[Ppnews] Lynne Stewart's message about political prisoners

[Political Prisoner News]

Some musings on the subject of political prisoners and Mumia

By Lynne Stewart

In the USA we hope we are experiencing that 
groundswell of a time when events and history 
come together; that the protest against  what is 
happening to civil service workers will result in 
such a wave of people power that change will 
start breaking out for all of us. (It should be 
noted that this outpouring of people's outrage is 
not INSTITUTIONALIZED -- not led by the unions or 
the established Left but mainly by outraged 
individuals and students, who are not coming out 
for a rally on the weekend and then resuming life 
as usual -- the plasma tv, the remote control, 
beer, sports and the SUV. No, People seem to be 
ready to make it happen this time. The Common Good.

We need it and mostly we need it for our 
Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War. This 
group of morally incorruptible and creative and 
clear political thinkers, dating from the 
righteous struggles of the '60's; some of whom 
have been in the depths of dungeons for more than 
a lifetime, and others, who are relative 
newcomers (like me, Bradley Manning, of 
Wikileaks; and Tim DeChristopher, the man who bid 
on the Utah oil leases and disrupted Bush's last 
environmental gifting to the financially elite.)

Of course, officially there are "no political 
prisoners in the US"; just like officially, the 
government is now trying to say, they always 
supported the anti-Mubarak forces and democracy 
for Egypt. History says differently, and we must 
be ready to seize the moment to pressure for 
release of the unjustly imprisoned 100+ men and 
women, known to be incarcerated for their 
espoused political motivations. (This number 
sadly does not include the Muslims, but that's a struggle for another day.)

We do not deserve to be called a movement if we 
do not rescue our own. Their absolute and abiding 
faith in us to do so remains the litmus test of 
our dedication and belief in solidarity. It is 
stronger than any religious belief I know of.

We must recognize that COINTELPRO has now morphed 
into the outrageous entrapment tactics of FBI 
informants targeting mosques and youth of color. 
It is hard to believe that juries are swallowing 
the swill served up to them by the Government -- 
but the history of America says differently.  How 
many Black men were lynched and more lately 
convicted of rape because it was an easy kill -- 
racism + sex = GUILTY?  Then it was communism and 
anarchism -- Sacco and Vanzetti -- the 
deportation of Emma Goldman followed by McCarthy 
and the witch hunts of the 50's. Then the 60's 
and the attacks on the Black Panthers and Black 
Liberation Army and any movement that sought real change.

Fast Forward to Now and we have countless 
“terrorist” plots by men and women who can't 
even do the math or who have been lured by dollar 
or glory promises, and grand jury subpoenas for 
Green terrorism and supporters of righteous movements abroad.

Many of our U.S. political prisoners are well 
known internationally. Mumia Abu Jamal epitomizes 
the best among us politically and as a racial 
champion. His brilliant insights collected weekly 
by Noelle Hanrahan for broadcast and his courage 
as he toughs it out on Death Row must bring a 
deep commitment from all of us not to allow them 
to subject him to his state-contrived death.  He 
is the best of the best.  Likewise Leonard 
Peltier, a warrior who enlisted in a war that has 
been waged for 400 years against the U.S. planned 
genocide of native people.  Both men are innocent 
of the crimes for which they continue to rot in 
prison.  And the State knows it.  At this time 
there is little hope for relief for either man 
through legal channels. No!  Their freedom 
depends on whether, we, the People can be 
organized, rise up and demand it.  May it 
happen.  We challenge a wily opponent, one who in 
the sixties was able to buy our movement and con 
people with notions that poverty pimping was 
organizing for change.  We know better.  There is 
a new generation.  The freedom of our own must be 
realized and it must be soon.  We cannot be deterred.

We ask and resolve that the international 
community join us.  This struggle is a dire one 
because of the age of our captured heroes.  We 
must Free Mumia! Leonard shall be returned to the 
Lakota and all native peoples! Free All Political Prisoners!  Free 'em all.

Lynne Stewart
Carswell Federal Prison
Fort Worth TEXAS

3/10/11



Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

415 863-9977

www.Freedomarchives.org  
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/ppnews_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20110319/79d38227/attachment.htm>