As I sit in my cell watching the news, seeing all the fun the young people are having–cue riot scenes and images of structure fires–I am reminded of a Russell Brand quote: “People who say the system works work for the system.” Nobody typifies this more than those politicians who step to a podium and tell us to “trust the process.” The process is the problem, and here’s why.

In 1787 when the constitution was ratified, the white, godfearing, and fellow man hating politicians intentionally or unintentionally hit on a solution to a governance problem they were having. How do we pretend to care about the poor and downtrodden without actually doing anything for them? And thus the legislative process was born.

Several hundred years later we arrive to the state holding me captive, Virginia. Since at least 2017 and probably much earlier there has been a concerted effort to literally stop putting Confederate traitors on a pedestal. “Trust the process” was the mantra of the do-nothing politicians. For the next three years, those guys continued standing up there, obviously tired from all the posing they had to do (and with no bathroom breaks). Then the death of George Floyd happened, and those guys were helped down by nice people in black hoodies and placed in lakes and rivers where they could surreptitiously relieve themselves. It was only after many of these piss-breaks did the politicians see the Confederate soldier’s plight and order their immediate removal.

My point is that the politicians reacted to what the people already decided and the politicians didn’t lead it. For them to say the “process” works is a little like a signaler firing his pistol after the runners are halfway down the track. It may be his job to start the race, but sooner or later, if his “process” takes too long, one of the runners is going to jump the start.

And off they go…

Joshua Wood
DOC #1189105