[statecom-discuss] Fwd: How Reform Reinforces Racism

[David Rolde]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: SHaRC SHaRC <allrights4all at yahoo.com>
> Date: January 30, 2007 3:30:17 PM EST
> To: allrights4all at yahoo.com
> Subject: How Reform Reinforces Racism
>
> THIS WEDNESDAY: SCREENING OF PRISON DOCUMENTARY - THE DHAMMA BROTHERS
>
> Dear Friends--- Greetings to All!  I am forwarding this notice of  
> the Screening of the film, The Dhamma Brothers at the State House,  
> tomorrow January 31 at 2:00PM in the House Members Lounge.  The  
> screening  will be co-hosted by Rep. kay Khan and Senator Jarrett  
> Barrios. The film is about rehabilitaion of Black folks behind  
> bars. In a public setting this film may have merit. In a private  
> setting, as part of a public relations campaign to build consensus  
> about building more kinder and  prisons it is deeply offensive.
> At a time when the rate of prison "suicide" is at an all time high;  
> when medical 'care' amounts to permanent chronic ill health; when  
> guards are identifying imigrant prisoners for deportation;when the  
> Commonwealth spends more money on 'corrections' than higher  
> education; and 2.3 million people are behind bars; when drug  
> treatment beds have been slashed; and young boys of color ( and now  
> girls, too) are seen as predators; when public education is  
> different depending on 'race'; when hundreds of thousands in MA  
> have no health insurance; when DOC is making a prison sentence a  
> death sentence; when there's a total lack of participatory  
> democracy- THIS IS WHAT ' self-declared LIBERAL/PROGRESSIVE  
> legislators are doing??!!!!
> Khan and Barrios are attempting to build consensus behind closed  
> doors to put more folks behind prison doors. They presume to  
> "rehabilitate" the very people  who are grievously harmed by  
> increasing structural, institutional RACISM and CLASSISM. They're  
> just saying it all 'so very politely and civilly. Khan chose  
> International Women's Day last year to announce a call for more  
> women's jails in the very same room! What kind of feminism is this?
> We have an obligation to let our opposition to this event be heard.  
> Private gatherings in OUR house to promote a deeply racist viewpoin  
> must be protested. Please try to attend. Call your rep and voice  
> your opinion. PLEASE FORWARD this message far and wide. Don't allow  
> this behavior to go unnoticed. Thank you.
> In Strength and Justice,
> Susan
> Subject: FW: THIS WEDNESDAY: SCREENING OF PRISON DOCUMENTARY - THE  
> DHAMMA BROTHERS
> Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2007 18:07:13 +0000
> Please send this out...these (mostly white liberal) legislators  
> need to hear from the folk who have survived the torture of the  
> injustice system. It's still happening right here in Massachusetts!  
> Khan and Barrios want to increase the prison population while  
> claiming to help those poor, folks of color and women.
> From: Khan, Kay - Rep. (HOU)
> Sent: Monday, January 29, 2007 4:11 PM
> To: Khan, Kay - Rep. (HOU); Atkins, Cory - Rep. (HOU); Balser, Ruth  
> - Rep. (HOU); Bradley, Garrett - Rep. (HOU); Sannicandro, Tom -  
> Rep. (HOU); Brownsberger, William - Rep. (HOU); Costello, Michael -  
> Rep. (HOU); Eldridge, James - Rep. (HOU); Rushing, Byron - Rep.  
> (HOU); Creem, Cynthia (SEN); Jehlen, Patricia (SEN); Fox, Gloria -  
> Rep. (HOU); Festa, Mike - Rep. (HOU); Barrios, Jarrett (SEN);  
> Richardson, Pam - Rep. (HOU); Wilkerson, Dianne (SEN); Coakley- 
> Rivera, Cheryl - Rep. (HOU); St.Fleur, Marie - Rep. (HOU); Allen,  
> WillieMae - Rep. (HOU); Swan, Benjamin - Rep. (HOU); DorcenaForry,  
> Linda - Rep. (HOU); Malia, Kevin P (DSS); Murphy, Charles - Rep.  
> (HOU); OFlaherty, Gene - Rep. (HOU); Petersen, Douglas - Rep.  
> (HOU); Sanchez, Jeffrey - Rep. (HOU); Sciortino, Carl - Rep. (HOU);  
> Story, Ellen - Rep. (HOU); Fernandes, John - Rep. (HOU); Alicea,  
> Geraldo - Rep. (HOU); Wals h, Steven - Rep. (HOU); Ross, Richard -  
> Rep. (HOU)
> Cc: jennyphillips101 at aol.com; Edmondson, Rebecca (SEN);  
> 'Blumenthal, Sarah (HOU)'
> Subject: THIS WEDNESDAY: SCREENING OF PRISON DOCUMENTARY - THE  
> DHAMMA BROTHERS
> Dear Colleagues,
> Sen. Barrios and I (Rep. Kay Khan) invite you to a pre-release  
> viewing of The Dhamma Brothers, a documentary exploring the  
> potential for rehabilitation in the context of prison, in the House  
> Members' Lounge, Wednesday, Jan. 31 at 2PM.  Director/Producers  
> Jenny Phillips and Anne Marie Stein will join us for a discussion  
> of the film following the viewing.  Please find attached a flyer  
> and synopsis detailing the film.  Staff is welcome to attend.   
> Please RSVP to Sarah at sarah.blumenthal at state.ma.us.
>
> Sincerely,
> Kay & Jarrett
>
> Kay Khan
> State Representative
> 11th Middlesex District
> State House, Room 23
> Boston, MA 02133
> 617.722.2140
>
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