{"article":{"id":12762,"heading":"PATRIOT GAMES (Mumia Abu-Jamal)","author":"Mumia Abu-Jamal","created":"2001-11-09 03:06:58","modified":"2005-08-15 00:42:58","last_modified":"Mon, 15 Aug 2005 07:42:58","article":"
\r\n
PATRIOT GAMES<\/u><\/div>\r\n
[Col. Writ. 10\/31\/01] Copyright Mumia \r\nAbu-Jamal<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
One of the great attractions of patriotism - it \r\nfulfills<\/div>\r\n
our worst wishes.  In the person of our nation \r\nwe<\/div>\r\n
are able, vicariously, to bully and cheat.  \r\nBully and<\/div>\r\n
cheat, what's more, with a feeling that we \r\nare<\/div>\r\n
profoundly virtuous.<\/div>\r\n
-- Aldous Huxley, British Writer \r\n[1894-1963]<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
    In times of government and \r\nmedia-declared war,<\/div>\r\n
elite pressures combine to compel people to \r\nexpress<\/div>\r\n
or reflect one's patriotism.<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
    The question immediately \r\narises:  what *is<\/u>* patriotism?<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
    Love of country? Love of one's \r\npeople?  Or, blind,<\/div>\r\n
yielding obedience to government \r\ndictates?<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
    Is it the supine surrender of \r\none's will to that of those in<\/div>\r\n
political power?  Or is it the conviction that \r\none must speak<\/div>\r\n
truth to power -- yea, even unpopular, unheralded \r\ntruth?<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
    Questions such as these are not \r\neasily answered, for<\/div>\r\n
there is no one, single response.  They are \r\nanswered<\/div>\r\n
individually, in the silence of the soul.  How \r\none answers<\/div>\r\n
depends where one is in national life, or where one \r\ncomes<\/div>\r\n
from.<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
    An American citizen, elected to \r\na high place of Congress,<\/div>\r\n
dares to refuse to surrender her political \r\nindependence to<\/div>\r\n
the nation's chief executive, urging caution as she \r\ncasts a<\/div>\r\n
lone vote.  She is threatened with death, not \r\nfrom foreign<\/div>\r\n
terrorists, but from domestic ones!<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
    A nationally known broadcaster \r\nannounces that he is at<\/div>\r\n
the disposal of his Commander-in-Chief, \"just tell \r\nme where<\/div>\r\n
to go, Mr. President, and I'm there\" (or words to \r\nthat effect),<\/div>\r\n
tears welling up over his stage \r\nmake-up.<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
    Consider, shall we say, these \r\ntwo extremes of public<\/div>\r\n
behavior.  Which is more, well, \r\npatriotic?<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
    One retains her political \r\nindependence, saying, in effect,<\/div>\r\n
\"I was not elected to surrender my powers to \r\nlegislate to<\/div>\r\n
the executive, but to represent my constituency, \r\nand the<\/div>\r\n
principle of separation of powers, without which, \r\ndemocracy<\/div>\r\n
is illusory.\"<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
    The other publicly surrenders, \r\nsaying, in effect, \"I will not<\/div>\r\n
pretend to objectivity.  You are my Commander; \r\nI am the<\/div>\r\n
commanded.  My journalism is at your service, \r\nSire.\"<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
    The one is Congresswoman Barbara \r\nJackson Lee, <\/div>\r\n
member of the House of Representatives, 9th \r\nCongressional<\/div>\r\n
district, a Democrat from California.  The \r\nother is CBS<\/div>\r\n
network anchor Dan Rather, the multi-million \r\ndollar, unelected<\/div>\r\n
corporate journalist.<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
    Which is more \r\npopular?<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
    Which is more \r\nAmerican?<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
    The U.S. Constitution has no \r\nprovision (to this writer's<\/div>\r\n
knowledge) for a national legislator to surrender \r\nher<\/div>\r\n
independence to the executive - even in times of \r\nwar.<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
    As for the \"Commander in Chief\" \r\nreference, despite<\/div>\r\n
Dan's journalistic genuflection, the \r\nConstitution's<\/div>\r\n
Article II states that the President is Commander \r\nin<\/div>\r\n
Chief of \"the Army and Navy of the United \r\nStates,\"<\/div>\r\n
and, under certain conditions, \"the Militia.\"  \r\nUnless<\/div>\r\n
Dan enlists, anchors aren't included.<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
    A free person is not patriotic \r\nbecause he surrenders<\/div>\r\n
his freedom.  He is either free, or he \r\nain't.  Which are you?<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n
Copyright 2001 MAJ<\/div>\r\n
==============================<\/div>\r\n
 <\/div>\r\n

THEY ARE PLANNING TO MURDER MUMIA!!

SAVE THE DATE - \r\nDECEMBER 8TH - FOR MUMIA!
PLEASE PASS THE WORD!

\"We are fighting the \r\nlast battle to Free Mumia, and need support now
more than ever.  We need \r\ndonations of money, calling cards, copy cards,
etc. and we really need \r\nmanpower.  We need people to be in the streets
every day putting out \r\ninformation, demonstrating, raising money, and doing
whatever you can to \r\nhelp.\"

\"Tell judge pamela dembe to hold an evidentiary hearing and a \r\nnew
post-conviction relief appeal, to hear the confession of Arnold \r\nBeverly
and to let Mumia be at the hearings in his \"trial\".  Tell mayor \r\njohn
street to keep his promise and do what he can to help Mumia receive \r\na
fair trial and to hold an independent investigation into the case.  \r\n(you
can get a sample of both of these letters at http:\/\/www.freemumia.com)

pamela dembe: \r\n1417 criminal justice center 1301 Filbert St. philadelphia
pa, 19107 Phone \r\n215 683-7148 Fax 215 683-7150

john street: room 215 city hall \r\nphiladelphia pa 19107
Phone 215 686-3000 Fax 215 686-2170\"

PLEASE \r\nCONTACT:
International Concerned Family & Friends of MAJ
 P.O. \r\nBox 19709, Philadelphia, PA 19143
 Phone - 215-476-8812\/ Fax - \r\n215-476-6180\/
 E-mail - icffmaj@aol.com \/www.mumia.org
AND OFFER YOUR \r\nSERVICES!

Send our brotha some LOVE and LIGHT at:
    \r\nMumia Abu-Jamal
    AM 8335
    \r\nSCI-Greene
    175 Progress Drive
    \r\nWaynesburg, PA  15370

  !! PEOPLE GET READY \r\n!!
<\/div>
******************************************************
This \r\ncolumn may be reprinted and\/or distributed by
electronic means, but only for \r\nnon-commercial use, and
only with the inclusion of the following copyright \r\n
information:

Text (c) copyright 2001 by Mumia Abu-Jamal. All rights \r\n
reserved. Reprinted by permission of the \r\nauthor.
******************************************************

Mumia \r\nAbu-Jamal is the author of three books: 'Live
from Death Row', 'Death \r\nBlossoms', and 'All Things
Censored'.

Write to Mumia directly \r\nat:
Mumia Abu-Jamal AM 8335
SCI-Greene
175 Progress \r\nDrive
Waynesburg, PA 15370
<\/div>\r\n\n","contact":"","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/html","summary":"One of the great attractions of patriotism - it fulfills\r\nour worst wishes. In the person of our nation we\r\nare able, vicariously, to bully and cheat. Bully and\r\ncheat, what's more, with a feeling that we are\r\nprofoundly virtuous.\r\n-- Aldous Huxley, British Writer [1894-1963]","numcomment":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/2001\/11\/mumia_abu-jamal3.htm","filesize":"9.7 kibibytes","article_url":"\/news\/2001\/11\/12762.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}