Cover Drawing by Andy (John Two-Names) Riendeau

Editted by Anthony Rayson, on September 7th, 2003
$2.00 / free to prisoners / many other zines available
S. Chi. ABC Zine Distro / Box 721/ Homcwood IL 60430
Greefings! Here's the latest Thought Bombs, which | hope you
enjoy, as well as derive some usefulness from. Maybe you might
wilte fo one of the prisoner/contributors &/or contact a support
group fo get more seriously involved in this oppressive situation.

Today is September 7th, and my aunt and uncle will be
celebraling their 50th wedding anniversary, later this affemoon.
Next weekend, my brother Jim and his wite Maria, are throwing
me a big blowout 50th birthday parly at their place! We're gonna
have our favorite band, Heartsfield!

1 wanted o publish this before September 11th, as I've been
invited fo do a reading at Quimby's bookstore on the fopic,
“What have we leamed the last two years?” So, i's diatiibe cily!

This zine is a sort of ongoing scrapbook of what I've done the
last few months, what I've been thinking about and what ofhers
have fo say about social and polilical reality these days, with a
special emphasis on prison issues and shategizing fo increase
the support for prisoners. For, | consider this the most glaring
sore spo of a uly diseased counfry and culfure.

One thing | would like fo say. These are just brief skefches of
What 1 thinkis happening and my involvement in It. Some are just
images without comment. This does not mean | agree with what
Is conjured up by the image in the mind of the reader (such as the
Weathermen(women) shot. With only sixty pages fo work wih, if's
an Inadequate collage of the biizzard of stupendous polifical and
military changes and developments occurting in rapid-fire
sequence, thioughout the world. I'm fryin' to get a few words In,
edgewise! Interview &/or excoriate me for al the details! | have
fo wrestle for each liftle bit of time I have, o think & do something!

The Eugene Conference, | suppose, dominates this zine, as well
it should! Many statements from prisoners are missing from this zine.
| couldn't even transcribe them all, yet. But | will collect them into
another zine, probably, Prisoners' Speak! To The Eugene Conference!

I've agreed fo spearhead the organizing of the third of these latest,
anarchist organized, prison abolifion conferences, focusing on ABC
organizing and exploring the myriad issues Involved in radical,
serdously analyfic depth. The first one was in Auslin, Texas, where the
Anarchist Black Cross Network was created. Thisis positive siep!

There's plenty of knowledge. We need to work with more people,
more effectively. This takes fime, effor, fearlessness. We must force
ourselves to push away lefhargy and defeafism. Like Van Morison
says, “If's In the doing, that we find!" “Aln't that a loffa lov P.B.

This conference will be held in Chicago, possibly at the U. of Chicago,
around the middle of next August. So, everybody please confact me
50 we can work fogether to make this one incredible gathering!

I've been also collecting and edifting wonderful, insightful stuff from
varlous sources, mostly prisoners. Tom Big Warrior of the Red Heart

Wartior Soclety has writien and editted briliant historical analysis from
the Native American perspeciive, which I've reformatted info zines fo
make avallable. Ask for these succinct, knowingly written and
explained gems! Le Nard Andre Scovens has written a powertul freatise,
enfified, “Mercy, Mercy Me!" If's a pile of papers with pen ink on ‘em!

. THE HEARTS OF OUR LINE-UP 4-6
2 ONE NATION IN DENIAL 6
3. THE NEW WEATHER UNDERGROUND MOVIE 7
4. FRAC PARTIAL FLYER CONCERNING BENTON HARBOR 8
5. IMAGES OF WAR (EVER SO “NECESSARY" EW7) °
5. LAST COUPLE YEARS.. QUIMBY'S 9-11 RANT 10-13
7. STATEMENT BY RICHARD FLOOD (STILL IN CAN) 14-15
8. RICHARD FLOOD RECEVES “TIME SERVED" DEAL 16 - 18
. THE HYPOCRISY OF CAPITALIST MORALITY, TALB 19 - 22
O. LIKE RAISINS IN THE SUN, LE NARD ANDRE SCOVENS 23 -25
1. NOTES ON THE BREAK THE CHAINS CONFERENCE 26 - 31
2 STATEMENT FROM ABCN MEMBERS 32-33
3. ANARCHIST BLACK CROSS WORK - ADD. TO CONF. 33 - 40

ADDRESS TO BREAK THE CHAINS CONF. BY RASHID 41 - 48

5. STATEMENT FROM AMY MUFFLEY 49 - 50
6. FROM THE TOMB OF THE LIVING, YET THE DEAD

8Y BRUCE (YERO) CUMMINGS 51 - 54
7. “WHAT MATTERS, ANYMORE? MARGARET MAJOS 55
8 STATEMENT FROM MAROLD H. THOMPSON 56 - 57

9. POEMS BY TELLY ROYSTER DRAWING OF HIM/DAUGHER 58 - 59
0. PRISON REPORT, CONDUCTED BY JEREMIAH VANSICE 60

There's work fo be done supporting the Missourl Prison Labor Unlon, and
11l look Into working up the publications for that. Texas has an anti-slavery
group, headed by Sidney Wiliams #563001 / 899 FM 632 / Kenedy, TX 78119.
Richard Flood was freed but must deal with a fracking device unfil the end

of Seplember, | belleve. So, life goes on, day by day! Take care, Anthony
The Hearts of Our Line-Up 4

Several of our sons, aged 8.9 & 10 flocked together to form the Monee:
Cardinals, his spring. Big and small,experienced and new 1o this, they came to
give if their best sho.

Luckify, the coaches were perfectly suited for this magical run, They had-
coached alder bays and their very oan san were part of this team, toal. A decp
love and affection flowed from them (and the other parents) which helped to
‘guide, instruct and encourage these kids at every furn.

At first, the lads looked Tike ttie guys tryin' o play ike he big kids, with o
hard ball. Balls weat through their legs. they heaved wayward thraws.. You know
what T'm sayir', It was a bi of struggle. But, they were eager to give it a fry,
learn aad meld into a team.

‘The fivst game was played in Beecher on a cold, cloudy, rairy, windy affernoon.
‘They held a beief lead of 3 10 2_ The roaf caved.in and they ended up lasing
‘something fie 12 to 4, Oh well, car't win ‘em alll

‘Something marvelous started to happenl After the game, the coaches spoke fo
the fellas in.a way, that you could see was sinking ito thelr yearning, atfentive.
faces. Then they ran sprints.cut in the outfield. This pattern was follawed after
every game, winor lose. The rumber of sprints was determined by haw mary
ervors they had made during the game plus called third strikes. Tt was il well and
good to strike out, But you gatta swingh

8 the games were played every ather day ar sa and the ployers and parests
99t 1o know each other better, a comraderie developed. Lo and behold, the bays
started to winl My.son and T figured it was because I started 10 go fo the games
more. They Hod this nonchalant atfitude that seemed fo serve them well: They
‘come.back late.in ballgames. They got the.atrike-out ar pap up when they neaded
#, and even furned a few double playsl

Theyre our boys and they were having fun, under the watchful, gentle guidance:
of thecouches: OF course, there was always the garme fong banter from us.
‘ane.gane, there was.abit of a scare. A bay got hit in the focehead with th bal)
out in centerfield. After a few anxious moments, he got up, shook it off and
stayed in the game. Atta boyl

Alltoo soon, the season was aver. The festivity of f was so wonderful - the:
oncession stand, the.taddlers playie baby bail the rain delays and practices - alf
gone oo soon, ke an early blooming flower. Moms and Dads with busy schedues,
regretted the games they missed, for this was a special time - the *salad days®
When we got 10 have a socif love affair with our children, mixed with basebalt:

Our bays had became a feam - a.good teaml They won abaut eight games ina
rouand finished with o recard of 12 and 4, oe something like that, This.put. them.
In second place out of maybe a dozen teams. They got a bye the first round of the
playoffs, for playing so great.
Then, on Saturdy, June 28Th, if was fime for their first playoff game. But,
the umpire wes late. One.of the guys there velunteered to ump, bavinghod <
experience as an ump, nor being a dad (of playing player) and in possession of
unabashed zeal. When the real ump showed p in the second inning, our volurteer
ump refused fo qut, so the paid wmp had to work first Base. The Monee Cardinals
built up a ice lead and coasted f0.a fen to seven win.

‘The next game was delayed a day because of rain and T had fo miss t, fo go fo
work.This was worrisome. My anxiety furned to wonder, when I found out they
hadprevaifed - even withotre= buTonly by a run. They woul play for-the
champianstipl

“The rumber one seed had Been Beaten the day before, o the Cardinals woukd
981 10 be the hame team. They would face of ageinst a dangeraus Manhattan
team, which they had already beaten in two close, tense games, one in extra
Invings.

o one scoredin the first inaning. The pitchers starfed ouf sharp. Manhatfan
managed 10 push two runs across in the second. Moes responded with a barrage
of five runs in their haf of the inning. Even though there wes only one out, the
bats were faken out of the hands of these shuggers, because they have a rule that
You can ony scare five runs during the firsT tivee inings of hese six inning
gomes. Alsa,if one.feam is cheed by ten ar mare.after five, that'a it - game overl

Tt was a well payed game, with the boys trying their hearts out, encouraging
‘each other, while the parents of both feams yakked away i between and during
‘every pitch, When a Ranhatan parent rode fhe ump over a ball/Sfrike cel, he.
‘urned around, took his mask of and said, "Tve got chease for that whinel® Umps
can drive you ruts!

Both teams had many opporfunities and there were several bang-bang plays at
alt the bases. Aarhatfan scored three more and if was fled up af five going info
the sixth. They scraped and clawed and brought a run home in the top half,

o lead o the bottom half, Monee's clean-up hitter was up. He promptly
clobbered a ballthat bounced off the left field fence on one hop. He'd done the
same thing earfier in the gamel He was at second base with a double. With one
aut, anather guy gat .hif and stole secand. Aftes another cut, my boy came up.
‘Quickly, he was behind 1 and 2. Things looked pretty grim, but he coaxed a waik.
T bases were-touded withr two outst. The game had-come o this-crescerdo and
everybadywas screarsitl rowl

Tha pitcher ook o dacp breath.ond bore down. This kid played o whale of o
game. He got fhe strikeout and that was Y, Game over. ARnaffan wins, 6:10 5.
The bays all gat a tee.shirt and the winners toak home the frophy.

After the game, our coach said, Tt was a fough one 0 lase.* ndeed it was.
But even tougher, was seeing the season end.

Alitie whilk lafer, we it imaded Prankie’s party room for pizza end pop. Kot
‘toaworry.. The team wast dawn at oll, unlike the.stiff upper lipped parents. They
were screamirt and yeling, tuging on eachather, making silly Jokes and hypering
out like a bunch of elght, rine and fen year old boys are wont 1o do, They're
forever reammates!”
As Tpoured my son another Coke, he made a joke. He said, "Hey, Dudt-Ya know
what Manhattan's driekin' right now?* *Nal What?* *Manhattans!* é

Hang in there, papents. My.brother, wha hails from Marhattan, had this advise.
“Let it gol* Well, we know that the Monee Cardinals of 2003 will always ule. For,
we get 1o have and 1o hold them, in the glorious game of life and love, for the rest
of our lucky lives.

What Tl always remember in my mind’s eye is the cpproval-seeking turned head
glances of the boys, while they were out on the field and their triumphant smiles,
basking in deserved praise, for such great play.

~ Anthony Rauysor {Manee) Cardinal fan ~

THE

WEATHER ®
UNDERGROUND

A DOCUMENTARY BY SAM GREEN & BILL SIEGEL

Defend the Rebellion
Self-Defense is a Right!
Amnesty for All Arrestees

Benton Harbor has been the witim of polce
velence, empty promses of polticians, and fackm
by govemsment forfor 0o ong! The otpouring of
anger that fored Up intis town must b seen 85
ajust response t economic and racil oppressnt
Benton Habor s seen Rebelon agare nfustice
nd butaty| Wehout usice, thre il b o pescel

Beforethe Rebllon,the poicans and country
ad turmed it backonthe people of Benton Hrbor,
It the directactin by people i Benton Harbor
hat put this toan and is struggles on every TV
andincery nevspapes TheRebellon,nc potticans
and wouid e eaders, 5 what has brought aterion
and change to Benion Harbor, It has been the
Rebelion that has forced the polce to step back
and stop ther racist chases and attacs. 1t wss
the Rebeton that has forced the Gavernor to come
g 10 offer aid and supposed accountabiy.
Itws th Rebelln that has pushed peopes nesds
00 everyone thoughs.

It s the people of Benton Harbor that has

changed the skuaton, no one lsll

Vie efend th Rebelion and stand in suppart o
the people wha are secking answers, and making
the solutions,that wi e for the good o 3l whal
ave boen wionged and hut by the Gavernment
and Polce of both Benton Harbor and S. Joseoh.

e rebelon may have tumed el down ow|
for the mament,but we know tha the oppression|
and the reistance t tha oppression il come|
back 50 long as peopie sl face hard times and|
Injstice. We o know that the authorties (cops,
polticians, and government) and their scllou] RB Licd
niches want t keep people down and withot|
power. e Know that the authorties wil seek|
Vengeance on those who lashed cu i fightecus
anger at oppression.

