FORWARDED ARTICLES =================== From: shiriki unganisha Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2000 7:56 AM WHY NOW? August 15, 2000 The saying of "Truth Crushed To The Earth Shall Rise", is ever so true today as we witness corruption by the U.S. government. For centuries people have been denouncing the use of the death-penalty in the U.S. because it does not deter crime, it is more expensive to seek the death of a prisoner than to sentence him/her to life in prison with no parole, it is racist in its application and innocent people have been executed. In Chicago a few years ago a conference was held on the death-penalty which focused on the conviction of innocent people. There were some twenty-eight(28) innocent people present that shared their horrifying experience on death-row in the U.S. Afrikans here in the U.S. have always said we are being terrorized in our communities by agents of the government such as the KKK, police and the criminal system in general. The KKK is not on the governments list of "Hate Groups", and it holds a "Charter" like the Boy Scouts Of Amerika. Therefore, the KKK is a legal organization that is protected by the government when we all know the murderous history of this "Hate Group". Yet, this government can label a political organization such as the Black Panther Party the greatest threat to internal security, but not the KKK? When the world witnessed the brutal beating of Rodney King some white citizens justified the beating of Rodney King saying he caused the beating by not following the instructions of the wolf-pack to lay still while being beaten? In early July caught on video again, rogue kops beating Thomas Jones a black man, and those in power once again justify police brutality. As the truth rises it's revealing corruption within the U.S. criminal system such as the Rampart Division scandal, The DuPage Five scandal of prosecutoral misconduct and the brutality by guards within the prisons. The question must be raised, WHY NOW? When corruption is suppressed, sooner or later the truth will rise, this is what the people are witnessing here in the U.S. today. WHY NOW? i believe the godd forces of the universe is allowing the people to see in no uncertain terms, how wicked this system is. Once truth is reveal, the people have a responsibility to rise and crush this evil and wicked system that is out of control, because the corruption will not stop, eventhough it is being exposed daily. WHY NOW? The creator is preparing us for what is yet to come if the people continue to allow a hand-full of super rich individuals to control the lives of the majority. If this continues, then the people deserve what they get! In Struggle, sista shiriki ================================================== The Power Of Resistance August 20, 2000 The Power Of Resistance is the most powerful tool an oppressed people have. More an more people are living in poverty in the most richest and powerful kountry on the planet, the U.S. i have often wondered why other kountries that the U.S. characterizes as rogue, terrorist and hue-mon rights violators never point to the facts revealing the U.S. are those same things? When Dr. King used Indias' non-violent tactic as a blue-print for Afrikans to gain social justice here in the U.S., he missed the most important and main tactic of this stragedy which is, the Indians were in their "Homeland". What is the colonizers going to do when "Millions" of people refuse to participate in their own oppression? Gandhi helped the people of India understand that they give the government the power to operate and they could stop that operation by The Power Of Resistance. As activist struggle for social justice within the U.S. by holding sit-ins, protest, civil disobediance, letter/phone/fax campaigns, we still see no justice. This kountry remains in the company of only four other kountries that practice the executing of its populace. Eventhough Shaka Sankofa had national and international attention the white power structure spoke loud and clear to the people that they are still in power and control. Dr. King spoke about making this government ungovernable until we received social justice through The Power Of Resistance. The organizing of the bus boycott, the garbage workers strike and the lunch-counter sit-ins where all froms of Economic Sanctions. During the bus boycott the communities pulled together and provided the transportational needs for the people. The white power structure did not change their evil ways until they felt the bottomline which was the almighty dollar. The white business owners blamed black people for the lose of their livihood and petition the government to pass laws to make you spend your monies with the very people that are abusing you. Economic Sanctions is a tool that kountries use against each other all the time. i'm amazed that there is no massive movement in this kountry calling for Economic Sanctions For Social Justice against the U.S. The celebrities, politicians, musicians and athletes called for and organized around Economic Sanctions against U.S.A.(United South Afrika), why not against the U.S.A.(United States of Amerika)? Before there was apartheid in U.S.A. there was apartheid in the U.S.A. in the form of Jim Crow laws, legal segregation and white-only signs. If we take another look, we can see these same ills in effect today through the crack-cocaine vs. powered cocaine laws, anti-terrorism and effective death-penalty act of 1996, mandatory minimum sentencing, three strikes and the welfare reform act. i believe until we make denying social justice a liability through The Power Of Resistance, there will never be any social justice. What if the people decided that we will no longer drive our automobiles as long as the death-penalty is being practiced in the U.S. What if we started a "Get On The Bus" campaign against the death-penalty, utilizing the public transportations, trains, airplanes and commercial buses to travel? You can't be made to drive your automobile if you chose not to, can you? Think of the impact of this resistance. i know there are those of you who still use that convoluted theory that the people are hurt by Economic Sanctions as a reason not to organize around Economic Sanctions within the U.S. If those of us who oppose Economic Sanctions under that theory were honest, they would admit they are not willing to make real sacrifices for social justice. To paraphrase Malcolm X, to stick a knife in my back and to pull it out six inches don't relieve my pain. i believe we've gottin' our mileage from the traditional forms of resistance, which were listed earlier. It is time for the struggle for social justice in the U.S. to be taken to another level and i believe The Power Of Resistance is the KEY!! In Struggle, sista shiriki Stop the execution! New trial for Mumia! Youth & Students for Mumia http://www.mumia2000.org To subscribe or unsubscribe email: youth-4-mumia-owner@egroups.com