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</font><tt>Date: Sun, 27 Nov 2005 19:46:08 -0800 (PST)<br>
From: Diane Fujino <fujino333@yahoo.com><br>
Subject: Richard William Tribute Material--by Dec. 10<br>
To: diane diane <fujino333@yahoo.com><br><br>
<br>
Dear Friends of Richard Williams:<br><br>
You may already know that Richard Williams, longtime political prisoner
and our dear friend, is very sick and close to passing. Richard was one
of the political prisoners the government put in isolation on 9/11,
though he clearly had no connection with the World Trade Center and
Pentagon attacks. His health deteriorated during his 15-month stay in
isolation. He suffered a heart attack,was treated for testicular cancer,
found out he has diabetes, had problems with his gall bladder—but what is
ultimately killing him is now untreatable Hepatitis C. His liver has
stopped functioning and the interferon treatment was unsuccessful. His
body no longer processes food.<br><br>
The Interfaith Prisoners of Consciousness Project (IPOC), founded by the
late Rev. Michael Yasutake and headed by Rev. Nozomi Ikuta, is honoring
Richard and his life's work by creating a tribute book for him. IPOC will
publish the tribute on the Internet.<br><br>
We're asking all who know Richard to write a paragraph or two letting him
know what he means to us. We're also looking for any photos, photos of
artwork, poetry about or by Richard, past correspondence with Richard,
and so forth. We'll place these in Richard's tribute and post excerpts
from them to the website.<br><br>
Time is of the essence. We apologize for the short notice, but we want
Richard to see the book while he's coherent and able to appreciate the
significance of his life. We're asking that you submit materials to us by
email or mail by Saturday, December 10 to: fujino333@yahoo.com or P.O.
Box 80145, Goleta, CA 93118.<br><br>
Over the last several months, Richard has been dealing with the fact that
he is dying with remarkable forthrightness and ease. He sees death as
part of the natural cycle of life. He has lived a life dedicated himself
to liberation struggle so all people could <br>
exercise self-determination. With dignity and a free spirit is how
Richard has choosen to live, despite physical deterioration in captivity.
What's important to him is to know that his fight for justice and his
sacrifices are remembered. <br><br>
We just spoke with his son Netdahe, who along with his daughter Henekis
and Netdahe's wife, just visited Richard. Richard is strengthened by
their visits and is in close touch with family and friends, but he is
weak and in a lot of pain. Netdahe and Henekis are planning to visit
again soon.<br><br>
It would also mean so much to Richard to hear from you, even though he
may not be able to write back:<br><br>
Richard Williams<br>
#10377-016<br>
Federal Medical Center<br>
P.O. Box 1600<br>
Old North Carolina Hwy 75<br>
Butner, NC 27509-1600<br><br>
Please forward this to those who know Richard and/or who feel a strong
sense of solidarity with the political prisoner movement.<br><br>
In solidary and struggle,<br>
Matef and Diane<br><br>
_______________________________<br><br>
Donations for Richard's Family<br><br>
Dear Friends and Comrades <br>
11/20/2005<br><br>
The Jericho Movement is asking that we all help Netdahe and Henikas,
Richard William's son and daughter, be able to help make our comrade and
friend Richard William's transition to the ancestors as peaceful as
possible. Netdahe and Henikas are trying to be with their father <br>
and we - the movement - can help them do this by taking over as many of
the financial problems that they will be incurring by being in Butner,
North Carolina, for this transitional time.<br><br>
You can send a check or money order to The Jericho Movement and on the
memo line write Richard Williams. This will give you a tax deduction and
Jericho will get the money to Netdahe to help him meet his need and be
with his dad, Richard. Thank you for caring. The Jericho Movement has
committed all funds raised on Dec 3rd to help Richard and his
family--please do what you can to help as well.. <br>
Richard loves to receive card and messages put one in the mail
today..<br><br>
Paulette for the Jericho Movement, p.o. box 774, Bronx, NY 10458<br>
718-220-6004<br><br>
---------------------------------------------------------<br>
Richard Williams in his own words<br><br>
I am a single father and grandfather. I was born on November 4, 1947, in
Beverly, Massachusetts, which is a small coastal city 25 miles north of
Boston. My mother was a factory worker and seamstress and my father was a
machine operator. I have one sister younger than me by six years. Just
when the draft was getting heavy for Vietnam I turned 18 years old and
promptly received my notice. Like most working class kids, white or
Black, there was no easy way out of it. Either get drafted, join, or
hide. I chose not to go. At 20 years old I was arrested for having
marijuana, which in Massachusetts was a felony. Given the choice of six
months in jail or joining the army, I went to jail in 1967 and became
ineligible for the draft.<br><br>
I continued to have brushes with the law when in 1971 I was arrested for
robbery in New Hampshire and received a seven-to-15-year sentence. I was
23 and faced five solid years in jail, at the least. I ealized at that
time that I was going nowhere fast, that I needed to change something so
I started with myself. I became involved with trying to better the prison
conditions I was in, which were deplorable. It was 1971, the year George
Jackson was murdered, the year of the Attica Rebellion. There was unrest
in most prisons, because overall the prisons were brutal and inhumane. I
was elected chairperson of the New England Prisoner Association. Inside,
I met with legislators, and participated in food and work strikes and
protests for better conditions. I read a lot of history and worked in
political study groups. I was locked up, beaten, and shipped out for my
activities. I learned through study and my efforts that the struggle was
much larger than my then surroundings. I became a communist.<br><br>
Upon my release I worked briefly with the Prairie Fire Organizing
Committee. I went to work for the New England Free Press a radical,
collective print shop for almost 2 years. Along with Barbara, Jaan, and
Kazi, I was part of The Amandla Concert in Harvard Stadium in 1979.
Featuring Bob Marley, Amandla was a benefit concert to provide aid to
liberation forces in Southern Africa. My role was as part of a People's
Security Force which provided security for the concert. We also did
security work for the community such as house sitting with people who
were under attack by racists. We went to Greensboro, North Carolina in
1979 to protest the killings of SWP (Socialist Workers Party) members by
the KKK.<br><br>
I went underground to join the armed clandestine movement in 1981 and was
captured in Cleveland on November 4th, 1984, my 37th birthday.<br><br>
I was convicted for five of the United Freedom Front (UFF) bombings in
1986 in Brooklyn Federal Court. In 1987 I got a hung jury at the
Somerville, N.J. trial in the death of a state trooper during a shoot-out
with Tom Manning. Next I went through a two-year long trial in
Springfield, Mass., along with Pat and Ray Levasseur, in 1988 and 1989
for seditious conspiracy and RICO. The jury refused to <br>
convict us. In December 1991, I was convicted of killing state trooper
Lomonco in 1981 after my second trial on these charges in Somerville,
N.J. I am to serve 45 years for the UFF actions when I finish serving my
N.J. sentence of 35 years to life. As with all dedicated revolutionaries
the government has caught they have tried to bury my body away in prison,
while being unable to crush my spirit.<br><br>
I welcome correspondence from anyone who would like to write.<br><br>
Long Live Revolutionary Resistance to Imperialism and Capitalism!<br>
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