Friday, October 01, 2010

I must need rehab

The Manawatu Standard has an interesting piece on Lesley Martin and her continuing advocacy of voluntary euthanasia. She now lives in Ashurst. She speaks about her 15 months in Arohata;

"What a pointless exercise. Going to jail didn't change my views. It didn't rehabilitate me. It didn't make me remorseful, make me feel that I would never do it again. If one of my sons was suffering interminably and asked me to assist, I would."

Probably the most useful thing she achieved in jail was cataloguing Arohata Women's Prison's 4000 library books, and guiding some of her fellow inmates to better reading.

"When they first come in, they want books about crime and drugs and bulldogs and demons and dragons. Then you see the rehab start to work, and they'd read Maori culture and mana, self-help books, poetry, books about peace. Nice fiction."


Funny. I'd read a book about crime and drugs any day over a self-help book. And you can give me bulldogs over poetry too. I must need rehab.

1 comment:

mojo said...

'The problem as she sees it is that everyone always wants somebody else to do their social reform for them.'
The problem also is that every proponent of such action (including abortions) want somebody else to do the deed for them ... and if deemed a 'medical procedure,' then it becomes officially and socially sanctioned, and ok. Not the 'aided and abetted topping of oneself or another.'
In respect to abortions it would be interesting to know how many that have undergone such procedure have done so more than once. Such action would become easier second time round, and like suicide, become 'infectious' or an acceptable option ('life choice') within famillies.

Lesley Martin is probably a good example of how 'having a cruisy' time in prison has no impact on thinking, intent, or future behaviour, or compunction for future offending ... not punishment at all, nor effective rehab.
So rehab. didn't work for her Lindsay, and only resulted in her 'guiding some of her fellow inmates to 'better' reading ...'Nice' fiction.'
... nice.
So,similarly,it is pretty unlikely to work for you ... you Lindsay, need much more than can be offered in such settings.