Should Native Americans Be Able To Perform Their Ceremonies In Prison

a. Should Native Americans be able to perform their ceremonies in prison?
Yes. Although physically restricted behind penal bars, Native Americans, as well as inmates of diverse devotions, may express their religious liberties without obstruction. I believe that all prisoners have the right to observe their traditional religious practices while incarcerated, including the right to perform ceremonies that are common amid unconventional ideologies, such as the ritual performed by Yellow Thunder. “Because prayer can be considered the most sacred right a religious person possesses, the government absolutely cannot, and should not interfere with that right, which is granted by the first amendment (Mosser, K. 2013).”
An inmate free to hold bible study within the general prison population has received the right to promote his or her faith openly. For example, when Christians express their dogma and proclaim that an individual is and or will be damned because he or she does not convert and ask for remittance of their sins, this is as promotional as an act or ad from McDonalds. It makes prayer a promotion, offered to others because they can relate to the message, even when mixed. This mainstream religion performs traditional ceremonies within the prison to help others get through a tough time, and alleviate the pressures of prison. Moreover, society feels it may aide an inmate when they unite for rituals such as prayer, baptisms, or communions.
Therefore, existing societal constructs make it hard to identify with someone chanting, praying and burning grass to alleviate the anxiety of lockdown. “Saving souls with quotes, baptizing in hopes, blowing smoke up four walls, and induction into the club of Sitting Saints, Former Sinners, and Islam Slammers,” are all forms of solicitation, ceremony, social control, and support systems. A purifying ceremony involving the burning of dried and braided sweetgrass before prayer is a custom shared in Native American tribes, said to attract good spirits and energies. If Fundamental religions observe and practice their faith in traditional manners, Native Americans should receive this equal right, without stigma or maltreatment.
b. Give another example of what might be religious discrimination in our own country.
Prayer in schools is a popular topic in religious discrimination conversations; however, prayer and promotion are two different things. In my country, having the words, “In God We Trust,” on the backs of dollar bills is discriminatory. As an employee working for wages to provide for my family, it is unfair to pay me with a bill that openly proclaims the faith of the nation, while the nation is unable to openly confess and practice rituals designed to draw them closer to the God They Trust. We pay this money to get us in, and through private and public schools, in addition to gas to drive to work, but we must subtract religious rights, such as prayer, in order to do so. That is like requesting to remove “in God we trust’ from something we place assurance in; the all mighty dollar.
LaDee
Sources courtesy of
Mosser, K. (2013). Ethics and Social Responsibility. 2nd Edition. San Diego California: Bridgepoint Education Inc.
The application of penal codes on conduct and security as unsuccessful attempts to use felony convictions to strike at the foundations of the human and constitutional rights of prisoners is immoral. “The right to remain silent because what you say in prayer is utilized to determine your treatment upon conviction” must become an addition to those Miranda rights, if this is how the prison system will discriminate against inmates.

There are many different kinds of social groups in the United States such as clubs, fraternities, gangs, counterculture groups, and online communities. Identify a social group that you are part of, and then discuss which of the social control mechanisms (mentioned in Section 8.4 of the textbook) are applied in your group. Why do you think these forms of social control are effective?
A social group that I am a part of, T.O.U.C.H: Teaching Our Urban Community How, is an organization comprised of members from various sectors in our community. Our goal is to use our skills, talents, and educations to train, teach, and inspire the younger generation of artists and entrepreneurs. Social control mechanisms, such as Socialization, helps to instill social, environmental, and personal values that motivate our members to evolve as individuals and members of their communities, but not to conform to our way of thinking. We use a set of rules and moral values to help individuals to think outside of the box limiting their creativity and advancement. It is effective because it is used to “govern our relationships with our fellow human beings,” (Crapo 2013), fellow workers, as well as the people we encounter while working towards completing our collective mission.
We also implement rewards such as pubic recognition, promotions, monetary bonuses, and gifts in our outreach efforts, while recording, and in networking events. This form of social control is effective because it encourages people to behave in a way that promotes positive consequences for themselves and others, according to the bylaws set forth for the company and its code of conduct. This code of conduct, observed by certain personnel within the organization, is not like that of the Law, where order is maintained through threat of punishment (Crapo 2013). Gossip, a way people explain the experience of their social world (Crapo 2013), could be a control mechanism, because our discussion groups and coaching sessions present opportunities to confront organizational, member, or communal issues. We are not a religious group, therefore religion is not a mechanism used as a form of social control within my social group.
LaDee
Sources courtesy of
Crapo, R. (2013). Cultural Anthropology. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, INC.