Wednesday, November 25, 2015 Time: 4:10pm Location: Segregation Housing Unit, Toledo, Ohio
I just received a letter from one of my supporters who mailed me several copies of some of the newspaper stories that were printed last year about my LeBron James comment. i send them out sometimes with my letters to people that I seek to network with. One of the copies that I received, however, was one that I hadn’t seen before written by Zach Berger (SportsGrid). As I read the story to see if it had been written objectively, or if it was written to try and make me look like a fool, my blood pressure shot up to the moon when I read that the reporter had called me “kind of crazy” because my website stated that I was a “progressive activist embedded in the struggle for true justice against the exploitative United States prison industrial complex.”
Now, I realize that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But, it is absolutely insane to me that this man labeled me as being “kind of crazy” when all I did was state the truth in my bio. I guess some people, though, like to live in an imaginary world that doesn’t acknowledge the reality that there is a struggling class of people who are being exploited inside of the U.S. criminal justice system … After 22 years of sitting in a cell, if I’m not in the struggle — then nobody is, or ever was! And if the prison industrial complex doesn’t exploit the poor — then neither did sharecropping exploit anyone, either.
While I’m trying my damndest to return to society to be productive, and to help prevent at-risk youth from traveling down the nightmarish road of incarceration that I’m stuck on, it’s people like Zach Berger that help to keep the roadblock to my freedom in place. And, if it hasn’t happened already, he better hope that nobody he cares about ever gets caught-up in the system, because then, he’s going to get a dose of reality that’s going to shake him to the core.
Speaking of helping the younger generation, though … Last week, I heard from one of the young guys that I’ve built with over the years in the interest of contributing to them becoming success stories when they’re released. Ricardo Francisco, whom I met in Mansfield Correctional Institution in 2013, has been out of prison now for almost two years and has written to me and sent me pictures on several occasions. He has a young son — that looks just like him — and he’s making sure that his son doesn’t grow up without his father. I feel proud to know this man, and I hope that one day, soon, I can showcase his success as I speak the real, as a free man, to other at-risk youths of our society.
Much respect to young Rico!
Thursday, November 26, 2015 Time: 12:30pm Location: Segregation Housing Unit, Toledo, Ohio
I don’t celebrate the so-called holiday of Thanksgiving, but the special meal that they served was decent. I became a vegetarian earlier this year, so I can’t tell you how the turkey tasted. I had, instead, two well-seasoned soy and rice cabbage rolls, with tomato sauce on them. They were delicious! In fact, they were so good, I kept looking at each scoop of food to make sure that it wasn’t actually some kind of meat.
I was tempted this morning to get on the range and tell everyone that most Native Americans identify the day called Thanksgiving as a day of mourning, but I decided against it because I didn’t want to disturb the rare and relatively peaceful atmosphere. I go four and five days without speaking to anyone, anyhow, so it would have been uncharacteristic for me, and would have probably led to an argument.
I’m about to lay down and try to fall asleep. Between reading, writing, and working out, I’m always exhausted. I’m so far behind in my life where I feel I should be, I don’t think I’m going to ever get a good rest until I’m in my grave, because I’m constantly trying to make up for the time that’s being stolen from me in here, that is, thanks to the Parole Board who obviously aren’t Cleveland Cavs fans.
Saturday, November 28, 2015 Time: 10:10am Location: Segregation Housing Unit, Toledo, Ohio
I just read in the USA Today that recording artist and actor Will Smith is so disgusted with the current state of politics, that he is considering entering into the political arena in the near future. I don’t know exactly what the political beliefs of Will Smith are — but I respect the fact that he is considering using his elevated platform to try and improve this polarized world that we live in! As I wrote in my recent essay, “Don’t Be Like Mike, Be Like Janelle Monae,” more celebrities need to use their platforms to try and make a change in the world — especially those that are amongst the Hip-Hop community, like Future, The Game, Lil Wayne, and last but not least, Jay Z, who all have powerful and influential voices that aren’t being utilized to their “greatest” potential — because they can, for the better, impact the lives of many people, simply by being an uncensored and righteous voice for the voiceless.
As I stated already, I don’t know what Will Smith’s political beliefs are, but what I do know is that if he can figure out a way to get the masses to simultaneously listen to his classic hit Summertime — he will definitely be the leading vote-getter in whatever election race he enters, because that song, I swear, soothes a person’s soul!
Peace to the world … And peace to DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince (a.k.a. Will Smith).