Become A Prison Visitor

[hanno]

Judgmental? Heavens, no

No, it was the court that was judgmental when they send him away for 27 years, presumably not for parking in the wrong spot.

Backpackers from Khao San Rd. go there.

If I ever had a reason not to visit someone in jail, then this is it.

You old farts dont,because you are finished as human beings; old,sclerotic,feelings only for bottle&pussy

Ah, the real altruistic person is beginning to show through .

[Forethat]

After reading Nisakiman and Fantuzi's posts above, I re-read the whole thread including Mr. Ozdemir's request.

This was to re-evaluate whether my also passing on going to see Mr. Ozdemir was indeed judgemental and un-compassionate.

Following re-evaluation, I still pass on visiting Mr. Ozdemir.

However, if Nisakiman and/or Fantuzi would like to advise me the contact details of Mr Ozdemir's drug dealing victims, I might be more inclined to help them out.

dam_n, that's a fine post!

[mmh8]

If you want to save the world far more worthy causes present themselves

[GuestHouse]

After reading Nisakiman and Fantuzi's posts above, I re-read the whole thread including Mr. Ozdemir's request.

This was to re-evaluate whether my also passing on going to see Mr. Ozdemir was indeed judgemental and un-compassionate.

Following re-evaluation, I still pass on visiting Mr. Ozdemir.

However, if Nisakiman and/or Fantuzi would like to advise me the contact details of Mr Ozdemir's drug dealing victims, I might be more inclined to help them out.

No you wouldn't - You treat them to your self righteous moralizing and condemn them for being drug addicts.

[mca]

However, if Nisakiman and/or Fantuzi would like to advise me the contact details of Mr Ozdemir's drug dealing victims, I might be more inclined to help them out.

Victims? Somebody put a gun to their head and forced them to take smack or whatever? I smoke. I'm not a victim. I've got nobody to blame but myself.

[GuestHouse]

However, if Nisakiman and/or Fantuzi would like to advise me the contact details of Mr Ozdemir's drug dealing victims, I might be more inclined to help them out.

Victims? Somebody put a gun to their head and forced them to take smack or whatever? I smoke. I'm not a victim. I've got nobody to blame but myself.

It seems Thules, that somebody beat you to it.

[Matan]

However, if Nisakiman and/or Fantuzi would like to advise me the contact details of Mr Ozdemir's drug dealing victims, I might be more inclined to help them out.

Victims? Somebody put a gun to their head and forced them to take smack or whatever? I smoke. I'm not a victim. I've got nobody to blame but myself.

Well since drug dealing provides the money that supports organised crime, and organised crime is involved with human trafficking, murder, extortion and intimidation etc there are a plethora of indirect victims. More directly, drug users who need to support their habit commit crimes - burglary, shoplifting, carjackings and muggings - which harms businesses, home-owners and citizens on the street, and sometimes results in injury or death.

So although you have no one to blame for the fact that you smoke crack other than yourself, by smoking the pipe you give not-very-nice people money, which they use for not-very-nice things, like buying guns and bribing law enforcement and perhaps importing 14 year old Cambodian girls.

Edited September 4, 2010 by Matan

[mca]

I'm not disputing that.

[Matan]

Your previous post indicated that you did not think there were any victims of drug dealings. If that's not what you meant... well one of us has a problem with written english!

[FarangBuddha]

He should just be happy he wasn't trying to traffic his smack into Singapore...or maybe he would have been happier...as his time in jail would have been much less

[mca]

I think one of us has a problem with reading English and that person wouldn't be me. My literal words were in reference to people who ingest drugs seeing as the poster I was referring to was more inclined to help them out.

[geriatrickid]

I commend the OP for caring about those that might benefit from some friendship. Unfortunately, there are priorities in life. On any given day in Thailand, There are several foreigners in the hospital. Often these are just "backpacker" kids that have been injured. Other times they are the elderly. Many times, these foreigners have no visitors, no loved ones to help them. It seems to me that they could benefit more from a visit. In any case, if someone is willing to help others, it is an admirable quality.

