There are plenty of mentally challenged prisoners in this system who
exhibit immature coping skills, poor impulse control, and difficulty in
managing their behavior. Many of those who harbor personal biases and
prejudices, but have a higher intellectual understanding, often will
turn these unwitted souls into their own personal “crash dummies” to
amuse themselves as well as do their dirty work. When I see or become
aware of such abuses I typically will let my view about such be known,
and sometimes it may help the situation. But when people are bored due
to lack of reading material or other constructive activities, they tend
to look for other ways to garner entertainment resulting in the
fabrication of “crash dummies.”
A “crash dummy” is a person who, as a result of their developmental
impediments, tends to look to others to tell them what to do, and it
never ceases to amaze me how easily cats who are craven will dupe a
“crash dummy” into doing their dirty work for amusement or other
nefarious purposes. Typically you will find that it is the gutless ones
who will espouse to the high heavens that they are guileless and
courageous. But when it comes to a chickenshit prison job that only
provides an extra sack lunch, or the fear of losing visiting, canteen or
other punk privileges, he will recruit a “crash dummy” to do his
bidding.
I recently noted a sad example of this phenomenon, where the target of
one character’s biases and prejudices was a Cuban comrade who is of
African ethnicity. He speaks fluent Spanish and has a knack for
practicing his footwork with a soccer ball, and would typically play
soccer with the B-Dog’s when they opted to play a game. Well this one
African son had a problem with that.
So this agent provocateur saw the Cuban addressing a matter to the pigs.
This had nothing to do with a couple youngsters who thought the Cuban
talked funny, because of his Spanish accent, but they said to the Cuban
“take your ass into your cell” laughing and clowning as kids sometimes
do. However the issue the Cuban was trying to address with the pigs was
important to him and he said to the youngsters “mind your own business
you black mutha-fuc’s.” This statement with a pronounced Spanish accent
was what the agent provocateur was looking for, and he took those few
words and twisted them into “disrespecting the Black race.” The story
kept getting blown out of proportion with each retelling. Well, with
just a slight goading, all of a sudden the Cuban is deemed a pariah now
by the petty tribalist who initially tried to convince another Cuban to
act on such drivel, claiming that otherwise “we” will do it!
Sensible minds, your commentator’s included, did verbally interject.
However the monotony of the environment somehow won out and while it was
believed that the matter was squashed, I later came to find out that the
agent provocateur had somehow reignited the matter and this particular
morning. While I was discussing some legal issues and procedures with a
comrade the agitator all of a sudden came and sat at the table with a
Cheshire cat’s toothy smirk on his face saying “those two youngsters are
going to get him watch” and lo and behold it went down close to the
table where I, a comrade, and the provocateur had been seated.
The booth pig pointed the block gun in our general vicinity and the
provocateur dove 15 feet away under a staircase against the wall
displaying his cowardliness for all who had paid attention. The
provocateur got the results he desired and has subsequently bragged to
me that he has not had a CDC-115 disciplinary in years. He just gets a
dimwit to do his dirty work for him.
I personally have spent too much time in segregation for being true to
the way I was taught to jail decades ago, being a true stand-up resistor
activist. Experience has consistently demonstrated that those quickest
to suggest a violent solution will be the first to duck dodge run and
hide leaving others to deal with their mess.
I simply hope that the youngsters are not permanently mentally
challenged and that the penalties that they suffer are not criminal
proceedings that add to their confinement, but instead simply a sad
learning experience that will open their eyes to the actual motivations
of some of those they mistakenly try to emulate and befriend. I am
simply disappointed in myself and those who know better.
The cat that started the nonsense basically was not willing to do
something to the Cuban, for he did not want to get in trouble himself.
When I think about it, it’s like he was leading fools from the rear in
such a way that guaranteed his personal safety. In many cases in prison
leadership is only a facade that is full of contradictions. One must
recognize that those who claim to be leaders but will not get their
hands dirty are simply manipulators.
MIM(Prisons) adds: This story about prisoners using others for
petty attacks and retaliation is a good example of the importance of
building true unity, across national lines, among prisoners. Our common
enemy, the criminal injustice system, should be the focus of our
energies. And for this purpose we call on all individuals and
organizations to join with the
United Front
for Peace in Prisons, in particular promoting the UFPP principle of
unity: “We strive to unite with those facing the same struggles as us
for our common interests. To maintain unity we have to keep an open line
of networking and communication, and ensure we address any situation
with true facts. This is needed because of how the pigs utilize tactics
such as rumors, snitches and fake communications to divide and keep
division among the oppressed. The pigs see the end of their control
within our unity.”