The state of Louisiana is in the grip of a gun crime epidemic, and New Orleans has recently reclaimed the title of America’s murder capital. (It is the only non-Mexican city in the global top 10 for homicides per capita.) Unless the authorities make a concerted effort to change this status quo, a steady stream of disadvantaged young men, caught up in senseless gang violence, will ensure that Angola’s declining stock is replenished — and keep the prison Rodeo on the road.
What exactly does she want “the authorities” to do to prevent a new generation of prisoners from ending up in Angola? Should they stop prosecuting violent crimes? Why does every Unherd contributor who has written for The Guardian come off sounding soft-headed?
This article struck me as having a strong agenda and bias. For example, the author wrote, “a steady stream of disadvantaged young men, caught up in senseless gang violence, will ensure that Angola’s declining stock is replenished.” Is the author suggesting that the Angola inmates had no agency in their crimes? What about their peers who grew up in similarly disadvantaged surroundings but didn’t join gangs or commit crime?
This article struck me as having a strong agenda and bias. For example, the author wrote, “a steady stream of disadvantaged young men, caught up in senseless gang violence, will ensure that Angola’s declining stock is replenished.” Is the author suggesting that the Angola inmates had no agency in their crimes? What about their peers who grew up in similarly disadvantaged surroundings but didn’t join gangs or commit crime?
The holier than thou brigade who believe their judgements on society simultaneously make them morally superior to hoi polloi and exonerate them.
Last edited 11 months ago by Aphrodite Rises
Sisyphus Jones
11 months ago
The state of Louisiana is in the grip of a gun crime epidemic, and New Orleans has recently reclaimed the title of America’s murder capital. (It is the only non-Mexican city in the global top 10 for homicides per capita.) Unless the authorities make a concerted effort to change this status quo, a steady stream of disadvantaged young men, caught up in senseless gang violence, will ensure that Angola’s declining stock is replenished — and keep the prison Rodeo on the road.
What exactly does she want “the authorities” to do to prevent a new generation of prisoners from ending up in Angola? Should they stop prosecuting violent crimes? Why does every Unherd contributor who has written for The Guardian come off sounding soft-headed?
Allison Barrows
11 months ago
Littered with churches? Quite the tell there, lady.
Follow the link in her bio blurb: “She is the author of ‘Beyond Belief: How Pentecostal Christianity Is Taking Over the World’.”
She’s an anti-religious bigot and a conspiracy theorist.
Last edited 11 months ago by Kelly Madden
Allison Barrows
11 months ago
Littered with churches? Quite the tell there, lady.
Kelly Madden
11 months ago
Some “argue that the Rodeo is exploitative, a Roman spectacle in which inmates must perform for the enjoyment of the public.”
“Must”?
No. They are not forced.
“Gladiators for profit”?
A better journalist would note whether this prison is under public or private management.
Is prison rodeo immoral? It’s really hard to tell, with such poor reporting.
Kelly Madden
11 months ago
Some “argue that the Rodeo is exploitative, a Roman spectacle in which inmates must perform for the enjoyment of the public.”
“Must”?
No. They are not forced.
“Gladiators for profit”?
A better journalist would note whether this prison is under public or private management.
Is prison rodeo immoral? It’s really hard to tell, with such poor reporting.
Brian Villanueva
11 months ago
The Spanish phrase “se quebro” literally means “it broke itself”. It’s the ultimate passive voice: the bad thing happened entirely on its own with no human cause at all.
American parents hear something similar from young children: “the vase just broke”. Good parents know that this is an attempt to mask blame. And the children of those parents soon learn that this technique of refusing to accept responsibility often results in a sore backside. The vase did not break itself; you broke it.
I can only conclude that progressives were never taught this (via sore backsides or any other way), since their writing often uses the same passive voice to deny the agency and responsibility of particular groups of their fellow human beings.
“a steady stream of disadvantaged young men, caught up in senseless gang violence”
More accurately: “a steady stream of young and violent gang members”
Gang violence didn’t “happen to them” — they were the perpetrators of it. That was likely after being the victims of it, but it doesn’t change that they committed violence, probably repeatedly to land a long sentence in a maximum security pen.
The gang shooting didn’t happen by itself; a person shot a gun and hurt other people. The drugs didn’t sell themselves; a person sold them. The people who did those things had the same agency that every person has, and bear responsibility for their actions.
