Under Lock & Key

[These guidelines were compiled by the USW Coordinator of MIM(Prisons) incorporating points made by members of the Countrywide Council of USW.]

The Countrywide Council of USW, or Double C, has been working on a concerted effort to reach out to other organizations as a way to expand organizing with people on the outside, and to build a united front in general. The Double C decided to publish their letter to CURE in ULK as an example of these efforts, and to provide a guide to others. We invite all USW comrades to participate in this outreach campaign, and this article is to provide some guidelines in doing so.

First, many readers may ask, am I a member of United Struggle from Within (USW)? Can I write to other organizations as a member of USW?

Good question. Anyone could send out a letter and sign it "USW", we have no control over that. But we certainly hope you would not do that unless you are pushing USW campaigns and politics accurately. USW has two levels of membership: supporter and leader. Supporters are defined as:

"A USW supporter helps build USW in eir prison/area. This persyn might not initiate projects by eirself, but will readily implement requests from USW leaders and MIM(Prisons). Supporters may contribute in many different areas of work including: writing articles for ULK, producing revolutionary art, translating, sending in donations, running a study group or otherwise educating people and building reading skills, working on a campaign such as the grievance petition, referring new subscribers to ULK, and conducting MIM(Prisons)-directed surveys. This persyn writes to MIM(Prisons) less regularly [than a USW leader] but is responsive to letters and completes work assigned within a reasonable timeframe."

A leader is someone who launches campaigns and efforts to expand USW independent of MIM(Prisons), and/or organizes others under that leadership. Once you've developed a practice of leadership that we can verify over a period of time, you are considered a leader and you become eligible to join the Countrywide Council of USW.

As a mass organization, USW does allow for its members to also be members in other local, lumpen or nation-specific organizations at the same time. Comrades in the Double C should not identify themselves as such. Statements representing the Double C, and USW as a whole, must go through the Double C for approval first. Therefore publicly identifying oneself as a Double C representative gives a false sense of authority, while risking the security of the individual member.

The Double C is currently developing its protocol for conducting official correspondence with other organizations. If you feel comfortable representing USW work and positions, then you can write a letter from "[Your Name], a member of United Struggle from Within." However, since you might not accurately represent certain aspects of USW’s positions because you are new, the Double C will serve to provide official responses from USW to other organizations. You can even mention this in your own letters.

With this guideline, you do not need to be a USW leader to write other organizations about USW campaigns. In fact, if you’ve been reading ULK for a while, perhaps writing such a letter could be your first action taken as a USW supporter. But before you do so, you might ask: What should I write to these organizations about?

The focus should be on USW campaigns, projects and positions, and how they might overlap (and differ) from those of the other organization. A good way to structure your letter is "unity-struggle-unity." Start off talking about some aspect of USW work and how it connects to the work of that organization. If you can identify disagreements with this organization then you might bring those up as a form of struggle next. Or the struggle may just be something like, "hey, I haven’t seen you working on this issue, you should do more on it." Then close with more forward looking unity – try to lay out some practical steps for how they might work together with USW.

You may also write to other publications in response to a specific article or topic to point out a disagreement, or something that they missed. We often print such struggles with readers in ULK. Again, "unity-struggle-unity" is a good approach, and circling back to USW's practical work and analysis is helpful.

Regarding the letter to CURE from the Double C below, we should point out that CURE is a very different organization from ours. CURE believes imperialism can be reformed and it does not stand for the liberation of oppressed nations in this country. But the letter focuses on where we have unity and where we can work together, while pushing CURE to work with us in those areas. That is a good example of building toward a united front, where organizations with different beliefs and missions can find commonality.

We encourage comrades to reach out to other organizations as a USW representative on your own, and in many cases we will have multiple USW members writing the same organization. This will build up USW’s reputation among other organizations, and allow our membership to grow by engaging in these dialogues.

What do I do when they respond to my letter? Once that dialogue reaches a point where you are not sure how to respond or proceed, you will want to hand it over to the Countrywide Council of USW or even to MIM(Prisons), depending on the topic of discussion. We will keep you in the loop on the ongoing discussion.

What is the goal of this campaign? There are multiple goals. First, we hope to popularize the work of USW with those on the outside, demonstrating our scientific work on the ground. This will increase the chances of building support for that work in the future. Second, we hope to build working relationships on campaigns and projects with other organizations. We hope to expand the view of these organizations and publications beyond select popular prisoners to the prison masses as a whole. Third, we hope to increase political unity within the prison movement. And where we can't establish unity, we hope to clarify our differences. This will help everyone in the movement better grasp the issues and the different positions that organizations take.

If you think USW is focused on the right campaigns and issues, and you think others should get on board, then this might be a good project for you to get involved in. Let us know who you're struggling with and over what. Or, if it's not too much trouble, even send us a copy of your letters. We can work with you if you want feedback before you send your first letter.

