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A Writing By Georgia Death Row, Prisoner Brandon Jones
If we liken humanity
to the forest and humanity's laws to the trees, then most Americans -especially
posturing politicians - will not see the forest for the trees.
- Irving Elmer Bell
'...those Canadian rats'
By Brandon Astor Jones
I agree with Bell. Most of American society is blind to itself. That blindness is demonstrated in a host of ways. One of the more vivid examples has to do with how animals are treated - in comparison to how human beings are treated.
Let me make it clear that I like dogs. I advocate good treatruent for all pets. Therefore, I understand how disturbed many of Georgia's citizens are over the recent spate of animal cruelty reports in the news. In July, a three-month old kitten was gasolined and afterwards set ablaze. It later died. In September, a stray cat was shot with an arrow. Last week a puppy was found with its little mouth wired shut. And lest I forget, this week there was the killing of two pet rabbits, one of which was found sliced open with hs head and tail cut off;
We should not be surprised that more than one hundred concerned people recently gathered to ask Georgia legislators to get tougher on those who commit animal cruelty crimes. At present such crimes are only misdemeanors"... punishable by a fine and brief jail time," according The Atlantic Journal Constitution *.
Georgians are up in arms about animal cruelty. Senator Robert Brown (a Democrat, from Macon), who wants to make animal cruelty a felony, promises to sponsor animal cruelty legislation when the Georgia General Assembly convenes in January. District Attorney (for Bibb County) Charles Weston, laments that "[t]his is a piece of legislation whose time has come."
Randall Lockwood, Vice President of the Humane Society of the United States, tells us that, "[p]erpetrators of violence [do notj stop to count the number of legs on their victims. Even Lieutenant Larry Gibson, of the Clayton County Police Department, feels that tougher sentences are in order because studies have shown that animal abuse is often the precursor of more serious violence against humans.
I was struck by the irony of Senator Brown's words when he suggested that people do not understand ". . the issue, how it affects society as a whole, the implications it has for our children and how we treat each other as human beings." This is the reason, he says, that tougher animal cruelty laws have not passed in past legislative sessions.
When an overly prone-to-violence group of corrections officers was led into Georgia's Hayes State Prison by then-Corrections Commissioner J. Wayne Garner who urged them to brutally' attack scores of non-violent prisoners, no one proposed changing the law. Georgians are outraged by animal cruelty but for the most part remain churchmouse quiet when men, women and children are brutalized by the people who have been given the job of protecting them while they are held inside Georgia's prisons and jails. Alas, as long as a woman, man or child is in a Georgia prison or jail it seems to be quite alright to rape, impregnate, force abortion upon, beat, torture and even execute them. The majority of Georgia's citizens will remain silent about it. Media only report it when forced to.
As I write this sentence the United States Supreme Court is about to review whether or not Florida's electric chair is unconstitutionally cruel and unusual punishment (in that often it causes its victims to burst in flames and bleed profusely.)
Here in Georgia in 1985, Alpha Otis Stephens was pronounced "still alive" as he sat moaning fifteen minutes after 2,300 volts had savagely surged through his body during the torture that most Georgians fondly call "execution". So they electrocuted him again. After twenty minutes of torture he was eventually pronounced "dead".
Nevertheless, I better move on to a less gruesome example. After all, I would not want to upset (with all due respect) those one hundred or so Georgia citizens who are, and rightly so, outraged over many ongoing demonstrations of animal cruelty. Every manner of media in the State is full of it.
Just last week, the former Cherokee County deputy Don Ware pleaded guilty in federal court to the unconstitutional violation of a prisoner's civil rights by the use of excessive force. While in custody Christopher Stone was kicked and beaten by him and Deputy James Donohue. In effect, they carried out a very common form of torture that many people in custody are subjected to: Ware stood with one foot on Stone's neck and the other on his lower back for three minutes; all the while Stone was docile with his hands cuffed behind his back! Then, to add insult to injury, the deputies dragged him to a cell, strapped him into a restraining chair, and while he was tied down and silent, sprayed him with pepper gas.
