Why “Broken System” ?
The theme of my website is “Broken System.” I have chosen this as my theme because it represents my personal journey throughout the semester and the conclusions I was able to reach by the end. “Broken System” is representative of my classroom experience because of the multi-faceted look we took at the prison system. During the semester we studied writing, court rooms, law enforcement, prison art, and heard from inmates and wardens a like. This is why I chose to include pieces from across many genres from a variety of people, each highlighting penal system problems in a unique way: Just as each of our assignments across the semester highlighted new problems in unique ways. Every time we heard from a new visitor or read a new piece of writing I would think to myself, “wow, our system is so sadly broken.” This website is a collection of some of the most moving pieces of art, film, music, and literature I have encountered during the course of the semester.
I chose to display reformers such as Johnny Cash, Angela Davis, and Sister Helen Prejean because of their powerful messages and social status. Their work encourages human rights for everybody and helps give a voice to otherwise marginalized groups. I also included political contributors, Adam Zyglis and Dave Granlund, who have cartoon work published in hundreds of magazines and newspapers encouraging reform of the over-crowded and inescapable prisons in America. Nas and Dead Prez were included to highlight the voice urban poets are able to bring to their otherwise ignored communities. This offers a contrast to contributors such as Sister Helen Prejean. Unlike Sister Prejean, who is speaking for a group of people outside of her own demographics, Nas and Dead Prez speak for the marginalized groups they are also a part of.
The most important lesson I have taken from this semester is to always question assumptions. I assumed since America is known as “the land of the free” that our incarceration rates were low. I assumed because the Bill of Rights says all citizens are entitled to receive a “fair and speedy trial” everyone received one. I assumed our prison rehabilitation methods were logical and effective. Unfortunately, my assumptions and acceptance of what I was taught led me to be blind to the mistreatment of many of my countryman. In the future, I would like to get involved with the prison reform movement. I have learned from the examples set by the reformers who contributed to my anthology, as well as reformers from class I did not include, to use my talents to help somebody. Though I am no famous singer or Pulitzer Prize winner, I am college student who can write well enough to be understood. I would like to begin writing letters to prisoners and to legislators on prisoner’s behalf. After completing this class, I feel compelled to use my agency as an educated white individual to try to help people who are no worse people than I, but have not been afforded the same opportunities.
The theme of my website is “Broken System.” I have chosen this as my theme because it represents my personal journey throughout the semester and the conclusions I was able to reach by the end. “Broken System” is representative of my classroom experience because of the multi-faceted look we took at the prison system. During the semester we studied writing, court rooms, law enforcement, prison art, and heard from inmates and wardens a like. This is why I chose to include pieces from across many genres from a variety of people, each highlighting penal system problems in a unique way: Just as each of our assignments across the semester highlighted new problems in unique ways. Every time we heard from a new visitor or read a new piece of writing I would think to myself, “wow, our system is so sadly broken.” This website is a collection of some of the most moving pieces of art, film, music, and literature I have encountered during the course of the semester.
I chose to display reformers such as Johnny Cash, Angela Davis, and Sister Helen Prejean because of their powerful messages and social status. Their work encourages human rights for everybody and helps give a voice to otherwise marginalized groups. I also included political contributors, Adam Zyglis and Dave Granlund, who have cartoon work published in hundreds of magazines and newspapers encouraging reform of the over-crowded and inescapable prisons in America. Nas and Dead Prez were included to highlight the voice urban poets are able to bring to their otherwise ignored communities. This offers a contrast to contributors such as Sister Helen Prejean. Unlike Sister Prejean, who is speaking for a group of people outside of her own demographics, Nas and Dead Prez speak for the marginalized groups they are also a part of.
The most important lesson I have taken from this semester is to always question assumptions. I assumed since America is known as “the land of the free” that our incarceration rates were low. I assumed because the Bill of Rights says all citizens are entitled to receive a “fair and speedy trial” everyone received one. I assumed our prison rehabilitation methods were logical and effective. Unfortunately, my assumptions and acceptance of what I was taught led me to be blind to the mistreatment of many of my countryman. In the future, I would like to get involved with the prison reform movement. I have learned from the examples set by the reformers who contributed to my anthology, as well as reformers from class I did not include, to use my talents to help somebody. Though I am no famous singer or Pulitzer Prize winner, I am college student who can write well enough to be understood. I would like to begin writing letters to prisoners and to legislators on prisoner’s behalf. After completing this class, I feel compelled to use my agency as an educated white individual to try to help people who are no worse people than I, but have not been afforded the same opportunities.