The System is Criminal, Not Mumia

Mumia Death Warrant Underscores Need for Urgent Action to Stop His Execution

By Carl Dix, RCP National Spokesperson

Revolutionary Worker #1027, October 24, 1999

The death warrant signed by Governor Ridge of Pennsylvania on Oct. 13 mandating Mumia's execution on December 2, 1999, is a double outrage. It's an outrage because Mumia was railroaded onto death row in the first place based on a trial that was a complete travesty of justice--witnesses were hidden from the defense, false testimony was obtained thru intimidation and bribery. And it's a double outrage because Ridge signed this death warrant knowing full well that Mumia's defense was planning to file the appeal of his conviction in federal district court in a matter of days. By signing this death warrant, Ridge triggered a situation where Mumia is stripped of his legal papers and reading material, making it much more difficult for him to continue playing a role in his defense effort. This outrage requires a determined and massive response from everybody who opposes Mumia's execution.

This death warrant also drives home their murderous intentions in this case. They seriously plan to murder Mumia--to silence his voice and to deliver a message of intimidation to everybody else. We have to be just as serious about fighting to stop his execution. We have to be working wholeheartedly to save Mumia's life and free him from jail.

What kind of system would try to murder a beautiful revolutionary brother like Mumia for his political beliefs? This is a hateful system based on exploitation and oppression that requires the subjugation of countless millions of people in this country and around the world to stay in effect. The book Stolen Lives documents this hatefulness. It lists 2,000 people who were killed by their cops. Mumia's case is very related to the stolen lives documented in this book.

In the system's view, to even be accused of killing one of their cops means they should be able to execute you. But their cops have killed thousands and are almost never punished. They've locked down two million people in their jails, many of them on frame-ups like Mumia. They've criminalized a whole generation of youth. And this system will never change its nature and must be overthrown thru mass armed revolution, and a whole new world must be built on the ashes of this messed-up one. Fighting thru till we win the battle to stop Mumia's execution and free him from jail will bring us that much closer to being ready and in position to rise up and make revolution when the time comes. There's been a whole movement that's developed to fight police brutality. Parents fighting for justice for their murdered children, youth who refuse to accept being criminalized and others. Mumia has been an inspiration to many of them. He has spent his whole life fighting against the whole program of punishment this system is bringing down. He has helped to give voice to the people who want to resist. This is why the system is so desperate to murder him. And it's why we need to beat back their foul attempts, stop his execution and free him from jail. Many, many people would draw tremendous inspiration from this victory over our common enemy. The sweet taste of victory would spur the youth on to take the fight for justice even higher. The unity we had forged in this battle and the sense of our own strength that we had gained would put us in a great position to accelerate our resistance to this death-dealing capitalist system. This is the kind of tip we need to be on entering the new millennium.

To do this means we gotta get busy right now. We gotta reach out to and activate many more people from different backgrounds and make them part of this fight. We have to bring into being the kinds of alliances and carry out the kind of determined action that will strike fear in our enemy's hearts. Our resistance today must send the powers a clear message that we'll bring more shit than they can handle down on their asses if they don't jump back from their attempt to murder our brother Mumia and free him from jail.

As the leader of the RCP, Bob Avakian, put it, "Revolutionaries who embody the highest interests of the people and inspire them in fighting for these interests are very precious. Particularly where revolutionaries hold firm to their principles in the face of persecution, it is extremely important for the people to refuse to accept the right of the oppressors to carry out this persecution and legalized murder."

The powers that be have thrown down a serious gauntlet by signing another death warrant on Mumia. We need to pick it up and slap them silly with it. We need to continue bringing our rage at their attempts to murder Mumia to the street. The next time we need to hit the streets big will be Oct. 22nd, the National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation. Mumia's case needs to be out there big time on that day in cities all across the country. His case has everything to do with police brutality. And the more we step out there and expose the cops and those who give them a green light to brutalize and kill for what they are, the harder it will be for them to try to get away with murdering Mumia. And at the same time, what Mumia stands for will be an inspiration to everybody who opposes police brutality to carry the fight against it thru to the end.

STOP THE EXECUTION OF MUMIA ABU-JAMAL AND FREE HIM FROM JAIL!

STOP POLICE BRUTALITY, REPRESSION AND THE
CRIMINALIZATION OF A GENERATION!

ON OCT. 22ND, WEAR BLACK--FIGHT BACK!

THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM IS THE PROBLEM,
REVOLUTION IS THE SOLUTION!


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