Fortunately for Stone, the entire incident was caught on video tape. Imagine how many of these kind of incidents take place when video tapes have been turned off to conceal such illegal activity. Because this use of excessive force is only a misdemeanor, Ware merely faces one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
When Christopher Stone was asked by telephone what he thought about those two possible penalties, which Niagistrate Judge B. Clayton Scofleld lll might - or might not -be obliged to hand down on January 13 2000 he said. " . . . obviously, I would like to see more from a penalty' standpoint, but that is all the law allows."
I understand Stone's feelings. Ware is lucky that Stone does not have two more legs. Yet, if I could talk to Stone, I would tell him that wishing Ware could draw a tougher sentence accomplishes little in the grand scheme of things. A tougher sentence is easy to give. America's prison system does not need tougher prison sentences. What it needs, and what every American should want, is less people in the system.
There is only one way to accomplish that, in my opinion. The method will require courage, respect and hope for every generation.
If those who can were allowed to teach us how to care more for every living creature there would be less and less harm done to men, women, children and yes, even animals. That is to say, the State cannot teach the sacredness of life by taking lives (e.g. capital punishment), nor can it continue to permit and even encourage the emotional and physical brutalization that it subjects its prisoners to.
If; through demonstration of good deeds, love and respect are encouraged, more people whether free or confmed will become less violent and more loving. Love and respect are like super seeds. You plant them in people, especially children, and nine times out often you will get love and respect back.
On the other hand, if you plant hate, intolerance, disrespect. selfishness and revenge from cradle to grave, as most Americans do now, that is precisely what you get back a thousand fold. It is just that simple.
Both the State and the people in each community must begin to honestly take a more loving and respectful view of every man, woman and child - even those who have not been fortunate enough to have the luxury ofproper parental guidance and other things that all but guarantee the privilege of socioeconomic success. It Is not wise to self-righteously stand back and talk down to them. Unless a more loving and respectful view is taken, no man, woman, child, kitten, cat, dog or rabbit will be safe.
It does not matter if you come from the richest of the rich or the poorest of the poor, most human beings, if given half a chance. respond well to love and respect. Yes, I know that many are not capable of giving both. but any intelligent human being can learn to give at least one.
The concept of nurture vs. nature is compelling. There are few, no matter their age, race, gender or station in life, who are not able to adopt it. Even with an animal as low on the creature-scale as a rat, the concept of nurture over nature reigns supreme.
Researchers have recently conducted experiments that reveal how infant rats, when subjected to maternal or foster mothers who lick and groom them while they nurse, become smarter and more community-minded than those subjected to indifferent mothers. Love and respect for ones individual space, and the space of others, can be nurtured even in rats.
I am sure there are many in Georgia who will be unwilling to take the word of a State prisoner. Therefore, I respectfully suggest that they read what has recently been published in the journal Science, by neuroscientist Michael J. Meaney who is at McGill University in Montreal. He is the uncontested leader of the research being done in this field.
Also worthy of note is that the body of research in this field shows that when unaffectionate mother rats see affections demonstrated on their offspring by affectionate foster mother rats and even caring human handlers, they become affectionate as well. The far reaching ramifications of' that aspect of Meaney's work is simple enough that even I can understand the positive influence it could have for the human race.
Let us hope that Americans.
especially some of Georgia's politicians, will not be outdone by those
Canadian rats.
* Reference source:
The Atlanta Journcil-Constitution
November 4-5, 1999
Word Count: 1557
Composition Date: November
7' 1999 The Charise Nicole Series Series 117.' 1113.
Brandon Astor Jones, EF-122216:
(G3-63)
Georgia Diagnostic Classi
ficat ion Prison
Post Oflice Box 3877
Jackson, Georgia 30233,
U.S.A.
Brandon encourages response to this or any other essay/poetry be it pro or con. You may write to him direct at the address above (but be sure to include your fll name and return address on the envelope or the prison censors will not deliver your letter to him). Brandon appreciates your interest.
Copyright C 1999 Brandon
Astor Jones
All rights reserved.
No part of this text/publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without Brandon A.
Jonest written perrnission via Brandon's prison address above.
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