Letter: Hands Off Assata Shakur

The expressed opinions or views of this letter does not necessarily represent the opinion of the MiddletownMike blog:

Dear Editor,

I am outraged at Congressman Chris Smith's recent legislative attempts to remove Black Panther activist, and my personal hero, Assata Shakur from her home in Cuba and return her to certain death in a New Jersey prison cell, for a crime she did not commit.

As an activist for the civil rights of the descendants of African slaves, Assata was targeted by the FBI in the 1960s and 1970s under the COINTELPRO program, which sought to destroy those that the racist, imperialist U.S. government deemed to be a threat to their hegemonic system, by advocating peace and equality.

After 7 separate felony trials in which Assata was acquitted of various serious offenses she was clearly not guilty of, the feds finally succeed in securing a false conviction against Assata, by claiming in a racist Middlesex County court that she had shot a state trooper. However the medical evidence presented at trial demonstrated that she had been shot with her hands in the air, and is therefore innocent.

Assata Shakur, a woman, was thrown into a men's prison and put into solitary confinement. Thankfully, the heroes of the Black Liberation Army broke her out of the cage and got her to safety in Cuba. The Cuban government reviewed the evidence and determined she was innocent and granted her political asylum. She is not a fugitive, but a refugee, recognized as such by the Cuban authorities.

The U.S. and New Jersey authorities are embarrassed that a modern-day slave escaped from their shackles and still want her dead. Because of this, they have been relentless in offering to pay others to kidnap her from Cuba, and have conducted a diplomatic dog and pony show in an attempt to put her back into a cage, where she would be condemned to extrajudicial execution.

Everyone should be outraged that Assata Shakur (the godmother of late rapper Tupac) is still under threat from the American authorities, and the voters must ensure that Congressman Chris Smith is never again re-elected.

Hands off Assata. Power to the People. Long live the noble veterans of the Black Liberation Army. Down with racism. ¡Hasta la Victoria Siempre!



REV. DR. ERIC HAFNER
FORMER CANDIDATE FOR U.S. CONGRESS
TOMS RIVER, NEW JERSEY