It’s no secret: If colleges were graded on the school spirit of the student body, Harvard would earn an F. Why has Harvard failed to foster this collective culture that is so celebrated elsewhere?
While one may argue that incarcerated people should be satisfied to have any work or income at all, the conditions of their “employment” are not livable.
Human connection is a human right. A child should always be able to talk to their parents; a partner should always be given the right to talk to their significant other.
By taking an active stance against voter suppression, Harvard can truly uphold its institutional commitment to producing “the citizens and citizen-leaders for our society.”
One out of seven people are therefore being deprived of their chance for education, rehabilitation, and reintegration. These individuals deserve a second chance, because they are human.
Gem-chasing is an unfortunate stain on an otherwise beautiful culture of collaboration and inspiration that the community collectively aims to develop.
Over the course of this semester, this column will explore inhumane aspects of the criminal legal system, sometimes proposing alternatives and sometimes just bearing witness to these practices and spreading awareness of them. I hope you will join me.
As we proceed with our first full semester on campus, we must consider what we owe to those who did not make it. Be compassionate. Wear a mask. Stick to your testing schedule. Don’t just do it because it’s required — do it for the people you may never meet, in hopes that they, too, might make it. It’s what we owe to those that didn’t make it.
