America's prison system—the "penitentiary"
The formation of "America" was the constituting
act of the
Civil Religion. "America" was not simply created through a political
act, issuing forth with a Declaration of Independence, a Constitution,
and a Bill of Rights.
It was that, plus. "America" became a belief
system.
"Americans" believed
that they had created a nation that was
outside of
history, that was
exceptional.
They named numerous entities "New"—and
this was not a
trivial fact or action! They sincerely believed that the democratic
institutions they were forming could make present Christian
virtues.
A critical Earthfolk insight is that
nowhere
else was this
bedrock
belief more clearly demonstrated than
in the creation of the
quite novel "penitentiary" prison
system.
The famous Russian writer,
Fyodor Dostoevsky, stated that, "The
degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering
its prisons."
Our Earthfolk claim is that
"America" cannot be properly understood
unless why and how its (Revolutionary
Era)
original penal
justice system was created
is properly understood.
To appreciate the sweeping and breathtaking claims
of "right to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" it
is necessary to appreciate the sweeping
and breathtaking claims of the American penitentiary.
Continue—Penitentiary
