Saturday, October 10, 2015

Shut Down Rikers! Oct 23, Non-Violent Direct Action as Part of #RiseUpOctober

-->
Shut Down Rikers!
Oct 23, Non-Violent Direct Action as part of #RiseUpOctober



Just 300 yards from the runways at LaGuardia airport, just a few miles from a glistening city, an island sits dedicated to confinement, brutality, and torture of our youth and others.  Human beings languish for weeks, months, sometimes years awaiting trial. Many simply for lack of money for bail.  Many locked down for weeks and months in solitary confinement.  Guards inflict a culture of violence – fractured jaws, broken bones, denial of medical care, cover-ups and retaliation against those who report, and rampant sexual violence against the women and LGBT people as well as the men.  Rikers typifies and concentrates the immorality and illegitimacy of mass incarceration in the U.S.



It is difficult to say which is a greater shock to the conscience: that this torture and brutality goes on day in and day out, or that millions go about their daily lives accepting this as normal just miles away.



The violence against inmates at Rikers has been studied.  It has been exposed.  Guards have been sued.  Settlements have been paid.  The deaths inflicted through brutality and negligence have been documented. The life-long trauma and disfunction imposed on inmates has been proven.  Yet the brutality continues day in and day out.  All this is plain for the whole world to see. 



The time for wringing our hands is over.  The time for cosmetic but essentially meaningless reforms is over.  A line must be drawn.  People of conscience must put our bodies on the line to stop this depravity and barbarity, else we ourselves are complicit.



WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON?



This call was initiated by:



Nellie Baily, Harlem activist

Rev. Stephen Phelps, Member, Presbytery of New York City*

Cindy Sheehan, mother of Casey Sheehan, killed in unjust U.S. war on Iraq, 2004

Sunsara Taylor, writer for Revolution Newspaper, initiator of StopPatriarchy.org

Mia Thornton, NYU Student Activist

Jame Vrettos, Professor John Jay College of Criminal Justice*


* for identification purposes only

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON #RISEUPOCTOBER

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please limit your comments to the content of the posts---not your self-perceived, self-righteous, personal opinions of the authors/activists who post at this blog. Personal attacks, or threats of violence will not be posted....moderator.

POPULAR POSTS