I’m often asked why I protest. This simple question surprises me every time I hear it. When faced with Injustice, to me, the obvious response is to fight against that Injustice.
Really, it is the only acceptable response. Martin Luther King Jr. once stated that “inaction in the face of injustice is direct consent.” I most emphatically agree. I’ve always been a very free thinking individual. What one might call a “Free Spirit.” I reject all standards put forth by society and I define my own morality. I essentially create my own culture. Any time a person tries to force his values and standards upon me I instinctively think about his – or in this case, TDCJ’s – objectives and motives. This system methodically attempts to instill the “value” of complacency above all others in the minds of inmates. I realized this long ago and asked myself why? The answers: the power of this corrupt system rests on the complacency of the oppressed. To sit idly by is to validate an invalid system. How can I not protest? I recognize the need for change. I’m immune to the psychological tactic of forced mental complacency and inaction on my part would only give justification to this oppressive system. So, why do I protest? Why have I spent the majority of my time here on disciplinary status because of my actions in opposition to the oppressive conditions we live under? The answer is simple: because in being True to myself, I couldn’t exist any other way.
Robert Will