Playing Fair and Being Kind

My last response in the “reply”: Fiction is based on experiences just as how we use language is based on previous events that have stayed with us. To use anyone’s history to make a point is understandable but does not make it ethical. No one I know would be comfortable with a scarlet letter sewn to their tunic. No one I know would want the worst act of their life printed under their name or tattoed across their forehead.
The use of “ex-con” violates the reasoning behind the judicial system, which truly ought to be called injustice system. That is a whole nother subject however. To mention someone’s previous mistakes in their story is piling on and also a way of standing on their existence to make ourselves look taller.
Of course, for those of us who have never erred, I can see how it might be entertaining to observe how flawed those (other) humans are.
Writers are usually trained to use the information in their written piece someplace in that piece. The throw-away line Cameron insists on using with formerly incarcerated citizens has no usefull place in his story. It is a dig at the subject, a lug being dropped on a character in a play. The damage does not reach his target. What damage that is done is keeping the term “ex-con” front and center to continue the societal disgust with people who have been charged and imprisoned for a period of time in the country with the largest imprisoned population.
I have no interest in soothing the feeling of someone who is actively pursuing a life of crime. I am an ally of those multitudes of released citizens who are set on the curb with a used suit of clothes and $50.00. What I do is volunteer in prisons to help returning citizens to re-enter society. After a time away from families, associates, life-in-general they have a rough road ahead of them. The chances of them successfully re-entering is unusually rare compared to any other reason like being a member of the armed forces. Being removed from society ought to be for the worst crimes. In our country we do it for every crime. Most of the incarcerated are non-violent criminals. They get some chances to rehabilitate but not really a great amount. We tend to return them to society in worse condition than they were when they were locked up. That is not good business.
Labeling them “ex-cons” is a way to cover up our mistakes and poor efforts at rehabilitation. That label when used by educated, lucky-to-not-have-been-jailed writers is an insult on top of the debt they paid. See, the effect does not land accurately. It is mindlessly thrown around and one never knows who it affects. Using labels for people in dire straits can be devastating. My interest is being an ally of those who are trying to become part of our society. That’s all.
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Play fair, be kind, and stay involved all the time. Simple.

G. M. Goodwin
September 11, 2018