http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41202
This is from the Italian "Inter Press Service News Agency". I thought this was a real cool interview. It is very interesting that these major international media institutions will spotlight this case, and present very humanizing pictures (such as the one in this article of Mumia with his son), yet in the US (and moreso in Philly), media coverage is just awful! To quote Linn Washington, "When they don't bash, they ignore." Like when I organized the "Murdered by Mumia?" press conference in December, we couldn't get ANY local media outlets to cover our event, even though it was a real all-star cast of journalists. We got an excellent article from Reuters, but of course that is a British service---which underscores my point about the international media providing much better coverage.----Hans, Abu-Jamal-News.com
RIGHTS-US: Journalist on Death Row
Interview with Mumia Abu-Jamal
BOSTON, Feb 14 (IPS) - Mumia Abu-Jamal, a journalist and black activist who exposed corruption in the Philadelphia police department, is among the best known of America's 3,500 death row inmates. For years, lawyers have been fighting to overturn his 1982 murder conviction. They argue that Abu-Jamal was condemned due to his skin colour and undue influence from the powerful Fraternal Order of Police.
Abu-Jamal and his chief lawyer, Robert Bryan, are currently awaiting a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals in Philadelphia on their request for a new trial. If a re-trial is ordered, many believe it will be one of the most sensational in U.S. legal history.
In this rare interview from Pennsylvania’s death row, Abu-Jamal talks about being a journalist on death row with IPS correspondent Adrianne Appel and radio journalist John Grebe. "Writing from a radical and populist, black liberation point of view, never left me," he says, "We do truly live in amazing times, times that are challenging, times that are dangerous -- but also times that are inspiring."
IPS: Through your radio broadcasts and columns about politics, race, black liberation and the death penalty, you have continued to be a leader for those on the left, and I suspect an inspiration to those in prison and on death row. Do you hear from others on death row?
MUMIA ABU-JAMAL: I do actually receive letters from guys literally all around the country and -- truth be told -- around the world. Some express solidarity, many request to correspond, some just ask questions on history because they’ve heard of my history with the black liberation movement.
I know that many people on death row are projected as monsters and really evil people. The fact of the matter is, most of the people I’ve met, I’ve heard about, or know about on death row are on death row because of their poverty. If they were men or women of means and could have afforded a decent defence at their trials, many wouldn’t be in jail. And if they were not in jail, they wouldn’t be on death row.
IPS: You have great support in Europe but not here in the U.S. What accounts for this difference?
MAJ: The [U.S.] media has really been an adversary and not an aide. The struggle waxes and wanes, ebbs and flows.
IPS: Public sentiment here seems to be shifting away from the death penalty, especially in light of the 126 people who have so far been exonerated -- six in Pennsylvania. Have you and your legal team sensed any change in attitude towards your case -- more openness to the idea that you did not receive a fair trial?
MAJ: I can’t say that I have. How do you gauge such a thing? There are many people who -- because of what they read in the paper -- firmly believe I am no longer on death row. I have read articles to that effect. Unfortunately, those articles are misleading. I have never left death row for one day. I am on death row.
IPS: Are you confident you will receive a fair trial this time?
MAJ: I’ve learned not to be in the business of prediction. That’s a risky business. We’re certainly working toward that end and I’m certainly hopeful. But I’m not in the prediction game.
IPS: Of the 35 states with a death penalty, conditions on Pennsylvania’s death row are among the most inhumane. The 228 death row inmates are kept in solitary confinement 23 hours a day in small cells. You are kept shackled when not in your cell, even in the shower. You are not allowed physical contact with visitors, with no one at all. How does this affect you?
MAJ: It affects how you interact with family and friends, staff people, females. It affects everything.
Years ago in Huntington [another prison], I was taken to a dentist. As I was coming back and crossing the central portion of the prison, there were several hundred men walking toward their dining area. Because it had been so many years that I had been away from a large mass of people I froze, I just froze. The guard with me pushed my back and said, "C’mon Jamal", but I couldn’t move. I was so stunned to be in the presence of hundreds of guys. I hadn’t been around a group for so many years. I didn’t know how to interact with that situation. For years I had lived in a cell or in a cage by myself.
John Grebe: As a young, working reporter what inspired you?
