Russell Wardlow

Politics. Prison is governed by politics. We learn from politics, we emulate a structure, code, and a means of survival/order through politics. Politics are quid pro quo. There can’t be order without moralistic compromises. And so in prison, which is a place of disruption and order. If you aren’t a source of power/respect, in return you have less of a voice. We watch local and world news, because we worry about the world we are going back into. Will we fit back in? And how it affects our loved ones because it directly affects the energy inside these walls. Today I walked into a group of friends, (all black), speaking about politics in detail and with passion. One argued looking at the outside bigger picture, and the other took the stance of being the guy directly affected by these policies, stereotypes, and assumptions that result in the lack of chances given because of what others have done. Even more, the argument was centralized around whether our black senator that fights for the inmates-if he really gives a fuck. But I made the point, the thing about politics is you have to give to get your agenda through, quid pro quo. But It’s not easy here, we have a governor that is so pro capital punishment that he went in his own pockets to get a drug not cleared by FDA to start executions again in our state. We see, we hear, we feel and all we can do is think and debate because still a felon’s opinion doesn’t matter anyway. And they won’t let us forget that.
Warning: Rated M, for LSV
The parole board asked a convict, if he saw someone on his mom, would he help his mom, or go run and get/call the police. This answer was the decider on whether he’d get paroled or not. He said he’d help his mom, they sent him out briefly, clearly not liking his answer. When he came back in, he held his tongue and told them what they wanted to hear..”now that I thought on it more, I’d go call the police for help” politics…he had to play their game, and yet still didn’t get paroled after he told them what they wanted to hear…now take a moment and think about what just happened…now what would you do? And should that answer keep you in prison? The price of freedom…compromise in prison is likened to being a whore being fucked by the key holders until they’ve gotten every bit of pleasure drained from you, now go back to society with your head held down, or we’ll beat out every inclination left in you. Raw, but real.
People argue about debating in prison and an innocent debate turns into a heated or violent argument. No one wants to debate because they say it’s arguing. We debate a lot about whether debating and arguing are different…point is, connotations form the attitudes behind actions. In prison, it’s arguing..in politics, it’s debating..and peaceful disagreements and jabs don’t live here. We fight over brains with bronze..irony? Bronze can rival brains, but brains can’t rival bronze? Contradiction…aren’t most of our rationales? So how then can prison contrast from real life? When there’s no space to solve and heal differences, then there is nothing left but collisions. Ironically a cage forces the animal out of you, and space to roam- can supplement those animal traits within us all. Thoughts cultivated to instincts are people cultivated into animals.