“PRISONERS OF POLITICS” 1/22/02

JANUARY 18th, 2002 AS I WAS RETURNING FROM A FEW HOURS ON THE EXERCISE YARD AND I HEARD SOMEONE CALL DOWN TO ME THAT THE BOARD OF PRISON TERMS WAS CONVENING LIVE ON KPFA 94.1 TO HEAR ARGUMENTS PERTAINING TO CLEMENCY FOR MR. STEVEN W. ANDERSON WHO IS SCHEDULED TO BE MURDERED ON THE 29th OF JANUARY. IN A TIME WHEN POLITICS WILL PLAY A MAJOR PART IN THE DECISION CONCERNING THIS MAN’S LIFE NOT LAW...ESPECIALLY WHEN GOV. GRAY DAVIS IS VIGOROUSLY IN A CONTENTIOUS SQUABBLE OVER GOVERNORSHIP OF CALIFORNIA. THIS MAN HAS BEEN PLOTTING THIS FOR YEARS AND IF IT TAKES THIS MAN’S LIFE TO ASSIST HIS CAREER THEN SO BE IT. THIS REPRESSIVE PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX IS NO DIFFERENT AND NO LESS RESPONSIBLE FOR IT’S PART IN THIS UNJUST CAPITALIST INDUSTRY OF WAREHOUSING HUMANITY.

AS I SAT LISTENING TO THIS FORMALITY (CLEMENCY HEARING) AND THAT IS WHAT IT IS A FORMALITY!!! BECAUSE EVERYONE HERE BEHIND THESE WALLS OF THE UNFORGIVING BEAST KNOWS THIS MAN DOES NOT HAVE A CHANCE ESPECIALLY IN AN ELECTION YEAR TO RECEIVE A FAIR AND IMPARTIAL CLEMENCY HEARING. EVEN THOUGH THE VICTIMS FAMILY HAS ASKED THAT THIS MAN NOT BE EXECUTED. LISTENING TO THE LIFE OF MR. STEVEN W. ANDERSON 21 YEARS ON CALIFORNIA’S DEATH ROW, THIS MAN MADE A CONSCIOUS CHOICE TO GROW AND EVOLVE INTO A POSITIVE INDIVIDUAL. THE CHANGES A PERSON MAKES WHILE BEING INCARCERATED WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OR THE OPPORTUNITY OF REHABILITATION IS A WONDERFUL THING AND WHAT MAKES IT WONDERFUL AND POSITIVE, IS THAT NO ONE IS FORCED. IT IS DONE BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT THEY WANT FOR THEMSELVES.

THE BOARD OF PRISONS AND GOV. GRAY DAVIS HAS BEEN GIVEN THE LAST CHANCE OF HOPE FOR PEOPLE INCARCERATED UNJUSTLY, BUT BECAUSE OF POLITICS AND CAREER MINDED GOALS REMORSE HAS NO PLACE IN THIS UNFORGIVING JUSTICE SYSTEM. BUT IT WOULDN’T BE ABSOLUTELY FAIR AND JUST TO BLAME TWO PARTS OF THIS SYSTEM WHEN IN FACT INCOMPETENCE AND A VERY LOW STANDARD OF JUSTICE THAT IS REPRESENTING THE POOR IN THESE COURTROOMS ACROSS AMERICA. ATTORNEYS APPOINTED TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE WHO CAN NOT AFFORD AN ATTORNEY THAT IS COMPETENT ENOUGH TO ABIDE BY THE LAWS OF THIS COUNTRY, AND WILLING TO FIGHT FOR THE CLIENT WHETHER HE/SHE AREN’T PAYING FOR THEIR SERVICES THEY HAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO BE REPRESENTED BY A COMPETENT ATTORNEY WITHOUT THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST OF WHO IS PAYING THEM TO REPRESENT AN INDIVIDUAL.

IN THE PAST WE HAVE HEARD OF THE PROSECUTION CAUGHT LYING IN THE COURTROOMS, WE HAVE HEARD OF POLICE LYING AND STEALING, WE HEARD OF THE FORENSIC SCIENTIST LYING AND FABRICATING EVIDENCE TO CONVICT THE WRONG PERSON AND THESE PEOPLES LIVES WASTED STORED AWAY FOR DECADES, ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THEY WERE INNOCENT. SO WAS JUSTICE REALLY SERVED? WAS THE VICTIM REALLY GIVEN THE JUSTICE THAT WAS DUE? OR WAS IT JUST A ZEALOUS LEGAL SYSTEM THAT’S ONLY INTEREST IS CONVICTIONS? A MAN SITS ON DEATH ROW FOR 21 YEARS AND WHEN IT IS TIME TO MURDER THIS MAN YOU HOVER AROUND LIKE VULTURES WAITING FOR HIM TO TAKE HIS LAST BREATH SO YOU CAN TELL THE VICTIMS FAMILY THAT JUSTICE WAS SERVED AND YOU GET YOUR REWARD BY SHOWING YOU’RE HARD ON CRIME RE-ELECT ME KNOWING MR. STEVEN W. ANDERSON NEVER HAD A CHANCE. AND UNTIL SOCIETY AS A WHOLE DEMAND EQUAL JUSTICE IN THIS COUNTRY, IT WILL BE CONFRONTED WITH MORE INJUSTICES. HUMANITY SHOULD NEVER BE AN INSTRUMENT OF SELF-SERVING.

MR. DELLANO CLEVELAND 4EB-115