In My Opinion: Sending Individuals to a Prison in El Salvador

Sending Individuals to a Prison in El Salvador

Our America Today

April 2025

The decision to send a legally sanctioned individual to a prison in El Salvador is both outrageous and deeply troubling. El Salvador's prison system has faced global condemnation for human rights abuses, overcrowding, and inhumane conditions. Subjecting someone, regardless of their legal status, to this treatment undermines the principles of justice, due process, and international human rights standards. Legal sanction does not equate to a forfeiture of dignity or basic protections. 

Transferring individuals to environments notorious for violence, lack of medical care, and minimal oversight raises serious ethical and legal concerns. It signals a dangerous precedent, where punishment trumps rehabilitation and human rights are disregarded. Furthermore, it erodes public trust in the rule of law and tarnishes the integrity of legal systems that prioritize fairness. 

Outrage is not only justified, it is necessary to demand accountability, transparency, and the upholding of fundamental human values across borders.

The Beginning of the Civil Rights Museum

 

                   Woolworths

Greensboro, NC

March 13, 2025

I was headed home from Florida when a roadside billboard caught my eye.  The next exit would take me to the home of the original Woolworth's, home of the historic lunch counter that changed the history of our civil rights in the USA.  I know this story and marvel at the courage of these young people.

I believe deeply in so many issues and I will protest, write letters to my legislators, send money, campaign for candidate who held my views on civil rights.  But I am afraid of violence and would rater run than take a beating for standing up fro my beliefs.  So, this movement, this unwavering courage has always captured my admiration.

It was 5:30PM  when I arrived at the museum which closed at 6PM. That didn't give me much time.  But that didn't matter to me.  I just wanted to stand, in silence and admiration, at this place where courageous men and women once stood..

Civil Rights Museums

 Civil Rights Museums

USA

as of 1-20-2022

Certain moments in history really intrigue me: JFK's murder, the Viet Nam War and the Civil Rights Movement.  Maybe they are all related.  But I am drawn to movies, writings, museums and discussions about these topics.  My interest in endless and I don't know why.

I was 12 when Martin Luther King was murdered.  I didn't really understand what was going on and I didn't see him as a man of honor.  I saw the media's portrayal of a man who was inciting black people to rise up and riot.  I thought he was dangerous.

Today, I am sorry he didn't live longer.  I think our world could probably have been a kinder, gentler world if he had been given the opportunity to succeed.

Here's where I've visited so far:

• Civil Rights Museum- Atlanta, GA
• Central High School- Little Rock, AR
• Civil Rights Museum- Jackson, Mississippi
• Brown v The Board of Education- Topeka, KS
• Harriet Tubman Trail- MD
• Delaware Museum- Wilmington, DE
• African American Museum- Washington, DC

Civil Rights Museum- Memphis, TN
I loved this museum.  I had just spent the morning at Elvis Presley's house and needed to see something with a bit more substance, a bit more importance.  Someone suggested the Civil Rights Museum. We went looking for it and couldn't find it.  Our directions kept taking us to an abandoned hotel.  It turns out this is the museum.  This is the hotel where he was murdered. The exhibits were fantastic. All of the human figures are made of cement so from a distance, you cant distinguish the different races.

Civil Rights Museum- Jackson, MS

This museum is filled with lots of artifacts from the dreadful days of the KKK and while this was repulsive to me, I was most moved by the exhibit of the differences in educational opportunities for blacks vs whites. This disparity was yet another purposeful example of how African Americans were not afforded an opportunity to reach the American Dream.

Central High School- Little Rock, AR
This is a must see museum.  How did those kids have the courage to face those angry, dangerous crowds.  One  student talked about seeing a woman about her mother's age.  So she sought this woman's comfort and the woman spit on her face.  Who would spit on a child?

African American Museum- DC
This is an exhausting museum.  It is large, dense and filled with horror and shame. After 3 hours, I was finished.  I couldn't take any more. And yet, there was so much more to see.

Brown v Board of Education- Topeka, KS

As a public school administrator, I studied this case and referred back to it throughout my entire career. So I was stunned when I was sitting in a bar in Topeka, KS and discovered that I was only a mile away from this museum.  It was late in the afternoon and I only had 1/2 hour to visit but that was plenty of time to move me to tears to know that this brave, little girl walked these halls and made such a huge impact on our nation.