An Open letter to CURE National

First and foremost, we would like to give you thanks for the service that you offer to prisoners and the families of prisoners. In these days prisoners find it hard to locate individuals and organizations worthy of praise beyond the worth that most newsletters and papers are printed on. Members of the Countrywide Council of United Struggle from Within have read the latest few issues of CURE National’s Newsletter back to front and front to back. We must say, it checks out, so thank you.

One of the first CURE National Newsletters that we received included a listing of state chapters alongside the new requirements for state and issue chapters, namely that chapters have to meet, maintain a newsletter, and report the names of their members to their office in Washington. Now, we reviewed the list and see California is listed, but has nothing more than: [an individual's name, email and phone number].

One of our Council representatives wrote Colorado-CURE, Iowa-CURE, Nevada-CURE, New Mexico-CURE and Oregon-CURE of the western branches. Two replied in favor to our inquiry to be involved in local struggles, on account that California has no official branch of its own. Dianne Tramutola-Lawson, Chair at Colorado-CURE, suggested our Council representative write to the national office with comments.

The Countrywide Council is a leading body of a prisoner mass organization under the name United Struggle from Within (USW). USW is the brainchild of members and their students within an organization by the name Maoist Internationalist Ministry of Prisons, or MIM(Prisons). Though it is an organization that is political from the vantage point of anti-imperialism and thus is anti-prisons, USW works for any reforms that are scientifically sane with the potential to [contribute to] end[ing] prisons as they stand.

USW has a leadership in prisons across the United $tates and can attest to a strong following in the pages of our bi-monthly newsletter (free to prisoners), published by our mother group, under the title Under Lock & Key. In the state with our strongest source of political activity, California, there isn't even a CURE branch?! We believe CURE is missing out on the greatest opportunity it could have, and this is why the Council is committed to help CURE remedy this.

It is the job of our members to find ways to keep our movement working on issues that have the greatest potential of reducing prison populations and partnering with groups and organizations who share our vision of a world with less to no prisons. We believe that working with CURE National to develop a CURE California, the California Statewide Council of USW can put to use much more of the information and resources available, but only in a more direct way.

Take CURE National’s policy initiative for 2016. USW missed the opportunity to involve itself with the CURE policy initiative for 2016 due to unfamiliarity with CURE and the lack of any direct line of communication with its leadership, which would be needed before we moved for the Council to follow. We commend the democratic process of decision making in regards to what struggles CURE concentrates its resources and power. Particularly, CURE National Policy 924 – prisons. As USW is a group heavily engaged in struggles with nearly every state in the United $tates – addressing "The failure of prison grievance systems", we are sure that we, and our memberships may unite in forces to bring about a uniform grievance system in prisons across the board.

USW, and its supporters, has been working on a national prisoners campaign demanding prison officials address, honor and upkeep prisoners' grievances. Petitions have been developed at prisons in all of the following states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, and Texas. Each state has a petition drawn particularly for its local conditions and regulations. [There is also a more generic petition written for use by prisoners held outside these states.]

USW's most difficult task is finding public support to move forward our campaigns in a peaceful and legal way. CURE National’s policy initiatives 2015 1185 hinted at what it thinks is the root of prisoners' problems: "Introducing a Constitutional Amendment into Congress that would repeal the exception clause in the 13th Amendment. This clause provides that slavery is not abolished for those incarcerated. Prisoners are exploited, and for many groups the exploitation raises to the level of slavery." For the purpose of saving time and space, we will not share our science on the subject, but instead guide supporters of the amerikkkan Constitution to the very First Amendment and protecting it. The salvation of the entire Constitution relies on the sound voice of the civilized people. If it is believed that prisoners are slaves and not citizens then it should be understood slaves are property, not human beings. Slaves are objects of labor, tasked as tools and instruments to build or destroy an ideal society. Slaves have no voice to speak of injustice, but instead masters and lords who represent them as Power of Attorney.

Prisoners have not signed off of the grid (U.$. citizenship). So it is extreme to take up struggles to have the state abolish prison slavery, however it would be totally reasonable to educate the public about the need for public oversight and community advocacy for the First Amendment rights of prisoners to be protected. It is with greater grievance power that prisoners and their supporters may address the injustices of prisons.

Prisoners, their organizations and the support groups behind grassroots crews lead in civil rights battles with the state. The problem is that the massive so-called grassroots base is alienated when it comes to discussions regarding the general body of the massive population (or masses). We believe this comes at the expense of a care-free public. People aren't interested enough in the affairs of prisoners or their families. The general consensus is that prisoners did the crime and must face the time.

