The majority of individuals believe themselves to be what they truly are not in reality…..
(Theory without practice is just as incomplete as practice without theory. The two have to go
together. I was determined to do both - Assata Shakur.) So the same is replied by saying,
“Nobody really knows who they truly are until they’ve been tested or tried!” And as you know,
I’ve been tested time and time again, so I can honestly say that living five years in prison with
the forced vicariousness on my life has conceived revelations of bold reality of what’s been
perpetuated since 400 years ago in the U$. Now it’s the Y-2-K technocrats and prisoncrats
mentally enslaving America!
My mind is exonerated from the vicarious thought, “What about yours?”
You are “vicarious” if you believe the United States really considers African slaves
descendant citizens (e.g. The 1857 Supreme Court Dred Scott decision stated, “No person of
African decent, whether enslaved or free, could be a US citizen unless the U$ Constitution
was changed.”)
You are “vicarious” if you believe Abraham Lincoln emancipated slavery out of humanity, or if
you believe the Civil War was fought to liberate African slaves [e.g…..(My paramount
objective in this struggle is to save the union and it is not either to save or destroy slavery.
If I could save the union without freeing any slave, I would do it and if I could save it by
freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that - The 16th U$ President Abraham
Lincoln - 1862)…..And the Civil War wasn’t fought to free the slaves. It was an economical war
between two separate economical systems, a war for power and control of the U$ by groups
of the ruling class: rich white southern slave owners -vs- rich white northern industrialists!
The Civil War was fought between plantation slave economy and an industrial manufacturing
economy!]
You are “vicarious” if you believe slavery doesn’t exist in the U$ at this present day and
time. (E.g. The 13th Amendment, Section 1 says, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude,
***except as a punishment for crimes whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall
exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction…..“I’m a slave in the
Land of the Free!”)
You are “vicarious” if you believe African slavery descendants do not deserve reparation, (e.
g. Africans were kidnapped from Africa and nefariously forced into slavery exterminating the
Africans from culture, land, wealth, history, religion and language. Millions of innocent lives
were lost from slave ships crossing the Transatlantic Ocean. The United States was built on
the backs of African slave labor, only to have their family
sold away and their women raped. Concerned male slaves were hung for protecting their
family. The Black Holocaust is a crime against humanity that to this very day has left the
African American community crippled politically, economically and psychologically! The
Germans are still paying reparation to the Jews after the Jewish Holocaust. Then ironically
the United States gave the Japanese Americans reparation for their short, but inhuman
treatment during WWII. Why shouldn’t African American slave
descendants be provided the same opportunity? This is a promise made by the U$
government in the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation!?
You are “vicarious” if you believe institutional racism is not being perpetuated in almost
every courtroom in America, working hand and hand with prisoncrats.
[E.g. according to a recently released Justice Department Report, 1 out of 3 Black Males can
be expected to be incarcerated in their lifetime, compared to 1 in 6 Latinos and 1 in 17 White
Males. Over a 27 year study period, covering 1974-2001, the Latino incarceration rate rose
ten times (e.g. from 102,000 to 997, 000), the Black rate tripled (e.g. from 646,000 to 2,167,000),
while the White rate more than doubled (e.g. 923,000 to 2,203,000). These statistics
vigorously correlate with the multibillion dollar prison industrial complex economical boom in
the U$. Luminaries have made immense financial investments in prison stocks and bonds on
Wall Street. The word is out; prisons are big bucks in the Y-2-K’s. The high number of Black
Males incarcerated in the U$ injustice system boldly illustrates a unique nefarious cycle of
institutional racism, as blacks only make up 11.8% of the U$ population. This is e.g. James
Crow Esquire at its best. But this greedy beast is looking beyond the hood, so be on the
lookout for a prison to be built in a community near you!]
