IBO, Brian R. Lundin [the ebook reader .txt] 📗

When he returned to his study the program had started. The lead in shots for the program panned a rural road. In the distance, it showed herds of livestock and stately looking houses with big American flags on the porches or in the yard. The next shot opened showed Chris talking with a tall; overweigh young white man whom he introduced as Johnny Shaw. Johnny was wearing a green uniform and green baseball cap that read in large black letters “Trinidad.”
“Hi Johnny, welcome to the show,” Chris said as the camera centered on them.
“Hi Chris, thanks for having me,’ Johnny said in a strong voice that had a twang of Appalachian back country.
“How long have you been here and what are your duties,” Chris asked.
“I have been here about a year now and I am the headmaster of New York House and my job mainly is to supervise the students in my dorm. Every morning and evening I take a head count to make sure everyone is here, I make sure they get up for their classes, I inspect their rooms to make sure they are clean and just look out for their welfare and safety.”
“Can you identify some of the building while my cameraman pans the area?” Chris asked.
As William panned, the area Chris identified the buildings. “That large grey building is one of our dormitories where the young men live; we have ten of these building in the camp. Chris pointed out the chapel, the cafeteria, administrative building, and canteen all of which ringed a huge courtyard.

“Many problems,” Chris asked.
“No, not really,” Johnny responded, “Of course at times the boys act up, get in fights and arguments, but luckily nothing serious,” Johnny said, crossing his fingers.
The next screen shot showed Chris interviewing Ms. Mary Delany, the camps Education Director. They were in a large room that contained individual cubbyholes separated by painted plywood partitions. A green-colored tile had covered the pitted floors and the plants were plastic. Ms. Delany was a large middle-aged white woman with a terrible skin condition that even the television makeup people could not hide. She wore her blond hair in a tight ball and she wore oversized thick glasses that added to her stern appearance. The show’s producers had gotten a bio on Ms. Delaney that revealed that she had never been married and when she was the former District Superintend of the Las Vegas Public School System. While there she instituted controversial policies that included expulsion for bring drugs or guns in school, armed off-duty police officers used to monitor the hallways and most controversial of all was the use of canine drug sniffing dogs. However, these policies reduced crimes in the schools and raised the scholastic average of the students; she was considered a hard-nosed but capable administrator.
“Good morning Mrs. Delany, welcome to the show,” Chris said shaking her hand.
Ms. Delany smiled and nodded her head, “Thank you Mr. Tolver, welcome to Trinidad Re-Education Camp.”
As the camera panned the camp, Chris asked, “Could you tell our viewing audience about this camp Mrs. Delany.”
“The camp is located on two hundred acres of federal land and we house and train over five thousand students. The students live in four storied dormitories with one hundred people in each dormitory and each dormitory has a headmaster who supervises the students.”
“Could you tell us the routine of the camp,” Chris asked.
“When the students arrive they are only allowed to bring a few toiletries, tooth brush, deodorant and so on. They are assigned to dormitories based on age and given a nametag. They are then taken to their assigned dormitory and room where they meet their headmaster who gives them a list of the rules. They are given a medical and dental examination and they are educationally evaluated and are assigned to classes. After lunch, their headmaster takes them on a tour of the grounds.
Their day starts out at 6:30 am, breakfast is at 7:30 and they have free time until 9:00 am. After the free time they go to class. Dinner is at 6:00 pm and after dinner is study time until 8:00pm from 8:00pm until 10:00 is free time. They can watch selected television programs or visit with friends. Lights out is at 10:00pm.”
As the camera continued panning the grounds, it stopped at a large building.
“That building is one of ten we have here at the camp and it is where the classes are held,” she said.
“What type of courses the students take, “Chris asked."
“Our students are taught courses that will enable them to get jobs when they leave here. Many of our Hispanic students can’t speak English, so they start out taking English classes and many of our black and Hispanic students have had very little education and can’t read or write, so they take basic education courses, again we try to prepare them for a productive and law abiding life on the outside. After completing these basic courses, the students are than given in- depth aptitude tests and their training match their aptitude. If a student test reveals that they are good with their hands, his training is geared in that direction. He would be trained in automobile repair, carpentry and so on, but mostly all of these students need basic education courses before they can move on to more specialized training.”
“As you probably know, Ms. Delany, many people not only the blacks and Hispanics, but many white liberals say that the young people here are being persecuted on racial, not criminal grounds and these camps are like the Nazi’s concentration camps.”
