SOMETIMES IT SEEMS LIKE THE MORE WE STRIVE FORWARD IN PROGRESS AS A SOCIETY,
THE MORE WE SEEM TO FALL BACKWARDS. IT APPEARS AS IF HISTORY DOES NOT TEACH
US ANYTHING, OR IF IT DOES, ITS LESSONS ARE SHORT-LIVED. I GUESS IN TODAY’S
DISPOSABLE SOCIETY MANY FEEL THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH TOSSING HUMAN
DIGNITY AWAY AS IF IT WAS AN EXPENDABLE WASTE PRODUCT.

MORE AND MORE IT APPEARS AS IF WE ARE REVERTING BACK TO THE 19TH CENTURY, OR
BACK TO THE DAYS WHEN WE APPROVED OF AND EVEN DEMANDED THAT PEOPLE WEAR THE
SCARLET 'A' ON THEIR PERSON. A TIME WHEN WE LOCKED PEOPLE UP IN WOODEN YOKES
AND PUT THEM ON DISPLAY IN THE PUBLIC SQUARES. IT WAS HOPED THAT THE PUBLIC
HUMILIATION AND SHAME THAT FOLLOWED WOULD CHANGE  PEOPLE FOR THEIR WRONG
DOING. BUT THE OPPOSITE RESULTED, PEOPLE WERE ANGRY AND DEHUMANIZED. THEY
BECAME SOCIAL OUTCASTS, MISFITS WHO GREW FURTHER APART FROM THE MAINSTREAM,
IRREPARABLY HARMED. WHEN SOCIETY FINALLY REALIZED THE SHORTCOMINGS OF
PUTTING PEOPLE ON DISPLAY AND SHAMING THEM,  AND ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS
SYSTEM DID NOT WORK, THE PRACTICE FINALLY STOPPED.

BUT HISTORY HAS A WAY OF REPEATING ITSELF. IT SEEMS WE HAVE COME FULL CIRCLE
IN THE AREA OF PUBLIC HUMILIATION. THERE ARE MANY EXAMPLES OF THIS, AND THEY
ARE ROOTED IN THE CURRENT 'MEAN SPIRITEDNESS' OF THOSE CURRENTLY IN POWER.
WE START WITH THE DISENFRANCHISED AND VOICELESS MEN AND WOMEN IN PRISONS AND
JAILS IN THIS COUNTRY. WE TAKE AWAY COURT ACCESS, AND ANY MEANINGFUL WAY TO
ADDRESS THE WRONGS OF THE SYSTEM, WE TAKE AWAY MOST OF THEIR POSSESSIONS, WE
CHARGE THEM FOR MEDICAL VISITS AND ELECTRICITY, WE DRESS THEM IN BLACK AND
WHITE STRIPED UNIFORMS AND PUT BELLY CHAINS, HAND CUFFS AND LEG IRONS ON
THEM AND PARADE THEM AROUND IN PUBLIC TO BE MOCKED AND SHAMED IN THE NAME OF
MEANINGFUL WORK PROGAMS. WE FEED THEM SUBSTANDARD FOOD AND DRESS THEM IN
PINK UNDERWEAR. WE SET OUT TO BREAK THEIR SPIRIT AND KILL THEIR HOPE. WE DO
THIS IN THE NAME OF 'TEACHING THEM A LESSON' SO THAT THEY WILL NOT WANT TO
DO IT AGAIN. BUT IS IT SMART TO KICK A DOG WHEN HE IS DOWN? OVER 90% OF ALL
THOSE INCARCERATED ARE EVENTUALLY RELEASED BACK INTO SOCIETY. IT IS NOT WISE
TO RELEASE ANGRY AND DESPERATE PEOPLE BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY. WOULDN’T IT
BE WISER TO TEACH THESE PEOPLE A SKILL AND REHABILITATE THEM BEFORE
RETURNING THEM TO OUR STREETS, INSTEAD OF HUMILIATING THEM?

IN HAUGHTON, MA., POLICE CAPTAIN RICHARD PEMENTHAL GOES ON CABLE ACCESS TV
AND OPENLY DENOUNCES AND RIDICULES RECENTLY ARRESTED PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY
JAIL. THIS IS BEFORE GUILTY VERDICTS HAVE BEEN RETURNED. HE HAS A SEGMENT
CALLED 'PUNK OF THE WEEK' IN WHICH HE GOES ON TO SHAME PEOPLE BY CALLING
THEM 'TOILET-LICKING MAGGOTS' AND DISPLAYING THEIR PHOTOS. THESE PEOPLE HAVE
NOT YET GONE TO COURT. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PRESUMPTION OF INNOCENCE? HOW
ABOUT DEFAMATON OF CHARACTER?

IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, A MAN CONVICTED OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WAS MADE TO STAND ON
THE OUTSIDE STAIRS OF THE COURTHOUSE AND MAKE A PUBLIC APOLOGY AS WELL AS
BEING SENTENCED TO SHOVEL HORSE MANURE IN THE POLICE STABLE FOR TWENTY HOURS
A WEEK FOR SIX YEARS. ANOTHER MAN WAS CONVICTED OF SHOPLIFTING. HE WAS MADE
TO WEAR A SANDWICH SIGN THAT STATED: 'I STOLE FROM THIS STORE' AND PACE IN
FRONT OF THAT STORE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. A WOMAN IN A SIMILAR SITUATION WAS
MADE TO WEAR A T-SHIRT SAYING THE SAME THING, AND WAS TO WALK IN FRONT OF A
MALL SHOP.

I DO NOT THINK THAT HUMILIATING PEOPLE IN PUBLIC IS PRODUCTIVE OR SENSIBLE.
IT IS CRUEL AND BARBARIC. IT IS NOT IN SOCIETY’S INTEREST TO OUTRAGE,
HUMILIATE AND DEHUMANIZE  IN THE NAME OF ‘JUSTICE’. NOTHING IS GAINED BY
SHAMING THE HUMAN SPIRIT LIKE THIS. IT IS COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE. IT DOES NOT
STOP CRIME. IT ONLY SERVES TO SHOW THE WORLD WHAT A CRUEL AND UNFORGIVING
SOCIETY WE ARE - A SOCIETY THAT WOULD RATHER PUBLICLY HUMILIATE AS WELL AS
EXECUTE ITS CITIZENS INSTEAD OF ATTEMPTING TO REHABILITATE AND HEAL. WHILE
PRISONERS ARE PAYING THEIR DEBTS TO SOCIETY, SOCIETY IS FALLING DEEPER INTO
DEBT.
           ........................................

RICHARD ROSSI