Get Up, Stand Up ...

I am constantly amazed at how truly sneaky our politicians can be.

On a routine tour of San Quentin State Prison during the week of Monday, April 9, members of the Legislative Analyst's Office, “California’s Nonpartisan Fiscal and Policy Advisor” discovered the already-in-progress construction of a new death chamber - construction that had been kept so secret that even Jim Tilton, Governor Schwarzenegger's secretary for the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, was unaware that it had begun.

The cost of construction was estimated at $399,000 - just $1,000 below the $400,000 price that would require legislative approval. Coincidence? I doubt it. Of course, on further study, it is now estimated that it will cost $725,000 and, as it now requires the legislative go-ahead (and is no longer covert), Schwarzenegger has put the project on hold.

However, regardless of whether it resumes or not, money that could have been used for prison reform (which is desperately needed) has already been spent. Not to mention that the death penalty has been under review in California since December when Judge Jeremy D. Fogel ruled that it could be considered cruel and unusual punishment, therefore violating the U.S. Constitution, as the prison officials who carry out executions are poorly trained, the lethal drugs are often mixed and/or administered improperly, the chamber was too cramped and the lights were too dim. (In other words, the death penalty is currently on stand-by, making the building of an unapproved death chamber even more ridiculous.) Schwarzenegger was supposed to submit proposed reform suggestions on May 15 for evaluation, but, despite memos initiating the construction that say otherwise, he was never told by the court to build a new chamber (and he never mentioned that he planned to). As quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle on Saturday, April 14, Assemblyman Jared Huffman aptly stated, “Why on earth would you spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on something when the whole Death Row project is in question and we're not sure our form of capital punishment will meet constitutional muster?”

To make matters even worse, Schwarzenegger has asked for $10 billion to address prison overcrowding by building more beds, but, as Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata stated in an interview with the Chronicle, “if we can't trust them on something like this, why should we trust them at all?” So it looks like inmates won’t be getting new beds. Great. I suppose they will just have to deal with overcrowding along with inadequate health care, lack of rehabilitation programs, etc. etc. (the list goes on).

I am outraged by this scandal, as are the people I have discussed it with, but what can we do about it? We can’t sit back and watch the events unfold before us without taking an active part in the process, but there’s not much we can do. We can raise awareness and write to representatives, but even that can only take us so far.

However, I refuse to let this fury-induced motivation go to waste. It’s one thing to just complain about the things that get under our skin, but why not channel that aggression into something more productive? As frustrating as it is that there is nothing we can do about the Governator’s appalling behavior, there are plenty of issues we can do something about. Why not use our aggression to fuel a campaign about something we do have control over? Join an organization that fights for the things you believe in or start a group of your own. Post flyers around town or get out on the streets and talk to people (because bringing the message to the people instead of the other way around is the best way to prevent “preaching to the choir”). Find new and creative ways to inform the public about the issues you care about most and give them simple suggestions of what they can do to make a difference. Of course you’ll still be heated about certain issues, but at least you’ll feel good for making a difference in whatever way you can. Let’s start with the easy stuff first and work our way up.

I know it’s hard to find the time to fight when we are constantly bombarded by other responsibilities, but it is so important and even just a couple hours here and there can make a huge difference. Whatever your motivation is, use it to make a difference now and deal with the bigger political issues when it comes time to vote.

For great ideas about how to make a difference during your busy schedule, visit Charity Guide's "How to Make a Difference in 15 Minutes."