I understand and mirror Rachel at http://thewellinformedcitizen.blogspot.com/ 's frustration regarding the mainstream media, right vs. left (or vice- versa) battles, and general malaise that seems to permeate all things political right now.  Her post was written before this last election, but the negative rhetoric never lets up.  We think that there will be a break, but remember that the presidential election is now less than two years away and that means the process is starting all over again. 

Just as I am, she is also a supporter of  President Obama.  I do not feel, as Mike does, that the President is going to keep us in turmoil and strife.  Honestly, if Mr. Obama were to try and reach out to the right, he would most likely pull back a nub.  Did you hear Mitch McConnell's statements right before the election? No? He seems to have set the right's agenda for the next 2 years.  Forget jobs or the economy, this guy has his sights set on destroying all things related to the progress of the current administration.  Luckily, there have already been strides in the direction of progress. This link,WTH Has Obama Done So Far, illuminates some of the positive steps that have been accomplished.  I think there is something for everyone.  Did you know that more private sector jobs have been created during his two years in office than during the entire Bush administration?  That Pell Grants have been increased to help pay for college?  Those are just a couple of the items from the list of accomplishments already achieved.  But you would never know it if you only got your information from the media.

The New Business Model for Prisons

Yesterday morning, while driving my son to school I heard a piece on NPR (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130833741&ps=cprs) detailing how a for-profit prison company helped to create a need for its services. Now, America is proud of the fact that we are a "make our own way" country, but this is a new low. Their plan was to open "detention facilities" in Arizona to accommodate the upcoming need for prison space for illegal immigrant women and children. How did they know there would be such a need? Because they had been in on the planning of Arizona Senate Bill 1070. How is this legal? How is this ok? A business model based on locking up women and children, women and children with no voices to protest.

It all revolves around the current SB 1070. The law is currently being challenged in the courts, but if upheld will require law enforcement to lock up anyone they stop who cannot prove they are in the country legally. This alone is a slippery slope that the extremest out there have no problem sliding down. I understand that the immigration debate is a long and complicated matter. But I don't believe that it will be solved locking up women and children for profit.

One thing has to be made clear, the "dentention center" is a prison. If you would like to see, take a look at this short video on the ACLU site that shows our own Hutto Detention Facility, you can find it at http://aclu.tv/hutto. Better yet, take a day trip and check out the high fences or maybe you will be fortunate enough to observe the children in prison garb getting their allotted yard time. That should warm the cockles of your heart. And if it doesn't, well it may be because you don't have one. We're talking children here folks. Is this what our country has been reduced to?

By the way, if you are of the mind set that these women and children are a burden to the taxpayer now, imagine what they will cost once the for-profit prison companies start sending the bills.