Letter from a Prisoner:
"Turn this concrete cell that has broken & destroyed so many, many lives into a classroom"
May 5, 2014 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
We greatly appreciate receiving these letters from prisoners and encourage prisoners to keep sending us correspondence. The views expressed by the writers of these letters are, of course, their own; and they are not responsible for the views published elsewhere in our paper.
We received this letter through the Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund (PRLF):
I remember a few years ago, when I was locked down in Pontiac's Segregation Unit, I found myself engaged in a lively discussion, as well as a heated debate with other prisoners about the actual truths of the science of evolution. At that time, my understanding of the science of evolution was very limited to the point of being almost non-existent as a result of the material conditions I was born into, as well as the quality of my formal education. Like so many, I grew up in just one of the many burnt out slums of Chicago, only going as far as the 7th grade in school.
Anyway, the prison chaplain must of heard about our discussion/debate through the grapevine & took it as his personal mission to distribute a box filled with a book entitled "Darwinism Under the Microscope". It is obvious that the authors of this particular book are educated & well versed in the field of biology & aim to use their education for the purpose of carrying out the Christian Fascist agenda in a subjective, yet "sophisticated" sounding, kind of a way. It is no wonder that a book like this only targets the basic masses who have been systematically denied the opportunity to struggle in the realm of ideas. During the course of all this, I was only armed with Darwin's book "The Origin of Species"—a complicated & technical read for any beginner—which I was not able to fully grasp nor understand, let along capable of breaking down to others.
All of this was a defining moment for me. I became determined & driven to turn this concrete cell that has broken & destroyed so many, many lives into a classroom. I began to immerse myself in the revolutionary works of Bob Avakian & Ardea Skybreak, [author of The Science of Evolution and the Myth of Creationism: Knowing What's Real and Why It Matters] which has & continues to put so much in perspective for me.
As a result the chains of tradition were not only fully shattered, but I have since acquired a more correct understanding of reality & find myself fully capable of breaking down the science of revolution/evolution, as I've come to understand it, to others in a living, fun, yet serious way.
Once again, I just want to emphasize that my transformation came amid intense struggle under some of the most brutal & harsh conditions one can endure within this society. There is no shortcut. The path is torturous, yet so liberating, fun & at times frustrating. As the above example illustrates, I have been in constant battle with the various reactionary fundamentalist prison ministries, particularly the ones fully backed by Christian Fascism, that have been given total access to our minds for many years now. Only this time, thanks to Bob Avakian & everybody involved, I'm more than prepared!
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