> WW News Service Digest #124 > > 1) Shaka's will: End the racist death penalty > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 2) Shaka's last statement > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 3) On the picket line: 7/6/2000 > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 4) Attack on Iraq: U.S., Britain plan to escalate > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the July 6, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >SHAKA'S WILL: END THE RACIST DEATH PENALTY "BY ANY MEANS >NECESSARY" > >By Larry Holmes > >Never before have the ruling class's most influential >media organs--all the major television networks, magazines, >and daily newspapers from coast to coast--given the degree >and the kind of coverage to a scheduled execution as they >did to Shaka Sankofa's (Gary Graham). > >For once it appeared that the mainstream media--which >lies, hides and distorts the truth--was admitting that >Sankofa's trial, conviction and sentence epitomized all >that is unjust, flawed, and racist about the death penalty >in the United States. > >Along with an unprecedented three editorials calling on >Gov. George W. Bush to halt the execution of Sankofa, the >New York Times ran several lengthy front-page articles on >the case. This included one that exposed Sankofa's court- >appointed defense lawyer as a notorious hack for the judge >and prosecution. > >CNN's "Burden of Proof" co-host Greta Van Susteren went to >Texas to do a prison interview with Sankofa. She asked out >loud on her program how he could be condemned to die on the >testimony of one witness who claims to have seen the >nighttime murder and murderer of Bobby Lambert 19 years ago >in a dimly lit parking lot from a distance of 40 feet? > >An ABC "Nightline" host asked why a jury never heard the >testimony of at least four other witnesses who saw somebody >else kill Lambert--and also asked how someone could be >convicted and sentenced to death without physical evidence >linking him to the murder, and with ballistics tests that >contradicted guilt. > >The Chicago Tribune ran a long expose of the Texas death >penalty machine. The article cited Sankofa's case as >typical of how Black and Latino defendants get bad defense >lawyers, quick trials, paltry sums to defend their lives, >judges politically inclined or pressured to sentence >everyone in sight to death, and perfunctory appeals that >routinely suppress evidence and uphold death sentences. > >Newsweek and Time magazines told everyone paying attention >that Sankofa was legally a minor--just 17 years old--when >convicted. > >Clearly, some mighty important people in the ruling class >had concluded that U.S. death machine, led by Texas, was >killing too many people too quickly, had become the source >of political problems abroad and--even worse--could become >the catalyst for social upheaval at home. > >Indeed, many thought that the pressure on Bush, who is >trying to become President George W. Bush, was so intense >that surely he would stop the execution. Surprise! He did >no such thing. > >Bush's advisors and billionaire backers sent him the >message that the racist ruling class, its politicians, >courts, and jailers did not bring the death penalty back in >1976 in order to surrender it now: Kill Sankofa. > >Bush may have been at the head of the lynch mob but he was >not alone on execution day. Along with the so-called Texas >Board of Parole and Pardons, which voted 14 to three by fax >to rubber stamp the murder, the U.S. Supreme Court gave the >go-ahead to kill, albeit by a split vote. > >`RISE UP, FIGHT BACK!' > >There is a lesson here for those who were certain that >there was simply no way Texas would carry out Sankofa's >execution with all the evidence of innocence, of a frame-up >and with the whole world watching. > >What's the lesson? You are doomed if you rely on the >bourgeoisie to fight your battles. > >If at some point along the line the masses of people don't >intervene in a struggle like this one, we are left to the >mercy of the few who own most of the wealth and control the >system. And worse--we learn nothing of our own power. > >Once the media realized that all the attention they had >given to Sankofa's case was not going to stop the lynching, >they accommodated themselves to it. The day after Sankofa's >execution, neither the New York Times nor the Los Angeles >Times or any big newspaper printed on their front page in >screaming headlines "Bush murdered an innocent man!" > >How important was the battle to save Sankofa's live in the >scheme of things? A dumb question? Not really. > >Other than some outstanding exceptions, the progressive >forces in the United States generally passed on this fight. >Perhaps that is because the anti-death-penalty struggle has >only begun to gain ground as a >genuine mass >movement. > >Maybe there are some in the civil-rights movement who were >reluctant to embrace the plight of a poor Black man who had >little formal education and a record of robberies. Or maybe >the leaders and movers in organized labor, amongst the >youth and all the other movements were too preoccupied with >other issues to fight for Sankofa's life. > >No doubt some who consider themselves leaders were simply >complacent, whether or not they admit it or even realize >it. > >Whatever the case, what happened in Texas on June 22 was >no small event, peripheral to other social and economic >issues that appear to directly affect more people than the >death penalty does. > >The day after Sankofa's murder, Cuban President Fidel >Castro commented, "It is generally believed in the United >States, and throughout the world that he [Sankofa] was >convicted and executed simply for being Black." > >Fidel Castro's words in reaction to Sankofa's execution >begin to put things in proper perspective. > >Castro knows who is on death row and who is not. And he >knows the history of how the capitalist system has employed >deliberate and very public acts of violence like lynchings- >-both legally sanctioned and otherwise--in its efforts to >terrorize Black, Latino, Native and other oppressed people >into submission. > >Sankofa's execution was about racism. > >Moreover, because of the extraordinary media attention his >execution attracted, at a time when the death penalty is >being hotly debated, and in the state governed by the >biggest executioner in the country who happens to be >running for president, Sankofa's struggle eclipsed all >other issues, all other struggles. His execution came to >personify the breadth, the scope, the essence and horror of >racism in the United States. > >`KEEP FIGHTING, SAVE MUMIA!' > >No doubt many people are deeply concerned about how >Sankofa's execution will affect the outcome of death-row >political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal's struggle. Indeed, if >they can kill Sankofa, what will stop them from killing >Mumia? > >In part the answer to this question is that Sankofa died >to save Mumia. > >How Sankofa dealt with his execution is most instructive >to those who want to end the racist death penalty and the >class interest that it serves. We need not offer ourselves >as martyrs--a matter Sankofa had no choice in. But we need >to heed his example and fight to end the death penalty as >Sankofa said in his final words--"by any means necessary." > >Sankofa fought his executioners with the last breath in >his body. The battle wounds visible on his body, and the >use of leather and Velcro straps and handcuffs to restrain >him on the death gurney, were all signs of the fight he >waged to send a signal to us. > >His message is as clear and strong as the way he lived and >died: "Keep fighting, save Mumia, stop the death machine." > >The problem with the struggle against the death penalty is >not its numerical weakness. The fact of the matter is that >the anti-death-penalty movement is growing both stronger >and more militant. The actions in cities across the country >and the unprecedented 1,000-strong demonstration outside >the death chamber in Huntsville, Texas, on June 22 are >testament to this. > >The crisis is as it has always been--one of leadership. It >is left to the most radical and revolutionary forces to >ensure that Sankofa was not martyred in vain. Those of us >who know better and are ready, willing and able must be the >kindling that keeps the spark created by Sankofa alive-- >until its flames envelop greater and more decisive numbers >of people. > >To their credit, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Rev. Al >Sharpton and a small handful of Black leaders were in >Huntsville on June 22. > >Jackson, who at Sankofa's request witnessed his execution, >said publicly that he wept uncontrollably as he watched the >poison smother the life out of Sankofa. Indeed one can only >imagine how helpless he must have felt watching what he >later called a "state-sponsored murder." > >Maybe Sankofa's invited witnesses would have felt a little >better if they had put their bodies in front of the doors >to the death chamber, until the guards and goons were >forced to carry them out in handcuffs. > >And once outside, as they were being led off to prison, >they could have shouted to the crowd and the media: "Shaka >said: Rise up, fight back!" > >What's needed now? Just last year the people shut down >Seattle. In April the people shook the International >Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings. > >Now it's time to rock Philadelphia and Los Angeles at the >Republican and Democratic conventions--to demand an end to >the death penalty, to stop racism, to free Mumia Abu-Jamal >and to avenge Shaka Sankofa. > > - END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service. Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message >to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > >Message-ID: <01ce01bfe43e$d8dc8860$0a00a8c0@home> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] Shaka's last statement >Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 12:01:56 -0400 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="iso-8859-1" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the July 6, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >SHAKA'S LAST STATEMENT: >"YOU CAN KILL A REVOLUTIONARY BUT >YOU CAN'T STOP THE REVOLUTION" > >I would like to say that I did not kill Bobby Lambert. That >I'm an innocent Black man that is being murdered. This is a >lynching that is happening in America tonight. There's >overwhelming and compelling evidence of my defense that has >never been heard in any court of America. What is happening >here is an outrage for any civilized country. To anybody >anywhere to look at what's happening here is wrong. > >I thank all of the people that have rallied to my cause. >They've been standing in support of me. Who have finished >with me. > >I say to Mr. Lambert's family, I did not kill Bobby >Lambert. You are pursuing the execution of an innocent man. > >I want to express my sincere thanks to all of y'all. We >must continue to move forward and do everything we can to >outlaw legal lynching in America. We must continue to stay >strong all around the world, and people must come together >to stop the systematic killing of poor and innocent Black >people. We must continue to stand together in unity and to >demand a moratorium on all executions. > >We must not let this murder/lynching be forgotten tonight, >my brothers. We must take it to the nation. We must keep >our faith. We must go forward. We recognize that many >leaders have died. Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, and >others who stood up for what was right. They stood up for >what was just. We must, you must brothers, that's why I >have called you today. You must carry on that condition. >What is here is just a lynching that is taking place. But >they're going to keep on lynching us for the next 100 >years, if you do not carry on that tradition, and that >period of resistance. We will prevail. > >We may lose this battle, but we will win the war. This >death, this lynching will be avenged. It will be avenged, >it must be avenged. The people must avenge this murder. So >my brothers, all of y'all stay strong, continue to move >forward. > >Know that I love all of you. I love the people, I love all >of you for your blessing, strength, for your courage, for >your dignity, the way you have come here tonight, and the >way you have protested and kept this nation together. Keep >moving forward, my brothers. Slavery couldn't stop us. The >lynching couldn't stop us in the South. This lynching will >not stop us tonight. We will go forward. Our destiny in >this country is freedom and liberation. We will gain our >freedom and liberation by any means necessary. By any means >necessary, we keep marching forward. > >I love you, Mr. Jackson. Bianca, make sure that the state >does not get my body. Make sure that we get my name as >Shaka Sankofa. My name is not Gary Graham. Make sure that >it is properly presented on my grave. Shaka Sankofa. > >I died fighting for what I believe in. I died fighting for >what was just and what was right. I did not kill Bobby >Lambert, and the truth is going to come out. It will be >brought out. > >`GET THOSE VIDEOTAPES' > >I want you to take this thing off into international >court, Mr. Robert Muhammad and all y'all. I want you, I >want to get my family and take this down to international >court and file a lawsuit. Get all the videotapes of all the >beatings. They have beat me up in the back. They have beat >me up at the unit over there. Get all the videotapes >supporting that lawsuit. And make the public exposed to the >genocide and this brutality, and let the world see what is >really happening here behind closed doors. Let the world >see the barbarity and injustice of what is really happening >here. You must get those videotapes. You must make it >exposed, this injustice, to the world. You must continue to >demand a moratorium on all executions. We must move >forward, Minister Robert Muhammad. > >Ashanti Chimurenga, I love you for standing with me, my >sister. You are a strong warrior queen. You will continue >to be strong in everything that you do. Believe in >yourself, you must hold your head up, in the spirit of >Winnie Mandela, in the spirit of Nelson Mandela. Y'all must >move forward. We will stop this lynching. > >Rev. Al Sharpton, I love you, my brother. > >Bianca Jagger, I love all of you. Y'all make sure that we __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
