Damnit...

I had skunk on the phone last night, and we recorded a really good blog that didn't post. I don't think I hit the button quick enough. He talked about a range of things, including his attitudes they're encountering in the jail, both positive and negative; how anxious they are for their hearing on Thursday; his support for the hunger strike.

Sorry guys, will try again soon.

Some thoughts on Palestine

I'd asked one of the inmates his views on the Israel/Palestine situation, since they were arrested after breaking away from a pro-Palestinian march. I thought it was incredibly important to express their views, because so many people think that those who sympathize with the Palestinians plight are terrorists, or wish to eradicate the Israeli state.

He responded by writing this, which he dictated to me over the phone tonight. Any errors in spelling, grammar or punctuation are mine, all sentiments expressed are his.

~lara~

Ideally, I would like to see a one-state solution: both Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace, in a country not defined by religion or race.

Unfortunately, there aren't too many people involved in the conflict who agree with me.

My position is: either give the Palestinians within Israel something other than second-class citizenship, and the Palestinians in the occupied territories the right to vote and partake in Israeli democracy (which, right now, is democracy for Jewish citizens only); or, allow the creation of an autonomous, independent and free Palestinian nation.

Right now, and for the past 30+ years, neither has been done, leaving the Palestinian people occupied militarily, controlled economically through curfews and checkpoints, controlled politically becuase of Israel's veto power over the Palestinian Authority (which is pretty much powerless to begin with) and imprisoned in their cities and their houses. Read: occupation, Israeli apartheid.

The daily conditions that the Palestinian people suffer under is what has started violence. Occupation itself is violence, and violence provokes more violence. I have yet to meet anybody who approves of the killing of innocent men, women and children.

But, there has to be a distinction betwen "legitimate" armed conflict and terrorism, and there has to be a distinction between violence perpetrated by those trying to maintain oppression and those trying to throw it off.

I can't understand why freedom is such a radical and revolutionary concept here in the U.S.

The Palestinians are willing to die for it. Chechins are willing to die for it. Tibetans are willing to die for it.

People all over the world are willing to die for freedom.

But Americans have stopped caring about it. If they earned it.

First Audio Blog from members of The Brunswick 10

We originally launched this audioblog so that Tampa Bay IndyMedia reporters could report from the field at the G8 Sea Island Summit. In all the confusion, it was never used.

You see, fourteen activists were arrested Thursday, June 10th, while challenging the restrictions put on anti-G8 protesters.

Those who were arrested refused to be complicit in an illegal arrest, and have declined to provide their names to authorities, and will not accept bond.

The Brunswick County Sheriff has imposed tighter restrictions on the activists. They cannot meet with their lawyers as a group. They have been separated from one another. They have been denied contact with the media.

Several of us have been hearing from the prisoners often by phone. I started wondering the other day if there was a way to let the inmates use the audioblog. These are intelligent, wonderful, humorous, thoughtful and brave individuals. It would be amazing for others to hear directly from them, free from media filters.

I am so excited... it took a little tweaking, but we figured out a way to get them on the blog. One read some of his poetry, another an excerpt from his journal.

We'll be adding more audio and text messages from the prisoners whenever possible.

Keep reading.

~lara~

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