picture from google
Hunger strikers, weak and sick, transported 8 hours by bus: ‘Our strength is a reflection of your strength’
September 2, 2013
http://sfbayview.com/2013/hunger-strikers-weak-and-sick-transported-8-hours-by-bus-our-strength-is-a-reflection-of-your-strength/
http://sfbayview.com/2013/hunger-strikers-weak-and-sick-transported-8-hours-by-bus-our-strength-is-a-reflection-of-your-strength/
by Mutope Duguma
Written Aug. 25, 2013 – How long must we continue to
suffer? On Aug. 23, 2013, early in the morning, Pelican Bay State
Prison Ad Seg (Administrative Segregation) was emptied out and placed
on two buses. Every individual on the buses had been on the hunger
strike since July 8, 2013, and there was not one medical staffperson on
those buses.
The trip was an eight hour trip that subjected Lorenzo Benton to
extremely low blood sugar. We had to demand that the bus be stopped
immediately, which led to a 40 minute delay. They had three cars from
SSU (Special Services Unit) escorting the whole trip, but not one
medical staffperson, knowing that we had been on a hunger strike 45
days when they placed us on those buses.
Lorenzo Benton’s eyes were blurry; he couldn’t see nothing. I tried
to take his pulse but couldn’t get one because his heartbeat had
dropped so low. We switched position on the bus with Danny Troxell and
Frank Clement so that Lorenzo would have more space. This did nothing
for him.
We asked for water and the sergeant of transportation said he was
instructed to not give us nothing but Gatorade. I said, “We can’t have
water?” He said no. I said, “Where is the Gatorade?” Initially Abdul,
HB and Mutawally demanded that they go back, but I asked how far are we
from a medical facility going forward. Sergeant said six miles. We were
already on the road 50 miles.
I told Lorenzo to gulp down cups of Gatorade because when my sugar
is low and eyes are blurry, I just need the Gatorade to clear it up.
After gulping down three canteen cups – 12 ounces – each he started to
see a little better and he felt better. The sergeant asked him was he
all right and if he was going to make it. The sergeant was pissed off
that there wasn’t no medical staff on this trip, considering who was
being transferred. At least he let us see these sentiments. If he was
sincere or not I don’t know.
How long must we continue to suffer?
Once we got to New Folsom Prison (California State Prison
Sacramento) we got nothing, and that is our status right now as I write
this. They say on Aug. 26 it will get better. The officials knew we
were coming a week in advance, so it is no excuse for subjecting us to
such cruelty.
We also are receiving low quality vitamins, down from the high
quality vitamins that the receivership ordered. [California prison
medical services were placed under receivership by the federal court
because at least one prisoner a week was dying due to medical abuse or
neglect. – ed.] The Gatorade is a better quality, but we are suffering
because of what we are being denied, although the hunger strike alone
should be enough suffering.
But denying us linen – while holding us in ice cold cells – equals
torture. It’s obvious that these actions are intended to break us, but
the 60 of us have a collective strength and are committed all the way
to the force feeding, for better or worse.We can only hope that our strength is a reflection of your strength. All RACES – prison solidarity.
We do not care about how much worse our conditions get because the
pain and suffering from not eating trumps it all. Also, the only
prisoners in PBSP Ad Seg who were left there were Sitawa Jamaa (Ron
Dewberry), Todd Ashker, Antonio Guillen and Arturo Castellanos, our
four reps. We can only hope that they are safe under those
circumstances. Everyone on the bus is medically on high risk status
(see CDC Form 114-D), and everyone is doing very bad as well.
And it’s old age, middle age and young age prisoners inside that 60,
and we can only hope that our strength is a reflection of your
strength. All RACES – prison solidarity. We don’t believe that CDCr
CSP-Sac can force feed each and every one of us at the same time,
because obviously we will deteriorate at the same time.
[In a note dated Aug. 26, he adds: We’ve been on vitamins and
Gatorade since July 25, 2013, to now, which is to sustain our organs,
but they will eventually start going when our body weight is gone. I am
down 63 pounds now today, according to their scale.]One Love, One Struggle.
Mutope
Send our brother some love and light – and writing paper, envelopes and stamps to share: Mutope Duguma (James Crawford), D-05996, CSP-Sac ASU B8-232L, P.O. Box 290066, Represa CA 95671.
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SIGN THE JERICHO COINTELPRO PETITION!
Free All Political Prisoners!
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