by Stephen Lendman

God bless Lynne Stewart! Many thousands of global supporters stand with you. We do so uncompromisingly.

We do it because it matters. We do it because it's the right thing to do.

We wish you happy birthday and many more. We hope for lots more outside prison walls.

We want you free at last. We want you healthy in top form again. We want what you rightfully deserve. We support your liberating struggle.

On October 8, Lynne turns 74. She'll add a year behind bars. She'll do it for devoting her life to helping others.

For promoting right over wrong. For being above reproach. For giving so much. For wanting so little in return.

For supporting society's most disadvantaged. For being a role model for others to emulate.

For wanting little more beyond knowing doing the right thing is its own reward.

What kind of society imprisons its best and most honorable? What kind mischaracterized as a democracy does so?

What kind operates the world's largest gulag? What kind does so globally. What kind institutionalizes cruel and unusual treatment? What kind does it worldwide?

What kind runs a homeland police state apparatus? What kind made state terror, torture and other forms of abuse official policy?

What kind persecutes innocent people? What kind targets society's most vulnerable? What kind spurns rule of law principles?

What kind builds prisons, not hospitals or schools? What kind ignores human need? What kind does so disdainfully? What kind thinks fundamental rights are quaint and out-of-date?

What kind ravages and destroys one country after another? What kind wages war on humanity? What kind does so for imperial dominance? What kind risks survival doing so?

What kind values wealth, power and privilege over equity, justice, and human life? What kind claims doing the wrong thing is right?

Numerous previous articles discussed Lynne's ordeal. She and her husband Ralph are personal friends.

They're both longtime human rights defenders. What's more important than that? They support peace, equity and justice. They deplore war, imperial ruthlessness, and discriminatory intolerance.

Defending clients prosecutors wanted imprisoned got Lynne targeted. She was wrongfully indicted, prosecuted, convicted and imprisoned.

Her original 16 month sentence was unjustifiably extended to 10 years. Imprisoning her for 10 seconds constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.

Nothing in today's America surprises. Freedom, equity and justice are four-letter words. Rule of law principles don't matter. Democratic values are verboten.

Criminal gangs run America. Rogue officials make policy. They do so for their own self-interest.

They conspire with corporate crooks and other societal miscreants. They partner for all they can get. They do so for wealth, power and privilege. They do it at the expense of public needs and common decency.

Imprisoning Lynne shows how low America has sunk. Its dark side has many forms. It champions wrong over right. It shames itself in the process.

Lynne's a breast cancer survivor. It reemerged. It progressed to Stage 4. She's dying. She's denied expert life-saving treatment.

Her petition for compassionate release was turned down. She refiled and hopes for the best. Tens of thousands of world supporters endorse her fight for life.

They want her freed. She never should have been imprisoned in the first place.

On September 27, she commented from "Deep in the Belly of the Beast." She's at Federal Medical Center (FMC) Carswell, Ft. Worth, TX.

Her address is:

Lynne Stewart

#53504-054

Federal Medical Center, Carswell

PO Box 27137

Ft. Worth, TX 76127

She wrote:

"Now another month has passed and I am getting increasingly irritable that these jokers are so cavalier with my life and what time I have left. (I also am getting weaker.)"

"My application for compassionate release is moving but glacially (Are there any glaciers left? Only in the bureaucracy…)."

"We learned that the request has left the General Counsel’s office of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) in Washington and is now being considered by an 'Independent Committee' (whatever that means)."

"From there it will ostensibly go to (BOP) Director, Mr. Samuels, for the final recommendation and request for a motion to the Judge."

"As you can appreciate, there is still plenty of room for slips between cup and lip."

"I truly understand that I, with the strong and consistent support of all 30,000+ of you, do constitute a 'threat' in their small universe."

"That is to say that, the will of the People cannot be ignored forever. With that in mind, I want to urge everyone to come on out on...

OCTOBER 8, TUESDAY, MY 74th BIRTHDAY
FOR A LOCAL SHOW OF OUR COLLECTIVE WILL
IN OPPOSITION TO THE 'DEATH PENALTY'

ORGANIZE ORGANIZE ORGANIZE ORGANIZE ORGANIZE ORGANIZE

YOU AND YOUR COMRADES, FRIENDS, ACQUAINTANCES CAN GATHER AT YOUR LOCAL FEDERAL (US) COURTHOUSE OR POST OFFICE TO REMIND THEM THAT WE WILL NOT LET ME DIE IN A JAIL CELL !!!"

"If you can do this, please notify Ralph (Poynter, Lynne's husband) of your location (917 853 9759, 518 358 2525) or email my web site (Lynne Stewart.org)."

"We hope this will be nationwide, and we can spread the word of the senseless cruelty in the way the Bureau of Prisons administers a program that is supposed to be compassionate."

"I may be the 'poster child' but this is done on behalf of all the prisoners who are languishing, in pain or worse, trying to go home."

"Be Out there on October 8. It is already an historic day. Let's make it More So!!! Let’s Win."

