Thank you for yet another outstanding piece of real journalism. Very, very much appreciated.
A couple of comments:
1) El Pais is a well-known newspaper, no need to qualify it as "The Spanish newspaper" especially because it is certainly not the only newspaper in Spain.
2) Violent criminals in American prisons are overwhelmingly people who a) committed violence against men, often armed men, as part of doing "business" (i.e. gang "business") or b) committed violence against an individual as some sort of "justice" i.e. to address a wrong. As perverted as these justifications may seem, they have a moral element to the perpetrators.
Rape, on the other hand, is never an act of "getting justice" or "doing business." This is why rape is seen as such an immoral act by fellow inmates. A violent conflict between two men is seen, at least in part, as a bout between two equals while raping a woman is always seen as attacking a "weaker" person and is, therefore, seen as inherently immoral and unfair.
I know you're still getting your eyes opened to the underlying reality of life, but smearing all inmates (convicted of violent offenses) as immoral is categorically wrong. Just about very inmate (convicted of violent offenses) was acting based on a sense of morality, however illegal that may be. For the record, I've locked up plenty of men for violent offenses, and I'd say 90% of them would agree with me that they deserved to be locked up EVEN THOUGH there was (at least partly) a moral justification behind their actions - it was just the way they responded to an injustice that was wrong, not that they responded.
I want to thank you as a proud Ethiopian American born abroad, but whose Amhara family is from Welqayt.
Thank you for yet another outstanding piece of real journalism. Very, very much appreciated.
A couple of comments:
1) El Pais is a well-known newspaper, no need to qualify it as "The Spanish newspaper" especially because it is certainly not the only newspaper in Spain.
2) Violent criminals in American prisons are overwhelmingly people who a) committed violence against men, often armed men, as part of doing "business" (i.e. gang "business") or b) committed violence against an individual as some sort of "justice" i.e. to address a wrong. As perverted as these justifications may seem, they have a moral element to the perpetrators.
Rape, on the other hand, is never an act of "getting justice" or "doing business." This is why rape is seen as such an immoral act by fellow inmates. A violent conflict between two men is seen, at least in part, as a bout between two equals while raping a woman is always seen as attacking a "weaker" person and is, therefore, seen as inherently immoral and unfair.
I know you're still getting your eyes opened to the underlying reality of life, but smearing all inmates (convicted of violent offenses) as immoral is categorically wrong. Just about very inmate (convicted of violent offenses) was acting based on a sense of morality, however illegal that may be. For the record, I've locked up plenty of men for violent offenses, and I'd say 90% of them would agree with me that they deserved to be locked up EVEN THOUGH there was (at least partly) a moral justification behind their actions - it was just the way they responded to an injustice that was wrong, not that they responded.
Keep up the writing!!!