-André, California Medical Facility, Vacaville, CA
“Darkness cannot drive away darkness, only light can do that.” Martin Luther King Jr.
The longer I live, the more I understand this quote. Most of my life, I have been fighting hate with hate, violence with violence, tit for tat, etc. That pattern and cycle of dealing with the “darkness” has never produced the desired outcome I was looking for.
Being in prison, most people believe the only way to survive is to adopt the long-lasting culture already in place. That norm only produces racist, antisocial, cruel, uneducated, criminal minded, emotionally broken individuals.
I choose to be the light. I choose to be the change I want to see in here. I smile, uplift, encourage, and motivate. I try to spread the message that working on yourself, being a better person, isn’t “selling out.” It’s setting yourself up to be a productive member of society and to keep yourself out of prison.
A lot of individuals here feel the same way, and that light is giving guys and girls a safe space to dwell while inside.