ARLIN TROUTT- THE BATTLE FOR JUSTICE CONTINUES

Question:

ARLIN TROUTT- THE BATTLE FOR JUSTICE CONTINUES Tuesday, October 24th, in the federal courthouse in Minneapolis, I watched crooked, lying cops, led by a heartless prosecutor, convince a jury of suburban sheep to tear at least eight more lives apart in the name of the drug war. Arlin Troutt was found guilty of the charge of conspiracy to distribute marijuana. As Arlin’s wife and children wept, the fat-assed jury foreman looked on and smiled. Watching this man throughout the trial, as he was laughing and joking, I felt sure that he was so relaxed because he was relishing the opportunity to set a good man free. I was mistaken. This fat bastard was looking forward to his turn on the trigger. Some people are like that, they get a thrill from inflicting suffering on their fellow man. As the jury foreman left the federal courthouse, wearing an American flag jacket, I said to him, "you sent a good man to prison today". He smiled and said, "oh, well." Three US marshals watched as I let him walk by. Most of the jurors were probably too stupid to understand the charge of conspiracy, much less understand what kind of injustice they had done, but the foreman was the kind of guy who would have guarded concentration camps, the kind of guy that WILL be guarding concentration camps in the future, if we don’t stop this cruel and insane war on drugs. It was a long day, it was almost unbearable to look at Arlin’s kids; Duffy, 23, Arlin’s oldest son, in college at ASU. What kind of opinion can he have of this nation? Remember, this was done in the name of every citizen of this country. Kaya, 16, Rose, 13, Lee, 9, Annie, 8, and Anthony, 6. Though young, they understand better than anyone what so-called American "justice" is really all about. When six year old Anthony talks about "machine guns", he’s not talking about some plastic G.I. Joe toy, or something he saw in a rambo movie, this kindergarten kid is talking about the machine guns leveled at his mother’s head, cocked and loaded, held by DEA agents in ski masks. Arlin’s wife, Cathy, as fine and brave a person as ever lived, will be sentenced to run a business and care for six kids, alone, for as long as Arlin is imprisoned. These are the true victims of the God-damned war on drugs. And the war rages on… Defense attorney Marc Kurzman estimated this tragic farce of justice is re-enacted 200 times a year in Minneapolis federal court alone. Good honest people like Arlin Troutt, sentenced to decades and centuries of prison time for having a plant that was given to all humanity by God. The fight is far from over, it will never be over until every marijuana prisoner is free, or until every American who cares about truth and justice has been imprisoned or shot down by the machine-gunners of the police state. This truly is a war, and if justice does not prevail, if we do not demand justice and insure that it is done, then we will surely suffer under the cruelest and most absolute tyranny that has ever been imagined by man. It has already begun. This trial is not about "marijuana", it’s about crying "Uncle". If Arlin had squealed, he’d be on his way to a country club prison camp reserved for snitches, for a few months, like John Collette. If Arlin had pled guilty, the prosecutor was ready to ask for "only" 5 years. For refusing to sell out his morals, Arlin Troutt faces up to life in prison. Like William Wallace, (whose life was the basis for the movie "Braveheart") Arlin is being made to be an "example" to all those who would have the temerity to oppose the horrible excesses of a police state gone mad. From Robert Emmett to Mumia Abu Jamal, from Nathan Hale to Vaclav Havel, from Che Guevara to Nelson Mandela, the true heroes and leaders are always singled out for especially cruel treatment, not for what they’ve done, but for what they are, and what they represent. If a hero is someone who is willing to risk and even sacrifice his life for his principles and the greater good, then Arlin Troutt is a hero. Arlin has a wife and children who love and need him. Arlin has dreams and ambitions, based not on getting rich or being seen as successful or famous, but on making the world a better place. Hemp plays a role in this. Arlin Troutt is a poet and musician who had the wisdom and courage to see what was so very wrong with our country, determine a better way, and stand up to demand the changes we desperately need. Arlin may be forced to pay for this with his life. But Arlin Troutt is also a warrior of the highest caliber. Arlin is looking into the jaws of a system that has devoured hundreds of thousands of innocent men and women whose only crime was to be involved with a plant that comes straight from nature. Arlin looked into those grinding, life stealing jaws, and he didn’t flinch, he didn’t squeal, or apologize, or beg. He saw the legacy of injustice, the thousands of lives stolen, milleniums of suffering, and he saw the inevitable results of letting this savage system continue unopposed. So Arlin stood up and said, " come on, you motherfuckers" . And here they are, and look at what they’ve done, in our name, in the name of our nation, in the name of "justice". This is the responsibility of every American that has let it happen, the responsibility of every American who didn’t do everything they could to stop it. Charles A. Reich had this to say about drug war prisoners, in his recent (and exellent) book, Opposing the System; "They are all but literally buried alive. Nowhere in America- not in the sheltered confines of a university, not on a mountaintop or on a beach, not in a movie theater or restaurant or at home under the blankets in bed- is it possible to escape from the awful knowledge that fellow human beings are continuously suffering under inhuman conditions. If we shut this knowledge out, if we deny that it affects us, then we in turn become victims of dehumanization… Everything depends upon whether or not such mass incarceration of human beings is justified. If they deserve their suffering, then we are still a "good" country and each of us can enjoy a clear conscience. If their suffering is preventable by a change… then our cherished country has become a major violator of human rights and we are all burdened by that fact in everything we think and do." Arlin’s fight is our fight, and it will not be over until every prisoner convicted under an unjust law is free. Although there are hundreds of thousands of them, they will be free. Arlin will not quit, I will not quit, no American who loves the ideals of Liberty and Justice will do anything less than everything they can, until our victory is complete. There is still hope for justice in Arlin’s case. There are many judicial and prosecutorial issues to be addressed by the Appeals Court. The decision on an appeal, as well as the sentence, will be determined within a month. Kurzman seems to feel that the chances for an appeal are good, particularly on the issue of admitting Arlin’s previous "bad acts". To all those who sent help and support, the deepest thanks, from Arlin, his family, and his friends. The Law of Karma shows that everything you give away will come back to you. Thanks. To all those who could have helped, but didn’t, like Arlin’s old friend Willie Nelson, who was "too busy", I have only this to say: This is the moment of Truth, this is where it counts. You know what’s right in this case, and if you do nothing, then you are no more than a coward and, as Arlin would say, a "hempocrite". If you’re not part of the solution, you ARE the problem. If you’re "too busy", then what are you doing that’s so important? Care to explain that to Arlin’s kids? To yourself? To God? If you won’t take a stand for Truth and Justice, then what do you stand for? Pepperoni pizza? Nothing more? To those who were so quick to convict Arlin Troutt for a victim-less crime, I only hope that someday you will understand the injustice you have been a part of, and may it weigh heavy on your souls. To those who were the instigators and the willing participants in this heartless persecution, to those who bore false witness, and to those who laugh at the anguish and misery of families torn asunder, I say this: Our day will come, and so will yours. You will surely make a reconing for your actions at the gates of Hell. May God speed you there. -bongo

