MLK and the Academy Awards

On January 24, 2016 By Tony CassonIn Martin Luther King JrLeave a comment

In January of 2013, while still incarcerated at Oakdale, I gave a speech in a Toastmaster’s contest in the prison chapel to commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (I got second place, by the way).

I am re-posting the speech, partly as a belated tribute to him, but also as a direct result of the debate swirling around about the Academy Awards. Now, to the best of my knowledge, MLK never directly addressed them directly. Indeed, he was too concerned with basic civil rights and freedoms.

But I do believe that had he lived, he certainly would have been disappointed in how what is meant to entertain, enlighten, and enrich us has also been used to divide us.

Perhaps you can imagine for yourself what he would have had to say about it all, were he with us today. The speech:

“WE ALL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TODAY” by Tony Casson

“With this faith we will be able to hew out of the Mountain of Despair a Stone of Hope”. Those words, spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1963 became the theme for the four acre memorial honoring him in Washington, DC.

The figure of Dr. King is sculpted to appear as if he is stepping out of a 30 foot tall block of granite, which represents the Stone Of Hope. The expression carved into his face has been variously described as ‘determined’, ‘resolute’, ‘stern’, and by some, ‘angry’.

In preparing this speech, I looked to the words of Dr. King himself and I tried to imagine his voice as he spoke about his hopes and his dreams, not just for the black man, but for all of mankind; and not just for America, but for the world.

After carefully considering all that I had read, and after looking around at the condition of the world today, I came to the conclusion that the expression on the face of the man emerging from the Stone Of hope was one of disappointment.

Even though we are preparing to inaugurate an African-American as President of the United States for a second term, I believe Dr. King would be disappointed that it has taken so long, and that we still find it necessary, and appropriate, to refer to him as an AFRICAN- American, rather than simply as an American.

I believe that Dr. King would be disappointed that words he spoke during a lecture at the University of Oslo in 1964 are, sadly, just as true today as they were the day he spoke them. He said, “There is a sort of poverty of spirit which stands in glaring contrast to our scientific and technological abundance. The richer we have grown materially, the poorer we have grown morally and spiritually. We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not yet learned the simple art of living together as brothers.”

While it is true that the law prevents us from posting signs over doorways, drinking fountains, and places of business that state ‘white only’ or ‘colored only’, INVISIBLE signs that separate people are still in existence today.

Within the confines of this institution, one doesn’t have to strain to hear reference to the ‘white side’ of the dining hall, or to the ‘black side’; to the ‘white entrance’ or to the black entrance’. And in the housing units themselves, official signs may contain words that are within the law and are politically correct, but it is the INVISIBLE signs that tell us we have ‘white TVs’ and ‘black TVs’.

In his Nobel Peace prize acceptance speech, Dr. King said, “I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies; education and culture for their minds; and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits”.

I believe Dr. King would be disappointed because poverty in the United States of America, and around the world, is at the same levels, or higher, than when he had the AUDACITY to believe that it could be otherwise.

Dr. King’s efforts opened up opportunities for education that previously had not existed for many people, but I believe Dr. King would be disappointed to know that cases of school segregation still languish in Federal courts in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama; cases that were begun BEFORE he was assassinated in 1968.

And he would be further disappointed that those opportunities are willingly rejected today by so many young people who choose, instead, faster, far more dangerous and deadly ways of traveling on the road to what they perceive is success. A road that leads many of them only to death, or to incarceration in institutions such as this one.

And on the issue of dignity for the human spirit, I believe Dr. King would be PROFOUNDLY disappointed that the most undignified, vilest, most derogatory term that a white man can use in reference to a black man is used with disturbing casualness and frequency BY black men in reference to other black men.

I believe Dr. King would be the FIRST to stand before us all and tell us that word has no business crossing the lips of ANY man, black or white, at any time, for any reason.

I believe that Dr. King would be disappointed that many of those he left behind have chosen to honor him with symbols, but have somehow forgotten his substance. I believe Dr. King would rather see safe, healthy, educated, and well-fed children playing on the streets of progress, rather than see his name on signs marking the streets of his forgotten hopes and dreams.

