A Call to Prisoners: TAKE HISTORY INTO YOUR HANDS!

Revolution #015, September 25, 2005, posted at revcom.us

Hurricane Katrina ripped the lid off and revealed the real underbelly of America: the oppressive relations of society that people must live in and adapt to every day; the ways in which this government does not give a damn about the masses of poor and oppressed people; the potential of the oppressed people to act with courage and humanity, even under extreme stress and up against the repression of the very government that claims to be helping them; and the ways in which people from all walks of life can be won to support the oppressed.

It is not surprising that the powers-that-be are now moving to demonize the people who were the victims and turn the truth upside down. But we—and you—have a role to play in all this. We must make sure that people do not “forgive and forget” this. We must do everything we can to get people to act and to resist. And we must act ourselves.

With that in mind, we are calling on all prisoners, who have a very first-hand knowledge of the repressive and deceitful ways in which this system works, to take up the following challenge:

• To get into the truth of what is going on, studying Revolution and getting down with the works of RCP Chairman Bob Avakian.
• To get the truth out to others—to friends and relatives—in any way at your disposal, and to call on people to struggle against these outrages, and to read and distribute Revolution.
• To take up the call for massive demonstrations on November 2 under the slogan “The World Can’t Wait! Drive Out the Bush Regime!” And to get this call out, again, to as many people you can in as many ways as you can.
• To correspond with Revolution, letting us know your thoughts on this situation and what you think people must do.
• And to actually act on November 2 itself, finding the ways to show political support for what people are doing in the streets that day.

There are over two million prisoners in this country—the most in the world. Over half are Black or Latino or Native American. The ruling class of this country has nothing for you. They hope you will either rot or be taken over by their religious indoctrination, which is designed to get you to blame yourself for what they’ve done to you and even to fight for them.

But there is a different future available, in the revolutionary movement. You can make a huge difference. Link up. Write to the Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund with your ideas and your plans for November 2.

PRLF
Merchandise Mart
PO Box 3486
Chicago IL 60654