JANUARY 8, 2007 -PROTEST UPDATE

After receiving mail on 1/5/07 that was up to 5-8 weeks old (mainly from my beloved soulfriend Maayke Derks) I waited all weekend trying to talk to some ranking officials about my mail delay. The dates were written on the envelopes as to when they were mailed, and I was able to get the officer on 1-05-07 that delivered my mail to me to sign and date it as verification that he gave it to me on this date.

After 3 days of trying to resolve the problem through requesting to speak to rank, sending I-60s (that as usual go unresponded) to ranking officials, I went to recreation with the mail in hand. Once again, after recreation I came out of the dayroom and sat on the run in protest of the mail. Sergeant Horton came to speak to me. Now my experience with this sergeant has always been decent. I've never had problems with him, and when it comes to problems he seems to somewhat try and fix things (at least with me he has). He tries to be pretty reasonable.

I showed him all the envelopes to show him when they were mailed, when I received them and proof with the signature and date of the officer who gave me the mail. Sgt. Horton looked at the mail and said he could understand a bit of delay coming from Europe, but not the ones in the states, especially right here in Texas. He asked me if I would give him the opportunity to address it with the mailroom and look into things. I felt bad telling him no considering that he's always been pretty straight and reasonable with me.

However, being that I felt he couldn't really do anything about it because he has no jurisdiction over the mailroom, I told him that I'd appreciate him looking into things, but I am still not walking to my cage... they will have to carry me today. I felt that by being carried, those who have jurisdiction over the mailroom will be aware and will also know they cannot hide from me and this problem. They will have to face me because this is what will happen every time there is a delay in my mail.

When I was carried back to my cage I gave a similar speech to the one on 1-4-07. After the Use of Force was over Sergeant Horton took my envelopes with him with the documented delay of my mail and he said he's look into it and bring them back. That afternoon he returned with my envelopes and told me he spoke to the mailroom and was told by officer Cook (the officer who specifically was assigned to monitor all protestors' mail) and mailroom personnel that...well, officer Cook says, according to Sergeant Horton that he does not sit on the mail. He claims that he works in the mailroom now as well, goes through the mail right there and returns it to the mailroom personnel. So basically the delay is falling on mailroom personnel.

Mailroom personnel claims, according to Sergeant Horton, that they are short-handed and behind on mail a bit due to the holidays and being 3 people short in the mailroom. So at this time they are admitting to be behind, and admit that they did not realize that they were that far behind. They say they are trying their best and getting caught up. Who knows how true it is, but at the moment they admit to being behind. Now I am pretty reasonable, as are most here when it comes to mail. We all love receiving mail and hearing from our loved ones, and being that Death Row gets so much mail and attention, we can understand mailroom personal getting behind sometimes. I can understand a few days… but weeks??? NOPE! MONTHS??? HEEEEELLL NO!!!! UNACCEPTABLE!!!!!!

Since 1/8/07 I seem to be getting mail in a more timely manner, but who knows how long that will last... I'll keep you updated. In the mean time, please keep complaining to the officials in Huntsville as I mentioned in my 1/4/07 update.

In closing I want to say that on 1/8/07 after I protested, as comrade Steve Woods was returning back from a visit, he actually ran into the kitchen in the hallway and occupied the kitchen. He protested and was brought into the pod on the gurney speaking resistance the entire way. I loved it. By the look on the ranks faces, they were very unhappy campers at the comrades' actions. That made me smile all the more as I thought to myself "RIGHT ON COMRADE! HOLD IT UP!!!"

As comrade Steve Woods was being rolled in, comrade Rob Will was in B section dayroom. He already had intentions to protest the mail that day as well. He occupied the dayroom and he was begged by the ranks to please come out. He eventually came out and sat down on the run. I could not see the dayroom directly from my view, but I was able to see off the reflection of the windows of the guards picket. They went and got the gurney, shackled Rob Will, strapped him to the gurney and began to roll him to his cage (which is on the same section as me, but downstairs in 33 cage). The speech was lovely. The kind that makes you feel inspired to stand up and fight. And as he went off on the camera about this oppressive, racist and fascist system that has murdered and oppressed so many, I began my own speech from my cage in conjunction with his.

He was put in his cage and guards left. The anger from the guards was thick in the air. So was their feeling of defeat. They quickly learned within these first 8 days of the new year that they did not break our spirit. We are men who kept our word and gave them peace to fix things because we are men of peace and want peace, justice. But since they broke their word (like they are known to do), we re-enforced with our actions that we are not broken, we are determined to make a change, we will not accept state sanctioned murder and being treated like anything but human: NO JUSTICE MEANS RESISTANCE!!!

IN THE SPIRIT OF RESISTANCE!!

YA BASTA!!

GABRIEL GONZALEZ

D.R.I.V.E.

DEATH Row INNER-COMMUNALIST VANGUARD ENGAGEMENT