Servitude and why you feel the way you do

Wasted Honor -

Carl R. ToersBijns is the author of the Wasted Honor Trilogy [Wasted Honor I,II and Gorilla Justice] and his newest book From the Womb to the Tomb, the Tony Lester Story, which is a reflection of his life and his experiences as a correctional officer and a correctional administrator retiring with the rank of deputy warden in the New Mexico and Arizona correctional systems.

Carl also wrote a book on his combat experience in the Kindle book titled - Combat Medic - Men with destiny - A red cross of Valor -

Carl is considered by many a rogue expert in the field of prison security systems since leaving the profession. Carl has been involved in the design of many pilot programs related to mental health treatment, security threat groups, suicide prevention, and maximum custody operational plans including double bunking max inmates and enhancing security for staff. He invites you to read his books so you can understand and grasp the cultural and political implications and influences of these prisons. He deals with the emotions, the stress and anxiety as well as the realities faced working inside a prison. He deals with the occupational risks while elaborating on the psychological impact of both prison worker and prisoner.

His most recent book, Gorilla Justice, is an un-edited raw fictional version of realistic prison experiences and events through the eyes of an anecdotal translation of the inmate’s plight and suffering while enduring the harsh and toxic prison environment including solitary confinement.

Carl has been interviewed by numerous news stations and newspapers in Phoenix regarding the escape from the Kingman prison and other high profile media cases related to wrongful deaths and suicides inside prisons. His insights have been solicited by the ACLU, Amnesty International, and various other legal firms representing solitary confinement cases in California and Arizona. He is currently working on the STG Step Down program at Pelican Bay and has offered his own experience insights with the Center of Constitutional Rights lawyers and interns to establish a core program at the SHU units. He has personally corresponded and written with SHU prisoners to assess the living conditions and how it impacts their long term placement inside these type of units that are similar to those in Arizona Florence Eyman special management unit where Carl was a unit deputy warden for almost two years before his promotion to Deputy Warden of Operations in Safford and Eyman.

He is a strong advocate for the mentally ill and is a board member of David's Hope Inc. a non-profit advocacy group in Phoenix and also serves as a senior advisor for Law Enforcement Officers Advocates Council in Chino, California As a subject matter expert and corrections consultant, Carl has provided interviews and spoken on national and international radio talk shows e.g. BBC CBC Lou Show & TV shows as well as the Associated Press.

I use sarcasm, satire, parodies and other means to make you think!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday, September 1, 2014

Servitude and why you feel the way you do

First let’ define the word “servitude” so we can all understand how it is to be used in this statement between you and me. In this content and context servitude means “being in a state of slavery or in such a position where you are completely subject to someone or something more powerful than yourself including forced labor.” Some are born into this condition based on geographical regions, class caste systems or types of government that rule the populations. Servitude is actually the opposite of liberty.

By implementing various employment policies, guidelines and rules or other control devices the employee is and would then be kept constantly in debt to his or her employer and be held in involuntary servitude for an indefinite time. Some examples of occupational servitude are bitchy waiters, grumpy teachers, malevolent law enforcement officers, disgruntled manufacturing workers and others that work in occupations of either manufacturing or assembly line productivity where machines are replacing humans or where public sector workers endure the wrath and constant whining of people on the dole or public assistance demanding more and giving nothing back to the system.

Legally it would state the employment is voluntary but when you look at the workplace conditions imposed, most employees are trapped socially and financially as they have allowed their choices and decisions drive them into a financial situation where they cannot afford to quit, resign or even retire due to their inability to break away from their obligations or debts incurred.

The punishment for being in a state of servitude lies completely upon the employee and not the employer. Their value has been degraded to the point where even they feel cheap, misused and abused but maintain a tolerance to keep their jobs and endure the psychological and physical torments exposed to under these conditions.

Convincing themselves this is a temporary state of mind and that they have not lost control of their own destiny, they deny the fact they are enduring time periods of five, ten, fifteen, twenty or more years under such conditions. Some call it retirement but others see it for what it really is, a prolonged period of slavery to a job or workplace that takes all and gives nothing back.

The final results of such psychological involuntary servitude is a gross feeling of frustration, dissatisfaction of the job and some level or resentment, conflict or dislike of those who either work with them or work for them. Most certainly there is an emotional anger towards those they may work for and who appear to be cold and callous to their needs and wants as employees.

Quitting is often not an option. The fear of losing their job provokes them into compromising their own values as they pay their mortgage, car payment, child support or other debts that they are legally binding to pay. This drives them deeper in this pit of servitude and keeps them at the bottom so they can never get out of this chaos.

We haven’t even started on having children and the rigors of raising kids on a single income or even with both parents working. The financial drain of raising kids and the expenses incurred for school, healthcare, babysitting or when they reach the age and graduate, college expenses. For many there is no relief until some of these obligations, burdens or responsibilities have been paid for and they are finally released to take care of themselves. Then and only then will they see the side of liberty and freedom to make new choices and leave it all behind.