by Melissa Bee | Oct 6, 2020 | News
Prisoners are eligible for stimulus checks. See bottom of post for link to Facebook livestream event How to Get Stimulus Money for Incarcerated Citizens on Friday, October 9th – an in-depth presentation on how to apply for funds correctly.
Many of you have heard news about state and federal prisoners being eligible for stimulus checks. We’ve heard and seen lots of folks who believe this is only a rumor, warning that it would be fraudulent to apply.
We want to assure you that this is NOT a rumor. This is the result of a motion naming Steve Mnuchin, the Department of the Treasury, et. al., to stop withholding stimulus funds to incarcerated people. On September 24, a federal district court judge issued an order granting the motion. Read the order here.
We urge all our adopters to help their adoptees apply for their stimulus check – act FAST as the deadline is fast approaching.
People who did not file a 2018 or 2019 tax return are urged to file a claim with the IRS before October 15, 2020, in order to receive a payment. If the prisoner filed a 2018 or 2019 tax return or received Social Security Benefits or Railroad Retirement Board Benefits, they do not need to file a claim. However, if they did not file a 2018 or 2019 tax return and their income was below $12,200 (or $24,400 if filing jointly) in 2019, then a claim must be filed through the IRSâs website.
Prisoners without access to the internet can have someone file a claim for them, or they can complete a paper application. The instructions for a paper application are available here.
More information on the recent ruling regarding prisoners and CARES Act stimulus checks can be found here.
Note: This case also benefits people who were incarcerated both before and after March 27, 2020. If they were incarcerated both prior to March 27 and at least some time afterward, then the IRS may have denied them an Economic Impact Payment based on their incarcerated status. The Courtâs preliminary injunction establishes that the IRS should not have done that. If they were only incarcerated before March 27, then they were unaffected by the IRSâs policy of denying benefits to incarcerated people, and should a have received a stimulus check. If they have not, they can file the same steps below to file a claim with the IRS, if eligible.
BREAKING NEWS: OCTOBER 5, 2020
IRS EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR FILING CLAIMS ONLINE TO NOVEMBER 21, 2020; IRSÂ DOES NOT EXTENDÂ DEADLINE FOR PAPER CLAIMS, WHICH ARE STILL DUE OCTOBER 15TH, 2020.
See here for the FAQ.
From National Right2Vote sawarimi.org:
SawariMedia is doing everything that we can to spread the word about the update and how to take advantage of it. In addition to posting this article update to our subscribers online we’re also hosting a webinar in partnership with Spread the Vote this Friday at 1:00p EST. Spread the Vote has already disseminated the information on the updated CARE Act to dozens in-house contacts at jail facilities that we are working with through the Vote by Mail in Jail program (new contacts can sign up to be a part of VbMiJ via that link).
Now that the information is out there, we need to make sure that people are equipped to take full advantage, so after applying for funds on behalf of my readers I’m putting together a presentation to support others through that process. For folks who need help or have questions, please join me on Friday, October 9 at 1:00p EST via facebook live for How to Get Stimulus Money for Incarcerated Citizens for a in-depth presentation on how to apply for funds correctly. People who would like to assist incarcerated citizens who do not have someone on the outside to apply online on their behalf are also encouraged to attend the facebook livestream. Please share with others, the webinar is open to the public and free to view.
by Rick Fisk | Aug 28, 2020 | From the Inside
This letter from death row came to us through a third party. It’s an interesting letter and after reading it one gets a clearer picture than the one the media represented while Brandon Daniel’s case was ongoing. It shouldn’t need to be said that the police officer who was killed, Jaime Padron, was a human being just like Brandon. But we’re saying it anyway because our mission has as its core the belief that every person should be treated with respect and kindness, no matter what mistakes they have made in their past.
From all accounts it would appear Padron acted well within his authority. He did not deserve to die. His daughters did not deserve to lose their father. But it also seems reasonable to conclude that Brandon Daniel did not act from forethought and planning. And that should have been something the jury was allowed to consider when given the “authority” to sentence him to death.
