I am moved by Joe Carter's post on America's silent shame of prison rape:
We are justifiably outraged by the human rights abuses occurring in foreign lands. So why aren’t we more outraged by the atrocities here in our own country? Our reactions to the problem tend to range from smirking indifference to embarrassed silence. Yet rape and other forms of sexual assault are becoming endemic to our prison system.In 2004 the corrections industry estimated that 12,000 rapes occurred per year—more than the annual number of reported rapes in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York combined. In a 2007 survey by the U.S. Department of Justice, though, more than 60,000 inmates claimed to have been sexually victimized by other inmates during the previous 12 months.
The post reminded me of something, I remembered sitting in a West Wing office in late 2002 having an emergency discussion on compassion issues with senior White House officials. We had to do something big on these issues and we had to do it quickly because the White House had gotten whacked on them. Various ideas were thrown around and one of them was the horror of prison rape. One staffer made a very convincing case that this was exactly the sort of issue President Bush should be talking about - it was a real problem where the federal government could have a significant impact through new legislation and through enforcement of prisoner protection in federal prisons.
It was an idea gathering momentum before one more senior member of the White House said, "Enough. Got it. Problem. But prison rape isn't presidential. Next topic."
This official was, objectively, right. It would be odd to hear a president talking about such things. But as Joe points out, "The fact that so many Americans are appalled and angered by the human rights abuses in countries like Syria, Iraq, and China speaks well of our nation. But we must hold our own country to the same standards. We can’t look away from the sexual torture, assault, slavery, and abuses that are rampant in our own system. Concern for human right must extend beyond both the water’s edge and the prison doors."
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If "Christian" ideals are to be suggested, than know for a fact that ANY form of same-gender sex acts are immoral, per the New Testament witness. Sorry if that comes as a shock to the unlearned. Sodomy is "legal" now in America (also) and celebrated only by those of the liberal and progressive Humansist bent. It should come as no surprise that it is so accepted by so many heterosexual males (crimilas are usually immoral) in the prison system. Any male raping another male is by biological and physiological fact, doing homosexuality. No president is going to oppose that in fear of angering a certain rapidly hysterical group of political and social activists. Look at what happened to a certain Mayor in a certain Florida town for wanted to curb gay sex in public bathrooms. He too was called a bigot and homophobe. Those on the Left, have opened wide the doors to immorality and perversion being "tolerated," and we are reaping the (their) whirlwind. When perversions are just another civil right, those that do not respect the civil rights of others do what comes natural to them.
"Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:14-16.
If "Christian" ideals are to be suggested, than know for a fact that ANY form of same-gender sex acts are immoral, per the New Testament witness.
That seems more wishful thinking than proper exegesis, Donny. And just how do you reconcile it with the Law of Love?
Apologetic, know for a fact that ANY form of non-consensual sex or rape is immoral. Don't confuse the issue with your bigoted ranting that irrelevant to David's post.
The damage done to our common humanity by our current justice system cannot even be glimpsed by most of us. We are becoming numb to the suffering of some - the most unattractive of people - those imprisoned across the country. We have the highest percentage of people in prison of any country. We have great evidence that the prosecutorial energy across the country has been perverted toward a sense of collective vengeance rather than the need for collective reformation. Send a boy to prison - and he comes out a man without hope, often brutalized (and therefore he becomes brutal), and hopelessness breeds violence. Any sense of "closure" , or "justice for the victim" is short lived. We are being destroyed as a people by a system that cannot reform anyone.
We must protect ourselves from violence of all sorts and prisons should be part of that protective shield, but to pretend that if we punish them enough - we will be safe - is - well - stupid.
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