Letters

To the SUN readers:

    The Union Gallery, located on the first floor of the Michigan Union, is in serious trouble and will be closed in January due to lack of funds. To help: become a patron or write a letter of support to Vice President of Student Services, H. Johnson, 307 Union, 3rd floor.

            ---Union Gallery

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

   David Saxner, Dean Fitch, and I got hold of a recent issue of the SUN in which there was a letter from brother Charles Branch at the federal "hospital" prison in Springfield, Mo. In the letter Branch asked about the P.C.C. Alas- the P.C.C, of Milan is no more.

    The Prisoners Cultural Collective was "officially" disbanded and most of its working membership transferred to various prisons around the country on Aug. I7th and 20th. Most of us were transferred for our involvement in a fast on the 20th. The fast, which was being used as a means of non-violent in regard to certain conditions at the prison was "glorified" and blown completely out of proportion by the administrators as the "beginnings" of another Attica". For a prison like Milan, that's ridiculous.

     Brother David Saxner was the first to be transferred on the 17th after he confronted a staff member, Raul Lopez, about Lopez's habit of physically throwing prisoners out of his carpenter shop. David simply stated that prisoners are human beings and should be treated as such and that by physically handling prisoners, Lopez had put himself in a position to be sued. At some point in the conversation, Lopez got extremely flustered and started yelling things at David like, "If you were human beings, you wouldn't be here!" About this time. Lopez was led away by some of his co-workers. A few minutes later a lieutenant came up to David, asked him what happened and said that Lopez would be reprimanded for his actions. Later that afternoon however, David was literally kidnapped out of his dormitory given an incident report charging him with "threatening an officer and insolence towards a staff member", and brought immediately here to the U.S. Penitentiary at Terre Haute, Indiana.

    On Aug. 20th quite a few prisoners (not just P.C.C.) held a fast to protest David's kidnapping and other equally outrageous conditions in Milan. Leaflets were distributed through out the prison explaining reasons for the fast. During the day, brothers Dean Fitch, Bob Sparling, Tony Rodgers and myself, were put in segregation for "possession of un-authorized material". Brother Ray Fortman, who at the time was chairman of the P.C.C. was held for a supposed "investigation". At about 7:30 that evening all five of us were herded into cars and transferred. Bob and Tony were taken to Ashland, Ky. Ray is here in Terre Haute, and Dean and I are in segregation here awaiting transportation to Lompoc,Calif. Also, the last we heard brother Dale Horten is in Oakland Co. Jail waiting to be taken to Petersburg, Va. and brother Joe Politano is still in segregation in Milan (also because of the fast).

    Although P.C.C, doesn't officially  exist anymore and those of us who are left are scattered around the country- we are far from dead and hopefully far from forgotten. The administration at Milan has only succeeded in disbanding us as an organization. Warden Beall is extremely pleased with himself for doing so and "nipping trouble in the bud". He is also under the impression that he used P.C.C, to show other organizations in Milan that any movement towards prisoner unity is the original sin of prison life. What Beall doesn't realize is that he's got a long way to go before he destroys our ideas, our beliefs and our energies and that's what keeps us going. Beall and his cohorts will never be able to get their grubby little hands on those three things.

   Well, I hope I've given some sort of explanations of where the P.C.C, stands today. If I am the first of our members to write the SUN, then I apologize for taking so long to let the people of Ann Arbor and our brothers still in Milan know what happened and that we are all OK.

   Those of us who were transferred are trying to get back to Milan through the courts. Until then or if by some twist of late we don't return--- take care and stay high as possible.

          In struggle, Dave Colser For the Prisoners Cultural Collective

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

    First off I would like to let all the people who were working with the Prisoners Cultural Collective out at Milan Prison, that the transfers of most of the P.C.C. organizers was a setback for progress being made at Milan. But let it be known that wherever the brothers were transferred, the struggle to expose and change the inhuman conditions we are forced to live under will continue, to be waged against the pigs who run and control U.S. Prisons Government. I hope we are all aware that the struggle has just begun and the road to freedom is long and hard. Out of the efforts that were put forth at Milan, a lot of people learned by working collectively that we can weaken the hold the man has on us as human beings. Together in/out we can throw off the chains that the man has placed on us, and one day over come the paper tiger that goes by the name U.S.of A. I'm sure that the brothers at Milan must continue to struggle to educate and work to bring a unity and when the time comes for the pig to ride down, then stand together and deal with him. As ONE we can win. Divided we fall. Don't let the man keep on tricking you. Who holds the key? We all have the same oppressor, seek him out... and deal with this pig government that keeps their foot on so many backs. Make them know that the next time they move they will be stopped.

     Now, secondly I would like to express some thoughts to the people of Ann Arbor community that I feel are very important to the struggle that is going on to make Ann Arbor a community that serves the people's needs. It seems to me that some of the people who are aware of the problems that face the people of the U.S. in making a revolution in this country, are busy attacking each other through their newspapers. The people I'm speaking of a New Morning and RPP. From a few things I've read in both papers, it seems that a lot of people are falling into the pigs "trick bag" of divide and conquer.

    Both groups of people are doing a lot of hard work in the A2 area and should be able to come together in some way to build a stronger community. A2 is a progressive community and if people are really into struggling to bring a change in this country, then I think it's time to start directing their attacks at the real enemy and not at each other.

    If there is some criticism that needs to be dealt with, set it out. In unity and face to face. Not through a newspaper. Paper's aren't the place to settle anything. Paper should be used to educate the people, and keep them informed on things going on in the community. And in the movement for change. But I'm sure the people concerned are aware of what I've just run down down. So why not begin to move. if there is someone fronting as a person who is trying to bring change, and turns out to be an agent of the pig, deal with him/her in the proper way. Undercover agents and informers are worse than a star wearing pig. So watch for them, Death to all pig agents.

    We are doing all we can in maximum custody to throw off the man' s chains. And it's time for you out there in minimum to come together and move in unity. For together collectively we can make a revolution that will free the people of the world from U.S. capitalist oppression.

   We are in the belly of the beast and the road to crushing the beast is long. So let us begin to fight the pig and not each other.

           Combat liberalism

           Unite the People

          All Power to the People

          Ray Fortman

          U.S. Prison Camp 136

         Terre Haute, Ind. U.S. of A.