Mumia, MOVE, and Michael Vick

Two noteworthy radio pieces overlap in interesting ways:

In Mumia's latest Prison Radio broadcast, he addresses the fanatic outcry over Uncle Sam's conspiracy charges against Michael Vick. He notes the the striking contrast between the Vanilla Sam's venom towards Vick and the apathy over the brutal bombing of the MOVE headquarters on 13 May 1985, when Philadelphia's Pigs used C4, tear gas, explosives, and more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition to murder 11 men, women, and babies - along with several dogs.

The second interview features Ramona Africa, the only surviving adult member of the MOVE bombing. She gives an historical background to the attacks on her family beginning with the capture and frame-up of 9 MOVE members in 1978, when the Philadelphia Pigs assaulted the MOVE headquarters for the first time.

In different ways, both of these interviews illuminate the ongoing struggle for freedom on Uncle Sam's Plantation. They are both worth your time.

RELEASE the MOVE 9!
OnaMOVE!!

Uprising Radio Interviews Mumia

Uprising Radio - a new addition to the 'Radio' section of our blogroll - featured an 'interview' of Mumia Abu Jamal on their 1 August broadcast. Questions on the death penalty, sports, the state of journalism, and the capitalist press were recorded and presented to Mumia, which he answered and returned. Listen by clicking here or on the post title:

In a follow-up to our story in May about the case of Mumia Abu Jamal being heard by the 3rd Circuit US Court of Appeals, we present an interview with the man himself. Abu Jamal has been in prison for over two decades for the murder of Daniel Faulkner, a white police officer in Philadelphia. He enjoys widespread support among grassroots groups in the US and internationally. He has written several books, including Live From Death Row, Death Blossoms, and We Want Freedom. Abu Jamal also regularly records radio commentaries through Prison Radio which you hear often on Uprising and other Pacifica programs. I recently had the opportunity to present him with a series of questions through radio producer Noelle Hanrahan who runs Prison Radio.org. Mumia recorded his answers to my questions via telephone from prison. Here is a edited version of our “conversation.”

Special thanks to Noelle Hanrahan for coordinating and recording this interview.

GUESTS: Ward Churchill, Ramona Africa, Volker Ratzmann, interviewed by Hans Bennett

Hans Bennett is a journalist based in Philadelphia and co-founder of Journalists for Mumia. He attended the May 18th 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals Hearing of Mumia’s case. The hearing was attended by many high-profile supporters of Mumia Abu Jamal. In the moments after the hearing ended Hans Bennett interviewed Ward Churchill, Ramona Africa, and German Parliamentarian, Volker Ratzmann.

For more information about the movement to support Mumia Abu Jamal, visit the Mumia homepage.

To listen to Mumia’s Prison Radio Commentaries, visit Prison Radio.

Release Kenneth Foster NOW!DOWN with Uncle Sam's Police State!

On 30 August, Uncle Sam and the state of Texas plan to use an arbitrary legal technicality called the "law of parties" to murder author and poet Kenneth Foster for the crime of driving a car near the scene of a murder.

Predictably, Foster's court-appointed lawyer did little to defend him, paying lip-service to both his categorical innocence and the extenuating circumstances of Foster's case. For this he no-doubt earned an assist from Uncle Sam and furthered his career.

Like most death-penalty cases, Foster's case has nothing at all to do with the crime itself and everything to do with Uncle Sam's system of Vanilla Justice. He uses this form of legalized murder today just as he used lynching during Jim Crow - to send a message and intimidate the oppressed, often through its arbitrariness, about who has power.

In that respect, Uncle Sam's murders here on the Plantation serve the same function as his concentration camps abroad. These modes of coercion embody the perverted use of justice in a Police State.

To add your name to the growing chorus of people who want to see Foster released, visit the Save Kenneth blog or click on the title above for more information.

"Police State" by dead prez
from their debut album let's get free

Release POCC Minister of Defense Aaron Patterson Today!

Earlier today, Uncle Sam held a sentencing hearing for Political Prisoner Aaron Patterson in Chicago.

Stephanie Joy Tisdale summarizes the trumped-up case against Patterson in The Liberator:

Aaron Patterson’s journey with the political structure of Chicago began in April 1986, when an elderly couple was stabbed to death and he was arrested as a possible suspect... Patterson was tortured during his “interrogation”—including severe beatings and suffocation... [He] etched into a bench while in police custody: “Aaron 4/30 I lie about murders. Police threaten me with violence. Slapped and suffocated me with plastic. No lawyer or dad. No phone. Signed false statement to murders.” (Ironically, the message would remain in the bench close to 20 years later and would help to further prove that Patterson was, in fact, tortured)....

“Chicago is the torture capital,” says Chairman Fred Hampton, Jr. “Chicago’s Area 2 Violent Crimes Unit is called the ‘House of Screams’ due to the torture of prisoners including everything from electric shock on sexual organs to being hand-cuffed to radiators and doused with water.” The chief coordinator of Area 2 was Lt. Jon Burge “who’s name came to stand for police brutality” (Chicago Tribune). Burge was a military policeman during the Vietnam War and later joined the Chicago Police force. He was fired in February 1993 after being implicated for the torture of Andrew Wilson in 1982. Subsequently, more than 100 victims came forward with allegations of torture by Burge or his subordinates: Aaron Patterson was one of them. Throughout the 1970’s and 80’s Jon Burge, fresh out of Vietnam, extorted “confessions” from detainees using tactics like suffocation with typewriter covers, the use of cattle prods, electric shocks, beatings and "Russian Roulette..." In 1990, after years of complaints and public pressure, a formal investigation of Burge and his detectives finally took place and he was let go. To date, Jon Burge resides in Florida where he receives a pension and benefits.

A pension & benefits for a sadistic torturer? Now that's Vanilla Justice! Tisdale continues:

As the case against Burge defined itself, Cook County State's Atty. Richard Devine attempted to bribe Patterson and others—offering to reduce their sentences if they admitted guilt and dropped their claims against Burge. Patterson refused, stating in a Chicago Tribune interview: “Much as I'd like to get out of here, I'm going to stay until we get this thing right. I'm pretty much certain they know now I didn't do it, but they're trying to wiggle their way out of it... But I'm not so frantic that I just want to get out. If you're innocent, you've got to make your stand..."

Aaron Patterson would remain on death row until January 2003, when Illinois Gov. George Ryan pardoned him and three other death row inmates on the grounds that their confessions were a result of police torture... Upon release, Patterson became a central figure in the campaign to expose Burge and the impropriety of the Chicago political structure....

Patterson continued to advocate on behalf of tortured prisoners and victims of the Chicago political structure, many of whom remained on death row. He would go on to file a civil suit (which is still pending) and to run for office, while also working as the Minister of Defense for the POCC. “Aaron ran for State Representative in the 2nd District and on his platform he used the African Anti-Terrorism Bill,” says Chairman Fred. And that is when things took a turn for the worse..."

“Operation Revolving Door” was launched that same day by Joe Gorman, Jr... which would result in the arrest of Aaron Patterson in August 2004. The charge: attempt to purchase weapons and narcotics from an undercover informant... Since then, Aaron Patterson has been incarcerated based on the testimony of police informant Mario Fox, who was himself incarcerated for cocaine possession and subsequently released from jail in order to work as an informant.

Aaron Patterson’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 20th, 2007. It is important to remember that Aaron Patterson was pardoned in 2003 and released from jail only to be rearrested (on hearsay) less than two years later... As with Mumia Abu-Jamal and so many unjustly incarcerated individuals, Aaron Patterson needs and requires our support, our energy and our commitment to freedom for all.

Send love to Aaron Patterson:
Aaron Patterson
ID # 21664424
Metropolitan Correctional Center
71 West Van Buren
Chicago, IL 60605

FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS