Show Love For Lynne Stewart & All Political Prisoners Act Now!
By Larry Pinkney
19 September, 2013
Blackcommentator.com
“If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.” - Malcolm X [el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz]
“Those who do not move, do not notice their chains...Freedom is always and exclusively freedom for the one who thinks differently...Freedom is always the freedom of dissenters.” - Rosa Luxemburg
It is not enough to merely observe that the imprisoned 'people's lawyer' Lynne Stewart, has for four decades vigorously and unceasingly defended the voiceless, the downtrodden, and the targeted in this nation. The story of Lynne Stewart is one of growth, resilience, great love for ordinary struggling people, and sacrifice.
Like the late great freedom fighter John Brown, Lynne Stewart transcended her color privilege and reached the liberating plateau of actualizing her, and indeed all of our, own humanity. In so doing, she incurred the formidable wrath of this war mongering, hypocritical, and massively unjust U.S. political / judicial system as carried out by its callous, sanctimonious blood sucking minions / systemic gatekeepers. Lynne Stewart consistently exposed the vile and treacherous underbelly of a nation whose 'leaders' have forgotten, distorted, and/or ignored the noble ideals embodied in the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
The paraphrased words used by Franz Mehring to describe the incredible thinker, activist, writer, and philosopher Rosa Luxemburg, also apply in their entirety to Lynne Stewart, when he said, in relevant part, that “she did not give her brain alone to the working-class movement; she gave everything she had - her heart, her passion, her strong will, her very life.” Lynne Stewart has given her all to everyday ordinary struggling Black, White, Brown, Red, and Yellow people and now, at almost 74 years of age, she languishes in a U.S. federal prison-death gulag (in Texas).
From her quiet and humble beginnings as a New York City public school librarian over four decades ago, an unquenchable hot fire for equal justice was lit in Lynne's mind, heart, and soul. Thus, she went on to study law and became the committed, genuine 'people's lawyer' - a strong, outspoken, and tireless advocate on behalf of the struggling everyday ordinary Black, White, Brown, Red, and Yellow struggling masses of this nation and world. In the eyes of this U.S. system's scoundrels she had committed an unpardonable transgression against them. She had dared to both speak and actualize - truth to power – their power. For this, Lynne herself was targeted by the U.S. government, its judicial system of injustice, and the corporate-stream media. For more details as to how this was done to Lynne, reference the July 12, 2007 Black Commentator article titled, Lynne Stewart And Ralph Poynter - Stalwart Cohorts In The People's Struggle.
After having, for so very many years, fought so hard against the cancers of greed, the surveillance / police state, militarism, judicial injustice, and lethargy on behalf of the downtrodden in this nation, Lynne Stewart is now fighting for her very mortal life. She is now fighting a terrible physical cancer that is steadily eating away and depleting the cells of her body. And she is fighting this from within the deplorable confines and conditions of a U.S. prison-death gulag. In egregious violation of the United Nations' International Covenant On Civil And Political Rights, and indeed in contravention of the tenets of the U.S. Constitution itself, she has been, and is being, held by U.S. President Barack Obama and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, et al, in this ongoing horror. As the thinker, prolific writer, and political commentator Stephen Lendman recently wrote, “Barack Obama wants Lynne Stewart dead.” This is not acceptable.
The U.S. government has thus far repeatedly refused to grant Lynne Stewart the compassionate release which she needs and strongly deserves. This is not by coincidence. It is by cruel design.
This is not about being so-called 'left-winger,' 'right-winger,' 'liberal,' 'conservative.' or 'progressive.' We are not birds with 'wings' – we are human beings with minds, hearts, and consciences. This is about a woman who has long served, 'body and soul,' the needs of plain struggling everyday ordinary people - of ALL colors – the salt of Mother Earth! This woman now needs the help of the people that she has so valiantly served. This is not about promoting ourselves or our organizations. This is about saving the life of a 21st century real 'American' S/hero, or at bare minimum, quickly bringing her home (while there is yet time) to spend her final days with her family and a grateful national and international community of caring, loving human beings. This is in reality also about our own humanity! This is not about hate. This is about love and determination!
There are numerous political prisoners being held in barbaric prison gulags throughout the United States, of which Lynne Stewart is but one. Leonard Peltier, Mumia Abu-Jamal, and Eddie Conway are merely the tip of a gigantic iceberg of political prisoners held in this nation.
71 year old, longtime political prisoner Herman Wallace (of the 'Angola Three'), is suffering from advanced liver cancer and facing imminent death. Nonetheless, despite the medical recommendations from doctors, state authorities (in Louisiana) have refused even to allow Herman Wallace to be released to the much-needed hospice care that he is so clearly in need of.
The barbarity of the U.S. prison gulags (both state and federal), especially as it applies to political prisoners, reflects the utter sadism, hypocrisy, and injustice of a U.S. political / judicial system that has gone stark raving mad!
The very existence of U.S. political prisoners is a serious blight upon our individual humanity, and that of this nation as a whole. (Reference: Pimping the Pain of Political Prisoners In This Bastion Of Hypocrisy.)
It is no wonder that the political pimps, (known as politicians) of the Democratic and Republican parties, are so callously cavalier about bombing, invading, and/or militarily occupying other sovereign nations. It is no wonder that our society suffers from perpetual U.S. wars, corporate hegemony & blood sucking of ordinary people, and endless internal physical and psychological violence.
When I think of political prisoners such as Lynne Stewart, I think of the indomitable spirit of Harriet Tubman and of the martyred Irish freedom fighter Bobby Sands. When I think of Lynne Stewart, I think of the countless everyday ordinary Black, White, Brown, Red, and Yellow people whom her efforts served and benefited. Yes, when I think of Lynne Stewart, I also think of how she embodies what this nation might yet be – rather than what it presently is.
Show your love for Lynne Stewart by taking action to free her while she yet lives, and bring her home – NOW!
We need ten thousand more Lynne Stewarts, Harriet Tubmans, John Browns, Malcolm Xs, and Bobby Sands. WE are the people, just ordinary people, and it is WE, who must hold the systemic gatekeepers accountable, lest we all become their political prisoners in this increasing police / surveillance state.
This coming October 8th, 2013 is Lynne Stewart's 74th birthday! We must re-double our efforts, intensify, and keep up the pressure to free our Sister Lynne. At stake is not only the life and freedom of Lynne Stewart – but the collective dignity, humanity, and liberation of we everyday ordinary Black, White, Brown, Red, and Yellow people.
Bring Lynne home. Bring Lynne home NOW!
Each one, reach one. Each one, teach one. Onward, then, my sisters and brothers. Onward...!
BlackCommentator.com Editorial Board member and Columnist, Larry Pinkney, is a veteran of the Black Panther Party, the former Minister of Interior of the Republic of New Africa, a former political prisoner and the only American to have successfully self-authored his civil / political rights case to the United Nations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In connection with his political organizing activities in opposition to voter suppression, etc., Pinkney was interviewed in 1988 on the nationally televised PBS News Hour, formerly known as The MacNeil / Lehrer News Hour. For more about Larry Pinkney see the book, Saying No to Power: Autobiography of a 20th Century Activist and Thinker, by William Mandel [Introduction by Howard Zinn]. (Click here to read excerpts from the book.) Click here to view Larry’s interview of October 26, 2012.
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