You are “vicarious” if you believe the “Patriot Act” is for the so-called war on terrorism, and
not a threat to every U$ citizen. (E.g. The Bush Administration rushed through Congress with
a burdensome pseudonym, “The Patriot Act.” It should say the (“Fugitive Slave Law Act –
2004”) or the (“Gangster Act”) because the Patriot Act only extorts the civil liberties away
from all U$ citizens without notice.) The Patriot Act has such provisions for isolation cells,
where neither family nor lawyers are permitted to see the detained person, wide-ranging
surveillance, wire taps, and computer searches; all are allowed. The arbitrariness gets
replicated and expanded in its local application by already unrestrained “racial profilers”
inside local law enforcement! With how Mr. B. declared “THUGS” to be a target of the “War
on Terrorism,” it’s obvious with the mainstream influence of “HIP HOP” culture’s language
and its active usage of the word “THUG”, (which personify friend/person from the streets/or a
person with a moral street constitution/or a person, who raps about the streets), that Bush is
aiming the Patriot Act at America’s youth. American society can very well become the largest
casualty of the “War on Terrorism!!”
You are “vicarious” if you believe everything you see, read and hear on the TV, newspapers
and radio to be the truth. (E.g. the mass media and advertisement industry has made a
tremendous impact on shaping and molding the views and psychology of American society
and abroad. Through manipulated images, dreams and fantasy are produced in the minds of
the public. But this same technology also perpetuates preconceived notions and false
stereotypes about race and gender that afflicts society. We all remember how the Bush
administration declared the “War on Terrorism” and launched the attack on Iraq in an “act of
aggression” only to never produce any so-called weapons of mass destruction! Now during
and before that event, the media repeatedly flooded the airwaves and newspapers with
propaganda that brainwashed many Americans to believe the 9/11 attacks were a result of
Saddam. It turns out the real objective was oil lines and profit! Think about when we read a
newspaper or watch the evening news on TV, and reporters emulate the person arrested for
the crime in a bad light. Somehow we find the person guilty before their trial! OR, look at
advertisements feeding our youth the pseudo concept that their personal worth is
determined by material possessions and not morals, talents and intellect. Then from this
fallacious concept psychological torment is caused to any person unable to meet the material
desire, then vicarious motives for crime is perpetuated throughout all racial groups and
classes! How about the endless criminal stereotypes of Blacks and Latinos, as well as
historical falsehoods portrayed throughout entertainment and advertisement? (E.g.
Ghettopoly, a criminal stereotypical version of the Monopoly board game, instead of the
board pieces such as the dog, hat or car, and real estate of hotel and houses, Ghettopoly
game pieces are a pistol and crack pipe, and real estate of crack houses! Fortunately this
game was discontinued from store shelves, but it is still sold on the Internet.) We have to
recognize who owns these communication institutions, because they are responsible for
pushing their views on society! And make no mistake about it; conglomerates owned by
technocrats DO have political agendas.
(E.g. Clear Channel is a strong supporter of George W. Bush. So when the lead singer of the
Dixie Chicks said she was ashamed to be from the same state as Bush, the country singing
group’s TV and radio exposure dwindled to almost non-existent. On June, 2, 2003, led by
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Michael Power in a 3 to 2 vote, the FCC
declared that a single company can now own TV stations that reach up to 45% of U$
households. The FCC also ended the ban on joint ownership of a broadcast outlet and a
newspaper in cities that have nine or more TV stations! So which of the four media giants
(ABC, AOL Time Warner, CBS, and NBC) will you allow to shape you and your family’s moral
shackles of the media’s view?)
You are “vicarious” if you know you are ignorant or unconscious, but refuse to educate
yourself and become aware. (E.g. without taking the steps to understand “why” certain
things occur in your community, city, state, country or world, you will be another person full of
assumptions and theories. All the answers will not fall in our laps. It takes diligent effort to
acquire the truth about a person, place or thing. But most individuals are confined by the
walls of inertia or laziness. Once the prize of truth is discovered, you have the basis of
justice and therefore a keen judgment can be made.)
