In California they have prisoners fight the wildfires. I find it sickening, but it’s a popular program. I wonder if that’s where this result comes from. The wildfires get worse and worse and they need bodies to sacrifice. Depressing.
My thoughts as well.
It’s the wildfires. They don’t want to pay more in taxes to hire more firefighters, at least that’s what makes sense to me.
It’s still an abominably shitty thing and, IMHO, a human rights violation too.
It’s at least a volunteer program, they aren’t directly forcing people to fight the fires. A lot of people, the prisoners included, consider it a way of repaying their debt to society. I’m pretty sure I don’t agree with a great deal of the situation in which it exists, but I do think that if I was in prison, being able to to something, feel like I still matter, would be some comfort.
They don’t want to pay more in taxes to hire more firefighters, at least that’s what makes sense to me.
california is like richer than most countries in the world. dnc and its upper class base is more rotten that i had thought. no wonder 15 million democrats don’t want to vote for these cronies.
That’s a volunteer program. This is inside the prison work and comes with physical and mental punishment if you refuse.
Not exactly “voluntary” in a meaningful way if the alternative is in-prison work or punishment.
Oh no you seem to think I’m defending this so let’s break this down.
You can circumvent the normal prison labor system by volunteering to fight fires. This comes with perks and good time. Or you can exist in the normal prison labor system making products under threat of mental or physical abuse.
So joining the firefighters is also extremely coercive because it requires you to risk your life for your freedom, privileges, and keeping you away from the abusive labor system the other prisoners exist in.
None of this is good.
Looks like people voted no to slavery, but the question asked do you not support slavery.
The answer should have been (yes) I do not support slavery.
Instead (no) I do not support slavery.
I can image a good chunk of people got confused with the wording, and I myself am still confused reading it.
Are you sure? It seems pretty straightforward to me. “This amendment would bar slavery and involuntary servitude.” It’s the first sentence.
I bet the wording on the ballot was different. Similar election results sites for my local ballot measures hasve greatly simplified the language the ballot had (which honestly is probably how ballot measures should be written)
Or maybe Americans are largely shitty people. Stop trying to excuse the behavior and accept it for what it is
You know, reading that today, and putting myself in the shoes of an overworked, everyday American, it seems the wording does leave something to be desired. I wonder how that vote would have turned out if the question were: “Do you support slavery as long as the person was convicted of a crime and is in prison?”
The link you supplied clears it all up. No way anyone could have misunderstood the vote, the ballot even outlines what yes and no mean in the context.
I think I now agree with what krashmo said in the thread below.
“Or maybe Americans are largely shitty people. Stop trying to excuse the behavior and accept it for what it is”
The part that was most surprising to me was this:
ARGUMENTS
PRO Proposition 6 ends slavery in California and upholds human rights and dignity for everyone. It replaces carceral involuntary servitude with voluntary work programs, has bipartisan support, and aligns with national efforts to reform the 13th Amendment. It will prioritize rehabilitation, lower recidivism, and improve public safety, resulting in taxpayer savings.
CON No argument against Proposition 6 was submitted.
No one came out in opposition? Not even the bureau of prisons, or the warden’s union‽‽ And it still didn’t pass?
Edit: I, and all my housemates claim to have, voted for this proposition, and actually all the propositions I had on my ballot in IB to pass. It’s truly disheartening to see that all the other props that mattered less than this one passed, and this one that literally seems to have no downsides is potentially failing.
For reference, the downsides of almost every single other proposition on the IB ballot would increase various taxes, and all of them passed. WTELF you stupid NIMBYS‽‽‽
The props are worded so insanely that without hours of prep, I would vote incorrectly.
My state banned ranked choice voting by an insane margin because it was worded like “only citizens should be allowed to vote, and each citizen only gets one vote each!” Literally two Google searches would clear it up if people had more critical thinking skills
That’s what I’d call a rigged election.
This is also one of the downsides of citizen ballot initiatives. The proponent can usually word things however they want.
In Mass., I know they have a strict judicial review for the language. It requires a clear and fair statement, and it gets refined through a unique type of litigation.
A “resistance” against the will of the majority is generally called a terrorist organization.
Progressive Americans, face it: Most of the people around you want this.
George Carlin called it decades ago.
The politicians are a reflection of us.
Our PEOPLE suck.
A fat, greedy, proudly ignorant, proudly racist, spray tanned elitist bully drunk on schaudenfreude is the perfect American mascot.
He’s like the United States took human form. A monument to all our sins.
If you still consider the rugged individualism we crow about a feature and not severe mental illness, you are infected with the disease. If you want winners and losers, go live in the forest and see if you live or die.
Societies need to work together, and we have been trained in the spirt of capitalist competition🤮 to compete against eachother, to tear eachother down, to root against one another hoping to get moooaaaar for ourselves. This is the very opposite of a society.
This is the first result I checked for when I woke up this morning, and I nearly vomited when I saw the breakdown. Half the vote is still uncounted, but I don’t think the result will change. I’m ashamed of my neighbors.