The Moral Burden of the State

There are times when it is appropriate for the state to restrict our liberties. To detain us. To imprison us. Even to take human life.

The constitution and the institutions of our republic imbue the state with the moral authority to restrict our liberties, subject to checks and balances that work to keep inevitable errors and excesses to a minimum.

There is no time when it is appropriate to abrogate the moral obligation of the state and give corporations the role of restricting our liberties. Not because it is convenient. Not because it is cheaper.

Corporations are not only free from the constitutional framework of the state, they are legally required to maximize shareholder value. They are structurally unable to place the moral needs of the state–or the individual or society–ahead of corporate interests.

Institutions designed for profit cannot credibly wield the moral authority of the state.

The moral burden of the state cannot be separated from it.

Please consider signing Bernie Sander’s petition to end corporate prisons. It’s time to stop profiting from incarceration.

https://go.berniesanders.com/page/s/private_prisons

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