Have you ever expected something important to happen? What were your emotions waiting for the event to occur? Were you expectant or dreadful? While the event you write about may not be on the order of what awaits Anne Frank, think of something serious and momentous. When the event arrived, how did your experiences coincide with what you imagined? What lesson about life worth passing on to others did you learn from this experience?Mumia's Fearless, So are We
We Won't Stop 'Til He is Free!They say Death Row
We say THEY Go!GHOSTBUSTER MUMIA ABU-JAMAL WAITS FOR LIFE OR DEATH
"Innocence is no defense," ruled the court denying Mumia Abu-Jamal a new trial.
"It's perfectly lawful to execute an innocent person as long as proper court procedures are followed and the defendant had a fair trial," decided the United States Supreme Court, the highest court in the world's greatest democracy ever, in 1990 (the Herreira case) It's do or die. Mumia's lawyers must convince the courts to hear new evidence pointing to his innocence and give him a new trial, a fair one this time, instead of rehashing old evidence his accusers want the court to hear and rehear over and over until Mumia is dead and silent.
You don't have to be a cop-hater to join the march to save Mumia's life, and those of others like him, wrongfully convicted of capital crimes. Mumia is framed for his writing. That hits home to a lot of us these days. March we do, chanting, beating drums, and passing out flyers in streets worldwide. In San Francisco thousands turn out regularly to demonstrate. Mumia's life is in our hands. We must stop the execution now and free our brother from prison. Only by battling in the streets can we keep Mumia alive. But why is he still in custody?
As anyone familiar with the case knows, it all began in 1968 when Alabama's segregationist governor George Wallace, running for President, campaigned in Philadelphia. Philadelphia-born Leonard Cook and three friends attended the rally in protest of his segregationist policies. After being escorted out of the auditorium, the boys were jumped by a gang of white supremacists who kicked the boys all over the sidewalk. Nearby police officers, instead of helping the boys, joined the fray and kicked Mumia straight into the militant Black Panther Party and the fight for civil rights. Leonard was given the African name Mumia during a high-school Swahili class. Abu-Jamal came later, meaning "father of Jamal", Mumia's oldest son.
FBI dossiers on Mumia date from 1969 when Mumia worked for the Oakland chapter of the Black Panther Party as a journalist, returning to Philadelphia in 1970 to open a chapter there snd serve as its information officer. In order to silence this award-winning journalist now driving a cab at night to support his family when National Public Radio under pressure, authorities tried to get Mumia on a weapons charge and then a murder charge in Bermuda. Mumia's never been to Bermuda. Finally on Dec 9, 1981 at 4 a m they got him. A cab driver in the middle of night time nowhere mayswell carry a sign inviting corrupt authorities or anyone else with time on their hands to come along and frame him for whatever they want to frame him for. Officer Daniel Faulkner, whom Philadelphia police wanted out of their way so they could continue their corruption unmolested, was set up and murdered. Blaming Mumia, it was two birds with one stone if only they could get Mumia quietly executed for their crimes and out of their way.
But it wasn't as easy as that. Mumia was charged with the murder, evidence was falsified and witnesses intimidated into giving false testimony. Mumia, found guilty and sentenced to death in a court biased against him, was railroaded to Death Row. In 1995 Mumia's death warrant was signed. Mumia was transferred to SCI Greene, a sterile maximum-security facility near Pennsylvania's border with West Virginia, where he remains, battling for his life. His books, essays and radio commentary brought his case, and those of other political prisoners, to national and international attention. Marches, rallies, teach-ins, benefits and other events rally worldwide support for Mumia's cause, which is that of the people.
Mumia spends all his book, video and merchandise earnings on lawyers, glad of that option. Others like him railroaded to Death Row lack the means to hire lawyers to defend them. Some of them are writers, some not. Supporters still march to free them and others not belonging on Death Row or in custody. Contrary to popular myth mobes (mobilization groups) don't support criminals, but only those they know are innocent and otherwise likeable to all, including women, and therefore pardonable. Supreme Court justices and other high officials admitting that innocent people are often executed receive little press in doing so.