Ms. Delany gave Chris a steely stare and looking directly into the camera responded.
“That Mr. Tolver is totally ridiculous, the powers to be passed this law and we here at Trinidad are only following it, how can they say they are being persecuted? Many of these young men are living better than they ever have, they receive three well-balanced meals day, clean clothes, and they live in a safe and wholesome environment. The Nazi’s did not educate their Jews, they killed them, and we have not gassed or killed anyone. Do you see any gas chambers or ovens here? Do you see anyone walking around looking like skeletons?
That concept of our camps is ridiculous.”
Chris could tell he had hit nerve with Ms. Delany and quickly decided to move on.
“Thank you Ms. Delany, that was very informative, keep up the good work,” Chris said.
The camera continued to pan the camp; in the distance, it showed a least a dozen young men, mainly black playing basketball. Next to the court, a group of young Hispanics was pumping barbell.
“Are those the dormitories?” Chris asked pointing to one of the buildings.
“Yes sir,” Johnny responded. “That’s home.”
“Can we have a look?” Chris asked.
Johnny led Chris and his camera operator into a large building with white walls. On the side of long hallways was dormitory style rooms that contained two bunk beds, neatly made up a small sink, a metal storage cabinet and a seatless commode placed near the door in full view of everyone who walked pass. Some of the rooms had photos on a small table and others had been carefully decorated with make shift curtains, which allowed some privacy when using the commode and thick colorful towels hung on the storage lockers.
“Not bad,” Chris commented, “It reminds me of my college dorm, only a lot neater.”
“We try to make it comfortable for them, a lot of these kids are ok, they just got caught up in the law, we soon weed out the bad ones,” Johnny said.
In the center of the building was the dayroom. Some of the young men sat at fold up card tables, playing cards and chess. When Chris, Johnny and William entered the dayroom, a few of the young men glanced up at them, and then went back to what they were doing. Some of the youngsters were watching television and had quiet conversations. Four Hispanics huddled together in a corner talking in their native language.
The next shot showed Chris in the office of the camp superintendent, Leo Halster. Leo Halster according to his bio was the former warden at the Cook County Jail, in Chicago, one of the largest jails in the country. He was also a Major in the Illinois National Guard and he had a military bearing.
“Good morning, gentleman,” he said smartly as Chris and his camera operator entered his Spartan like office.
He was a large Blackman with a baldhead and a neatly trimmed salt and pepper beard and looked like he expected a salute.
“Good morning sir, Chris responded.
“We just interviewed Ms. Delany and she was very helpful in explaining the educational courses you provide for your students. What I would like to know from you is how the program is administered.”
“We have over five thousand students at this camp, we employed over five hundred headmasters who monitor the students, and of course, we contract with outside agencies for teachers, maintenance, and the like. Our mission here is to first protect the citizens of our country and secondly to provide training for our students. All of us here are dedicated to helping these young people lead productive and law-abiding lives. We provide a structured, safe and secure environment for our students; of course, there are rules, and regulations that we expect them follow. Many of our students come from dysfunctional families where there were no rules; their parents were drug addicts or worse and in essence, they were raising themselves. Here there are rules and most of the students usually follow them.”
Mr. Halster gave Chris a large white sheet of paper and the camera zoomed in on it, it read in large black capitalized letters PETTY VIOLATIONS. It was a small list containing only five violations; 1. Horseplay during classes, 2. Cussing, 3. Tardiness for class, 4. Failure to turn in homework assignments, and 5. Smoking in non-designated areas. “That don’t sound too hard to me,” Chris said.
“We don’t think so either, remember this is a camp and not a prison, we don’t treat the students like prisoners but they still must obey the rules,” Mr. Halster said.
The next sheet of paper were the SEROUS VIOLATIONS, It also had only five violations; 1. Disrespect or striking a staff member, 2. Possession of weapons or illegal drugs, 3. Fighting 4. Escape, and 5. Any actions or activities that disrupt the peace and harmony of the camp.
“What happens if a student commits a petty violation,” Chris asked.
“Our students live in two types of buildings. One type of building called the A Buildings have dormitory style rooms the other buildings called the B Building, have cells. Housed the students who not cause trouble in the A Building those who causes trouble live in the B Building. I have instituted a behavior-modification system where we reward good behavior and punish and bad behavior. Those student who follow the rules and