[marginalia_nu]

I think it's a bit of a strange interpretation to read that as a mandate that slavery as a punishment for a crime must exist within the united states. The spirit of the law seems more to be that its not part of what the amendment prohibits.

[0xEF]

You think it's strange, but many of our countrymen do not. That should tell you what they're about. If you want to see the true face of a nation, watch how those with even the smallest amount of power exploit others.