Response:

writes: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -ARLIN TROUTT- THE BATTLE FOR JUSTICE CONTINUES Tuesday, October 24th, in the federal courthouse in Minneapolis, I watched crooked, lying cops, led by a heartless prosecutor, convince a jury of suburban sheep to tear at least eight more lives apart in the name of the drug war. Arlin Troutt was found guilty of the charge of conspiracy to distribute marijuana. As Arlin’s wife and children wept, the fat-assed jury foreman looked on and smiled. Watching this man throughout the trial, as he was laughing and joking, I felt sure that he was so relaxed because he was relishing the opportunity to set a good man free. I was mistaken. This fat bastard was looking forward to his turn on the trigger. Some people are like that, they get a thrill from inflicting suffering on their fellow man. As the jury foreman left the federal courthouse, wearing an American flag jacket, I said to him, "you sent a good man to prison today". He smiled and said, "oh, well." Three US marshals watched as I let him walk by. Most of the jurors were probably too stupid to understand the charge of conspiracy, much less understand what kind of injustice they had done, but the foreman was the kind of guy who would have guarded concentration camps, the kind of guy that WILL be guarding concentration camps in the future, if we don’t stop this cruel and insane war on drugs. It was a long day, it was almost unbearable to look at Arlin’s kids; Duffy, 23, Arlin’s oldest son, in college at ASU. What kind of opinion can he have of this nation? Remember, this was done in the name of every citizen of this country. Kaya, 16, Rose, 13, Lee, 9, Annie, 8, and Anthony, 6. Though young, they understand better than anyone what so-called American "justice" is really all about. When six year old Anthony talks about "machine guns", he’s not talking about some plastic G.I. Joe toy, or something he saw in a rambo movie, this kindergarten kid is talking about the machine guns leveled at his mother’s head, cocked and loaded, held by DEA agents in ski masks. Arlin’s wife, Cathy, as fine and brave a person as ever lived, will be sentenced to run a business and care for six kids, alone, for as long as Arlin is imprisoned. These are the true victims of the God-damned war on drugs. And the war rages on… Defense attorney Marc Kurzman estimated this tragic farce of justice is re-enacted 200 times a year in Minneapolis federal court alone. Good honest people like Arlin Troutt, sentenced to decades and centuries of prison time for having a plant that was given to all humanity by God. The fight is far from over, it will never be over until every marijuana prisoner is free, or until every American who cares about truth and justice has been imprisoned or shot down by the machine-gunners of the police state. This truly is a war, and if justice does not prevail, if we do not demand justice and insure that it is done, then we will surely suffer under the cruelest and most absolute tyranny that has ever been imagined by man. It has already begun. This trial is not about "marijuana", it’s about crying "Uncle". If Arlin had squealed, he’d be on his way to a country club prison camp reserved for snitches, for a few months, like John Collette. If Arlin had pled guilty, the prosecutor was ready to ask for "only" 5 years. For refusing to sell out his morals, Arlin Troutt faces up to life in prison. Like William Wallace, (whose life was the basis for the movie "Braveheart") Arlin is being made to be an "example" to all those who would have the temerity to oppose the horrible excesses of a police state gone mad. From Robert Emmett to Mumia Abu Jamal, from Nathan Hale to Vaclav Havel, from Che Guevara to Nelson Mandela, the true heroes and leaders are always singled out for especially cruel treatment, not for what they’ve done, but for what they are, and what they represent. If a hero is someone who is willing to risk and even sacrifice his life for his principles and the greater good, then Arlin Troutt is a hero. Arlin has a wife and children who love and need him. Arlin has dreams and ambitions, based not on getting rich or being seen as successful or famous, but on making the world a better place. Hemp plays a role in this. Arlin Troutt is a poet and musician who had the wisdom and courage