Jeff's Work
Jeff's dispatches from Prison
| 2009 September July May March February |
2008 December August [2] August [1] June May April March [2] March [1] |
2007 June May April March February January [2] January [1] |
2006 December November October September August [3] August [2] August [1] June May March January |
| 2005 December [3] December [2] December [1] November August July [2] July June April March February |
2004 October August July June [2] June [1] May April March February January |
2003 December November October September (II) September August July June |
The last nine years have been a long journey for me. During that time I have written extensively of my hopes and aspirations, my heartache and my loss. These dispatches have allowed me to remain an active part of this movement and a voice for earth liberation. They have provided me an outlet for the often painful emotions that come from being in prison.
When I began this journey many years ago in the back seat of a police car, I had no hope or any expectation but that I would walk this path alone. The overwhelming love and support I have received since my first night in jail has been constant and absolute. I have never had to walk this path without the support of my friends, family and thousands of unknown allies walking behind me.
I am eternally thankful to my dedicated friends that built my support from a handful of people into an international campaign. Their work and loyalty has served as the foundation for which earth liberation prisoner support is now based.
I owe so much to the people of this struggle. I owe you my freedom. Without the support I have received throughout the years and the demand for my release I do not believe my sentence would have been reduced.
For the rest of my life I will carry with me the memory of the years spent behind these walls; undoubtedly, they will shape my future.
However, the strongest memory of all will not be of the years inside. It will be of the years of solidarity; the demonstrations and protests, the letters and visits, and most of all the love.
To all of those who have supported me over the years, those who have read these dispatches and shared in my life I give you my never ending thanks. You have carried me through these years.
It is time now for me to end this chapter of my life. This will be my final dispatch. For many of us this is our goodbye, for a handful this is just the beginning.
All of you have my sincerest heartfelt appreciation and gratitude. You have shown me without a doubt that I was never forgotten and never abandoned.
This struggle, our cause, brings us together. Each of us is connected, every moment of resistance intertwined. Together we carry with us some ancient understanding of freedom and intrinsic knowledge that we must honor the land and water as sacred.
I will always carry this struggle in my heart. I will always remember the victories and bitter losses, the joy and heartache, the camaraderie and betrayals. This is our history, who we are, who I am.
I can give no greater tribute to this movement than a promise I will remember everything we gave, every sacrifice, every love filled battle cry and every heart broken tear. I will always remember. I will never forget.
-Jeffrey Free Luers
Last week I went to my first “release class”. It is odd that when you come to prison you go to classes about how to do time, how to avoid conflict with staff and inmates, how to avoid disease, sexual assault and other pitfalls.
Then just before you leave you go to classes to relearn how to be free.
In between the two, you forget that you were even a part of the free world. Relationships by mail become normal; you are accustomed to rarely, if ever, seeing you loved ones. Violence is a way of life; you have no privacy and constant oversight. Then one day a computer program spits out your name because it has calculated that you only have X amount of days left and you need to take release classes so that you can adjust to a completely different world with different expectations.
I’m fortunate, I don’t need these classes, but many people do.
No, my challenges will not come from reentering society. I have not lost myself in here. I have amazing support and will be coming home to my family and friends, my own place, a job, and school. Life is ready and waiting for me.
My challenges will be reconciling that I have spent nearly a decade of my life in prison.
I know that I have achieved a lot from behind these walls. That the strength of my support, my contributions to eco-activism and the media work I’ve done from prison are a testament to my accomplishments. It is these reasons that I carry my head high. I know that despite the hardships and obstacles I have fulfilled my duty to myself, my family, my beliefs, and this struggle.
I remain proud of the actions that brought me to prison. I am proud of my conduct as a political prisoner, never wavering in my integrity.
But it is difficult to come to terms with having sacrificed so much of my life only to return and find the battle still being waged. Our struggle to stop human-induced climate change, pollution, and environmental destruction is far from over. Our struggle for social justice, human liberation, and animal rights is far from complete
From time to time each of us must redefine our commitment and contributions to activism. We are not always capable of giving 110%. What matters is that we continue to give what we can.
After my release you may not find me on the front lines battling tooth and nail to win. But whether in or out of prison I’ll never stop standing up for what is right and doing my part to make this world a little better.