[GuestHouse]

I commend the OP for caring about those that might benefit from some friendship. Unfortunately, there are priorities in life. On any given day in Thailand, There are several foreigners in the hospital. Often these are just "backpacker" kids that have been injured. Other times they are the elderly. Many times, these foreigners have no visitors, no loved ones to help them. It seems to me that they could benefit more from a visit. In any case, if someone is willing to help others, it is an admirable quality.

I've been a hospital visitor for a number of years now (prompted to do so after experiencing a long spell in a Thai hospital) and yes you are right that on any given day there are plenty of foreigners in Thai hospitals in need of a visitor or some errands to be run. But, like others here, you make a judgement on who is more deserving. If you were to visit the more deserving inmates at the hospital over any reasonable length of time you'll soon realize that they too can be classified in the 'deserving', 'less deserving' and the 'Som Nam Nar'.

It doesn't work like that. You either want to help out or you do not.

[neverdie]

GREAT idea.. If i want to do a good deed today, ill go see a barely speaking drug offender instead of helping out at an animal rescue shelter, battered woman shelter or abandoned kid with hiv shelter...

great idea bro

Well said, how bout giving some help to some poor mistreated animals instead of the two legged animal variety that like to feed off societies vunerable.

[neverdie]

My goodness, TV members seem to be brimming with the milk of human kindness.

So nice to see such compassion in our fellow humans. Judgemental? Heavens, no.

TV members would never presume to sit in judgement (particularly with only the sketchiest of case knowledge) on another person. Not their style....

Its appropriate that the noise you are making is coming from your avatar. What part of these people being convicted criminals, thats right CONVICTED CRIMINALS did you miss that didnt make you realise that society has already JUDGED them and deemed them to be unsuitable for the general society.

This has nothing to do with being Judgemental, these people are in the process of being punished for serious crimes, they don't have this or that, who gives a <deleted>. Time to climb down of your highhorse where you are busy passing judgement on TV members and wake up to the reality of the situation. Nobody here is trying to stop you or any other BLEEDING Heart doing what you want, they are just merely voicing their opion about helping assssholes. Capiche?

[neverdie]

I commend the OP for caring about those that might benefit from some friendship. Unfortunately, there are priorities in life. On any given day in Thailand, There are several foreigners in the hospital. Often these are just "backpacker" kids that have been injured. Other times they are the elderly. Many times, these foreigners have no visitors, no loved ones to help them. It seems to me that they could benefit more from a visit. In any case, if someone is willing to help others, it is an admirable quality.

AGAIN, whilst you have a very valid point geriatrickid, it would be interesting to see some of these bleeding hearts that help out grubs be exposed as victims to serious crime & then see how their tune changes.

People are in Jail for a reason, a very high percentage of them have given away their rights for choice, luxuries & so forth.........despite many of them claiming to be innocent of course

[chrgrims]

when i worked for the government in norway (outreach team for homeless, hiv positives etc) we sometimes visited people in prison. yes, it was a job, so its different. but still, i would consider it again if i knew the boss and wouldnt get hit by something later for it (e.g., why u visit him?, u obv must be a bad person too etc).

So be careful, but do it if u want. personally i believe that a human has value no matter what he has done. so, if s/he is not dangerous at a specific time (little chance of getting harmed in prison as a visitor), i wouldnt mind talking and relate to the person.

[gburns57au]

Forget his offences, his sentence, everything and ask one question....

If the roles were reversed and it was me in a Thai Prison......would Mustafa come and visit me???

I dont think so....suffer your punishment Mustafa....you did the crime and now you are doing the time.

Edited September 4, 2010 by gburns57au

[Jimbo]

Forget his offences, his sentence, everything and ask one question....

If the roles were reversed and it was me in a Thai Prison......would Mustafa come and visit me???

I dont think so....suffer your punishment Mustafa....you did the crime and now you are doing the time.

Well if the roles were reversed, I would hope that someone would come and visit me and brighten my day. Wouldn't you? Show some mercy and compassion guys.

Edited September 4, 2010 by Jimbo

[IanForbes]

Of course we could always buy a bunch of illegal drugs, roar around on a motorbike and taunt the boys in brown and JOIN the guy.

Friends bail you out of jail. GOOD friends are in there with you.

[mca]

People are in Jail for a reason,

Which in Thailand can be for expressing an opinion.

[Thules]

Other than OP, have the posters advocating that the rest of us go to see Mr. Ozdemir, now been to see him themselves ? or have sent him letters ? and maybe even a bit of cash as well ?