Harriet Tubman Trail- MD

I've seen images of her mural plenty of time.  I thought is was beautiful so I really wanted to see it in person. I drove to Cambridge, MD and found it and just stood there.  I was so amazed at how moving this mural it.  I think it shook me because i never knew the mural was entitles "Take My Hand"  and the painting is so lifelike that it seems as if she was there, ready to pull me though my world in to her world.

Delaware Musuem- Wilmington, DE

This museum is in the old Woolworth's Store on Market Street. One section of the museum is filled with the nature life of the state.  The other section goes in to detail of its contribution to the Underground Railroad.

Burning the American Flag

Burning The American Flag

Facebook Posting

November 29, 2016 at 8:11 AM ·

If this becomes the law, I am going to start burning the flag in support of our 1st Amendment.

CNN

November 29, 2016 at 8:04 AM · 

President-elect Donald J. Trump is now proposing possible jail time or loss of citizenship for burning the American flag, an act that is protected as a form of free speech under the First Amendment

WWW.CNN.COM

Trump ignores First Amendment, suggests jail time for flag-burning

Peoples' responses:

Bobbie Wickline It's so frightening. The man doesn't have a clue!

Samuel M Klein I'm never sure if I should be amused or frightened at Trump's lack of knowledge about the Constitution and how it works.

Bridget E Kelly i can't decide if he really thinks these things or if he is purposely trying to sabotage himself so he can be impeached and move on with his life.

Marilyn Vaughn It's really hard to know what goes on in his mind! I really and truly believe he never wanted the job!

Samuel M Klein I'm pretty sure he believes this stuff. I also think he believes himself to be untouchable.

There is also no doubt in my mind that he'll be impeached inside 18 months.

Josh Vega I think he is appeasing his nationalist constituency. Further affirmation that he supports nationalist extremism

Joanna Rachel http://mobile.nytimes.com/.../senator-clinton-in-pander.... Not the first time for this

NYTIMES.COM

Senator Clinton, in Pander Mode

Michael Steen Bridget E Kelly I've thought forever that he never really wanted to be President. He just wanted to call a lot of attention to himself and shoot his mouth off. Then when he got in too far, his ego wouldn't let him back out.

Gloria Handling Jeff and I have been saying this all along, too!! He wants the title, but not the job!! It is like he just graduated from high school and was offered and took over CEO of a company he knows nothing about.😒

Bridget E Kelly Gloria Handling i hope our high school graduates have a better understanding of government.

Amanda Ehst Dr. Kelly, as much as social studies was not my favorite class, I'm pretty sure I understand more about government than Trump. And I've been out of school a long time. :)

Leslie Coren or if he is causing trouble just to cloud his tremendous conflict of interest issues

Chris Belton He's distracting you from his actions: cabinet picks and self-dealing as he uses his position to enrich himself. Watch his actions when his words are at their most provocative.

Samuel M Klein I think you're giving him too much credit. He's not some master of misdirection, just a loudmouth with a really big bullhorn.

Besides, that would mean he's building a cabinet that isn't a self contained mental hospital in and of itself. Half his picks disagree with him on basic issues. He's selecting people like a CEO instead of with an eye towards political preparedness.

Leslie Coren Useful idiot? I think more like Chauncey Gardiner

Gina Kazimir Wait...didn't we fight the flag-burning amendment thing twenty years ago? Oh, right, we set the clocks back this fall.....

Rosina Rucci All kidding aside, his lack of knowledge, understanding of anything about the Constitution and mechanisms of the govt, together with his psycho Twitter rants about imagined, invented crises are really and truly frightening. He is dumb as mud and dangerous as an oil spill. Not to mention completely psychopathic.

Beverly Sutton Lawrence Hmm ... just wonderin', Bridget, if you signed a petition or marched against Ms. Clinton's FLAG PROTECTION ACT of 2005 ... or, is it 'different' when the 'violation' of the First Amendment is proposed by your Goddess?

Bridget E Kelly I was not aware of it but I would have protested that as well. I will not sit back and let our civil rights be eroded.

Bridget E Kelly and I don't have a goddess.

Melissa Reed Politicians throw the flag burning nonsense out every few years to get people riled up. He just happens to be unstable enough to try to really do it.