Organizations like CURE National are in a position to change the public opinion. Its members, who are of the public, may interact with communities in ways that prisoners cannot; whether it be due to high levels of censorship applied by prison guards disrupting our lines of communication, or interference from a higher power (the U.$. intelligence agencies). Prisoner leadership behind these walls requires greater socialization opportunities if the Prison Movement is to impact upon our state of existence the change that rehabilitates. So here you have it, an open letter calling on you to serve.

In response to "CALIFORNIA: Challenges and Reports" (in ULK 56), the comrade/s at MDF, Contra Costa County Jail being hit with gang enhancements and other unjust treatment. Faulty gang allegations was a major error in my trial as a southern Chican@, hence my return on appeal, which also made case law (Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division 3, California. The PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. Jerry RAMIREZ and Catherine Rodriguez Villarreal, Defendants and Appellants. G052144 Decided: February 05, 2016). I hope this can be of assistance. Should be in the lexus by now but is also attainable via internet. They have been trying to turn our culture into a crime for the last 500+ years. It's going to take a lot more than a STEP act to get rid of us. In commemoration of "Black August" and the "Plan de San Diego", I send mine to all comrades North, South, East and West.

I just finished re-reading in ULK 53 page 12 "Texas Reform Updates." It sufficiently raised my ire enough to put pen to paper and submit my 14-page memorandum which I had the balls to place into the "Head Warden's" hand personally. I enclosed a copy of the same with this letter.

As a result of that act, 90 minutes later I had a member of the Law Library staff in my cell going through my legal paperwork, devoid of the prerequisite authorization (I-186) of a Warden to do so. Whereas, other copies of my own writings — which I sent out, had duplicated, and returned via the U.S. Postal Service — were filched and used to administer a disciplinary case claiming additional fictitious contraband.

This memorandum outlines in detail how the law library (L/L) is run "out of compliance" with BP-03.81, ATC 020, 030, 050 and the Offender Orientation Handbook (I-202).

Among other things, participants of the L/L, i.e. prisoners, are disallowed the right to vocally interact in assisting each other in legal matters.

Since that fateful day, harassment and retaliation in the L/L has steadily intensified. Not being one to take this illicit conduct, I have sent a copy (oh, about eight of 'em) to various entities akin to "60 Minutes," Texas Attorney General, Texas Governor, Access to Courts (ATC) Administrator, Houston Chronicle and other prisoner-assisting organizations.

A multitude of the L/L patrons had no idea the actual truth of how a TDCJ L/L is intended to be operated and run. The staff are actually obligated to facilitate us (prisoners) in assisting one another in legal matters. Not harassing us for spreading the litigious knowledge — as per the ATC Rules.

I have several Step 2s [grievances] under review and am just awaiting their return so I can initiate State Tort action, because the Federal Courts do not have jurisdiction to make the State of Texas follow their own laws and rules. Only the State can make the State conform to its own rules.

If you think that I'm pissed, you're right! After all, I am convicted wrongfully, and wrongfully convicted in this pissant of a state. Being former military, I do not give in. I will prevail(!!) in getting things straightened out and being exonerated. In the course of accomplishing that, I will altruistically get the L/L in this POS unit to come into compliance with the legislatures' intent and the Board Policies intents too.

Other prisoners in Texas I am certain will have use for my memorandum. Go ahead and offer it up. If we prisoners in TDCJ don't start pulling together we are destined to end up fucked off. Expose these people for what they are!

MIM(Prisons) responds: TDCJ's long-term goal seems to be to hide all relevant policies from the people who are interested in them most, and then just operate its facilities however it pleases. That's why we created the Texas Campaign Pack, and why this comrade sent us eir memorandum to the Warden. If the state won't provide this information, we have to do it ourselves. Send in $2.50 to get the Texas Pack.

Exposure and lawsuits are worthwhile approaches, but can't be our be-all-end-all. We fight to not only get the law library back in compliance, but to change society to the point where these problems are no longer possible. We want oppression to become obsolete, and we want oppressed people to have the power to make this a reality!

With rhetoric targeting Islamic institutions, and President Trump's policies towards fighting ISIS, today (27 March 2017) on CNN a top military adviser was questioned about these so-called air strikes which have been blamed for the death of civilians. His only answer was, "we're doing an assessment on what happened in Syria and Iraq." Americans who support imperialism, is it right to kill people for profit? Have we forgotten that corporate america has so much investments tied up in Iraq and its natural resources? Are we so truly blind to ignore the genocide of Syrians and Iraqis at the hands of globalist pigs? We need to get away from national struggles and take up international struggles as a whole.

We're so american which is a contradiction in itself. To say you're american and support a system which exploits, murders, enslaves, and justifies bombing innocent people is saying you're not true to what you base your belief in: A belief in freedom and liberty and pursuit of happiness. Is your happiness someone else's death? This system of capitalism has to be abolished and replaced with communism, where no government will have power over other governments or people having control over other people. People need to be the controllers of production. Socialism must be our goal and communism the final chapter where all people can be equal.