If yes, you have clearly helped OP's mission, and helped Mr Ozdemir's predicament.

If no, what's holding you back ?

[smokie36]

Of course we could always buy a bunch of illegal drugs, roar around on a motorbike and taunt the boys in brown and JOIN the guy.

Friends bail you out of jail. GOOD friends are in there with you.

We used to pass Fort Aguada prison in Goa late afternoon after a fishing trip....always with a spliff on the go....the inmates never failed to give us a wave...must have brightened their day a wee bit I guess!

[tonititan]

Other than OP, have the posters advocating that the rest of us go to see Mr. Ozdemir, now been to see him themselves ? or have sent him letters ? and maybe even a bit of cash as well ?

If yes, you have clearly helped OP's mission, and helped Mr Ozdemir's predicament.

If no, what's holding you back ?

I don't recall too many posts "advocating" for people to go see the man in prison, but rather questioning the anger and hostility some other posters are directing towards him. I made an early post about how many people here have done something illegal in Thailand, and that we all make mistakes. Did I say I was going to go see him? No, I did not. Did I say that other people should go see him? No, I definitely did not.

I have no intent or interest in ever communicating with this man, but I also don't feel the need to attack him and criticize everyone who is trying to be understanding and compassionate.

Edited September 4, 2010 by tonititan

[angiud]

Nothing new under the sun. Many TV member show no mercy, compassion and feel strong to write something in front of a screen, sitting comfortably on your armchair, protected by anonymity.

Always ready to spit a death penalty, kill 'en all, but driving your bike drunk, going with prostitutes, buying cloned software, music and films, wearing a 300 baht copied football or Lacoste tshirt.

But no mercy for other people's mistakes.

[tonititan]

Nothing new under the sun. Many TV member show no mercy, compassion and feel strong to write something in front of a screen, sitting comfortably on your armchair, protected by anonymity.

Always ready to spit a death penalty, kill 'en all, but driving your bike drunk, going with prostitutes, buying cloned software, music and films, wearing a 300 baht copied football or Lacoste tshirt.

But no mercy for other people's mistakes.

That's a good one I didn't think of earlier when I listed some of the illegal things people do in Thailand. They may be able to say, well, buying pirated software or working without a work permit doesn't endanger other people like drugs do.....but drunk driving certainly does! And it seems to be quite prevalent here. I've even seen TV threads in which members have joked/bragged about their ability to get wasted and then drive home. I am way more worried about being hit by a drunk driver than about being attacked by someone who is jacked up on drugs.

[Thules]

OK, fair point Tonititan. Permit me to rephrase the question.

Does anybody (other then OP) feel sufficiently merciful, understanding and/or compassionate towards this guy's predicament to actually commit to practically helping him out in some way ?

[Travel2003]

I think the only people I would thought about visiting, would have been people that are beng held for a long time without a trial.

Wheter this is an issue or not in Thailand, I do not know.

[Jimbo]

OK, fair point Tonititan. Permit me to rephrase the question.

Does anybody (other then OP) feel sufficiently merciful, understanding and/or compassionate towards this guy's predicament to actually commit to practically helping him out in some way ?

I have visited made several visits to Dutch prisoners in Bangkok. I will probably do the same for this guy. And I also visit foreigners in hospitals and help out with dogs at the local temple. What's so wrong with being kind?

[GuestHouse]

OK, fair point Tonititan. Permit me to rephrase the question.

Does anybody (other then OP) feel sufficiently merciful, understanding and/or compassionate towards this guy's predicament to actually commit to practically helping him out in some way ?

I have visited made several visits to Dutch prisoners in Bangkok. I will probably do the same for this guy. And I also visit foreigners in hospitals and help out with dogs at the local temple. What's so wrong with being kind?

Well said.

There's irony here.

People ranting against criminals (criminals being people who have been convicted of committing acts that are deemed harmful to others and society in general) while themselves advocating denying help to others.

I think we all agree society would be better without so many criminals, we seem however unable to agree that society would be better with more people willing to help others.

I wonder, those ranting against people willing to visit prisoners, have they themselves ever offered help to others? Not so much against offering help to prisoners as offering help to anyone?