I'm thinking of Assata

As many of you have heard, Assata Shakur's bounty has been raised to a million dollars by the U.S. federal government. This is crazy to me. For those who don't know, Assata Shakur was a member of the Black Liberation Army and the Black Panther Party who was arrested along with other members of the Black Liberation Army for murdering a police officer. Assata claimed that she couldn't have done this because she had been shot twice. Reports also showed that in order for the bullets to have hit her the way she did, she would also have to had her hands in the air. Incidentally, before this case, she had been accused of six other "crimes", and each case resulted in an acquittal or mistrial. Assata was foung guilty and sent to prison for a lenghthy stay. After being imprisoned for awhile, Assata escaped to Cuba, where she has been living in political exile until this day. I feel in my heart that this is garbage, an attempt to silence an "uppity Negro". What a coincidence that this occurred on the same day where they renamed an overpass in honor of the cop that Assata "allegedly" murdered. And, further illustrating the psychotic leanings of some of our high-ranking government officials, Assata was also added to the lists of domestic terrorists. C'mon, now!!! She's 57, for crying out loud! She has been living in peace. The US deliberately did this to drag out the bounty hunters. This is retarded. My one consolation is that a bounty hunter would have to be pretty stupid to try to assassinate her in Cuba. Whether you agree with his politics or not, Fidel Castro doesn't play around. I guess it wasn't enough to have Mumia Abu-Jamal imprisoned after a trial where the details were very sketchy. Also, it wasn't enough to have Geronimo Pratt lose several years of his life in "the belly of the beast" (prison) until his court-ordered release in 1997. I love the opportunities I receive in America, but I cannot turn a blind eye or deaf ear or not speak on the American Injustice System and the Prison Industrial Complex. I understand that the law and justice are two different things. However, it seems that people who speak up and possibly suggest alternate ways of thinking are labeled blasphemous or anti-American. I also realize that some people would say that I shouldn't speak out on these ills or question the good ol' US of A. I can't do that. The God conscience in me will not let me be silent. As Edmund Burke said, "All that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing". Martin Luther King said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere". I may not march, but at least my opinions are here in cyberspace. If you disagree with me, please post. That's the beauty of being unique individuals. We can disagree in a kind way and still love each other. But know that my motives behind writing this came from an honest and heartfelt place. The struggle continues. Be easy.

P.S. The title of my piece is derived from the song, "A Song for Assata" on the rapper Common's 2000 release Like Water For Chocolate. If you haven't bought the album, you should. Go on Amazon or half.com or something. If you made it to this page, surely you can do that. I have faith in you.