While we live our lives free and unfettered Mumia and his cellmates at SCI Greene languish in tiny cells the size of showerless bathrooms 23 hours of every 24, only going outside to the yard on good days for an hour for air and to meet cellmates face to face and play handball. Cell doors are solid. Mumia's only other contact with cellmates the rest of the time is to send Morse Code messages through each cell wall between, like in the children's game "telephone". There's no mess hall either. Mediocre meals are served on trays on a conveyor belt outside the cell door.
Visits are limited. Visitors, not allowed to carry writing materials into the visiting room, are thoroughly searched to enforce this rule. Everything said must be memorized. Taping interviews is difficult. Mumia's hands are shackled with only one chain link between the two cuffs, making it hard for him to adjust his headphones. Phone calls are seldom permitted. Once when Mumia was doing a guest interview on Pacifica Radio and not even mentioning his case the phone suddenly went dead as prison authorities yanked its cord from the wall, writing Mumia up for making an unauthorized phone call. Mumia remains cheerful and fearless, seldom complaining and seldom writing or talking about his own case, but about his concern for others including Lakota Sioux Leonard Peltier, framed for his community activity; wrongly convicted Kevin Cooper of California; and many others.
The United States Supreme Court remanded Mumia's case to lower courts for review. If Mumia loses Pennsylvania will immediately pounce on him and reinstate his death warrant. Once the warrant is signed Mumia leaves his already closed-in cell for the one next to the execution chamber, with clothes, books and other personal possessions no longer allowed and only lawyers, clergy and immediate family allowed to visit. During Mumia's second time in this cell, naked and waiting for death, he was rescued at alomst the last minute by Judge William Yohn's indefinite stay of execution until after his case was heard and decided on. Mumia and the rest of the world knows if he returns to this waiting room his chances of leaving it alive are slim. He's seen many executions carried out at SCI Greene, many death warrants signed by governors furthering their careers, anxious to have as many executions completed as possible and fill vacant cells with incoming condemned prisoners.
Mumia's new lawyers, the old ones fired for betreaying him by revealing case secrets in a book about him, must convince hostile judges to admit new evidence of his innocence in court. Confessions regarding Faulkner's murder only confirm popular theories regarding the case to begin with. We've all seen this many times before, personally and otherwise. It's up to us street fighters to get the word out and fight for his freedom. All he's asking for is a new trial, a fair one in which proof of his innocence is presented and his accusers' lies are exposed and refuted before a judge or jury willing to listen to Mumia's side of the story. He's got to win. It's his last chance at life and the freedom to live it.
Mumia is aware of the existence of email and the Internet. Being in custody he's never accessed it. The world and its technology advances outside prison walls as Mumia through friends and family still keeps up with and comments on current events. Friends and family of Mumia post websites supporting him. I wear buttons with Mumia's picture on them and march in support of him. I expect someday I and other writers like me will be framed or assassinated for our writing. I'm in for a dime even if I never write licks off lemons, I'm in for a dollar. If freed Mumia like any of us would continue straight, spending his earnings to buy himself a house somewhere and then buy a computer and continue writing and commentary. It's an uphill battle. It's up to us to stand with Mumia and help him win. We turn up the heat but can we convince hostile courts wanting to "hear both sides of the story?"
Mumia's politics are unimportant. He's old enough to think for himself. The bottom line is another innocent person is railroaded while those who frame him go free, supported, upheld, believed and defended by the system at large. The day always comes when they must answer for their injustice but we must work for it. Mobes and marchers roll up their sleeves, pass out fliers, volunteer at events, raise funds and demonstrate for these innocent victims of miscarried justice. Our problems, however external, are molehills compared to the mountains Mumia et al must move to survive. Ona Move!
TEACHER'S COMMENT: I understand your concern. In my opinion Mumia's a political prisoner. For your essay why not write about your anticipation of, say, his parole hearing or sentencing, and compare that event to your expectation of it? If you've attended a rally for Mumia you could focus your essay on that. This is a good opportunity to introduce unaware students to what Mumia's case signifies.
LATEST: Mumia's death sentence was overturned on a technicality but his conviction stands. He's off Death Row but sentenced to life in prison - for a crime he didn't do! Pennsylvania filed their appeal, freezing the overturn of Mumia's death sentence. They still want him dead. It scares me. If Mumia's executed there'll be world wide riots. Like Passover we'll pass over Mumia's supporters and other decent people and literally tear the world apart. I wouldn't be surprised if Mumia's patience ran out or if his mind snapped. Regardless whether Mumia leaves Death Row alive or dead there's 3,000 others still there without means for appeals, amd more coming in every day.
While innocent people battle for their lives and often lose, three serial killers are periodically up for parole to go out and kill more innocent women. Their hearings are a formality we hope. If I'm ever the victim of foul play I swear I'll haunt those responsible until they're dead and in Hell.
TRADITIONAL BLUEGRASS, FOLK, ROCKABILLY FANS
Bored with newgrass, countrypolitan, big city formats? Miss those good old ballads? Need free venues with no pressure to buy unwanted drinks? UNITE!!
I MISS FINDING AROUND -
Screen Stories. Old format Saturday Evening Post. True, Saga, Argosy. Romance and detective magazines. Nowadays it's all shop and screw and convert and donate.
VIEW CAMERA USERS
DON'T - I repeat DON'T - let lines converge! No excuse.
CHRISTIANS! HISTORY FANS!
That park statue ripped at the seams commemorates Quetzalcoatl - a CHRISTIAN message. Spaniards - CHRISTIANS - warned Aztecs if they still sacrificed people he'd return and destroy their city and empire. Qetzalcoatl did return - the Spanish Conquest!
CATALOGUES! BROCHURES! AD INSERTS!
Use people-friendly models! Would you buy from this person? Credentials don't count. Service does! Feature your employees in ads. We'd love to see them.
Reviews you hear - SONGBIRDS
Beautiful, friendly, melodious birds whose message is SONG! Colorful males, camouflaged females. Example: cardinal - red male, reddish brown female. Displaying two red cardinals shows two males! The familiar Robin Redbreast of songs, festivals and fables is male. Females are brown. Bird fans, consult an illustrated bird book for further information on these and other songbirds.
Reviews you read - books in restaurants
Support restaurants using old books as decor. Practice your diction and articulation reading them aloud. After dinner you can leave the books at your booth for waiters to return for you.
Reviews you wear - T-SHIRTS
Why not put the graphics on the front? So people wearing coats can still display all that fine artwork they pay to wear.
Reviews you drop - PANTS
Boy wears baggy pants, in fashion. Impressing girls he loses his pants!
Reviews you watch - SPORTS
Why do teams build around 1 player or the absence of an opposing player? What ever happened to unselfish team play?
VTA JOB FAIR Santa Clara County CA
Job well done! No cold, unfriendly access-forbidden place but friendly, honest people on both sides of the recruiting tables. Behind signs and buses out front the greeter welcomed all comers, knowing somewhere out there was an HTML/XML jock inside that red plaid Saturday go-to-computer-class surface. Joyful, diverse crowds of helpful, unselfish, unjealous team players. No prima donnas wanting their own office keys! Tables for each department, including I T and online training. Potentials are tested for attitude. Security in white dress shirts sang and danced and performed for us. The children's play area had clowns, balloons and nontoxic clay. I'm glad I went.
1980s cover band
NOTORIOUS
This band is alive and lets you know it the minute they even think about starting towards the stage. Notorious covers the 1980s like Sha Na Na covers pre-Beatle days, like some future band not born yet will cover the early 2000s. A black-sequined jumping-Jack and a shining silver Jill sing for you in front of pounding drums, guitar, bass, and a jiggling silver keyboard player. If you're not a rocker you'll become one when this authentic dance band covers your song. Almost every #1 Billboard hit is covered in their nonstop medley, broken only with requests for a great big juicy San Jose hug & kiss for whoever's next to you. Their music was still heard when their gig ended and buses started getting noticed. Food sold at twice what it sold for outside was left behind, unsold. Once Notorious started I didn't hear any beer tip shouts either. People were too busy enjoying the music to care.