What is Tolerance?

With today being Thanksgiving in the United States of America, many families are going to be gathering together to celebrate and eat. And when families are gathered it's almost guaranteed that there are going to be a difference in opinions about some hot button topics. This year those topics will probably include ISIS and other forms of terrorism, the Syrian refugees, the presence of racism and bigotry towards the LGBTQIA+ community, and maybe even a little bit about the debate over abortion. To say there is the potential to be awkward and uncomfortable is probably an understatement. But with it being what it is, I've been thinking about what it truly means to be tolerant.

This discussion over tolerance can be a difficult one to have. People on the right side of the spectrum complain about people becoming too "politically correct" and that the first amendment right of freedom of speech will go away. On the other hand people on the left complain that the world isn't tolerant enough. The problem with both sides is that they both exhibit habits of intolerance. Conservatives on the right believe the civil rights movements of now are encroaching on their religious freedom and are intolerant to people who don't have the same belief systems that they have. However, liberals on the left are the exact same way, except their intolerance is towards people who they deem to be intolerant and bigoted. At the present moment, it's hard to decide which side is worst. But I feel like the underlying problem of it all is in how both sides define tolerance.

To some tolerance is found in a person's actions or beliefs, or tolerance could just be the lack of discrimination. But I believe neither of these definitions can be applied to the idea of tolerance. I feel this way because I believe that tolerance is not an idea but is actually a way of living. True tolerance is the choice to learn more about people who are not like yourself. This is the case because it is impossible to be tolerant of all people and all beliefs. Everyone is born into and raised in a world that is full of prejudices. Even the most "politically correct" people could be intolerant. And I'll admit that I am also intolerant. Tolerance isn't easy. Throughout my life I have been intolerant towards multiple groups of people whether I was aware of it or not. However, what sets me apart from others is that I have learned more about what I am intolerant of. Through this gaining of knowledge I have realized my mistakes and am more aware of what I do. And although I do make mistakes and have other intolerances, my awareness of these intolerances helps me to become a more tolerant person. 

But if I'm going to be completely honest, tolerance and awareness is not enough. What society really needs is acceptance. Because just because someone is tolerant or aware doesn't mean they like what they are tolerant of aware of. What we need, in my opinion, is acceptance because nothing is going to truly change for the better without it.

Tragedy in Paris

The attacks and acts of terrorism that occurred in Paris last week are a true tragedy to the people of France and the world. However, I want to make opinion on one thing clear. I believe that to point fingers and place blame on Islam is incredibly ignorant. I feel this is especially true of people who pick out parts of Islamic texts that depict violence. When I hear and read these comments of Islam being a violent religion I cannot help but wonder if they if they have read the entirety of the texts that they take their quotes from. Or even if they have read the entirety of Jewish or Christian religious texts. Most people refuse to acknowledge the multiple depictions of violence of violence in the Bible or the Torah. In addition to this they are blind to the true meaning of the texts they are quoting. The passages that call for the killing of "heretics" are not referring to the killing of Jews or Christians. The "heretics" that are mentioned are people who pray to and practice religions of multiple gods or goddesses.

I also wonder if these people have taken or retained any information from any world history class. Historically, more violence has been committed in the name of Christianity than in the name of Islam. A key example of this are the Crusades of Europe. During this period of time, Christians from Europe went to the Middle East in order to reclaim the Holy Land as theirs. It was during this that Christians killed and displaced many people regardless of whether they were Muslim or not. I also have yet to learn of a period in history when people were forced into converting to Islam through the use of violence or persecute a group of people based on their faith. And, from what I have learned, Islamic rule was mostly peaceful.

Lastly, terrorist groups like ISIS, Al Quaeda, and Boko Haram, who claim to be Islamic, are not truly Islamic! They, like those making comments against Islam, pick and choose which pieces of Islamic religious texts that they want to follow. And these passages are chosen because they are the passages that best serve their own interests. They do not practice Islam in the way it is meant to be practiced. It's for this reason that they are not an accurate representation of the entire Islamic community. Islam is a religion of peace and acceptance, and anyone who says otherwise is severely wrong. Think of it this way. No one judges the entirety of Christianity based on the actions of the KKK. For many this would seem ridiculous because the KKK make up a small percentage of all Christians. If this is the case, why shouldn't the same logic be applied to these terrorist groups and Islam?

So, in response to this tragic event, I choose to stand in solidarity with the victims of this violence and their families. But I also stand in solidarity with those who are being falsely accused of violence and terrorism because of their faith.

The News and Its Biases

When taking to adults/ teachers/ people with more life experience than I do about college life, I keep on getting told how important it is to pay attention to what is on the news. I take this advice very seriously because I've recently developed an interest in politics, and the political atmosphere is almost constantly changing. These changes vary from shifts in the economy to speeches made by major political figures, and many other things. And I've found that the best way to keep up to date on everything that is happening is to try to keep track of the news.

