Conrad Black Returns to Prison

The following excerpt from Conrad Black’s comment , as he prepares to return to prison, made me recall a slogan often invoked by those who have been wrongly convicted: “Don’t serve the time; make the time serve you.” Note that Black has a book on his ordeal coming out next week.

“If my confinement does anything to encourage any of the other victims of this awful system, it is an honor. And I continue to believe, as I quoted Henry D. Thoreau in this space when I first reported to prison in March 2008, that “under a government which imprisons unjustly, the true place for a just man is also in prison.” I don’t have much choice, as I would never consider fleeing, but in that one sense, I belong there and am happy to return. I do expect I will come back to the United States eventually, but will look forward to meeting my American friends when they come to Canada or Britain.

“As I have often said, the United States has certainly not ceased to be a great country just because it has persecuted me; it hasn’t ceased to be a great country at all. Though I go to a place where the avoidance of complete cynicism is a challenge, I will try to make the most of it, and accept my fate focused on the better life beyond the gate and on the encouragement of many kind souls. My plan is to divide the number of days I have to serve by the number of pounds I hope to lose, keep in mind the range of sticks and carrots with which my superhumanly fat-averse wife will reward performance, and downsize myself toward liberty in increments. I will try to gain from the experience, and again fervently thank all those who have been supportive in these prolonged travails. I will be back in the spring, and to a quieter life than I have known for a long time

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