by Mutope Duguma [http://sfbayview.com/2013/why-did-five-pelican-bay-guards-beat-two-elderly-black-prisoners-on-aug-6/]:
Send our brother some love and light: Mutope Duguma, s/n James Crawford, D-05996, P.O. Box 7500, Crescent City CA 95532.
Drawing by R. Garcia
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Written Aug. 6, 2013 – The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation believes it is necessary to change the course of our peaceful struggle to one of violence, which does not serve prisoners’ interests but actually gives power to the state to impose strict violent measures and actions that will subdue us as a prison class, while at the same time allowing CDCR to be justified in beating and murdering prisoners if they retaliate violently against CDCR officials.
For too many years CDCR has provoked, incited and manipulated violence against prisoners in order to have us seek retribution against them for the violence that they bring upon us in the first place. This same violence became the catalyst for CDCR to say that prisoners are violent and therefore guards must have total control over prisoners in order to secure the prisons, and that includes solitary confinement units: Administration Segregation, the Adjustment Center at San Quentin, SHUs, supermaxes etc.
Be it noticed that the CDCR conspired on this day, Aug. 6, 2013, to attack two elderly New Afrikan prisoners in the Short Corridor in order to provoke violence out of the New Afrikan prisoners. As a New Afrikan myself and understanding all too well what’s at stake and why CDCR has resorted to such desperate attacks, I would first like to commend the two elderly New Afrikans who allowed their discipline to take precedence over their natural impulses, which is to defend themselves, initially by any means. Instead, they respected our peaceful protest.
Their belief in our peaceful protest allowed them to de-escalate something we prisoners know all too well could have easily gotten out of control. No prisoner will willingly accept five strong Pelican Bay State Prison officers beating on elderly prisoners, who they have in prison restraints already.
This is why the New Afrikans were chosen to be attacked, so that all prisoners who witnessed the attacks would be angry, because if an attack like this happens now, then it can happen to us all. Plus, no one respects or likes people who abuse the elderly, especially someone who has been entrusted with a position of authority to serve and protect all prisoners.
These particular officials who set out to provoke violence by attacking prisoners are not only committing criminal acts but grossly violate the authority entrusted to them by the public. For too long CDCR and PBSP have been abusing their authority, which each official took an oath to uphold – arbitrarily applying their prejudiced and racist views by attacking prisoners.
Therefore, we prisoners insist that any attacks against any prisoners in retaliation for our peaceful protest must cease immediately and the officers who are responsible for such attacks must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. All those who had a hand in the conspiracy must be included as well.
"Hunger strikers, weak and fragile but mentally strong after 35 days, say thank you"
Written Aug. 11, 2013 – There is a true and righteous commitment being made through collective sacrifice by men from all walks of life who have come together to end an injustice. We suffer collectively at the hands of a prison system (CDCR) that has lost its morality, its ability to effectively run a prison system that protects the wellbeing of each and every prisoner.
Those of us who are held in Ad Segs, Adjustment Centers and SHUs ‘til this day, subjected to pain and suffering that’s being sanctioned by the state due to our peaceful protest, along with each and every prisoner who has contributed to our peaceful protest, past and present, by way of hunger strike and work stoppage, we hunger strikers commend you. And we want to say this before we deteriorate to a point where we’re unable to say thank you.
To all our supporters: We can only hope that you do everything in your power to change these horrible conditions by continuing to work with prisoners throughout the state and nation in the hope that no one else in this country is made to suffer such a horrible fate ever again.
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