But one thing I've found is that it can be difficult to find a truly object news source. Almost all news sites and sources are biased in one way or another. I find this to be particularly difficult because I believe in the importance of telling the truth. For me, the truth is a holy thing and being honest is like praying. It's because of this that I tend to be picky with my news sources, and to be honest, I have yet to find a single or even a group of news sources that I truly trust. But for now, I've decided that the best thing a news site can do is let their audience know what their biases are.

While this site is not a news site (I am by no means a journalist, be it an accredited journalist or not), I feel that it is only fair that I admit my own biases and define what this site is. This site is a place that I am going to put my opinions. I do not plan on doing many projects/ posts like I did with the topic of solitary confinement. That, however, does not mean I will not do my best to make any facts I provide are true. But anything that cannot be found to be a fact will most likely be an opinion or personal experience of mine. Additionally, in terms of where I am on the political liberal vs conservative spectrum, I have a major tendency to lean towards the liberal side. I identify as a liberal person, though I am not particularly extreme in my views and ideals. 

So.... I just thought that this is something you should know about me. If this is something you can't deal with, then that's your choice.

Living In Solitude (Audio)

http://www.driveplayer.com/#playlistId=0B-JLHz-WLBwpNnIxTzNwTDN3SjA&userId=101209130628504435844

Works Cited for "Living in Solitude"

Bond, Michael. "Does Solitary Confinement Breach the Eighth Amendment?" - Health. 29 June 2012. Web. 10 Dec. 2014. <http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21992-does-solitary-confinement-breach-the-eighth-amendment.html#.VIfrOPnF-gZ>.

"Fact Sheet: Solitary Confinement News from a Nation in Lockdown and the Law." Solitary Watch. 1 Jan. 2011. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. <http://solitarywatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/fact-sheet-solitary-confinement-and-the-law.pdf>.

"Speak Outs - Is Solitary Confinement Constitutional?" Annenberg Classroom. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. <http://www.annenbergclassroom.org/speakout/is-solitary-confinement-constitutional>.

"The Dangerous Overuse of Solitary Confinement in the United States." American Civil Liberties Union. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. <https://www.aclu.org/dangerous-overuse-solitary-confinement-united-states>.

"Torture: The Use of Solitary Confinement in U.S. Prisons." Center for Constitution RSS. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. <http://ccrjustice.org/solitary-factsheet>.

"Torture: The Use of Solitary Confinement in U.S. Prisons." Centerforconstitutionalright. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. <http://ccrjustice.org/files/CCR-Factsheet-Solitary-Confinement.pdf>.

Living in Solitude

Somewhere there is a person who is spending between 22 and 24 hours in a ten foot by seven foot room with next to no contact with any other people. Most people would consider this to be torture and a violation of human rights. These are the conditions that many prisoners live in, in prisons across the United States, and yet the use of solitary confinement is deemed legal, and even necessary. However, it isn’t very difficult to see that this policy violates the 8^th amendment of the Constitution, which prevents the use of cruel and unusual punishment.

            The main excuse used in support of the use of solitary confinement is that it is being used to punish prisoners who are considered a danger to others and themselves. It is said that solitary confinement is being used to rehabilitate prisoners. However, multiple studies have said otherwise.

            Juan Mendez, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment or punishment, decided in August 2011 that “even 15 days in solitary confinement constitutes torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and 15 days is the limit after which irreversible harmful psychological effects can occur.” This conclusion shows that the use of solitary confinement, even when used for a short amount of time, can cause more harm than help. And there are prisoners who have spent years, even decades, in solitary.

               Senator John McCain has said, “It’s an awful thing, solitary. It crushed your spirit and weakens your resistance more effectively than any other form of mistreatment.” This was said by John McCain, who had spent two years in confinement in a North Vietnamese cell, and he fared better than most prisoners who have lived in solitary confinement. Most fall into insanity, leading to self-mutilation and even suicide. Almost half of all prison suicides are committed by prisoners in solitary confinement. This shows that the use of solitary is more of a tool of torture than a tool of rehabilitation.

            Additionally, there is the argument that solitary is used as a form of punishment for prisoners who misbehave, and that prisoners who spend longer amounts of time in a prison are there because they are considered violent and a danger to themselves and others around them. This has also been found to be potentially false, as a prison in Mississippi eliminated the use of solitary confinement, and overall prison violence went down 50%. If this is so, then there must be a better way to punish violent prisoners than to subject them to torture?

