Alcatraz from inside by Jim Quillen

Alcatraz from inside by Jim Quillen

According to democratic theory the state is for man not man for the state. This theory has been implemented by bills of rights in many national constitutions giving the individual a legal opportunity to redress abuses by his state. In Federal Consti- tutions, however, difficulties have been faced when central au- thority seeks to enforce the standards of the constitution against the legislation and customs of the constituent states. The latter habitually resist, proclaiming the virtues of horne rule and local self-govemment, also supported by democratic theory. Thus the opposition of man versus the state develops into a double op- position of man versus the state and the state versus the super- state. To what extent should the super-state take the part of man demanding respect for human rights, or of the state demand- ing self-govemment, when the two conflict? The failure to solve this problem precipitated the American Civil War and continues to agitate American politics. Should the human right of equal educational opportunities prevail over the State's Right of autonomy in the organization of its schools? The same problem appears in more virulent form in the efforts of the United Nations to promote respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion without intervening in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state.

Jim Quillen, born in 1919, had a difficult childhood; by the time he was an adolescent, he was regularly getting into serious trouble. At twenty-two--chained at the wrists and sentenced to forty-five years behind bars--he saw the inside of United States Penitentiary Alcatraz Island for the first time.
Many years later Quillen returned to the island, which by that time was part of the National Park Service system. For several years, he was one of the island's most popular volunteers--retelling his story as part of the audio tour, and sharing his past with visitors fascinated by his life experiences.
Jim Quillen died in 1998 and is survived by his wife, daughter, and granddaughters.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780962520617
ISBN 10	0962520616
Title	Alcatraz from inside
Author	Jim Quillen
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Atlantic Books
Year published	1992-02-01
Number of pages	164
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable