Why?
By Brandon Astor Jones
"All criticism is dominated by outworn theory that the man is the cause of the work as in the eyes of the law the criminal is the cause of the crime. Far rather are they both the effects." — Paul Valery, 1871-1945
The quote above is taken from Valery's 1895 Introduction to the Method of Leonardo da Vinci. The Frenchman's poetry enjoyed some measure of fame, but it was his prose that readers found most compelling. In the quote above, his subject is Jean Racine, the quintessential 17th century French dramatist.
More than a few critics of the day thought Racine to be inherently evil, because most of his plays were so tragic. In reality, he was not. His plays, as art, simply reflected the wickedness of the times he lived in. Racine, as a playwright, reported on life as he saw it. His peers were unaccustomed to his dramatic candour and honesty.
I have an affinity for the history of literary art and its dramatic imitation of life. I often wonder what might have been if my interest in literary art had been cultivated instead of the pursuit of crime.
As I read portions of both Frenchmen's works, I am reminded of contemporary US society which — for the most part — labels crime as the exclusive domain and fault of the criminal.
To the extent that I have so shamefully taken part in criminal activities in my chequered past, I take responsibility. However, as I grow older and wiser, I have come to realise that what will be the true bane of US society for years to come will not be its criminals. After all, crime is but a symptom of the US's multifaceted diseases of racism, sexism and classism.
It will be its hypocritical unwillingness to even consider its own part in the creation of those marginalised societal microcosms wherein crime and poverty are bred.
In continued hope that this attitude will soon change, I have created a poem. Maybe people in the US, one and all, will someday start asking each other:
Why?
@column indent = are you so self-righteous and irate
@column indent = as if we have not shared the responsibility
@column indent = for our crimes? we do, but you see,
@column indent = you must take some, too, for hate
@column indent = is America's teacher: you pushed, we shoved
@column indent = from you we learned nothing of love.
@column indent = the real question for your debate
@column indent = should be why must we come to a place to die
@column indent = to learn how to live, too late?
@column indent = Why?
[The writer is a prisoner on death row in the United States. He welcomes letters commenting on his columns (include your name and full return address on the envelope, or prison authorities may refuse to deliver it). He can be written to at: Brandon Astor Jones, EF-122216, G3-63, Georgia Diagnostic & Classification Prison, PO Box 3877, Jackson, GA 30233, USA, or e-mail <BrandonAstorJones@hotmail.com>.]