“The vanguard of the moment is before the opponent has begun to make a move. This first impulse of movement is the energy, feeling or mood held back in the chest. To accurately see an opponent’s energy, feeling and mood, and to act accordingly in their presence is called the vanguard of the moment. This effective action is a specialty in Zen, where it is referred to as the Zen dynamic.” – The Book of Family Traditions on the Art of War, Yogu Munenori
I have been viciously and violently assaulted. As any academic who has the right to speak on the subject would agree, psychological violence can many times be much worse than outright physical violence. I have been attacked without any provocation whatsoever in a very extreme psychologically violent manner.
Right now I’m in a super-maximum security cell down in the dungeon (i.e., the disciplinary pod). What did I do? Absolutely nothing at all. Last week I sent out an update in which I spoke about the dramatic rise in oppression that has been going on around here and I mentioned that I participated in a 3-day Solidarity Fast with some other guys. At least two people are still on the hunger strike, day 8 or 9 I believe. Much has been written about the rise of ultra right-wing radical conservative mentality in post-Obama N. America.
History has shown us that when this type of fervor infects a society it does indeed affect all areas of society. Think of the sociological changes that occurred when Mussolini started to gain power in Italy and think of the rise of Nazism in Germany. I’ve studied these things very in-depth and it’s really quite terrifying (Interesting note: A Nazi doctor named Karl Brandt invented lethal injection). Indeed, the rise of what can only be called a fascist mentality is having its affect here on Texas’ Death Row.
This will be brief because, for one, I can barely see to write due to the fact that three of the four light bulbs are out in this cell and I also must engage in a bit of Zen Dynamic-esque activity. So, on Tuesday I requested to speak to a Sgt. to try to help resolve a problem a psych patient dude was having. The Sgt. came and I was speaking to him and apparently a young new officer went and told someone there was a major incident occurring (which there wasn’t). Now, at the same time, on another pod a guy was committing a non-violent direct action in protest of the outrageous rise of oppression here by occupying the dayroom. The Riot Team was down at the other end of the building because of this.
Apparently, Lt. Worthy – who is a brand new Lt. and has never worked on Death Row before – just decided to storm onto C-Pod where I was at from F-Pod where the incident occurred, without even checking to see if there was an incident on C-Pod.
When he came onto the pod with the Riot Team and a gang of officers with three different assault weapons the Sgt., Sgt. Glover, looked over and said, “Why are y’all on C-Pod?” And then Sgt. Farris said, “Is Will coming out, did he jack the day room?” With a confused look on his face, Sgt. Glover replied, “What? Will didn’t do anything, he didn’t jack the dayroom.” Right then Lt. Worthy came through the door yelling “Take him to F-Pod!! Take him to Level 3!!” waving his huge assault rifle around in a completely out-of-control manner, without even really knowing what was going on and violating an extensive list of TDCJ policies.
I was taken down here and my property was viciously attacked by the only officer here that I have a problem with, or, I should say, he, Officer Reese, has a problem with me. Of course, C.O. Reese has a problem with everyone. Much of my property is missing still. I spent Tuesday night in this freezing cold cell with nothing but a pair of boxers. C.O. Reese is the type of cowardly, pitiful little man who has nothing better to do than harass people. I’m sure you understand the psychodynamics of the situation: always trying to find some kind of way to oppress, some kind of way to gain satisfaction from harming others in order to level out whatever type of subconscious disturbances in Ego-functioning he’s suffering from. I feel sorry for him, really, such a sad, pitiful little man. I hope he can get some good counseling to restore his sense of “manhood.”
This situation seems quite absurd actually but nothing can really ever be absurd in this macabre little Kafka-esque Orwellian environment. I was placed down here for a fake reason but I’m quite sure the real reason has to do with the fact that I participated in the hunger strike and have stepped up my organizing activities in the wake of the rise of oppression around here. There is no doubt about this. Two of the guys who are still on the hunger strike were given nonsense disciplinary cases as well and are in cells right above me on disciplinary status.
One of the main problems has been that 98% of the guys who have been getting bogus cases have been accepting it with absolute abject acquiescence. People’s spirits have been broken, their souls crushed. Echoes of Orwell…It’s really quite sick, sick and sad…The echoes of Orwell have been replaced by…A Satyagnaha symphonic masterpiece! My eyes are hurting because of this light – or lack of light – so I’ll go ahead and sign off soon, but best believe the spirit of the righteous pro-Democracy protesters of the Middle East lives within me. The spirit of all of those who have fought for social justice in the past lives within me.
I’ve been viciously attacked and all this has done is inspire me. In the spirit of Satya (Truth), in the spirit of righteousness, in the spirit of remaining unwavering in the fight to help heal Humanity, I’ll sign off with an embrace of…
Strength, Love and Solidarity:
Rob Will