To whom it may concern,
My name is Brandon Daniel, and I am writing this letter to you from prison. With police brutality once again in the news, and legal reform a hot topic of discussion, Iâm writing to tell you about my legal case, in the hope that I might be able to spread awareness about a common but little known condition that is responsible for sending others to prison, and perhaps to leverage your platform to gain support as well. My case involves the class of anti-anxiety medication called benzodiazepines, and it is one of the clearest examples of something called Paradoxical Reaction. I am hoping that you can help me. Let me fill you in on my story.
First, my background is relevant because it demonstrates that the event that led to my being here was not part of a pattern of behavior. I have no violence in my past, no felonies. I was a software engineer, Iâm college educated, and Iâm from a normal, middle-class home. Everything that happened that night was completely atypical and out of character.
The event took place at Walmart, so it was all captured on surveillance videos. You can see me stumble around the store for twenty minutes, dropping items and running into displays. I was clearly disoriented. A police officer was called, and he confronted me, tackled me, and in the chaos of the moment I shot and killed him. The video shows how hectic the situation was, it clearly was not a thought out and intentional act. It took place in the span of 10 seconds.
Subsequent blood tests revealed that I had 11 times the therapeutic dose of Xanax in my system, and these tests were taken seven hours after the event. With a half life of eleven hours, it is reasonable to assume that the amount of Xanax in my blood that night was extraordinarily high. Plus, as I later discovered, Asians metabolize Benzos faster than other populations and it stays in their systems longer. I am of Asian descent.
In addition to all of this, I was interviewed by police immediately after the event, while I was still highly impaired from the medication. Again, this interview was captured on video, and one can clearly see that I am suffering from the classic symptoms of Benzodiazepines. I had amnesia, stating several times that I couldnât even remember what day or time it was. I was confabulating, giving different accounts of what happened, none of which turned out to be accurate. And I was experiencing chemical submission, complying with the detectives leading questions against my best interest. All of these are common side-effects of the Benzodiazepine class of pharmaceuticals, which includes the date rape drug “roofies.”
This aspect of my case sets me apart from other similar cases, I believe. My confused statements provide a window into my state of mind at the time, while in many other incidents we can only wonder what is going on in their mind.
After all of this, while awaiting trial, the jailhouse doctors put me on a cocktail of antidepressants: Zoloft, Celexa, Remeron, etc. During this time, I had several suicide attempts and I spent most of the time in observation cells, nearly catatonic. It is my belief that this common, secondary use of pharmaceuticals to medicate inmates awaiting trial, renders them complacent and fairly useless when it comes to contributing to their defense. This results in inmates who are resigned to their fate, able to be easily railroaded by the legal system, regardless of the merits of their case. Since most people who are first entering jail are, understandably, depressed, they are all too willing to accept this âtreatmentâ.
In my case, my trial team was handpicked by the judge, they agreed to work for a flat fee, and they put on a subpar defense at the last minute. The public opinion surrounding my case was continuously manipulated by statements released from the pharmaceutical company. In many news articles, the fact that I was even on Xanax at all is never mentioned. Iâve learned that this is a common tactic used by the pharma industry, who often deploy âcrash teamsâ to these types of events to try and shift the blame away from their drugs. I was convicted and sent to Texas Death Row, where I am today.
Years into my sentence, I was finally able to get off of the psychiatric medications. Then I began to research the history of pharmaceuticals and I became aware of their role in many cases of violence, such as mine. In fact, this is a well-documented symptom of Benzos thatâs sometimes-called Paradoxical Reaction or Rage Reaction. It is also related to the phenomenon called Homicidal Somnambulism, or sleep-walking murder. Many other cases can be found in the medical literature, and these types of drugs have come up in the toxicology reports of several âmass shootersâ, including the Las Vegas shooter and the Southerland Springs Church shooter. Over the past two decades, prescriptions for Benzos have skyrocketed and so has the number of overdoses, which has risen eightfold since 1999. This time period also coincides with the epidemic of mass shootings in our country. It is certain that the prison population over-represented by Benzo users who are unaware that this drug contributed to their situation. This is a major reason for my speaking out, to inform others about this possible influence on their crime.
Since my trial, my lawyers and I have accumulated a massive amount of research proving that this is not a one-off event, but is a well known phenomenon in the medical community that has been actively covered up by the pharmaceutical industry for decades. I have scientific articles, expert evaluations, and even an internal FDA study that highlights the extreme number of violent episodes associated with Benzodiazepines compared to other drugs. This FDA study was not released to the public and was only acquired through FOIA requests put out by lawyers.
Now, my goal is to use my story to help expose this issue. Books have been written about pharmaceutical-induced violence, but I really feel that my case is the clearest example of such an event. By reaching out to you with this letter, I am hoping to use your platform to help spread my story, to garner support from the activist community, and to make contacts with any lawyers, expert witnesses, or fundraising apparatuses that might be able to help. My friends and family have compiled information about my case on a website: supportbrandondaniel.org. I am asking that you please post about my site on your social media accounts and link it up to your website. Any other exposure or resources would be very much appreciated.
I really hope that you can help. Please contact me at the address below. I look forward to hearing from you, thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Brandon Daniel #999589
Polunsky Unit
3872 FM 350 South Road
Livingston, TX 77351
by Ronald Clark, Jr. | May 24, 2020 | Inmate Contributors
Another person’s death, murder by the state, brought someone peace? Wow. I’ve heard it before, so it shouldn’t surprise me, but every time I hear that it does.
It makes me step back and wonder how anyone can get satisfaction from the suffering and death of any living creature, much less your fellow man. But Friday morning, it was once again on the news. A woman saying that she found peace in watching Bobby be put down by the state. How does another person dying in front of you, fulfill your life and bring peace? And the woman wanted him to look her in the eyes as he’s dying?! Her words, not mine. I don’t think I could, or would ever want to do that. Look a helpless individual in their eyes and watch the fear, misery, and confusion as their life is being taken from them. Even in anger and total rage, if that person looked me in the eye, helpless, my goal would be to stop, and stop anyone from harming them. Not watch or participate in their misery and death.
So when I hear that, it boggles my mind, how ‘any civilized person’ can find peace, through the death of another. I understand anger and hurt, and when Connie was murdered on March 24, 1997, I was devastated! I know and understand the desire for vengeance. And it took a few years for it to pass. Connie’s murder still hurts me to this day. But the desire for vengeance faded long ago.
Seeing and being on both sides of the vengeful heart still doesn’t help me see how anyone can find peace through the cold and calculated murder of another individual. And for a helpless individual to look me in the eyes as their life is being extinguished. No I can’t in any way, shape, or form, comprehend why or how someone can get pleasure, relief or find peace through such an evil act. And those who do, need lots of prayer and psychological counseling. True peace can never be found in such an inhumane and brutal act.
God bless you
In peace, love and friendship, Ronnie
by Jacob Schmitt | Apr 9, 2020 | Inmate Contributors
From Inside the Wire
Local and national news has carried coverage informing us that roughly 100 incarcerated individuals at the medium security unit (MSU) of the Monroe Correctional Complex “rioted” last night.
We should all vehemently reject the application of the word “riot.” It is not a “riot” when correctional staff are trying to murder us — and the face of every unmasked correctional staff is the face of someone attempting to murder all prisoners. It is not a “riot” when there is a clear and direct threat to our lives — it’s called survival. For the men at MSU it’s too late. The deadly COVID-19 virus is among them — and the horror of death moves inexorably towards everyone of them.
MCC is infamous in Washington for poor and nonexistent medical care — with 7 prisoner deaths the last 3 years — and everyone of the incarcerated individuals at MSU knows this. In fact, every prisoner at MCC knows that “medical” care is a farce — touted to the public as a real thing, but for us it’s part of modern mythology.
