15 More Signs We May Have Heart Problems

After reading my recent post on "7 Signs You May Need To Have Your Heart Examined" three men at one of our state prisons came up with some of their own to add to the list:

1. When we would rather keep people incarcerated for 30, 40, 50 years or more costing taxpayers billions of dollars annually. Wouldn't it be better to provide prisoners an education and occupational skills and release them at the earliest possible time? No one who is returning to society should be held over twenty consecutive years in prison.

2. When billions of taxpayer dollars are spent on the criminal justice system while schools are falling apart and in need of modernization. Each Junior and Senior High School student should have access to a school computer to use for their school work. 

3. When fear becomes more important than progress.

4. When God becomes the last option instead of the first thought! ("Prayers")

5. When a state agency turns a blind eye to sexual assaults and rape in its prisons because it is too costly to build individual shower stalls with curtains (for the ones with community showers).

6. When our lawmakers (delegates, governor, senators) want our votes during election time but when one of their constituent's write them, they do not respond.

7. When church leaders and members turn their backs on people when they seek their help, whether murderers, sex offenders or other returning citizens.

8. When individuals who have been incarcerated for a sex crime (guilty or innocent) are banished from society instead of providing the individual treatment throughout their incarceration, as well as a place to safely live and employment when released.

9. When society requires an individual guilty or innocent of a sex crime to be punished for the rest of their life by being posted on a sex offender registry.

10. When the majority of society is filled with hatred instead of forgiveness.

11. When you refer to a person, or a group of people, as something other than PEOPLE, it makes it more socially acceptable to treat them as less than human. Example: (offender, sex offender, suspect, prisoner, felon, etc.).

12. When human values/life costs less than the price of a gallon of gas and is only valued more when election time is near.

13. When we turn a blind eye to the needs and cries of a fallen nation just to secure a vote.

14. When we invest more money, time and resources in locking up your youth then we do in building more schools and creating more programs to educate our children, to build more minds.

15. When there are not enough computers in schools for teaching all students. Some Junior and Senior High schools in Virginia only have one small computer per classroom. This is unacceptable in this technology age.