But we have an opportunity today, to resolve to pick up the hopes and dreams of Dr. King and carry them into the promised land that he glimpsed before he was murdered.

We have an opportunity today, to resolve to become a small part of the solution so we can never be accused of being a BIG part of the problem.

In 1963, in Detroit, Michigan, Dr. King challenged the world when he said, “If a man hasn’t discovered something he is willing to die for, he isn’t fit to live.”

We have an opportunity today to prove to the world that not only was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. VERY fit to live, but that what he died for was worth the price that he paid.

That what he DIED for was worth the price that his wife paid.

And that what he DIED for was worth the price that his 4 little children paid.

We have an opportunity TODAY to resolve to work to change the expression on the face of the man emerging from the Stone Of Hope from one of disappointment, to one of SATISFACTION for a job well done.

And I pray to God we do not fail to take advantage of it.

(Author’s Note 1/24/2016: Unfortunately, it seems we never really seem to.)

BIGGER THAN ME by Richard Roy

On October 4, 2013 By Tony CassonIn Inmates - In Their Own Words, Richard's Corner - Posting by Richard RoyLeave a comment

Prison is an incredibly negative environment that perpetuates hatred, segregation and all manner of evil. It is a personal goal of mine to engage this mindset in combat at every opportunity. Only time and others can judge my success.

I gave this speech for my benefit in completing another goal as a Toastmaster while using it to recruit others to my case. I hope it inspires you as well.

Bigger than me

By Richard Roy

Introduction

A grandfather and grandchild were walking the beach at low tide. Stranded starfish lay along the shore, dying in the morning sun as far as the eye could see. The little girl ran from one to another, stopping just long enough to stoop, pick it up and fling the starfish into the surf. The grandfather asked, “Child, what are you doing?” “I’m saving the pretty starfish gramps.” “You can’t possibly save them all,” he pointed out. Stooping to pick up another, she pitched it to the sea before replying, “No, but I made a difference to that one.”

Today is the day for an uprising, a revolt, the day to buck the system, today we change the very fabric of the culture of FCI Oakdale. From this day forward, those who wish to espouse a doctrine of hate are no longer acceptable. Today we make a difference.

Man is not inherently good.

This statement is contrary to what we want to believe. We are told by media, ministers, motivational speakers and mama that deep inside each of us we want to the right thing. This concept is so ingrained into our society that we assume it is common knowledge. So why are our prisons full and growing daily? If humans are inherently good, why we are so surprised, inspired even, by such a basic idea as Oprah Winfrey’s “random acts of kindness?”

I submit as evidence of man’s base instinct – the man sitting next to you. That man, when left to his own devices, took the low road. When he was unsupervised his mind wandered. When darkness fell, he used it to his advantage. When technology advanced, he perverted it. When others craved to feed an addiction, he filled it.

But, you may say, these are learned behaviors. Really? Who taught the toddler to say, “I dunno,” when mom asks, “who broke the vase?” How does the youngest of our offspring know to assign blame to anyone other than himself when confronted with overwhelming evidence to the contrary? Why is bullying rampant in our schools?

Think Bigger Than Yourself

With all this self-centeredness built into our nature, we must work at thinking bigger than ourselves. Most parents are able to encompass their children in their circle of caring without too much effort. Beyond that, though, requires work.

Deep thinkers have recognized the need for “looking out” for thousands of years. But the concept often makes us uncomfortable. Take, for instance, the “Golden Rule:” Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In the seventies we saw the bumper sticker: Do unto others, then split. Another cynical aspect is: He who has the Gold, Rules.

The following, philosophies embrace the golden rule.

Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Paul the apostle wrote, “And do not forget to do good and share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

Sacrifice? Doing good is so hard for humans that the most prolific writer in the New Testament calls it a sacrifice? And don’t forget? We have to tie a string around our finger just to remember to do something good for someone else?

In Buddhism, the Law of Karma states, “If you do good, good will return to you.”

The prophet Mohammad taught, “What I want for myself is what I want for my brother.”

