MIM(Prisons) is a cell of revolutionaries serving the oppressed masses inside U.$. prisons, guided by the communist ideology of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.
www.prisoncensorship.info is a media institution run by the Maoist Internationalist Ministry of Prisons. Here we collect and publicize reports of conditions behind the bars in U.$. prisons. Information about these incidents rarely makes it out of the prison, and when it does it is extremely rare that the reports are taken seriously and published. This historical record is important for documenting patterns of abuse, and also for informing people on the streets about what goes on behind the bars.
Survival in this imperial dungeon is a must. Survival is more than
looking over ya shoulder wondering when a shank will be placed in your
back. Survival in these walls has a broad base.
First, we must be vigilant in what we eat, the reason why is food
nourishes the body, mind and soul. There are so many chemicals added to
our diet that it kills or destroys us over a period of time. We must
change our diet or balance it with more fruits and veggies. What I have
done was get on a kosher diet rich in fresh produce, and cut back on a
lot of mystery meat. How can we fight with all our strength if what we
eat is making us weak?
Another survival method I use is peers. I connect to those held captive
in the system of snakes, and politic with them so we can all be on
point. Staying away from negative energy which brings chaos. I try to
apply “each one teach one” as my everyday survival method, cause once
you help your brother-comrade in need it brings a feeling of joy.
But the enemy can come with all kinds of tricks, and once they see you
are a fighter for justice, then you’re hauled off to a solitary
confinement unit. Now that’s when you must use all the tools to survive.
One method that I currently use now while housed here is reading a lot
of material and applying the principles to my everyday life. And
spreading literature helps so us comrades can chop it up (conversate)
amongst each other and figure out ways to find solutions rather than
being a problem. But I keep a simple program so I can survive in this
imperial prison. Stocks of peanut butter in case food supply doesn’t
come. Batteries for fuel, radio to keep up with current events. And
learning more about self, so I can be prepared mentally to overcome this
injustice.
MIM(Prisons) responds: On the topic of survival in solitary
confinement, we distribute excerpts from the “Survivors Guide for
Solitary Confinement” pamphlet that was released by the American Friends
Service Committee. It is primarily authored by prisoners and gets into
many mental health tactics, including meditation, setting a schedule,
and regular exercise. These tactics are useful for any comrade who’s
serious about political organizing, whether locked up or not.
Sometimes our oppressors will put us in a strip cell with no bedding, no
warmth, no food, no water, no medical attention. In those moments,
there’s little we can do as far as relying on peanut butter reserves.
But maintaining everyday practices that keep us healthy and strong, and
with a strong ideological understanding of the reasons we’re facing
these horrible conditions, will help us remain strong and make it
through this torture. Our survival tactics may be individual at times,
but our struggle is vast.
Cien años después del histórico Plan de San Diego, se desarrolla otro
evento monumental e histórico; la publicación de Chican@ Power and
the Struggle for Aztlán (Poder Chican@ y la lucha por
Aztlán). Chican@ Power es un libro revolucionario
nacionalista enfocado en la lucha revolucionaria de la nación Chican@
contra el imperialismo Amerikano. Este libro le sirve a toda la Raza
oprimida en Aztlán y debe de ser estudiado por todos los interesados en
liberar la nación Chican@ del imperialismo Amerikano, especialmente la
Raza interesada en liberar la nación Chican@ del imperialismo Amerikano,
especialmente la Raza interesada en establecer una república de gente
Chican@ en donde se encuentra Aztlán ocupado y oprimido,
i.e. California, Texas, Nevada, Arizona, Nuevo Mexico, Utah, y Colorado.
Chican@ Power alumbra en la oscuridad que es opresión nacional,
una oscuridad que ha envuelto y cubierto a Aztlán. Dirigiendo sus rayos
luminosos hacia el sendero luminoso abierto para nosotros por toda la
buena gente del mundo en la lucha. La lucha de la gente en la cual las
masas heroicas del Tercer Mundo continúan probando no solo su valor en
la cara del imperialismo desastroso sino tambien la validez y
efectividad de la guerra de la gente y la ideología revolucionaria de
donde nació: Marxismo-Leninismo-Maoismo, principalmente el Maoísmo.
Chican@ Power nos manda a atacar con fuerza la opresión nacional
y criticar a los proponentes de la opresión nacional sean quien sean.
Esto significa que como revolucionarios nacionalistas y el destacamento
avanzado de la nación Chican@ es nuestro deber ser los primeros en
criticar abiertamente a nuestros líderes comprados y reformistas. No
sirve en nada alabar a opresores solo porque tienen apellidos en
español, hablan español o son Raza por nacimiento, haciendolo solo
confunde el punto para las masas Chican@s quien miran hacia nosotros
como guías de teoría e ideología. Siendo revolucionarios debemos siempre
encender el camino en asuntos de punto de vista política y conciencia,
nunca debemos rendirnos a la complacencia que traería degeneración
política. Tenemos que acabar con Chican@s nacionalistas disfrazados de
Maoístas quien en el nombre de Aztlán levantarían la bandera roja solo
para después oponerse a ella. Comunistas de la nación Chican@ deben
pararse firmes e intransigentes contra estos nacionalistas
chauvinisticos quienes con sus engaños atrasan el movimiento Chican@ de
liberación e independencia.
Dicho esto, Maoístas auténticos creen en unir a todos quienes están
dispuestos para la lucha para liberar la nación. Esto está de acuerdo
con la teoría del frente unido con practica desarrollada por Joseph
Stalin, líder de la USSR durante la lucha de la gente Soviética contra
el fascismo Alemán, y Mao Zedong en la guerra de la gente China de
liberación contra el militarismo e imperialismo Japonés. Haciendo esta
declaración se reconoce que hay una contradicción entre la unificación
de todos quienes se puedan juntar y luchar no solo contra tendencias
equivocadas entre el movimiento Chican@ pero también deviaciones
completas y revisionismo adentro del movimiento Chican@ comunista
también. Maoístas del movimiento Chican@ deben buscar resolver estas
diferencias y contradicciones ahora mismo, empezando con los elementos
más avanzados de las masas Chican@s, con el método de
unidad-lucha-unidad. No deberíamos esperar que se complete el teatro de
liberación nacional antes de tomar la lucha ideológica. Esto no debe
excluir el separarnos de otras organizaciones Chican@s a base de paradas
de principio sobre disputas científicas pues “La lucha sigue adelante
continuamente.” Debemos reconocer que en estos casos lo que no
deberíamos hacer es no unir los dos en uno, sino luchar para dividir
para poder liberar Aztlán y hacer la revolución.