Augusta Christensen 1. It was not proposed by then Sen. Clinton. 2. It would have made burning the flag to incite violence, intimidating others, or as part of an act of terrorism punishable by no more than a year in jail or a $100,000 fine. 3. No dissidents were threatene…See More

Beverly Sutton Lawrence Bridget E Kelly Okay, I'll admit, the 'goddess' bit was a bite ... ;)

Joe Metzgar I'll burn it right in front of that draft dodgers face!!!!

Kevin Courtright Big talk!

Kevin Cassidy Same.

Jane Asher Oy

Greg Schwami This is what he's all about: Nationalism not Patriotism. It's not about pride in our country it's about silencing all critics and forcing people to accept all of the country's decisions.

Tom Brientnall There's already ruling on matter. He can't do anything unless there is amendment

Bridget E Kelly I know this but he can continue to pit us against each other which is just as dangerous.

Samuel M Klein Brings to mind a story of two sweet, innocent teens who were removed from the library during study hall one day by one of the school resource officers and brought into your office to be accused by a raving mad man. Okay, so it was me and an unnamed cohort. As the statute of limitations has probably run out after 25 years I can admit that yes, I was skipping class that morning, and for whatever reason, (okay, we were stoned) we decided it was a good idea to go back into the school for lunch.

The story that guy proceeded to tell about chasing us all over town after catching us burning the flags off of veterans graves was total BS. Dude probably saw us walking in and decided to give us a good scare, but all I remember was looking at this guy thinking "I've never seen you before in my life, why are you trying to get us in so much trouble?" while fighting back a raging case of the giggles. I'm not saying that isn't the kind of dumb stuff we would have done, it just wouldn't have crossed our minds to do it.

How on earth you managed to put up with us, and continue to fight for us, I will never understand.

Bridget E Kelly Who turned you in? one of the guys from F Troop?

Samuel M Klein Oh thanks. Now I've got the theme from F-Troop going through my head.

Bridget E Kelly OK but yo know who I mean by F Troop.

Samuel M Klein One of the all time classic comedies. Love that show.

Bridget E Kelly No, our security staff at the high school.

Samuel M Klein I guess I need caffeine. No idea how that part went down. Both those officers knew me well (heck, I'd had dinner at both their houses countless times) so I was probably the automatic suspect. How they found us in the library I have no idea, but we were almost always there at that time so it probably wasn't hard to find us.

Tracey Matthews Jacobi How does the burning of our flag(assuming you still feel it is your flag) support your 1st. Amendment rights? In what way do you feel the flag symbolizes an attack on your 1st. Amendment rights? Does the flag NOT represent the sacrifices that many have made to allow us to enjoy freedoms others in the world only dream of? Including your 1st. Amendment right. If you want to support your 1st. Amendment right than utilize peaceful protest and continue to post your opinion in social media. The ironic thing is Trump is utilizing his 1st Amendment right to post his opinion and you don't like it. While I recognize the supreme court's decision that flag burning is protected under the 1st. Amendment I also recognize that it protects my right to think that anyone that can't find a more constructive and less divisive way to support their 1st Amendment rights is simple minded and disrespectful to those who sacrificed so much for others. - GlennJacobi

Bridget E Kelly the flag represents our democracy which is based on our freedoms.

Greg Schwami How is burning a flag not a form of peaceful protest? If I were inclined to burn a flag in protest to evoke a reaction from people I am exercising my 1st Amendment right to freedom of speech. Burning an American flag is a peaceful way to indicate that …See More

Tracey Matthews Jacobi Greg Schwami are you stating that you don't feel that burning the flag if divisive? How is it that the flying of the flag is considered a hardship for those on the left that aren't happy with the outcome of the election, but the BURNING of the flag is

Greg Schwami For one thing I think you're confusing this entire situation. We're talking about people purchasing or making a flag and then burning it. We're NOT talking about people stealing flags that they do not own and burning them; that is theft and it is ill…See More

Phillip Lee This would be another step closer to dictatorship

Dawn Meade Branch Regardless of whether it is against the law or not, it's disgraceful to burn the flag. So many died for our freedoms that many take for granted.

Bridget E Kelly When the symbol becomes more important than what it symbolizes, we have lost freedom of speech.

Dawn Meade Branch My husband, father, and many others that served our country would disagree. Acting out against Trump is not the answer.

