For Love of Bridges

Father / Daughter Dance at San Quentin

On Saturday April 5, San Quentin put on its first ever Father/Daughter dance. Sixteen incarcerated fathers brought their daughters into the prison for a very special seven-hour event. The chapel was transformed into a ballroom like you’d see in a  fancy hotel; floor to ceiling black curtains, black lights, flowers on all the tables, a red carpet for the fathers and their daughters to come in on accompanied by loud music and  wild applause. The daughters ranged in age from five or six to thirty five (wild guess). There were speeches, games, F/D dance, fathers reading letters to their daughters. On and on it went.

In addition to music, games and dancing, there were lots of tears. To get ready for this, the men were required to take an eight-week class, “Family Communication Workshop.” Topics included: Emotions, Understanding, Resentments, Violence Awareness,  and Forgiveness. Active listening skills were a central part of the program.

All of this is part of the transition happening at San Quentin. The new model is more about redemption and less about punishment. The prison’s public communications officer, Guim’Mara Berry, said a few words. What I remember, “Redemption is real,” and “Ninety percent of these men will be going home.”

Many of the fathers had been in Katy’s computer programming classes. Introducing me to them I heard again and again, “We really love her.” Learning computer skills sets these men on new lives as they leave prison.

Since she recently resigned her job at the prison, we were lucky to attend. In her third trimester she wants to focus on getting ready to welcome Reid Kelly Munger into the world. Getting rid of the stress of the job and the 100 mile round trip was the right decision. But it was an emotional time for Katy saying “good-bye” to her students and colleagues for the last time.

It was a joy for me to see the impact Katy has had in a difficult environment. One of her students told her, “This class is the only time I feel like a human being.” Way to go, Honey.

(Photos from San Quentin web page)

The End of Our Democracy?

There is so much to hate about how Trump is upending the democracy this country has built over the last 250 years. You’ve seen it in the news. No need to rehash it here. But I do want to point out three things,

1) Apple rolls over to our new fascist dictator. I opened “Maps” app and was appalled and stressed to see this:

Please note this is not called The Gulf of Mexico.

Apple CEO, Tim Cook made the trip to Mara Largo and kissed the ring. Just pathetic.  I suspect Steve Jobs is spinning in his grave.

2) Why the dems lost. They became the bicoastal, Ivy League, Chardonay-drinking elites and told the white working class, “You are deplorables living in fly-over states (which we call ‘Dumbfuckistan’), your religion is stupid and we are taking away your guns. We are the party concerned with the glass ceiling and trans gender bathrooms.” Then we said, “You should vote for us.” Ha, ha, ha.

3) My message to the dems:The media says it all: “Stop listening to Rachel Maddow, put down your precious Lattes, get off your Yoga matts and listen to Merle Haggard.

It is all there, from Oakee From Muskogee to Working Man Blues. Also, please read “White Working Class: Overcoming Class Cluelessness in America” by Joan C. Williams.

Also, don’t miss the 2013 movie: Assault on Wall Street.

Oh, one last thing. As long as “Citizens United” is the law of the land, the middle and lower classes are totally fucked. Claiming that corporations are people with First Amendment rights of “free speech,” and that money is protected speech, the billionaire class puts into office anyone they like. Millions of people marching in the street can’t change that. But the masses will only take so much. Let’s remember, “Let them eat cake,” said Marie Antoinette. What happened next was the French Revolution and Antoinette lost her head.

My favorite sign from this weekend’s demonstrations:

In order to avoid the country convulsing in an orgy of violence, the tax code must be changed. Doubt that we’ll hear any of that on CNN or MSNBC.