our thoughts

I SPOKE WITH JIMMY A LITTLE WHILE AGO, AND DISCUSSED THIS JOURNAL WITH HIM.  SO, HERE ARE A FEW OF OUR THOUGHTS.

BEFORE WE GOT MARRIED, WHICH WAS 5 YEARS AGO, JIMMY AND I WERE  "KENNEDY LIBERALS."   BUT NOW, AFTER SPENDING ALMOST 4 YEARS IN PRISON, JIMMY AND I HAVE GONE FROM BEING "LIBERALS,"  TO "CONSERVATIVES. "

JIMMY FEELS NOW THAT AFTER THINKING ABOUT LIFE, AND ANALYZING THINGS, THE "WAY TO GO,".............ACTUALLY THE "CORRECT WAY TO GO,'".......IN THIS COUNTRY, AND GLOBALLY FOR THAT MATTER, IS TO BE A CONSERVATIVE.  HE FEELS THAT PEOPLE , SUCH AS POLICE OFFICERS, PRISON GUARDS, AND THOSE IN AUTHORITY ...............THEY ARE THE RIGHT WAY.

AS MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW, MY HUSBAND WAS ONCE AN ATTORNEY, SO AS YOU CAN SEE, HE ALWAYS ANALYZES THINGS VERY CAREFULLY.

LET ME EXPLAIN. 

HE FEELS THAT SOMETHING LIKE 99%  OF THE LIBERAL POPULATION IS REALLY NOT ACCEPTED BY OUR COUNTRY. 

JIMMY IS A MANAGER AT A FOODSTORE, HERE IN NEW JERSEY.  HE TELLS ME THAT MEN IN PRISON COME UP TO HIM AND ASK HIM TO TRY AND GET THEM A JOB ..................WELL, SURPRISINGLY, 99%  OF THOSE MEN, WHO ARE SEEKING WORK, NEVER EVEN FOLLOW THROUGH WITH AN APPLICATION.  THE OTHER 1% ARE ALWAYS ASKING HIM FOR MONEY.

JIMMY AND I HAVE NEVER WALKED PAST A HOMELESS MAN WITHOUT GIVING HIM MONEY, OR BUYING HIM A SANDWHICH............................

WHEN JIMMY TRAVELS BACK TO VOA FROM HIS JOB, HOMELESS MEN APPROACH HIM  AND ASK FOR MONEY.  HE ALWAYS GIVES TO THEM.  LATER, WHEMN HE TALKS TO ME ON THE PHONE HE SAYS,  "HONEY, THESE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE I SPEND TIME IN PRISON WITH.  AND HERE THEY ARE, RIGHT BACK WHERE THEY STARTED FROM."

WHEN I ASKED HIM, JIMMY SAID, "YES, MANY OF THE MEN IN PRISON ARE CRAZY."    HIS OWN BUNKIE , IN CRAF,  WAS ON HEAVY PSYCH MEDS, AND WAS A CHILD MOLESTER.  HE TALKED TO HIMSELF ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT, AND WAS RIGHT ABOVE JIMMY, IN A BUNK,  IN A 9FT. BY 8 FT. CELL.  THE OTHER GUYS WOULD ASK JIMMY HOW HE COULD STAND IT, BUT JIMMY IS ABLE TO GET THROUGH ANYTHING IN LIFE. 

MY ANSWER TO JIMMY WAS,  'THEY MAY BE CRAZY, BUT THEY ARE SMART ENOUGH TO DO CRIMES TO GET LOCKED UP AGAIN, AND NOT LIVE OUT ON THE STREETS, AND NOT CLEAN THEMSELVES UP, AND LIVE A DECENT LIFE."......................THOSE THAT ARE DIAGNOSED WITH PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS ARE PUT IN INSTITUTIONS FOR THE MENTALLY ILL.  ....................SO, WHEN THE COMMENTOR SAID, THE EXCUSE IS THAT THEY RETURN TO THE STREETS BECAUSE THEY ARE CRAZY,...WELL, THAT ANSWER IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME...................AND I WORKED WITH STREET PEOPLE FOR 16 YEARS IN NEW YORK.

ALSO, IN INDIA, PEOPLE WHO ARE BORN INTO POVERTY HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO LIVE ON THE STREET, FROM BIRTH..................BEGGARS....LIVING IN HUTS. ..............CHILDREN THAT BEG, EVERYDAY ON THE STREET.............. THERE IS NO SOCIAL SYSTEM TO HELP THEM OUT, AS WE HAVE HERE IN AMERICA..................NO SOUP KITCHENS, AND NO FOOD STAMPS........

