Day 320: Solitary confinement – The Torture Must End

Solitary confinement does not work. Prison is supposed to be a place to rehabilitate people and get them ready for Life when they are released, but what happens when you confine somebody for decades   and then just release them into the world?

We should have a World based on constructive and supportive methods.

www.desteni.org  

• Mother Jones article- children in solitary:

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/01/juveniles-kids-solitary-confinement-ohio-new-york

• Friend’s Service Committee’s fact sheet : The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Quaker organization that promotes lasting peace with justice

https://www.afsc.org/resource/solitary-confinement-facts

• AmnestyUSA

http://www.amnestyusa.org/research/reports/entombed-isolation-in-the-us-federal-prison-system

• American Civil Liberties report:

Growing Up Locked Down: Youth in Solitary Confinement in Jails and Prisons across the United States

https://www.aclu.org/report/growing-locked-down-youth-solitary-confinement-jails-and-prisons-across-united-states

• American Friends Service Committee: Stopmax Campaign

https://www.afsc.org/resource/solitary-confinement-facts

• http://solitarywatch.com/facts/faq/

Children in Solitary: A 2012 Human Rights Watch report notes: “Youth offenders often spend significant amounts of their time in US prisons isolated from the general prison population. Such segregation can be an attempt to protect vulnerable youth offenders from the general population, to punish infractions of prison rules, or to manage particular categories of prisoners, such as alleged gang members. Youth offenders frequently described their experience in segregation as a profoundly difficult ordeal.”

Day 304 - How to hide from Life:

 

 

Well, you can’t.

I’m sure many of us have had those days where you simply dread the next day or what is to come. Where you simply do not want to face what lies ahead and want to simply run away and hide somewhere. I had many such moments in my life, where I wished I had a genie to wish the problems away, unfortunately that is not how life is.

Right now I do not want to face tomorrow, because tomorrow we will have to let one of our horses go. I know what is involved - losing someone close to you is sad and painful. I know what is coming tomorrow and I do not want to. But the fact is that tomorrow is coming whether I like it or not.

What can we do in these situations? Hiding is not an option, we cannot hide from life. We cannot choose to not face certain points and events in our lives. But within these events we actually do have a choice – and the choice is how we respond to these events. It’s how we direct ourselves and who we are within all these events and happenings.

So no, we cannot hide from our lives, but we do have choice. To trust ourselves that whatever comes no matter what that we are able to get through it Instead of going into that “ I can’t do it, I don’t want to do it, please make it go away” experience within yourself.

So even though tomorrow is a dreaded day – I will face it head on.

Day 298 - What Does your Label Say about Humanities Future?

 

What is it that defines who we are?

Name?

Clothing?

Beliefs?

Country?

When you look at someone what label do you define them as? Do you judge someone based on how they look or your perception of them? Or do see another as who they truly are? We label and judge ourselves and others.

We have created categories within ourselves where we can place the various labels of others and ourselves. The truth is that we cannot know who a person is until you actually take the time to know them. A simple example would be stereotypes – Many people look at Muslims and label them terrorist. Look at foreigners and label them Immigrants in a hateful way. And the problems that grow from identifying people based on our own misconceptions are creating so much suffering.

We label ourselves as superior, as more than others. We see ourselves as more important than other people. We look at nature and see ourselves the dominant species that has right to do with it as we please. Simply look at what this identity is doing to the earth.

So what is the Solution? How can we identify ourselves as equals? What will it take for us to stop labeling each other and other beings? It’s in the realization that firstly our labeling is born from misconception – how we judge others is not real. The person standing next to you IS you, there is nothing that makes that other person more than you or less than you. There is nothing that makes you better than that person or more deserving than another. It is recognizing that every person in this world – we are all equal.

Within realizing this it becomes common sense to give to another what you would like to receive. If you were that person how would you liked to be treated? To be labeled? To be judged? No.

It’s time we stop identifying ourselves as living in separate realities and to realize that we are all on the same boat.