Bridget E Kelly I disagree. We can not let him erode our freedoms.

Leslie Coren Dawn Meade Branch if we don't act out now flag burning will become an art form

Dawn Meade Branch I think standing together for what is right and good is better than throwing temper tantrums because of what could go wrong. America has been falling apart for years. It's time to make it right again by leading by example.

Leslie Coren I think that you post would be better served if you directed it to Mr. Trump, If You think that America has been falling apart for years and that a childish, dishonest, narcissistic salesman with an anger problem will make it right again you need to think again. As Maya Angelou said, When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."

Dawn Meade Branch I do not think Trump will make anything right. I said we need to lead by example, we, as in the people. Trump scares me as well but acting like him is not answer.

Leslie Coren I don't think that many of us have it in us to act like him

Bridget E Kelly Some moments call for civil disobedience. Where would the world be today without Ghandi or MLK or Rosa Parks and other people who stood up and against the injustice.

Derek Donato It's a trap, Trump wants his supporters to see Anti-Trump protestors burning flags.

Burn the Confederate flag instead

Bridget E Kelly Now that's an idea!!!

Derek Donato I'd like to take credit for that idea but I found it on the internet haha

Phillip Lee See the thing is, the people who are fighting and dying for our freedoms, in the last couple hundred years since the revolution, since the civil war, have been doing so through acts of protest, movements for social justice and human rights. The people …See More

Bridget E Kelly My thoughts exactly.

Leslie Coren Amen

Marilyn Vaughn Right on!

Mary Staudt He is so stupid, it is frightening.

Phillip Lee And to the people that want to outlaw flag burning: can you outlaw hate speech first or...?

Bridget E Kelly Something to think about as we continue our discussion about respect for our flag.

Image may contain: people eating, food and text

Josh Vega Here is what Oliver Byrd's sister Q had to say. I thought it was spot on

"I have no issue with a person burning the flag as a form of protest. I have issues with a person disrespecting the flag as a symbol. What does that mean? …See More

Marilyn Vaughn Josh Vega hmmm ...I see your point,however I am one of those people who use above said items on the Fourth of July and throughout summer holidays. I am very patriotic and don't think that using patriotic materials including images of the flag is being …See More

Michael Steen This is so true. It doesn't have to be hanging from a flagpole or a balcony to be our flag. Great point, Bridget.

Bridget E Kelly I've always hated to see people in flag bathing suits. There is something about sitting your wet ass on the flag that is offensive to me.

Michael Steen Bridget E Kelly So true. At least those who are burning it are doing so with the full knowledge of the respect the flag deserves. They burn it as a shocking in-your-face protest that they KNOW will elicit powerful emotions. Napkins, bathing suits, and beach towels disrespect it because there's money to be made, and the people purchasing these items disrespect it out of casual ignorance.

Brian Caufield Gotta love the liberal media slant . . . He made no such "proposal" anywhere . . . He tweeted and now CNN makes that a proposal.

Michael Steen When you are a big jerk with a Twitter account, you can tweet all kinds of ridiculous stuff and people shrug it off because you're a big jerk. When you're the President-elect of the United States with a Twitter account, EVERY SINGLE DAMN THING YOU SAY …See More

Bridget E Kelly His tweet is damaging enough.

Civil Rights Museums

Civil Rights Museums
USA

Certain moments in history really intrigue me: JFK's murder, the Viet Nam War and the Civil Rights Movement.  Maybe they are all related.  But I am drawn to movies, writings, museums and discussions about these topics.  My interest in endless and I don't know why.

I was 12 when Martin Luther King was murdered.  I didn't really understand what was going on and I didn't see him as a man of honor.  I saw the media's portrayal of a man who was inciting black people to rise up and riot.  I thought he was dangerous.

Today, I am sorry he didn't live longer.  I think our world could probably have been a kinder, gentler world if he had been given the opportunity to succeed.

Here's where I've visited in the last few years"

Civil Rights Museum- Memphis, TN
I loved this museum.  I had just spent the morning at Elvis Presley's house and needed to see something with a bit more substance, a bit more importance.  Someone suggested the Civil Rights Museum. We went looking for it and couldn't find it.  Our directions kept taking us to an abandoned hotel.  It turns out this is the museum.  This is the hotel where he was murdered. The exhibits were fantastic. All of the human figures are made of cement so from a distance, you cant distinguish the different races.