We in prison must create a public opinion to change this system of oppression. Those in the streets can learn a lot from us prisoners locked away. We challenge the administrations here in prison and no matter what they do to us, we unify and get things done. If the prisoners can go on massive worker strikes for wages and make some small change I believe the street orgs can do the same. If all the workers was to strike and just have one day of solidarity and unity around all the issues which causes oppression and injustice we might see some change or create a movement which might affect others across the world to do the same. This strike will shake up the elite, and they will realize that the people do have the power, not them. Without the workers, capitalism can't thrive, but there will be a percentage of people who are so addicted to consumerism and the system of capitalism and will sell out. So we must unify the masses, and help one another with food, and the necessities to make sure all are taken care of during the struggle when the system collapses.

MIM(Prisons) responds: This writer is right on about the contradiction between people who say they believe in freedom and justice while supporting the Amerikan system exploiting, brutalizing and killing people around the world. The Amerika-first mentality that many people, including prisoners, have is in direct opposition to the value system that Amerikkka claims to uphold. And we applaud the idea of prisoners setting an example for organizers in the street with the unity and struggle being built behind bars.

One point we have to consider when comparing the potential actions of prisoners and those on the streets is where these groups fit in on a global economic analysis. The vast majority of workers in the United $tates are part of the labor aristocracy. They are actually being paid more than the value of their labor, at the expense of workers in the Third World. The profits from Third World workers' labor are propping up the economy of Amerika. This is why it's so easy for Amerikans to support imperialist militarism; it is actually directly in line with their own material interest. So when Amerikan workers go on strike to demand higher wages, it ends up being a demand for even more wealth stolen from the Third World. At best this is a demand that the Amerikan bourgeoisie give the workers a bit more of their large share of this stolen wealth. Either way it's not a progressive demand.

The demands of prisoners' strikes are oftentimes far more progressive because prisoners are not getting paid from the wealth stolen from Third World workers. Also usually prisoner strikes are not focused on wages, and are tied up with issues like brutality, isolation, censorship, and medical care. So while we definitely think organizers on the streets can learn from the solidarity and activism behind bars, we have to be sure to consider differences in conditions between these two situations when applying what is learned.

El 13 de Junio, La República Popular Democrática de Corea (RPDC) liberaron a un estudiante Amerikano, Otto Warmbier, quien estuvo encarcelado allí por 15 meses. El estudiante llegó a casa en coma y murió pocos días después. Según los oficiales Coreanos, Warmbier había estado en coma poco después de ser arrestado, debido a complicaciones causado por botulismo, una condición que se puede contraer por medio de comida, agua o tierra contaminada. Es posible que el encarcelamiento de Warmbier solamente haya sido un acto político para el gobierno del RPDC. Estuvo condenado por robar un cartel de propaganda.

Lo inusual de Warmbier es que era un güero adinerado y joven, disfrutando el privilegio de su riqueza y su ciudadanía Amerikana yendo a una aventura divertida al visitar Corea del Norte. En su mayor parte, Amerika busca encarcelar a los lumpen de naciones oprimidas y a los no documentados, y también a la gente que lucha contra el imperialismo. Entonces, en este país no hay mucha posibilidad que Warmbier terminara en prisión.

Después de la muerte de Warmbier hubo un clamor de crítica contra el gobierno del RPDC, con Trump atacando la "brutalidad del régimen de Corea del Norte." Esta crítica viene de la misma gente que se queda callada con respecto a las condiciones que causan muerte regularmente en prisiones Amerikanas. Los prisioneros se enferman regularmente por condiciones que incluye insuficiente comida o también comida contaminada(1), moho(2), toxinas y otros riesgos ambiental en prisiones viejas y sucias (3) agua contaminada (4) niveles de calor inseguro(5) y asistencia médica inadecuado, incompetente y deliberadamente negligente. (6) Más, esto sólo es la lista del abuso por "negligencia." Mientras tanto, más de 100,000 prisioneros son torturados a diario en prisiones de los Estados Unidos (7) y algunos prisioneros importantes y activos políticamente han terminado muertos.(8)

Paralelo al caso en Corea, las prisiones Amerikanas tienen muchos indocumentados (9), especialmente de México y Centroamérica, encarcelados por cargos pequeños o falsos. Esta gente quiere regresar a sus países, casas y familias. Algunos no hablan Inglés y entonces no pueden luchar por sus derechos. Algunos fueron engañados para declararse culpables sin entender de verdad el juicio. Y algunos de estos prisioneros terminarán severamente enfermos o también muertos debido a las condiciones dentro de prisiones Amerikanas.(10)

Nosotros no esperamos que los nacionalistas blancos ofrezcan una crítica sobre la "brutalidad del régimen amerikano" por todos estos crímenes hechos a prisioneros mantenidos detrás de las barras en este país. Debería ser una vergüenza para los Amerikanos que los Estados Unidos encierran personas a una velocidad mayor que cualquier otro país en el mundo. Pero se oculta este sistema de control social, mientras los perdonadores del imperialismo hipócritamente critican el RPDC (y otros países) por su tratamiento a un prisionero Amerikano.

