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Prisoner Writes on Discovering Revolution and Bob Avakian in the Prison Library

Editors’ note: We at revcom.us periodically publish letters from prisoners on revolutionary theory and struggle, as well as other aspects of human experience and thought, including conditions and struggle within the prisons themselves. We appreciate and learn from all correspondence from the prisoners. The opinions in the letters we publish are those of the writers and not necessarily those of revcom.us.

Dear PRLF Volunteers:

Thank you for adding my name to the “Revolution” mailing list. I have already received three of the bi-weekly newsletters as well as the documents: “We Need and We Demand; A Whole New Way…,” “We are the RevComs,” and “Building Up the Basis for Revolution…”1

I began to realize that there were deep-rooted and seemingly intractable flaws in our society’s dominant political and socioeconomic system about ten years ago. Since that time, I have completed both formal and informal studies in Political Economics & Sociology and began to wonder was there any viable solution at all. In more recent years, I was exposed to and began to study literature from various communist/leftist organizations. I discovered many inspiring ideas and concepts but I still felt that something was missing.

Then one day I came across a “Revolution” newsletter in the prison library. I picked it up and read it and was fascinated with the complexity of scientific thought and ideology in BA’s [Bob Avakian] writings that had been distilled into a simple to understand message presented in plain language that the average lay person could understand. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was hooked.

After reading a few library copies of “Revolution,” I decided to request my own subscription. I have also had the privilege to read a friend’s copy of “Science and Revolution” by Ardea Skybreak.2  It was a truly enlightening read. Ms. Skybreak’s elucidation of Bob Avakian’s New Syntheses of Communism, along with BA’s articles I have read in the Revolution newsletters, have shown me what it is that I believe is missing from all other socialist programs I have reviewed. That missing key seems to be non-dogmatic, objective truth-seeking from a foundational level up (as opposed to top-down). I believe that BA’s program is addressing these issues and I am eager to learn more. Towards that end, I respectfully request to be sent a copy of each of the following: “BAsics—From the Talks & Writings of Bob Avakian,” “The New Communism,” & “The Constitution for the New Socialist Republic in North America.”3

Yours in the struggle.

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Science and Revolution by Ardea Skybreak book cover

 

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Constitution for the New Socialist Republic in North America

 

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FOOTNOTES:

1. The Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund (PRLF) sends out regular newsletters to thousands of prisoners across the country, with selected articles from the Revolution/revcom.us website and other literature. The documents the prisoner is referring to here are: We Need and We Demand: A Whole New Way to Live, A Fundamentally Different System; We Are the Revcoms (Revolutionary Communists): We are working for a real revolution and a whole new, emancipating way to live; Revolution: Building Up the Basis to Go for the Whole Thing, with a Real Chance to Win: Strategic Orientation and Practical Approach. [back]

2. Ardea Skybreak is a scientist with professional training in ecology and evolutionary biology, and an advocate of the new synthesis of communism brought forward by Bob Avakian (BA). The work the prisoner is referring to here is Science and Revolution: On the Importance of Science and the Application of Science to Society, the New Synthesis of Communism and the Leadership of Bob Avakian—An Interview with Ardea Skybreak. [back]

3. Go here to learn about the availability of BAsics as a free ebook and in print edition. The other two works mentioned here, both by Bob Avakian, are available online at revcom.us: THE NEW COMMUNISM: The science, the strategy, the leadership for an actual revolution, and a radically new society on the road to real emancipation and the Constitution for the New Socialist Republic in North America. [back]