MAJ: My life as a writer on the staff of the Black Panther newspaper. Just learning from people in the ministry of information of the [Black Panther] Party, that really did inspire me -- even when I left the party, when it fell apart in disarray -- that part of my life, writing from a radical and populist, black liberation point of view. It never left me. I learned some important lessons. When I talk to people in the biz I say I’m glad I never went to journalism school.
IPS: You’ve written five books from death row and produce weekly radio commentaries. Why do you still speak out?
MAJ: It’s still interesting. We do truly live in amazing times, times that are challenging, times that are dangerous -- but also times that are inspiring. We have a government that for all intents and purposes now says that torture is cool. We have secret prisons, so-called black sites, where people from all around the world are held in the name of the United States of America -- whose names you cannot know. People who are tortured.
I feel compelled to write because they move me. I’m still a writer, an author, a journalist. They touch me. I would be remiss if I did not write about those things. If you recall, after 9/11 quite a few of the journalistic mainstays in this country did not write about those things. They endorsed the war, they supported the war. They came with what some people would call a mimeograph service for the state. I chose not to take that role.
IPS: Pennsylvania death row has twice as many black people on it as white people, something that does not reflect the makeup of the population in Pennsylvania. What does this say about the courts in Pennsylvania?
MAJ: It says much about the courts in Philadelphia as opposed to Pennsylvania. Philly [Philadelphia] is a national leader in the death penalty business.
Many cases that would be considered third degree or even volunteer manslaughter, or not guilty in other counties, become first degree [murder] or death [penalty] cases in Philly. That’s because the political system in Philly has been formed around the death penalty.
Anyone who doesn’t believe in the death penalty is automatically excluded from the jury. Well that’s a different kind of jury. It’s profoundly unfair at its very foundation. If you pick a jury that is fundamentally unfair, you can only get a fundamentally unfair result.
JG: Do you currently have communication with people in the black liberation movement?
MAJ: There are many elders who I do hear from. They’re wonderful brothers and sisters. Many are no longer with us. But some of them are. I delight in having contact with many of those people.
(END/2008)
Mumia-mania
OK, first things first: I detest the death penalty. It doesn't work, and it's barbaric. That's even before you add in the inherent racism which is evident in its application when you look @ the people on death row in the US.
But, if you want to abolish the death penalty- as I said, a very good goal- the worst possible person to use as your test case is a convicted cop killer. The physical evidence was incredibly good that Wesley Cook- Mumia's birth name, incidentally- did kill Office Faulkner. And, when it comes to witnesses- which are, admittedly, the weakest part of any criminal case, as eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable- I have one question: where's William Cook? You know, Mumia's brother, the person who was being stopped by Ofc. Faulker when the incident took place. You'd think that Mumia's older brother would do *anything* to stick up for his little brother; instead, he's been entirely silent.
Defending a cop killer isn't progressive; it's misguided.
-Z
Zorro, what's the point of
Zorro, what's the point of the "birth name" comment?
I agree.
The case against Mumia is pretty strong--and only made stronger by his want of John Africa to defend him and his rejection of trial counsel.
Let's talk about the innocent people on death row in terms of getting rid of the death penalty. Not someone who fails to generate sympathy from the majority of the electorate.
Note: I'm not talking about the sentencing. Just the case-in-chief.
I am working to elect Larry Farnese to the General Assembly. Unless otherwise expressly stated, this and every comment or blog I post on YPP and any action I take hereon is solely attributable to me and not Farnese or Friends of Farnese
the FRY MUMIA lynch mob
Well, my personal thoughts about your comment should be obvious, so I'll leave that unstated.
First off, the evidence is not strong against Mumia. Rather, 1) the unfair trial is undeniable, and no one outside of a KKK gathering can refute that, 2) Eyewitness testimony used against Mumia is very sketchy, and at least 2 of the prosecution witnesses (Robert Chobert and Cynthia White) clearly gave false testimony as a result of police coercion. Other eyewitnesses, like Veronica Jones, who saw someone running away, were terrorized into changing their story, 3) BILLY COOK. First off, he is interviewed in the new British documentary IN PRISON MY WHOLE LIFE, where he says he has been afraid for his life. Cook made affidavits in 1999 and 2001 where he clearly states that Mumia did not shoot Faulkner, and Cook implicates Kenneth Freeman as the actual shooter.
Z, why don't you do your homework before you come on so strong and ridicule both Mumia and myself? A respectful discussion of the facts of the case is great, but the way you came at is so disrespectful and ignorant, and is indicative of the ugly FRY MUMIA lynch mob that permeates Philly.
