Like Trading Cards

I should probably come right out and say right up front that if you are a woman you might be offended by the contents of this post.

But I'll also say that if you do get offended at me, then you're probably too sensitive.

I'm just saying.

Anyway, I found this note on the yard tonight. To me, it represents an insight into how inmates view and objectify women. Not all of the inmates, but a good proportion of them.

To some inmates, women are objects and nothing more. Things to be used until they no longer give what is wanted and then thrown away. But since nothing of any value whatsoever is thrown away in prison, they are traded like baseball cards or marbles for something else.

The only ones considered inviolate to this are mothers, grandmothers and daughters. But any other woman is fair game. In some places and with some inmates, nothing is sacred. They will sell you pictures of their sisters and children for the right price. And for a little extra, give you their phone numbers.

At any rate, this note has four names and phone numbers on it. All women, of course. I suspect from the way it was folded that whoever wrote it forgot there was another number at the top.

The note on the side says "Here is 3 b*tch."

The notation at the bottom reads: "I only got 2 more pic and it is my baby momma. I got some pic of my fam."

I've seen notes like this before. Mostly down in the Hive. The inmate writing them obviously wants to trade for something or owes somebody some debt and is offering these women and any pictures of women he knows (including his family pictures) as a trade.

You have to wonder what these women will think when some new inmate starts calling their number. But then, maybe they will end up with someone better than the guy who just gave them away like some third round draft pick from a farm team. Then again, maybe they're used to it, I don't know.

I remember a set of xeroxed pictured of some fairly attractive girl that made the round for well over a year. Every inmate who ended up with her picture swore it was his girlfriend.

She must have been one busy girl.

The whole thing is kind of sad and pathetic and a little sickening when you look real close at it. When women went from being wives and girlfriends and family to being nothing but "b*tches"..... Well, it's no wonder our society is a screwed up as a soup sandwich.

Oh dear. Tomorrow looks like a good day to stay in bed and hide under the covers. According to the list tomorrow is Have A Bad Day Day.

I sure hope nobody does. Or at least nobody I know.

Let's be careful out there.