Central High School- Little Rock, AR
This is a must see museum.  How did those kids have the courage to face those angry, dangerous crowds.  One  student talked about seeing a woman about her mother's age.  So she sought this woman's comfort and the woman spit on her face.  Who would spit on a child?

African American Museum- DC
This is an exhausting museum.  It is large, dense and filled with horror and shame. After 3 hours, I was finished.  I couldn't take any more.

My Top 100 Favorite Places in the USA

My Top 100 Favorite Places in the USA

1.     10,000 Waves Spa- NM

2.     Academy of Music- PA

3.     Alfred’s Alley- PA

4.     Anchorage Curling Club- AK

5.     Assateague Island- VA

6.     Barnes Foundation Museum- -PA

7.     Beale Street-TN

8.      Beaver Stadium- PA

9.      Big Sky- MT

10.  Blue Ridge Mountains- VA

11.  Bombay Hook Wildlife Refuge- MD

12.   Broadway-NY

13.  Bryn Mawr Film Institute- PA

14.   Campmore Store-NJ

15.  Central High School- AR

16.   Chattanooga Art Museum- TN

17.  Chicago City park- IL

18.   Chicago River tour- IL

19.  Chinatown- SF- CA

20.  Chinatown-NYC- NY

21.   Chinatown-PHL- PA

22.  Civil Rights Museum-TN

23.   Craters of the Moon National Park-ID

24.   Custer’s National Park- SD

25.   Deb Green’s beer exchange party- PA

26.  Dock Street Brewery- PA

27.  Dog sledding- WY

28.  Dogfish Brewery-DE

29.  Everglades National Park-FL

30.   F Scott Fitzgerald’s Gravesite- MD

31.  Falling Waters-PA

32.  Fels Point- MD

33.  Gettysburg National Park- PA

34.   Graceland- TN

35.  Great Sand Dunes National Park- CO

36.  Gum wall- WA

37.   Halloween Parade- NYC- NY

38.   Hawk Mountain-PA

39.  Ice fishing- AK

40.  Ithaca- NY

41.  Jane Island- VA

42.  Jimmy Carter’s church- GA

43.  Key West- FL

44.  Left-handed Brewery- CO

45.  Lincoln Memorial- DC

46.  Long Beach Island- NJ

47.  Long Trail Road- VT

48.   Lum’s Pond- DE

49.  McGillan Bar- PA

50.  Memphis- TN

51.  Moab- UT

52.   Monticello- VA

53.  Nashville- TN

54.   New Jersey Paddle Show- NJ

55.   Niagara Falls- NY

56.   Northeast River-MD

57.  Northeast String Summit- OR

58.  Olympia National Park- MT

59.  Opera House- DE

60.   Padre Poi’s site- NJ

61.   Peabody Library- MD

62.  Penn State University-PA

63.   Perryville library- MD

64.  Philadelphia- PA

65.  Pike Market- WA

66.  Pikes Peak- CO

67.   Pittsburgh- PA

68.  Reading Terminal Market- PA

69.  Red Rocks Amphitheater- CO

70.  Redwood Forest- CA

71.  REI stores- PA, DE, WA

72.  Rocky Mountain National Park- CO

73.  Route Six- PA

74.   Salt Flats- UT

75.  San Diego zoo- CA

76.  San Juan Islands- WA

77.  Santa Fe- NM

78.  Seattle-WA

79.  Secret Garden Museum- PA

80.  Smithsonian museums- DC

81.   St. Patrick’s Day- Chicago- IL

82.  Telluride Bluegrass Festival- CO

83.  The Alamo- TX

84.  The Golden Gate Bridge- CA

85.  The Grand Old Opry House- TN

86.  The Grand Teton- WY

87.  The MoMA- NY

88.  The Outer Banks- NC

89.  The Pine Barrens- NJ

90.  The Rathskeller Bar and Resturant- PA

91.  The Statue of Liberty- NJ

92.  The Underground City- WA

93.  Times Square- NY

94.   Touch Stone Art Center- PA

95.  Viet Nam Memorial- DC

96.  Visual Arts Museum- MD

97.   White Castle restaurants- NJ

98.   Wilma Theatre-PA

99.   Woody’s Restaurant- MD

100.                 Zeno’s Bar- PA