By Debora Gordon Lam ended a recent letter with “Write me when you find the time. I certainly have all the time in the world to wait.” This prompted me to ask him what it is really like to be living in prison and what typical days are like. He sent me a detailed account. …Read more…
To a Cop On a Chase, a Stolen Car May Be Worth More Than Your Life
By Ronald Owens What’s more valuable, your life or a stolen vehicle? To most people, that’s probably a no-brainer. Your life, of course. Let’s rephrase the question. What’s more valuable to a police officer chasing a suspected car thief – the stolen car, or your life? Judging from the frequency with which innocent bystanders areคาสิโนออนไลน์ เครดิตฟรี …Read more…
Looking at Lam & What Needs to Be Done
By Debora Gordon Lam was, and perhaps still is, a young man with a lot of potential.?He could have gone on to lead a life of commonplace trials and triumphs; ?having a family, a job or a career, exploring his personal interests in art and body-building. Maybe he would have been one of the exceptional …Read more…
School-to-Prison Pipeline
By Debora Gordon Every time a student does poorly in school, or drops out, there is likely a great increase in the chances he will wind up in prison. I recall in my discussion with Lt. Jeff Smith at Kern Valley State Prison?that 70% of inmates are high school dropouts. While correlation is not causation, …Read more…
Going to Prison, Part II: Getting In, the Visiting Room, and Lockdown
By Debora Gordon After my visit with Lt. Smith, I had some time to kill that Friday evening in Delano, California. While there may be more than meets the tourist eye, what the casual passer-through will see is mile after mile of strip malls and giant shopping complexes.?The prison appears to the main industry there, …Read more…
Going to Prison, Part I
By Debora Gordon I drove down to visit Lam in the Kern Valley State Prison (KVSP) ?the weekend of December 7ththrough December 10th. I checked in by phone and email with the Public Information Officer, Lt. Jeff Smith, to help plan my visit. I learned what I could bring into the prison with me during …Read more…
Reactions: Cop-on-Black vs. Black-on-Black
It seems that if you’re not killed by a cop, you’re a just a garden variety homicide victim. People don’t get too upset. You might get an impromptu curbside memorial. The local TV news might mention the killing in passing. And then, the victim of the day will be forgotten until the next man, woman, or child gets shot and killed. People seem to get up in arms only if a cop does the killing, à la Oscar Grant or Alan Blueford. If it’s black on black, it’s business as usual. But if it’s cop on black – oh, damn, it’s on!
‘Negroes With Guns:’ My Black Panther Reeducation
Today, mainstream media depicts a Panther demise into pimping, drug-dealing and gangbanging, but that history is questioned and should not remain as the Party’s legacy. In 1968, the police were the soldiers of a racist system and acted with impunity. The Panthers offered black communities much-needed protection, and through good works like teaching and feeding children, empowered and mobilized people to stand up against racial violence and rampant police brutality.
Re-Occupy The Movement’s Progressive Roots
By Debora Gordon I went to the beginning of the commemorative Occupy Oakland event on October 25th.? I chose to go early and left before dark for two reasons. The more compelling was a lack of certainty as to whether it would devolve into violence – violence being something in which I make a conscious …Read more…
Cease Fire Redux: Oakland Relaunches Crime Plan, This Time with Broad Coalition
By Howard Dyckoff Oaklanders are marching to demand an end to gun violence.? There have been youth rallies, peace marches and on-going night walks in the most violence-plagued areas of East Oakland. Many of these events are headed by church groups and community organizations banding together with the City to re-launch the Cease Fire program …Read more…