The Omaha guide., 1932-11-26
PRISONS AND PRISONERS
by Clifford G. Mitchell

Elsewhere in this Armistice edit.
ion will, undoubtedly, be found APP
propriate features, poems, drawings
and comments that will definitely
connect the subject with that great
day Of November 18th, 1918.
In this space, however, I wish to
use Armistice as the theme of a COL
umn and in a manner that will spec
ificly bear upon the lives of prison
ers that are to be found in all pris-
ons and at this particular time.
An armistice can be declared and
put into effect by others than two or
more warning nations. Each prison
er has the opportunity of Quilting an
Armistice edict that will affect two
or more rivaling forces that r now
swaying his mode Of living.
These forces within Is are con-
stantly at war. Varying circum-
stances environments and associations
create changing thoughts, desires,
sentiments and habits. And in these
continuous changes we are confront
ed with temptations that will easily
devour us if we do not stop and de-
clare a truce-or Armistice-between
these warning thought processes.
The Armistice that put an end to
the World War caused an immediate
cessation of human sla~ughtering
which otherwise would have continued
indefinitely not only causing the loss
Of millions Of human lives but a
complete destruction Of many govern
ments and all therein.
Even the winners in such a pro-
longed death-struggle would be Sc
seriously handicapped due to the
wrecked and manned condition in
which its forces would be in that
they too would suffer equally with
the losers for it would take centuries
to overcome the damage that a few
years Of destruction would inflict.
Just so with our own lives. Some
of US have been years paying the
penalty, and attempting to rebuild
the things that we destroyed in mo
ments of confusion when we permit
ted ourselves to be swayed by war
ring evil forces that seemed to daz-
zle false illusions before us.
Many others are just commencing
to pay-and pay dearly-for the des-
struction that uncontrolled warning
forces (within themselves) have
caused-all Of which could have been
averted if a truce-or Armistice, had
been declared soon enough.
There is much consolation in the
fact that even, after our physical en-.
ergies have become mutilated and ex
hausted that We can call a truce OF
Armistice, and rebuild our resources,
In the preparation of such an Arm.
istice edict we must use reason and
become an architect in preparing the
plans and terms upon which we re.
build, replacing the faulty and weak
parts with materials Of strength and
so brought together that each part
will serve to support the structure as
a whole.
After the plans for the rehabilita.
ton have been perfected the ARMS.
tice edict will beneficially differ from
q resolution because in such plans we
not only resolve to do, or refrain from
doing, certain things but because il
really is an Armistice we must act.
ually stop certain performances and
actually commence others.
Some times an Armistice can be
perfected because Of pressure from
various direct and indirect source
All prisoners, in all prisons know Oh
many things and many ways b,
which we have observed an Armistict
on certain actions because Of both di,
rect and indirect pressure. When W.
fail to observe such an Armistice W.
know well what the penalty is.
But to really observe Armistic,
Day we should do SO voluntarily de-