Revolution Books Chicago

Monday, April 16, 2012

Revolution Books received this email:

Let everyone know about April 19th

facebook your friends

http://www.facebook.com/events/336266843087061/

http://twitter.com/stolenliveschi

This country imprisons more people than any other country on the planet. On Thursday, April 19th, everyone who is concerned about injustice must join in saying─ NO TO MASS INCARCERATION ─in a loud voice. There must be rallies and demonstrations in cities across the country. College and high school students must hold teach in's and other actions on their campuses. There need be cultural events held on that

day. The architects and enforcers of mass incarceration must be challenged over the inhumanity of the policies they are inflicting on society.

A lot of important work has been done on this front. Michelle Alexander and others have done a lot of exposure of the horrors of mass incarceration. Prisoners, activists and others concerned about injustice, including a number of prominent have been involved in building resistance to this problem. It is crucial that this resistance be taken to

higher level─NOW.

We must do this because:

2.4 million people, 60% of them Black or Latino, are held in prisons across the US.
Racial profiling practiced by police and courts serves as a pipeline to these horrific numbers.
People in prison are subjected to torture-like conditions.
The formerly incarcerated face discrimination, even after they've served their sentences.

We must do this now because in this very political time─with the presidential elections heading into full swing─the horror of racially targeted mass incarceration is being hardly mentioned. And when it does come up, it is raised only to call for even harsher measures. Only our independent mass action can puncture this atmosphere─putting this injustice forcefully before society and challenging everyone who is concerned about justice to take a stand.