I have to say, I really appreciate having a different viewpoint pop up in the comments section because, by and large, my friends, family, and I generally share the same opinions regarding politics. Having read a newcomer's post (see Comment #5 for my August 2 entry entitled "I Want My Four Dollars!"), I realized that, if nothing else, his/her perspective made me think a little more about why I don't agree with what those Florida politicians are doing.

Well, like my father, I have thought about the prisoners and what they're in for, and what atrocities they've allegedly committed against their fellow man and woman. While I could point out that not all criminals are guilty of the crimes hung upon them by bad juries or incompetent lawyers or even that not all the inmates in Florida committed the violent crimes of which my pseudonymed commenter spoke, I don't think those issues really get to the crux of the matter. The fact is, all prisoners -- regardless of the crime he or she is in for – are still human beings that have certain rights (they can expect food, water, shelter, adequate medical care, and protection from assault).

In my opinion, what Florida is doing (the whole taxation without representation bit) comes dangerously close to dehumanizing the entire inmate population in the state. And once the ball is rolling in the right (apt word here) direction and goes over the slippery slope, it’ll become that much easier to take yet more away from those in jail. When those in power start seeing prisoners as less than human, it’s all but a matter of time before another Abu Ghraib and its style of prisoner abuses occur. I will grant that $4 is not much – a petty sum – and in no way represents cruel and unusual punishment, but that fee, in and of itself, is a tragedy because it demonstrates an utter lack of compassion and hope of redemption for those incarcerated.

Would I be upset if a loved one were brutally assaulted by another who eventually landed in prison for the crime? Most certainly. Would a $4 tax on the head of the prisoner in question bother me? No, I’d probably relish it. But let’s face facts, an individual is entitled to these feelings, but we expect our government to put aside vengeance, intolerance, and hatred when creating policy. Unfortunately, in the last four years, our country has become a more vengeful and unforgiving nation – probably similar to the England who, long ago, shipped off her people - her prisoners - to American and Australian colonies.

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Check out the ACLU's position paper on prisoner rights. (You'll need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it.)