Are there circumstances that limit people’s options? Yes! And I am completely on board with solutions to those problems. Considering that 80% of all urban, black children are born to single mothers, I might suggest altering divorce and child support laws to make it VERY hard for fathers to abandon their families. I’m also on board with alterations in sentencing and alternative paths particularly for younger offenders. If we can rehabilitate a 20 year old to make him even a moderately productive member of society, that’s a win, for everyone, most especially him.
But denying the responsibility and agency that all people have as human beings is not the answer. “Se quebro” is fine for vases, not for human lives.
Last edited 11 months ago by Brian Villanueva
Brian Villanueva
11 months ago
The Spanish phrase “se quebro” literally means “it broke itself”. It’s the ultimate passive voice: the bad thing happened entirely on its own with no human cause at all.
American parents hear something similar from young children: “the vase just broke”. Good parents know that this is an attempt to mask blame. And the children of those parents soon learn that this technique of refusing to accept responsibility often results in a sore backside. The vase did not break itself; you broke it.
I can only conclude that progressives were never taught this (via sore backsides or any other way), since their writing often uses the same passive voice to deny the agency and responsibility of particular groups of their fellow human beings.
“a steady stream of disadvantaged young men, caught up in senseless gang violence”
More accurately: “a steady stream of young and violent gang members”
Gang violence didn’t “happen to them” — they were the perpetrators of it. That was likely after being the victims of it, but it doesn’t change that they committed violence, probably repeatedly to land a long sentence in a maximum security pen.
The gang shooting didn’t happen by itself; a person shot a gun and hurt other people. The drugs didn’t sell themselves; a person sold them. The people who did those things had the same agency that every person has, and bear responsibility for their actions.
Are there circumstances that limit people’s options? Yes! And I am completely on board with solutions to those problems. Considering that 80% of all urban, black children are born to single mothers, I might suggest altering divorce and child support laws to make it VERY hard for fathers to abandon their families. I’m also on board with alterations in sentencing and alternative paths particularly for younger offenders. If we can rehabilitate a 20 year old to make him even a moderately productive member of society, that’s a win, for everyone, most especially him.
But denying the responsibility and agency that all people have as human beings is not the answer. “Se quebro” is fine for vases, not for human lives.
Last edited 11 months ago by Brian Villanueva
Jim Veenbaas
11 months ago
Interesting story. Prison rodeo seems like a weird thing, but there’s lots of weird things out there.
Jim Veenbaas
11 months ago
Interesting story. Prison rodeo seems like a weird thing, but there’s lots of weird things out there.
What exactly does she want “the authorities” to do to prevent a new generation of prisoners from ending up in Angola? Should they stop prosecuting violent crimes? Why does every Unherd contributor who has written for The Guardian come off sounding soft-headed?
This article struck me as having a strong agenda and bias. For example, the author wrote, “a steady stream of disadvantaged young men, caught up in senseless gang violence, will ensure that Angola’s declining stock is replenished.” Is the author suggesting that the Angola inmates had no agency in their crimes? What about their peers who grew up in similarly disadvantaged surroundings but didn’t join gangs or commit crime?
The holier than thou brigade who believe their judgements on society simultaneously make them morally superior to hoi polloi and exonerate them.
No need for THE, Aphrodite, surely you recall that hoi means the?
thank you for the correction Charles. I have corrected it though I think hoi polloi is used as a compound noun in English.
Perhaps John Solomon (of this Parish) might adjudicate?
There is also كحول al-Kuhl, which is also problematical.
Parish in the middle of a sentence should be lower case, Charles
Thank you.
Thank you.
Parish in the middle of a sentence should be lower case, Charles
Perhaps John Solomon (of this Parish) might adjudicate?
There is also كحول al-Kuhl, which is also problematical.
thank you for the correction Charles. I have corrected it though I think hoi polloi is used as a compound noun in English.
No need for THE, Aphrodite, surely you recall that hoi means the?
This article struck me as having a strong agenda and bias. For example, the author wrote, “a steady stream of disadvantaged young men, caught up in senseless gang violence, will ensure that Angola’s declining stock is replenished.” Is the author suggesting that the Angola inmates had no agency in their crimes? What about their peers who grew up in similarly disadvantaged surroundings but didn’t join gangs or commit crime?
The holier than thou brigade who believe their judgements on society simultaneously make them morally superior to hoi polloi and exonerate them.
What exactly does she want “the authorities” to do to prevent a new generation of prisoners from ending up in Angola? Should they stop prosecuting violent crimes? Why does every Unherd contributor who has written for The Guardian come off sounding soft-headed?
