On December 15, 2004, Inmate Moshe Isaac Stein, was issued a "Pubic Hair Sandwich" for lunch. At lunch on December 15, 2004, Mr. Stein was given incorrect diet food for lunch. Mr. Stein complained to Deputy B.Estill, who went to the kitchen to get the correct meal.

When Deputy B.Still returned he handed Stein a bag and left. Mr. Stein then opened the bag and inspected the sandwich in front of several witnesses (Ron Kauffman, Mark Bee bout, John Hancock, Wilfred Mead, Eugene Rasco and others), and all were horrified to see ten or more pubic hairs between the slices of cheese.

This was obviously a deliberate act, and a denial of Mr. Stein's right to a Kosher diet, which is a part of his beliefs and religious practices.

Mr. Stein's Kosher diet is guaranteed under the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America. As such, serving him a pubic hair sandwich is an infringement of his constitutional rights.

Not only was Mr. Stein upset, but other inmates were sickened by the very act of adulterating food.

Mr. Stein filed a grievance, and the following day the Food Service Director replied in person. Mr. Dave Sokol informed Mr. Stein that:

Mr. Stein's Kosher diet lunch was prepared carefully by staff, and when dispatched it constituted of a meat sandwich, comprising two slices of bread, two slices of Turkey Sausage, and Banana _____ separate.

(What arrived was a cheese sandwich with 10 or more pubic hairs between two slices of cheese, which were enclosed by two slices of bread.)

Mr. Sokol further stated (in writing) that his Cooks (plural) had "personally supervised this action." He further stated, "How these pubic hairs got on your sandwich did so after the bag was given to you."

Now, the bag was given to Stein in the view of many other inmates, and Stein then opened the bag and checked in the view of Ron Kauffman, Mark Bee bout, John Hancock, Wilfred Mead, Eugene Rasco and others.

Of course, a careful analysis of Mr. Sokol's reply shows that at no time did the cooks, who personally constructed the Magical Sandwich, that changed from Turkey Ham to Cheese, bother to deny any complicity.

It has been said that there is no place in our society for anti-Semitism. I will go further, and say that there is no place in any society for prejudice of any sort. I also believe that anti-Semitism has much in common with Dogs and also human traits.

Like dogs, they only mindlessly attack for two reasons, they are afraid, or they are rabid.

Now, the Jewish faith is one of benevolence and peace, which is no basis for fear, which leaves only one reason for attacking.

And, further, the groundless fear that Anti-semitics nurture engenders an unreasoning hatred, which causes more and yet more distress for all.

But I digress; To return to the Mystery of the PubicHair Sandwich. Mr. Sokol's attempt to brand Mr. Stein and Messrs.. Kauffman, Bee bout, Hancock, Mead and Rosco liars does not wash.

For starters, there is the obvious question of "why the heck did it take two or more cooks to prepare a simple sandwich?"

Then there is the question of "Why was the sandwich that was first offered to Stein wrong?"

Then the perplexing riddle of "How did two slices of Turkey sausage metamorphose into cheese??"

Then, the obvious question of "Who's black curly pubic hairs were they??"

And: "Did the offending hairs come from one or more sources?"

And Lastly: What became of the evidence?

This entire saga leaves a stench of corruption. After all, as everybody knows, it is the person at the top of the heap that must take responsibility. Be that person Atilla the Hun, Genghis Khan, Pontius Pilate, Herman Göerring, or Jim Pope. That individual must take responsibility for what happens in his or her name.

Now, either the head of "Law Enforcement" in Shasta knows what is happening, or he is inept, incompetent or plain stupid.

Of course Mr. Pope will state that he is not inept, incompetent or stupid, and I will agree with two of those denials. Which leaves him in the untenable situation of defending his position by either claiming that:

1. He knew what was happening and by some oversight failed to correct the problem.

Or

2. He did not have a clue.

The writer is of the opinion that poor, poor pitiful Jim, has lost control of the situation and does not know what is happening in his department, and is simply hoping that it will all go away.

Dr. Goebbels, Propaganda Minister of Adolph Hitler said once: "A lie that is repeated often enough comes to be believed as the truth."
 

Moshe I. Stein
Shasta County Jail
1655 West Street
Redding, CA 96001