I was horrified at all the pictures and videos of these soldiers committing these terrible crimes. Criminals in prison for life have committed crimes less mortifying as these. It’s terrible how these men justified their actions and even planned to do these terrible things. I was shocked to see such a thing as a “drop gun”. I wondered if these people killed were actually planned IED’s or threatening in any way.
I’ve never seen such gruesome images on the news. I feel like people should know about these acts that these soldiers committed. I’ve always respected our soldiers because they put their lives on the line to save our country, but some of these soldiers are too reckless and bloodthirsty. I don’t understand how they could do such things to innocent people. I am sure these soldiers have faced even more terrible enemies and events but that still does not give them reason to hurt innocent lives. It makes me sad to know that there are still extremely unjust things going on in our world.
I also could not believe that these men had a plan of throwing candy to innocent, poor children and then running them over or shooting them. The heinous acts of those children’s parents or siblings should not be punished by destroying innocent lives.
The story about the murdered teenage boy was shocking. It seemed as though everyone in the soldier’s group knew what was going on. They did not seem alarmed by the ruckus and what shocked me even more was they made sure the little boy was dead as well as ignore the witness.
In the other event where the soldier kept a boy’s finger as a token for his first Afghan killed disgusted me as well. I can not believe one would want to keep a finger until it’s dried up so that he could keep it forever. I do not know what kind of world this soldier lives in, but if he proudly showed that finger to someone, I think majority would be extremely horrified. It’s scary to see these unethical people commit such terrible things.

This blog reminded me of the lecture we had about women and men and their sexual differences. I find it amazing that this inmate openly discussed what he thinks a woman wants and likes. This inmate defines a man as one that can respect and love a woman with his whole heart. Everything he says in his blog, I’m sure every girl, would love a guy to do for them. I know I personally would love to meet a guy with this much insight. It is sad that a lifetime in prison and such negative consequences had to be in place in this man’s life for him to realize the things he has.
Maybe he was just caught up in the whole idea of pleasing a woman, but I did not agree that a “man” needs to admit that he’s wrong even though he’s right. I do realize he is just trying to make a huge point that a man should spoil his woman but his sayings are a lot harder to do all in real life and in action. Finding a man that has all these characteristics, in my opinion, would be extremely difficult. It is impressive to see all these traits in one blog though, written by one man.
C. states that he was brainwashed in the past by media and thought that women only wanted sex and money. What kind of world was he growing up in? I always think that men only want sex and money/power. Like we discussed in class, the media has so much power over society. I always wonder if societal roles would be different and people would have different opinions if society did not have the multiple sources of mass media that has already consumed it.
I really appreciated this blog. As media portrays it to be, I always imagined male inmates to be hardened criminals who’s respect for woman is low or nonexistent. It is nice to know that almost anyone can reach the appreciation level that C. has for the usually inferior race of women. C. and other inmates have shown so much insight through their blogs. I wish they would be more spread to society! We all take so many things for granted.

This video was very interesting. This man speaking seems like a normal, very successful man that seems very confident in his views and believes. I think this was a great example of how LGBT families are just like normal families, contrary to what many people think. A family should not be about what sex parents or children are, but how committed they are to each other. The speaker states that his lesbian parents had no effect on his well-being and growth.
I had no idea about the effects of gay parents on their children. As we spoke about it in class and after seeing this video, I believe that people are too scared of different things, such as gay marriage and families. Yes, this may not be the typical, mainstream structure of a family, but a family, as the speaker stated in his video, is one that is committed to each other and has love that binds us. Society is to blame for the negative connotations that come with being a lesbian parent or gay parent. Society is scared of unnecessary issues sometimes, as stated in our book. Gay marriage and families is one of many major issues that our world reveals much emotion about.
Like how ‘bums’ from the streets can become famous, successful boxers. I believe that anyone in any circumstance can thrive. We humans just need love, compassion, and stability. Children of those that are lesbian or gay may be ridiculed in school, or feel self-conscious about their different family, but that goes for other families too. Children from ethnic or even ‘fat’ families experience the same ridicule that many children do. Society will always be the same in that they will always reject different things. Change is a very hard things to undergo with ease.
I believe that the purpose of life is to find your soulmate or whatever makes you happy. I feel like everyone should live life to the fullest and with as much joy as they can. Life is so short and people shouldn’t waste their time being so critical of how others live. As long as they’re happy, successful, healthy and supported, I feel like that is awesome, no matter what race, sex, disabilities they may have.

