Wednesday
Jaime Elizalde Jr., a friend of mine with an execution date just hollered down to me and told me that Tony Egbuno Ford is being carried back from the visitation building on a stretcher! He’s looking out of his little 3 inch cell window. They should be wheeling him on the pod in a few minutes.
Speaking of Jaime, we -meaning everyone in the Abolitionist movement- achieved a small victory: Jaime got a modification on his execution date. He was scheduled to be murdered by the state on November 2nd, today, but they reset his date for January 31st. Good! That’s more time for him and his supporters to work on trying to stop his unjust execution. Jaime’s case is a perfect example of why capital punishment should be immediately abolished.
Hold up! I’m at the door now looking out the grate and security plexi-glass while writing. I heard the front door pop. They’re wheeling Egbuno in on a stretcher accompanied by the Riot Team. He’s downstairs on the run giving a protest lecture to the camera and officers. This is awesome! Over 340 people have been legally executed by the state of Texas and no one has ever protested before their execution date. Only 6 people out of the approximately 340 have offered any resistance at all. 5 fought physically and one made them carry him. These actions were carried out on their execution dates.
The five that fought were Ponchai Kamau Wilkerson, Emerson (Young Lion) Rudd, Dez, Marcus Cotton and Gary Graham (Shaka Sankofa). Todd Willingham made them carry him. Ponchai even spit out a handcuff key out on the gurney right before he was executed. He showed the world that he possessed the tool that would allow him to murder an officer at any time, but he chose not to. They murdered a peaceful man. Ponchai and the others who refused to accept their state-sanctioned murder were all soldiers in the struggle and their memory lives on!
Egbuno has started his protest more than a month before his execution date and I’m going to stand in complete solidarity with him all the way. And others are also. That’s something that has never been done before either: Death Row inmates protesting another person’s execution.
Ok, they have Egbuno in his cell. I just hollered down to him and he said everything’s cool. Another small victory: Last week they came up with a new rule saying that we can no longer possess hardback books. Well, earlier today the property officer came on the pod passing out all the hardback books that were confiscated. I’ve read the case law that allows us to possess pretty much any reading material as long as its not a threat to the security of the institution, so I knew they’d give the books back if those on the outside put pressure on the unit staff. They can only do so much with supporters on the outside offering civilian oversight.
We're still working on making an e-mail activist list of those truly committed to action on the outside who are willing to help with e-mail campaigns. We can accomplish some great things if we work together.
I’m half delirious from lack of sleep and chemical gas. I feel like I’m about to pass out so I’m going to see if I can get some sleep on this metal bunk. I’m completely naked and covered in gas but I’m more determined than ever!
From Neo-Auschwitz
With strength and love:
Rob Will