The Roman statesman Seneca said, “This is the law of benefits between men; the one ought to forget at once what he has given, and the other ought never to forget what he has received.

These great thinkers believe it a basic necessity of life to think bigger than ourselves. To do any less, mankind threatens to hate itself out of existence.

The second law of thermodynamics states that order slides into disorder. The human equivalent is a teenager’s bedroom. The parent picks things up, washes clothes, organizes the closet and makes the bed. Within moments of the teen entering this ordered space, chaos descends. It is only with the application of energy – parent, teen, maid – that order is reestablished.

In our personal lives, the application of energy is required to restore harmony between people.

Accept responsibility for your own life

In the book Good to Great the author interviews the owner of a highly successful manufacturing company. The author wants to know what sets this operation apart from the competition. The owner points to the wall overlooking the manufacturing floor.

“See that glass in the wall? When things are good: Profits up, expenses down, quality exceptional, that glass is a window. The credit belongs to the people doing the work. I never forget they are the reason for our success.”

“But when a glitch occurs, that glass becomes a mirror. The problems belong to me. But guess where the solution lies – out there. The solution to the problem is in the hands of those who know the process best. It becomes my responsibility to draw the answer out; encourage input and provide resources to effect change.”

You are the CEO of your life. You own the outcome of your actions. Give credit for your successes to those who deserve it. You know how to read? Thank a teacher. You’ve written a stellar business plan? Thank Mr. Edwards. But when life happens and you find yourself in prison – look in the mirror, then give yourself the resources to change. Your best resource is your attitude.

I don’t have the courage

We all fear rejection. Humans are social animals. As such, we desire the company and approval of fellow humans. Many of my decisions in life were rooted in the desire to please others: Spouse, children, bosses, co-workers, subordinates and even total strangers.

The perception of peer pressure is a powerful force. Humans will fall in line, often against our will, because we perceive compliance is what our peers demand. But what if those around you are simply waiting for you to take the first step.

The reality of our situation is we are in a physical prison. Our bodies are incarcerated in an extremely negative environment. Many around us feel the need to enforce compliance to their negative world view. I’m going to let you in on a secret: They’re scared.

C.S. Lewis wrote, “Hatred is often the compensation by which a frightened man reimburses himself for the miseries of fear. The more he fears, the more he will hate. And hatred is also a great anodyne for shame.”

Now is the time to start a revolution! A revolution against hate and fear. A revolution of courage against peer pressure.

I started attending Miracle Place Church after I was arrested. Like many of you, I sought answers to why I made the decisions I did. At one week night service I arrived early to pray. Alone, in my corner at the back, I silently pleaded for a sign that my prayers were heard.

“God you know I don’t take hints very well. So please don’t ‘suggest’ my family and I will be okay; Let me know for certain that you have heard my prayers.”

A frail 84 year old woman named Ms. Dorothy knelt at my feet as I sat in my chair at the end of the service. She put her hands on either side of my head, pulling me forward until our foreheads were touching. In a firm voice she said, “I don’t know what this means but God says he heard you the first time.

Courage to break the norm. Courage to take the first step. Courage to approach a stranger to deliver a message of encouragement. Do you have the courage of an 80 year old woman? Need more encouragement? Let’s look at the health benefits of social contact.

The Donner party is a group of men, women and children, some married, some single, some family, some strangers just along for the ride. In the early 1840’s they became stuck in the Mountains due to early snow storms and bad advice. By the time members of the party managed to reach help, more than half the party had died. The survivors had resorted to cannibalism.

Critical analysis of this tragedy reveals the following from the book “The Indifferent Stars Above.”

“Male or female, those who traveled with a large family group had a better chance of survival than those who were on their own. This is in keeping with other studies correlating survival with the size of social networks. Scientists are not sure why this effect takes place. Theories point to better sharing of critical information and scarce resources, better mutual aid in emergencies, better emotional support, and the possibility that the immune system is physically stimulated by close proximity to loved ones.”

