(“Law in origin was merely a codification of the power of dominant groups, and did not aim at anything that to a modern man would appear to be justice.” –Bertrand Russell – promoted by eli_beckerman)

Mike Heichman, GRP State Comm. member and member of the Greater Boston Chapter

“We are at war.”

-Chuck Turner

The other day I finished reading a book that I want to recommend. The thesis of James Douglass’s book, “JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters” is that after the Cuban Missile Crisis in November, 1962, President Kennedy moved to improve relations with the Soviet Union, was opening up a dialogue with Cuba and decided to withdraw US troops from Vietnam. These policy moves were bitterly resisted by the “National Security State”, and as a result, the CIA, military, FBI and Secret Service conspired to assassinate the President and then cover-up the truth and their crime.

This book is the first volume of a projected trilogy.  Orbis Books has commissioned James W. Douglass to write three books on the assassinations of the 1960’s.  The second will be on the murders of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, while the third will be on the assassination of Robert Kennedy. I believe that the upcoming books will come to similar conclusions about who deserves responsibility for their assassinations.

I was reading the book in the courtroom on January 25, the day of Chuck’s sentencing. Others who were present have commented that on their arrival there were US Marshals outside of the courthouse armed with machine guns. Some have speculated that this was a message that was deliberately connected to Chuck’s trial, while others have cautioned against jumping to conclusions, and that there may have been another reason for the “military” presence.

I was the first to enter the courtroom and sat in the middle of the front row. Soon after, others entered the room. A court official walked up to me and encouraged me to go to the other room and watch the trial. He said that the room was being reserved for Chuck’s family. During the trial, I had attended on three separate occasions, and had never witnessed Chuck’s family taking up much space. I gave the court official a “funny look” and politely questioned him about his decision. He said that it might be OK if I moved out of the front row. Eventually, I moved to the third row to sit with friends and improve my chances of being able to stay in the courtroom. As others arrived, I also discovered that many others were “encouraged” to see the trial on TV in the other room well before the courtroom, where the show would take place, had been filled. I share this story, because it seems that there was something “unusual” going on in the court that day, and I doubt that their primary consideration in encouraging people to go into the other courtroom was compassion for Chuck’s family.

When I saw all those marshals with their machine guns, I had many feelings and one of them was fear. When Judge Woodlock did the job that he was hired to do and gave Chuck a very stiff sentence, I had many feelings and one of them was fear. I believe that fear and despair are two things that the system wants us not only to feel for the moment, but also to internalize deeply into our psyche.

I do not know for sure if the “military” had been called into the courthouse that day as part of their campaign of intimidation. It sure makes sense if that were the case. I do know for sure that there was a conspiracy to take our brother down! The leaders of that conspiracy are the political heads of the duopoly, no matter which branch is temporarily in charge, the puppets of the bankers and industrialists.

Chuck Turner is a great teacher. It seems that he never lets anything go by without turning it into a “teachable moment”. Chuck often talks about the historical context, and one of his common themes is the history of white, male, rich supremacy in this country. At Community Church of Boston on January 16, in the context of discussing his trial, Chuck talked about the last battle of the American Revolution, the Shays Rebellion, when farmers were having their property foreclosed because they were unable (because of the system) to pay their taxes and their bills to the bankers. They rose up in protest and prevented the courts from meeting and foreclosing their homes and farms. The bankers in Boston hired an army and sent them out to western Mass, and they crushed the rebellion. The frightened elite, lead by George Washington, decided to create the Constitution, and set up a government that would protect the interests of the owning class, which would be better able to crush any internal rebellion. (Note for accuracy: Many of the above details about Shays Rebellion are my own and were not part of Chuck’s speech.)

I’m 64 years old and have been a political activist for over 40 years. Chuck Turner is the most highly evolved human being that I have ever known. When I’m with Chuck and especially when I’m a member of a community that is with him, I often feel a spiritual connection that is “Biblical”.

It is often inspiring being with Chuck. Sometimes, it ain’t easy.

Early in the trial, the government’s case against Chuck was very weak. Even the Boston Globe said so. Chuck testified and was cross-examined. This, despite the fact, that his legal team strongly advised him not to take the stand. No doubt, Chuck decided to testify against the advice of many of his friends and supporters.

Chuck testified because, as he explained, he had a higher responsibility to the people of his district and to the community to tell the truth. I believe that he also testified because he was listening and obeying his own higher spirit, which required him to testify – not to the racist and criminal state, but to his understanding of the “Higher Spirit”. The Power of Love Spoke the Truth to the Violent Power of Madness.

I never said anything to Chuck. He did not need to hear the advice of my fear. However, deep inside, I heard my screams. “Don’t do it, Chuck! Don’t testify! You have a responsibility to stop the System from harming you! We need you Chuck right here and right now. We don’t need you in prison. We need you out here with us, and leading us in our fight against our prisons and for our liberation!”

Chuck’s most important goal was not to protect the way others may view his legacy. Despite what many of us wanted Chuck to do, his most important goal was not to stay out of jail. So, Chuck testified and he was cross-examined. And I knew that this jury — not one of his peers, not one of them from his district, not one of them who knew or loved him — would find him guilty and that Chuck would go to jail.

Chuck, you could have gotten off! He knows this! Sometimes, it ain’t easy having a great teacher and ain’t easy believing in a “Higher Spirit”.

Chuck asked us to write the City Council and ask that he stay on the City Council until the day of his sentencing (and to the Judge asking him to place Chuck on probation). Many of us responded because we agreed that it was the right thing to do. The day of the City Council meeting called to expel Chuck, the public was not allowed to testify. We saw Charles Yancey rise to the occasion, and saw Felix Arroyo and Ayanna Pressley choose the role of Judas. If these two had joined with Chuck and Charles, there would have been a united front of the four councilors of color against the crimes of the racist and criminal state. That would have been courageous and would have altered the public debate. Instead, the two of them chose to protect and enhance their political career by betraying Chuck, the community and their “Higher Spirit”.  They chose to give political cover to the Mayor and their white colleagues on the City Council. They chose to protect the System. It was a difficult personal decision. While I am compassionate that they had a difficult decision to make, “our leaders” chose to act like Judas.  Just watch-these two will be rewarded by their colleagues and by the established media. Sometimes it ain’t easy having a great teacher, and Felix and Ayanna flunked their big test.

It ain’t easy having a great teacher.  What are we going to do now and what are we going to do if when the power of the criminal state deprives us of his physical presence?

Chuck says that we have been at war for a long time and the war is continuing today. Corporate America is sick and dying. In order for it to continue to consume, it must kill, steal and burn, and the people and our planet will suffer. The people will rise up unless they are frightened and are in despair.

The Insane System has a great deal of control over our lives. It is waging war by poisoning our ecosystem. It is waging war overseas in order to control the world’s resources, and waging war at home in order to maximize its own control and wealth.

The Insane System murdered JFK, Malcolm, King and I bet that James Douglass will be convincing in persuading us that it murdered RFK as well.

And the Insane System has conspired to take our brother Chuck down. The System is taking people like Chuck down across the country. And if we dare to be like Chuck, we too will be in danger.

They took Chuck down because he told the truth about their Insane System. They took Chuck down because Chuck stands with the people in their suffering, because he counsels us that we can choose to confront the Evil and that we have the power to create a better world.

As I write this piece, our sisters and brothers are rising up and fighting for their freedom in Tunisia and in Egypt. It is happening there and it is our job to work with others so that it will happen here.

It ain’t easy having a great teacher. The questions are who will we be and what will we do. Let’s continue to Stand with Chuck and grow closer to the People!

Love,

Mike Heichman mikeheichman@verizon.net