Anita Graf (Staff) wrote:
> Hi Loren,
> I just had to tell you that I think you were really harsh on the
> person who proposed prison labor for organic farms. He/she might have
> been totally off base for the reasons you mentioned, but I fully
> believe that his/her intentions were good and didnt' deserve such a
> cyber bashing. Maybe prison labor shouldn't be "farmed" out to
> commercial operations, but surly the plight of prisoners is a sorry
> one (and those of all the rest of us who then have to live with
> criminals who come out of prisons even worse than when they entered)
> and seeking solutions to this should be applauded, even if those
> solutions need some tweeking. I almost never hear anyone proposing
> anything constructive and regenerative for prisoners to do; all I ever
> see on tv are people wanting to "lock 'em up forever and throw away
> the key." Personally, I think there's enough work to go around for
> all and prisoners just like immigrants aren't ever going to be in a
> position to swipe all those good paying jobs from the rest of us. I
> would rather see prisoners working on something constructive than just
> honing their criminal skills and deepening their anger and violence
> toward themselves and the rest of us (either we're "paying" their
> salaries). So, please, stop screaming and overreacting to one
> person's vision of a viable solution.
>
> > Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 12:41:47 -0800
> > From: Loren Muldowney <loscott@envsci.rutgers.EDU>
> > Subject: Re: Organic Farming Economics
> >
> > > I've surmised that organic agriculture is so expensive because
> > > the labor is so expensive. There is a free labor source waiting to be
> > > tapped--prisons.
> >
> > This is probably a joke. I hope so. If I believed it could be sincere,
> > I would respond with the following:
> >
> > - -------------------------------------
> >
> > I may never stop screaming.
> >
> > I specifically boycott all goods made by prison labor, since it is
> > exploitative of not only of prisoners, but more importantly of those
> > working people who have NOT turned to crime as a lifestyle.
> >
> > The organic agriculture paradigm was created by shunning short-term
> > economic theory. I don't think this will ever fly, if the consumers
> > know about it; it would have to be kept from them intentionally. Since
> > the point of organic marketing is to make full information available to
> > the consumer, this lovely scenario would be better pursued in the
> > "conventional" agriculture sphere. I just heard they are cutting the
> > tails off of dairy cows for "economic" reasons, so probably they
> > wouldn't bat an eye at this suggestion either.
> >
> > Not only that, but some our more sleazy mall stores have been using the
> > "made in america" marketing, which appeals to those who deliberately
> > support working non-criminal fellow citizens, to label goods made by
> > prisoners as "made in america." It is a "solution" which "works" right
> > at this moment, because many people are simply unaware that it is going
> > on. Most people currently believe it to be illegal, being so clearly
> > repugnant a concept.
> >
> > I can't wait to post this incredible suggestion at the natural foods
> > coop and see everybody mobilize for the boycott.
> >
>
> Anita Graf
> 313-F Conner Hall
> Dept. of Agricultural and Applied Economics
> University of Georgia
> Athens, GA 30602-7509
> (706) 542-1915 phone
> (706) 542-0739 fax
> agraf@agecon.uga.edu
>
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