FEDERATION OF REVOLUTIONARY Wiy,

ANARCHIST COLLECTIVES (FRAC)
PO Box 4502 *‘
East Lansing MI 48826

Stop Terrorizing
Iraqi Children!!
9

new phase of war

an atmosphere of oppression

Last Couple Years... 10

We’va “learned” that we are now in some
kind of “war.” The September 1lth assault has
indeed, cpened the lid of Pandora’s Box and the
U.S. blew the 1id clean off it with their ever-
ongoing, never-ending, genocidal respenses.
It's George Orwell’'s 1984 with a vengeance!
Pecple know now (or should) and are more afraid
because of, what they have learned about their
government and what their real intentions now
are (corporate protection, worldwide plunder and
suffering.) This is also what they always have
boen! What the few attempting to alert people,
thesa last many years already knew - we live
under fascism, more Plain Jane’s and Joe Blows
are starting to figure out. Many politically
unknowing people have succusbed to tha cosiness
of denial and swallow the imperialist, racist,
offensiveness, whole or largely in part, even to
the point of active participation and support.
The lifelong conditioning has been amazingly
effective, to cheerlead for and support mass
murder of fellow human beings for power and
profit. The worst criminals on Earth must be
treated as the exalted ones - like Stalinism.

talephone, too! They’re corralling Mideastern

- right now, like they did the Japanese
1! They're torturing prisoners across the
country into Cuba, Afghanistan and Iraq! The
scant few protections in the laws have been
shredded, 8o domestic repression can bacome ever
more generalized. It’s not just for Black,
Chicano or Native people, anymore!

Of course, this is the “alarmist” camary in
the minefield of ideas, anarchist spaaking.
Before we could scoff at it, nary a conscious
twinge of disturbing thought! Now, we know it’'s
all too true, yet still can’t bear to hear it.
Catatonia is unbelievably pervasive and the
forces of evil, running the show are mobilized
and extremely armed and dangerous.

The fascist cry, “Long Live Death!” is n
reveled in by the flag-waving order takers, now
set loose on pacple throughout the world.

We’ve seen the economy continue to swirl
into the toilet, with lay-offs galore, speed-
ups, downsizings, forced pay cuts and loss of
benefits. Wa've seen record plunder by top
corporations of worker’s monies, without
punishment, while record numbers of young people
are railroaded into prison for minor drug raps.
¥o see the society and cultura go into lockdown
mode, with everybody suspicious of eachother and
many with connections to the authorities. It
reminds me of instant coffee, Soviet Stalin
style domestic occupation and dread, as
described in the book, FEAR.

It just seemed to accelerate the terrible
things, some people predicted would happen,
under capitalism. After all, it's a classist
system that pits the rich, powerful few, against
the vast majority of people, in America, and now
all over the world - six billion people! The
workplace has been “fascizized.” I saw where
Sony is uprooting from Mexico to drive wages to
prison slave level, in China! The cat’s out of
the bag, alright! People forget or never knew
what a cosmic job of daily genocide (for over a
decade) the U.8. inflicted on Vietnam and the
rest of Southeast Asia. This is not new!

Everything wrong is slowly, inexorably,
accelerating. The food is becoming inorganic.
New powerful drugs are more quickly available to
treat “newly discovered” psychological
conditions, such as questioning liars or being
dissatisfied with a psychotic society! The
children are bloating up like a sick, old cats!
More and more their attention is focused at a
cathode ray of fantasized, usually violent,
images. Tell me this improves their awarone:

The regular brainwash machine, the TV,
blares out cop shows galore, CIA, prosecutors
judges, military S.E.A.L. and S.W.A.T. teans as
living G.I. Joe’s to worship and emulate.

Authorities are thus pouring it on to build a /2
whole nother generation of soldier worshippers,
ex-goldiers, dead soldiers and affected
families, to control the population’s behavior
and thinking through incessant, lying
propaganda. Gee, I wonder why people go 80
barserk all the time in the States, don’t you?
It affects how the kids are “taught” in
schools - everything. It’s an exponential leap
in this demented, power-tripped out, slava-
based, imperialist monstrosity! It's a culture
based on the prostitution of ourselves to ‘
ourselves for the entire length of our lives!!!
So, the gloves are off, alright, whether
you’re talking about Dick Cheney’s “Fifty Year
War” abroad or Ashoroft’s “War on Treason.” Mix
lunatics like Rumsfeld, Rice and Wolfowitz and
you give Hitler's bunch or Nixon’s cabal, a run
for their megalomaniacal, bloodthirsty money!
The scary difference is of course, these arch
criminals have no restraints. Ten million
pecple in the streets mean nothing to them, for
Russia is involved in this glabal gang rape,
too, in Chechnya and elsewhere.
The transfer of wealth upwards has been
done in massive, hundreds of billions of
dollars, heaves! Everywhere, in every
department, Bush & Co. are planting not just
reactionaries, but the actual wolf in tha
henhouse, whether it’s certain industri
“oversight,” bureacracy, a court judge or
whatever! The laws are being ripped-up and re-
written, if they so much as hinted at consumer
safety, public health or the general welfare.
The ground, water and air will be ruthlessly
exploited for wood, minerals, animals, whatever
can be profited from, as the living conditions
for one and all increasingly become degraded.
Terrorism has dramatically increased, since
the Sharon-like tactics of the U.S. in
Afghanistan and Iraq, which of course, many had
foresean. “Weapons of Mass Destruction” have
not been found, to no one’s surprise, really.

13

They claim to give a damn about the tens of
thousands of Shiites massacred by Saddam, after
the cease-fire, watched over by these self-same
U.S.forces, ala Sharon at Sabra & Shatila, in
1982. In fact, when Saddam was gassing the
Kurds, Rumsfeld was hanging out with him, having
a few drinks going over plans to send him “aid”
such as anthrax, heavy weapons, etc. He was our
“boy” then! Millions of Iraqi’s were killed
(mostly children) to “teach Saddam a lesson!”

Even the thousand and one questions about

the September 1lth attack itself, can’t be shut
out of our over-blown circuits. What can you
believe of your government, nothing? It was a
cruel blow to learn they claimed “ground zero”
was safe to return to, when it wasn’t, on the
grounds of “national security.” I wonder if
some of us have been exposed to muclear poison,
being unknowing guinea pigs in one of their
Mengelian “experiments” with smaller nukes?

The war the U.S. has waged on dozens of
pulverized countries these last several decades,
has come home. Of course, it always was being
fought right here at home, but many people, who
often allow themselves to be classified as
“white,” made a possibly unknowing pact with the
devil to not think about it, nor give a damn
about their fellow human brothers and sisters
throughout th world.

We were forced to be this way, but the
truth is out there, so we all must go through
our metamorphosis, our catharsis, our epiphany
and with new and evolving revalations, overcome
our fear and inertia and begin to contribute
positively and selflessly to the worldwide
peoples’ revolution, for we live in the belly of
the beast and we are America’s “White Rose.”

~ Anthony Rayson ~
South Chicago ABC Zine Distro / P.O. Box 721 / Homewood. IL 60430

Learn the explosive truth from the
qulags, both Inside & out! ZINES
Dear Friends & Supporters,

B odvised that on April 25, 2003, in @ 3- O uing. the Appeliate Court (Third

Distict) o inols ssued an order reversing my conviction and senfence based
Upon a legal fechnicaity. namely, “that there is @ ikeihood that the juy wos
swayed by... inadmisable evidence, and ;

Formow we must wait 21 days 10 see i the State files a peiion for rehacring or
fles an nfent 1o seek review by the Supreme Court. I the Stafe does neffher.
Ihen 7 days affe ihe 21 day perod. the mandate isues nd Lwil be relumed 1o
the County Jai.,

‘Although we have made the fst successful step fowards my release from
Custody. this s nonetheless a bittersweet victory, inasmuch as had gefiing out of
il been my main prcrity. | wouid have accepled fhe State's orginal “daat
‘and been home in Dec. 2001.

We sfil have a ways fo go, as evidenced by the Appeliate Court's uling.in
particular i based upon our

furine, i reversing nd remanding the entre case on sald legal fechricaity,
Ihe Appelate Court tates that it “need not reach Richard's remanding
ergumens on appeal.” namely. the fialjudge's and State’s blatant
misconduct, vindictiveness, and polical bias openly displayed against me

Ihroughout i ordeal. All of the above has been conveniently wiped off the
siate, as it had never happened.

Imeftect. the State gets another bite at the apple as wel, and the opporturity
10 better conceal their animus towarcts me duing tis exercise infutly.
iy funniy n iends jost worii me home and couldn't care less whether or not
he Stale vindicates me. | aiso reafze fhat | cannot receive fox fial under fhe-
xisling syslem, so | uin lefi conlemplating whether o not standing upon /.S
principie alone equates 1o all that we have o endure for even a semblance of
rue justice. Even my atfomey. Michael E. Deufsch, who by fhe way. did an
excellent job during oral argument, isn't enfhusiastic about the prospects of
another frol.

St none of those cops, judges or lawyers were present at fhat gas stafion or
the fime and datein quesfion. 1was however, and | know in my mind and af
heart that my only intentions were o profect my wife and get her out of harm's
way. | believe that | was well within my natural right as a human being fo.
protect my wife and myselt from ham. 1 also befieve that | was within my legol
fignts 0s a cifizen. However, it appears that former polifical prisoner and
revolutionary acfiist doesn't enjoy this ightin the US. Perhaps | should humbie
myselt, foke the deal. and then fry fo get @ pardon from some scandal-
plagued govemor.

in solidarity.

Richord M. Flood

Richard Flood Receives a “Time Served™ Deal, June 30th, 2003

As has happened in every case involving Richard Flood and Dirty '
Dan” Rozak, the case wasn't called until the end, when the courtroom
was empty of non-handcuffed defendants and other citizen family
members. Plenty of prosecutors and lawyers were slithering around,
though. Rozak also called another recess right before they escorted &
hand-cuffed Richard and another ellow-clad prisoner from Stateville,
through their little sneak door from hell.

From Memrd, he was transferred to Stateville in Joliet, where he'tl
stay at least two more weeka. We're at Will County Courtroom #404.
The “deal” that was struck meant Richard had to plead guilty and
receive time-served as a sentence. This is to be without parole, now
called “mandatory supervised release™ which is often impossibly
intrusive and almoat always guaranteed to create a “violation *

mjndnlmmmdwdhmmnmhfimm'm
of the deal. He said he didn't have the “authority” to tell the D.0.C. how
to deal with this situation. He recalled a similar case, where the D.0:
draggad their foet three montha just to decide whether ta insist on
parole or not. Richard's parole violation extension runs out in early
September. In March, he got a six month bump because of his
conviction for this bogus, non-crime!” The Appeals Board threw out the
conviction 3-0, yet he must serve a six-month parole flop extensian for
being earlier railroaded for it! They punish based on lies and deception!

Of course, their is no accountability for judges or prosecutors who
p‘rhflukinlw:hmminllmfivuyfidn‘ypiflllndhepifl'Apmfl
25 a sort of hostage.) They're immune from retribution, sort of ike what
the death-squads throughout Crntral & South America gave to
themselves. Rozak should have had a hood on, ala the Peruvian judges,
to conceal his ugly, nasty, malvolent facet

Richard Flood served 829 days for this outrageous case already. The
bloated prosecutor talked of giving him 1 & /2 days credit for each day,
50 his “time served” would ba five years and nine months, well over the
‘maxinm 5 year sentence, which Rozak bad imposed; then doubled to
ten! This ia allowed for those wha've already served their time for
previous convictions! It's a revolving door, lucrative punishment
industzy that plays havoc with peoples’ ives to foed their furnace.

Michael Deutech s Richard's lawyer. He handled the appeal in front
of the Review Board. He's out of the Peoples” Law Office, in Chicago.
Deutsch is arguing for simple time served with na parale stipulatians.
That's what was agreed to, otherwise Richard would have insisted upon
a new jury trial. For, if Richard was given ‘credit” for 1 & V/2 days
credit for each day served, they could take away that “credit” and keep
internal tickets. Deutach is firm, yet cordial, focused on procurring the

‘best phrased pieces of paper signed by Rozak. He's doing all you can 7
with such a rigged system, under the circumstances.

‘The judge has a totally different demeanor than the last time I saw
him, when he sentenced Richard to ten years. Gone is the nazi-like
haughtiness. He's trying to be magnanimous, which on a thoroughly
‘unmagnanimous man, looks especially phony. He comes across as er
creepy and insincere. Its a disgusting spectacle, alright!

At this point, Richard is still debating whether to demand a new
trial. The judge reitorates that he has no say-s0 on parole. Deutsch
brings up the example of another of his clients, Aaron Patterson,
recently released from deathrow on last day pardon, by ex-governor
George Ryan. Aaron served 17 years for a double murder they know he
didn't commit. Aaron and Richard were boyhood buddies. Deutsch said
e had to go in front of the parole board to get the mandatory parole
dropped, which they did, after a while.

‘Upon Deutach's insistence, they decided to word a separate draft to
‘address this. Thejudge will recommend that Richard is not burdened
by parole for this bogus, non-crime, averturned conviction “deal” that
leaves the judge and prosecutor unscathed, not subject to a lawsuit, and
Richard pleading guilty to something he didn't do, be forced into prison
for 829 days for, and have no recourse. But at least, he'll be back home
‘with his wife and six teenaged children, in a fow weeks. Hence, Justice/

Ohbviously, the judge knows that he was ethically wrong ta
participate in this railroading of Richard Flood, but he doesn't give a
damn because he's an ideological punisher and there’s nothing to check
him. He kicks into damage control. The reason the Review Board
overthrew Rozak's conviction was because the judge and prosecution
had baited and befuddled the jury into believing Richard was all
involved with “drugs” of which there was never any evidence of. This
scared them into at least convicting Richard on one of three charges.

The real crime of this conviction was the fact that no crime by
Richard ever occurred. He came to the rescue of his wife, who was the
victim of a criminal assault. They charged the victims of a crime with
crime and staged a sham trial enforcing the crime of incarceration on
Richard and his family. Its turned around and inside out! Tn effect, the
munwmmmmmmulotmmpmmw

crime, lying to and coercing the jury into a “guilty” verdict, maximizing
the sentence and then doubling it! Al the while, (iike the Aaron
Patterson case) they kneww hie wasn't guilty of anything, under the
cizcumatances. The real reason they did this, ia because Richard was a
serious political prisoner up until 2000, as well as a jailhouse lawyer
and political organizer - in prison! His last prison address had been the
super-max hellliole, known as Tamms.

So, the judge got what he wanted, pretty much. He was able ta tear
Richard from his family, his worksite, the Mr.MALO youth counselling

center, his community, other family members, friends, supporters, |§
collaborators, etc. for 829 days (plus whatever else they will make him
serve) Judges always get away with many, many crimes!

Since the system is beyond rigged, these criminals are not subject to
arrest, prosecution or even a lawsuit for the crimes of kidnapping and
confinement. Rather, they profit obscenely from it with high salaries,
bonuses for convictions, and so on. Allof this “logal” crime is paid for by
us through another crime, extortion (taxes,) But, paying high taxes
doesn't prevent us from suffering a similarly outrageous fate, at any
time. In effect, we're all potential “fair game™ victims of statc crime.

Richard wrote a good article a while back, entitled, “The System Ain't
Broke and Can't Be Fixed.” Obvious to many is the fact, that this is
unfortunately true and the only way to got justice in Amerikkka is to
totally dismantle this morbid system and bring the genuine criminals to
the just wrath of the peaple. This means revolution.

L1186 VM '9eas
8PT# IS 4108 MN 00vZ
SMaN 12697 uosiid

ors yrison resource guide
NoW Compiling .o, riSon
restr@\omgdtlpaé
—> Prisonerg: send yer ingti-
tytions vres rictiond onN

nted ok i rss—
7 gerr.‘de %}’\fisg;;e"

Ne to myma house

after july 15t 2001:

janice flux LB,
P.0. box 1607 W
santa cruz, ca 95060

The Hypocrisy of Capitalist Morality 9

Irecently readin Peacework a quote from Don Helder Camara and to me it
epitomizes the hypocrisy of capitalst mocalty. It says: “When I give food to the poor
they call mea saist. Whea 1 ask why the poor bave 1o food, they call me a communist.”
s we well know, capitalist propagandiss did an effecive ob i the western bemisphere
in demonizing the theory of communiem and creating the myth thatsocllism cau't
‘work. The above quote s an example of the hypoerisy that runs through capitalist

‘morally corrupts everything
ideology that pits the privileged and powerful few against the humbled and seemingly
helpless masses.

In the field of poitcs et us look at some basic fadicators of corruption, beginning
with the self-tpproved increasing salries of senators and congressmen, women, as well
ey Do g ik b i i oy of Wil Chton. s
George W. Bus! to twice inton.
expected, a self-initiated, self-approved vote was passed to increase the salary of
congress by about $40,000 with automatic increases of $5,000 every ome or two years

e e et qate o centry, nithecones s theprosdet s
initiated a bill to double the minimum wage. In fact, when I was nineteen in 1977, the
‘minimum wage was $2.95 an hour. Here we are in 2003, twenty-six years later, and the
‘minimum wage is $5.15. That's less than double of years ago! Are America’s
politicians saying that the basic cost of living has not doubled for anyone in America but
themselves? If economic liffe is getting no more secure and 1o better for the average
‘working American citizen, then whose interest are politicians really winning elections to
‘represent? For those who have eyes to see, the answer has to begin with politicians
‘representing their own selfish interests by advancing the interests of multi-national and
‘national corporations. To understand this, we need only review the 2001-2002 briel
‘exposure of corporate executives literally robbing employees and investors of everything
i e g o peson o o e o

“There are poor women in prisons all across America for defranding the government
mm.mmmmmmn»muwdw&
‘out of everything they bave been saving for decades are not even accused of a crimel
And if they are, the penalty usually only amounts to sharing a small percent of the stolea
oot with the Attorney General's office. Corporate executives are protected by political
influence and financial manipulation of legislation, as well as the capitalist ideology of
the wealthy and powerful vs. the insignificant and oppressed, in the heads of so-called
‘servants of the law. We often overlook the fact that prosecutors and attorney generals
‘are politicians t0o, and that they may be hoping to g0 to bed (figuratively
‘somewhere down the line with these people they refuse to vigorously prosecute.

Politicians talk a lot about human rights and democracy, but they never mention that
‘this government has a hidden agenda which is very actively pursued to undermine and
obstruct the exercise of human rights and democracy all over the world: Africa, Central
‘America, and elsewhere. In the year 2000, the United States military funding was
$343.2 billion. That's $283.2 billion more than Russia spent. Are we to believe that
America’s spending of over five times as much is a necessity for successful attack-
e Ty e S
‘and military regimes to keep their own populations oppressed and starving while the
ot i . They sy oo bty et s nevr k|

o o ey e s et

‘and democratic freedoms.

sy ol youto mak et oo cxpoted
‘another country, eat half, then throw the rest away while the people i the country from
freedom.
Nol It s the product of global genoide, economic explotation, and politicaly corrput
‘manipulation o other governments inthe face o the threat of military assault. Ameriea
basically telsotber overuments: “You give s what we wani from your country's
resources, cven atthe expense of starving your owa people,or, wel use our power to
{ake it and your power over your people right along with it Ve are well aware from
history that several governments give i to thes threats. And ss a result,severalfoeign
populations around the globe suffer uanecessary poverty, violence, and death.

Fewof us can trly imagine the torturous livesthey endure between the cradle and
the grave. Mostof s do not make the connection, and then there are many who do, but
turm ther beads. Capitalst propaganda has been so effectve at braiowashing that many
people e others suffering and belng deprived for the beneftof themselves as an
Inbereat necesstyfor survival economics. They never eally s10p toponder: i it
necessary for people o be starving in the world? Why are people starving in countries
that export so many toas of food a year? How do 5o few people in country come to
privately ov and monopolize for private profit nearly all the arable land i a country?

Certainly, we perceive nothing, by nature that could be responsible forthis
iniquitous scheme of distribution. Nature is an open hand to ll umanity. The bottom
ine s that private ownersbip of that which nature yields o humanity for i collctive
survival isa crime against humanity and nature! Let there be no confusion. Organized
distrbution and eousumption (ife sustaining managemeat) of that which nature yiclds,
‘hether independently o by the aid of humans, i necessary. But organized monopaly,
probibited consumption, and private caim to ownership is unnecessary and morally,
politicallyand economically wrong.

A recent biotechnology report was quoted as stating that ‘thers is no one starving in
the world because of lack o food. People are starving because they can'tafford to buy
food.” Can any so-called moral person justify o rationalize leting human beings starve
o death in the midst of plenty because they ean't afford to buy food? What came first

bold it, the that have come upon his property want to load the truck and
e e b
1o the people who need to eat. But, with nothing to pay the farmer, a conflict emerges.
‘The private so-called “right" to manopoly, control, and profit from natural

resources,
i, food, versus the public need to reely feed hungry, ‘Who has the mioral ight
to prevail? In capitalis society and the world effected| economic values, we.
see people malnourished and starving daily, because | pseudo-rights to profi,
deny publicneeds.

profiti the primary motive. The corporate targeting of vlnerabl groups for new drugs
has become, i reality, o crime sgaiust unsuspecting people, specially children. In
receat years statstics have bee quoted as stating tht eight o twelve million childrea in
‘America are on psychotropic drugs such as ritain, prozac, etc. This doesu't count the
millions of adults who began themselves taking the drugs a children or teenagers. Drug

ufacturers are aking in mult-billions while minds are literally being robbed of the
abilt o tolerate even miaor degrees ofsocial stress, anxiety, rustration. Millonsof )
chikiren ure basically being used as means to an end (profit)for drug corporations, and
e parents as 1o more nive, unwiting accomplices in these corporate conspiracies.
Every year when new drugs are produced we hear of new diagnoses and new labels for
emotional and psychological “disorders.” In short, the drug companies are creating
drugs intheir laboratories and then paying mental health workers to label symptoms
that create an artificial necd for drugs.

Aftr tens of housands of years on this planet where human beings have suffered
every fear and threat imaginable, we are suddenly being told that there’s an emotional-
peychological disorder called “chronic anxiety disorder.” And guess what? They've got
Just the drug and therapy-combo you need to tranduilize yoursel

With profit asthe motive force in every facet of society, inciuding medicine, are we to
believe that exposing cures o possible curesfor chronic ailments and discases s of
primary concern? Drug corporatious financially control over fftypercent of the votes
onthe FDA board that oversees food and drug safety. We are cerainly along way from
having moral protection and oversight against the corporate thugs that cheme against
the general masses every year. Allin the name of Mammonis; 4 god of wealth and
power o the point of having @ corrupt, gredy, and immoral nfluence over people.

And what of religion? There are even Christians nowadays who speak critically of
eligion although n relity,they themselves are noles religious than others. Take the
word church, for example. Inits original context, it meant the called outones. A
colective of people called out o their attachment and enslavement to the common
norms ofsociety. They were educated with a humanist ideology and value system, then
sent back among the people t0attempt to spread their progressive teachings and fhore.
humanistic values o othrs, despit the act that they would most ikely be persecuted,
imprisone, o lled b heimmoral power of governments, sinessmen, policins,
and impious religious authoritics.

“Today we hear the expression: “T'm going fo church.” That s, some building where
sroup of people sit and listen t0. reverend speak. They are there to gain some sense of
personal salvation, and generally have no dea of going out and working to bring about
social savation for all. They seem to have no real idea that the person they call Jesus
was primarily about social saluation. That is why he expressed the words (coneept)
Kingdom of God. A kingdom has to do with a collctive, a whole, notan individualistic
or privatized salvtion, as Roger Haight has phrased it.

Most religious leaders are about money and entertainment, not outgoing, grassroots
social work to influence a fundamental change in social values and the economic
relations of society. Many have or are planning to build multimillion dollar complexes
that have nothing to do with bringing about social justice. These buildings are symbols
of their personal success at amassing riches, and they find glory in this achievement.
There are even reverends who don't want you in their church building, unless you earn a
certain amount in salary per year. Isthis the influence of Jesus and the early aposties, or
of the corrupting power of capitalism? According to Biblical text,the church isa group
of people. A building, any buiking, can be where the church mects. But n today's
terms the true idea ofthe church has been los, and a structure i given the label. A non-
living, non-breathing,socially noperative structure. But even the economic values of
the early apostles have been turned upside down by capitalst ideology. The carly
‘apostles were markedly socialist in their economic views. (Read Acts 4:31- 37) This
passage makes it irefutable.

“The church a5 an insttution islegaly prohibited from sponsoring any politcal
candidate. To violate this probibition means to rsk lsing itstax.free cxemption.
Sounds more ike surrender and a collaboration than separation.

Wy s it that the educational system s always being changed, modified; is always in
controversy from oneyear tothe next. Seems that a ot ofso-clled professionals are no

TALIB Y. RASID (TAYLOR) 13606 24 - 4B / BoX 30 / PENDLETON, IN 46064
more than confused, double-minded half-wits O maybe it i tre that they are 25
collaborating with the white house administrations to keep most of America’s children
basically dumbed dowa,

Anyone with any objective sense of knowing bistory already is aware that
overnments are about maintaining power and control. That includes psychological
control. o they aren't in the business of producing real thinkersin the public cducation
system. The UsS. government spousors an education for America’s children that serves.

ideological interest .., primarily an educational system that paints a distorted
worldview and turms the priorities of human society upside down. Public schools don't
teach bumanism or encourage human solidarity. Twelve years of America's public
ducation is one of the mast meaningless and pathetic foundations of human social
consciousness that civilization has seea! And why is it that less than balf of al college
studeats graduate? 1s there an answer beyond the tradition of finding fault in the
individual?

When iustitutions of learning seem not to be producing the number of gradustes th
they should, and when few of those who do graduate make a meaningful contribution |
the advancemeat of human society, it is time to question the mode and manner i whit
society is being so-called “cducated.” Ameriea's institutions of learning are designed t

K

spread ideology and 1o induce conformity with the status quo. Ifall these so-callea
higher educated people were half as humanistic s they think they are educated, we
‘would have a much greater demand for genuine peace and justice in this world. Tustead
they are, ike so many clergy, going right along with the decadent moralitv inherent in
the nature of capitalism.

‘The Bush administration has implemented a wave of repressive measures waiting to
be launched against the citizeus n this country who would dare seriously question or
ppose the government's new push toward imperial expansion. Asheroft and ofhers.
have sublley advanced neo-fascism, the real meaning of homeland secarity. Even U.S.
citizens can be labeled “unlawful” combatats nov. Since when did U.S. law
ackuowledge any dissident’ right to “lawfully” combat the evils of government?
Countless anti-government combatants from the 60's and early 70's are still i prison on
frame-up charges. Others were falsely criminalized and kept in prison for nearly three
decades, If the U.S. government respected its own constitution, it would not exist as it
does. Sowe are talking about a government that ultimately only recognizes its own
power 10 0ppress, explot, and enslave the economic lif of other nations.

Like Raisins in the Sun 23
by, Le Nard Andre Scovens

Shackles bt into my ankles and the chains around my waist,
which held my hands cuffed behind my back, elt like the embrace
of asteel python as I shuffled down Florida State Prison's central
hallway toward Q-Wing - the old death row block - where the bad
boys are housed. Men too volatile and dangerous to be housed in
‘general population. Men who had murdered o maimed prison
‘guards; men who had killed other cons, men who had proven
themselves willing and capable of using extreme violence to
resolve conflict. Men who didn't give a fuck.

Men like me.

T was thinking sbout how my great-great grandfather, the
Maroon, had broken his shackles in Jamaica and fled across the
Caribbean Sea to America in pursuit of Freedom. I was smiling a
bit, shuffling along, cold steef cutting into my ankles, the chains
dragging across the floor between them sounding like rattlesnakes
busying their tails, poised to strike. I thought about how I'd
managed to betray my ancestor's memory and spit on his grave by
placing myself through a series of unwise choices, into the
captivity he risked his life to flee. [ almost laughed out loud. [
find shit like that funny, sometimes. The irony. The insanity. The
sadness of itall.

