Last year Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) in a "brilliant' strategic move, responded to a minor prison riot by moving the worst behaved prisoners from Coffield Unit, one of the oldest, most uncomfortable prisons in Texas to Michael Unit one of the better prisons in Texas. Meanwhile, in a move inspired by progressive-philosophy lingering from the old days when a different philosophy ruled the roost in Texas, TDCJ moved the displaced better-behaved prisoners into Coffield Unit assuming they wouldn't cause trouble over the poor conditions in the jail.
Coffield is an older prison across the road from Michael Unit. One wing features single sized cells into which bunk beds have been crammed. The cells have little storage for inmate's personal items. To get to the top bunk requires an awkward climb over the lower bunk and, I think, a toilet or a sink to get up there. There is no ladder.
Everything about Coffield is old-fashioned punishment geared. I suppose the thinking was that if they bunched up all the prisoners who were trying to serve their time without causing trouble in hopes of getting out and returning to their families, they wouldn't cause the staff trouble. One wonders what sort of lesson the system is teaching the inmates. Be good and we'll treat you to worse conditions?
Well it seems to have worked like a charm, except with those inmates who see the move as punishment for good behavior. All the violent, problem-causing congenital thugs and hoodlums, it seems, have been moved to better quarters after the riot. It has to feel like a reward for bad behavior.
And, how did the problem inmates show their gratitude? I mean, according to progressive philosophy 101, they should have demonstrated better behavior in gratitude for their improved circumstances. After all, Maslow's Hierarchy of Need says that if you take care of a person's simpler needs like shelter, food, and daily needs, people will just automatically behave better and begin to pursue the higher, more noble goals of life.
So how's that working out for TDCJ?
Well the newly upgraded bad boys started off by trashing the nicer day rooms, by busting up the more pleasant dining room, and by beating up guards. And, in a burst of unintentional karma, they beat up the warden while they were at it. The better-behaved guys, newly ensconced in the crappy quarters over at Coffield are not rioting at least, though their living conditions have worsened considerably as a "reward" for their good behavior.
Now everybody in a TDCJ facility is on lockdown. Why? Because one of the high security prisons screwed up and allowed a lifer/murderer smuggle a tool onto a prison bus while he was being transferred to medical treatment in Huntsville. He's still loose. TDCJ staff is out hunting him along with the Highway Patrol and Texas Rangers and Sheriff's deputy. In essence, it's one more punishment for the prisoners who did NOT try to escape, did NOT stab the bus driver and try to steal the bus and trigger a manhunt costing the state millions of dollars.
People are beginning to see that the basis of progressive government, the philosophies of Marx, Freud, Russel, Maslow, Wells, Shaw, and the rest simply don't work. Rewarding bad behavior, and punishing individual free speech, free commerce, free choice, free thought and personal liberty trades on a false belief that there is no such thing as free choice; no such thing as a God who can make us better people.
Progressives and those who act on their college brainwashing that tells them that if you give bullies and sinful people what they want; if you lie to people for the greater good; if you control what the ignorant masses see, hear and are taught, that you can create a human-designed Utopia without the need for religion or God. Even poor often misquoted Albert Einstein was tempted by the thought that there ought to be some way the "smart" people of the world could figure out a way to make everyone safe, happy and content. Sadly, as we are seeing worked out in front of us, there isn't a way to program people to be good. One can deny that people do not possess freedom of choice and that given the right programming you can make people better. Unfortunately, for Marx, et al, it never works. The belief that you can is downright diabolical. It goes back to the original controversy between Satan and God.
People wonder why Jesus hasn't come yet to take us home. I believe and there is evidence in Scripture that God is allowing the "man of sin" to totally reveal himself before he closes out Earth's history. There are currently more people alive on Earth than have died in all it's history. The audience is in the theater and seated for the working out of the final consequences of both Satan's progressivism and of God's mercy.
One need not look far in the halls of Earthly power to see the evidence of evil intent behind the craving for power. Power, as it's being shown, is what this whole thing has been about from before the Garden of Eden. To achieve a true Utopia such as God intends for us, requires us to surrender all of our lust for power and control to the only One who can wield that power wisely, and always for the good of His children.
Faith in our omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Father in Heaven is the only thing that can bring us everlasting joy and contentment. It is how we were designed to be and surrender to that great Truth is the only way to achieve the joy that we so long for.
The truth is all around us if we only choose to see it.
© 2022 by Tom King
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