Finding Justice
I was inspired by Rachel Aviv’s article on Albert Woodfox, one of the Angola 3, whose commitment to the principles of the Black Panther Party helped him endure four decades of solitary confinement, even after the Party itself had fallen apart (“Surviving Solitary,” January 16th). But I disagree with the friend of one of his fellow-inmates, who said that this commitment to the Party was like that of Japanese fighter pilots who were still fighting thirty years after the war ended. For most African-Americans, the war is not close to over. It rankled me to read that the only way out of prison for Woodfox was through a plea bargain—admitting guilt where there was overwhelming evidence of innocence.* This is one of many mechanisms by which black people end up with restrictions on their freedom as a result of institutionalized racism. Only with systematic and wholesale criminal-justice reform will black and brown people have equality in court. Woodfox’s quote toward the end of the article says it all: “The more things remain the same, the more things remain the same.”
Marcia Brown
Hamburg, N.Y.
Should Zoos Kill?
Ian Parker’s article on the breeding policies of zoos touches on cultural differences between Europe and the U.S. regarding the value of animal life (“The Culling,” January 16th). But it’s worth noting that culling is practiced in both places, and not only in zoos. All responsible breeders of livestock, pets, and privately collected animals cull the non-viable or genetically unnecessary offspring of their animals. A failure to do so can disrupt the gene pool and result in animals that suffer from genetic disorders such as brachycephaly, in pugs; strabismus and clubfoot, in white tigers; and the so-called stargazing gene, in corn snakes. Later in the article, Parker dismisses the conservation efforts of zoos as inconsequential given the rapid loss of habitats for animals in the wild. But zoos themselves do not have much control over habitat loss, and their breeding projects may help insure that there will be a supply of endangered animals to release if habitat-restoration groups are successful. Instead of demonizing zoos, we should recognize that they are full of experienced professionals and that their role in conservation efforts is indispensable.
Kira Becker
Newton, Mass.
Hearing Voices
Jerome Groopman’s article on the phenomenon of talking to oneself and hearing voices made me think that psychologists would benefit from a new term for the phenomenon, one without the negative connotations of “hallucination” (“Books,” January 9th). I suggest borrowing a word from the field of music education: “audiation.” It describes the experience of hearing and comprehending music with the mind’s ear, much as we can picture and apprehend something in the mind’s eye. The Gordon Institute for Musical Learning calls audiation “the musical equivalent of thinking in language.” Indeed, the best musicians “hear” the sound they want to make before they make it. Audiation has positive associations with creativity and craftsmanship, associations that might appeal to many people who hear private voices, whether they are poets, mystical theologians, or psychologists themselves.
Rebecca Biber
Ann Arbor, Mich.
*Clarification: In 2015, in order to end the prosecution, Woodfox pleaded no contest to manslaughter. He maintains his innocence.