Lions & Tigers Locked-Down
A zoo keeper was recently overheard, “it makes me sad seeing them locked up so long-almost 2 months now-I wonder how they feel, not being able to go outside-they all seem alittle down-I hope they finish this construction soon.”
You see, she was talking about the “big cats”, lions and tigers. Recently, two were involved in a big fight and one died. The result was a construction project that put them all on a sort of “lockdown”. I, as am inmate for over 25 years, know that, when a violent act amongst two happens… all will get locked down-sometimes for years, and not just months, as the cats are. I speak of this because the “cats” have made big news nationally and internationally; while humans have been welded in their cells while, new construction is completed, and/or a new prison policy is drawn up, and/or sometimes nothing at all, just a reason to punish all who are “already being punished”. I could easily tell the zoo keeper what the lions and tigers feel.
For years, I was sealed in a 6X10 cell-seeing nothing, feeling no outside air-who gave humans the right to punish and treat NON-VIOLENT offenders like this? The right to try and destroy ones mind, and soul? As I have stated before, there are those that need to secured “away”. But, even those will need treatment, as with any beast. Imagine, I, a NON-VIOLENT offender, treated worse than beast. Can anyone reading this imagine waking up “underground” everyday? no sunlight, no nothing, for years!!! I, as many, have asked, why, why are non-violent offenders treated so harshly? It’s pretty evident what has happened in my case-I would’nt rat. Yup, they wanted me to supply information, information I did NOT have. While being a NON-VIOLENT offender, and pleading guilty (taking responsibility) for my crimes, I was rewarded with a LIFE NO PAROLE sentence and sent to the worst the FBOP had to offer-all this, for not knowing what they wanted me to know-make sense?? So, here I am, 25+ years locked up for not knowing what they assumed I knew-those responsible for “back-rooming” me have either died of old age(natural causes), sit in rest homes, or just watch TV all day.
I remain here-caged like those lions and tigers, knowing what they feel-yes I do. I remain, and I will continue to hold hope. I will write, I will try to inspire, I will teach, I will learn, and I will keep accepting. I have had a “Commutation of Sentence” petition in front of President Bush for almost 4 years-I would hope that after 25+ years of punishment for my crimes, that he would grant me a second chance-I would hope that readers of this would write to him and encourage him to grant one-I would hope you would pass this plea on to others to write also-Bottomline is that, with some support, there is a chance, if even a small one, that I won’t have to spend a 26th Christmas caged.