CI: Towards 2012

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Criminal InJustice† is a weekly series devoted to taking action against inequities in the U.S. criminal justice system. Nancy A. Heitzeg, Professor of Sociology and Race/Ethnicity, is the Editor of CI. Criminal InJustice is published every Wednesday at 6 pm CST.

Towards 2012
by Nancy A. Heitzeg

“I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings…”
from Sympathy, by Paul Dunbar, 1899

Another year comes to a close, and what to say???

There are always too many words, and yet never enough…

Eternal freedom now! to all those we lost to the vast machinery of criminal injustice — those whose names we know and those we don’t.

Peace and strength to all those who carry on — those inside the walls, and those who resist from without.

So much gratitude and special thanks to Critical Mass Progress and Seeta Persaud, Kay Whitlock, Angola 3 News, Victoria Law, Scottie Thomaston, The People’s View, and our comrades at Prison Culture.

Thanks to all of you for your support.

I am not much on New’s Year’s Resolutions ~ save one:

See you in 2012 and, as always ~ Abolition!

(12)

  • Anonymous

    Hope it is ok to sneak this in here..

    great Christmas/New Year story..

    http://www.tbfriends.com/

  • Happy New Year Nancy, Kay and the CI family!  The goal is abolition! Hear, hear!  May 2012 be a better year for the human race.

    • Amen Seeta!

      and thank you again

    • Anonymous

      Hi Seeta

      hope you have a great year

  • Emmet

    Raising a glass to Abolition as well.  Happy New Year everyone!

    — Emmet

  • Domino

    Happy New Year everybody

    hope you all have a great 2012

  • Patriotdaily

    happy new year, nancy, kay, and all! 

    i’ve mostly been in a funk thru the holidays this year, but am working to coming out in better shape next year. 

    keep safe and warm. :)

    • happy new year to you Patriotdaily!

      and it will be a better one — promise :)

  • dirkster42

    Happy New Year!

    SAVE THE DATE:  If you’re going to be in the Bay Area on January 11, my Quaker meeting will be holding a candlelight vigil at the San Francisco Federal Building at 90 7th St in the evening to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the opening of Guantanamo.  For more info on other events see the NRCAT page

    • you too dirkster!

      What a great event! Maybe — please — you’ll diary it for us????

      at any rte — will be sure to ptomo it hre

      Thanks!

  • Wavin’ at ya Scottie and sberel :)

    thanks so much !

  • Happy New Year all!

    I’ll be here until the Math works out better

    The Mighty Mos Def ~
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v0hk4FGTDU

    • Anonymous

      “I’ll be here until…”

      Heh, yeah, same for me. I’ll be here til I’m dead. And I’ll hope that my actions piss off the powers that be long after I’m gone.

      And thanks for linking me, you are too awesome! I hope your (and everyone else’s) holidays are going well! I’m kind of finished with all of my holiday activities but it’s nice to have a quiet break after dealing with family for so much time.

      • love you Scottie )

        glad you had a good holiday – just got back form the farm so it was good for me too

        trying to gear back up for class next week and then we are all going to NOLA on Jan 13 for 10 days — wish you could come and find us!..

        • Anonymous

          I love you too! My mom did manage to tell me I’ve always been “an extremist anti-racist” and she meant it as an insult. Of course it made my day. :)

          Class next week already? The holidays pass by very quickly. (Then again, everything seems to. I’m gonna be 28 exactly two months after Christmas Day. God.)

          I wish NOLA weren’t so far or I definitely would. It’s 3 hours from me though, alas. If I had friends down here or something I’d totally be up for a road trip – I’ve gone there before for concerts and stuff.

          • the entire year went by quickly….

            where does the time go???

            you are a fellow Aquarian — i should have known ..

            and Poor Mom :0 — well ha! not really

          • Anonymous

            No, I’m a Pisces actually. Feb 25th.

            And, yeah, it was funny. I was supposed to go to mom’s and then to my aunt’s but I completely backed out of going to my aunt’s. It was raining so I had an excuse!

            But I often need quiet time after dealing with them.

          • Anonymous

            Hi Indie

            don’t mean to intrude just looking for a place to say hello and I hope your new year is great..

  • I know why the Caged Bird Sings
      by Maya Angelou
    A free bird leaps on the back of the wind
    and floats downstream till the current ends
    and dips his wing in the orange suns rays and dares to claim the sky.

    But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage
    can seldom see through his bars of rage
    his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.

    The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
    of things unknown but longed for still
    and his tune is heard on the distant hill
    for the caged bird sings of freedom.

    The free bird thinks of another breeze
    and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
    and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn and he names the sky his own.

    But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
    his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
    his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.

    The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
    of things unknown but longed for still
    and his tune is heard on the distant hill
    for the caged bird sings of freedom.