MIM(Prisiones) lucha para poner un fin al sistema en que las prisiones son lugares donde la gente va para sufrir y morir prematuramente.

Soy un ciudadañ@ Mexican@ criado en las formas viejas de hacer negocios. Nuestra palabra siempre era buena hasta nuestro último respiro. En la política de la prisión y la política mexicana la palabra no tiene significado. (Díganle eso al buen tío Colocio, quien pago con su vida por creer en la palabra de alguien más.)

Bueno, después de 20 años en la línea principal, mejor conocida como pabellones activos, yo hice la transición a un pabellón SNY. Aquí, encontré muchos herman@s (p.e. camarad@s que hicieron la transición hace años y hasta décadas.)

Afortunadamente, escapé a la lavada de cerebro a la que mis companer@s chican@s están expuestos en las escuelas y los barrios. Así que yo renuncié y me vine al mundo bizarro. Encontré que muchos de mis nuevos camaradas, no tienen ninguna clase de conciencia política. Una y otra vez ellos declinaron mis intentos de leer algo de mis libros. No me escapó de mi mente que alguna vez yo también fui así. Me tomó años despertar a la cruel realidad de mi encarcelamiento.

De cualquier manera mi primer compañero de celda fue un hombre blanco. Y descubrí lo que siempre supe en teoría. Que todos somos ignorantes, pobres, y condenados. (Sin importar el color de la piel, credo, o afiliación de pandilla). Por razones que no son pertinentes a este ensayo, mi nuevo compañero solo duró conmigo menos de 24 horas en la celda. Aun así, en mi dejó una profunda impresión. El me dijo que en la línea, su líder de la pandilla le mandó pegar (p.ej. apuntalar) por una deuda de $50 dólares de vino hecho en prisión. Así que él tuvo que asumir la posición y permitir que su querid@ compañer@ lo apuñalara. (Su compañero le quedaban unos cuantos meses para irse a su casa.) Así es cuán fuera de control están las pandillas.

Para que el lector sepa: el Mexican@ común y corriente no pertenece a carteles o gangas de la prisión y de las calles. La mayoría de los prisioneros Mexicanos no saben de la avalancha de política de prisión que se les viene encima. Sin vergüenza, puedo decir que si mi consejer@ me hubiera dicho del papel que me esperaba jugar en una yarda activa, yo me hubiera salido de allí inmediatamente. No estaba escrito así, y fui atrapado en un sistema fallido de rehabilitación.

Fui inmediatamente clasificado como un "parsa" o "herman@ de la frontera." Este "STG" (grupo de amenaza y seguridad) está bajo las ordenes de los sureños (una ganga de prisión) para hacer apuntaladas, y seguir órdenes.

Lo que no sabe el Mexicano, es que todos estos incidentes violentos pueden ser usados por el panel de audiencias de libertad (BPH). Dios no permita, que uno tenga un apuntalamiento a hace diez años. Ellos literalmente actúan la parte de estar sorprendidos que esta clase de cosas pasen en prisión. Hasta un reporte de una manzana robada será usado para decir que somos un peligro para la comunidad libre. Estos académicos de verdad creen que estos "gulags" son "centros" de alta rehabilitación. ¡Y que un@ insiste en comportarse mal!

Mi nuevo compañero es un viejo Mexicano. El es respetuoso y sabe cómo hacer tiempo. El también renunció, cuando descubrió los cambios del viento en el aire. Y antes de que las cosas se pusieran peor, le hizo la mejor decisión de su vida. Se convirtió en un SNY más. El medio ambiente, aquí está más suelto. El viejo de la ganga se terminó. Yo no he visto actos predatorios en contra de aquellos que son muy débiles, para defenderse. Luego están aquellos que actúan como verdaderos – "PC" en custodia protectora. Ellos creen que el C/O es su papá, o su hermano mayor. Son escandalosos. Y visten sus pantalones a media nalga. Aun así, el estar hablando con el personal de prisión se puede ver también en la yarda 'C' (p. ej., una yarda activa). Ellos vienen a la oficina del programa y pasan tiempo con ellos. (p. ej. poniéndose cómodos con el enemigo, el opresor).