JIMMY WOULD ALSO LIKE TO GIVE HIS POINT OF VIEW ON ANOTHER SUBJECT.  JIMMY HAS SEEN IN PRISON, FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS, 5 MONTHS, MEN WHO HAVE 4 OR 5 WOMEN VISITING THEM.  MOST OF THESE MEN ARE UNMARRIED, AND HAVE MANY CHILDREN WITH EACH WOMAN.  THESE MEN ARE PROUD TO BE DOING THIS.  THEY WANT THESE WOMEN, WHO ARE 'THE GIRLFRIEND,' TO BUY THEM THINGS, AND SEND THEM MONEY......MOST OF THESE LOCKED UP GUYS HAVE TV'S RADIOS, ETC.....YOU NAME IT, THEY HAVE IT..............LOTS OF MONEY SENT TO THEM BY THESE WOMEN.  THESE WOMEN, WHO CALL THEMSELVES THE MAN'S "WIFE,' BUT ARE ACTUALLY NOT MARRIED, AND UNAWRE THAT THE MAN HAS MANY OTHER GIRLFRIENDS. 

MY HUSBAND FEELS SAD THAT THESE WOMEN ARE BEING ABUSED AND TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY THESE MEN.  MANY OF THESE ARE HEAVY-SET WOMEN, WHO HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO CATER TO THESE PRISONERS, WHO LEAD THEM ON FOR YEARS.  ....

NOW, JIMMY IS NOT SAYING THIS IS THE CASE FOR EVERYONE, BUT IT IS FOR SOME.

I MET MY HUSBAND BEFORE HE WENT TO PRISON.  WE MET A LITTLE WHILE AFTER HE COMMITED HIS CRIME.  WE WE LIVING TOGETHER AS HUSBAND AND WIFE FOR 2 YEARS, BEFORE HE TURNED HIMSELF INTO PRISON.........................

ALSO, I MADE A MISTAKE.....IT COSTS JIMMY  $11.00 per day, TO AND FROM WORK.  HIS JOB IS 3 HOURS , TO AND FROM WORK.  THE OTHER GUYS COULD GET A JOB CLOSE BY, IF THEY WANTED.  MEN IN THE OTHER HALF-WAY HOUSE THAT JIMMY WAS IN EARLIER, HAD JOBS IN FACTORIES, AND SOME DID THINGS LIKE "PICK FEATHERS OFF THE CHICKENS," FOR CHICKEN COMPANIES.................THOSE MEN ALSO HAD PROSTITUTES COMING TO THE FACTORY, AND HAVING SEX WITH THEM IN THE YARD BEHIND THE FACTORY................

ANOTHER COMMENT MENTIONED MEN ARE BEAT UP IF THEY ARE CAUGHT WITH DRUGS, ETC....YES, THEY ARE.  THE MEN GET ANGRY WHEN ONE PERSON IN THE GROUP DOES WRONG THINGS, AND THEN THEY 'TAKE CARE OF THAT GUY."

.....AND AS FAR AS ME BEING A "SELF-RIGHTOUS PERSON," WELL THAT IS, IN A WAY,IN A WAY  A GOOD THING TO BE.  IT IS BETTER THAN BEING IN A STATE OF DEPRESSION, AND HATING YOURSELF .................AND BEING IN A DEEP DEPRESSION FOR 3 YEARS....................A SHUNNED, STIGMATIZED WOMAN............STIGMATIZES BY HER OWN SOCIETY...............THAT IS A TERRIBLE THING..............AND MOSY WOMEN OUT THERE, ARE SCARED, PRISON WIVES.  THEY SHY AWAY FROM SOCIETY.  THEY ARE FRIGHTENED.  THEY ARE HIDING THEMSELVES IN THE HOUSE.....................YOU, OUT THERE...YOU KNOW IT, IF IT HAPPENED TO YOU!.............."THIS THING CALLED PRISON!"

DON'T BE AFRAID!.................COME OUT AND SPEAK YOUR MIND..................TALK ABOUT THE PRISON SYSTEM IN OUR COUNTRY!

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AN OPTIMISTIC PERSON IN MY LIFE, AND NO ONE, NOT ANYONE, WILL EVER TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME...........................EVEN THOUGH I MAY BE A PRISONER'S WIFE.

................"AND WE ALWAYS REACH FOR THE HIGHEST STAR!"

........................FRAN AND JIMMY