[Ppnews] Veronza Bowers Statement to Journey for Justice March

[Political Prisoner News]

Veronza Bowers Statement to the August 13, 2005
Journey for Justice Rally in Washington, D.C.

[]

Former Political Prisoner Ashanti Alston reading Veronza's statement at the 
rally.

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.
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!
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.
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!

[]

Jericho National Co-Chair Efia Nwangaza speaking at the rally.

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"?
Please, can we have a full minute of silence to remember and honor all 
those who have gone before us in our struggle.
For a better future for us all.
After the silence I salute and thank you

Veronza Bowers, Jr.

Write to Veronza!
Veronza Bowers #35316-136,
FCC Medium C-1,
P.O. Box 1032,
Coleman FL 33521-1032

For more information, visit: www.veronza.org




The Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-9977
www.freedomarchives.org 
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