Day 280: Just who exactly is the Real You?

 

 

“The Fascination with the Mind is Mirrored within the Fascination with Movies – Watching the Reels Play. In the Mind you’re a Superhero that Understands things that makes ‘You Special’, where you have ‘Special Skills’ and ‘Special Gifts’. But none of those are in fact Real. They’re just a Movie Reel where you Hide. But, even the ‘You’ that’s Hiding, the one Lost in the Mind – isn’t Real: it’s a Character you Created about You…one of Many.

You have Characters for every Situation, for every Relationship and everything you do. And each Character has different Reasons, Meanings and Values – and you will Dress-up as these Characters in Ways that will Ensure that ‘Your Movie’ Benefits. And ‘Your Movie’ Benefits if you do not have to take Responsibility for the Real Reality.” - http://creationsjourneytolife.blogspot.com/2013/01/day-263-real-eyes-see-reel-thoughts.html

We have created specific characters and personalities for specific situations. Have a look at the people in your life and how you are around each of them. Are you the same or do you change into a different person depending on the situation?

For me when I am in town buying things and interactive with different people I usually become a super friendly character, simply because people are more willing to help you when you are friendly. Another example would be when I was a kid, my behavior would be different depending where I am and who I speak with. I would be different when speaking to a parent or when I’m in church or when I’m with friends. I had many characters for every situation.

And so do we all – we are many characters. We have a character for anger, for frustration, for irritation, for when we do not agree with someone, for when we do not want to do things – really a character for every situation. The question then is who exactly are we really? Look at when you are alone – is that who you really are? Or are we constantly in our minds thinking about the day, thinking about other people, judging other people , creating our own opinions and ideas and beliefs on what we see and wonder around in our imaginations. None of those things are real, it’s all fake.

Look outside. Look at the trees, the grass and the sky. Those things are real. The forests being destroyed, that is real. The oceans being poisoned, the mass extinction of species – those things are real and the real consequences of humanities imaginations. The result of our desires and greed and quest for happiness – the human lifestyle has created so much real destruction.

It’s time we become real and let go of these characters we have created, because these characters and personalities is keeping us all preoccupied from real change. There is unfortunately allot at stake and time will eventually run out. And when it does run out in the end, what will we say, what will you say? Did we do everything we can with the time we had? Or did we waste it all on our imaginations….

2015 Let’s not Buy into the Idea of love This Valentine.

 

Valentine’s Day is the day to celebrate Love and a day to take special planning to bring the romance to your partner. Lots of chocolates get bought and eaten, lots of gift cards and restaurants love the full house that this day brings. Nothing says LOVE quite like spending lots of money on your partner.

When I was a kid in school this day brought with it a bit of resentment. We all have this idea of what love is based on movies and TV-series, it seems so desirable and when you are a teenager love and getting a partner can be one of the most important thing currently in your life. Unfortunately I was not all that popular and one of the “nice guys” so this day would leave me kind of sad that I did not have somebody.

Interesting enough I was not alone in this sadness on this particular day, some go even further and can’t handle the pain and actually kill themselves on Valentine ’s Day which is not surprisingly one of the highest days of suicide rates. The question is why do we all buy into this idea of love presented to us?

We see on TV how beautiful love is and how perfect it is and how all you need is love and everything will work as long as you have love. But we all know this to be untrue. We experience this first hand, no relationship is like it is on TV - it’s never perfect – yet we still desire it. And when the relationship does not meet the expectation created based on ideas we are left disappointed. And why? Simply because we had an idea of what love is.

People often say that Love can’t be defined – wrong. If you are unable to define love then you do not know what Love really is. Love is not a feeling. That is a limitation of the word and what it truly is. Love is action, an act of unconditionally supporting another without judgments to become the best each can be. And that takes work, allot of work.

So let’s not buy into the idea of love – the fairytale of love and rather create it into something that can truly stand the test of time.