Jun 19th, 2009
Posted by Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr., Hip Hop Caucus at 2:54pm	Torture

Let This Date Inspire Another

Today — June 19 — also known as Juneteenth — is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. A date that marks the day that General Gordon Granger marched his men west into Galveston and emancipated the last Negro slaves. But the struggle for freedom did not end with Lincoln's pen, General Granger taking Galveston, or through Reconstruction.

Hip-hop represents those descendants, and joins them with the undocumented workers, and with all oppressed people, whether gay or straight, Muslim, Jew, Christian, agnostic or atheist.

A melting pot of the streets — hip-hop is a movement cultural in nature, artistic by choice, spiritual when it wants to be, political when it has to be, but always refined. And in our movement we walk with a swagger, because one does after you've been beaten, whipped, and spat on for so long. The harder your life, the harder you get.

Hip-hop is the firepower for the 21st century civil rights struggle. We are the boots on the ground for the struggle, and in case you weren't paying attention, we've been marching for some time now. The Hip Hop Caucus works towards ending urban poverty for the next generation, and organizing young people to be active in their urban communities.

Although this day bears particular importance for African-American communities around the country, it is a time of reflection for all Americans, no matter what color your skin is. Over the years, Juneteenth has become a day of solidarity in connection with other civil and human rights causes and movements.

Two years ago on Juneteenth, along with the ACLU and hip-hop group Dead Prez, the Hip Hop Caucus held the "Shut it Down, Stop the Torture" concert in D.C. A week later, on June 26 — International Day in Support of Torture Victims — we stood together with the ACLU and Amnesty International at Hip Hop for Habeas to demand the restoration of habeas corpus and an end to the systematic use of torture.

Unfortunately, not much has changed since that time. President Obama has stated his commitment to closing Guantánamo, but over 200 people remain locked up at Gitmo, most of whom never been charged with a crime. And although President Obama has also said that the U.S. does not torture, in order to fully move on, we must hold accountable the people who conceived of, crafted and approved the torture program in the first place.

Today is a sober celebration of the end of America's worst crimes and most brutal tragedy. Yet for the crimes committed during our own generation there is no justice, no end in sight. The torture of today is the slavery of yesterday, simply an updated version of what happens when man devalues his fellow man.

There is no telling what future date in years to come will be set aside, to commemorate the end of torture in America's name and the restoration of our rule of law. As long as a single innocent soul remains locked up in Guantánamo, and held there without the charge of a crime, then I will not back down. Nor will the hip-hop generation.

As this Dead Prez lyric so succinctly puts it, it is our past that inspires our action and our solidarity with the victims of torture:

"Yo, this world is oh so cold, I think about my ancestors
Being sold, and it make me wanna break the mold"

Today, the Hip Hop Caucus is demanding accountability for the torture crimes that were committed in America's name.

You see in our movement we walk with a swagger, and stand for something that sure isn't torture. We stand for American law, even though it enslaved and then segregated our ancestors.

We stand for the system of American government in spite of the fact that for over 200 years that system did not stand for our history.

We urge this country to respect human rights and the basic dignity of all God's children because we know all too well what can happen when it does not. That is what today is about. Let us shut Gitmo down, and bring the torturers to justice so that we may offer our children another date to celebrate.

Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr. is the President of the Hip Hop Caucus. In 2004 he was the co-creator of the Vote Or Die! campaign with P. Diddy, and served as Russell Simmons' Political and Grassroots Director. He was also the Executive Director of Hip Hop Voices a program of Voices for Working Families at AFL-CIO. Rev. Yearwood is a nationally recognized activist and community organizer, known in particular for organizing for justice in response to Hurricane Katrina and for his fierce opposition to the war in Iraq.

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Tags: accountability

1. Valery Fabrikant Says:
   Jun 27th, 2009 at 4:14pm

   You sit at the table with wrong eyes. Amnesty International doesn't give a damn about human rights. I reproduce below the e-mail which I sent to Amnesty International Canada. Not only they didn't respond, but when I called them on the phone, they refused to talk to me and hanged up. Here is the text which I sent to them:

   Sir/Madam,

   I am prisoner in Canadian jail and I am being murdered by denial of cardiac care. I reproduce below the history of my heart disease and the way jailers and Quebec doctors are denying me proper care.

   I had my first heart attack in 1991 at the age of 51 due to extreme psychological stress exerted by Concordia University administration. I recovered due to an angioplasty which was performed several months later.

   While in jail, I had regular follow-ups with cardiologists until 1996, when I started a lawsuit against one of the doctors. Soon thereafter, I was told that no cardiologist would treat me unless I had an emergency (heart attack).

   Indeed, this is what happened. Despite repeated requests of me to see cardiologist, I was not brought to a hospital until I had a heart attack in 1998. All Quebec doctors refused to perform an angioplasty claiming that it was not possible. I have sent the film of latest angiography to the top specialists at Harvard Medical School, New York University, Columbia University, etc. All were unanimous that angioplasty was needed and each were ready to perform it.

   My family has found a doctor in British Columbia in 1998, who was also ready to perform an angioplasty, but Quebec doctors insisted that all I needed was to take pills and jailers used this “unanimous” opinion to refuse to transfer me to British Columbia for an angioplasty.

   In order to save my life, I started legal action in Federal Court to order jailers to transfer me to British Columbia. Corrupt judge Mcguillis declared me vexatious pleader and effectively denied me access to Federal Court.