También debemos reconocer que antes que el movimiento pueda formarse a
traves del poder y la fuerza de las masas Chican@s primero tiene que
haber un consenso entre todos los elementos revolucionarios de Aztlán
para poder consolidar el movimiento nacional Chican@ de liberación; sea
entre un frente unida suelto entre varias organizaciones Chican@s y
Mexican@s, o bajo una bandera unida con un solo programa, no se puede
determinar ahora. Lo que debería ser reconocido es que las fuerzas
revolucionarias en Aztlán tienen que comenzar el proceso de
consolidación para seguir moviendo la lucha hacia adelante. La mejor
manera de hacer esto en esta etapa de la lucha es indudablemente con
Under Lock & Key (Bajo Llave y Candado), la voz del
movimiento anti-imperialista trás de las paredes de la prisión. De esta
manera es el deber revolucionario de Maoístas y otros anti-imperialistas
de la nación Chican@ unirse para poder empezar el largo y arduo proceso
de liberación y descolonización de toda la gente.
El movimiento nacionalista revolucionario Chican@ debe estar en unidad
firme con todos las fuerzas Maoístas autenticas del mundo incluyendo
todas las otras fuerzas revolucionarias peleando regímenes respaldados
por imperialismo. ¡Saludo de puño cerrado! un saludo de puño cerrado
también mandamos a toda Raza y camaradas encerrados en prisiones
Amerikkkanas quienes han saltado a ganarse la liberación para nuestra
gente con la lucha utilizando el Maoísmo; el tercer y mas alto nivel de
la ciencia revolucionaria.
Camaradas deberían estudiar seriamente el programa de diez puntos
MIM(Prisiones) y también los seis puntos cardinales de MIM(Prisiones)
antes de intentar crear sus propios grupos Maoístas pues pueden demarcar
entre Maoísmo autentico y falsas organizaciones comunistas. Estos
programas deben servir como guía general al tipo de organización y como
organizarse. Celdas revolucionarais contendiendo la manta de Mao y
Aztlán deben abrirse a todo Chican@ y no deben ser contingente en
organización pasada de la calle o prisión, pero si en la creencia
profunda que Aztlán es un territorio de la nación Chican@ que tiene que
ser liberada!
A la misma vez organizaciones Chican@s Maoístas deben tener pólizas
estrictas de admisión porque la revolución no es un estilo de vida o un
juego, es una cosa de vida o muerte y por eso sólo los revolucionarios
más cometidos serán escogidos. Camaradas también deben estudiar
seriamente el concepto Leninista de “mejor, pocos, pero mejor” para esta
etapa de la lucha. Por último, camaradas deben juntar a las masas
oprimidas en la prisión, en particular Raza presa para luchar y comenzar
a trabajar con otras organizaciones amables hacia la revolución en el
espíritu y practica del “Frente Unido para la Paz en las prisiones,” no
solo porque es la forma mas efectiva de establecer la paz en la prisión,
pero también de mantenerla. Paz entre las masas no es sólo un precursor,
sino es un prerequisito a la victoria a nivel estratégico.
El Chican@ y otras masas de prisión deben darse cuenta que el
imperialismo Amerikano se pone más débil cada día, a nivel domestico e
internacional por su extenso sobre alcance hegemónico. En vez de ganarse
más poder a largo, los imperialistas con su presencia han encontrado
resistencia feroz y odio por parte de las masas del Tercer Mundo
resueltas. Las masas deben saber que el imperialismo Amerikano es un
tigre de papel y a nivel estratégico y de largo plazo su muestra de
fuerza es solo boxeo de sombra para el beneficio de los que ellos desean
oprimir y subyugar; es un monstruo de concreto con pies de arcilla y
donde intenta plantar los pies, es atacado.
“Aunque re-escriban la historia, no se puede cambiar el hecho que la
lucha de liberación nacional es la que le da tantas derrotas militares a
el imperialismo.” (“La cuestión nacionalista y partidos vanguardias
separados” en MIM Teoría 7: Nacionalismo Feminista Proletariado) Aztlán
Libre!
I am an amputee prisoner on a non-ADA-compliant Unit, Coffield. I have
been trying to get prosthetic services for 1 year 2 months now. I have
tried UTMB provider, ineffective grievance system, even less effective
is the chain of command. Wardens Rupert, Cooper, and Richardson sign off
on the grievances to cover ALL the issues wrong with this unit:
solitary, overcrowding, much needed better medical system, unsanitary
eating utensils, mail room opening of legal mail, etc.
I have been writing to a disability lawyer and building design access
for disabled, all the way up to Governor Abbot, Director of TDCJ Brad
Livingston, every possible department in TDCJ, even the regional
director. But my prosthetic issue started out as a minor height
adjustment. My condition(s) now have become painfully severe to walk or
stand in line for long periods of time.
This medical area holds 27 but has up to 50 prisoners with TB, AIDS,
insulin open sores, bandages bloodied and needing change. I have grieved
every medical issue. Some grievances are never returned, others are
signed off as “complaint noted” but NO good results.
The whites wanted to lay it down and refuse work, the Mexicans were
strong in their backing of this, but waiting for the rest of the
population to join in, and it just petered out. No unity here, everyone
is down for theirs. Here is some paperwork you can print in your
newspaper.
I would like to comment on one recurring theme I’ve observed in recent
issues of ULK. I’ve noticed a willingness from prisoners who seem
to accept a prisoncrat’s word that they cannot appeal the censorship of
your - or others’ - literature. I have yet to encounter a prison system
which does not have a process for screening books, magazines, etc. While
they may be loathe to follow those procedures, we need to force them to
at least go through the motions of properly reviewing our literature, as
once that review is completed, then we can take our complaints to the
local federal courts. While they don’t always afford us the relief we
deserve, sometimes we do prevail, and if nothing else our lawsuits are
expensive to defend. At some point the attorney general’s office will
tire of defending policies which don’t comport to the state’s own
regulations. If we continue to give up at the first sign of resistance,
we will never accomplish any of our goals. Those who are unwilling to
defend their rights deserve none.
MIM(Prisons) responds: There are no rights, only power struggles,
so we agree with this comrade that it is important that everyone step up
to fight the censorship battles that are preventing revolutionary
material, or any other mail, from getting in to the prisons.
Unfortunately many states do have “unappealable” (per policy)
censorship. For example, in Texas the
Chican@
Power book was recently banned. Per Texas policy, this book is
effectively censored forever. We are pushing comrades in Texas to take
this to court to not only get the book in to prisoners in Texaztlán, but
to attempt to change this policy across the board.
We are not so optimistic that the attorney general’s office will tire
and give up, and in fact we know that even in victory the courts and the
government are likely to just change the laws on us rather than let us
win. But we do agree that these battles are sometimes winnable, and it
is persistence that pays off. At the same time, everyone taking up these
legal battles should use their fight as an opportunity to educate others
about the struggle, and why we are facing so much censorship of
anti-imperialist educational material. In this way, even if we lose in
the courts, we have made good use of our time by helping others to learn
from the fight and building resistance outside the legal realm.
Recently, there has been a lot of confusion and/or misunderstanding with
regard to the Moorish Science Temple of America (MSTA) and its relation
to the
Sovereign
Citizen Movement. This is partially because some people who may or
may not be a part of the MSTA have taken up certain aspects of the
Sovereign Citizen Movement.
There are over five different splinter groups who operate under the
MSTA that i am aware of, each with its own self-proclaimed leader of the
“Movement” established by Prophet Noble Drew Ali. This is why we have
this confusion as to what the Moorish National and Divine Movement is
about.
