WHY ARE PRISONERS LARGELY IGNORED BY ANTI-FASCISTS ?

While living in this gulag cage I watch national and international events, government agendas of oppression of the working class world wide. In my daily existence (as dismal as it is 'inside') 1 witness increased efforts of right wing political hate groups to spread their sickening ideological concepts of racism, sexism, fascism, authoritarianism, just about every imaginable form of bigotry and all manner of hate meant to divide people, create warring factions, which can be controlled and manipulated by the few for the benefit of the few, throughout the gulag system. Gulag officials look on the right wing propaganda and recruiting campaigns with favour, in much the same way that neo-nazis are protected by the police from deserved attack on the outside. .-- The right-wing hate groups recognise the gulag system as a fertile ground for recruitment of prisoners, hoping that when they are strong enough and have enough supporters it will be feasible to put their sick divisive ideology into wider practice. The monsters of the earth have realised for decades a potential army in waiting, comprised of prisoners, those with absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain by the destruction of capitalism. Accordingly, right wing hate groups in most places shower the gulags with their poisonous literature, seek out and make prisoner contacts and actively support prisoners deemed of value to them or suitable for the proliferation of their politics of division. Through propagandizing and supporting these chosen prisoners the hate groups create strong, loyal power bases in the prisons. This also aids their numbers to grow on the outside as the prisoners are released or these groups are given free . world, friend and family contacts by the prisoners. With the seeds of fascism . planted in fertile ground these fascist supporters in the gulags then attempt to - recruit fellow prisoners, yet this seems to be largely ignored by the left in the . US. including most anarchists.

One is prompted to ask the logical question, what is the vast majority of the left doing to combat the extreme right wing's successful efforts at recruitment within and from the gulags? What are most anarchists and their organisations doing to neutralize the potential acceptance of fascist propaganda by prisoners hungry for political knowledge and education, prisoners eager to understand the reasons why they ended up in prison, the politics of their incarceration. In short prisoners looking for answers. What are anarchists doing to provide a counterbalance? Are they providing anarchist literature to allow prisoners a choice between opposite polarity concepts? Are they attempting to promote class consciousness in prisons, demonstrating that a better future is possible for all working class people whatever their culture or colour through direct-democracy and class struggle, not authoritarian control politics? How much importance to they place on prisoner support and prison struggles? Not much nor nearly enough is being done to curtail the spread of the poison of hate. This is extremely sad because as we rest, as we falter, as we procrastinate, when hesitation is practised instead of productive activity, when apathy reigns and compassion is absent, the monsters of the earth spread wide their tentacles and their organizations increasingly grow stronger. Through inaction it would seem that many anarchists have passively bought the states propaganda that prisoners are nothing more than liabilities to society, not worth the ai r they breath! The fact is that the vast majority of prisoners are working class, our class! They are working class, our brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles, grandparents and friends.

Albeit there are monsters in the gulags, social predators, but the vast majority: of prisoners are locked away from society for economic based crimes, often their only crime was to break the law in order for their families to survive under the crushing weight of poverty. The only difference between these prisoners and any person within the free community is they were put through capitalism's judicial wringer and shook out like fresh washed laundry within the gulags where they confront the even more brutal face of capitalism without the smiling mask it usually hides behind when dealing with those in the free world. During 16 long years inside I've all too often watched a sad scenario play itself out where prisoners write to leftist, radical and revolutionary political groups seeking literature about their politics. Prisoners wanting to educate themselves and interested in helping to create a better world, prisoners open to learning. I've witnessed those same prisoners become bitterly disappointed when their open-hand of friendship, their efforts to learn were ignored.

It has often puzzled me how those within a political movement can struggle against a system yet seem willing to accept that same system's propaganda against prisoners as 'gospel'. Ignored, these previously hopeful prisoners turned in other directions to where they would be accepted as useful people and now instead of fighting alongside us to bring the system itself to its knees in defeat, these misguided, embittered souls buy into the ignorant ideology of hatred, forever keeping us divided, apart, misunderstanding and fighting each other, which is a much favoured manipulation of those who profit from our division as a people. It seems ironic that the left will quite possibly have to fight one day against these very people but it capitulated, threw them away without any effort expended, while the hate mongers gained in strength by providing literature, comradeship and support. These prisoners were lost by default with the right winning easy uncontested victories for their hearts, minds and future potential. I am a captive today. However there is a very good chance in this era of = oppression \ repression you will become tomorrows' prisoner for any number of reasons or just for being who you are, especially if you're an anarchist. I hope not as I love you my anarchist brothers and sisters, far too much to wish you to endure what I have endured over my last 16 years in capitalism's steel and concrete cages. Stay strong and keep struggling for a better world, a borderless, nationless, egalitarian world, an anarchist world. Protect yourselves and others from the monsters of the earth and reach out with mutual aid to each other. Never throwaway through apathy a potential you might someday miss when it is needed to save us all and make anarchism a worldwide reality.

29 JAN 96