“And yes!” you are most definitely “vicarious” if you are a grown man or woman and you
believe in Power Rangers, Mickey Mouse, Spider Man, Wonder Woman, the Tooth Fairy, Santa
Claus and little green Leprechauns!! *smile*
Obviously there are no limits to the mental “fallacious – vicariousness” that afflicts the
majority of society in one form or another! And it’s this type of vicariousness that I’ve
conveyed in the examples in which individuals from all races and walks of life must liberate
their thoughts from in order to conform to thoughts of reality, and then take the proper steps
towards truth, justice, understanding and humanity!
There is no doubt that this type of mental liberation was needed in the courtroom that
convicted me!
And unfortunately it was the physical sacrifice vicariousness of a false conviction, placing
handcuffs on my hands and shackles on my feet, that empowered me to eradicate the mental
and spiritual fallacious vicarious restraints I didn’t know existed until I began my quest for
justice towards my long over-due exoneration!
I truly hope “the ink of my blood” expressed on these pages, will serve as a powerful mental
and emotional parallax about the Innocent in the American Injustice System to whoever took
the time to fully absorb my everyday struggles! If my real life message breaks the mental
shackles of one person, that’s a million steps towards freedom for me! But believe me, I will
never give up my everyday battle, no matter the obstacle or pain in my path! Sometimes it’s
the struggle and pain that makes us truly appreciate joyous
moments! So I strongly advise any person, “GET FREE OR DIE TRYING!!!” Uhuru SASA.
It’s the nature of the universal order of all matters that before anything or anyone appears,
there will be a sign of its/their arrival. This is the fundamental principle that governs the
function of the universe….Today you have witnessed the debut of a “poetic revolutionary
souljah of today and tomorrow”…..(I will now forever shake the trees of fallacy to solicit the
leaves of truth and understanding. – Leon Benson)
THE Beginning – 10/28/03
© Copyright 2004 Leon Benson
References:
Books:
Assata Shakur (ed), Assata Shakur: “An Autobiography,” Lawrence Hill Books press, 1987.
W.E.B DuBois (ed), The Soul of Black Folk, signet classic press, reprint 1985.
Bell Hooks (ed), Where we stand: Class Matters, Routledge press, 2000
The Constitution of the United States of America
Printed Articles:
Saeed Shabazz, “Dying while black in New York City,” Final Call, June 17, 2003
George E. Curry, “FCC decision to expand media ownership will curb dissent,” Final Call,
June 17, 2003
George E. Curry, “War on Iraq moves to a different battlefield,” Final Call, May 30, 2003
George E. Curry, “James Crow Esquire in the news room,” Final Call, August 26, 2003
Dr. Conrad W. Worrill, “Genocide, reparations and the United Nations Reparations
Ralley”, The Final Call, September 23, 2003
Justice Department Report, “Final Call,” September 2, 2003
I would like to extend my most sincerest and earnest appreciation to all the above
aforementioned for your published information that have given me much needed inspiration
in a very desolate situation. So with all due respect, I truly thank you all!!!
And a very special thanks to Katja Pumm AKA “Sista Sunflower!” She has been adamant in
her belief in my skills as a writer, as well as in my innocence! And she has put forth
unwavering effort and time to expose my false imprisonment, as well as the talents I never
knew I had! Thank you Sista beyond understanding!
Also apex salutes and appreciation to Jane, the founder of Soulful Chemistry, who has
blessed me, as well as other African American writers, with the opportunity to be published
and heard; that’s worth a million words within itself!
So I thank you Katja and Jane, consolidated compassion to the 10th power of my very
existence!
Leon Benson 10/28/03
For more information about Leon Benson and his false conviction, please go to:
http://www.prisonpenpals.net/995256.html
http://castleofhopeforlostsouls.org/theinjusticesystem/leonbensonbci.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/innocentinprison/
Email Addresses: Innocentinprison-owner@yahoogroups.com
Innocentinprison-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
© Copyright 2004 Leon Benson
Leon Benson #995256
W.V.C.F.
P.O. Box 1111
Carlisle, IN 47838
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