Fingers Crossed and Prayers Up

In the vice presidential debate on Tuesday, Senator Biden recounted a valuable lesson he learned during his first year in the Senate.  He learned to question others’ judgment, but not their motives.   

In the vice presidential debate on Tuesday, Senator Biden recounted a valuable lesson he learned during his first year in the Senate.  He learned to question others’ judgment, but not their motives.   As I sat in the Catholic chapel at San Quentin State Prison today, the altar reminded me of the many chapels I have known.  Yet the plain pews, painted cinderblock walls, and high windows left me with an unsettling feeling of confinement.     I was visiting San Quentin as a community member, to engage in a dialogue with prisoners about California’s Proposition 9.  What was so special about the opportunity was that it was a chance to hear directly from those whom will be most affected by the constitutional amendment. Proposition 9 proposes numerous changes to the California judicial system to increase the rights of victims.  Opponents of the bill are concerned that it primarily reiterates existing rights, while unjustly taking away the rights of prisoners and increasing costs. Politics and policy disputes aside, the heartfelt testimonies of the victims and prisoners reminded me of the importance of what Senator Biden said.   Everyone in the chapel shared the same desire to improve public safety and respect victims.  A theme throughout the symposium was a need for forgiveness and a need for healing.  While the chapel was a faith-neutral venue, it seemed appropriate given our deeply held Christian belief in forgiveness and rebirth. And while California’s prisons remain in dire need of reform, the discussion that we had today gave me hope that we as Americans can come together with good intention.  I believe that we can move beyond questioning motives to questioning judgment and choosing the best policies for our nation.

As one of the prisoners told me today, he has his “fingers crossed and prayers up.”  So do I.