Yo descubrí, que si me mantengo solo, y cuido solo mis propios negocios, yo puedo volar sin ser detectado. Esto no era posible en una yarda activa, porque se espera que uno haga trabajo para la ganga de la prisión. Las nuevas gangas de la prisión de este lado, estas son reservadas. Y hacen sus peleas sin pedir ayuda. Aquellos, que no queremos envolvernos en las guerras de gangas – se les deja fuera del drama. Yo he hablado con ex-sureños y norteños (viejos y jóvenes), y muchos se describen a sí mismos como Mexicanos nacidos de este lado. Muchos se han dado cuenta que el Mexicano nacional no es su marioneta para ser usada y tirada. Todos ellos están de acuerdo que el haberse convertido en SNY es la mejor decisión que pudieron haber tomado. Sus nuevos líderes son sus familias, patria y raza.

Aquí, ex-jefes y líderes de gangas son nada. No son más que un esclavo entre los miles. Lejos están los días de dinero con sangre, gloria, celulares, y actos egoístas enormes con respecto a la vida y la muerte.

En cuanto a mi transición de un esclavo activo a un "SNY", esta fue fácil. Empaqué mis cosas sin levantar mucha sospecha. Y en la escuela le dije al oficial "que quería salir del pabellón." Ellos me presionaron para decirles lo que sabía acerca de los grandes sapos gordos, y de aquellos que les besan el culo. No tenía nada que decirles. Y aunque hubiera sabido algo, no se las hubiera dicho nada. Ya estoy muy viejo para convertirme en un informante del estado. Así que, no todos los SNYs son informantes. Ya me han dicho que a veces los oficiales amenazan al prisionero con devolverlos al pabellón principal. Pero este no fue mi caso. (Para su información, las oficiales nunca harán eso).

Para aquellos que deje atrás, paren y piensen acerca de esto, por un largo tiempo. ¿De verdad vale la pena el dar la vida haciendo mandados de tonto? Lo que te están mandando a hacer al hijo de alguien más, te lo harán a ti. Los maestros de la causa perdida de la manipulación, no vale la pena matar y morir por esta. A la fregada sus órdenes, ellos no son nuestros padres, tíos o hermanos mayores. Juegan a ser dios con nuestras vidas y libertad.

Ellas son sociópatas con sed de sangre y con la sangre de nuestros hermanos y hermanas en sus manos. Ellos son el hermano menor del opresor, ellos ayudan al opresor a mantenernos en checkeo. Dale, y diles que ellos mismos hagan los asesinatos. No te pueden exigir que cumplas tu palabra, que diste cuando eras un niño. Tú no sabias acerca de la vida cuando te tentaron a unirte a la ganga. Nunca te dijeron que para cuando cumplieras 15, ibas a estar muerto o viviendo en las gulagas.

Nunca te llevaron a un funeral y te dijeron: "Ese eres tú en unos cuantos años." Ellos nunca te llevaron a las gulagas a visitar aquellos que están sepultados vivos. ¿Si te hubieran dicho que una muerte temprana o vida en prisión era tu futuro? Lo más seguro es que hubieras corrido de volada.

Así que a la edad de 20, 30 y hasta de 60 años, uno debe despertar a la realidad de nuestro predicamento y analizar las contradicciones de nuestra esclavitud. Para que así nos podamos quitar las viejas cadenas que nos unen a una causa perdida. Uno debe de evolucionar y pensar fuera de la caja. Este es el Siglo 21, nuestras familias nos necesitan allá afuera.

MIM(Prisiones) responde: Organizaciones lumpen (LOs) en los E$tados Unidos son generalmente organizaciones de los más marginalizados económicamente de los oprimidos en este país. Donde sea, camaradas han hablado de las diferencias entre la Organización Neo-colonial lumpen (NLO) y los LO. La experiencia del camarada anterior refleja la práctica de los NLO. Pero las LOs, en general, tienen tanto como los aspectos capitalistas como los colectivo/nacionalistas. Y aquellas que aceptan el aspecto colectivo (generalmente, en una forma revolucionaria nacionalista), pueden evolucionar y convertirse en organizaciones políticas de masas (PMOs).(1) Así que, mientras tenemos dificultad con los camaradas en los LOs para que se muevan en dirección de una PMO, la historia anterior es muy común en California, donde SNY ha venido a representar una tercera parte de los prisioneros en años recientes.(2)

Este camarada también toca la pregunta nacional e identidad nacional en Aztlán. El hecho de que aquellos con descendencia Mexicana nacidos dentro de las Estados Unidos y que más bien se identifican como Mexicanos, habla de la contradicción nacional entre el Americano colonizador y el territorio colonizado de Aztlán. Como este camarada también reconoce, nosotros nos referimos a aquellos nacidos al norte de la frontera los U.S./México, como Chican@s.

