keep a candle lit...

There seems to be a lot going on this morning. From what looks to be another serial killer in Long Island to the shoot out in a Florida school board meeting to Juarez, Mexico reporting it's 3,000th homicide of the year, its a busy news.

Ironically, one story that does not seem to be getting any air time, except from a few conscious bloggers and on my not-so secret political correspondent crush, Marc Lamont Hill's Twitter feed is the non-violent protest (they're refusing to leave their cells to work or eat) Georgia State Prisoners have been staging for the past six days.

Apparently the inmates are refusing to work and eat until they are granted:

- Fair wages for their labor

- Educational Opportunities including vocational and self-improvement opportunities

- Basic Healthcare

-An end to cruel and unusual punishments

-Decent Living Conditions

-Nutritional meals

-Access to families

-Just parole decisions

Um, not ONE of these requests seem unreasonable to me.

Yet, they're being dragged from their cells, beaten, denied hot water or heat and alternatively thrown in solitary confinement to force them to go back to work. Guess they don't give a damn if they don't wanna eat, huh?

Regardless of the crime- who's mad at a con for wanting to pick up a book or a trade? Uh, not me. Lord only knows what kind of sickness and contagious diseases are running rampant inside them dirty ass prisons... If we're not using cruel and unusual punishment on terrorists, why would we utilize it against our own citizens? I mean, just because you're in jail, doesn't mean you have to live like an animal. Why shouldn't they have a decent cell? Or get to see their families. Maybe those visits will be motivation to act right. As for pay, the average prisoner only makes 5o cents an hour. these guys are making NOTHING. Come on, that's ridiculous. Oh and you know what, since all the right-wing parents of little fatass kids are beefing about our First Lady wanting to 'dictate "what's on their school menus- just go on and give the damn apples and bananas to the prisoners.

Word.

So even if there are no breaking news headlines every hour on CNN, by all means, get to praying.

All those men are asking for is a little bit of decency and to be treated like human beings. And if it is not given now, please believe when they are all finally released, most will probably return the favor to their respective communities.

BLANK STARE

** Snatched this from The Crunk Feminist Collective's post on the matter:

Below is a list of prisons where prisoners are still on lockdown & where you can call to express concern.

Hays State Prison—706-857-0400

Macon State Prison—978-472-3900

Telfair State Prison—229-868-7721

Smith State Prison – 912-654-5000

The Georgia Department of Corrections is at http://www.dcor.state.ga.us and their phone number is 478-992-5246