This person seems extremely remorseful for what he did and like a really nice person. This blog supports my beliefs that these young criminals were from unsteady environments that eventually made them do something terrible. M seemed like he was very young and peer pressured into being part of the crimes he committed. His environment and other negative factors steered him in this path of bad decisions. M seems like he has been through much grieving and remorse for his actions. He was such a young boy when he was put into prison, I wish he could have received help in the past that could have prevented. M seems very determined that he was put in a bad place and made a terrible decision. He takes full responsibility for his past actions and I wish he could have a second chance. I saw other comments doubting some of his words and I had some similar doubts. I thought the words in this blog were all very, very nice. Maybe even too nice, especially because M stated that he was in prison and “lives with murders, rapists and thieves”. Is this a sign of denial ? Maybe I am thinking too much into this phrase, but M does not like to admit he is a criminal. M does seem very sorry for everything and very insightful, but I wonder if they are in denial. I do not think M, at such a young age, thought about the terrible consequences that would happen after the crime committed. I hope that M can have a second chance and prove that this blog was truly from M’s heart. M’s blog was a little edgier and different than other blogs. It seemed like you could learn a bit of M’s personality from all the things that he wrote. If given a second change, I feel like M as well as other inmates could really appreciate life more than other people that have never experienced the hardships of committing a terrible crime. If M had gotten help or had moved to a better environment, and had good influences, would he have still ended up in prison?

I was shocked when I read the number of young lifers in Pennsylvania. I realize that these kids have committed terrible crimes that they should be punished for, but at the age of 13, 14, 15 and 16… they may not have truly meant the crime they committed and may have other things going on for them in their lives that instigated their actions. This blog states that the human brain does not reach a full functioning capacity until the age of 20. It is very unfortunate to see our court system try these young children as adults. I agree that these children are not capable of making the right decision in court, thus resulting in unwanted circumstances. I’m sure some of these children deserve a life in prison, but I like to believe that these children are children, and are not fully responsible for their actions. “All of us were ‘kids’ once. We have all made bad decisions because we really did not understand. Certainly, those juveniles sentenced to life made the most horrible of all decisions.” This statement perfectly describes what I think of young lifers. Yes, if they make the same mistake over and over again, serious consequences need to be enacted, but I feel like these children have issues that needed to be worked on. They have their whole lives ahead of them, and a silly mistake when they were a child should not ruin the whole rest of their lives. From our lecture and book, it is stated that an incredible amount of money is spent on things that are quite unnecessary when the problems of the worlds are listed. Billions of dollars are spent on protecting children from danger that is all in society’s imagination, while kids all over the world are malnourished, have no health insurance, and have no means of education. The cost of young inmates in jail for a lifetime in Pennsylvania is almost 300 billion dollars. This does not include other age groups, which in total cost the state about 700 billion dollars. Everyone is paying for these inmates to stay in jail, so why keep this system, when a billion dollars can help another much more needed cause? Maybe adults do not deserve a second chance, but young kids should be helped. They are the future of our world and I believe that every teen has made mistakes. Some are still out there for crimes that these lifers were unfortunately caught with.

I think this is a great blog entry. Many of the inmates write blogs about freedom and the lessons they’ve learned from being in prison. I feel as though all the inmates have much insight in their situation and life. This blog is different than other blogs because it focuses on a everyday emotion that many of us do not usually openly talk about. He says that “most men do not like to talk about Fear” in prison, and I think it’s great that he addresses this common emotion. As I read through his fears, I found myself having almost every fear he had. Though my level of fear differs from B. and other people’s. I agree that fear could work in good ways or bad, depending on how you handle it. I also agree that facing fears helps people appreciate more in life and helps mold people into more confident beings. Reading other comments, I feel as though this blog could have been a bit more detailed. B. states his personal fears and is open about this unwanted emotion. I think because he lists his fears, it may be misinterpreted. As I said earlier, people have different levels of fear. B. may have listed things that he was only minimally afraid of. He also mentions that he does not think about all these fears regularly. How does B. conquer his fears? He states that he wakes up and another fear is conquered. I agree that “fear is what helps keep you alive”. It is survival instinct. What tactic does B. use to overcome his list of fears? Though this blog was short and simpler than other blogs, I feel like it conveys an important message. I learned in one class that negative feelings, such as anxiety and fear, can drive us to accomplish many positive things. B. states that fear helps him keep on the right path. I find it so amazing to see the insight of these inmates. The list of fears of a non-lifer can be so different from B’s and other lifers.

W.’s post was very moving. I feel like W had a lot of time to reflect on his past, and instead of feeling regret, he reflects and appreciates his life from almost an outsider’s view. For W to reach this state of nirvana, he seems to have had to reflect and think for a long time. I wonder if it took him 20 years to really wrap up this post, or if he had come to these conclusions earlier? I thought it was wonderful for him to write individual letters to the people he hurt for his crime. Like in the twelve steps for addicts, W seems to have accomplished all the steps for him to be at peace with himself. W.’s post ties in with what we’ve discussed in lecture. First of all, differing factors can influence someone and their future being. Even W. admitted that his bad neighborhood did not only produce criminals; it produced boxing stars that stayed out of gangs and went on to make millions. Today, we just discussed how males and females viewed sex differently. Part of this post reminded me of this discussion. W. admits that he had been hormone-controlled in part of his life, and thus almost out of control. He describes his younger self as reckless, sheltered and sex-driven. He now regrets his past sexual being and tries to warn younger people about the dangers of sexual promiscuity. In lecture, we discussed how sex changes for people as they grow older. W. states that if he had one wish right now, it would be to save himself until marriage. This change in behavior and thoughts about sex reminded me of the discussion we had today. I wonder if he still would have these same thoughts regarding sex if he were not in prison. W.’s post seems to be very reflective, but W. still seems to be confused at what went wrong in his life to make him end up in prison. W. seems like a great guy. He mentions his family a lot and really seems down about letting them down. W. seems like a normal guy who just made a bad mistake and I wish he could get a second chance…

