When it comes to educating, the United States has underperformed, as it remains grossly unwilling and apathetic to education. We have transformed into a nation that has developed the most proficient system for jailing perpetrators of minor offenses while largely ignoring offenders of major crimes.

What results from this adeptness for imprisonment? Non-violent offenders become violent in efforts to survive, while offenders of major crimes become more and more brazen and braggart with their far-reaching illegalities.

The U.S. loves prison!

The United States – over incarcerated, under educated, harshly punished, ill informed. The largest state in our union has built one university in the past 35 years, but over twenty prisons in that same time period. Is this who we are? A nation that imprisons first, and asks questions second? The United States is home to the WORLD’S LARGEST PRISON POPULATION! No, not just per capita, pure number of inmates, the United States has no equal. It’s sickening!

We must devote more time, and energy to under privileged youth, to our crumbling infrastructure, to our veterans, to homelessness, to our foster care system, to cancer research, but NOT to this ridiculous war against people smoking marijuana.

Youth of today should live in unending joy with expectations of fruitful collegiate discourse preparing them for a future achieving their dreams. Veterans returning home from overseas deserve a heightened level of appreciation for their service and most importantly, support from our government as they endeavor to assimilate back into civilian life. Under privileged youth need a government willing to offer the requisite assistance to enable healthy growth. Commuters of all stripes are entitled to travel on roads and bridges that are safe and have passed inspection.

This is all possible, but only if we reevaluate where our resources are being allocated. Do we need more money for schools and education grants or jail? Do we need more money for scholarships and school lunches or prison? The United States prison industrial complex is a problem that has reached critical mass, updating our drug policy and shortening sentences for non-violent offenders would help.

Every problem has a solution we just need to solve them!