Este reconocimiento de la nación Chican@ profundamente conectada a, pero separada de México, fue el resultado de la lucha de revolucionarios nacionalistas y comunistas de los 1960s, que organizaron a la raza en el Suroeste. Para aquellos que estén interesados en este tema, deberían revisar Chican@ Power y La Lucha por Aztlán, del grupo de estudio de MIM(Prisiones). Este libro está disponible para los prisioneros por $10, o a cambio de trabajo.

Laud and honor the martyrs! Even those who weren't warriors.
The unconscious brother enjoys a guilty comfort.
Not from inheritance, but rather he lives in a First World
Settled by invaders and tomb raiders, capitalist traders
raping the earth. Governments promise prosperity if only
you kneel. Can Third World tragedies find any appeal?
Or does bourgeois culture supply you with unlimited hope?
Like oppression, crime and dope. Faith in religion tickles
your conscience but that doesn't make it science.
We struggle together: The People - equal. The chains of
slavery rattle like tambourines to a new upheaval.
So laud and honor the martyrs! Even those who weren't warriors.
Flies swarm around the dung of capitalism, invoking disgust
at its chauvanisms and material greed.
Don't be part of the problem.

Through the eye of the media, one can't help but see and understand the agendas being put forth. First look at how the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's nuclear program is being covered with emotionally-driven and fear-inspiring news coverage. In comparison to the cold war period in the United States, where that was solely ideological war due to it being two white global superpowers with different political identities the nuclear issue wasn't syndicated by news on the level that North Korea's nuclear program has been. The United States and all major countries of European descent have done everything in their collective power to keep these weapons of mass destruction out of the hands of nations, governments and people of color or hue. This is about dominance over every country in the world or simply put, 'might makes right' ideology.

Just look at what happened when Iran was building a nuke. How much these European governments were willing to do and in fact pay so that these Middle Easterners would not have the same power of destruction that they themselves wield, and the United States alone has used, on people of color.

These global white supremacists have done everything they could to destabilize nations' governments that they could not control by creating borders on foreign continents, setting up puppet governments (often dictators the likes of Saddam Hussein and Benjamin Netanyahu who use war as a distraction of their individual greed), support contras by the sales of cocaine on the streets of their own country, in which they've colonized other peoples. Gangstering all less technologically-savvy nations out of raw materials, such as petroleum, gold, silver, diamonds, chocolate, opium, uranium, spices, sugar, and factory workers who they pay slave wages. They then turn around and use this wealth to build factories in their home countries and pay their own citizens the going wages.

I say equal power is equal defense, which entitles all nations the same kind of weapons including nuclear bombs if that's what you could be faced with. These global white supremacists only respect those who can present an equal threat. History has proven these whites are the makers and users of weapons of mass destruction, from muskets, rifles, guns, machine guns, grenades, C-4, chemical gases, dirty bombs, hydrogen and nuclear bombs. They've created viruses, diseases, tortures. Yet the media is far more dangerous than any of the ones before mentioned, due to its ability to influence the minds of those not fully conscious of the reality of being controlled by the designers of this Global White Supremacy Agenda.

MIM(Prisons) adds: In July, August and September the Democratic People's Republic of Korea launched a series of nuclear missile tests. The DPRK reports it has developed a more advanced hydrogen bomb that could be mounted on an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM).(1) They've also reported that their ICBMs can now reach the mainland of the United $tates. Meanwhile, the United $tates has launched recent tests of their B61-12, a bomb that delivers nuclear weapons by fighter jet.(2) The United $tates and Russia still have far more nuclear warheads than other countries, almost 100 times the number of what the DPRK has.(3)

People who grew up during the cold war lived in a culture of fear of a nuclear attack. So we do not agree that the threat was ignored during that period because it was "white" countries involved. If anything, we'd argue that we've grown too comfortable with the risk of nuclear disaster that these weapons continue to put us in since the collapse of the social-imperialist Soviet Union. And this cold war was also an imperialist reaction to potential resistance. Although the Soviet Union gave up socialism and turned to state capitalism in the 1950s, the United $tates held on to the anti-communist fear. Socialism in the Soviet Union (and China, and other countries) was a significant threat to imperialism, and so the United $tates prepared for a war to defend their wealth and dominance.

Otherwise, we agree with the author above on the hypocrisies of the imperialists. Militarism is integral to the economic success of the imperialist countries. The DPRK has never used its military to gain wealth by exploiting or stealing from other nations. Rather it sacrifices resources from its isolated economy to ensure it can militarily protect itself from imperialists who would otherwise use their weapons against the Korean people to gain access to the labor and markets that the DPRK government denies them. The leverage of nuclear weapons decreases the need to mobilize the able-bodied population into military maneuvers in response to U.$. operations on its border. There are two massive military exercises led by the United $tates on the Korean peninsula each year. One, Ulchi-Freedom Guardian, occurs in August when it is harvest season.(4) The other, Foal Eagle, occurs in the spring, often overlapping with the planting season in the northern hemisphere.(5) By increasing the technological capacity of its military, the DPRK allows for more labor time to be dedicated to agricultural production and better protects its food supply. Because of sanctions, the DPRK cannot rely on importing food from other countries when harvests are short. In other words, these new developments are a logical product of the U.$. imperialists' stranglehold on the DPRK through economic sanctions and massive military provocations.

