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Letters

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Parent Issue
Day
1
Month
October
Year
1971
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John Sinclair Freedom Fund:

My wife and I have both been recent (Jan, 1971) vlctoms of the harsh Michigan marijuana laws. I received 2 years probation and $250 fine for possession and she 2 years probation and $150 fine for use. Our total cost with attorney fees, bail fines, lost work, etc. has totaled $5000. There have also been numerous other costs; as editor of the UAW Local 488 newspaper I was forced to resign by strong right-wing elements (John Birch Society), we have been characterized as dope addicts and the head of a teenage ring by the newspapers, and the felony conviction is also on my credit rating. (Big Deal!)

It's ironic that for 39 years I have been an exemplary citizen, taxpayer, homeowner, parent, no arrests or traffic violations, 14 years with Fisher Body, Editor of two UAW newspapers, veteran of the Korean War and now overnight l am a convicted felon, hardened criminal and "drug" addict.

From the above you can see we are in complete sympathy with John Sinclair and I am sorry I cannot send more at this time.

Good Luck

Lonnie & Carolyn Kuntzman

Brothers & Sisters:

I just read that only 17% of the 18-21 year olds now elegiable to vote are registering. This is power to the people, so why aren't we using it. So I went out and asked some PEOPLE. They told me that registering wasn't worth the effort because everyone running stands for the same ol' shit. THIS IS WRONG! The two major parties (Democrats and Republicans) are full of shit, but there are several alternate parties with which we of the alternate culture share many ideas with. Several believe in complete and immediate withdrawl from Vietnam, giving the factories, etc., back to the workers to run, abolishing the capital (money) system (think of that; free dope, food, everything), ending the draft, etc. In college communities like Ann Arbor and other places where large numbers of young people live, we could change the elections' outcome by uniting behind one of these parties and working on the streets to get others with the party. With a serious effort we could win at least local (maybe state) elections. Thinking ahead, one of the alternate parties is running someone under 30 in "72" for president!

Alternate Political Parties for an Alternate Culture!

Power to the People!

Brother Chris Vaughn

Brothers & Sisters,

The work that you good people are doing to get hard drugs off of our streets is really far out, power to you!

I'm being held prisoner in maximum security in the Kent County Jail, In Grand Rapids, for the alleged crime of illegal sale of narcotics. I have been here for the last six months. I've seen alot of my people get convicted on bogus sales charges, so when I was offered a cop to possession, I was forced to take It. The town of Grand Rapids is infested with police agent snakes, lying pigs, hand picked jurors and a rights violating Grand Jury.

At the time of my arrest, I was addicted to the death drug heroin. My plight would have been alot worse if I had continued to shoot that poison into my arm.

In the last six months I've been doing alot of thinking. When I look back I realize how much of a fool I was for messing my life up.

Before I started doing heroin, I had plenty of good people, we got high, partied and we got it on alright. Being strung out, I had to obtain enormous amounts of bread to support my deadly habit. The only way to keep from getting sick was to rip off. I always found some way to justify my ripping off, but before long I was stealing any thing I could pawn or trade for heroin.

I became selfish, and I valued my daily shot more than people and friendship. I even messed over my own family.

Needless to say, before long I lost my friends and even my wife got sick of living with a junky, so along with my son, she split.

Heroin has all but ruined my life, but I am still young and now that I'm hip to what drug addiction is all about, I have a chance to do something with my life. I know that I'll be going to prison, when the time comes for me to hit the streets, I hope to be together. I'm going to do all I can to bring the people of Grand Rapids together and I'll do my damned best to see that my brothers and sisters don't get into the hell of heroin.

Power to you!

Political Prisoner

Sisters and Brothers,

The Young Lords Party is In an economic crisis. We would greatly appreciate your organization reprinting this article, in an atmosphere of comradeship.

When the Young Lords Party speaks of the evils of capitalism, we speak from experience. We've seen our mothers and fathers become slaves right before our eyes. We see garbage, rats, police brutality being commlted against our people because they stay in the streets in order to survive. And now, we know even better. We have to keep the party running well with even less money.

We feel that if our work is good, if it's correct, if it's what our people want, then the people support the party. Not only by coming out to demonstrations, but also economically. Without our people, we would not be in existence.

Take Palante, our newspaper, for example. It has been printed consistently every two weeks for a year. It has color, clear pictures, and articles that cannot be found elsewhere. We feel that what Palante says is important. It educates our people and has news from our communities and throughout the world. Now we have to hold back on printing Palante, We need $3000 in order to pay the printer.

We also have other economic problems. These are the same ones we all encounter, such as rent, light, food, and clothing.

People tell us, "go to work", well, we are. But due to the economic unrest this country is In, the pay is just enough for those persons to support themselves and their families.

We understand that our people are poor. But there are ways you can help. These are a few:

1 ) Buy and sell Palante

2 ) Get office supplies for us

3 ) Be on the lookout for jobs for lords

4) Donate machinery, food, clothes, mimeograph paper, etc.

5) Donate 25c, $1.00, $5.00, whatever you can.

To be able to continue our struggle, we ask everyone to help us any way you can. Remember, we are struggling for all of us. Any help to the party is help to all our poor people.

QUE VIVA PUERTO RICO LIBRE

YOUNG LORDS PARTY

202 E. 17th STREET

NEW YORK, NY 10035

TENGO PUERTO RICO

EN MI CORAZON

YLP