builtbynone

2020-07-08

I was visiting some distant family that I don’t know that well and that I visit briefly once every couple of years.

Apparently–I wasn’t consciously aware of this pattern–but every time I visit, I bring them pirated and/or burned DVDs to watch, because apparently the kids really like watching TV and movies.

I could see piled on the counter the super thin style DVD cases, and then inserted into the sleeve of the case a black and white printed 8.5x11 sheet with the movie art. A real DIY, home done job.

What they were watching now was some kind of concert playing at Red Rocks amphitheater. I think the band’s name was builtbynone.

During a break between songs, the drummer started talking to the crowd. He was a middle aged white guy with long stringy pink hair, and he looked and sounded exactly Bobcat Golthwait. He introduced himself though as John Longjohn, and he had started this band after having discovered the therapeutic benefits of music in prison, where spent a lot of years after being really active in an eco-terrorist group in the 70s.

tags: #prison

Commentary: This is almost the precise story of Dave Dahl, which I learned of yesterday.

Dave Dahl (born January 12, 1963) is an American entrepreneur, known for co-founding Dave’s Killer Bread. Prior to it, he had served a total of over 15 years in prison for multiple offenses including drug distribution, burglary, armed robbery, and assault.

I also heard yesterday that a friend who works in HR at a large company asked them if they could find out if they have any felons employed in the company. To which they said no. They already do background checks on everybody before hiring them. So if somebody has a criminal record and are employed, they’ve already been vetted and approved.

Felons have it so hard already with the legal system designed around recidivism and getting people back in prison, and also robbing them of their right to vote. It’s hard enough without that manager doing whatever it is he thought he was going to do with that information.

If the person has been released from prison, then the system has decided they have done their time. They deserve the dignity of a job and the right to vote without any weird office place vigilantism.