Silvia Baraldini - Locked Down in Lexington HSU

. ....(;I: ....I::. S (IS ....t:I '" o -...."'t ....t:I Celebrate ~ ....I::.... Women's o t:I .Resistance .....I::. , '" On International Women's Day, 1988 we dedicate this book: to all the women political prisoners, prisoners of war 31ld disappeared, here and around the world. to Susan Rosenberg, AJejandriml Torres and Silvia Baraldini - locked down in Lexington HSU and to Nora Astorga, who on International Women's Day, 1978, lured a notorious Nicaraguan torturer to her house where he was subsequently killed, who was a Sandanista heroine and who was Ambassador to the United Nations for Nicaragua. Nora Astorga died of breast cancer in Managua, February 1988 Susan Rosenberg Susan Rosenberg is a revolutionary north-american anti-imperialist. She is a political prisoners who was convicted in 1985 on cbarges of possessing weapons and explosives. Susan was sentenced to 55 years and is now imprisoned in Lexing ton HSU. On fWD, 1988, revolutionary love and solidarity to all the individuals and organiza tions who have worked and supported the fight against the isolation unit at Lexing ton. Our love and solidarity to all other political prisoners and prisoners of war inside the U. S. On this day we acknowledge the particular contributions, sacrifices and leadership that women have made to the struggle for human rights around the world From Palestine to South Africa, from the Philippines to Puerto Rico, from NY to Nonhero Ireland women have fought against the barbarism of detaining children, against the vicious iron fist of occupation, for the recognition of political prisoners, and in seeking justice for the disappeared. In the past few years the demonstrations for IWI: have highlighted the conditions of women political prisoners and POW's. By doing so we are building in the U. S. a tradition of anti-imperialist resistance to political repression. Our daily resistance is part of this front. In preparing this statement we had many discussions to isolate what has allowed us to survive and resist the psy chological assaults of HSU. We want to share some of our conclusions. Fighting for om identity as political prisoners From the minute we were transferred here at every juncture and in every interaction with the BOP personnel, we have emphasized our political status, that being the reason for our special treatment and for the experiment. We assert it in team inter views, when we refuse to be evaluated monthly by their psychologist, and in our • , , Silvia Baraldini - Silvia Baraldini is an Italian national anti-imperialist. She was convicted in 1983 under the RICO act on charges which included aiding the liberation of Assata Shakur from prison. Sentenced to 40 years, Silvia is now imprisoned in Lexington HSU. conversation with Quinlan when he toured the unit. We also stress this with the tours who have been sympathetic with our view. This in conjunction with the work done on the outside has forced the BOP to publicly engage in doublespeak as to what they meant when they wrote about our political ideas and associations being the criteria for placement (letter from M. Quinlan to Rep. Kasteumeir, Jan. 6, 1988) and locally when we refused to work because of Alejandrina's health, it was termed by an administrator as a "mutiny" and a "protest." Collectivity and solidarity amongst the 3 political prisoners Central to our survival has been the building of a cohesive unit, and of a united front in the face of consistent divide and conquer tricks by the BOP. It is important since Alejandrina Tones is a member of the Puerto Rican Independence Movement and has been a particular target of the U. S. government. The BOP refuses to recognize collective grievances and collective resistance, we refuse to be individualized and separated. An example is the original anti-uniform work stoppage. OUf goal has been solidarity amongst us even when political diHerences have arisen. Building bonds with the movement outside We have suffered from the isolation imposed by the government intensely Ithis is a condition that all political prisoners and POW's face- Lexington is an acute ex ample). Our only recourse has been to use our experience to advance the political • goals of the anti-iniperialist struggle and national liberation movements: Rather than opting for individual solutions, we have chosen a course of action that promotes and highlights the de mand of Puerto Rican Independ ence and the overall struggle against counter-insurgency. Internationalism Reading .bout Nelson Mandel. and Walter Sisulu being held in small group isolation at Pollsmoor prison, reading of the experiences of the five Puerto Rican National ist prisoners in U. S. prisons, reading Assata Shakur's autobiog raphy, finding out about the expe riences of the German and Italian political