Smiling faces walk the midway, oblivious to the sinister origins of a carnivals attractions. It is a place of madness and mayhem, disguised by brightly colored paint and pretty lights. Many of the rides are based on ancient torture devices. The games once had much higher stakes. I suppose ignorance really is bliss. It would certainly dampen the mood if people knew the truth.
Take the ride I operate, for example. Seems innocent enough. A big wheel, with seats that hang from crossbars. The wheel turns and the chairs go up, then they come down again. Great fun. But, did you know it comes from an interrogation tactic used right up until the mid-1800's? It's true. They used to strap the person being questioned to a rotating wheel, the base of which was under water. The wheel cranked until the victim was fully submerged. Then they were left there to thrash against their bonds for anywhere from 30 seconds to a full 2 minutes. Just before they drowned, the wheel was cranked again, bringing the subject back up for more questioning. If the answers weren't satisfactory...Down they went again.
The process was repeated again and again until the questioners were satisfied, or until the subject was dead, whichever came first. Fun fact huh?
Still want to ride? Got your ticket? Then step on up, you're the next in line.
Showing posts with label writer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writer. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
"Night of the Living Dead - Part 5 (Resident Evil)"
I can't remember who I was
Awakening in a place unfamiliar to my eyes
Memory eroded, my thoughts are unclear
A deathly silence greeting my ears.
Evil seeps through these walls
I hear it screaming inside my skull
A plague unleashed upon the night
The dead have come back to life.
Somewhere, someone still has breath in their lungs
But the living are just as dead as the rest
A dark journey down into the hive
Brutal images scarring my mind.
And she watches as the blood is spilt
Ruler and queen of this kingdom she built.
I can't remember who I am
Awakening in a place unfamiliar to my eyes
A mutated virus infecting me
The reaper's touch, cold and bleak.
The darkness thickens, concealing the damned
Vile creatures with a hunger that burns
A taste for flesh, these decaying demigods
Compelled to kill by the bitch in the machine.
Evil seeps through these walls
I hear it screaming inside my skull
A plague unleashed upon the night
The dead have come back to life.
Night of the Living Dead
The sickness inside my head
Residing without remorse
The darkness at the source.
Evil seeps through these walls
I hear it screaming inside my skull
A plague unleashed upon the night
The dead have come back to life.
Awakening in a place unfamiliar to my eyes
Memory eroded, my thoughts are unclear
A deathly silence greeting my ears.
Evil seeps through these walls
I hear it screaming inside my skull
A plague unleashed upon the night
The dead have come back to life.
Somewhere, someone still has breath in their lungs
But the living are just as dead as the rest
A dark journey down into the hive
Brutal images scarring my mind.
And she watches as the blood is spilt
Ruler and queen of this kingdom she built.
I can't remember who I am
Awakening in a place unfamiliar to my eyes
A mutated virus infecting me
The reaper's touch, cold and bleak.
The darkness thickens, concealing the damned
Vile creatures with a hunger that burns
A taste for flesh, these decaying demigods
Compelled to kill by the bitch in the machine.
Evil seeps through these walls
I hear it screaming inside my skull
A plague unleashed upon the night
The dead have come back to life.
Night of the Living Dead
The sickness inside my head
Residing without remorse
The darkness at the source.
Evil seeps through these walls
I hear it screaming inside my skull
A plague unleashed upon the night
The dead have come back to life.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
"Why Prison Is Failing (Part I)"
One of the most pressing problems the penal system faces is over population. The fault lies as much with the system itself as it does with the criminals. We are responsible for our own actions and most of us are guilty of crimes deserving time in prison but it is the justice system that is to blame for unnecessarily lengthy stays, avoidable sentences and the law success rate of productive reentry into society. Allow me to explain:
1. Unnecessarily lengthy stays: Sentencing is not based upon the likelihood of re-offense, there is no rehabilitation system for the earning of early release (at least not in Virginia) and most institutions enforce a retinue of rules designed not with the purpose of running an orderly operation but with the intent to antagonize the inmates. This allows them to write institutional charges that cost us money or lengthen our sentences.
Many of us can look around and clearly see who will get out and never cause another problem in society and who will still be a threat. Those striving for betterment in their lives often are serving lengthier sentences. Many of the most corrupt, violent and ignorant individuals are the ones getting released soon. Speaking of which, a prime example just sat down across from me. He is serving his third sentence. The first two were drug related, this last one an attempted car-jacking. Everyday he tries to scam people, looks for drugs and masturbates in a place where female officers working in the building can see him (an act known as 'gunning' in here). Now, I'm sure we can agree that this is a sick individual, unfit for society. A con man, a drug addict and a potential rapist...Guess what? He gets out in less than two years.
Then there are the guys like myself who spend everyday working to better ourselves. Yet, no matter what we accomplish, we will still be here long after the men I just described above.
There are no policies governing how sentences are determined and no real method of evaluating an offender prior to the sentencing. We are subject to the whims of the judges hearing our cases. Judges vary from case to case, so you may find a murderer, a car-jacker and a child molester all serving 50 year sentences, while three others with the exact same charges are only serving 20 years. A rapist serving 5 years, while a drug dealer serves 15 years.
The State has made it abundantly clear it cares nothing for rehabilitation. So, they chuck us into these holding pins for various amounts of time and do nothing to aid us in our quest to mature into productive citizens. In fact, they often work to hinder us in our goal. Educational programs and institutes of higher learning are difficult to enroll in, particularly for any of us in with more than five years left to serve. Pursuit of personal interests are not encouraged. As a writer I have no access to a typewriter and publication requires me to jump through hoops, if I ever get a shot. Rather than encouraging offenders to strive for betterment and aiding us in this pursuit, they offer us no motivation. Now, I agree that this is not an excuse. Those who truly wish to change will be self-motivated but certainly by offering rehabilitative programs that allows one to potentially earn an earlier release date, will find those who are not as self-motivated working towards various goals. Of course, there should still be some form of evaluation to determine who is truly ready for reentry and who is not.
Finally, it should not be a priority for institutions to create numerous policies that are unnecessary or to antagonize inmates who are causing no problems. The institutions primary goal should be to work with the wards of the institution, as to see the operation of the prison run more smoothly and the inmates housed are encouraged in attempts of productivity and ultimately a successful reentry into society.
1. Unnecessarily lengthy stays: Sentencing is not based upon the likelihood of re-offense, there is no rehabilitation system for the earning of early release (at least not in Virginia) and most institutions enforce a retinue of rules designed not with the purpose of running an orderly operation but with the intent to antagonize the inmates. This allows them to write institutional charges that cost us money or lengthen our sentences.
Many of us can look around and clearly see who will get out and never cause another problem in society and who will still be a threat. Those striving for betterment in their lives often are serving lengthier sentences. Many of the most corrupt, violent and ignorant individuals are the ones getting released soon. Speaking of which, a prime example just sat down across from me. He is serving his third sentence. The first two were drug related, this last one an attempted car-jacking. Everyday he tries to scam people, looks for drugs and masturbates in a place where female officers working in the building can see him (an act known as 'gunning' in here). Now, I'm sure we can agree that this is a sick individual, unfit for society. A con man, a drug addict and a potential rapist...Guess what? He gets out in less than two years.
Then there are the guys like myself who spend everyday working to better ourselves. Yet, no matter what we accomplish, we will still be here long after the men I just described above.
There are no policies governing how sentences are determined and no real method of evaluating an offender prior to the sentencing. We are subject to the whims of the judges hearing our cases. Judges vary from case to case, so you may find a murderer, a car-jacker and a child molester all serving 50 year sentences, while three others with the exact same charges are only serving 20 years. A rapist serving 5 years, while a drug dealer serves 15 years.
The State has made it abundantly clear it cares nothing for rehabilitation. So, they chuck us into these holding pins for various amounts of time and do nothing to aid us in our quest to mature into productive citizens. In fact, they often work to hinder us in our goal. Educational programs and institutes of higher learning are difficult to enroll in, particularly for any of us in with more than five years left to serve. Pursuit of personal interests are not encouraged. As a writer I have no access to a typewriter and publication requires me to jump through hoops, if I ever get a shot. Rather than encouraging offenders to strive for betterment and aiding us in this pursuit, they offer us no motivation. Now, I agree that this is not an excuse. Those who truly wish to change will be self-motivated but certainly by offering rehabilitative programs that allows one to potentially earn an earlier release date, will find those who are not as self-motivated working towards various goals. Of course, there should still be some form of evaluation to determine who is truly ready for reentry and who is not.
Finally, it should not be a priority for institutions to create numerous policies that are unnecessary or to antagonize inmates who are causing no problems. The institutions primary goal should be to work with the wards of the institution, as to see the operation of the prison run more smoothly and the inmates housed are encouraged in attempts of productivity and ultimately a successful reentry into society.
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