Scaring Students.

Section B. Page 1. “Scaring students straight.” An attempt by people involved in the prison industrial system, from a former police, officer to a judge, lawyer, and prison guard to scare young African American students at the Math, Science, and Technology School into staying out of jail.

Yes, that actually happened. Those men and women did a presentation to school children, explaining the process that they would go through if they were caught in the school to prison pipeline. From the arrest, to the lawyer, judge, and then the prison. Step by step. And it's "no joke" and "not a laughing matter."

According to one presenter – it's the violent music that they listen to that is the cause of the problem.

Seriously?

Some of these students get home to an empty house because their parents are working. Some of them work 2 or more jobs just to make ends meet. And violent music is the problem. Or video games. Or violent movies.

Get real.

Section A. Page 1, “Good sign as jobless rate in region drops below 5%.” Really? Is that the U6 or U9 number (U is the Labor Department designation for “unemployed.” The number is for how many months they have been looking for a job.) There is no U12 or longer. There is no designation for underemployed – the person has a college degree but is working at a job that a high school drop out could do with training. So I doubt this number really means anything. That number also reflects the number of people that show up at Unemployment Offices looking for work. Perhaps some of those employment drop outs will show back up and that number will rise now that there is some “good news” in the economic realm.

The people on page B1 did not make any connection to the story on page A1. Neither did the paper.

The 1% don't like the unemployment rate to go below 5% because that means that labor – the workers - can start making demands on the wealthy and actually win their demands. The 1% need the unemployment numbers high so that they can control the 99% and keep labor costs down.

They also need a way to control the population, so prisons come into play.

They also didn't talk about how capitalism has no intention of keeping the promises that it makes. If you go to school, do your homework, stay out of trouble, and get a good education in college – you can have a nice house, car, get happily married, and live a wonderful life.

No one talks about how people do all those things and still wind up committing “criminal acts” - selling drugs, engaging in prostitution, etc – because capitalism can't keep its promises.

There are people that belong in prison because of violent acts that they have committed – assault, murder, robbery, etc. For some of them I doubt that prison will change their lives. A good social worker could. Prisons don't have the ability to do that always.

We hear about the person being arrested. We rarely hear about the motivation behind their acts. How many of these people are behind bars because capitalism couldn't provide its promises?

If the presenters wanted to scare the students, they should start with the realities of capitalism. “It can not provide for you. Most of you will bust your butts and do everything right and, in the end, be poor, or if you are lucky, middle class Let's face the facts – the current high school graduates are the first generation in American history to do worse than their parents. The system needs it that way. The system needs you poor so that it can control you, keep you in fear. Keep you thinking that tomorrow might be the day that you break out of the class prison that you are in. In reality, get used to that class prison. You're going to be stuck there.

“Now, if you don't like that picture that I just painted for you, there is a different way. A different economic and social model that can provide for your needs and help you achieve a meaningful life. One that does not need prisons to control people. It's called 'socialism.'”

That's a message those students won't hear.

They need to.