Q13 news just carried an announcement from Gov. Inslee. DOC will be partnered with other state agencies on how to limit the spread of COVID-19 within Washington prisons. What about the single incontrovertible fact that the focus should have been on stopping COVID-19 from getting into our prisons?
Had Gov. Inslee (and DOC Secretary Sinclair) taken the threat to our safety seriously before the event last night, then staff would have been required to wear masks at all times while within a Washington prison. I woke this morning to the face of officers and medical staff without masks on. These are the faces of death.
I hope that it’s not lost on everyone that last night DOC used weapons designed to target the respiratory system. “Tear gas” (which was more likely OC pepper spray) causes violent coughing, spitting, and nasal mucus production. So. Rather than communicate to help reduce the fears these men were/are overwhelmed by, DOC used weapons in an attempt to crush their most natural instinct: the desire for life.
I’m not usually a gambler, but I’d bet it all on this: when DOC staff went among those coughing, choking, spitting, and snot dripping prisoners last night, those fuckers wore masks.
by Melissa Bee | Apr 9, 2020 | From the Staff
Announcement from Jpay:
| Dear JPay Customer,
As of today, April 7, 2020, you will only be able to purchase JPay Stamp packages for the state where your incarcerated loved one is located. If you communicate with incarcerated individuals located in multiple states, then your account will display multiple state JPay Stamp balances that are valid only for use to communicate with incarcerated individuals located in those specific states.
All JPay Stamps purchased prior to today will be designated as “universal” JPay Stamps that can be used for any incarcerated individual at any agency in your account. Those universal JPay Stamps will be used first, and any new JPay Stamp purchases will be used specifically for the designated state. If you are a JPay mobile app user, please make sure you update the app on your smartphone to the most recent version (20.2). After today’s technology release, both iOS and Android users should see a notification to upgrade when you open the app, but if for some reason that notification does not appear, make sure you go to the Google Play Store (for Android) or the App Store (for iOS) and upgrade the JPay mobile app to the most recent version to ensure the application is working properly.
We’ve updated our Terms of Service for Stamp Purchases, Email and Mobile Terms of Service and Privacy Policy to reflect this, in addition to certain other changes we have made in those terms of service. You may access these by clicking HERE. |
Warm regards,
Your JPay Team |
by Rick Fisk | Apr 8, 2020 | From the Staff, News
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Hello,
We wanted to reach out to all of our subscribers and adopters to wish you well and to talk about the impact of Sars-cov-2, also known as Covid-19.
 As you already are aware, our whole nation has been temporarily converted into a virtual prison. Some of us have been given status as “essential workers” and others are confined at home, only allowed to go out for essential items. Thank goodness the toilet paper crisis seems to be fading. There are some who feel the response to this crisis is extreme and others who think it isn’t extreme enough. In the grocery stores and on the streets a certain level of distrust and suspicion exists which is unfortunate but a natural consequence of what’s happening right now.
Inmates are especially hard-hit
In-person visits were suspended weeks ago to limit exposure to the virus, leaving phone and video visits the only option to stay connected. Prisoners who are locked down have little to no phone access, and some have no commissary or store deliveries. Some facilities are offering a limited number of free calls, Jpay stamps, video visits and/or videograms – check the website where your loved one is to see if there are any special offers during this time. A specific list of prisons that have reported Covid-19 cases can be found here.
 The Federal Prison system has recently announced that it has gone on ‘lock down’ for the next 14 days. Some states, like Washington, have only locked down units where cases have been reported. It seems inevitable that many states will follow the example of the federal system and institute system wide lock downs. If you have seen that phrase used a lot lately, know that it came from prison. And as you are probably also aware, this virus can’t exist in the prison system unless one of the staff brings it in, since outside visitation has been suspended.
What is a Lock Down Like for Inmates?