to see what was so very wrong with our country, determine a better way, and stand up to demand the changes we desperately need. Arlin may be forced to pay for this with his life. But Arlin Troutt is also a warrior of the highest caliber. Arlin is looking into the jaws of a system that has devoured hundreds of thousands of innocent men and women whose only crime was to be involved with a plant that comes straight from nature. Arlin looked into those grinding, life stealing jaws, and he didn’t flinch, he didn’t squeal, or apologize, or beg. He saw the legacy of injustice, the thousands of lives stolen, milleniums of suffering, and he saw the inevitable results of letting this savage system continue unopposed. So Arlin stood up and said, " come on, you motherfuckers" . And here they are, and look at what they’ve done, in our name, in the name of our nation, in the name of "justice". This is the responsibility of every American that has let it happen, the responsibility of every American who didn’t do everything they could to stop it. Charles A. Reich had this to say about drug war prisoners, in his recent (and exellent) book, Opposing the System; "They are all but literally buried alive. Nowhere in America- not in the sheltered confines of a university, not on a mountaintop or on a beach, not in a movie theater or restaurant or at home under the blankets in bed- is it possible to escape from the awful knowledge that fellow human beings are continuously suffering under inhuman conditions. If we shut this knowledge out, if we deny that it affects us, then we in turn become victims of dehumanization… Everything depends upon whether or not such mass incarceration of human beings is justified. If they deserve their suffering, then we are still a "good" country and each of us can enjoy a clear conscience. If their suffering is preventable by a change… then our cherished country has become a major violator of human rights and we are all burdened by that fact in everything we think and do." Arlin’s fight is our fight, and it will not be over until every prisoner convicted under an unjust law is free. Although there are hundreds of thousands of them, they will be free. Arlin will not quit, I will not quit, no American who loves the ideals of Liberty and Justice will do anything less than everything they can, until our victory is complete. There is still hope for justice in Arlin’s case. There are many judicial and prosecutorial issues to be addressed by the Appeals Court. The decision on an appeal, as well as the sentence, will be determined within a month. Kurzman seems to feel that the chances for an appeal are good, particularly on the issue of admitting Arlin’s previous "bad acts". To all those who sent help and support, the deepest thanks, from Arlin, his family, and his friends. The Law of Karma shows that everything you give away will come back to you. Thanks. To all those who could have helped, but didn’t, like Arlin’s old friend Willie Nelson, who was "too busy", I have only this to say: This is the moment of Truth, this is where it counts. You know what’s right in this case, and if you do nothing, then you are no more than a coward and, as Arlin would say, a "hempocrite". If you’re not part of the solution, you ARE the problem. If you’re "too busy", then what are you doing that’s so important? Care to explain that to Arlin’s kids? To yourself? To God? If you won’t take a stand for Truth and Justice, then what do you stand for? Pepperoni pizza? Nothing more? To those who were so quick to convict Arlin Troutt for a victim-less crime, I only hope that someday you will understand the injustice you have been a part of, and may it weigh heavy on your souls. To those who were the instigators and the willing participants in this heartless persecution, to those who bore false witness, and to those who laugh at the anguish and misery of families torn asunder, I say this: Our day will come, and so will yours. You will surely make a reconing for your actions at the gates of Hell. May God speed you there. -bongo PS- this is not over yet. I will continue to post info.

Excerpts from Charles A. Reich’s book "Opposing the System" gratefully and respectfully used without permission. -bongo – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

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