Lynne Stewart

Join others across America. Do it to support Lynne's liberating struggle. Locations include:

NEW YORK CITY

From 6 - 10 PM

80 St. Marks Theatre on the corner of St. Marks Place & 2nd Ave

(not the church)

ALBANY, NY

Tuesday, October 8, Noon

US Federal Building, 1 Clinton Avenue

More information at: http://projectsalam.org/events/10-08-13.html

SAN FRANCISCO

At Montgomery & Market.

Assemble at 5 PM. Rally/speakout at 5:30 PM

SEATTLE, WA

Tuesday, October 8, 4-5:30 PM

Federal Building, 2nd Ave and Madison St

Petitioning for Compassionate Release

Write:

PRESIDENT OBAMA

The White House

Pennsylvania Ave,

Washington, DC 20500

ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER

US Department of Justice

950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20530-0001

CHARLES E. SAMUELS, JR.

Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons

320 First Street, NW

Washington, DC 20534

Re: Lynne Stewart, #53504-054 Compassionate Release

CALL:

PRESIDENT OBAMA

(202) 456-1111

ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER

(202) 353-1555

CHARLES E. SAMUELS

(202) 307-3250/3062

Sign the petition for her compassionate release:

http://www.change.org/petitions/free-lynne-stewart-support-compassionate-release

Email Lynne at 1lawyerleft at gmail.com

Donate to Lynne's defense fund one of three ways:

(1) Directly to her commissary account FMC Carswell by mail or Western Union.

Use her prison number (53504-054) and full name: Lynne Irene Stewart.

Send a US Postal money order to:

LYNNE IRENE STEWART

Inmate #53504-054

PO Boxo 474701

Des Moines, Iowa 50947-0001

Non-postal money orders and non-government checks will be placed on a 15 day hold.

Personal checks and cash aren't accepted.

The sender's name and return address must appear on the upper left corner of the envelope.

Western Union Quick Collect Program

Inmates' families and friends may also donate through Western Union's Quick Collect Program.

Funds sent will be posted to the inmate's account within two to four hours when sent from 7:00 AM and 9:00 PM Eastern time (seven days per week, including holidays).

Funds received after 9:00 PM Eastern time will be posted by 7:00 AM Eastern time the following morning. Funds may be sent one these ways:

1) At an agent location with cash: The inmate’s family or friends must complete a Quick Collect Form. Click here to view a sample Quick Collect Form.

To find the nearest agent, call 1-800-325-6000 or go to www.westernunion.com.

2) By phone using a credit/debit card: The inmate's family or friends may simply call 1-800-634-3422 and press option 2.

3) ONLINE using a credit/debit card: The inmate's family and friends may go to www.westernunion.com and select “Quick Collect.”

For each Western Union Quick Collect transaction, provide the following information:

Valid Inmate Eight-Digit Register Number (entered with no spaces or dashes) followed immediately by Inmate’s Last Name2) Committed Inmate Full Name entered on Attention Line3) Code City: FBOP, DC

Inmate's committed name and eight-digit register number must be entered correctly.

If the sender does not provide the correct information, the transaction cannot be completed. The Code City is always FBOP, DC.

Any questions or concerns regarding Western Union transfers should be directed to Western Union by the sender (general public).

Questions or concerns should not be directed to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

For additional information concerning inmate Commissary account deposit procedures, please see the Bureau of Prisons Trust Fund/Warehouse/Laundry Manual (PS 4500.07) or 28 CFR Parts 506 and 540.

For information concerning a specific deposit, please contact Federal Bureau of Prisons' staff at 202-307-2712 between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM Eastern time.

(2) A tax deductible National Lawyers Guild Foundation contribution.

Make checks payable to National Lawyers Guild Foundation.

Write "Lynne Stewart Defense Committee" in the memo line.

Send check to:

Lynne Stewart Organization

350 Broadway

Suite 700

New York, NY 10013

(3) Directly to Lynne Stewart Organization.

Make checks payable to "Lynne Stewart Organization."

Send check to:

Lynne Stewart Organization

350 Broadway

Suite 700

New York, NY 10013

A Final Comment

Help Lynne any way you can. Do it because it matters. Sign her compassionate release petition. Urge others to do it.

Contribute to her defense fund. Encourage others to contribute what they can afford.

Attend public rallies on her behalf.

Lynne's one of thousands of political prisoners languishing in America's gulag. It's the shame of the nation. It symbolizes what's wrong and needs fixing.

It exposes an ugly dark side authorities don't want people to see. It's America's true face. It's ruthless. It's merciless. It's heartless. It's inhumane.

It defiles what real democracies stand for. America never was one. For sure it's not now.

Remember and tell others. Doing the right thing is its own reward. Liberating struggles aren't won easily or quickly.

Join others for real change. Everyone can make a difference. Lynne did so much for so many for so long. Her struggle is ours.

We're all in this together. Join the fight to free her. Do it while there's still time. Above all, do it because it matters.

-###-

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity"

http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com

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