Civil Disobedience, Imprisonment and My Search for Justice...

Civil Disobedience, Imprisonment and My Search for Justice…

By Norm Lowry

17 November 2009
Peoplesvoice.org

"Justice is more precious to me than life..."

An ancient prophet by the name of Habakkuk began one of his writings by saying, "Everywhere I look there is oppression and bribery and men who love to argue and fight. The Law is not enforced and there is no Justice given in the courts, for the wicked outnumber the righteous and bribes and trickery prevail..."

For nearly six months (4/17/09 - 10/08/09), I was imprisoned in the Lancaster (PA USA) County Prison, charged with three crimes: Possessing an Instrument of Crime, Disorderly Conduct and Criminal Mischief. The local media (newspapers, radio and television) 'helped the public', by portraying me as simply being 'an angry man who chose vandalism as a sedative'. Omitted were the facts:

That I had given more than one month's notice of leaving my employment;

That, with preplanning and a written statement of intention and guilt, I purposefully walked onto property being used by the U.S. Military Recruiters, with the total intent of committing an act(s) of civil disobedience;

That I did willfully use a 20 oz. framing hammer to break out some of the windows in vehicles used by the U.S. Military Recruiters;

That my chosen actions were carried out as a Spiritual, Socio-Political Protest against the Extreme Violence, Racism and Poverty Production of the United States of America, to me, the world's most evil-ever imperialist empire;

That I was openly declaring non-violent war on all mechanisms of said Violence, Racism and Poverty-Production;

That I was officially and openly renouncing my U.S. Citizenship (a response to the mass apathy among U.S citizenry; especially those who claim Loving Allegiance to our Creator, who seem all too willing to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the gross injustices and crimes of the USA).

My Protest was three-fold:

First, my Protest was against the Fiscal, Political and Military Policies of the U.S., which in my short, nearly 60 year life have taken my country to war (covertly or overtly) with 150+ sovereign nations, causing the purposeful (and mostly preventable) deaths of over 2 Billion citizens. Note: Currently, U.S. policies and sanctions are responsible for 70,000,000+ deaths per year; over half of which are children, from whom we simply withhold food and water. The public record calls these deaths "excess" (unnecessary).

Second, my Protest was against the U.S. Prison System, which houses nearly 25% of the world's total prison population (not including Military and CIA Torture Prisons), in a nation comprising merely 4% of its entire population. Absolutely baffling is the fact that 80% of all U.S. crime is said to be committed by "white collar" criminals, while 80% of all U.S. prisoners are said to be "blue collar" criminals or the facts of the extreme violence perpetrated or allowed (by the guards) against the inmates or the extreme racism of the system.

Third, my Protest was against the so called "Justice System", which seems eager to speedily move through and showcase the "high profile" cases (cases that will reelect them or win them political points?; e.g.-Lancaster County PA USA Roseboro murder case--involving a rich man) in little more than a year’s time; while allowing many (especially minorities) to sit in Prison for 2-4+ years, without being allowed their constitution-guaranteed "speedy" processes.

While waiting to be arrested, the 20-30 Military personnel had opportunity to laugh and poke fun, that I would state that "Love" was my inspiration. How could it be Love, to strike out at the U.S. Military; or to bring up all the wars, murders and carnage that has occurred in my lifetime; or the fact of being told (by our Senior Drill Sgt Arroyo, on my first day of U.S. Army Boot Camp, Ft. Leonard Wood MO USA, 1971) that we could feel free to rape "attractive" women before killing them (if we were chosen for Vietnam, a 50-50 chance)?

After my arrest came interviews with the local Police Detective and F.B.I. Agent-in-charge (two of my Arresting Officers were actually angry with their Detective, for calling the F.B.I.). The Detective seemed disturbed that I would strike out at the military and asked why I had selected the Military over an institution such as the U.S. Postal Service (he seemed surprised to find that the U.S. Postal Service is merely a contractor and not an actual part of the U.S. Government). The F.B.I. Agent asked what I believed should be done with me. I encouraged that he recommend sending me to Guantanamo (or to any of our myriad other torture prisons, worldwide), where we keep our 12 year old "Terrorism" Suspects (among the many others, who are seldom "officially" charged or convicted of anything of serious substance); or simply allow me to share a cell with Mr. Obama, Mr. Bush, or any other of our "Mass Murderer" leaders or citizens (who support torture, illegal/genocidal war, or U.S. dominated drug [opiate, cocaine, etc.] monopolies, etc.).

The F.B.I. chose not to recommend U.S. Justice Department Prosecution (the agent actually said that he 'personally had no problem with what I did or why I did it'), though he did state that 'next time, I would face prosecution as a "Domestic Terrorist"'. The local Police Detective handed me over for Criminal Arraignment, after which I was taken to Prison. Note: The Arraignment Justice stated that ' I would normally be considered for release "on personal recognizance", pending trial but, since I chose to renounce my U.S. Citizenship, I was a "flight risk" and he was setting my bail high enough to keep me locked up'.

My time of imprisonment was most interesting. We were locked up 20+ hours per day (in two or three-man cells). Purposeful violence and racism were a given. I personally witnessed 25+ beatings (most were purposefully ignored by guards); met three inmates who had been brutally beaten by the guards (spoke with multiple witnesses, many who mentioned knowing of other inmate beatings); and talked with thirteen guards and one other employee who admitted to participating in, witnessing, or having knowledge of inmate beatings. I also personally witnessed a system, grossly over-weighted toward minorities (including women) and "blue collar" criminals; was utterly grieved at the numbers of inmates who had been incarcerated for 2-4+ years (without being given their Constitutionally guaranteed rights to speedy trials); and sought to intervene on behalf of non-English speaking inmates (especially whose health concerns were being ignored). I discussed these issues with the Prison Warden (in writing, on multiple occasions, with no response), with the appropriate prison leadership (with mostly limited response, except for a caring nurse) and with the PA Prison Society (who were eager to discuss a witnessed threat of abuse against a mental health patient [by a guard], though never came back to discuss my other concerns). I received threats of violence (from guards) for my willingness to 'stand against the system' and for 'protesting by hitting the U.S. Military'.

My "day in court" consisted of five separate appearances (from day one, I admitted [in writing] my guilt and asked for sentencing). At my first appearance (on the day of my arrest), the District Justice said that he was only there to let me know my charges and to set bail. At my second appearance (preliminary hearing), the District Justice said that he was not authorized to sentence me (though a published newspaper article, in fact, stated that District Justices could receive pleas and sentence crimes that were misdemeanors). Note: At this appearance, the Police Detective and Prosecutor spent considerable time discussing how my charges might be raised to felony level. My third appearance was an Arraignment for my charges, at which I officially plead "guilty" to all charges. At my fourth appearance (pretrial hearing), the Judge stated that 'my arraignment pleas would not be accepted' and rescheduled the court date, as he only had one of my charges ready (on this day). At my fifth appearance, a new Judge accepted my pleas, gave me "time served" (on all charges) plus Probation, and ordered my release.

I left the courtroom deeply grieved, that day. If it had taken this grandiose process six months to process a man who (from day one) was willing to plead and be sentenced, how much longer would it take for the many who were still "rotting away" in the Prison (after spending 2-4+ years)? My mind returned to the "high-profile" cases that were more speedily processed and to the mass amount of "white collar" criminals and rich white men whose crimes are consistently ignored. On the way back to the Prison (from which I would be released that day), I cried.

Nearly a month has passed, since that day when my outward freedom was returned to me. I still cry and grieve; my heart is utterly broken! It is most unlikely that this Society (USA) will ever comprehend that it can only take my outward freedom away. My heart belongs to our Loving Creator and to the poor, abused and downtrodden.

Over the last nearly seven months, the country of my birth (USA) has continued its relentless pursuit of fiscal, political and military policies to fulfill its stated desire of "Total Dominance" of the entire world. Our leaders continue laughing at the genocide and mass displacement of humanity in Afghanistan, Gaza, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, etc. Our military presence in 130+ countries (incl. 7-1600 military bases and torture prisons) seeks to guarantee our geopolitical aims (encircling of those nations who are a threat to our designs, security for "our" drug crops and business, mass exterminations of humanity, etc.). Every month, 6,000,000+ people have been exterminated (as a result of our policies; of which 3,000,000+ are children) and most of our citizens don't even know that each one has a name... like 5 year old Fatima... Our prisons remain full (as we move toward having 25%+ of the world's entire prison population). Our courts remain corrupt.

The United States of America remains a Society of potentially good people who have chosen 'Apathy, Silence and Doing Nothing' over Justice tempered with Intimate Mercy. It is as if we have purposefully become the hideous monstrosities of our worst nightmares. We have sold off our neighbors and the peoples of our world, for "another meal and a tank of gas". We are blind and deaf to the "Terminal Depression" that is upon us and to the "...imminent collapse of human industrialized civilization" which we have caused. As irony would have it, the world will likely survive (though much worse for wear) but, the United States of America has likely been dead for some time and soon, someone will have to bury our stinking, rotting carcass.

Beware of our "C.I.A.-led, Military-Industrial Complex", who still don't believe that they are dead; are most desperate and will soon seek to pass off their destructive power to someone more evil than they...

Please accept my continuing gratitude, for those of you who continue to be a part of the solution to the world's many dire issues.

Please forgive me, for my country's injustices and crimes against humanity...