 During a prison lock down, inmates are restricted to their cells. Some prisons allow inmates to come out of their cells for limited times during the day. In Texas, for instance, lock downs typically confine inmates to their cells for 24 hours except for twice-a-week showers. This means they have limited or no access to phones and no access to commissary, where they might buy an extra roll of toilet paper or bar of soap. Hand sanitizer isn’t allowed due to its alcohol content. Forget about gloves and masks. Prisons typically house prisoners in two man cells, with no shower, and there are many units where there are upwards of 50 inmates to a dorm. Dorm dwellers will be bunk restricted during their lock down periods. All inmates except for those in solitary confinement must use a community shower.
 Prison is not a place to be sick and it isn’t a safe place when a virulent virus runs through its population. From personal experience I can tell you that everything about the way prisons are run appears designed to increase the risk of contagion. Even in normal times, there is a background hum of distrust which buzzes about gangs, prison staff and often, cleanliness. In an unprecedented crisis like this one, things will be especially stressful.
 Because there isn’t much care paid to the environment of our prisons, they are petri dishes that grow quite a few infectious diseases. Staph is rampant in our county jails especially. Administrators assign prisoners responsibility for cleaning, in many states without pay. Thus their incentive to do a thorough job is pretty low. Sometimes prisoners themselves, to combat lack of motivation, will make collections of commissary items to reward janitors for doing a good job. Other times they resort to violence which results in a newly assigned janitor and a whole new set of negotiations. Rarely do the CO’s have the time or inclination to worry about sanitary conditions in prisons. Making sure the janitor keeps the showers in good hygienic condition is about the last thing on his or her list of priorities.
What can you do to help?
If you’re an adopter:
- Check in as often as you can. If you’re sending US postal mail, send a few extra letters.
- If your inmate is having medical issues, advocate for him by calling on-site medical personnel. Usually, a squeaky wheel is required to get prison medical staff in gear. Be persistent but polite.
- If you have the means, send a few books. There’s nothing like reading to pass the time during a lock down.
- Take a look at Inmate Research. This service is run by a former inmate. He provides a free service to send daily TV listings to inmates. For a nominal fee, he sends daily news articles covering their favorite sports teams. It’s a really terrific idea.
- If you pray, pray for your adoptee and his fellow prisoners.
If you’re not an adopter:
- Â Consider adopting an inmate. If you think you feel isolated at this time, think about how the 2.2 million inmates in this country are feeling. You can be a great blessing in a time of strife.
- Consider sponsoring an inmate for the Independence Program. The Independence Program is a five part business course (Cost: $399) that is designed to help people start a business for under $1000 dollars. Invite friends via social media to chip in and make it a community sponsorship. If you don’t get a bit teary eyed reading the founder’s story, you may have dry eye. The program doesn’t just include books and coursework. Participants get help and feedback from the staff. This is a wonderful idea designed to improve an inmate’s chances of success upon release.
If you’re either:
- Take care of yourself. You are a blessing to us and others. We want you safe and healthy.
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One last thing.
Adopt an Inmate is a 501(c)(3) organization as of February 28, 2020. We’re excited for several reasons, not the least of which is that soon, any books you buy on Amazon can now be tagged with Adopt An Inmate. |
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by Melissa Bee | Mar 15, 2020 | From the Staff
The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and many state DOC’s have restricted facility access to all non-essential personnel to reduce the chance of staff or incarcerated individuals contracting the virus. This unfortunately includes in-person visits from family and friends.
Three states have implemented changes to their Jpay services to help maintain contact between incarcerated loved ones and their families during this time.
Louisiana Department of Corrections has extended the maximum phone call duration to one hour. This new maximum phone call duration goes into effect immediately and will continue until further notice.
Florida Department of Corrections have worked together to provide one free video communication. Beginning today, Friday, March 13, 2020 through April 5, 2020, one free video session credit will be provided into your JPay account. This update will display when you schedule on JPay.com or the mobile app.