Why don't you watch this video I made from the Journalists for Mumia press conference (are you going to say that David Love, Dave Lindorff, and Linn Washington are all ignorant dupes?) and tell me what you think?
Mumia's case is excellent for highlighting the injustice of the death penalty, the overall criminal justice system, and above all POLITICAL REPRESSION. For people outside of Philly where the media coverage is not as biased and not infected by Philly's FRY MUMIA lynch mob, the injustice is clear and stark, and that is why so many around the world call for a new trial---if not his outright release.
Mumia Free Zone
YPP has been a Mumia-free zone for at least the last 2 years. Can't we keep it that way.
Nothing good will come out of the conversation and it certainly will not help progressives.
I am working to elect Larry Farnese to the General Assembly. Unless otherwise expressly stated, this and every comment or blog I post on YPP and any action I take hereon is solely attributable to me and not Farnese or Friends of Farnese
"A Mumia Free Zone?"
Are you serious? That must be one of the most offensive things I've ever heard. The ignorant racism of some Philly liberals is astounding!
Chill out . . .
I don't care if I offend you.
I would rather not see YPP devolve into a home for charges of racism and ignorance. You're relatively new here and in 2 different posts called 3 regular bloggers racist. You're not making a good impression and your inability to discuss without insults shows your not willing to debate issues.
That is why I'm asking for a Mumia Free Zone. So that we can focus on issues that are not so highly politicized that we draw individuals who are so easily prone to race-baiting, finger pointing, insults and unwilling to discuss an issue.
That is what this topic brings.
I am working to elect Larry Farnese to the General Assembly. Unless otherwise expressly stated, this and every comment or blog I post on YPP and any action I take hereon is solely attributable to me and not Farnese or Friends of Farnese
Let's all take a breath...
Alright guys (Z and Gaetano), I just took a couple hours to take a breath, and step back. I felt like I was being attacked, and apparently you felt as if I was attacking you....
So, let's start from scratch. Z, you are correct that I am new here, so let me introduce myself. My name's Hans, and I moved to Philly in 2001. Since then, I've been involved in various activism, but have mostly focused on indy-journalism, and focusing on such things as KWRU, Media Justice, Anti-War, and of course my major focus: Mumia Abu-Jamal and MOVE. This past May, I co-founded (with German author Michael Schiffmann) Journalists for Mumia. j4m is mostly about putting out the news reporting that we think conveys the facts well. Further, we challenge media bias against Mumia, which we argue is particularly bad in Philly.
As I stated earlier, I feel strongly that 1) the unfair trial is undeniable, , 2) As Amnesty International has documented, eyewitness testimony used against Mumia is very sketchy, and at least 2 of the prosecution witnesses (Robert Chobert and Cynthia White) clearly gave false testimony as a result of police coercion. Other eyewitnesses, like Veronica Jones, who saw someone running away, were terrorized into changing their story, 3) there was an obviously fabricated "hospital confession" that it took more than 2 months for anyone to report to police officials, and now 4) there are these newly discovered crime scene photos that show police manipulating evidence.
I would like for our discussion about Mumia to remain civil (and I will do my best on my end to be respectful) so that we can engage constructively. Let's agree to commit to that. Please take a look at this new video I made: http://youngphillypolitics.com/node/3869
It is an all-star cast of journalists and looks a lot at the new crime scene photos. Following this press-conference (ignored by local media) we got a Reuters article, and then NBC's Today Show broadcasted the photos a couple days later. The next week there was follow up on WHYY, where Maureen Faulkner commented on the photos. For all of this check out Abu-Jamal-News.com
I have put lots of time and energy into this project, and I only ask that I be respected as making a serious argument that should be considered and recognized by the mainstream media, as well as Philly's activist community. I am open to questions and criticism, so please let me know what you think of this stuff I just told you about---particularly the video. I would like this to be a good forum where a controversial topic like Mumia can be discussed in a constructive way. Let's give it a shot, and I look forward to hearing back what people think.
The unfair trial
To clarify on why I think the unfair trial is undeniable, this is an article I wrote for Z Magazine, a progressive publication out of Mass. :
http://zmagsite.zmag.org/Nov2006/bennett1106.html
The arguments in the Z mag article on the ballistics, eyewitness testimony, and the frame-up is based within the context of what is currently being considered by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. I was in the courtroom on May 17 for the oral arguments, and I have to say that a couple of these judges looked outright disgusted by some of the DA's arguments. You can check out the audio (including some edited one minute shorts where the judge grills the DA) here: http://www.abu-jamal-news.com/temp/May17Audio.html
Best,
Hans
Mumia has never been a safe topic to talk about in Phila period!
