Slavery by Another Name Blaming the victim is pretty common. Relentlessly, we judge people. A homeless person is accused of choosing an unpredictable and stressful life. A rape victim who is attractive, must have “asked for it.” Recently, a rich, African American entrepreneur, couldn’t comprehend why slaves had put up with slavery for so long. He called it a choice. Most people today believe that at the conclusion of the Civil War, with the passing of the 13th Amendment of the US Constitution … [Read more...] about Blaming the Victim
Behind the Books Blog
Suicide Joe and Buffalo
· Suicide is a Permanent Solution to a Temporary Problem · I met Joe back in 1973 in prison. No, we weren't cell mates serving time. We were volunteers wanting to make a difference. VISTA, acronym for Volunteers In Service To America, was the domestic side of the Peace Corps. We had signed up independently for a year of service as volunteers in Georgia. At the Georgia Industrial Institute (GII), a.k.a. men's prison, in Alto, GA, our larger team's mission was to set up a pre-release … [Read more...] about Suicide Joe and Buffalo
Trauma Writing
Writing Your Trauma Without Too Much Drama In promoting Ronda Miller’s trauma writing workshop in Hutchinson, the main attraction of the Kansas Authors Club meeting, I predicted it would appeal to writers, teachers, therapists, and survivors. Turned out, attendees included people who identified as writers and survivors. And if you think about it for a minute, we’re all survivors. My friends, family, and I have all experienced unwanted shock, sadness, and tragedy. If you don’t think there’s a … [Read more...] about Trauma Writing
Do You Believe in the Death Penalty?
· Just Mercy · Until recently, despite uncertainties and inequalities in the criminal justice system, I’ve been in favor of the death penalty. But now, especially after reading Bryan Stevenson’s book, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption (2014), I’ve shifted from my long-held personal belief. I’ve examined the death penalty from a secular point of view. I decided not to debate the question from a Biblical viewpoint beyond a brief thought. Some people believe that the commandment, … [Read more...] about Do You Believe in the Death Penalty?
He Got Away with Murder
Too Bold to Hold My “wanted for murder” postcard didn’t give the date of the criminal offense, but it did offer that Joe Mosley had been paroled from the State Industrial Reformatory at Hutchinson, Kansas, in 1909. Now he was wanted by the Chief of Police in Wichita, Kansas. The postcard described Mosley as a black man, with black hair and eyes, height five feet four inches, weight 158 pounds. His head was “round” and his upper lip large; his nose large and flat; his hair short and … [Read more...] about He Got Away with Murder
George
· The Relic of Vecinaria · I heard that George, fifteen years old, was writing a novel. Being a writer—an author—I was quickly curious. Karen, his grandmother, told me that he had three chapters done. “Would you like to read it?” she asked me. “No, but I’d like to meet George and learn about his writing. If he ever finishes his book, there’s a good chance that those first three chapters will be very different. That’s pretty common as books evolve.” “Okay. I’ll ask him if he wants to meet … [Read more...] about George
