In the 2010 Ridley Scott movie depiction of ROBIN HOOD of English tales, RICHARD THE LIONHEART, the English King is told by Russell Crowe, the yet to be Robin Hood, that God wouldn't find favor in his deeds during one of the CRUSADES against Muslims and Russell Crowe's character exact words were "Godless", that The King Richard's deeds were Godless. Needless I add the King didn't take to kindly to it, even though he demanded honest council from Russell Crowe's character, which he subsequently placed Russell Crowe in the stockades for his "honesty".The point is Richard The English King expected and assumed that slaughtering Muslims was a Godly deed, well "History" in the form of Russell Crowe's character, who participated in the slaughter as a soldier following orders disabused Richard The Lionheart of those assumptions which as metaphor fits and is apt in characterizing and defining the professional behavior of the Virginia prison official in the duty of imprisoning Virginia citizens processed under law. Despite the fact that there is a universe of calculations and interests animating and directing the Virginia prison officials' professional behavior and attitudes in the work of administering Virginia prisons, what we know, observe and experience is the unequivocal and unambiguous fact of DEHUMANIZATION. If no human is all knowing, all seeing and omniscient then we can confidently state and declare that dehumanization of the prisoner as a pursued practice result, is just that, another petty and sordid example of gratuitous cruelty of a sadistic psychology. In the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit case, WILLIAMS v. BENJAMIN 77 F.3d. 756(1996)(which Virginia and the Virginia Department of Corrections are under its jurisdiction) gave us this ruling, citing this UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT case, WILKERSON v. UTAH 99 U.S. 130 (1878) "Deference to Prison Officials does not give them Constitutional license to torture inmates", which in plain speak is mistreat, abuse and all the synonyms of dehumanization. The UTAH case which the 4th Circuit based aspects of its decision in the WIILLIAMS case on was decided in 1878 !!!, my exclamations are not to be mistaken with surprise that THE SUPREME COURT of THE UNITED STATES was that enlightened in the 19th century, despite the DRED SCOTT decision in its history. What my exclamations underscore is the fact that Prison Officials, not only in Virginia but Nationally have understood that law prohibits and precludes them from dehumanizing THE PRISONER and the various legislators, Attorney Generals, Politicians have abrogated their mandate of pursing the holistic aspiration of each of their jurisdictional Social Contract. Likewise our Activist and Advocates who speak for Prisoners and the obligations of lawful conditions of confinement haven't been throwing it in the faces of the Prison Official that they have no Social Contractual standing to dehumanize the prisoner in the name of the People notwithstanding whatever decrepit and laughable sophistry they along with their allies dredge up as basis. Instead what we experience is the prison official behaving extra-judicially in that professionally ad hoc manner, above the law and all aspects of Society and the Social Contract turning a feckless and craven blind eye to it as if there isnt the recognition that the Prison Official actions are undermining and destroying the very terms of the Social Contract and its Due Process of Law.
By William Thorpe
I'm William Thorpe Virginia exiled me to the Texas prison system. I'm solitary confined at the Wainwright Unit and if you feel any kinda way about this work contact me by Securus email using the Texas prison number #2261982
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