Brief Historical Background
The MSTA was founded by Prophet Noble Drew Ali in 1913 and was first
organized as a civic organization. In 1928, it was re-incorporated in
the State of Illinois as a religious corporation. The stated objective
of the MSTA is “to uplift fallen humanity.” Humynity meaning all of the
people of the world, with the understanding that charity starts at home
before it spreads abroad.
The MSTA is decidedly “nationalist.” It proclaims Marcus Garvey as the
forerunner of Noble Drew Ali. It should be of interest to note that
Prophet Noble Drew Ali was pushing the line that New Afrikans (Moors),
were a separate and distinct nation here in the United $tates.
While the MSTA is recognized as a “religious” organization, it also
functions on a social, economic and political level, as all of these
functions are necessary in building and/or re-building a nation. Herein
lies the confusion and/or misunderstanding with regard to the Moorish
Movement. The political line and direction varies depending on which
“Sheik” you are following.
On Nationality
I am a Moor. I am a also a New Afrikan. I am a member of the MSTA and
the 1st Crown Prince of the Black Order Revolutionary Organization
(BORO), a New Afrikan revolutionary nationalist organization. For the
most part, the MSTA is a cultural nationalist organization.
The line of the MSTA is that we are descendants of Morrocans and born in
America. This is based upon the fact that the Moors ruled the
Northwestern and Southwestern shores of Afrika, and that this location
was the center of the Afrikan Holocaust (aka Atlantic Slave Trade).
We all should recognize that through an imposition of war, Afrikans were
brought to these shores from many lands, tribes and cultures with
different languages, traditions, etc. But through our collective
oppression and hystoric collective resistance, we developed into a
social and cultural unit (nation), separate and distinct from any other
people on the planet. WE became a New, Afrikan people. Thus, the term
New Afrikan. The same can be said for the term Moorish American.
Religion and Communism
BORO demonstrates from a secular form of organization because
hystorically and scientifically, secular movements are better political
vehicles than religious movements. This is because one’s religious
orientation does not necessarily determine one’s political positions,
and it is one’s politics that need to form the basis of unity and
disunity if a movement is to maintain a clear political focus.
While most religions and religious groups deal in idealism and
metaphysics, Moors are taught to be scientists. For Moors, we are taught
that the Islamic path to submission to God (Allah) is simplified as a
“Creed.” Moorish scientists are taught to maintain the principles of
Love, Truth, Peace, Freedom and Justice. In fact, Temple members are
encouraged to engage the world in the same way as the “spiritual”
principles given, Love being the first and Justice being the last. Moors
should primarily be concerned with spiritual principles rather than some
sort of religious orthodoxy. But again, this is all predicated upon
which “Sheik” you are following.
Moorish Science doesn’t teach that God (Allah) is some great, mysterious
spirit, but that all people have within them the seed of perfect
development. Your “devil” or “God” is within you and it is manifested
through your thinking and words, actions and deeds; which result from
our material conditions.
There are a lot of issues around which the anti-imperialist movement can
unite with the MSTA. The struggle against religious thinking is
secondary to smashing imperialism, militarism, environmental pollution
and other antagonistic contradictions which are manifested in our
struggle, mainly national oppression and gender oppression.
Our task should be to try to find common ground in which we can unite
with those who have religious thinking as their base. We should unite
with them in secular political movement such as BORO, MIM(Prisons), USW,
or RAIL.
“Our principle ideological task in organizing such religious
progressives – as well as the people who take the bourgeoisie’s idealist
talk of ‘eternal truths’ like fraternity, equality and liberty at face
value – is to explain our slogan that ‘there are no rights, only power
struggles.’ That is, these rights are denied the oppressed masses
through economic exploitation and outright violent suppression. The only
way to realize these rights is to overthrow the material systems of
imperialism, capitalism and patriarchy – and the only way to combat
these material forces is to scientifically analyze the contradictions in
society and build a secular revolutionary movement, a movement without
religious bias which can unite all the oppressed.”(1)
Conclusion
While i don’t have the time or space to go into all of the
contradictions within the MSTA, it is safe to say that it has no ties to
the Sovereign Citizen Movement. It is inherently more progressive than
most organized religious groups operating in the New Afrikan community,
but there is a leadership vacuum. A scientific leadership, that knows
how to balance the spiritual aspects of life, with materialism.
At the same time, “some people talk about a ‘nation’ but really don’t
wanna be one (independent), as evidenced by their efforts to crawl back
on the plantation. How can we tell? You can identify those trying to
crawl back on the plantation by the way they identify themselves,
i.e. ‘black’, ‘African-American’, ‘ethnic group’, ‘minority
nationality’, ‘underclass’, anything and everything except New Afrikans,
an oppressed nation. Amerikkka is the plantation, and continuing to
identify yourself within the Amerikkkan context is evidence of the
colonial (slave) mentality. Ain’t no two ways about it.”(2)
It is the people who make hystory and it is our responsibility to create
the type of society that we want to live in. Otherwise, you ain’t got no
right to complain about the oppression you face.
MIM(Prisons) has received a number of other responses to discussion
around the MSTA, following the article “Talks about Sovereignty: A
Scientific Approach” printed in Under Lock & Key 44.
One Illinois prisoner wrote: [The article] described these groups
aforesaid as Sovereign Citizen movements which, in many instances, can
obliquely misrepresent the actual objective these organizations have
struggled to attain. The author’s paralogism can be easily made by
relating the agenda’s of New Afrikan groups like the Moorish Nation and
the Washitaw Nation of Moors to that of the white nationalist groups,
though indeed there are many concrete similarities between the two
movements, yet to the contrary, there are also conceptual differences,
which in respect to the Moorish Divine National Movement and the
Washitaw Nation of Moors theoretical systems warrants elucidation.
…what the author fails to clarify is the Moorish Divine National
Movement in fact has a much different historical perspective on such
matters. Moorish partisans do not acknowledge the feudal British empire
(feudal at the time) nor their posterity, imperialist USA as legitimate
authorities of the land. They recognize that all Moorish people here in
the colonial USA are colonized and have the right for self-determination
and national sovereign independence.
And I thought it would be also critical for comrades to note, that the
Moorish nationality is not a pseudo-scientific theory, it actually has a
historical foundation to support its concept.
A comrade from Michigan wrote: Comrades, I truly appreciate you
and all the things that you have taught me and put me in tune with as
far as the revolutionary movement. Comrades, you have opened my mind and
changed my point of view because I had got caught up under religion but
not the political, social, economic and cultural perspectives. Islam
isn’t a religion at all, it’s a way of life, and this is why Islam is
the fastest growing way of life in the world today.
The letter you sent me asks the question is the Moorish Science Temple
of America a sovereign movement? The answer was No! This is correct
because the MSTA is a religious organization that was founded by Prophet
Noble Drew Ali in 1928… But in the late 1920s the Moors started fighting
over positions and for power. The Moorish movement split up into many
different organizations.
I’m a product of the new generation of Moors. Prophet Noble Drew Ali
said, “there are going to be new Moors coming into the Temple with their
eyes wide open, seeing and knowing they are going to set you old Moors
in the back, and they are going to enforce my laws.”
I see myself as a new generation Moor and I see and understand the weak
and ineffective leadership that’s in the Moorish movement. …I have
decided to bring about a serious change in the Moorish movement and its
ideology and to become politically, socially, economically and
culturally in the struggle to remove oppression and exploitation of the
New Afrikans, poor people and Third World countries. This is the reason
why I founded the Moorish Islamic Liberation Movement as its Chief
Executive Ruler.
…There are more MSTA Temples in the prison system than society now, this
is a damn shame. But Moors in society have forgotten where they came
from…. And yes, I support the Sovereign Freedom Movement, and I
recognize the U.$. Empire government but I’m not a 14th Amendment
Federal Citizen, I’m a state citizen under the 11th Amendment of the
U.$. constitution. …
The Moors are indigenous to the Americas because the old Moorish Empire
extended from the northeast and southwest Afrika across the great
Atlantis even unto the present day North, South and Central America…
This Moorish Islamic Liberation Movement has many different associates
and alliances because to destroy and overthrow imperialism is going to
require a great many alliances. I’m against no other Moorish
organization but I disagree with the methods and ideology of teachings
because it’s too many secrets and not enough action.
I stand with the oppressed, exploited and the poor people of the world
because of the cruel abusive and foul treatment by the imperialist and
the powerful of the proletariat and lumpen. We stand together in
solidarity as Souljas in the revolutionary cause to establish freedom,
justice and equality for all people wherever they may be. Our principles
are Love, Truth, Peace, Freedom and Justice. And when these principles
are violated, justice then must take its course!
A comrade in Illinois wrote: I am writing to you about your
recent article that talks about sovereignty. The Moorish Americans are
not on a sovereign citizen movement, get it right. We are not some new
organization, the Moors are the true indigenous people and nations of
the land as you know that the Moors was denationalized during slavery
and given slave names and Black state of mind, they were made negroes,
colored folks, black people and in 2015, African Americans. Now take a
look at the Constitution of the United States of America, Article 1,
Section 2. You know where it says three fifths of all other persons. Do
you know what they are talking about? They are talking about Willie
Lynch syndrome man breaking and slave making!…
MIM(Prisons) responds: We thank this latter comrade for sending
many pages of materials on the Moorish Science Temple of America (MSTA).
Much of our response here is based on the information in those
documents.
The MSTA denounces the terms “Negro”, “Colored”, “Black” and “African
American” to describe a people, primarily because it denies the
nationality of said people. Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights guarantees all people the right to a nation and to change
their nation, and is cited by the MSTA as part of their claim. We agree
with this foundational aspect of the MSTA that recognizes the
independent nationality of what we call the New Afrikan nation, which
was formed by the importing of slaves of various African nations by
European settlers. MSTA looks at the history of Amerika, and the 14th
and 15th Amendments, and states that it “could never seriously include
people of color, women or commoners.” Again, we agree here that there is
an antagonistic contradiction between the Amerikan oppressor nation and
the oppressed.
As the comrade from BORO describes, MSTA’s idea of a Moorish American
Nation seems to parallel what we call the New Afrikan nation. They
explain their use of the term Moor in that it is an ancient
civilization, with a glorious history, that is found in the bible. They
imply that a nation not found in the bible does not exist. This is a
metaphysical view that nations cannot change, form, or disappear with
time. Their need to define their nation as timeless seems to lead them
to declare the Moorish American Nation to be the indigenous people of
and “Heirs Apparent” to the lands of “North America, South America,
Central America, and the Atlantis Islands, referred to as the Caribbean
Islands.” This is echoed by our comrade from Michigan above. Elsewhere
the MSTA seems to contradict this when writing, “the Moorish, were a new
nation of people, brought forth on this continent by the European
forefathers.” It is not clear from what we’ve read how the MSTA
reconciles their identity as an indigenous nation to America with the
historical fact of the African slave trade and the many First Nations
that existed in America prior to that trade that brought masses of
Africans to this land.
Now to this question of MSTA and sovereignty. While none of our
correspondents above see the MSTA as a Sovereign Citizen movement, at
least one of them was quite well-versed in and supported the Sovereign
Citizen ideas. As established above, there are different sects of the
MSTA. At least a couple of them publicly denounce the Sovereign Citizens
Movement.
Yet, the language in many of the documents sent to us are quite similar
to that of the Sovereign Citizen Movement, so it is easy to see how the
two have merged in some places in recent years. They speak of “legal
trickery” and go on and on about archaic legal language to explain the
situation they are in and how to get out of it. But in reality it was
brute force and oppression that put New Afrikans where they are as a
semi-colony of Amerika. The law is merely a smokescreen to cover that
up. So that is where we disagree with the MSTA and those who look to
Sovereign Citizen ideology for liberation. They treat the legal concepts
they talk about as concepts that define our reality. In contrast, we
believe it is people, and ultimately the masses, who define humyn
destiny. The MSTA’s and Sovereign Citizens Movement’s approach is a sort
of idealism, where the ideas are these legal concepts that they hold up
as the ultimate cause of their predicament and solution to it.
Some of the materials sent to us were from the Moorish Order of the
Roundtable, founded in 1982 (rvbeypublications.com). This group happens
to be the target of an article
“Debunking
sovereignty myths” on moorishsciencetemple.org. So we see there is
disagreement and even confusion among those calling themselves Moors on
this question. We support those who are working towards greater clarity.
The piece by the BORO comrade above puts the issue plainly, and the work
of BORO speaks to their efforts to put a scientific political agenda
into practice. We will continue to work with the comrade trying to start
the Moorish Islamic Liberation Movement to move in a similar direction.
This is a quick response to Rashid’s recent response to us titled,
“MIM (Prisons) Preaches Logic but
Practices Petty Bourgeois Opportunism (2016).” Rashid is the
Minister of Defense of the New Afrikan Black Panther Party – Prison
Chapter, which we have a history of both work and struggle with. While
we appreciate the time ey has put into responding to us, we continue to
find eir responses to be largely unhelpful. Here we give some comments
on this document, section-by-section. It won’t be too useful until
you’ve at least read Rashid’s latest article, but you should probably
also read
100
Reasons Why Rashid Needs to STFU About MIM(Prisons), which is a
line-by-line response to Rashid’s essay “MIM or MLM?”. In Rashid’s
article above ey says ey is only responding to our article
Study
Logic, Don’t End Up Like Rashid. The section headers below all come
from Rashid’s latest polemic.
We Got MIMP’s Line All Wrong
<P’ “They begin by claiming ‘a significant portion” of our article
confuses and spreads misinformation about the membership requirements
for their prisoner study groups, their ’mass organization’ United
Struggle from Within (USW), and MIMP itself. This is outright
fabricated.”
If you read our full response you’d see examples of this, for example
Rashid wrote:
“MIMP maintains the position that there is no First World proletariat as
one of their ‘cardinal points’ and declares anyone who even ‘consciously
disagrees’ with it their enemy.(1)16 Which is problematic and
anti-Maoist on several points. First it demonstrates that MIMP
determines friends and enemies not by class but rather by one’s
willingness to blindly and uncritically accept whatever they say. And
not only must one not speak out in disagreement, they must not even
disagree in conscious thought. Even the liberal bourgeois doesn’t take
thought policing this far! The U.S. constitution is even interpreted by
its bourgeois courts to protect one from punishment for their
beliefs(2). We need only go as far as the quote at the beginning of this
article to see that Maoists don’t repress contrary views, not even those
of actual enemies and reactionaries(3). But MIMP opened their polemic
contending that they ‘cannot forgive’(3) us for daring to disagree with
their class analysis of Amerika and VLA line. But let’s look at the PB.
And we responded previously:
MIM(Prisons): 1. No, this is a lie. See the note number 16, and please
tell us where is the word “enemy.” Rashid is looking at the criteria to
join the United Struggle from Within, and extrapolating that to who we
consider enemies. 2. Whoa, MIM(Prisons) is PUNISHING people for their
beliefs? That’s amazing! Maybe instead of punishing prisoners we should
start punishing the mailroom staff who censor our materials for being
“gang related.” Or maybe we should start punishing the cops who shoot
oppressed nation people dead in the streets. To say we have the power to
punish anyone is ridiculous. This is liberal anti-communist propaganda.
3. Did we hurt your feelings? What is the punishment we are exacting on
you?
Not mentioning “USW” doesn’t mean you didn’t confuse aspects of USW with
our study courses. And again, you misstated MIM(Prisons)’s line as well.
You go on in your latest essay,
“They implicitly admit [that their membership is petty-bourgeois, white,
Amerikan settlers], but accuse us of playing identity politics for
bringing it up, which is odd and hypocritical; since it is they who
charge this group to be enemies…”
That would only be hypocritical if we subscribed to identity politics
and didn’t understand statistics, neither of which are true. So yeah,
you’re still playing into identity politics with this very statement,
and you don’t understand how we look at things differently.
Personalizing Politics
“MIMP then argues that we shouldn’t base the correctness or
incorrectness of a position on who stated it. Curiously – and again
self-contradictorily – their entire polemic from title to text
emphasizes ‘Rashid’ as who said this and that…”
Uh yeah, you wrote the article we were criticizing. We didn’t say it was
right or wrong based on who you are or whether you were right or wrong
in the past, as you imply that we should do later in your article. Your
attempts to prove your grasp of logic here are not panning out too well.
The rest of this section cites old Marxist texts in an attempt to refute
our line. We already addressed this as dogmatic and non-dialectical. If
you are as familiar with our work as you claim, you’ll know that we have
plenty of quotes on our side too.
Are We Fishing for Information on MIMP’s Members?
There’s some good counter examples to critique our position on security
brought up here. But since Rashid approaches this from a completely
antithetical class analysis of our conditions, there is no point in
having a debate with em on this topic. Of course Rashid would propose an
organizing strategy that is the same as those who were successful in
revolutionary situations because ey believes we are in a potentially
revolutionary situation in the United $tates.
“The masses’ right to know those who presume to lead them and represent
their interests, and to supervise them is a ‘people’s tactic.’ Hiding
from the people while claiming to represent their interests without
their say so and supervision is an elitist ‘pig tactic.’ Especially, as
MIMP doesn’t dispute that it’s absurd and an insult to the people’s
intelligence for them to act as if they believe that the pigs don’t know
who they are.”
We must ask Rashid, “right to know” what? Most of our work is quite
public, and we get so much feedback from the masses on it that we
struggle to keep up with it all. But Rashid seems to feel that they need
to know what we look like, where we live, what TV shows we watch, in
order to fully judge us as leaders. Our position is the complete
opposite, that we must train the masses to judge people on political
practice and line, and to ignore those other things. Those other things
are what lead people to be seduced by misleadership for subjective
reasons.
And we’ve addressed the “pigs already know everything” line as being
incorrect elsewhere. In short, they don’t know everything, so them
knowing something is not a reason to disregard security. Second, if
you’re good at security, the pigs that know stuff are not the kind of
pigs that are going to attack you until you start to wield some real
power.
Do We Know MIMP’s Political Line?
Are we still fighting over the “rags” line? All we did is state that we
thought “lumpen” usually translated to “rags” and not to “broken” as
Rashid claimed. Nowhere do we put that forth as our definition of
lumpenproletariat. We stand by the
article
in question addressing the labor aristocracy as being more correct
than Rashid in defining proletariat, when we quoted Marx as calling them
those “who have nothing to lose but their chains.”
It’s funny that Rashid wants to keep claiming that we have not printed
eir articles in our newsletter. Yet ey has not shown us any newsletter
where ey has printed our articles. And we’d wager that we’ve distributed
more copies of their previous article “MIM or MLM?” (with our comments
inserted) than the NABPP-PC has distributed of that same article.
MIMP’s Mass Work… Or Lack Thereof
We could hypothesize that we do more mass work than the NABPP-PC based
on our having members in the free world. But we don’t really know their
practice in all that detail. So we don’t talk shit about it. And again,
we don’t even agree on a definition of the masses, so what’s the point
of debating who does more “mass work”?
MIMP’s Opportunism
First of all, people change, that’s dialectics. Their politics change.
You could be a great Maoist theoretician and then start promoting all
kinds of revisionism. It happens. It is metaphysics, and promoting a
cult of persynality to argue otherwise. Secondly, the study pack on
Dialectical Materialism by Rashid that we’ve distributed in the past was
a basic overview of the topic. It does not demonstrate an application of
dialectical materialism in analyzing the real world. As far as the
praise ey pulls from our
review
of Defying the Tomb, it should be noted that the following
paragraph reads:
“Rashid’s book is also worth studying alongside this review to better
distinguish the revisionist line of the New Afrikan Black Panther Party
- Prison Chapter (NABPP-PC) with the MIM line. While claiming to
represent a dialectal materialist assessment of the world we live in,
the camp that includes the NABPP-PC, and Tom Big Warrior’s (TBW) Red
Heart Warrior Society have dogmatically stuck to positions on the
oppression and exploitation of Amerikans that have no basis in reality.
We will take some space to address this question at the end, as it has
not been thoroughly addressed in public to our knowledge.”
We wrote that five years ago, and it has been even longer that we have
openly considered the NABPP-PC to be revisionist. So our more recent
critiques of Rashid’s writings are consistent with our long-held
position on their work. With this latest essay it seems maybe we were
wrong that Rashid wasn’t familiar enough with our work to write eir
previous critiques, ey just insists on misrepresenting us and then
calling us opportunists when we only agree with some of the things ey
has said.
We opened this can of worms of critiquing each others’ methods with the
idea that we’d use it as a teaching moment for our readers. And studying
logic is certainly useful. But going back and forth about how the other
side is illogical maybe isn’t. The main issue here, the dividing line
question between MIM(Prisons) and the NABPP-PC is the labor aristocracy
question. And we’ve given up debating that point with them unless they
put forth an actual analysis of real world economics, and not dogmatism.
So if you want to understand our line there, don’t spend your time
studying these articles, instead check out our
resources on
the labor aristocracy. Or, if you’re looking for some lighter
reading on the topic,
MIM’s
white proletarian myths page is a good place to start.
As a former wyte supremacist, a revolutionary, and an Odinist I am
equipped to expose the invalidity of the wyte supremacist myths
associated with Odinism. Odinism (also known as Asatru) is a
polytheistic religion; meaning there are multiple Gods and Goddesses.
The religious text of Odinism is the Poetic Edda. The Edda is made up of
different books similar to the Bible called Lays.
Several wyte supremacist organizations point to the God Heimdall as
being the father of the wyte race in light of Voluspa, St. 1; Lokasenna,
St. 20; and Thrymskvitha, St. 15. However, closer examination will
shatter such claims.
First, although Heimdall is cited as being the father of the three
classes of men (freeman, noble, and slave) (1) nowhere within the Edda
is he cited as being the father of men. Lee M. Hollander notes in his
translation of Voluspa, St. 1 that the description of Heimdall being the
father of all “hallowed beings” most likely refers to the Gods rather
than man. Furthermore, in Voluspa, St. 17-18 we are told that Odin,
Hoenir, and Lothur came across the lifeless corpses of the first man and
womyn (Ask and Embla). Odin granted them Soul, Hoenir gave them sense,
and Lothur granted them being and blooming hue.
Therefore, Heimdall is clearly not the father or man - let alone the
wyte race. Anyone who claims he is is distorting the Edda to fit their
own subjective agenda.
Secondly, the description of Heimdall as being fair-haired and “whitest
of the Gods” is not completely accurate. He may very well have blond
hair and be wyte. Yet he is most definitely not the “whitest of the
Gods.”(2) Baldr, the son of Odin and brother of Thor, would have to be
considered wytest of the Gods because his name literally translates as
“white.”(3)
Finally, the mentioning of three classes of man does not support claims
of wyte supremacy within Odinism. It is true that one of the classes
listed is that of slave. However, nowhere throughout Rigsthula does it
specify a certain race as belonging to any particular class. The ancient
Germanic peoples - along with the Vikings - were known to have possessed
wyte slaves as well as non-wyte slaves. In ancient times slaves were
customary in many cultures.
However, the class system described is one of feudalism and is therefore
not practical in modern capitalist society. Furthermore, as communists,
we recognize that the concept of classes is oppressive and an integral
aspect of imperialism. Therefore, the mentioning of classes is
irrelevant in modern times except in the historical role that it plays
within Odinism.
In the Lay Havamal Odin commands his followers to be kind and hospitable
strangers (St. 2); not mock others (St. 30); look out for the well being
of others (St. 40,48); not argue with fools (St. 122); and that no one
is so good as to be beyond corruption, nor is anyone so bad as to be
beyond redemption (St. 133). These commandments - along with the Nine
Noble Virtues (Strength, Honor, Courage, Joy, Independence, Loyalty,
Realism, Perseverance, and Heritage) actually oppose racism.
Odinism/Asatru is, in reality, a communal religion. Thus it is
compatible with communism.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This correspondent is defending Odinism as
a religion compatible with communism, and condemning those who use it as
a platform for white supremacy. Communists have long been saying that
for people truly practicing what their religion teaches, often those
ideals are compatible with, and best achieved, through developing
communism. It is good to point out to religious people when their
actions run counter to their ideology, as we may be able to unite around
those who hold the equality of all humyns as an important principle, or
those striving for peace, as this comrade is.
That those religions have not even come close to ending oppression on
the scale that dialectical materialism has, is evidence of the
ineffectiveness of these religions to reach their own purported ideals.
That various religions all across the world (from Odinism to
Christianity to Islam to Buddhism) are construed as platforms of
domination, shows how these ideologies play out in the real world.
Rather than looking for truth by choosing which ideology makes the most
sense to us, we compare practices with practices to figure out how to
reach our goal of a world without oppression. Odinism’s ideals may be
compatible with communism. But Odinism is not a route to communism.
This comrade attempts to dispute white supremacy by making arguments
about who was the whitest of the gods and the “father of the wyte race.”
As scientists we prefer to point out that humyns evolved into being on
this planet. We were not put here by gods. And so there is no higher
source of truth or basis for considering some humyns superior to others.
It is good that this comrade recognizes that classes are oppressive, but
our struggle against class oppression is not just against “the concept
of classes” as ey writes. Rather our struggle is against the reality of
class systems that are oppressive and integral to imperialism, and to
historical class society. Slavery was not simply customary, but rather
the system of slavery required a class of people, slaves, who were used
to do much of the most difficult work. It was not out of tradition that
people held slaves, just like it is not just tradition that leads to the
oppression of the proletariat under capitalism. So the mentioning of
classes is not irrelevant in modern times, it is critical that we
analyze the class system and fight against it. We can not eliminate it
by not mentioning it.
[The motivation for the focus of this issue of Under Lock &
Key was to better address the many interested readers who write us
coming from a religious background. We also thought that our
study
pack on the topic could use some updating. And that is the planned
outcome of putting this issue together. Therefore it was timely that we
recently received an in-depth response to this study pack to spur
discussion. One of the readings in the religion study pack is on the
struggle of the Tibetan lamas who rose up against the oppressive rule of
the Dalai Lama after socialism was established in China. This article
begins with a response to that from Legion.]
In the excerpt from Chapter 10: Reform in a Major Monastery(1), I
recognize the principal contradiction to be rebellion vs. religious
thought (I define religions as a doctrine of ethics derived from
“spookism”). When the lamas took the time to work out problem #13
(master their circumference/cipher, 360 degrees/120x3) they came to see
the very nature of the Buddhist teachings and began active rebellion
against the 10% ruling class. The elimination of classism liberated the
poor righteous teachers from the bondage of captivity. When people use
religion to secure position, all they do is promote
imperialism/colonialism and economic oppression, which is very
devastating to the humyn condition. With autonomy you have freedom to
see the reality of your power. The feelings of the lamas is in line with
the Nation of Gods and Earths (NGE) student enrollment #1, when you
master your condition you become owner ruler sustainer, God of your
universe.
The lamas also came to the reality that the only way they would find any
peace or equality was to unify, arm themselves and defend their position
in the face of the oppressor. And when the goal of peace was obtained
they went about their lives, with the power of self-determination in the
form of religious freedom.
The issue with the blind, deaf and dumb religious belief lies with the
fact that traditions and institutional doctrine lead people towards the
path of faith instead of scientific discovery. Dialectical materialism
is based on history but whose history? The fact is that when technology
is stolen and corrupted holes and cracks appear and when one discovers
for self the answers become liberating in themselves. For example,
ancient Egyptians perfected communism thousands of years before Marxism
existed. Yet, through racism and colonialism the history was nearly
erased from record books. But with the science beginning to catch up
with the absolute truth we can begin to understand why the religious
institutions gravitate towards oppression because with knowledge comes
power and responsibility.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This analysis is a good example of how the
Nation of Gods and Earths (NGE) evolved from indigenous New Afrikan
liberation theology by rejecting religion and moving towards
materialism. The rejection of faith in favor of scientific discovery
puts the NGE ideology close to our own. However, as an amalgamation of
ideas from different New Afrikan movements, we do find NGE literature to
often refer to things that are not actually based in scientific
discovery. An example is in the citing of Egypt as developing communism
before Marxism existed. While primitive societies existed in communalist
social structures, Egypt in the period mentioned had a highly developed
society. And like all complex societies known to date, it had a
hierarchical social structure. There is a tendency to rewrite history to
paint the past of oppressed nations to be more noble. But this does a
disservice to our understanding of how to actually build communism
today.
Another feature of the existing religion study pack is a debate among a
few members of the NGE, one of whom (Infidel) was in the process of
leaving the organization for its promotion of imperialist views and
idealism. One piece that particularly triggered Infidel to move away
from the NGE was an article from The Five Percenter newspaper
(2006) by the God Born King Allah on the relationship between those in
prison and those on the outside. Below is a relevant excerpt from that
article highlighted by Infidel.
“The fact that the father[sic] respected the American government is very
important and he raised our Nation to do the same. The reality that the
Father fought for this country in the Korean War showed that he was a
true patriot… It showed that his love for the country of his birth
outweighed any disappointment he may have had with the treatment his
people suffered in the Jim Crow era that he came up in. … Gods and
Earths in the Armed services… are fighting to insure[sic] that people
all over the planet can enjoy the Freedoms that their own Nation is
still denied in America… the Father…must have seen how the religion of
Islam and Muslims would become synonymous to terrorists posing a danger
to America way back in 1964. His personal separation from religious
Islam and Muslims as well the Nations[sic] separation from them as well
in the past and present excludes us from being linked to any terrorist,
Muslims or radical Islam, period.”
Ey goes on to say the country of Afghanistan is responsible for 9/11.
This same newspaper printed a statement calling on members to join the
military in October 2001 because “we” were attacked.(2)
One NGE comrade in the study group counters that the article represented
a few misguided members, taking a similar position to Legion below.
However, we must note that the NGE is a mass organization and it does
not have a defined political line. While not the focus of what Father
Allah taught the Five Percenters, eir political views were in fact quite
reactionary and pro-Amerikkkan in relation to international politics.(3)
So as we work and build with the many Five Percenters who do take up an
anti-imperialist stance, we think it would be a mistake to see the NGE
as an organization made up of anti-imperialists at this time.
Legion responds to NGE debate: NGE have, according to the 8th
degree of the 1-14, socialist political views. So, anyone claiming
anything else should do the basic knowledge on anything before firing
shots into a crowd. I have done the knowledge on United Struggle from
Within (USW) principles and built with a few Gods along the way and
point after point has a parallel with NGE science. Let’s not forget NGE
don’t practice Islam as religion but as science; a science of everything
in life. Religion tends to feed into the imperialistic trend of getting
everything funneled to the top while everyone else works hard for
nothing.
With regards to Infidel’s commentary, I see no reason that one would be
confused with comments made, unless it was made to agitate and stir up
debate. NGE metaphysics is a philosophy that seeks to explain the nature
of being (life) and reality (dialectical materialism). To call the
allegorical nature of lessons sham science is false evidence appearing
real based on, time after time “Western” science has proven that 1. the
Blackman is God, and 2. that the nature of the oppressor is exactly how
it’s described in the lessons.
…If we take a look at the “Arab” movement vs. the NGE movement, you find
mostly similarities. Let’s be logical about it. Keep in mind, I make no
apology for another man’s statements. Just facts. NGE has been at the
forefront of the Third World in America (prisons). MIM’s focus is on
prison. “Arabs” get labeled terrorists by the same people that lock up
young Gods for borning knowledge. Plus, most overlook the fact that the
father served before not after he came into the NOI.
…Infidel also states, “You claim to have 7.5 ounces of superior brain
power (compared to the white man’s 6 ounces. Please tell me you don’t
actually believe this, brother)…” Man is God, so God is Man, period. The
7 reps Man-God/God-Man, 5 reps Justice/Power. Therefore NGE does have
manpower and the “white man” whom prior to 1492 did not exist (people
were referred to as Irishman, Englishman, Dutchman, etc), created as an
oppression tool this version of equality that only applied to the
genocidal pilgrims who trekked across the Atlantic. The white man is
only available on paper and as a mindstate. I know plenty of so-called
Black men who are white as snow and vice versa. Black is dominant
consciousness, white is weak consciousness.
…The focus would be very different if MIM(Prisons) and NGE knew each
other in depth from inception. But, like many others before and to the
present, most humyns get stuck on doctrine instead of looking at the
bigger picture. Supreme Power Allah told me in civilization class people
get so wrapped up in the designs of one tree, that they fail to
recognize the forest. When you debate over small things, big things
never become material. HC [the coordinator of the MIM-led study group]
says, “such a persyn will not be able to be as effective fighting
imperialism if they don’t learn and apply the science of dialectical
materialism.” Once again I emphatically state, we focus on manifesting
using metaphysics, or in layman’s terms we make apparent to the senses
reality and reality is the answer to the equation. Numbers and letters,
formulas and theories are what? Science.
MIM(Prisons) responds: Legion is one of those comrades who have
taken up anti-imperialism. By the time we heard from em, ey had already
gained a good understanding of USW and the United Front for Peace in
Prisons (UFPP). Not only that, but ey had put the
UFPP
into practice(4) applying the scientific method to the laboratory of
the U.$. prison environment. This leads us to put more weight in eir
words above, which we have a lot of unity with. In the last paragraph ey
talks about finding common ground rather than dogmatically debating
minutia to divide us. MIM(Prisons) hopes this issue of ULK in
particular works at that common goal.
Legion uses metaphysics as a term analogous to science.
Metaphysics can be used to mean different things, and we are not sure
what its meaning is here for Legion. However, we typically use
metaphysics to define a type of materialism that is antithetical to
dialectical materialism. Where dialectics recognizes things as always
changing, based on contradictions found within the thing, metaphysical
materialism sees things as static, or even eternal. For example, a
metaphysical position would be that humyns are greedy, while a
dialectician might say that humyns in a certain time and place (ie. 20th
century United $tates) have developed greedy tendencies on average.
Where we see metaphysical tendencies in the NGE lessons is in the
meaning put into numbers and letters. As if the number 7 or 360 has
eternal meaning and power and aren’t just concepts created by the humyn
brain.
Legion critiques Infidel for making literal readings of the NGE
ideological foundations. We cannot speak to how they are more often
interpreted. We like Legion’s interpretation of them as metaphors that
might fit in with Loco1’s ideas on how
religion
is an important tool for the imprisoned lumpen.(5) However, we also
know that things like the story of Yacub have been and continue to be
interpreted as literal truths by many in different New Afrikan
organizations. So we would not be so quick to dismiss Infidel’s
critique. The creeping of religious idealism into NGE ideology is also
reflected in the following quote from Tupac Shakur when asked, 20 years
ago, what religion ey follows:
“I talked to every god there was, in jail. I think that if you take one
of the ‘o’s out of good, it’s god, if you add a ’d’ to evil it’s the
devil. I think some cool motherfuckers sat down a long time ago and said
let’s figure out a way that we can control motherfuckers, and that’s
what they came up with, is the Bible, woo woo. Because if God wrote the
Bible, I’m sure there would have been a revised copy by now. You know
what I mean? Because a lot of shit has changed.
“…I think heaven is just, when you sleep you sleep with a good
conscience, you don’t have nightmares. And hell is when you sleep, the
last thing you see is all the fucked up things you did in your life.
…it’s hell on earth because bullets burn. There’s people that got burnt
in fires… All that’s here… Heaven is now, look, we sittin up here, big
screen, this is heaven, for the moment. Know what I mean? Hell is jail,
I seen that one. Trust me. This is what’s real, and all that other shit
is to control you.
“…I believe in God… It makes sense that if you good in your heart, then
you’re closer to God. But if you evil then you’re close to the devil.
That makes sense. I see that every day. All that other spooky shit don’t
make sense. And I don’t even believe, I’m not dissin’ it, but I don’t
even believe in the brothers, I was in jail with ‘em and having
conversations with brothers; ’I’m God, I’m God.’ You God? open the gate
for me. You know how far the sun is and how far the moon is, how the
hell do I pop this fuckin’ gate? And get me free up outta here. Then
I’ll be a Five Percenter for life! But, never seen it.” (6)
Like Legion, Tupac calls for a materialist approach that works here in
this world. His critiques of religion parallel those of the NGE in
rejecting spookism but not the concept of God altogether. Yet, Pac also
had criticism for the Five Percenters he encountered while in prison.
Another way to put what he said is that combating idealism is more than
just rejecting the God in the sky. Most of the idealist European
philosophers that Lenin and Engels spent so much time critiquing did not
believe in a God above.
Legion provides an interpretation of the 7.5 ounce brain that is not
based in ideas of race or biology, but rather an analogy for the history
of white nation oppression. This is an example of an interpretation that
is friendly to our own. In fact, we’d point out that Irishmen existed as
separate from the “Native” white nation in North America into the early
1900s. This interpretation of oppressors as evil, while rejecting racial
categorizations, was put forth by Father Allah and even further back by
other New Afrikan liberation theologists who strove to empower Black
people, while rejecting a biological basis for race.(7)
Stuck in the muck Alone because the economic system fosters
individualism assuring that no one gives a fuck about
others unless it’s to make a buck
Like a game of duck duck goose but once chosen before it can
rise the goose is snatched by a noose After waiting so
long being oppressed by the strong the mind grew
strong
And the goose sick of the muck purified through applying
dialectics to history dethroned metaphysics and mystery grew
strong as a moose cut self from the noose and taught others
who also began to care and life was no longer about a buck
nor games like duck duck goose
Rather humynity and communism and people all choosing at
once the common good and the resolving of contradictions
I’m at the most racist prison in Georgia, Hays State Prison. I am
currently on lockdown in the Tier 2 program (long-term solitary
confinement) and the other day they shook down a prisoner’s room and
found two knives. Being that this is a lockdown the Unit Manager Reids
and the Lieutenant Jones were pissed because we’re not supposed to even
have a way to get a knife, plus sharpening them. And there are 7 or 8
cameras in the dorm, so they can’t hide this like they used to back in
the days when there were no cameras.
They have to report this to the Warden and log it in the log book for
everyone to see. They were so mad at this prisoner that they took it out
on the dorm by keeping the dinner trays outside the dorm for an hour and
a half. Other prisoners in the dorm made a statement to the dorm saying
that we all should refuse these trays and make them go get us new hot
trays instead of those cold ones outside. Everyone agreed and when the
officer came in to pass out the trays (a racist officer) everyone
started screaming “We don’t want those cold trays! Go get more trays.”
When the Lieutenant came in he threatened to give out a DR (disciplinary
report) to any prisoners who refused to take a tray.
The goal is to not take the trays. If one person takes the trays then no
one will get new trays, and we refused our tray by choice. But if no one
takes the trays then they have to go get new trays. They have to feed
us. So things were going good, the first 5 rooms refused, until
Lieutenant got to the 6th one. He took his tray, then two more rooms did
after that. Others were refusing but like I said when one takes a tray
it’s pretty much a failed mission.
My Brother in the room with me and my two other Brothers next door said
they was going to get their trays since a few took theirs. They didn’t
want to go unfed on a weekend where we only get fed two times. I told
them “Hell naw! Just because the others took theirs that don’t mean we
give up an fold! If we got to go hungry and starve just to let the white
man know we as Blacks and as prisoners won’t go for anything then so be
it. We have to sacrifice for the greater purpose.”
True, my stomach was touching my back. But I was ready to starve just to
show the white man he does not rule me mentally. But unfortunately when
the trays got to my two Brothers’ room they took them. Then they were in
front of our door and my roommate grabbed me one and passed it to me. At
first I was going to refuse, well I wanted to, but seeing the tray with
food I gave in.
While we were eating, the Lieutenant came to our door and said “Good
boys. Y’all keep being good.” That made me feel so bad and embarrassed.
I let the white man win another war. He made me feel so low like I’m a
mutt and he told me to sit, I obeyed, and he rewarded me with a bone and
said “good boy.”
I was mad at myself. I should have refused the tray even if it means I’m
the only one refusing. At least I will feel good about myself and what I
did for my self-respect. But I didn’t. Another Black man falls to the
worst side of a white man. Why are we so weak-minded? Why can’t we
Blacks stick together against oppressors? Why do we fall for their
Willie Lynch tactics?
“My Brother is my Brother and I am my Brother’s keeper.” “2 Black minds
are stronger than one, and one strong Black mind is better than none.” I
guess I needed that extra mind to motivate me to go further with the
protest. And when it didn’t I folded, because of feeling alone,
vulnerable and hungry.
That day I told myself that won’t happen again. If I have to starve by
myself then I will. Our ancestors went through much more worse than
this. I won’t fail them again.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This comrade provides us a good example of
self-reflection and learning from our mistakes. Even the best
revolutionaries won’t be perfect all the time, in fact we will make many
mistakes. But the key is always keeping an open mind to learning from
these errors. And also learning from the successes and mistakes of
others. This was essentially what the Great Proletarian Cultural
Revolution was about in China: encouraging people not to blindly accept
what their leaders said and instead to be critical of incorrect actions
and political line, and to learn from mistakes. During this period in
China prisoners were offered an opportunity to learn from their errors,
undertake serious self-criticism, and return to society as productive
members. Although we don’t currently live under a Socialist government
which is encouraging and enabling these progressive practices, we can
still learn and grow, as this comrade bravely demonstrates.