We have to ask what kind of person takes advantage of a minor, mostly teenagers, but not all, to sexually abuse those in custody at what are called “youth justice centers?” And we have to ask how are the custodians vetted by the state that runs them? What is it about having authority and power that moves people to abuse their positions?
It doesn’t seem to matter whether it is the New Jersey system of incarcerating minors – and we should recognize that it is incarceration not rehabilitation – or Rikers Island or immigration detention centers, certain types of jobs seem to draw certain types of people, those who like power over others.
Niccolo Machiavelli understood this very well as he outlined the use and abuse of power in the Prince. We have those modern equivalents not just on the scale of individuals who work in such facilities but on the grander scale of narcissistic political leaders and the people who cater to them. This means the systems of power and the people who exercise power must always be under examination.
Prayer for the Day
You have created us with minds to questions and think, O God,
But there are those who would limit our inquiry;
You call us to examine the powerful and their actions, O Lord,
But people fearful of transparency restrict our questions.
Grant us the wisdom, O Holy One, to confront power,
And give us the strength to persevere against our fears.
In the name of the One who confronted those in power,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
It is better to be feared than loved
Niccolo Machiavelli, from The Prince (1469-1527)
Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely
John Dahlberg-Acton (1834-1902)
Woe to im who builds his house by unrighteousness,
And his upper rooms by injustice;
Who makes his neighbors work for nothing
And does not give them their wages;
Who says: “I will build myself a spacious house
With large upper rooms.”
Jeremiah 22: 13-14