The Campaign to Bring Mumia Home is seeking your support to caravan to Harrisburg, PA on Wednesday, October 15 to fight the newest legislation created to silence the voice of PA prisoners.
Tomorrow, the PA Senate will vote on House bill HB2533 and Senate bill SB508. In the spirit of the "Mumia Exception," this legislation was fast-tracked in direct response to the positive support Mumia received for his Goddard College commencement speech. This bill will make it illegal for prisoners to speak publicly AND sue those prisoners who do and the parties who assist them.
This legislation was created to silence the voice of political prisoners like Mumia Abu Jamal, Lorenzo "Cat" Johnson and Russell Shoatz whose voices can be heard around the world, in spite of their physical captivity. Consider how much their voices have contributed to our intellectual heritage and collective growth. Consider all that we have learned about prison conditions and prisoner rights violations from the voices of the imprisoned. This bill will not only silence prisoner's voices; it will silence the voice of all those who want to hear them. Legislation like this reminds us that all bodies behind bars are political prisoners.
The precedence of this repression legislation has far reaching implications for prisoners rights, freedom of speech, and our collective ability to take on the state. We need supporters go to Harrisburg to show physical support and accompany members of the MOVE family as they meet with legislators. If you can attend and or volunteer as a driver, please respond to this email or call 267-259-1740. With enough support, we will rent vans from Philadelphia and NY. Tentative Philadelphia departure is 7:30am.
