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From: freefreenow@mutualaid.org<br>
Date: Thu, February 22, 2007 1:33 pm<br>
To: freejeffluers@lists.riseup.net<br>
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Jeffrey ‘Free’ Luers Prison Dispatch, February 16, 2007<br><br>
Thursday, February 15th was just like any other morning for me. I woke
up<br>
at six, went down to breakfast and ate with my friends. I came back to
my<br>
cell and turned on the morning news. My cellie went back to sleep,<br>
covering his eyes from the light of the TV as I made a cup of
coffee.<br><br>
I had just started paying attention when the ticker at the bottom of
the<br>
screen read, ‘The man who set fire to three SUVs as an environmental<br>
protest, will serve a shorter sentence than originally planned.’<br><br>
‘That’s me,’ was my first thought. My second (and much louder)
thought<br>
was, ‘I won my appeal,’ I exclaimed, disturbing my cellie and waking
our<br>
neighbors.<br><br>
My cellie looked to the TV as the screen continued, ‘The Court of
Appeals<br>
has ruled that Jeffrey Luers was improperly sentenced.’<br><br>
‘That’s you!’ my cellie exclaimed, echoing my first thought and waking
up<br>
more neighbors. My cellie got out of bed as the ticker informed us
‘Luers<br>
will be sent back to Lane County for re-sentencing.’<br><br>
The neighbors started asking us to keep it down. My cellie turned to
the<br>
bars and shouted, ‘My cellie just won his appeal.’ And in a show of
cheer<br>
one can only find in prison, the morning silence was forsaken as
everyone<br>
started congratulating me.<br><br>
I have spoken with my attorney and there are still many battles
ahead.<br>
Hard choices will have to be made. I am by no means close to walking
out<br>
of prison, just one step closer. This is a victory, and while my own<br>
personal struggle is making headway others are just beginning.<br><br>
On January 23 eight former Black Panthers (Ray Boudreaux, Richard
Brown,<br>
Hank Jones, Richard O’Neal, Harold Taylor, Francisco Torres, and
Herman<br>
Bell and Jalil Muntaqim both of whom have been political prisoners
since<br>
1978) were arrested and charged with the 1971 killing of a police
officer.<br>
Taylor and Bowman were first charged in 1975. However, a judge threw
the<br>
case out after ruling that the men had been physically tortured and<br>
coerced into giving confessions.<br><br>
These men are not the only victims of an ongoing political
witch-hunt<br>
being conducted by the Bush Administration. The SHAC 7 are serving
time<br>
for maintaining a website. Rod Coronado is awaiting trial for
publicly<br>
discussing his role in an Animal Liberation Front campaign that he
served<br>
time for in the 90s.<br><br>
Bush has recently, and very quietly, passed laws bringing the
National<br>
Guard under federal, instead of state, authority. He has enacted laws
that<br>
make it permissible to open the mail of US citizens without a
warrant.<br>
Laws are being passed nearly everyday eroding civil rights and
granting<br>
extraordinary police powers. The Bush Administration rules by
creating<br>
fear and then uses that fear to justify increased executive power
and<br>
excuse human rights violations and war crimes.<br><br>
While Democrats discuss ‘non-binding’ resolutions on the Iraq war,<br>
innocent Iraqis and US soldiers are dying. Dying for what? Another<br>
imperialist war for oil!<br><br>
Bush claims we are fighting to protect our freedom. He must not be<br>
referring to the civil rights he has taken. Rather, he must mean the<br>
freedom to be the world’s largest contributor to climate change; the
right<br>
to be the greediest nation in the world, consuming more of the
world’s<br>
resources than any other nation in history.<br><br>
And now that human-caused global warming is acknowledged as a real
threat,<br>
what is being done? More debates and the same lack of action.<br><br>
The American public has placed their faith in a Democratic
controlled<br>
congress and senate. Indeed, the Democrats may offer some solutions,
but<br>
they will never create social change. That task has historically fallen
to<br>
the people.<br><br>
Generations of activists and revolutionaries have fought against
corrupt<br>
powers to create social change. Several generations of political
prisoners<br>
are still behind bars, and still the silent war wages on. While each<br>
generation and each individual have faced their own struggles,
making<br>
sacrifices for their cause, each of us shares a dream. We all believed
and<br>
continue to believe that a better world is possible: One with
justice,<br>
equality, and freedom for all.<br><br>
We believe strong enough that we have staked our lives and our freedoms
on<br>
it. Because we know that only action creates change.<br><br>
Every generation of warriors have stood and fought for something
better.<br>
Every generation of warriors has asked you the people to stand
by<br>
them, in solidarity. They have asked for your support and action in<br>
creating change.<br><br>
I am not saying or asking anything new. Indeed, much greater people than
I<br>
have asked the same thing of their generation in the name of the
struggle.<br>
So what makes me think this time is different?<br><br>
Nothing. I’m just hoping that this time you will do more than listen
and<br>
nod your head in agreement. I’m praying that this time you will take
it<br>
upon yourself to get involved; to get your family, friends, and
neighbors<br>
involved. I’m asking you to believe that change is possible and that<br>
united we can create it.<br><br>
This June, show your solidarity with me, and all those who have
struggled,<br>
past and present, to make this world a better place. Struggle with
us.<br>
Hold demonstrations or gatherings at federal buildings or US embassies
and<br>
demand change. It doesn’t matter what cause or issue you fight for -
we<br>
are all connected. What does matter is that we stand united and make
our<br>
voices heard.<br><br>
-Jeffrey ‘Free’ Luers<br><br>
Write to: Jeffrey Luers<br>
#13797671<br>
Oregon State
Prison<br>
2605 State
Street<br>
Salem, Oregon
97310<br><br>
More information:
<a href="http://www.freejeffluers.org/" eudora="autourl">
http://www.freejeffluers.org<br>
</a>Donations:
<a href="http://freefreenow.org/donate.html" eudora="autourl">
http://freefreenow.org/donate.html<br>
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