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<div align="center"><font size=3><b>Veronza Bowers Statement to the
August 13, 2005 <br>
Journey for Justice Rally in Washington, D.C.<br>
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<br>
Former Political Prisoner Ashanti Alston reading Veronza's statement at
the rally.<br>
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Through the voice of my beloved brother Ashanti, I am honored to be able
to send my very warmest greetings of love and solidarity to each and
every one of you gathered here
and especially to you who are the
mothers and fathers, the sisters and brothers and family members and just
plane ole good friends of us who are being held captive in these houses
for the so-called wretched-of-the-earth.<br>
So, named after my father, I am Veronza Bowers, Jr. I am a former member
of the original Black Panther Party and have been held in federal prison
for almost 32 years. I am just one of the many long-held Political
Prisoners whom government officials officially claim do not exist in the
U.S. of A. Leaving aside the mockery to Lady Justice that was my trial, I
was convicted primarily on the words of two paid "informants"
testimonies (sound familiar?) in the shooting death of a National Park
Service Ranger. On April 7th of last year, after serving the full 30
years required by statute enacted by Congress, I was supposed to have
been released on Mandatory Parole
but today marks the 503rd day of my
unlawful detention! Justice should be made of truer stuff!<br>
I wish that I could be here with you to share in this great and
historical occasion, this heart-warming occasion
not to speak before
you, but rather to feel with you the power of the love, caring and
concern that is being generated by all of you and felt by each
the
Power of the People gathered together with love and concern for us is a
mighty power that has to be recognized and reckoned with. <br>
That's what it's all about: love, caring and concern. It's about family
it's about the communities from which we are being snatched at an
alarming rate. Our your, your sons & daughters, brothers &
sisters and friends are filling up these prisons with sentences longer
than they've been on this earth
they are filling the graveyards before
they've had a chance to live. Something is dreadfully wrong with this
picture!<br>
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Jericho National Co-Chair Efia Nwangaza speaking at the rally.<br>
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Yes, many of our youth get caught up in the deadly trap of selling drugs
(tryin' to come up!) as a means to acquire some of the good things that
life has to offer
and yes! selling drugs is against the law
but,
should that consign them to a life behind prison walls for 20, 30, 45
years, even life without the possibility of parole?! Something is
terribly wrong with this picture! However, we cannot simply press a
button and change the channel, but we can continue to do things like you
are gathered here today doing: Let your collective voice be heard
let
the ones who enacted these laws know that something must be doneNOW!
that we need our sons & daughters and brothers & sisters back
home with us in our communities. What happened to "A second
chance"?<br>
Please, can we have a full minute of silence to remember and honor all
those who have gone before us in our struggle.<br>
For a better future for us all.<br>
After the silence I salute and thank you<br>
<br>
Veronza Bowers, Jr.<br>
<br>
Write to Veronza!<br>
Veronza Bowers #35316-136, <br>
FCC Medium C-1, <br>
P.O. Box 1032, <br>
Coleman FL 33521-1032<br>
<br>
For more information, visit:
<a href="http://www.veronza.org/" eudora="autourl">www.veronza.org<br><br>
<br><br>
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<font size=3 color="#FF0000">The Freedom Archives<br>
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(415) 863-9977<br>
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