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections have worked together to provide one free 15 min video communication each week and reduced pricing for additional video communications will start at 4PM. Beginning Friday, March 13, 2020, one free 15 min video session credit will be available in your JPay account. The free video session credit will be replenished every Friday, but only if the current free visit was used. You must be an approved visitor with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections to schedule a video visitation session. Any additional video sessions will be available for 15 minutes, and the cost will drop from $9.90 to $3.50 starting at 4PM. The calls are being shortened to allow for more loved ones to be included on the schedule each day. This update will display when you schedule on JPay.com or the mobile app. The reduced pricing and free video session credit will begin on March 13th and remain in place until further notice.
by Ronald Clark, Jr. | Feb 19, 2020 | Inmate Contributors
Physical mental and emotional torture. That’s what solitary confinement amounts to. Is this just my opinion from my own personal experience? No – this is scientifically proven. What I’m about to share is scientific testimony out of case law, which you can find on any legal website, under WILLIAMS VS. SECRETARY PENNSYLVANIA DEPT OF CORRECTIONSÂ 848 F.3d 549 2017 U.S. App.LEXIS 2327.
“The Scientific Consensus”
The robust body of scientific research on the effects of solitary confinement, combined with the Supreme Court’s analysis in Wilkinson and ours in Shoats, further informs our inquiry into Plaintiffs’ claim that they had a liberty interest in avoiding the extreme conditions of solitary confinement on death row. This research contextualizes and confirms the holdings in Wilkinson and Shoats: It is now clear that the deprivations of protracted solitary confinement so exceeds the typical deprivations of imprisonment as to be the kind of”atypical, significant deprivation . . . which [can] create a liberty interest.
A comprehensive meta-analysis of the existing literature on solitary confinement within and beyond the criminal justice setting found that the empirical record compels an unmistakable conclusion: This experience is psychologically painful, can be traumatic and harmful, and puts many of those who have been subject to it at great risk of long term damage. Specifically, based on an examination of a representative sample of sensory deprivation studies, the researchers found that virtually everyone exposed to such conditions is affected in some way. They further explained that there is not a single study of solitary confinement wherein non-voluntary confinement that lasted for longer than 10 days failed to result in negative psychological effects. And as another researcher elaborated, All [individuals subjected to solitary confinement] will [. . .] experience a degree of stupor, difficulties with thinking and concentration, obsessional thinking, agitation, irritability and difficulty tolerating external stimuli. Anxiety and panic are common side effects. Depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychosis, hallucinations, paranoia, claustrophobia, and suicidal ideations are also frequent results. Additional studies include in the aforementioned meta-analysis further “underscored the importance of social contact for the creation and maintenance of self.” In other words, in absence of interaction with others, an individual’s very identity is at risk of disintegration.
Â
Yes, the studies and case law speak volumes about the psychological torture that we are undergoing. I suffer with all of those symptoms. And I’ve often wondered why, not realizing it’s this cage that is causing them. Where is the evolving standard of decency that this country continues to speak about in the Courts, Congress, and Senate? You’re driving men insane! And then murdering them under this false concept of ‘equal justice.’ When everyone knows that a rich man will never enter one of America’s death chambers. Equality is a pipedream, a facade that America puts on for the world. We’ve seen it far too many times, innocent men and women have slipped through the cracks of America’s judicial system, and suffered irreversible harm, in these cages of doom. That’s all this is, a cage of doom! Warehoused for death. There’s no sugarcoating this hellish experience!Â
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So when you wonder why I’m anxious, agitated, compulsive, depressed etc., etc. Well read the report again and again. And then imagine what I go through every single day. For not only do I struggle with this cage, but the fact that my co-defendant/childhood friend the triggerman, is on the street returned to his life, as I sit here, now second guessing myself on not accepting the plea bargain that was offered to me, which would have set me free in 2015. Yes .. should have, would have, could have! The fact still remains, that this cage, this treatment is inhumane and unbecoming of THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! For this inhumane treatment is perpetrated in the name of God, justice, and the American way.
Â
Just wanted to share and give you some insight into an experience that I pray you will never experience. God bless.
