Capitalism and Prisons…

…makes capitalism and the entertainment industry look like a monastery of saintly virtue.

And on a related note…

1351 From the very beginning Christians have brought, along with the bread and wine for the Eucharist, gifts to share with those in need. This custom of the collection, ever appropriate, is inspired by the example of Christ who became poor to make us rich:

Those who are well off, and who are also willing, give as each chooses. What is gathered is given to him who presides to assist orphans and widows, those whom illness or any other cause has deprived of resources, prisoners, immigrants and, in a word, all who are in need. (St. Justin Martyr)

Of course, in St. Justin Martyr’s day, the prison only held virtuous Christian martyrs and there were no actual criminal there, so it was okay to visit prisoners. These days, all you find in prison are criminals, so visiting them is optional and might even be considered coddling.

I speak, by the way, to myself as much as to anybody. It’s been a while since I’ve been to see somebody in jail.