through a glass (or bars) darkly
You see the world as you are, not as it really is.
The remark above was made by William Chaney, Director of Volunteer Services at the City of
It was refreshing to hear the critical role that an individual’s beliefs play in affecting their behavior. Ultimately, what mattered was not the social services or programs available (though they definitely helped), but what the individual believed the world was like.
If we grow up surrounded by opportunity, naturally we are more inclined to believe the world is full of chances for improving our lives. However, if we grow up surrounded by failure, we are more inclined to believe that there isn’t much hope, and that the world is against us. So why bother through the tedious process of reforming ourselves when it probably would end disastrously anyways? (80 hour weeks and a subsistence standard of living.)
I hope that our society continues towards making prisons more rehabilitative, that justice can be administered without being destructive. If we treat prisoners and criminals as such, they will probably continue to be such. If we treat them as people with the potential to be valuable citizens in our society, then perhaps they can grow into the crowns we hold over their heads.**
When an individual changes, the world changes.* For more discussion on this topic, check out this article in the Boston Review: Why Are So Many Americans in Prison.
** Though, interestingly enough, William Chaney commented that he thought things were getting worse on whole, though there was still hope for individuals.
*** I apologize for my long absence (nearly a month!). I don’t know what exactly was the cause of it, but no for awhile I didn’t have any inclinations to write, despite the fact that I’ve been heavily reading (usually the more I read, the more I blog). Perhaps I felt that the books said all the things I wanted to say, just more eloquently worded.
