Observations on Cuba
Here are two quotes from Cubans that encapsulate the continuing revolutionary consciousness of most of the friends and acquaintances we have made over the years on our annual holiday in Cuba.

A cigar worker: "You know, in Cuba, we don't work for me and my family; we work for all of us and then we share in what we've got. For instance, if I need a heart transplant I get it all free. And as for education, three of my children have a university education - all free."

A tourist guide: "Yes we have poverty in Cuba. But we do not have misery. Misery is poverty without dignity. And we have dignity."

And the Canadian engineer doing oil prospecting in Cuba: "The Cuban government has a reputation for scrupulously carrying out any agreements they have made, whether verbal or written, which is rare in Latin America. And they don't take bribes."

Your excellent coverage very much coincides with what we have observed in Cuba.

Bea Bryant
Blenheim, Ontario

Protesting police actions
The youth and students of Bloomington, Indiana, are now saying "enough" to the growing number of incidents of police harassment and misconduct by the Bloomington Police Department. On April 29, 60 people marched from the Monroe County courthouse to the Bloomington police station to protest an April 23 gang-rape case where the police refused to believe the woman that she was raped and did not collect the majority of the evidence involved.

This protest went off despite a call from Bloomington chief of police Steve Sharp to a rally organizer in which he told her if there was going to be a protest he wanted to "nip it in the bud" before it happened. The organizer responded to Sharp by telling him he had no say in whether or not a protest would occur.

At the police station the protesters were able to confront Sharp. Sharp stated that the police department was doing all it could in the case, but also the woman who was raped by four men made poor choices that led to her rape. This statement brought immediate cries of "Shame!" and "How dare you say such a thing!" along with boos and hissing directed at Sharp. One protester commented that Sharp, "really proved where his sympathies are."

After confronting Sharp many protesters went to People's Park in downtown Bloomington to join a rally of more than 100 people, mainly high school-aged students, who were protesting a March 23 incident in which Bloomington police surrounded the park and without a warrant illegally searched the youth gathered in the park. This rally comes on the heels of an April 16 protest in which people marched through downtown Bloomington to the police station to demand justice. At both the rally and the march there were calls for punishment of the officers involved in the search and the firing of the chief of police, Steve Sharp.

Tom Alter
Bloomington, Indiana

Letters from prisoners

I don't have a lot of money, but ignorance will always be more expensive than education. For many years now the Militant has been my mentor regarding world events. Without it I would become as ill-informed as a man trapped and lost on an island, thus cut completely off from the rest of the world. This is how I feel when relying on CNN, ABC, NBC, Time magazine, Newsweek, "60 Minutes," "20/20" and the rest of the capitalists' own information centers - or rather - misinformation centers.

The $10 enclosed herewith is not a lot of money, but please sign me up for as many Militants as it can buy me.

A prisoner
Graterford, Pennsylvania

I have enjoyed reading your paper for many years now. I am presently incarcerated at Pelican Bay state prison. I am writing to you requesting to be placed on your list for indigent prisoners to receive your paper, anything you can do to help me in the above will be well appreciated.

A prisoner
Crescent City, California

I am writing to obtain a copy of a back issue of the Militant, and to also obtain the subsidized cost for prisoners for a subscription. I have been unable to get the prison library to subscribe to the Militant, however hopefully after obtaining a back issue maybe I can then sell other inmates on the paper, in an effort we can pool our resources.

A prisoner
Beaumont, Texas

As this letter greets you with the highest form of respect, I hope that this finds you maintaining the struggle for freedom, justice, and peace. I am a prisoner that is confined in the belly of the beast (hole) and on death row. I am writing this letter requesting that you please place my name on your mailing list to receive your newspaper as soon as possible.

A prisoner
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania

Defend civil liberties
In the rush to fight terrorism with expanded police powers, U.S. working people have much to lose. By granting broader authority to the FBI and other agencies, the stage will again be set for disruption of political groups.

None of us should forget the excess of the 1960s and '70s, especially the government's infiltration and disruption of antiwar, Black liberation, and other groups through the notorious FBI Cointelpro program. If anyone reading this thinks: "But I don't belong to any of those groups!" think again. In the future, you may wish to join a group opposing tax increases, unemployment, discrimination, or promoting any good cause. The FBI may well be there with you - as it was in the 1970's - to destroy your newspapers, foment personality conflicts, initiate break- away groups, blacklist your members, and worse.

All reasonable people oppose the heinous crime committed in Oklahoma. And the government already has plenty of power to investigate and find criminals. But under the impetus of the new fear, we should not allow politicians to take away our hard-won civil liberties - even if we have no immediate plans to use them!

Let's keep the rights we have.

Albert Fried-Cassorla
Melrose Park, Pennsylvania

The Militant receives many requests from readers behind bars. The Militant Prisoner Subscription Fund makes it possible to send reduced-rate subscriptions to prisoners who can't pay for them. To help us respond to requests for subscriptions please send your contribution to the Militant Prisoner Subscription Fund, 410 West St., New York, NY 10014.

The letters column is an open forum for all viewpoints on subjects of general interest to our readers. Please keep your letters brief. Where necessary they will be abridged. Please indicate if you prefer that your initials be used rather than your full name.  
 
 
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