            Ultimately, it can easily be determined that solitary confinement can be considered a cruel punishment; however, it is more difficult to determine if it can be considered an unusual form of punishment. This is more challenging.

            The use of solitary confinement first showed up in the early nineteenth century, with the United States being the leaders of the world in the practice. However, the use of solitary was all but abandoned when the negative effects of isolation quickly became apparent in the prisoners behavior. However, in the recent past, the use of solitary has been taken up again and is now being used in excess. It’s for this excess that it is difficult to determine if it can be considered unusual.

4. And the Ruling Is...

Since 1866, there have been a total of about 35 court cases that have been taken to the Supreme Court. The most recent of these cases (Hope v. Pelzer) took place in 2003.

For many of these cases, judges have deemed solitary confinement to be detrimental to those with pre-existing mental health issues, the same thing hasn't been said about the use of isolation as a whole. Solitary confinement hasn't yet been determined to rise up to the standard of mistreatment needed to be considered cruel and unusual punishment and violate the eighth amendment.

Sources:

• http://solitarywatch.com/facts/faq/
• http://solitarywatch.com/resources/u-s-supreme-court-cases/ 

2. Isolation and Mental Health

Most people will agree with the idea that humans are social creatures. This means that humans are meant to live with other humans and have regular interaction with others. So, if this is true, what would happen to humans who have most, if not all, social interaction with other humans eliminated?

The results that have been found show that the effect of isolation is disastrous on the human psyche.

For many, living in solitary confinement can lead to madness and other mental health problems, no matter the length of time spent in solitary confinement. Though, it is agreed by many, that the minimum amount of time isolated needed to cause permanent damage is between ten and 15 days. Considering that there are prisoners who have spent months, years, or even decades in solitary, it is easy to see why it has been found that at least half of all suicides that occur in prisons are committed by the small percentage of prisoners in solitary confinement.

Extended time spent in solitary confinement has been found to cause "persistent and heightened state of anxiety and nervousness, headaches, insomnia, lethargy or chronic tiredness, nightmares, heart palpitations, and fear of impending nervous breakdowns... obsessive ruminations, confused thought processes, an over-sensitivity to stimuli, irrational anger, social withdrawal, hallucinations, violent fantasies, emotional flatness, mood swings, chronic depression, feelings of overall deterioration, as well as suicidal ideation" (Torture: The Use of Solitary Confinement in U.S. Prisons). It has also been found that the  neurological damage caused by solitary confinement is similar to that found in head trauma injuries.

It is because of the damaged caused by solitary confinement that critics believe that solitary confinement is legalized torture.

Sources:

• http://ccrjustice.org/solitary-factsheet
• http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21992-does-solitary-confinement-breach-the-eighth-amendment.html#.VKomavnF-gZ

"No Way Out: Undercover in Solitary Confinement" (ABC News)

"Solitary Confinement: No Way Out of the Monster Factory" (ABC News)

"Solitary Confinement: A Controversial Punishment" (ABC News)

"Solitary Confinement: Is It Torture?" (ABC News)

1. Defining Solitary Confinement

When you Google "what is solitary confinement", the definition you get is "the isolation of a prisoner in a separate cell as a punishment." This definition makes sense because it is in the name of what you are looking for.

Solitary-- alone, separate; 

Confinement-- being confined in a space

But what this definition lacks is the specifics of what solitary confinement is. This definition is neat, clean, and easy to understand, but it doesn't have the grisly details of what is actually happening.

To be more specific, solitary confinement is the act of separating prisoners in isolated cells for between 22 and 24 hours a day with little to no human contact. The cells used are usually either 6 ft by 9 ft or 8 ft by 10 ft and only have a steel sink and toilet. Time spent outside the cell is spent in a small yard with heavy security. The amount of time each prisoner spends in solitary varies. Time spent in solitary has ranged from only days to years and even decades.While each individual prison facilities have their own standards and regulations, these are all qualities that they have.  

Another trait that most facilities have in common is the reason why inmates are put into solitary confinement. This reason is that solitary confinement is a method of punishment for prisoners who don't follow the prisons rules or are deemed a danger to themselves, the other inmates, or the guards. 

Solitary Confinement is also supposed to be used as a last resort, if all other efforts fail; however, that is not the case most of the time. For example, the California Code of Regulations states two dozen "Serious Rules Violations", which include "'Possession of five dollars or more without authorization,' 'Tattooing or possession of tattoo paraphernalia,' 'Participation in a strike or work stoppage,' and 'Self mutilation or attempted suicide for the purpose of manipulation'." Additionally, many prisoners end up in solitary confinement due to accusations of being an active gang member. Many of these accusations come from prisoners already in solitary because they are told that they will be let out if they make these accusations.

Source:

• http://solitarywatch.com/facts/faq/