Littered with churches? Quite the tell there, lady.
Follow the link in her bio blurb: “She is the author of ‘Beyond Belief: How Pentecostal Christianity Is Taking Over the World’.”
She’s an anti-religious bigot and a conspiracy theorist.
Follow the link in her bio blurb: “She is the author of ‘Beyond Belief: How Pentecostal Christianity Is Taking Over the World’.”
She’s an anti-religious bigot and a conspiracy theorist.
Littered with churches? Quite the tell there, lady.
Some “argue that the Rodeo is exploitative, a Roman spectacle in which inmates must perform for the enjoyment of the public.”
“Must”?
No. They are not forced.
“Gladiators for profit”?
A better journalist would note whether this prison is under public or private management.
Is prison rodeo immoral? It’s really hard to tell, with such poor reporting.
Some “argue that the Rodeo is exploitative, a Roman spectacle in which inmates must perform for the enjoyment of the public.”
“Must”?
No. They are not forced.
“Gladiators for profit”?
A better journalist would note whether this prison is under public or private management.
Is prison rodeo immoral? It’s really hard to tell, with such poor reporting.
The Spanish phrase “se quebro” literally means “it broke itself”. It’s the ultimate passive voice: the bad thing happened entirely on its own with no human cause at all.
American parents hear something similar from young children: “the vase just broke”. Good parents know that this is an attempt to mask blame. And the children of those parents soon learn that this technique of refusing to accept responsibility often results in a sore backside. The vase did not break itself; you broke it.
I can only conclude that progressives were never taught this (via sore backsides or any other way), since their writing often uses the same passive voice to deny the agency and responsibility of particular groups of their fellow human beings.
“a steady stream of disadvantaged young men, caught up in senseless gang violence”
More accurately: “a steady stream of young and violent gang members”
Gang violence didn’t “happen to them” — they were the perpetrators of it. That was likely after being the victims of it, but it doesn’t change that they committed violence, probably repeatedly to land a long sentence in a maximum security pen.
The gang shooting didn’t happen by itself; a person shot a gun and hurt other people. The drugs didn’t sell themselves; a person sold them. The people who did those things had the same agency that every person has, and bear responsibility for their actions.
Are there circumstances that limit people’s options? Yes! And I am completely on board with solutions to those problems. Considering that 80% of all urban, black children are born to single mothers, I might suggest altering divorce and child support laws to make it VERY hard for fathers to abandon their families. I’m also on board with alterations in sentencing and alternative paths particularly for younger offenders. If we can rehabilitate a 20 year old to make him even a moderately productive member of society, that’s a win, for everyone, most especially him.
But denying the responsibility and agency that all people have as human beings is not the answer. “Se quebro” is fine for vases, not for human lives.
The Spanish phrase “se quebro” literally means “it broke itself”. It’s the ultimate passive voice: the bad thing happened entirely on its own with no human cause at all.
American parents hear something similar from young children: “the vase just broke”. Good parents know that this is an attempt to mask blame. And the children of those parents soon learn that this technique of refusing to accept responsibility often results in a sore backside. The vase did not break itself; you broke it.
I can only conclude that progressives were never taught this (via sore backsides or any other way), since their writing often uses the same passive voice to deny the agency and responsibility of particular groups of their fellow human beings.
“a steady stream of disadvantaged young men, caught up in senseless gang violence”
More accurately: “a steady stream of young and violent gang members”
Gang violence didn’t “happen to them” — they were the perpetrators of it. That was likely after being the victims of it, but it doesn’t change that they committed violence, probably repeatedly to land a long sentence in a maximum security pen.
The gang shooting didn’t happen by itself; a person shot a gun and hurt other people. The drugs didn’t sell themselves; a person sold them. The people who did those things had the same agency that every person has, and bear responsibility for their actions.
Are there circumstances that limit people’s options? Yes! And I am completely on board with solutions to those problems. Considering that 80% of all urban, black children are born to single mothers, I might suggest altering divorce and child support laws to make it VERY hard for fathers to abandon their families. I’m also on board with alterations in sentencing and alternative paths particularly for younger offenders. If we can rehabilitate a 20 year old to make him even a moderately productive member of society, that’s a win, for everyone, most especially him.
But denying the responsibility and agency that all people have as human beings is not the answer. “Se quebro” is fine for vases, not for human lives.
Interesting story. Prison rodeo seems like a weird thing, but there’s lots of weird things out there.
Interesting story. Prison rodeo seems like a weird thing, but there’s lots of weird things out there.