“So you killed an inmate?"

1 was being escorted by two guards. The one on my left a thin
auburn-haired Caucasian boy, had interrupted my reverie with this
question. He was smiling, a huge wad of Copenhagen stuffed in
hs fat lip. 1 wanted to kick him in the jewels and make him
swallow that nasty shit so it would choke whatever twisted thought
it was pointing that Kool-Aid grin on his face. But I chilled. And
I turned away from him, focusing on my walk. Breathing casy.
Meditating on it. Gotta keep it slow, smooth, calm and steady to
keep these shackles from tearing into my ankles. Gotta keep it
slow, smooth, calm and steady to keep the anger powerlessness
breeds from tearing my heart to ragged shreds.

“And they put you on Max for that shit," he said. "Man, [ think
they should award you gain time for killing another inmate!”

“The other guard, a pasty-faced redneck who, by the smell of
him, smoked too many Marlboro's, was laughing. Copenhagen
boy was laughing too. ButI didn't find anything funny. Because |

knew that if it had been me who'd gotten killed, they'd be laughing
over my dead body, too. 24

My cell on Q-Wing is a steel and concrete tomb where |
struggle to keep my soul from dying. These walls have known
pain and it seeps from the jagged cracks and crevices along the
surface where it looks like men have tried to dig their way through
o the other side. The paint peeling from the patchwork repairs
looks like frozen tears.

So many men, by and by, have said their praers within this
concrete jungle; wiping away their tears, their hearts spent, their
minds lfld‘lifl]fflflfllflflfllinlfwlflyfllifll'flm’v&flmhp&
But where we live hope i as fragile as dreams in the minds of
ghetto youth withering like unplucked grapes on the vine. Like
raisins in the sun.

It dies.

And dead hope rots the heart.

Me and these men whose hope was finally murdered within
mnwflhmmedhmmwhwmd
the same lonely streets, and bled in some of the same alleys. We
watched the same sun that shined on the Beautiful People in their
Benzes and Beamers we saw while riding the city bus past the
sub\llhldmcelndsplrkleinflwcnckvil.hbmk:nmfi‘sm
that claimed us.

And here we lie in the wake of madness. Missing mothers and
fathers who left us in the gutters of those mean streets so they
could chase the siren's call of pale crack smoke. Here we lis,
prisoners of an undeclared war, passing through into oblivion.
Every monotonous day carrying us closer to a meaningless death.

But such is life. The constant cycle. What is bor must die.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. [ can accept that. Ain't no spearin
my side. But sometimes, at night, when darkness surrounds me, I
imagine I can hear those who were here before me - the death row
cons Q-Wing used to house in the sixties and seventies - still
praying, still wiping away their tears, still reaching in vain for dead
hope. We have so much in common. Me - a Lifer - and these
ghosts of men who fell victim to Universal Law - an eye for an
eye, tooth for tooth.

1 keep great-great grandfather close. He s in my veins,
quickening my heart despite the chill that emanates from these
walls. He says: Know your enemy and remember your history -
the two intertwine. I know I tell him with every page I write, with
every wound I reopen, with each nightmare I relive. My enemies
are those who can laugh at the death of those whose hopes are 28~
dying in this concrete jungle right along with mine. And my
history - my history is that I've been more of an enemy to myself
than they because I am the one who, by the nature of my choices,
has placed myself in bondage under their guard.

You gotta laugh at shit like that, man. The irony. The lunacy.
The sadness of it all.

“SURE WE KEEP LOSING, BUT LOOK AT
ALL THE PRISONERS WE'RE TAKING *

2
Notes on the “Break the Chains” Conference, August 8-10, 2003 ¢

prison abolition anarchists, recently. The year before in Austin,
‘Texas, an Anarchist Black Cross Network (ABCN) founding
conference took place, which loosely collected unafiiliated ABC
groups, into a “network” along with similarly focused groups and
individuals.

Although at first envisioned as the second ABCN gathering, it
expanded to include non-ABC support groups and even
representatives of Anarchist Black Cross Federation (ABCF) which
‘some folks at the first ABCN conference were adamant about
dissociating themselves from.

Several groups tabled their literature, mostly having to do with
prisoner struggles, but also other direct action anti-government
politics. A wealth of analyses and critiques of social conditions on
@ wide variety of issues and struggles were made available.

Workshops covered many important topics such as the massive
+Drug War,” women prisoners, repression, history and tactics. I'll
Just go ahead and list the titles of these workshops right now.

1. The Struggle Against Prisons, Repression, and Social Control, by
Bo Brown, Splitting the Sky and Stormy Ogden/

2. Jericho Movement & the Struggle to Free Political
Prisoners/POWS in North America, by Paulette d'Auteuil of the
Jericho Movement. Safiya Bukhari was scheduled, but was unable

3. A History of Anarchist Black Cross, by Matt Hart, of LA-ABCF.
4. The Eddie Hatcher Story, by Bo Brown and Chrystos.
§. Women in Prison/Free Battered Women Now! by Janice Jordan
8. The Personification of Indigenous Women by Stormy Ogden. 27
©. Transgender and Gender Variant Poople in Prison by Saflor
Holiday of California Prison Focus.

10. On the Necessity of Solidarity by me, Anthony Rayson, of
Chicago Anarchist Black Cross.

1. An Introduetion to the Freedom Archives, by Claude Marks of
the Freedom

Archives.
12. From Attica to Gustafsen Lake by Dacajewiak and Splitting the

Sky.

13. The Marini Trlal: Italian State Repression Against Anarchists
and the Anarchists’ Response by Wolfi Landstreicher of Venomous
‘Butterily Productions.

14, Support Prisonars, Make Your Own Tattoo Gun and What They
Won't Tell You About Hepatitis C by Leslie & Stacey Bull.

1. Prisons, Colonialism & Industrial Civilization by Derrick Jensen
& Jesus Sepulveda.

16. Immigrant Justice Now by Tommy Escarcega of All of Us or
None & Mary Martinez Wenzel from the Network for Immigrant
Justice.

17. Grassroots Organizing & the Drug War, by Chuck and Nora of

20. Oregon’s Measure 11, AKA “One Strike and You're Out!” by
‘Brigitte Sarable of the Western Prison Project.
21. Chemical Prison: The Merger of the Psychiatric and Prison
Industries by David Osks & David James of the Support Coalition.
22. Invisibility of Women's Prisoner Resistance by Vikid Law of Re-
Sisters.
23. Basque Pofitical Prisoners by Paulette d"Auteuil of the Jericho
Movement.
24. Reform or Revolt? by Brigitte Sarable.
25. Men Against Sexism by Ed Mead of the Prison Art Project.
26. Prison Abolitionism in Practice: Anarchist Perspectives on
Criminology by Daniel Burton Rose.
27. Green With A Vengeance: The Story of Oregon Eco-Defense
Political Prisoner Jeff “Free” Lusrs, by Friends of “Free”

Late Sunday afternoon, a closing panel featured Brigitte Sarabl,
Bo Brown, Anthony Rayson & Paulette d'Auteuil.

STORMY OGDEN & LORA WETZEL DIDN'T MAKE THE CONFERENCE

*Very sadly, Safiya Bukhari passed a week after the conference.
So you can see, just by the titles of the workshops, that this was
-mmdmmmm-yfiq
but an accomodationist, reformist agenda. The focus and the 2, §
intensity of the analyses of the subjects covered, being anarchist
organized, gave this conference a unique and potent feel.

On Friday night, Chystos, a fiery Native American poet and
lifelong activist along with well-known author, professor and
Native American (AIM) activist Ward Churchill, both spoke at
length to lay the historical foundations for the struggle that we
face today. Others also spoke to a packed, attentive audience.
Political prisoner Rob Thaxton's voice was heard from a recorded
‘phone conversation. ‘This event gave the weekend a sense of
purpose and helped to connect us all together for our serious work.

So, there was a flurry of focused discussion and strategizing
going on from Friday through Sunday night. Often, four different
workshops were going on simultaneously. The ones I attended
‘were lively, informative, well-attended with good participation.

email address: breakthechains02@yahoo.com
mailing address: P.O. Box 11331, Eugene, OR 97440
for all material relating to this conference, including great zines.

Labor Union, the nascent Texas chapter, political prisoners out
west, such as Free, Critter, Rob Thaxton, Brian McCarvill and
others. We wanted to make a few decisions on what projects to
‘work on together and how we are going to advance from this stage.
‘We came up with a synopsis of this work that can be accessed at
the ABCN website at:

www.
ABCF representatives met with us in an attempt to dissolve our
disagreements and begin to work ‘together, as fellow
‘many other prisoner support groups, which we may also have
disagreements with. 29

It's common sense solidarity that strengthens all of our
effectiveness and that prisoners very much want to see happen.
Bickering and splintering and dissolving into acrimony in the face
of such enormous need for prisoner support demoralizes deserving
‘prisoners (who are being daily tortured) gives potential supporters
and collaborators a bad taste in their mouths for this type of vitally
important work and makes the job of the oppressors easier.

Also, anarchists can learn a helluva lot from others about this
vast subject, as it is at the vortex of the capitalist system. We can
broaden our outlook, our pool of knowledge, develop as solid
‘community activists, as we gain credibility for ourselves and the
beliefs we hold as anarchists by proving the application of these
principles on a daily basis as useful and

For, you are what you do, humanized by how you carry
yourself. Being energized and liberated, really, with a genuine
anarchist consciousness, affords us the opportuniiy to flower fully
23 a unique human being and compels us to be highly active,
politically, as outrageous present-day conditions cry out for.

If your efforts involve prison abolition/prisoner support work, a
window of opportunity presents itself and you can step through
the looking glass into a world of profound insight, meaningful
struggle, intense relationships and a place in the heart of the
battle, where the work of individuals is very important. This,
despite the often depressing, oppressive conditions forcibly
endured inside and the demented, slave and lie-based pseudo-
society that festers all pervasively outside the gulags.

In solidarity: ABCF's website is: www.abcf.net

Two terrific zines were produced by the Break the Chains
collective. One is the Conforence Manual and the other is the
ABCN Bullatin #3, which is a split with the latest Break the Chains
Newsletter. I suggest you send some cash to procure these
excellent zines. They'll give you a much more in-depth look at this

accomplished without even any harassment from the police. Of
course, they had undercover plants in the audience, no doubt.

It was an excellent opportunity to meet new people, learn a lot
about all these issues and specific cases, and my favorite, getting to
talk shop at length with collaborators and comrades that | hadn’t
yet met, personally.

‘These personal bonds are a big, important outcome of such a
conference, especially one focusing on prisoner support because we
30 rarely are allowed this type of contact with prisoner comrades.
Stimulating conversations and fond memories can go a long way to
sustain us, as we battle against such a strong and evil institution of
state (prison) which is the comnerstone of the social straight
Jacketing, here at home. We need eachother’s support and
strength to push the struggle forward, just as we need this support.
from prisoners and vice versa.

This conference was very important to me for these reasons.
First, it continued, and I believe, expanded upon the promising
start in Austin in ‘02. 1 know it was not easy to pull the positives
out of the fire from the seeming self-immolation that came from
that. ABCN was shown as visble and functioning, which is what
many prisoners want to know to be true and hope to draw from. 1
‘especially Hiked the fact they included other prisoner support
groups from throughout the West Coast, as well as people from
ABCF. Vikki (and her daughter) came all the way from New York
City! She did a helluva workshop, too!

Break the Chains showed itself to be a comparatively strong
anarchist collective (I'm jealous!*) capable of pulling this all offt It
‘will help to legitimize anarchist prisoner support work and
anarchist principles as practical and useful. For, this conference
‘was anarchist organized, applying the principles of solidarity,
‘mutual aid, D.LY. ethics, antl-authoritarianism, non-hierachical
decision-making, open participation with people pitching it as
needed (some mare than others.) Necessary tasks were
accomplished and this facilitated an unrestricted flow of ideas,
peoples’ access to it and their participation in it (voluntary
cooperation.) It was a pleasure to be a part of such a natural
situation, talking and listening and thinking up a storm!

The Jericho mevement, Critical Resistance and I suppose
‘others, have hosted similar types of conferences as prison
abolitionists recently and have done fine work. Anarchists can
now be seen as fully capable of coordinating a complicated,
pointedly militant prison abolition conference, seemingly
.M—ly-mmum-mm-m
constricted with regulations, stipulations, fees, jargon, dogma, and
other intrusions to a free, open and real gathering. Nice, nice good
old-fashioned anarchist hard work, ‘Rads!

Do I have other things to say? Sure! On Friday night at the
church, before the first event, I noticed but one African-American
‘person there. I sat next to her and struck up a conversation. At
one point, she said, “Where are the rest of me!?” Good point! And
she had come from L.A. Latinos and Native Americans were
somewhat well represented, but there were far too few Black.
people. Prison means slavery to Black people, especially!

1 would have liked to have seen more direct input from
prisoners and family members of prisoners. A taped telephone
conversation with Rob Thaxton was played and I read some
statemetns from prisoners specifically addressing the conference.
But, I thought a stronger effort to listen to what prisoners had to
say would have done s all a lot of good.

Lists of prisoners and their addresses should have been made
more readily available, as well as advice on how to initiate

and phone numbers should have been prioritized.

I¥'s a tough thing to do - pull off a such a conference. But to get
maybe 500 or 5o people interested and involved in these issues,
with many publications going into detail about a lot of it, made
basically freely available (or close to it) is an admirable
‘accomplishment. 1was impressed with the speakers and the
breadth of the prison-related topics that were presented.

To build on this endeavor, | shall spearhead the organizing of
the third such conference in the home of Fred Hampton and the
Haymarket Martyrs - Chicago!

I appreciate all of the kindness shown to me and my friend,
John, while we were in Oregon. I'll always keep a warm spot in
‘my heart for those memories.

In the meantime, let's get back to doing serious anarchist-
driven prisoner support work, raise issues, fight this monstrosity
and seek out joy in eachother's company.

Clenched-fist salute! Let's go get ‘em!

~ Anthony Rayson ~

P.s. Please come to Chicago in August of ‘04. Contact mel
Chicago ABC / P.0. Box 721 / Homewood, IL 60430
anthonyrayson@hotmail.com
chicagoabe.cjb.net
Statoment from ABCN Members 3z
Broak the Chains Conferenco
Eugene, OR | August 8-10, 2003

Membors of various collectives ffiated with tho Anarchist Black Cross Network
(ABCN), which formed in July 2002, met at the Break the Chains Conferenc,
August 8-10, 2003 in Eugons, Oregon. The Break the Chains Conference was
originally ntended to be the ABC-Network's second annual conference. We
consider the Break the Chains Canference a sucoess in terms of bringing foks.
together and in sharing information about the stuggle against prisons. We
managed to meet several times throughout the weakend, despite a packed
conforenc and a hectic workshop schedule o discuss common work and goals.
We came up with several goals fo the network during our discussion sessions.
‘These fa nto five areas: 1. short4emn and poica; 2) common work; 3)
communication; 4,) outreach; 5. assisting the formation of new ABC collecives.

We feel, based on our meetings, that there is a continued interest in carrying on
the work that was started at the inaugurai ABCN Conference held in 2002. We.
feal as though collective participation is key to reinvigorating that network. Such
an organization is important to achieve the ciical mass we need to successfully
agitate against incarceration and repression.

We the undersigned endorse the "New Drat Proposal for an Anarchist Black
Cross Network” and adopt this statement as a working document for the ABCN.
Atthis time, we see this document as neither a draft nor simply a proposal, but a
starting point for our efforts and the debates that wil accompany them. This
statement is signed in personal capacty pending final approval from our
collectives. We request that a collectives currently affiated with the ABCN
report back ith either approval or clarification regarding their involvement with
the network by September 11, 2003.

A Now Draft Proposa for an Anarchist Block Cross Networkls avalio at
W anarchistiackcross o

Goals.

ol .t fgols ht cam ut of tiscussion oot sasion g o Bk
o Chain Coterenc, ht i Eupore, O Acqat .1 207 1 e compinorr
P Gk S oty AN Ot
£ oo o £ ) g oo
mombers present at the BTC Conference. b

1. Shortem and polical
« Adopt ABCN Proposal
« Plan next year's conference.
= Newsletter (bi-annually)

2. Common Work
* Supporting various campaigns around specific prisoners and local projects.
« Focus on wider issues, such as women and gender in relation fo

Incarceration

3. Communication

Methods-phone communication and correspondence via mail between

groups
* Mestings-regional as well as national gatherings regularly
« Electroniotightening up listserves, imiting ist-serve partcipation o only
those indiduai aflated with active network collectives, using the 33
rapidiemergancy response lst-serve as it was infonded, assisting wilh
ocal websile creation, updating the network website and providing a
current and comprohensive fisting of il activo network-affiated ABC
groups.

« PrintLteraturefor interal communication and fo local report backs (6
por year, per coliecive) as well as for utreach, both befind and outside
tho wals.

4. Outreach

« Bulding ties witin our communitos (with active groups and with famiies.

of those incarcerated)
Keaping prisoners involved in communications
Establishing a more "home-basa” foel for the prisoners we work with
Finding meaningful ways for traveling comrades to mainfain membership
with the network.
5. Assisting the formation of naw ABC coliectives

« Providing resource guides and address lists

« Providing continuing help for new colletives on isues regarding intemal
process as wel as organization and outreach in their communities

Anarchist Black Cross Work
By, Anthony Rayson

1984 was ninsteen years ago! There's been no revolution.
Slavery is now total freedom. ‘The evil empire is crucifying
countries one by one as it locks down opposition in this couptry
and tortures the bravest, most conscious prisoners. Millions of
‘people took to the streets all around the world in opposition to the
latest round of genocide in Iraq, to abaolutely no avail.

Souljahs in the gulags can’t even beg, borrow or steal to got
‘postage stamps, money for a legal challeinge, decent food, clothing,
medical care or even a letter of human contact from the “outs.”

autonomously without a rotish political agends, demonstrating
solidarity, we can push the struggle in many directions. We can
‘help connect people together, get the issues out and take the
attack to the whole gulag system. We can spread the ideals of

Fascism has gone global with a vengeance. Jenin, Baghdad,
Benton Harbor — the whole world is under military, police and
judicial occupation. There's a huge city full of prisoners (2.2
‘million) in this country. Where's the opposition — the “White
Rose?” Let me quote from Rashid's insightful address:
We can now objectively recognize the political motive behind 3 4
U.S. mass incarceration targeted against specific classes for what
it actually is. Thus, any genuine resistance to empiré from within
‘must target its prisons - among other things - with more than
Front (ALF) has undertaken many clandestine animal rescue
operations, however, these animals unlike desperate, radicalized,
liberated human beings, aren’t likely to also become active freedom

Complex? The animals have allies, as do the trees, but what about
the human beings - especially, those who are the victims of
genacida) tactics, e.g. Blacks and Native Americans?

‘We live in the belly of the beast where all of the evil emanates.
Prison is ground zero and that's where we'll find the most
oppressed and determined to support and collaborate with.

Yeah, it takes a lot to overcome all the lies, brainwash, fear,
But anarchists detest authority and no authority does so much
daily damage to our brothers and sisters here at home that the
gulag kamps. They lock them in cages, beat them, torture them,
abuse them and force them to be their slaves — in countless gulags
all over the country! It's an anarchist no-brainer to be active in
this life and death struggle against these klan monsters!

It kinda reminds me of that movie, The Time Machine, where
these blonde young people lolligag and do nothing but eat and
frolic, oblivious to reality and then calmly walk towards the sirens
the Warlocks sound off, 60 they can be captured, killed and eaten!

Tl be the first to admit that I don't do much of anything. I
don't even own & gun. 'm not in a group planning prison escapes.
T have a wife and two children and I don't want to get kidnapped,
shot or imprisoned. But, at least I write, call and visit and.
strategize with those who have been taken from us! It would be
nice to know, I could get support, if and when I'm dragged off by
the body snatchers of the state. It's basic anarchist morality. If
you want to join a militia and attack the monsters at the point of
‘production, power to you! I'll be there to support you if and when
they get their slimy hands on you. But, I see precious little of
that!
38

It seems all too many anarchists are busy spinning polemical
apider webs of bullshit over each other and doing next to nothing
to fight the aystem or to really help prisoners. Solidarity, mutual
tenets supposed to mean something tous as far as how we conduct.
our lives and do our work?

Real anarchists are like fervent evangelists. They want to
spread theso beliefs and enthuse as many new people into the
ideas of liberation, as possible. Of course, the difference is in the
content of the message. Anarchists believe in genuine truth,
‘smorgasbord of nonsense. People can pray until they are blue in
the face, but it's not gonna have any effect whatsoever on how
authority is damaging their lives, their loved ones and all other
life-forms around thern.

So, where else will you find a rapt audience for your message
than the black hole of Amerikkks, thy nation's dungeons? These
are people who are horribly abused by the system on a daily basis,
who have nothing to lose because they are already in our enemy’s
evil clutches.

But, it's gotta be real. Anarchism is only as powerful as the
dedication we put into it today! Ifyou're legitimate and consistent
and reliable, people will respond. If you want to take your
anarchism — and your life - to another level start showing some
real eolidarity to our prisoners. You'll get a level of human
this demented, phony baloney society. I¥s for your own good,

How do you get started? WelL. I¢s all about resolve. We all
have 24 hours to live each day of our lives and we bave acces to
paper and pens and computers and telephones, stamps, envelopes
and 80 on. Ask people who know about these things, inside and
out, and we'll be glad to help you and answer any and all
questions. We'll oad you upl

If you're frustrated about trying to do something to fight this
abomination, prisoner support work can be incredibly
‘work, where you can make a difference in peoples’ ives — perhaps
especially — your own. It's the best education possible in today’s
tumultuous world.

For the sake of our own survival, we need to know whatis 36
‘and activists from around the world are dying to find out this
information also and it behooves us to help bring it to them. ABC
can thus, be the springboard to help educate, empower and
energize people throughout the world. Now, that’s being
anarchiste!

‘We're oh so quick to give up, refuse to work with somebody,
retreat to our little hedonistic shell existence lives and wallow in
selfpity and all that other nonsense. We need to become strong
and stay strong. We need to throw a broad net of solidarity
throughout the gulags and to people in other activists groups.
We're not gonna agree with other peoples’ long-term goals, let
alone what follow anarchists believe, say, think or do. So what!
Who's doing serious support work? 1f and when we get strong.
enough to take down the ystem, then we can worry about our
disagreementa. For now, its all hands on deck to fight Moloch
because we're all being threatened with eapture, torture, death
‘and extinction, whether you're an anarchist, communist, New
Afrikan, Muslim, Christian, Satanist or whatever!

The only way we will get strong enough is to build world-wide
popular resistance. What better way to gain mass, working-class.
partisans than by spearheading the support for the men and
‘women who have been kidnapped from them???

How vibrant and telling a contribution we anarchists make
depends on the volume and quality of our ongoing, developing
work. We kinda have the market cornered as faF as explosive,
empowering zines are concerned. Why aren't more of us jumping
i, to collaborate with prisoners who have shown they are willing
to stick their necks out of their cages to educate us all? Why
‘material around - inside and out?

‘We'll flower as full human beings only when we bust out of our
around us, to advocate for anarchy without restraint, in ways that
directly bear on the situations people find themselves confronted
with. Hell, we don’t even have to mention the dreaded “A” word —
just be and speak as anarchists with political clarity. We can
‘make valuable new contacts by tapping into the networks that

Sure, some day we to0 may get arrested. We can't let that
possibility debilitate us. Doing this support work will make us
more able to handle it if it does happen. As we all know, anybody
can be grabbed off the street or from their bed, day or night, 37
‘arrested and entombed for many, many years, for a million and
one mostly bogus reasons cooked up by the cops, the lawyers, the
prosecutors, politicians and judges. The real killers and thieves
who train the fascist killing; squads and pillage all four corners of
the Earth run the show, of which their prison kamps are their
centerpiece of oppression. So, we might as well make our lives in
‘minimal security as productive and meaningful as possible.
After all, this type of real work for the betterment of humanity
will define how well we have lived our lives — not how many
‘bonehead mistakes we've made or how many excuses for doing

‘Why not relate to somebody desperate for such contact? We all
noed human contact from those who can relate to where we are
coming from. Oftentimes, you have to go to the gulags to get that!

There's a story out of Texas, about a guy who heard some kids
screaming inside a burning building, 60 he ran his ase in there,
four times, to get ‘em all out of there and back to safety. He did it
‘because he's a human being and it was the right thing to do. Of
course, once the pigs saw him on the news, they picked him up on
ab.s. parole violation. But, his response was basic humanity.
Mutual aid. In a society not totally deranged, you naturally hel
those who need it the most. Its common human decency. Its
basic anarchy.

Tolive a full, natural true to oneself life, we must daily fight all
the anti-human dementia this death glorying culture tries to
shove down our throats. We can live like the decent animals that
we are, with an advanced consciousness, by giving a damn, by
being living, breathing anarchists struggling through a myriad of
daily challenges in all phases of our lives and also by taking the
‘next step and being part of the world-wide network of Anarchist
Black Cross!

We have a real chance to shape the struggle. Virtually no one
else, save for a handful of anarchists and New Afrikans are doing
this type of nose-to-the-grindstone collaboration work with the
George Jackson's and Assata Shalkur's of today. We're entrusted
‘manuscripts as penstrating, immediate and as powerful as
anything James Baldwin wrote, but I can't even get to it, because
T'm 60 overwhelmed with other such work! I have to send some
stuff back to relatives of prisoners who will probably just lose it!
Spain in the 30's had thousands of gathering places where 3§
people learned how to read and think by sharing relevant,
explosive, thrilling anarchist analysis, such as Peter Kropotkin's
Conquest of Bread.

‘That's what we need to do — agitate and educate and learn
‘more ourselves. We must hammer away at this evil system and
tie everything to the gulags. We should raise and articulate issuce
specifically relevant to the most oppressed communities. They
need and want to know what their people in prison are saying!

Seek out the grassroots organizers in the black, native and
Iatino communities and learn what the real issues are. Become a
serious student of the struggle by having it explained to you by
these types of experienced, nowledgeable people. You'l win their
‘respect and confiderice by your serious prison abolition work.
Show them you have the trust of prisoner revolutionaries and
you'll be taken in as a comrade by them. Prisoners can actually
help us break down the stratifications we face on the outs!

Fascism is on a worldwide offensive and we must jack up our
propaganda several notches. We don't have guns or militias, but
we do have a foeder line to the empowering truth. Fearlessness
and effoctive struggle cannot be engaged in, without it!

We have to become the anarchists we so admire throughout
said, “Pessimism is not an option.” When you're down, seek out
solace. Prisoners will run to your aid!

‘Things will continue to get worse and worse. The fascist
government will kill more and more people and add millions of

prisoners. Opposition will grow and become more conscious and
Eltant. We're in a position to provide clarity to explain this huge
‘meas because of our close work with brilliant, talented and
for us individually and collectively. It's also a huge responsibility
— an historical, life and death situation that we can't treat
cavaliorly and be lazy-aseed about. Our brothers and sisters are
‘being beaten and shoved into the hole for their part of the bargain.
‘We have to uphold our end of things, Let me read some excerpts
from a couple of letters I got in the last couple of weeks.

From Jerome White-Bey: “Comrade Anthony, Here we go again!
1am sure this will come as 1o real big surprise to you as it was
not to me. T have been placed back in the hole here pending the
outeome of some investigation by prison officials and I don't have
an inkling of a clue to what is going on and no one is telling me
anything. But what T do know Anthony s that I have not violated
any prison rules or nothing. So, here we go again. Itslockup 2§
Jerome time again. Can you call the DOC and see what you can
find out as to what I am in the hole for this time? ... It seems that
1 have to get put in the hole in order to keep support alive, how
sad but true. In struggle, Jerome

From Richard Flood: “Hello Anthony, 1t was good to see you in
the courtroom... The state is not very happy about these
developments. First, upon my return to Menard, I was informed
that most of my personal effects, namely, my legal work, writings,
books, correspondence, family photos, etc., are suddenly “missing.”
Also, I am now on lockdown status for the crime of wearing shoes
to go to the showerhouse and will probably end up in the hole for
the rest of ry time here.”

o

Now, my intention here 18 not to berate you. Atter all, you're
some of the few people doing this difficult, important work. But,
s also the brutal truth that much, much more work needs to be
done. Some people admire my work blah, blah, but next to nobody
is actually helping me or helping to spread this stuff around.

As for ABC-Net, I did what I said I was going to do from the
last conference, as did Break the Chains and a few others. Others
pupped out. But, the idea of ABC-Net remains and there is no
lack of enthusiasm for it from orisoners.

L don't ask prisoners what got them entombed but rather, what ¢/p
are they doing right now to fight? If people don't want to be
involved, fine! We'll just have to keep trying to find people up to
the challenge. Like I said before, it's not gonna get any easier for
any of us, no matter what we're doing. It's also my contention
that this work strengthens us as individuals. We're not
rudderless. We have true blue comrades in prison.
Anyway, that's enough for now. What's your take? Any
questions? Let's brainstorm up some good ideas to work on and
not just make promises we're not gonna keep. Let’s be righteous

9
Address to the Break the Chains Conference 2003

Kevin (Rashid) Johnson #185492
Red Onion State Prison
P.0. Box 1900
‘Pound, Virginia 24279

To: What's Left of the Left

‘We are living in what seems a decisive point n history. We stand as
witnesses 10 the super consolidation of global empire and the militarist super
state. We in Amerike, live within this monolith’s very nerve center. We
therefore stand at 3 decisive point in relation to how or if we will ults
confront this situaion. We can either be the bope for the survival of the
future generations or we can be enemy collaborators (tacit or otherwise) and
aid in nailing the coffin shut for humanity. Which course we take will
largely depend upon whether or not we can rise above capitalis anti-human
individuaist influences and cooperate towards human survival.

wuu.-«.uammmumu-..muanw
while traveling this same roed; with the non-aligned progressive
Wmum«mmmmmm
‘anti-capitalist nations rendered irrelevant and impoverished due to ecoomic
‘and diplomatic solation by the west, imperial Amerika faces no meaningful
threat 0 it security except from those wha live within it own teitorial
borders.

‘The domestic upheavals of the 1960°s and 1970's taught empire some
valuable lessons on just how dangerous sn informed and discontent
population can be. And, through a steady application of misinformation and
carrots and sticks, empire worked steadily 10 drain the focus, resolve and
‘miltancy of the informed and discontent. From that point toths, empire hes
manufuctured a discontinuity in popular struggle, while
continuity in ts own growth and consolidation. One of empire’s principle
10ols has been its pisons.

After constant fuilures of empire to deliver promised changes, during the
1960's and 1970's, Amerikan blacks were radicalized in oppasition to sbject
brutalty and colonialism in general; Native Amerikans were radicalized on
‘much of the same beses in addition to the denial of teritarial rights. Women
‘were mobilized in oppasition to gender oppression, and a cross-class
‘mobilization erupted on account of the wer against Vietnam. I pursuit of
reaching my point, in this paper 'l limit my focus primarily to the black
resistance.

In response to the black insurrections and mobilizations, empire had ¢
influential and geine black lcaders imprisoned and/or assassinated, and
their politics and meanings rewriten and distorted. The image of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. has been represented as pro-middle class and pro-
integration of blacks into the U.S. capitalist empire. These were the views
he perhaps held during the August 1963 “March on Washinglon” when ne:
gave his “T Have a Dream” spoech. However, deliberately obscured are
King’s increasingly radical views, his public opposition to the Viet Nem
‘War, his preparing a Poor Peoples’ March on Washington, set to occur in
1968, end his adopting socialist economic and political views i repudistion
of capitalism, all of which developed toward the end of his life. In the latter
balf of 1967, he expressly rejected the idea of black integration into the
Amerikan capitalist empire.

King was then conveniently murdered just months before the Poor
Peoples” March was set to occur. That march was intended to effectively
shut down all movement and operations within Washington, D.C. just as the
1963 march on Washington was originally planned by its original grassroots
used the then pro-empire King to subvert the march and transform it into a
benign peaceful affir.

Similarly, Malcolm Shabazz (X) has been wrongly portrayed as a
disjointed radical with very litle politcal vision and development, who
ultimately became pro-integration into empire. Mainstream accounts of
Malcolm avoid his work toward his ife’s end to organize an anti-colonial,
Pan-Afican Intermationalist Movemeat. His Organization of Afro-
American Unity was pettemned after, and planned to work in tndem with,
the progressive Organization of African Unity, which operated as an anti-
colonial movemeat to unify the worid's black people and build economic
involvement. At the point tha he began building comnections with other
progressive and socialist leaders, he was aiso conveniently murdered, and as
a civil ights leader, Bayard Rustin prodicted, imperial powers and “not
‘Negro people, will determine Malcolm X's role in history.”™

‘As sciolar and writer William Sayles, Jr. observed of the treatment of
leaders like Malcolm, Martin and others, “Once the image of these leaders
‘can 0 longer be suppressed or ignored, their value and their significance is
distarted, often by being reduced to slogans, which satisfy temporerity but
‘whose superficiality masks the decper meaning of the issucs and analyses
these leaders try to coavey.”

“The attempt betweea 1960 and 1964 to subvert popular black resistance
‘against empire and its colonialism, prompted the armed rebellions which
‘empire called “riots” by the disgruntled urban blacks between 1964 and
1967. The 60s rbellions compelled empire to study and develop tactical
initiatives to subvert the black revolutionary initiative. The Kemer
Commission was put in place to study the black “urban riots” to determino
their cause () end provide “sppropriate respanses” to prevent future
rebellions. The Kemer Report was addressed to both military-police:
(repressive) methods and socio-cconomic (pacification) initiatives,
calculated to subvert and neutralize revolutionary awareness, potential and
activity: 10 keep such energy repressed and diverted and to preventits 43
resurgence on mass levels.

‘With the implementation of these policies targeting the grassroots
political clements, which were seen as fueling the flames of mass black
discontent, many of those clements who were not neutralized or intimidated,
were forced underground to evade capture or assassination — the latter
‘measures were being used with increasing frequency against the Black
Pantber Party. These elements, having been forced underground, then
resorted to armed strategic defensives for the sake of personal survival and
resistance, while empire was busy neutralizing all above ground political
workers. These inititives were implemented through the counter-
inteligence program (COINTELPRO) — white house, FBI, CIA and local
police collaboration.

Subsequeatly, Daniel Patrick Moynihan counseled Richard Nixon in
1970 to implement measures to isolate this growing “armed front” from the
masses (quite obviously because mass involvement or sympathy with armed
resistance is the one form of struggle that truly endangers empire’s power.)
He prescribed such methods to accomplish this objective as “criminalizing™
their image (all truly revolutionary activity became “terrorism”) refining
policing methods and creating a buffer by undermining lower class
grassroots influcnce and pushing the growing middle class as a model of
social conformity. It was pure neo-colonial strategy, adapted to the ULS. It
was also Moynihan who counseled Nixon in the 60's to implement policies
which would dissolve these elements of the “lower class strata” that were 50
prominent in the urban rebellions.

‘One example of empire’s criminalizing armed resistance f that stage
occurred upon the capture of Angela Y. Davis in October 1970 —she was
accused of supplying George Jackson’s brother Jonathan with the guns he
used in the Marin County Courthouse raid where he armed and attempted (o
free several black prisoners. Richard Nixon quickly denounced Davis (who
was ultimately acquitted by an all-white jury) 2 a “criminal” and “terrorist ™

‘While the Kemer Report was a principal tool used n the late 60's to
destroy grassroots level “political leadership,” it was however, focused
mainly on the masses and “urban riots.” Thus, by 1970 the Task Force on
Law and Law Enforcement of the National Commission on the Causes and
Prevention of Violence was developed to confront the underground armed
rosistance, such as, the Black Liberation Army, Revolutionary Action
Movement, Weather underground and other “small but increasing numbers
ofradical black militants,” who “actively espousc and sometimes practice
illegal retaliatory and even guerilla tactics against existing social institutions,
particularly the police and schools.” The Task Force was concemed with
“stopping the spread” of such “purposeful violence” which it recognized to
be “potentially even more destructive than the urban riots have been.” It
was in this climate that Nixon fist coined the “war on crime” agends, with a
focus on violent crime, in particular.

Following the pattem from then 1o the present, we can very clearly sce
‘how these and other policics undermined and de-popularized truly
revolutionary activities (which posed a genuine threa to empire, i.c., how

‘middle class black “eltes” were sed to undecmine grassroots leadership, 4 4
how the practice of anmed struggle was demonized, etc.) These govermment
tactics also demoralized the progressive movement, as well. The imperialist
Amerikan empire struck back not oaly with disinformation and the stick (..
‘military-polioe initiatives) but also with the carrot, - such initiatives a5
“community action programs,” the Voting Rights Act and the Equal
‘Opportunity Act of 1964. The co-opted token black middle class model
(dark fiaces in high places) was paraded before the poor black masses s the
only visble avenue out of economic and racial repression and as an example
of the “character” which blacks must assume in order to win ssimilation
into the empire and live the “American Dream.” The promise became that
those blacks who broke their ties with the poor black masses and disavowed
any connoction with the world’s people of color, and thereupon adopted the
cynical, cutthroat and individualist values of the empire, would then be
judged as acceptable based upon the co-opted “content of their character™
lnstead of based upon the “color of their skin.” Martin Luther King, Jr.'s
1963 pro-canpire dream was to be fulflled, but only upon blacks lterally
selling their soul. It was just on account of his realizing that this was the
‘only basis upon which biacks would be marginally acoepted in Amerika, that
he broke with his 1963 views characterizing himself as having been “nalve
and deceived” and remarked in 1967 that “You've heard me say before that |
have a dream, well, [ woke up and found out that it was a nightmare.”

‘Through the foregoing subversive methods, the empire deprived the
Black Liberation Movement of political organizations that could serve the
logistics of winning mass support and new recruits for the armed
underground. So, while the clandestine fighters struggled militaily from
1970 with some success (although they fuiled to attack empire at the poiat of
production — i.e. its financial, industrial and logistical supply bases and
‘communication systems,) they were defimct by the early 1980’s. By that
point — after Presideat Jimmy Carter was used to effectively pacify the
Amerikan public in the wake of the mass mobilizations against the war, and
other conditions already spoken of earler — Nixon's “war on crime” agenda,
‘which came in answer to mass black rebellions, became a ceatral agenda of
Ronald Reagan, in the early 1980's. Mass incarceration, criminalization and
the casuing criminal industrial complex bas been a conscious tactical
respoase of empire to repress anti-colonial, ant-capitalist and revolutionary
fervor amongst the oppressed classes.

nbmmmmum(&:fl)nm
‘which the incarceration rate quadrupled, these administrations initiated an
outright attack on domestic social programs while simultaneously and
effectively criminalizing the character of black youth. In 1982, Reagan cut
$44 billion in social spending and another $19 billion, the next year. Under
Bush Seaio, this line of attack continued. By 1992, Reagan and Bush had
succeeded in transforming the previously liberal Supreme Court into
conservative one.

1t is worthy of note that Reagan ushered in and the commercial media
popularized the “war on drugs” intiative just before the crack epidemic
Swept the urban black communities in all the major US. cities. Criminal
laws were on the books specifically targeting this drug, before it was even in
widespread use. There is certinly no lack of evidence of the CIA and White
House involvement in trafficking tons of narcotics into the U.S. on one hand,
‘while professing to outlaw it on the other. Human Rights Watch noted in 8
2000 report that 1/5 of the states in Amerika incarcerate black males on drug
charges 27 1 57 imes the rate of white males. HRW attomey Jamie /S
Fellner, observed that “most drug offenders arc whie. Five times as many
‘whites use drugs as blacks.” This targeting of blacks for such
dispropartionate imprisonment i a conscious political choice and act by

empire.

From all of the above at leastfour things can be concluded. First,
‘whether you agree with their politics the Black Panther Party failed in their
strategic revolutionary goals because, although as a political group they were
able to rally mass support &nd sympathy by providing community support
‘and self-support programs amongst the targeted group (ie. poor wben bisck

masses,) they failed 10 at the same time, prepare for and implement military
Mmm(-ua-um-nnm-u)mm
protect their members and programs. Second, because of the desiruction of
the sboveground political apparatus, the belatodly developed military
‘underground ultimately petered out. The underground military could not
‘survive without a political apparatus that could rally mass support, speak to
the masses iself through its own medis, as opposed to allowing the empire
recruits o replace o liberate the fullen or captured. Third, modem
imprisoament and its targetiog of the rban black masses in particular, is 8
t0ol, the increased use of which has bee 1o undermine dissideat political
‘awareness and most importantly, strategic dissident action of a militant
nature (the unspoken sides of the strategic demonization and mass
incarceration of blacks are the genocidal implications.) The fourth point i
that empire does not fear mass rallies, marches, speeches and
‘pamphieteering, 50 long as these activities remain peaceful. What empire
does fear, however, s tactical and strategio armed resistance — especially the
‘unconventional guerrilla mode.

‘As an example of how effective mass peace ralles truly are, consider that
10 million people woridwide has assembled in opposition 10 the U.S.
iavasion of raq this year — with nof the slightest deterrent effect. On this
point I quote a cobort’s comments in a receat letter sbout his experience in
the anti-war rally earler this year in Washingion:

“Can you imagine being part of a mass tumout of 200,000 people in D.C.
and feeling completely dis-empowered and at times, even bored? If the left
learmed anything from oppasition to Vietam, i should b that i took al
facets of resistance to halt the war machine and a full decade 1o less. There
scems to be some heavy duty rovisionist history thatthe left writes of us
factual these days that states that through the constant vigils and peace
spirt that we overwhelmed the government and foroed them 0 react 10 the
oice of the people. Resiliency of the Vict Cong and the NL, assassination
of out of control commanders by common troops, armed clandestine
arganization(s) operations here in the ULS. and abroad, intemational
diplomatic pressure — these were the actions that ground the war machine to
ahalt. Allof these key elements forever vanished into the memory hole, ala

19847 e

‘We can now objectively recognize the political motive behind U.S. mass
incarceration targeted against specific classes for what it actually is. Thus,
any genuine resistance to empire from within must target it prisons —
among other things — with more than rallies, meetings, and lobbying
protests. The Animal Liberation Front (ALF) has undertaken many
clandestine animal rescue operations, however, these animals unlike
desperate, radicalized, liberated human beings, aren'tlkely to also become
active freedom fighters. Similarly, the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) has
undertaken inmumerable clandestine operations to sabotage equipment and
projects of the empire, which they recognize endanger the environment.

Yet, where indeed is the People Liberation Front (PLF) ? That clandestine
‘group liberating captured people and sabotaging projects of the Prison
Industrial Complex? The animals have ales, as do the trees, but what about
the human beings?Especially those who are the victims of genocidal tactics,
e.g. blacks and Native Americans.

‘What I see in the remaining elements of today's grassroots dissident and
so-called radical lef, is a pervasive lack of united purpose, commitment and
Sinerity toward result-oriented action. Most of those whom I've
encountered and have read from this milicu — if they are apt to act at all —are
inclined toward individual acts of rebellion put on for show and ot
revolution. Most of their interests towards social, political and cconomic
change are motivated purcly by individualistic impulses, rendering them
completely unable to commit to any long-term result-oriented projects.

Their searches are for momentary self-gratfication. With them, it is
primarily words, ideas, thetoric and intellectualized nit picking and very
Jitle commitment to proctice beyond symbolic posturing and token gestures.

‘Multitudes of youth (of no uncertain potential) have been drawn toward
such dissident organizations and groups since the 70's, but drift in and back
out without purpose. Many are drawn by searches for momentary
recognition in being affliated with groups that have some meia attention or
their images of rebellion and confrontation. But such cynicisms serve no
long-term interests and certainly do not provide solutions to the problems of
the oppressed classes, here or abroad.

“There is a vast difference between rebellion and revolution. Rebellion is
little more than resistance — sually reactionary and not necessarily result-
oriented (i.., it lacks tactical approach.) Revolution, however,
protracted tactical strugele to totally change and replace socio-economic
‘arrangements and changes the logic upon which the old order justified tself.
Revolution doesn’t work by folks drifting in and out of the movement” and
collectives, as soon as there is a disagroement or injured feclings. Such ego-
oriented superficial commitments are nothing short of reactionary.

Rebellion is the stage that disoricnted teenagers typically go through
when they claim to reject their parents or dominant authority's culture,
control and influence, oy to find themselves becoming duplicates or

retaining dominant raits of what they professed to reject. Hence, it is most
‘commonly the young who draft in and out of “the struggle” starting up 4
joining and shandoning various activist, issideat, resistant and so-called
‘revolutionary groups. Ironically, it i, as it has always been, the young that
‘possess the greatest potential and energy for social change. Next to the so-
called minority and prisoner classes in Amerika, the youth are the ones most
hstile to the preseat system. Unfortunately, because of community
alienation and imitation of negative media imagss, they arc most lacking in
revolutionery values. Thus their poteatially revolutionary energy is spent in
individual explosive rebellions.

“The youths lack of focused commitment imitates what they s of the old
left They see movement “veterans” merely flosting from rally o rally,
‘chasing the emotional impact of each meeting, not focused on working
toward building collective struggle but instead on their personal momentary
individual feelings. Power reacts to all threats, and we can determine by the
reactions of empire to various dissidents and their activities whether or not
their efforts threstened its stability. Furthermare history demonstrates for us
‘what kinds of resistance, empire cannot sustain.

‘The anti -Vietnam War and Amerikan bleck liberation struggles, exposed
its weak underbelly. The National Independence struggles of the African
peoples i the 1960°s and 1970' (which ejected the European colonizers
‘and their armies from the continent) exposed empire's weaknesses. The
‘courageous strugles of the Vietmamese for cltural and national
independence against the French, Chinese, Japanese and Amerika, exposed
‘empire’s weakness. The struggle of the Lebanese against the U.S.
‘occupation that forced Amerika's retreat in 1983, exposed empirc’s
‘wealness. The Somalis who seat the U.S. and UN. retreating from s
temitory in 1995, exposed empire’s weskness. The Chinese communists
‘who defeated the Amerikan/British armed, backed, supplied, transportcd,
trained and financed Chinese nationalist army in 1949, exposed empire's
‘weakness. The North Koreans and Chinzse who fought the U.S. to an
‘amistice and retreat from North Korean territory in 1950-52, exposed
empire’s weakness. That empire only now selects the weakest of opponents
0 cluster bomb into oblivien and then claim military supremacy over,
‘exposes empire’s weakness. For empire 1o apply such methods within and
‘against it own nerve centers would be an act of suicide (Revolution?)

‘Empire has never had the stomach for protracied, unconveational,
peoples’ war. In every theater, poor peoples” war has proven superior, Ho
Chi Minh described it 2 a struggle between the elephant and the tiger. The
tiger avoids the superior tsks of the elephant by hiding in the trees,
dropping down on his back from the dark heights and slowly bleeding him to
death by ripping out chunks of flesh. As Sun Tzu observed in his Art of
War, and has been proved time and again, “when the (state’s) army engages
i protracted campaigns, the resources of the state will not suffice; ... there
has never been a protracted war from which a (state) has benefited” As an
example of this fact, the protracted Vietnam war denied Amerikan militery
‘moral, discipline, public support and the natianal economy to such an
extent, that the Johnson administration had o fund the war with budget
deficits, weakening the dollar o such an extreme degree that the U.S. had to

abandon the gold standard in 1971, causing a loss of s control over
international finance policy and various collateral economic decline.

498

1tis for these reasons that empire spends 5o muuch energy, time and
resources on diversions and undermining the resolve of its domestic masses
against genuine struggle, chamneling the people’s energy towards activities
that do not threaten its security. And many of us, having absorbed the
‘empire’s cynical and self-absorbed values, feel ourselves too valusble to
‘commit our energies and our lives toward valid revolutionary activities; this
‘while empire serves us up a society of relative abundance at the expense of
the lives of the world’s people and increasingly our own lives. The schemes
of counterrevolution applied by empire, work because we in the know allow
them to. Empire i too vas o prevent us from pencirating and defeating it
from within, Yet we stand on th sidelines and shar in the spoils. Which
begs the ultimate question: Despie ll of our years of protetatios,
posturing, claims of moral outrage and critical analyses, whese side are we
really on?
Screws Correctional 99
Thug(s) - Officers

Building - Administrative
Fishing - Is passing with line door to door

If anyone wishes to write!

Amy Muffley #0E3937
S.C.I Muncy

P.0. Box 180 / Route 405
Muncy, PA 17756-0180

Anthony Rayson
P.0. Box 721
Homewood, IL 60430

Anthony, Hello! Just a current update on what is happening
here at S.C.I. Muncy. The more I advocate for the rights of
my sista's and I, the madder the screws and building get.

Ifiled a grievance against a female screw by the name of
LA. Bower, for calling me a “Iil fucker," *fuckin' advocate,"
“fuckin’ bitch” which she did on numerous occasions over a
period of four months. And, I repeatedly asked her to "stop
disrespecting me!"

‘They more or less called me a liar, for she denied it all.

Currently, they are investigating where this screw
physically burned me on the back of my right leg with a
cigarette. The mark is highly visible. This happened back in
April, while I slaved away for $.19 an hour to afford
enve:;:ps to write about the real thugs in & of society (the
cops

In May, I voiced my feelings on thug (C.0.) Kissinger,
having my sista's on their knees, giving him sexual
gratification. He only was dismissed from his job and
arrested when a 15-year old child on the streets pressed
charges. Prior to that, they claimed that a handful of
women here lied about his abuse! For my comment, L.A.
Bower had me removed from my job.

The new game of the week? (Since bogus write-ups
didn't shut me up) is having my sista's believing I'm a
snitch! Sorry to say, they're believing it. I'm verbally
attacked and threatened almost daily.
When I ask these women to get involved... They say,
“I'm going home, Lifer” or "Oldhead, I don't wantno
trouble.”

T have fished all the zines you send my way, Brother.

They all can relate on how this all is filling the *man's"
pockets, but yet they won't fight to stop the insanity
happening in America.

Pennsylvania just built two new men's prisons.

S.C.1. Muncy built this new building I'm in and three
more are being finished off as we speak.

More women, more money for the rich bastards!

In the future, this prison will be housing young children
under the age of sixteen. They allow 16 & 17 year olds on
the grounds as general population. The kids (15 and under)
would already be here if they didn't run over their budget.
This housing unit has 4 pods, but only three have been
completed. The fourth doesn't even have a concert floor.
‘They're looking for another cheap bidder.

Because the new Governor, Ed Rendell, is cutting the
prison budgets, we are suffering more. No longer do they
supply basic hygiene items, such as soap, toothpaste &
brush, deoderant, combs or razors. What's next? Tollet
paper and sanitary pads??

‘The food is garbage, literally. You have days you don't
know what it is.

T hear women say their 2 year old kids eat more than
what's on the tray.

You pay $2.00 for a medical visit and $2.00 for any
prescription you can get to help you. But, the joke about all
this is, they got plenty of money to hire new screws.

As of 4 -30 - 03, there were 40,662 men and women In
some prison in Pennsylvania. That is not including county
jails! 40,662, which is 116.5% of capacity and reflects a 5%
increase from last year. Of that staggering number, 239
people are on death row.

That number reflects a mid-sized town and these
vultures want to keep adding and plan on including children!

What's the world coming to? As long as I have breath in
my lungs, T will fight to help end the Insanity and torture
these money hungry dogs seek to hand out, just in the
name of Washington, Frankiin & good ole Abe (a dollar.)

Peace, Amy Muffley
- From the Tomb of the Living Yet, the Dead -

Greetings Friends, Comrades and Enemies... s

I have now been in Missouri’s prison system
for twenty-five years and as the years passed,
it has become increasingly clear that the
plateau of incarceration that I have
accomplished is the norm.

Most of the prisoners that were in the
camps when I first came are still here, and I've
witnessed more of us being carried out than
walking out on their own accord. The very young
generations of us is so overwhelmingly
throughout these camps until, even Missouri’s
most maximum security penitentiaries look like
juvenile institutions!

I personally have come to the realization
that a serious change must take place now, and
within the prison population. We cannot keep
allowing ourselves to be placed against one
another like pit bulls before a screaming crowd
of bureaucrats. We have to (starting with
myself) bury the hatchet, set aside our
differences and start to seriously dialogue with
eachother throughout the entire system. We have
to face a fact; that the private prisons are
booming and two of the largest private prison
corporations in the U.S.are Wackenhut
Corrections, who owns and operates 52 prisons
with more than 26,000 prisoners and Corrections
Corporation of America, who owns and operates 81
prisons, housing more than 71,000. Prisons
represent a growth industry. By enacting
extremely repressive and reactionary laws to
ensure that such an industry continues to grow -
and have a surplus of raw resources, human
bodies, to choose from! The Missouri Department
of Corrections houses thousands of prisoners in
private prisons and county jails on contract in
the states of Texas, Minnesota, etc., eto.

The majority of those prisons are in white,
rural areas where the intent was to “create

jobs” and boost or build their local economy. 2,
Many of these prisons have completely all white
staffs or less than 1% people of color working
in them. This absense of so-called “minorities”
in positions of authority, supervisors, social
workers or counselors, has allowed a culture of
both overt and subtle forms of white supremacy
which permeates the entire system. It has
facilitated the singling out and targetting of
certain prisoners in particular and all
prisoners of color in general, for racist
attacks and repression.

I am not saying that the presence of Black
and Latino guards would prevent the same, if not
identical culture because history has proven
otherwise. The absense of such makes this
racist system that much more aggressive and
blatant in their disregard for human rights and
their “sickness” in creating a climate that
approves such behavior.

The majority of the prisoners coming
through this system are Blacks and Latino pecple
of color, yet the majority of the staff are
white settlers who have probably never lived in
a community around either culture and their only
perception is the sterotypes they get from the
media. The vast majority of Missouri prisoners
are young, Afrikan Americans under the age of
twenty-five years old. For many of us, they
symbolize our future and throughout the U.S.
penal system, they have become our children. I
cannot continue consciously, being a part of the
self-destruction process of prisoner on prisoner
that’s being perpetuated by a racist regime that
takes delight in our demise. We have at our
disposal, the experience and ability to rectify
the course of our direction - within the system
- to assure our return from this living hell, or
make certain that we are not playing a part of
our own destruction.

The focus point of the system is not the
so-called rehabilitation, but behavioral

modification - and security. Under the guise of
treatment, we are being subjected to all sorts §3
of behavioral and medical experiements,
reminiscent of the 60’s and 70’s. Many are kept
on all sorts of psychotropic drugs as a means of
control and forced into programs like anger
management, criminal thinking, etc., etc. These
are different variations of “group ridicule
designed to shame one out of their social
pathology.” These programs are mandatory for

all incoming prisoners and stipulated as a
requirement for parole.

In early 1998, a law was passed that
abolished parole under truth of sentencing.
Before the law went into effect January 1, 2000,
prisoners were required to serve two thirds of
their time before mandatory release, but they
could be paroled after having served only one
third. Now, we are required to do all of our
time flat. If our children come with twenty
years, they do twenty years.

A look at the classification hearing where
there’s both disciplinary and administrative.
in these control units, Afrikans represent 99%

of those housed on administrative confinement
status and they remain the longest. Any type of
one process procedures or protections that we
are entitled to are nothing but a formality.

The focus of repression is on the perceived
threat group, Afrikan, Native Americans,
Latinos, etc., etc... Most of those who have
some degree of political maturity have been the
targets of fraudulent investigations to enable
them useless to the rest of the prisoner:
Political underdevelopement is also a product of
the magnitude of racist repression.

We must begin socializing with the entire
prison population inside and out. It's
imperative that we start to make contact with
the prisoner that's suffering mental roadblocks
toward recovery. Let’s be mindful that the use
of solitary confinement leads to sensory

deprivation and dehumanization among other sq
prisoners confined there. It creates anger,
hostility, aggression and finally, serious
mental illness. The prisoners can lose touch
with reality and feel their mind deteriorate and
become disoriented. Studies have found that
isolation as a treatment is punitive,
destructive and defeats the purpose of any kind
of rehabilitation. There is no justification
for such treatment, unless the authority wants
to dehumanize a prisoner and create more trouble
with that person in the future.

Another study confirms that The Psychology
of Imprisonment; Privation, Power and Pathology,
by Philip Zimbardo, shows how a coercive
environment is not only “anti-therapeutic” but
may lead to bitterness, hate among prisoners and
quards, and cause a deterioration of the
prsioner’s psychological functioning, at a
social and inter-personal level.

The Department of Justice released a report
stating that approximately 280,000 or some 15%
of the U.S. prison population suffered from some
kind of mental illness. While this is probably
an understatement, the question that needs to be
asked is, “How many of these prisoners were sane
upon arrival and then brutalized by their
captivity into a state of mental illness?”

We are assisting in our own destruction,
both in and out of the prison, yet we can change
the course of our self self-destructive attitude
towards one another. If we pay closer attention
to what is really at stake for us as a People,
we will start to come up with some common ground
toward communication and its importance for our
future.

Revolutionary Love & Solidarity
Yoro T. Chaka

...Thanks to Shaka Shakur for his

analytical views of the new slavery. Hopefully,
he’ll continue to stay free of these prison
walls. ..
Margaret Majos B#49682 5-21-03 s
P.0. Box 549 Wake Up Call
Lincoln, IL 62656 Urgent fo Alll

Public Address fo Citizens!

“What Matters Anymore?”

We all share one thing - soull Many fread on them and forget fo
profect thelr own. We owe life fo live If, breathe fo breathe it love fo
love it, and finally, no matter where we are, fo stand tall and wise in
order fo not only survive, but being able fo share it with others in your
siruggle. Incarceration faught me a lot. First of all, fo reach-out
speak-out. You can't see the light if you don't tumn it on. Speaking
the truth brings the light. My courage, bravery and faith comes from
God, but also from the inner place.

What can we do fogether as one unit of brave women o bring
justice and hope today? Many experienced pain, brutality, abuse
and punishment for i, instead of help. You don'tfell the sick person
1o go fo cemetary. You fake them fo a hospital. Why are so many in
prison, who are 50 sick emotionally, being abused, tortured and
mocked? What can be done fo change the viciousness and cruelty
of prison indusiry? Excuses ran-out. Money s not the answer
anymore. What s if?

Do you have the answer in your heart or do you just enjoy
reading it or hearing it and doing nothing about if? Not much hope
for your own success, for success requires an action! If pain and
cruelty don't stir you up, what does? Our minds sleep and they must
be awakened. More prisons are not the answer. If's justa
“prolonged suffering” not only of our Incarcerated women, but the
children and families.

Many are free in their bodies, but locked-up in their minds. They
can be unlocked only through unlty and truth which may be
followed by criticism and temporal rejection, but every revolution
started with a revelation!

The journey for the last 13 years of my life Is/was not fun, but |
woke-up from a horrible dream and fulfiled the call fo address
others to wake the dead spot In their precious hearts. There Is no
success without an effort nor any victory without a fight. No reward
without a struggle.

The system is not fair and very cruel. Lawyers don't care, take
their time bathing in their home-pools while many of us are thrown in
this dungeon without any hope. | found the hope in God & people
like you all. Please help me to raise funds for prisoners fo fight.
(10,000 is an example.)

By a servant of God, Comrade M. Majos
1 se0d warmest of anarcist gretings to all attnding the Bresk Ths Chains 57
Conference from the belly of the beast of capltalism, this rurel gulag flefdom ruled
over by prisoacratst 1 stand 1008 n solidarity with those of you wishing to bulld @
strong Asarchist movement in the United States which will be a force for the monsters
Of the earth to reckon with In future and hstory will write the account of whether

we succeed or fall in our effort to sweep the monsters of the earth into the dustbin
Of history before they destrog the world i thel exploitive quest for profit above al
else, conguest before the lives and good of the people in the samo of empire and before
they grasp tronciad power which cannot bo broken and Wil crush us after murdering
our dreams of a better world, our yoaraiag for better lives whero life Hseif s vatued
sbove all else and our hopes for more fulfiling lives for future generations where the
Worth of each person is messured by thets contribution to the whole of humanity, thele
communities and to each other, where all the “lams" (discriminattion, sexism, classism,
ete.) are nightmares from the past and we can live free of oppression, exploitation and
I troatment bocauso of "who" we arel A world of equals i our goal where every volce
is heard and every volce comts equallyl We cas, and wil, sottle for no less! We only
want the eartht

Now the times are dangurom for us with ho civil Uberty crushing goversment power
under the guise of the Patriot Act and the travesty of an act cshancing the swoeping
Powers of the Patriot Act which followed which threatens us alll Now fs the time for
action, to educate about who we aro and what we are about, & time for carefully planned
‘and execated direct action in furthorence of our political goals, @ time to carefully
choose which fronts of the struggto to lnvest our Hime and limited resources on s our
movement grows to present to those opposing us @ united front lnstead of a splntered,
tragmented stroggle casily crshed by our eoemies! Now i a time to resch across any
percelved barriers between people, grasp ous brother and sisters' hands and move togother
a5 one 1o achleve our common goals 1n tho end. Each action we plan ln furthecance
of anarchism must bo creatively plemned and carried out, learning from our mistakes,
evalving and growiag es the enemy loarns from mistakes, strategizes and plans counter
moves to dofeat s, to make w sppesr marginalized, wosk and fow Ia numbers while
fearing u, fearing our movement capturing the imaginations asd belag accepted by the
Populous! We only want the earts, our biethright stolen from the people while they
slept, and, worse still, surrendared by trusting thoss elacted t ropresont thels Interest
Who serve only capitalism!

Our movement has many froats where we struggle against the enomy. 1 bave been
Imprisoned sisco 1970 ia tho Tommessos state gulag systom and work Inside prison conflnes
a8 8 fallhouse lawyer/legal aide asd helpor attempting to obtain some semblance of justice
for those predominantly from the working class 1 & corrupt, marally baskrupt legal
system. Each vickry Is cherlshod fighting The Man o his own arons, on hia peetecred
Playiog fleld, in his court systom where ho dosires nothing more then to squeese every
ounce of blood and misery out of us asd store w In humen warehowo untl] desth if
possible. 1 am serving life plus elghty two years, am 61 years old and in 1 bealth
but the fire of anazchism, of rebellin, burns as bright In my hoart as It ever did and
1 will straggte for anarchism until 1 take my last breath! 1 am presently engaged in

# struggle (o have the most basic tool used by a prisonee to present legal work to the
courts relnstated o the approved Inmato proparty lst for Tensessee prisoners, typewlters
53 word procosors which was removed as a viadictive sct to rotard and make nearlyS 7
impossivle prisoner generated logal documents 1o the cousts by the previous commlasioner
of Tenaessee Department of Carroction asd Is belag upheld by the present cavmissioner.

At the preseat time there is & lotter campaign ongolag attempting to persuade the
‘commissioner to changs his mind to restore prisoner owned typing equipment to the
‘llowed property list which may of may sot be succemful In future. The commisionsr
s replying to the request lotters with deception and half truth a stating the courts
Wil el take hasdwriten legal documeats from prisoners while the fedsral sppellate
court mandates typed documents complate with font and spacing sequiremonts 30 all
courts will a0t sccept handwritten docusents s put forth by the commissioner in his
espousive letters. Tennessee prisoners was pemitted possession of personl typewriters
04 word procomors for approximately tweaty yours boforo these items was removed
from the allowed property list and created no space management or security problem
‘which Bave also boen utilized as ustification for thele removal from the property list.
I you wish to write a lotter requestiag typlag equipment be restored to the lamate propert
list n this stato to belp then the appropriate addresses, otc., can bo cbtained from the
person reading my solidarity werds to you.

T thank y0u ol for listening (o what I have to sayl 1 love you il for bolag who
¥ou are and making your contributions fowand changiag the world! 1 especially thank
a8y of you Who Join the letter writing campaiga! 1 hope a lot Is accomplished st the
BTC Confereaco and we can all network aad Join togother Lo bocome a old, uaified
force to be reckoned with by the systom! We only want the earta! They will never
86t us el We bave a world to win and willl 1 love you all

28 July 2003 In Anarchist Struggle & Solidarity,

ot 3 Wloomer

HAROLD H. THOMPSON_#93992 / NORTHWEST CORRECTIONAL-COMBLEX
ROUTE 1, BoXx 660 / TIPTONVILLE, TENNESSEE 38070

Tene “Rdglk € Noble

“fi-‘é :,;6%23“4 eshaiy
Phucler,CA T530.1

No Escape

One day i a ftesy far ey T droamed X wes a b with frcdom 1o fly avey dey
‘could soat amy fhom the madnes lurs chodes thieves o a lace of open e Justthe wind and me
o worty of a dre-by shooting o ignorentperent ebandoning me
Wherever I'm ot mothet nehee's hare when ity she prowces me feed
S0 mich pesce up I the shy 7o hetm cauld come 1o ths e gy
Butthen T fly 1o a lace frgoften about an amibssh sl me a bl knocks me ot
When T At the ground my conslousness regained four ugly humen beigs s shtng ot me
Before I it bock nf>a nevetending seep
T heahae the evis of this werld cennot b escaped i I was a b a ca of creahire of the see—.

<Tely R. Royster

Doomep
Infercourse.

gaculaton
The race is on for human cheafion
The tece is close and the one who wins the prize
Doesn't realize the fate ifll detive
Fettiization s achieved metamotphosis begins
The nine-manth stage of pregnancy ends _
A baby is bom, a Negto mele
Black as coal, doomed to hell
Ten years pass, can't read wite of barely speck
Lef's not blame the patents the propet fetm s destiny
Nt for just his chld but blacks around the world
Though excepions ate made accepling buckeyes
Better known as Uncle Toms
To help with the duly of oppressing the worid
Now infercourse, ejaculafion
The tace is halted by plasfic battacading
No one wants fo bting a child info a world where Satan presides

~Telly R, Royster
TELLY ROYSTER #EL2245 / P. O. Box 200 / CAWP HILL, PA 17001-0200
PRISON REPORT
Conducted by Jeremiah Vansice
on 7-25-03

Prison conditions at Ione are poor. Two
penitentiaries in this state (Iowa State Pen and
Anamosa State Pen) are registered as condemned
buildings, but are still being used to hold
inmates. Rehabilitation is a joke and
treatments are usually counter-productive or
ineffective, often misleading and useless mumbo-
Sumbo .

Most of the guards should be locked up in a
mental institution for being power tripping
egotistical maniacs! ALS and grievance
procedures are staged. The convict is wrong no
matter what the situation is. And then they try
to teach you “responsibility for your actions!”
But, they don’t even heed their own advice.

In lock up, where I am now, not only do
they make you wear chains and shackles when
you're on the unit, but they also walk you on a
leash that is tied to your waist. That's all I
have for now.

Jeremiah Vansice #1126928

Newton Corr. Facility
P.0. Box 218

Newton, Iowa 50208-0218

JEROME WHITE-BEY #37479 (1B-227) / SOUTH CENTRAL CORRECTIONAL CENTER
155 WEST HIGHWAY 32 / LICKING, MSSOURI 65542-9069

BRUCE (YERO) CUMMNGS #3601 / POTOSI CORRECTIONAL CENTER
ROUTE #2, P.O. BOX 2222 (2B-17) MINERAL POINT, MISSOURI 63660

SOUTH CHICAGO ABC
ZINE DISTRO
POB 721 HOMEWOOD IL 60430

LE NARD ANDRE SCOVENS #165908, Q1 - 202 / FLORIDA STATE PRISON
7819 NORTH WEST 228TH STREET / RAIFORD, FLORIDA 32026-1000

ANDY(JOHN TWo NAMES) RENDEAU #193786 Dorw C-2-168
ELMORE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY / P.O. BOX B / ELMORE, ALABAMA 36025