Imagine that, being surrounded by people who like you increases your own chance of surviving hardships. If you are too timid to reach out to another person for their benefit then do it for yourself. Build your base of friends, your social network, to improve the quality of your own life and advance your own longevity.

Want more health benefits?

Doctor Caroline Leaf states in her book “The gift in you:”

“There is a massive ‘unlearning’ of negative toxic thoughts when we operate in love. The brain releases a chemical called oxytocin, which literally melts away the negative toxic thought clusters. So that rewiring of new non-toxic circuits can happen. This chemical also flows when we trust and bond and reach out to others. Love literally wipes out fear.”

“Dopamine works with oxytocin. It flows as we expect and anticipate something. It gives us a thrilling surge of energy and excitement and confidence and motivation to carry on. Then when we experience what we anticipate, endorphins and serotonin are released that make us feel great.”

Dare to be different

Whom do you admire? Michael Jordan of sports? Jack Welch of business? Steve Jobs of technology? Warren Buffet of investors? Dr. King of civil rights? Gandhi of social change? Why? Because they dare to be different.

Gandhi once said, “You must be the change you are trying to create.” You must dare to be different.

It is not enough for us to talk about the ignorance of prison mentality. To change prison thinking we must live the change. Each of the leaders I mentioned weren’t elected to their role. They dared to be different in their respective fields. They saw a better way and made the change. They led the way out of the trap of “group think.”

I once had a battalion commander shut the door to my office and plop down in front of my desk. “Roy,” he started, “when you look at 2^nd Battalion, they are always at the top; physical fitness, marksmanship, unit readiness reports, always number one. Others are always shooting at them, trying to tear them down off the pedestal. On the other hand, if you are always at the bottom then people look down at you and wonder why you’re so messed up. I think it’s important that we aim for the middle. Not the top, not the bottom, but in the middle where we don’t draw any attention. Understand? I’m glad we could have this talk.”

He walked out of my office leaving me to meditate on the mysteries of mediocrity. I got his message. I had pushed my soldiers hard to be the best. I wasn’t satisfied with sloppy seconds. I wanted to be first. His philosophy was to aim for mediocrity. Once you fight your way to the top its hard work to stay there. He did not have the will to be different.

There is a fable of a weary traveler that wandered into a village one evening. There in the center of the village was a pit filled with warm sewage. Thirty or forty people were in the pit with the filth up to their chins.

Unable to believe his eyes, the traveler got too close to the edge and fell in. Immediately he clawed at the sides of the pit doing everything he could to get out. The nearest villager shouted, “Calm down, you’re making waves.”

Is that where you are today? Happy in your warm pit of filth as long as nobody makes waves. Or do you have the large pair of solid brass orbs necessary to be different.

Don’t wait for the wizard

In the movie “The Wizard of Oz,” each member of the traveling party had something they desired: The cowardly lion – courage, the Tin man – a heart, the Scarecrow – a brain. Dorothy just wanted to go home.

In the end, each member of the Oz party discovered they already possessed the desires of their heart. All they needed to do was exercise it. The Lion didn’t need the wizard for his courage. It was in him the whole time. Likewise, each of you possesses the ability to influence the life of another person on this compound. Don’t wait for the Wizard; make a difference today.

Like Dorothy, we all desire to go home. The men in this room have already taken positive steps to make that transition a success. When I leave these meetings I feel good about our futures. I know I’ll take a lot of lessons learned with me, as will you.

However, what we take with us is not nearly as important as what we leave behind. Will this compound be a better place for you having been here? Or will you have made no difference at all. Like a canoe slipping across a still pond in the early grey fog before sunrise: minutes after you’re gone there is no memory of your presence.

So set goals to make a difference. Like the little girl and the starfish, maybe you can’t make a difference in everyone’s life, you can make a difference to one.

When you walk into a restaurant you don’t say, “bring me some food.” Instead, you are very specific – you pick exactly what you want from the menu.

Right now I want you to set a goal to do one act of kindness before you get back to the unit. Introduce yourself to someone and make a concerted effort to remember their name. Then call them by name when you see them around the compound. Hold the door open for someone and let them go ahead of you. Give a legitimate complement to someone you don’t ordinarily speak to. Now set a goal for everyday this week. Every day, make the effort to be a difference maker in someone’s life.

Researchers from the University of British Columbia and the University of California – Riverside recently completed a study called “Kindness counts.” One of the things the study showed was that participants experienced significantly increased feelings of happiness and satisfaction after one month of documenting three acts of kindness per week.

But when compared to a control group, who documented three pleasant places they visited per week, those who performed and documented their acts of kindness were liked and accepted to a greater degree by their peers. On average, they gained 1.5 friends during the four week period.

Dale Carnegie is quoted as saying, “You can make more friends in two months by becoming really interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”

Need Help? Try one of these

– Write a friend to say that a song or movie reminded you of them.

– Shut up and listen

– Help carry the trash out

– Give someone a book that had meaning to you

– Tell someone about the qualities you admire in them

– Introduce someone to another of your friends

– Hold the door open

– Write a letter to someone you admire telling them how they touched your life

– Let someone go ahead of you in line

– Clean out your locker, give unused stuff to someone else

– Smile, make conversation

Conclusion

I noticed a relatively new guy to our unit had not quite integrated after a couple weeks. He sat by himself, rarely conversing with those around him. I was even witness to a tense exchange of words between him and the medical staff.

I used the incident as an opportunity to start a conversation with him. We walked to dinner together, ate together, and walked back together. At my cell we parted ways. I observed him make it about halfway through the unit, turnaround and walk back to where I was standing.

He stuck out a hand the size of a Virginia ham. As I attempted to shake it he said, “Thank you for having dinner with me.”

I looked into his eyes well over a foot above my head and could see a difference had been made in the life of one starfish.

Make today the turning point; the riot of 2013. The day the BOP will come to recognize inmates instituted positive as the norm, rejecting negativity as acceptable.

I finish with a quote from Dr. Seuss:

You have brains in your head and feet in your shoes

You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

You’re on your own and know what you know

And you are the one who’ll decide where to go.

“A TOAST TO FREEDOM” by Tony Casson

On July 2, 2013 By Tony CassonIn A Toast to Freedom, ToastmastersLeave a comment

It seems appropriate to think about freedom as we approach the day on which we commemorate our independence.

I have written before about the “Toastmasters” group here at Oakdale, and I have posted speeches that I have given at some of those meetings. The following is a 5 minute speech I gave at a recent meeting. I thought I would share it with all of you.

I hope you find something in it that speaks to you.

“USE WELL THY FREEDOM”

“USE WELL THY FREEDOM”. Those four words adorn a low wall located in an older section of the Penn State University campus.

“USE WELL THEY FREEDOM”. A seemingly simple admonition to put to good use the freedom paid for in blood by so many American men and women since the founding of this great nation.

But is it something we do? Indeed, is something we even think about?

In the state of Florida, a well known professional football player and his equally well known super-model wife spent a reported $25 MILLION dollars on a 50 THOUSAND square foot home for them and their 2 children, while in the state of Louisiana ALONE, at the beginning of the last school year, there were 22 THOUSAND children who had no home at ALL.

Is THAT freedom used well?

In another part of the country, a man brags about the birth of his new child. Nothing unusual there, except that this is that man’s TENTH child, brought to life by SIX different women, none of whom he has been married to, a couple of whom were pregnant at the same time, and none of whom receive any emotional, spiritual, or financial support in the parenting and educating of those children.

Perhaps THIS is freedom used well.

In still another part of the country, a woman and her children are asleep in their beds late at night. In another room of the house, the husband and father reflects the glow of the computer screen he sits in front of as he engages in inappropriate sexually oriented “conversations” with people he doesn’t even know. Maybe he spends hours looking at ‘adult’ pornography. Perhaps he has even crossed the line and is looking at images of child sexual abuse referred to as child pornography.

Maybe THAT is an example of freedom that is being used well.

Since the founding of the United States of America, almost 2 MILLION men and women have sacrificed their lives to establish, preserve, and protect our freedom.