Learning the difference between our friends and enemies means we know that other prisoners share more in common with us than not. It also means that within one's own nation the formations within have even more in common than not. For imprisoned Aztlán the divisions were ultimately imperialist-inspired. The advanced wing of imprisoned Aztlán understands that it's time to Re-unify Aztlán.

In Califaztlán, norteno, sureno, Eme, NF, have been walls that separated. At times each formation was necessary for safety, and some formations may be more progressive than others. But these formations still separate imprisoned Aztlán. Separation for a nation is not good under any circumstances.* I believe the goal of all these lumpen organizations (LOs) is to unite at some point, but how could it be possible?

A future glimpse of a United Aztlán

It's a fact that much animosity and/or pride for one LO or the other has developed. At the same time we see the Agreement to End Hostilities has allowed us all to get to know and support one another. It's now OK to assist and be there for each other, which is great. We have gone back to before north/south feuds started, however what is needed now is a leap forward.

The truth is so long as the LOs (i.e. NF, Eme) still have north/south formations there will not be any unification between imprisoned Aztlán. This will take steps. The implementation of programs authorized at the highest levels. One such initial program would be formally dismantling the formations of Sur/Norte. By doing this, Raza will simply be Raza again.

Tattoos of Norte/Sur would have to be banned for the future. This would help alleviate conflict/tension.

A transition period would relax the Raza and then the next stage of the unification of Eme/NF would be necessary even if they maintained separate committees with the new political org. But a new org with a new name is necessary to provide a glimpse of a new future of a unified Aztlán. At some point, imprisoned Aztlán must move on and create a name that all can come to, otherwise no side will ever win over the other side.

High Desert State Prison (HDSP), the largest prison in Nevada, housing some 3,500 inmates, has been on total lockdown for 4 days, and will remain so for at least two more weeks. This means that we will receive no yard, tier, phone, canteen, or access to any reading material.

Why is HDSP on lockdown? Because in a single week there was two "staff" assaults, and at least 8 fights.

But the pigs are doing nothing to investigate the cause of the violence. For example, that the temperature of the cells was reaching at least 90 degrees. While we have no cold water to drink, and are forced to be housed with individuals we do not get along with for up to 21 hours a day. And there is nothing for us to do: no programs, work, games, etc. We are literally trapped in cages like animals.

So how does HDSP deal with the violence? They enhance the inhumane and deplorable conditions by locking us down. Most of us do not have televisions, and with no access to any library we sit in a cell and twiddle our thumbs.

Violence and anger can only be expected as a result of such conditions. However, comrades, we must recognize that we do not win when we direct this anger and frustration towards each other.

Our focus must be on targeting the administrative policies which are responsible for our current state of existence. There is already a grievance campaign underway challenging OP516, the level system. And comrades from the United Struggle from Within in Nevada just started a new grievance campaign in regards to AR801.

AR801 is a programs AR that states that Ad-Seg is to receive a minimum of 3 hours out of their cell, and closed custody inmates are to get a minimum of 5 hours out of their cells per day. This same AR lists a ton of programs which are approved by the Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC).

The bottom line comrades, HDSP under Warden Williams has failed to implement any rehabilitative programs. The violence, anger and frustration is his and his administration's fault.

We must heed the USW call for peace and unity and challenge the administration's policies. We need all of you to file grievances challenging these policies. But even more important, we need you to have your family and friends to call the office of the director and ask why HDSP prisoners are being denied all access to rehabilitative programs, school, and work. Have them call 702-486-9938 and complain.

Until then, comrades, do not allow your anger and frustrations with the pigs to be misdirected toward one another.

MIM(Prisons) responds: The United Struggle from Within comrades in Nevada are doing solid work organizing and educating folks in that state. They have set a good example of initiating targeted campaigns that could improve the lives of many prisoners. This is a good way to get folks participating in the struggle in a concrete way. But we must remember to tie these battles to the broader struggle against the criminal injustice system, and imperialism.

If we don't make these connections, we are misleading people, letting them think that these campaigns alone are all that is needed to change the system. And we know that's not true! We know the injustice system won't be reformed into a system of justice. It is rotten to the core because it is serving imperialism, which exists off the oppression and exploitation of entire nations of people. The wealth and power of the imperialists and even the "middle classes" is not something those folks will give up without a fight.

Let's follow the example of the Nevada USW comrades, and build important campaigns relevant to each prison and state. And always keep our work in the context of the anti-imperialist struggle.