I haven't seen people this reved up since the Mayoral primaries. Mumia will always be a tough issue to talk about ,and that will never change. Im just ashamed how people can act like this and let ignorance change how we think in here.I thought we were civil people and it was okay to express your thoughts without hurting people's feelings. No matter how you feel about Mumia and the whole trial that has dragged its feet for all these years , he's still a CONVICTED killer. Until new evidence proves wrong , the facts are the facts! So whether you support or don't, please lets keep it civil and fair at YPP. It would be very much appreciated. I haven't been on here in a while and already you guys are fighting , very silly lol
Junior Williams
juniorwililams007@earthlink.net
http://mycityscapephily.eponym.com/blog
Racism and Political Bias is Important Too
I used to be part of the crowd of anti-death penalty folks that thought that Mumia wasn't the best poster-child for the movement. I can understand where that thinking comes from, because people want to be strategic, and Mumia is unpopular outside of overtly left circles. But it is really important to think about the history of COINTELPRO, and other politically-motivated attacks on left activists. People like Angela Davis who are fairly universally held up as "legitimate" leaders of the movement were charged with crimes like the ones that Mumia has been convicted of, and because a movement succeeded instead of failing to free Angela Davis, she is seen as a hero. Mumia on the other hand, has a lot of momentum working against him.
It should give us pause that the FBI had a file on the guy when he was fifteen, for having tried to rename his high school to Malcolm X High School. The fact that the FBI has frequently worked to put Black Panthers in prison on very dubious charges, and worse still in some cases drugged them and assassinated them in their sleep. like with Fred Hampton and Mark Clark, should be reason enough to place considerable doubt on the case. The way I feel after learning about the general pattern of local and national behavior that has happened is the government really has to practically prove to me that they are not lying to me, because almost everything that has come before has been lies.
Like Hans said, the evidence for the case is really spotty, and includes a lot of coercion, contradiction, bad evidence handling, and the like. It also has outright unconstitutional procedural methods, such as removing jurors based on race (which was common practice in Philly at the time, institutionalized through the training methods used at the DA's office). Really, even if you think that Mumia is guilty, something which I don't personally agree with, it should still be important to support his right to challenge these procedural problems. Period.
The death penalty
I am, by no means, part of the 'Fry Mumia Crowd.' More specifically, I'm in the 'Fry Nobody Crowd.' To run down my objections- ignoring the figure in question:
1) The death penalty clearly does not work; if it did, we would have seen violent crime decline since the death penalty's reinstatement. Given that the violent crime rate has increased since the re-instatement of the death penalty, the only logical conclusions to draw about the death penalty is that it either does not deter violent crime, or actually causes more of it.
2) The death penalty is, by definition, irreversible. Let's say the state- and, in a representative government, that's us, people- executes someone, and that this person is, later, clearly exonerated. We, the people, now have on our hands the blood of an innocent man, plus the actual guilty party still walks free. Don't talk to me about 'closure;' killing is, at best, revenge. And, I thought we had a 'criminal justice system,' not a 'criminal revenge system.' If you condemn someone to life in prison, w/o possibility of parole, and exculpatory evidence is discovered, voila, an innocent man goes free- because you haven't killed him. One would think that this was obvious. Perhaps not.
3) The death penalty is more expensive than life imprisonment. Given the lengthy appeals process inherent in death penalty cases, it costs more to execute a person than to simply lock them up in jail for life.
To bring it back to the original post, my suggestion is simple: commute all death sentences in PA- including Mumia's- to life in prison w/o parole. Fry him? Hell no- fry no-one.
-Z
Fry No One. Free Political Prisoners.
It's perfectly legitimate to be against the death penalty for all the reasons you mentioned (I am as well), but there's still something really problematic about saying "let's just put Mumia in prison for life" when there are real procedural, evidential, and political reasons to challenge his incarceration. Think of it this way, if you were in prison, or a loved one was in prison, you might not talk about things in terms of how the system shouldn't "fry" them, and might step out on a limb and say something a bit bolder, like perhaps they should have their constitutional rights protected.