Are THOSE the freedoms they all died for?

In a recent Wall St. Journal report on how the average American uses the time in his or her day, it was stated that 2 hours and 50 minutes were spent watching television. Another 2 hours and 32 minutes were spent on sports and other leisure activities. Combined, the numbers equal 5 hours and 22 minutes of ‘me’ time each day.

Compare that to the 31 minutes that we spend caring for household members, and 11 minutes spent caring for non-household members, for a total of 42 minutes taking care of people other than ourselves.

We DO spend a whopping 30 minutes each day engaged in educational activities, although for many I think that is quite high, and when it comes to being involved in civic organizations or religious activities, we manage to spare an astonishing NINETEEN minutes each day.

Again, I believe that to be quite high in many cases.

If I have done my math correctly, the average American spends 91 minutes per day engaged in learning, taking care of other people, and taking part in civic organizations and religious activities. while we spend FIVE HOURS AND 22 MINUTES engaged in self-centered, self-serving, self-indulgent, and self-gratifying activities.

Which leads me to this question: Did all of those sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, and husbands and wives make the supreme sacrifice of their LIVES so that we can each think only of OURSELVES?

Is THAT using our freedom well?

As inmates in a correctional facility, we probably think that freedom is what we lost when we entered this place. Actually, nothing could be farther from the truth, because it was our FREEDOM that got us here. It was FREEDOM that was NOT USED WELL that closed the door behind us. It was the FREEDOM that we mistakenly believed gave us the right to think about OURSELVES to the exclusion of everyone else around us that keeps us behind fences and razor wire. We have convinced ourselves that FREEDOM is what makes the things WE want to do more important and more justified than what anyone else wants to do.

It stands to reason, then, that because we do not understand what freedom IS, it is impossible to understand how to use it WELL, and because we do not understand what true freedom is, we have all made ourselves SLAVES to those self-centered, self-serving, self-indulgent, and self-gratifying activities I spoke about.

Alright then….If freedom is NOT the “ME-dom” that we have made it, then what IS it?

The apostle Paul wrote, “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.”

I understand that people have different beliefs – or NO beliefs – when it comes to God and when it comes to the Holy Bible, but I challenge ANY person to find fault with that statement.

Imagine for a moment that YOU have a son or a daughter wearing the uniform of the military of this country. None of us would want our child to die at all, but if he or she must, I for one would pray to God that the life he or she gave would be sacrificed for a nation of people who cared about one another and NOT for a nation of people whose concept of freedom has made them slaves to selfishness.

You see, my friends, freedom is NOT about the rights that YOU have to do what you want to do.

Freedom is NOT about the rights that I have to do what I want to do.

This is because freedom isn’t a RIGHT at all. Freedom is a RESPONSIBILITY.

Freedom is the responsibility each one of us has to look out for one ANOTHER.

It is only when we truly understand what freedom IS that we can then begin to understand how to use it well.

Until we have learned to escape the slavery of our own selfishness, we will never be able to make our freedom even BEGIN to come close to being worth the cost of the life of someone’s child, parent, or spouse. Until such a time as that, ANY life lost will have been lost for nothing, and life is NOT worthless.

We only make it so when we insist on not using our freedom well.

I thank you.

“WE ALL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TODAY” by Tony Casson

On January 21, 2013 By Tony CassonIn Martin Luther King Jr, Toastmasters3 Comments

“A Toastmasters Update”

I have mentioned Toastmasters before, and we recently held our first speech contest in the chapel in front of about 100 fellow inmates and staff. I have stated before that I am a reluctant public speaker and the angst I felt prior to this event honoring Martin Luther King Jr was of unreasonable and mammoth proportions. Fortunately, God stood with me and saw me through it. I won 2nd place. The man who won 1st place is a very gifted and talented young man named Derek Weatherspoon and I am glad that he won. For myself, I won simply by proving I could do it, and I won by moving many individuals to comment to me afterwards. I am humbly grateful to all of them for their kindness, and ETERNALLY grateful to God for his unwavering guidance, support, and strength. Here, then, is the text of that speech: