From: nattyreb@ix.netcom.com
Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 09:20:26
Subject: !*Dear Jesse Jackson...

FORWARDED MESSAGE
====================

Date: Sat, 8 May 1999 18:41:04 -0700 (PDT)
From: Lukata Mjumbe /

[Moderator: Posted with permission. The same letter has been 
sent directly to the Reverend Jackson via fax and postal mail]

(This letter was inspired by my 12-year old daughter Saaneah, 
who thought to ask the question, "Why can't we ask Jesse to 
help free our Prisoners of War?")
					
Dear Reverend Jackson,

Congratulations on your recent success in the application of "humanitarian
diplomacy" in the former Yugoslavia. It is not surprising that your
accomplishments have been unappreciated and even responded to with an air
of resentment by members of the press, high ranking government officials
and foreign policy experts. Independent political thought or activity has
always been treated as a threat to the established American political
order. Having struggled for social justice since the days of Dr. Martin
Luther King, you certainly must understand that the immoral and amoral
political establishment in this country is especially intimidated by the
power of moral appeals made before the eyes of the world. This
understanding creates what should be obvious opportunity that exists
within this moment in time. 

Now is the time for you, Reverend Jackson, to help bring attention to the
reality of Political Prisoners (PPs) and Prisoners of War (POWs) held
captive in the United States of America. Over one hundred, majority
Black/New Afrikan Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War have been held
in the most inhumane conditions in United States prisons for decades. Most
of these individuals were members of human rights organizations like the
Black Panther Party and the Republic of New Afrika which were active in
the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s.  They were targeted to be illegally
"disrupted, discredited and destroyed" by the U.S. government through the
infamous, FBI-sponsored counter intelligence program (COINTELPRO) and
other counterinsurgency initiatives. The U.S. government has lied to the
world for over twenty five years denying that these people even exist! 

You have helped seize the attention of the world around the issue of
Prisoners of War and now the whole truth must be told! 

If you were to take just thirty seconds on any of the many news programs
and talk shows which are requesting your appearance to mention the names
of Black/New Afrikan POWs such as Dr. Mutulu Shakur, Sundiata Acoli, Sekou
Odinga and others you could help open that door of truth. The floodgates
of exposure could come crashing open if you simply make the painfully
obvious link between what is happening here (in the USA) and what is
happening abroad. Unlike the POWs captured in eastern Europe, our POWs
held captive in the U.S. have been beaten, tortured and stripped of their
human rights. You can singlehandedly shift the attention of the planet to
the "war of ethnic cleansing" that the United States has waged against our
people and captured PPs and POWs who face life long prison sentences
hundreds of years long. The main reason the U.S. government has been able
to keep these men and women in these conditions for this long is because
the world does not know the truth. How much longer can we keep hope alive
when our freedom fighters move a step closer to death with every day of
silence. 

If not now, when? If not you, Reverend Jackson, then who? 

We need your voice. We need your talent. In truth, we, the oppressed
people of the last superpower on the face of the earth deserve your gifts
much more than any group of soldiers serving in an imperialist army. You
have a responsibility to serve as a beacon of light and expose this war at
home. These men and women, these Black/New Afrikan captured combatants are
our soldiers and they struggled so that we might be free. These imprisoned
human beings were not captured after participating in a military campaign
involving air strikes which killed and kills innocent men, women and
children. Our POWs are innocent men and women with children who dared to
stand up for their international human right to self determination. You
must never forget who you are, why you are and where you are. 

In the past, there have been those designated as our leaders that have
been distracted from their primary call of duty. Over thirty five years
ago, Malcolm X invited Black Nobel peace prize winning, diplomat Dr. Ralph
Bunche to speak at a Unity rally on the "race problem" in Harlem, NY.
According to Dr. Bunches' secretary, the famed diplomat was "in Europe" on
business, and was therefore, unable to attend. After reading Bunche's
secretary's letter of decline at the rally, Malcolm insightfully observed,

	"We're sorry that he's tied up in business abroad while there's so
	much urgent business here in this country. We do think that if he
	can settle differences between the opposing factions in the Middle
	East and in the Congo he should be able to mediate down in
	Mississippi or Alabama or maybe here in New York city between you
	and some of these northern crackers." 

In closing, I wish to pointedly make a humanitarian appeal to your moral
conscience as you have done overseas with great success. I ask that you
take a moment to reflect on the legacy of struggle which gave birth to
your political life in this country and world. I humbly request that in
the midst of the media hype and political fallout from your trip to
eastern Europe that you take the time to pray for moral direction from the
Creator of the universe, which Dr. King observed, "leans toward justice." 

Then, my Brother, listen to your heart and the voice of your people: "Run
Jesse, Run" and help us convince the world to force the U.S. government to
let our people go! 

Lukata Mjumbe 
Atlanta Information Coordinator,
Malcolm X Grassroots Movement

5/5/1999


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