener, prison really does little to actually reform the people that are sent there. It has very little or maybe even no impact on how those prisoners change to be better people so they can actually be ready to act normal in society which is perceived in so many different ways in today’s society. Even though I agree with the prisoner, prison still is the best way to deal with the people that commit those crimes but there should still be more drastic moves to help them change in prison. With all the people that are in these jails and potentially have the ability to venture back out into the real world, there should be more measures taken rather than just getting off for good behavior but other people making sure that all these individuals are mentally stable to handle being with the general public. Also just seeing how much this individual has changed throughout his sentencing, prisons also may want to evaluate lifers to see how they have progressed throughout their time in prison. Other individuals may have had the same type of evolution as the writer and are actually better people than some of the people that actually live freely. Sat, 29 Jan 2011 03:30:29 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/24/life-without-parole-001-blog/#IDComment124465793 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/i-too-am-free/#IDComment124436969 As I read this article, I actually was shocked about how I little I value all of the small things that I am able to do throughout the short privileged life I have lived so far. Small things such as choosing what clothes to wear and when I can shower really were put into perspective as I read what this prisoner has to go through on the daily basis. I can barely fathom how painful it would be if I wasnt able to do just those two things for a short amount of time and then just seeing how terrible this inmates life really is and how everyone who is able to experience the things that I do on the daily basis should really cherish what they have. At the same time though, this inmate did put himself in that situation by committing whatever crime he did, but with that decision did help him to come out with a better appreciation for everything that is offered in life which is how every human being should view life while they are on this Earth. Its almost crazy to think how the jail system actually works because without that individual having to do time, he wouldve never realize how it truly is a cherished gift to be able to live in a country that many people take for granted. The jail system actually works because it allows for us to know that if we are to make certain moves in our lives then we will lose all the small things in life that we dont even realize our some of the most important things in our small lives. This makes me really analyze little decisions that I make in life and wonder if it is even worth it to do those kind of things for what it really cost me in life. Im sure that once that inmate was realized he felt the same way, which he shows throughout this blog. This whole story just makes me realize how much truth there is to quote you dont realize what you have until its gone. Sat, 29 Jan 2011 00:01:52 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/i-too-am-free/#IDComment124436969