Jericho Movement position on the importance of supporting domestic political prisoners from past revolutionary movements

thejerichomovement.com

It is imperative that people and organizations involved with advocating human rights, community development, and educating and organizing around social/political issues, and addressing various aspects of the prison industrial complex (viz. mass incarcerations, special housing units, solitary confinement, etc.) understand the need to support all campaigns to free political prisoners.

The struggle for freedom, justice, dignity, human rights, and a better quality of life has always been met with resistance, violence, persecution, and death at the hands of the powers that be. The sojourn of peace-loving people in America, in particular Black, Brown, and Red people, has witnessed brutal responses from the state and federal government, and from those marking their progress and success in society off of the blood, sweat, and tears of the common people.

Slaves on the slave plantation in their flight/fight to be free were constantly victimized, oppressed and exploited under the violence of the slave-master’s whip, noose, hound dogs, patty-rollers, black codes, court rulings, 3/5ths of a person, Dred Scott, racial religious doctrines, segregation, racism, discrimination, water hoses, electric cattle prods, cross burnings, city-burnings, hooded creatures, shirt and tie creatures, gerrymandering, grandfather clauses, local government, congressmen and senators, presidents, federal and state laws, anti-unions, anti-workers, corporations, no-knock, the prison industrial complex, the FBI, COINTELPRO, communication management units, control units, special housing units, war on drugs, war on terrorism, Patriots Acts, Homeland Security, Rendition, entrapment, frame-ups and set-ups, mass media, propaganda, political incarcerations, and Republican hearings on mosques and Muslims across the country.

As the old saying goes – “Oppression breeds Resistance.” Through the sojourn in America, oppressed people have always struggled and sacrificed for freedom and justice. One perilous consequence stemming from these struggles has been the reality of political incarcerations!

The point is that if those remaining captives who stood up and sacrificed, organized, and fought against racism, exploitation, and repression of people of color and poor communities across the U.S. are not supported, the door remains wide open for present and future soldiers/activists/revolutionaries/educators to be politically persecuted and incarcerated with impunity and with the expectation of no support from anyone. The State and status quo have the green light to continue repressing, exploiting and committing injustices unabated.

Join us in struggling to free all Political Prisoners!

Jihad Abdulmumit – Co chair, National Jericho Movement / richmondjericho@gmail.com