prisoners, and most im portant, the indomitable resistance of all of them, has given us solace and helped us to fight for our own dignity and to survive day by day. OUf commitment to self-determi nation and the liberation of the oppressed nations has been deep ened by this experience. Their advances have truly become our advances, and with that we know victories are certain. Any defeat of the U. S. government brings us joy and a smile . "When you strike a woman you strike a rock" A],e;and'rinla Torres, The psychological program to Puerto Rican Prisoner of War create a forced dependency, and to submit to the intended criminalization of us is failing. We have acquired through the course of years of participation in our struggles strong identities as women. We spent years living a different reality. A reality de fined by the human need for justice and social transformation, and for the liberation of women and gay people. Our womanness is central to our very beings, and in some ways it is this that is most feared, and therefore attacked. The premeditated and vicious sexual assault against Alejandrina Torres and Susan Rosenberg at the Tucson prison is part of the special treatment against women political prisoners . Held by 5 female guards, supervised by Associate Warden Gibson, shackled and handcuffed, these sisters were forced to bend over while a male physician's assistant rammed his fist twice up their rectums. The women had demanded an x-ray examination and Gibson's response was "we can't get what we want hom an x-ray." A precedent has been set that can be repeated at any time. Every time we are strip searched, or patted down, we live with the reality that they could do it again. This attack carries the same goal as when the military rampages through the Ilopango women's prison raping women and children. Only our strength as women has helped us come back fighting. We carry within us decades of collective militant struggle for the liberation of women-it is our rock, they will never destroy it. On the occasion of IWD we urge the nonhamerican anti-imperialist movement to examine its practice towards the political prisoners. Without a unitary non-sectarian position in support of our recognition as political prisoners, we are locked into a cycle of isolated defense committees and isolated struggles over conditions. The Jack of an overall political framework makes every prisoner more vulnerable to attack and reduces the resistance to a moral position instead of a political strategy. Being behind bars should not end our contribution to the growth of the movement. The isolation of Lexington has made us feel this acutely. Ultimately, it is our identity and unity as political prisoners that will allow us to overcome. "Only justice can stop a curse" (Alice Walker, In Search of My Mother's Garden) Long Live International Women's Day Nora Astorga jPresente! Venceremos Susan Rosenberg, northamerican anti-imperialist political prisoner Silvia Baraldini, Italian national political prisoner HSU-FCI Lexington • Walls Drip Energy We looked across tbe space many bodies occupying many instances in between us Many women with all the vital energies tbat we contain. Moving, spinning, flying, like erratic bursts . that only women's energy can produce. Bouncing off tbe walls, the tables, tbe floor, eacb otber. Many bodies of women in motion, cleaning. sitting, walking, laughing, crying. All tms jammed energy waiting to explode. We are all in prison Waiting Waiting to stay, to leave, get time, lose time, waste time, resist time, stop timt Women time and energy. Tbe energy is deafening. Tbe bope, dream, need, desire, sacrifice, love, most deeply the love- of cbildren, husband, mother, fatber, lover, famjJy, friends, and for some another woman, only for some. And tbe walls drip, drip witb accumulated pain. Pain from fear, of losing your life, of who will take the kids, will they wait for me, will they love me, will god forgive me willI forgive me. And tbe anger, tbe anger, the deepest of anger, At the man, at the man wbo said back bome in Nigeria, in Bolivia, in Brooklyr -it's okay baby, it's easy, 1,2,3, " and you're bere. Anger at the man wbo said -not enough, give me more" more for rent, more for food more for scbool, more for dope-more, always more, never enough, Anger at yourself, at your life, at what you know is a FajJure to meet the dreams that the man sets tbat are impossible to meet, Anger at the pigs, at the pigs, wbo caught. you, brought you, keep you, harass you, who never stop making you feel like shit, And the energy is dripping it's collectivized and individualized and its unity is incomplete but you can feel its potential like a heaving, breatmng, catch your breatb, and get enough tooooooo scream and scream, and scream some more.

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