Chain gang not the only answer
PRISON WORK’s Soapbox of May 3 misses the point.
However, the writer fails to address the issue of who is in prison and why. In the NT they are: 1. indigenous Territorians, for the most part; and 2. poverty, and dispossession of land, culture and way of life.
Closer examination of the situation reveals that indigenous Territorians are likely to be imprisoned for offences that non-indigenous Territorians are not jailed or even charged for.
Let’s face it, there aren’t many well-off people going to prison. Politicians, for example, can cheat, lie, steal and cause the deaths of thousands with their policies of war and destruction but are unlikely to ever be locked up.
* Stuart's letter was heavily censored by the NT News. To view his original letter, posted on his blog, click here - NAP web team
Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Tues, 9 May 2006
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Author: Stuart Highway (letter to the editor)
Copyright: 2006 Northern Territory News
Contact: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Website: http://www.ntnews.com.au/
1 Comments:
IN his explanation of why Aborigines fill our jails, Stuart Highway (Letters, May 9) claims dispossession of land as a major factor.
Well, I’ll bet that the majority, if not all, Aborigines in jail today come from Arnhem Land, Tiwi Islands, central Australia and other communities which are located on Aboriginal land.
Like his namesake there are plenty of holes in Stuart’s argument.
Our jails will continue to host large populations of Aboriginal people until a government comes along with enough guts to move into black communities and take charge of every facet of their lives and start again from scratch.
The Lone Ranger, Bees Creek
NT News – Letters to the Editor
Mon, 29 May 2006
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