STATE OF US PRISONS INDICATES DICTATORSHIP

I'm writing about Ned Cabaniss' thoughtful column: "All those people
in jail, what do we have to show for it?" (AC-T, March 16). Many
American's proclaim their pride in being an American citizen. Many
display their pride by wearing flags on their clothing or flag decals
on their automobiles.

I submit that the citizens of the most incarcerated nation in the
history of human civilization have no right to feel pride in their
country. We in the U. S. have fewer than 5 percent of the world's
population, yet we have about 25 percent of the world's prisoners. In
other words, one out of every four prisoners in the world is locked in
an American jail or prison. This deserves our shame and
outrage-certainly not our pride. If we lived in a military
dictatorship we would have a valid excuse. But we don't. We elected
the politicians who passed the laws that created the most incarcerated
nation in history.

Kirk Muse,

Mesa, Arizona