   As the second attempt to save my life, I started a lawsuit against jail doctor Corbin. The lawsuit was summarily dismissed and I was declared vexatious pleader by another corrupt judge, Rolland.

   I filed a complaint with the Human Rights Committee of United Nations. As a result, Canadian Government and Quebec doctors blinked – I was transferred to British Columbia in December of 2001. The angioplasty was performed in January 2002 and it showed that I was brought to the brink of death: all major coronary arteries were blocked 85-95%. A letter signed by cardiologist Ayas and confirming that my life was in danger, is attached.

   This proved beyond reasonable doubt that I was right in his legal action, nevertheless, not only was my status of vexatious pleader was not cancelled, but another corrupt judge, Durand has barred me from filing any complaints against doctors, nurses and lawyers. This was done without my presence breeching the basic rules of fundamental justice.

   My life was saved, but not for long: restenosis progressed and new angioplasties became necessary. At that time, Quebec doctors’ “unanimity” opinion changed: now they recommended bypass surgery, though they could not provide details as to which exact artery and at what place did they plan to bypass. In addition, they couldn’t explain why the cardiac surgeons, who stated that bypass was not possible, were wrong.

   In order to check morality of Quebec doctors, I asked, in 2004, one of my relatives in New York to send my film of angiography pretending it to be the relative’s film, to Quebec cardiologist Bilodeau, asking Bilodeau whether he could perform angioplasty after viewing the film. My relative got immediate invitation from Bilodeau to come to Montreal for an angioplasty. A copy of Bilodeau’s invitation is attached . When confronted with this controversy, Bilodeau still insisted that there was nothing he could do for me, though he could not explain why he was capable to help my relative. College Des Medecins dismissed my complaint on this subject without giving any explanation.

   My life was in danger yet again in 2004. My court application for relief was denied, without hearing, by former Chief Justice Lemieux (who was forced to resign because she was caught driving drunk), though she had in front of her letter signed by world class specialist Professor Reifart, where he confirmed that my life was indeed in danger (a copy of the letter is attached). Again, a doctor was found in Toronto who agreed to perform an angioplasty. In order to save my life, my family had to borrow money to pay for medical care, guards’ salary, their hotel rooms and meals, car use, gas, etc. In the country, which proudly claims to provide every citizen with free medical care, my family had to borrow money three times by now in order to save my life.

   In December of 2005, I was transferred to Fenbrook jail in Ontario for the purpose of being closer to my Toronto doctor. This arrangement didn’t last long. In January of 2007, when my heart condition became worse, instead of bringing me to my Toronto doctor, jailers transferred me involuntarily to filthy, cold and violent Collin’s Bay Jail. The official reason: Collins Bay Jail is located in Kingston, close to a major hospital, in case if I have a heart attack. The same twisted logic: instead of undertaking necessary measures to prevent a heart attack, jailers are pretending to be prepared for action after heart attack.

   After my request to be returned to Fenbrook jail was denied, I had no choice but to return to Archambault jail in July of 2007. Since that time, I did not have a single follow-up, visit to cardiologist and as of today, I do not have an attending cardiologist. Jail doctor Coche tells me that Cite de la Sante cardiologists do not want to treat me, except in emergency, which means near or after a heart attack.

   I feels that me life is in danger: I was delivered by an ambulance to the Emergency Room 3 times this year, and jailers do not call an ambulance for a prisoner, unless they have reason to believe that his life is in danger.

   I had the first emergency on February 26, 2008. All what Cite de la Sante cardiologists did was to check that I not yet have a heart attack. As soon as this was verified, I was discharged from the hospital against my will.

   I had another emergency on June 16, 2008. I was delivered to ER of Cite de la Sante hospital, where Dr. Croteau did nothing, but blood test for enzymes, which shows only that the I did not yet have a heart attack. As soon as this was verified, I was discharged from the hospital against my will. At about 2 a.m. during that night, I had an incident of extreme nausea followed by very extensive perspiration, which is an indicator of a serious heart trouble.

   I was delivered yet again by an ambulance to Cite de la Sante hospital on June 18, 2008. This time, angiography was done, but not the necessary treatment - angioplasty. Even presuming that angioplasty was not necessary, then proper tests should be performed to find out the reasons for my heart problems. No such tests were performed.

   Cite de la Sante Hospital has a contract with Correctional Service Canada (CSC) to treat prisoners from all nearby jails. The rules are as follows. When jail doctor decides that a prisoner needs to see a specialist, he writes a referral, which is transmitted to the Respondent, an appointment is made, and then jailers deliver prisoner to the hospital at the date of appointment. I have no problem securing appointment with any specialist, except cardiologists; they are the only specialists, who are consistently refusing to honor jail doctor's referrals.

   I submits that the present situation, where Cite de la Sante do not want to do anything to prevent a heart attack constitutes cruel and unusual treatment, which is explicitly forbidden by Sec. 12 of Canadian Charter, since in majority of cases, the only thing to do after a heart attack is burial. Cite de la Sante behaviour also breaches Sec. 7 of Canadian Charter, as well as Sec. 1 of Quebec Charter. I am being treated differently from the way any other prisoner is being treated; this kind of treatment is discriminatory and therefore illegal.

   Please help me save my life by pressing Canadian Government in providing me with proper cardiac care.

   Sincerely,

   Fabrikant