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I Won't Be Home For Christmas
by Ed @ SoundUnwound 24 December 2009Finally, the Holiday season is upon us and not before time; the constant barrage of holiday tunes in the overheated shops was almost too much to bear. Were it not for the fact that there were still presents to buy, the omnipresent tinkle of sleigh-bell-drenched pop tunes could have tempted even the most festive of Christmas fans to flee the stores. But for some, fleeing simply wasn’t an option: residents of Maricopa County jail system in Arizona are undertaking their hard labor this season while listening to holiday music, all day, every day, until December 25. Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s decision to order that the music be constantly played to around 8,000 jailbirds has not been overturned despite the six lawsuits that have already been filed by inmates bidding to make it stop. The lawsuits include protestations of “cruel and unusual punishment” and “forcing inmates to participate in religious celebrations,” but their calls for relief have so far fallen on deaf ears. It’s hard to sympathize too much with prison inmates, but it would seem a little cruel if Bing Crosby’s “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” was on the playlist. We reckon that silence will be golden in Arizona this Boxing Day.
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