Â
In peace and love, Ronnie
Ronald W. Clark Jr #812974
U.C.I. P-DormÂ
PO Box 1000
Raiford, Florida 32083
by Eric Burnham | Feb 4, 2020 | Inmate Contributors
A legend lives no more. Tragically, Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, and 7 other souls lost their lives in a horrific helicopter accident. The Mamba is gone! I’m not an L.A. Lakers fan, but there are no word to express how I feel about the passing of Kobe, how his family and friends must feel. I grew up watching Kobe Bryant the basketball player, but after he retired from the NBA in 2016 — with a 60-point, drop-the-mic performance, I have learned so much more about the man, the husband, and the father through documentaries, interviews, articles, and talk show appearances.
This man had depth, to a degree that most people simply do not. While nobody is perfect, Kobe gave everything he was to everything he did. The intensity of his personality was often misunderstood, but everyday he tried to come as close as possible to perfection. The philosopher, Aristotle, once wrote “Excellence is not a singular act, but a habit” (fourth century B.C.). Excellence requires consistency. It demands effort and sacrifice. The pursuit of excellence will cost blood, sweat, and tears, and regardless of the arena, excellence separates the weak from the strong. The fruits of excellence will, quite automatically, transcend the arena in which they were produced, cutting across the boundaries of race, gender, education, or socioeconomic background. Excellence becomes a way of life, and nobody can honestly say that Kobe Bryant did not live an excellent life.
As an elite NBA superstar, one of the best to ever play, if not THE best, a champion, an all-star, and a technician, he awed millions around the world. He displayed not only an uncommon work ethic, but also unmatched skill that grew more lethal every season for 20 years. As a man, he certainly made some mistakes, but he overcame adversity and came back stronger. He gave his time and presence to all. As a husband, he remained committed, working through the tough times and shining through the good ones. For two decades he built a home with his wife Vanessa, and they had 4 daughters, one of whom, Gianna, was with Kobe in that helicopter. She was destined to be a basketball star herself — her father, the Mamba himself, gave his time and skill to nurture her love for the game. Indeed, it was as a father that Kobe perhaps did his best work.
People keep asking me why the death of this man I did not know has affected me so much. I cannot say, except that, in a world where almost everyone seems to be so stunningly self-absorbed, Kobe was not, and I admire that. I hear some guys around me talk about his mistakes, and it makes me sick to my stomach. They are doing to this legend the very thing they do not want done to them — defining him by the worst thing he has ever been involved with. We are all more than the sum of our successes or failures. Why can’t they see? I guess it is true: hurt people hurt people, but I wish they’d leave Kobe out of their psychosis. In the end, like Kobe Bryant, we will all be judged by how we responded to both our greatest successes and our biggest failures.
Again, I did not know this man, but he touched my life. I recently learned that, on the Sunday morning of his death, he attended morning Mass, flying in early to take communion. That warms my heart a little. Although no one can presume to know the heart of another person before God, it is good to know that Kobe and his daughter knew God in their own way. Perhaps God was simply ready to bring them home. Either way, Kobe displayed the heart of a warrior, and for a brief period of time, we were all able to see what that looks like.
Kobe Bryant taught me that if I want to impact others positively, I must care about them even more than I care about myself. Not in the traditional I-gotta-get-mine-let-me-help-you-get-yours type of narcissism so pervasive in contemporary culture, but in ways that develop my own natural talents and gifts, allowing me to become the man I was designed to be. That is the essence of discovering purpose. I always say, “If you wanna shine when everybody is looking, you gotta polish when nobody is looking.” Kobe exemplified that. Thank you, Kobe Bryant, for all you were. The world is a little better for having witnessed your life, and a little darker without you. Good night, Mamba. We will all miss you. My prayers go out for your family and the families of all those who lost their lives in that helicopter. Indeed, there are… no words.
by Eric Burnham | Jan 16, 2020 | Inmate Contributors
The United States of America, land of the free and home of the brave, often feels more like the land of the isolated and home of the cowardly tweet. We are more divided than at any point in my lifetime. It seems to be more than a mere lack of unity as an expression of national boredom. No, society is increasingly fragmented in deeper, more complex ways than at any point since the Civil Rights Era. Social structures quake as spreading fissures splinter national identity along lines of race, gender, sexual orientation, political ideology, educational background, socioeconomic class, and even traditions. The resulting fiefdoms are profoundly fragile as individual identities overlap, causing tension within.Â
Sure, these have always been sticking points of disharmony to varying degrees. In fact, one could convincingly argue the stress created by pluralistic differences has been the thread used to stitch together the very fabric of social progress in the United States since the beginning. Conflicts emerged in opposition to oppression, racism, sexism, worker’s rights, and competition for limited resources. And we are — or should be — proud of those conflicts, for they symbolize hard-won victories of the human spirit and goodness, and, yes, social justice. However, it has been quite some time since we have witnessed the level of vitriolic rhetoric, hatred, and vengeance seen so regularly today. It has also been quite some time since we celebrated together how far we have come in under 250 years. And as a consequence, Americans are retreating into their own private worlds, increasingly detached from those who are unlike themselves.Â
Individualism and the subsequent stratification of society has always shaped Western culture, and contemporary times are no different. But in years past, the concept of life in a bubble was reserved for the elites. In that regard, times have indeed changed. To be sure, in many ways the post-modern aristocracy is much like its pre-Enlightenment cousin. The nobility, although a mostly elected ruling class today, operates within the power structures of a bloated government while continuing to take orders from the clergy. Only today’s bishops serve the Church of Money and Fame, for who could argue that the deification of the dollar has not shaped current social and political realities? Yet, the peasantry, the rest of us who do the majority of the working and buying and living and dying in this country, have only recently gained access to life in the bubble. We used to be excluded from that paradise.Â
Everyday Americans are now born in a bubble structured by the ubiquity of technology. Many do not know anything else. All their needs are met within. They need not communicate with outsiders — news, education, and even general services are all consumed from preferred outlets that reinforce distinctions of worldview. The very dissemination of information, bought and sold to be sure, is a process of encoding ideas into the differential vernaculars within the different types of social bubbles. Ideas like privilege, racism, diversity, nationalism, and history, along with many others, mean one thing in one bubble and something completely different in another, galvanizing disconnections.Â
A tornado of money and technology has left in its wake a barren environment in which people with fascinating and profound differences surround each other, yet the politics of identity keep them from being able to acknowledge any level of similarity or sameness of experience. And the commodification of victimhood has made enemies of good people by normalizing a race to the top of Mt. Marginalization in an effort to secure the most cultural capital, decreasing social stability in the process.Â
Anger and rage are the most popular currency, the only communication between bubbles. The objective is to deplatform, silence, and destroy the opposition. Purveyors of thoughts, words, or ideas that do not perfectly align with every intersection of perceived injury, oppression, or objectification are banished from their bubbles. No discussion takes place, no reciprocation within a marketplace of ideas. Dissension is received as a personal attack, violence against the sanctity of the bubble, and therefore, must be punished. Nothing is sacred. Even humor is constrained, forced to pay the toll of scrutiny to the self-appointed arbiters of bubble culture — they stand at the gate armed and ready to defend against nonconformity.Â
Our bubbles started out as safe spaces, the environments where we could decompress and allow the anxiety of living in this hateful world to settle. They have now become prisons, holding us hostage, insulating us from those competing ideas that would expose the flaws in our own. That safety has crippled us, stolen authentic emotional experience and replaced it with a kind of manufactured emotion that has systematically removed empathy, concern, and compassion for those unlike ourselves, those who reside in different bubbles. Legitimate attempts to understand, even to love and accept those who are different than us or to bear the weight of their struggles or even to allow them to understand us is far too risky. Real love is too messy, and the fear of rejection from our own kind too real, so we hide away from uncomfortable realities, too afraid to be vulnerable. After all, our own bubbles are strange enough. But doesn’t this bubble effect feel somehow wrong? It does to me.Â
