Political Prisoners in America's Gulag:
Russell Maroon Shoats
14 Feb 2012By Stephen
Lendman
With around 2.4 million incarcerated, America has by
far the world's largest prison system. Two-thirds in
it are Black or Latino.
Most held are non-violent. Over half are for drug
related charges. Around 75% are Blacks or Latinos. On
all charges, many are persecuted political prisoners.
In her book titled, "The New Jim Crow: Mass
Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness," Michelle
Alexander called today's Jim Crow a modern-day
elitist-designed racial caste system. Believing poor
Blacks (and Latinos) are dangerous and economically
superfluous, America's gulag became an instrument of
social control. According to Alexander:
"Any movement to end mass incarceration must deal with
(it) as a racial caste system, not (a method) of crime
control. We need an effective system of crime
prevention and control in our communities, but that is
not what the current system is. (It's) better designed
to create crime, and a perpetual class of people
labeled criminals, rather than to eliminate crime or
reduce the number of criminals."
America's most vulnerable are victimized by racism,
poverty, judicial unfairness, get tough on crime
policies, a guilty unless proved innocent mentality,
three strikes and you're out, bigoted drug laws, and
advocacy for social justice issues challenging
repressive state policies.
An earlier article called America's gulag the shame of
the nation. It reflects mercilessly persecuting its
own. At the same time, it wages imperial wars, lets
banks commit grand theft, frees other corporate
predators to operate extrajudicially, and punishes
society's most vulnerable for resisting. It also
targets Muslims to facilitate America's global war on
terror.
Russell Maroon Shoats
A self-designated "New African Political Prisoner of
War," he's serving life/plus for alleged 1970
involvement in a policeman's death and wounding of
another.
Incarcerated in 1972, he's spent 40 years in over a
dozen federal, state, and local prisons and jails,
including over 21 years in solitary confinement locked
down 23 or more hours daily. More on that below.
In 1979, he was in maximum security confinement,
during which time he was "forcibly drugged and on one
occasion hospitalized from a hospital induced
overdose...."
In the 1960s, he became politically active. He joined
the African liberation movement, and was a
Philadelphia-based Black Unity Council founding
member. In 1969, it merged with Black Panther Party's
Philadelphia chapter.
Compromised of prisoners' families, former inmates,
and supporters, the Human Rights Coalition (HRC) calls
America's prison system exploitive, punitive and
corrupt. It says:
Most people "in prisons are poor, (black or) brown,
urban, functionally illiterate, unemployed or
under-employed before they were locked down, and are
there for (alleged) non-violent crimes. The prison
system reflects all inequalities in our society...."
As a result, it wants the current system abolished.
It's racist and unjust. Shoats co-founded HRC.
Together with the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR),
National Lawyers Guild and others, HRC's campaigning
to free Shoats from isolation and return him to the
general prison population.
On his behalf, a letter-writing/petition campaign was
launched. Support him by signing the petition for
humane treatment. Now 68, he's held at Pennsylvania's:
State Correctional Institution (SCI) Greene
175 Progress Drive
Waynesburg, PA 15370
724-852-2902
Prison authorities call him a security threat because
of past attempted and successful escapes. In fact,
he's kept isolated based on false allegations about
planning a 1980 prison takeover. He's also persecuted
for his activism, leadership, and human rights
support.
America's Eighth Amendment prohibits cruel and unusual
punishment. It's prison system commits it ruthlessly
with impunity. Shoats is one of many victims. Locked
up, they're out of sight and mind.
Everyone deserves justice. America's most vulnerable
get none, especially those in the maw of a racist,
brutalizing, dehumanizing prison system.
Comments on Two Other Prisoners
On February 16, the FBI Detroit Division announced
"underwear bomber" Uman Farouk Abdulmutallab's life
sentence for conviction on charges of:
•conspiracy to commit terrorism;
•attempted murder;
•willfully placing a destructive device on an
aircraft;
•attempting to use "a weapon of mass destruction;"
•attempting to destroy a civil aircraft; and
•three counts of "possession of a destructive device
in furtherance of a crime of violence."
Attorney General Eric Holder called Abdulmutallab "a
remorseless terrorist who believes it is his duty to
kill Americans." Holder's only skills include
hyperbole, making false allegations, and sending
innocent victims to prison.
Abdulmutallab was set up. On December 25, 2009, he was
aboard an Amsterdam - Detroit bound flight. US
officials claimed he was trained in Yemen by Al Qaeda,
obtained explosive chemicals (PETN), and tried
detonating them on board.
In fact, he was a protected CIA patsy, set up as a
provocation to facilitate America's Yemen's civil war
involvement.
Earlier denied a UK entrance visa, he wasn't on a no
fly list. He paid cash for a one-way Detroit ticket,
checked no luggage, had a US visa but no passport, and
was helped on board by a "well-dressed Indian" to
facilitate a false flag scheme, using him as a
convenient dupe.
CIA/Mossad/Indian Research Analysis Wing (RAW) planned
it. Abdulmutallab's PETN was weak, technically
deficient, didn't go off properly, and had fire
cracker strength at most.
No matter. Railroaded by Justice Department
prosecutors, he'll spend the rest of his life doing
hard time in prison.
On February 17, New York Times writer Charlie Savage
headlined, "FBI Arrests Man in a Suspected Terrorist
Plot Near the US Capitol," saying:
Amine El Khalifi, a Moroccan national, was arrested
"carrying a MAC-10 gun and a vest packed with nails
and what he thought (were) explosives in what (federal
agents) said was a plan to carry out a suicide bombing
at the United States Capitol."
Based on numerous past false flags, be very suspicious
about all Justice Department charges. Against El
Khalifi, they look very much like entrapping an
innocent/naive dupe into involvement in what he had no
prior intent, desire, or willingness to do.
Holder, however, defends entrapment. He calls it an
"essential law enforcement tool in uncovering and
preventing terror attacks."
In fact, they're maliciously manufactured to
manipulate fear and justify America's global war on
terrorism. Nearly always, Muslims are charged. It's
part of America's war on Islam.
Innocent victims are charged, prosecuted, convicted
and imprisoned. Justice is malevolently denied.
Imperial wars are facilitated. Vital social benefits
are lost to fund them.
The Times article said El Khalifi posed no threat. An
undercover sting operation gave him "inoperative
weapons." He was set up to entrap another victim. He's
like numerous others foiled in the nick of time. Ask
why alleged home-grown terrorists don't succeed.
Perhaps it's because they don't exist except in bogus
Justice Department charges and major media scoundrels
regurgitating them without challenge.
Assistant attorney general Lisa Monaco lied, saying:
"Today's case underscores the continuing threat we
face from home-grown violent extremists. Thanks to a
coordinated law enforcement effort, El Khalifi's
alleged plot was thwarted before anyone was harmed."
In fact, the only extremist home-grown threats are
federal, state and local officials, as well as
corporate ones they serve.
As a result, innocent victims wrongfully suffer. Many
rot unjustly in federal and state gulags while
government and corporate criminals do what they please
with impunity. It's high time public rage challenged
them.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be
reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. Also visit
his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to
cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on
the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive
Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and
Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are
archived for easy listening.
http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.
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