I agree with JP in that when it comes to African-Americans and drug-related issues, they are usually higher in urban areas. I believe that people in suburbs are significantly committing a lower rate of crime, especially related to crime. I believe that the statistic on black males abusing drugs being lower than the number of black males currently serving time in state prison for drug related crimes, is due to the lifestyle choices that these males choose. They may have grown up to accept abusing and dealing drugs as completely normal, thus choosing it as a main source of income or their main lifestyle. I agree with JP that it would be extremely interesting to see different percentages of other races and their substance abuse rates. It is sad to see that African-Americans and Mexicans are being pinpointed as the main druggies and criminals; I think stereotypes helps almost encourage drug and lifestyle choices.
Police enforcement is indeed higher in inner-cities than in suburban areas. I noticed that there are more security devices used in the city than in my suburban town. The atmosphere and air is even different from my home, only twenty minutes from Philly.
This surplus of police in the urban areas and the racism and stereotyping happening in the cities, definitely help support these statistics. I agree with JP that the “income in these areas is low, perhaps many of them are just looking to make quick money, getting mixed up with the wrong people, and then serving time for it”. This supports my belief that the high statistics of African-Americans being imprisoned for drug related crimes, are due to their environment, family, peers and more.
JP also brings up points about racism and cops being more prone to search an ethnic person in a certain situation. I agree that the law of probable cause is definitely stretched in the city. Police officers, especially those who have worked in the city for many years, have experienced numerous events that were similar. They may think they have a “trained eye” for pinpointing the bad guys, and maybe they do. But this is not without the help of judgments and stereotyping.

In class we discussed how the lottery is played by people who are in the lower socioeconomic statuses, and who have also never been to college. Like this statistic, people who live in different social classes, environment, etc. will usually have similar characteristics or habits. In lecture, the professor stated that people who win the lottery, usually people who have lived in a lower/middle class world, do not know how to handle or invest money, thus leading them to go almost bankrupt with their winnings. Like how low class people are ignorant with money, this man may have been ignorant in his way of handling his emotions or sexuality. This inmate seems to be in the process of working out his deeper issues. He seems to want to blame his actions to someone or something. I like how this entry shows his personality, or past personality. I also wonder how long this inmate has been sorting all the things he stated in the entry out. He blames his father, drugs, sex and other things for the “way he is”. I think with help from his peers or counselor he can finally accept that his actions were not anyone’s fault but the varying factors in society that led up to his explosion and bad choices. I wish he would find peace eventually. Twenty years in prison would, in my opinion, cause him to think about his actions and why he would commit an obviously taboo crime. I believe this inmate had built up problems inside of him that caused him to lash out at an inappropriate time. He seemed to have had a normal, trouble teenager personality, and his actions could have been prevented by resources and help. He loved and respected his father and definitely felt an extreme amount of guilt if he could not write letters of apologizes for such a long time. Because he stated his sorries in a poetic manner, I believe this inmate could have had a lot of potential if he could have been helped before he lashed out. I wonder if he even has any unresolved mental issues? But I think he did and his crime could have been prevented if he had been helped before.

I was shocked when I read that this man was only 15 when he committed his crime. When I was fifteen, my biggest problems were related to boys and typical teenage emo-ness. In our social norm, killing someone so young definitely defines them as mentally unstable. I believe this boy needed help or some resources but because he could not obtain the resources he needed, he lashed out in the only way he could/knew. We talked in class about how multiple factors shape the actions we do and the people we turn into. A statistic on a powerpoint said that only (though it is still a lot of people) 30% who are physically abused grow up to be abusers. I feel especially bad for this particular 15 year old boy, especially when I tie his case to the discussions we’ve been having in class. This boy knew that he was ignorant, young, and his fear caused him to do something he has struggled to get over for over thirty years. We discussed that at different ages, various things mean differently to each person. Cutting for example, is most likely a cry for attention at age 10, whereas a 17 year old may have mental issues they need to work through. This 15 year old boy probably grew up in an environment that made him ‘tough’ and ignorant about the consequences of his actions. At the time of his crime, he probably believed he was doing the right thing. I believe that a 15 year old’s mind is still far from mature and that this boy did not deserve life in prison. He is so young and seeing how regretful he was of his actions makes me want him to receive counseling or a second chance to live life, instead of living basically his whole life in prison. I was surprised to read how well the reconciliation meeting went, but after all those years, I believe the meeting gave both the victim’s family/friends and prisoner some sort of relief. This man said he needed to have the reconciliation meeting in order to be fully accountable for his past actions. Though I hate to admit this, I guess the prison system does work in making these “criminals” into sensible beings.