Juneteenth and the lack of black lives in US curricula

[Belsnickel]

(06-23-2020, 12:36 PM)masonbengals fan Wrote: Calling bullshit on the slavery still exist theme. What should prisoners be doing. Setting back watching cable tv & surfing the internet? 

 If you don't want to be punished quit being a criminal.

https://www.dressember.org/blog/is-prison-labor-slave-labor-a-look-at-both-sides

I would think if I have a choice between sitting in a cell or working at something even for a pitiful wage I'd choose to get out of the cell & work.

Well, your last line highlights the main point: there often is no choice in the matter. I take a little issue with the blog post you linked, specifically the line "[h]owever, many argue that these terms did not abolish slavery. Slavery was merely reformed." It isn't an argument to be had. The 13th Amendment does not abolish slavery because it says that if you are convicted of a crime you can be forced into slavery. Therefore, slavery still exists in this country. I did find that post interesting from a page about ethical clothing where they say part of that standard is no forced labor. Seems they would have a stronger stance on that one.

Were the wages fair, were they given a choice, were they learning a trade to help reduce their recidivism, etc., etc., then it'd be one thing. However, they usually aren't given a choice and it is often to perform jobs that are otherwise shipped overseas because it is too costly to have these factories in the US without the slave labor from our prisons. This is especially true for prisons which engage in the tried and true method of convict leasing to private companies. Why do you think private prison companies have threatened to shut their doors if they aren't sent enough convicts by the criminal justice system?

Call it bullshit all you want, that doesn't change these facts.