I’ve given, hell, my life to these struggles I see no reason to stop there.
-Jeffrey Free Luers
It has been a long time coming but this June friends, allies, comrades, supporters, and fellow resisters will celebrate the seventh and final international day of solidarity with me, Jeffrey Luers.
This June will also mark my 9th and final year in prison as my scheduled release date in December draws steadily closer. The years have left their toll on me both physically and emotionally. I came to prison an idealistic young
man of 21 and I will be leaving a hardened, more cynical man in my early 30’s.
From behind these walls, I have watched the struggle for my freedom and recognition as a political prisoner grow from a handful of friends into an international campaign. It has been a heart warming, awe inspiring, joy to
watch.
Your support, encouragement and dedication have fueled my will to continue to struggle for earth liberation and social and climate justice from within this cage. Without you my friends I would not be who I am today and I would be lost.
Few (fortunately) will ever truly know the heartache, loss, courage and pure determination a political prisoner experiences. Nor the challenges one must face. Sadly, during my incarceration I have witnessed a startling increase in the number of our brothers and sisters locked up for their resistance. Many of these people have been convicted of terrorism charges or simply branded a terrorist. A stigma I am only all too aware of myself.
I am coming home, but the need for prisoner support is far from over. Now, more than ever our movement needs to show continued solidarity for our political prisoners many of whom still face years in maximum security prisons and control units.
The annual June solidarity events have been a crucial component of my support. They have served to raise much needed funds, expand awareness of my case and above all provide invaluable inspiration for countless activists including myself. The events have been a rallying cry for action and solidarity. I firmly believe that it was this international pressure and attention that resulted in my drastically reduced sentence.
This will be my last June in prison but I ask and I hope that henceforth June 12th will serve as the International Day of Action and Solidarity for Earth Liberation Prisoners. I hope that each year the events, benefits, rallies, and actions grow stronger until all our warriors come home. I hope June 12th serves as an inspiration to future warriors who know that should they face imprisonment they will have the support of an entire movement behind them.
Until all are free the struggle must continue, help bring each and every one of us home.
With the deepest love and gratitude,
Jeffrey Free Luers
www.freejeffluers.org
Twenty years ago governments of the world met for the first ever climate talks. The talks, then, focused largely on the growing hole in the world’s ozone layer (a hole that still exists today) and the need to eliminate CFC emissions (which also still exist today though in much smaller amounts). The other climate item on the agenda was global warming. Scientists warned that there was growing evidence that the world was warming, possibly due to human activity much like the root cause of the ozone hole.
Unfortunately, in 1988 it was decided that global warming did not pose a significant threat to warrant action. The problem could wait to be addressed.
Nearly a decade later, in 1997, the governments of the world met for their annual climate talks in Kyoto, Japan. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a panel of the world’s leading scientists from countries around the globe, presented growing evidence that the world faced a severe threat from climate change. These scientists concluded that the single largest contributor to climate change were human greenhouse gas emissions, most notably carbon dioxide (CO2).
For the first time since the inception of the climate talks, world leaders agreed action was needed to combat climate change. The world took notice with a collective gasp as 180 governments pledged their support to a worldwide climate treaty to reduce CO2 emissions in an effort to conquer global warming.
In 2007, a decade after Kyoto and twenty years since the first climate talks, the IPCC declared in its strongest language yet that the world faced imminent global catastrophe unless immediate and drastic action was taken to reduce and then eliminate greenhouse emissions.
In the years following the Kyoto protocol, the United States – the highest emitter of greenhouse gases per capita in the world – pulled out of the treaty. CO2 emission around the world continued to rise. Governments that had promised to reduce emissions failed to impose strict limits, instead relying on voluntary cuts from industry. As industries refused to limit their emissions and governments balked at regulation, the Kyoto protocol collapsed.
The U.S. and numerous other countries with high greenhouse emissions have steadfastly refused to cut CO2 emissions, claiming that doing so would harm their ability remain economically competitive.
In the face of the largest economic collapse in world history, brought about by the very same green, deceit and malfeasance of the worlds most powerful multinational and government deregulation that has allowed CO2 emissions to go unchecked. Government and corporate claims that reducing emissions would create economic hard ring hollow.
People around the world put faith in our governments and institutions to act on our behalf and in our best interests. Our governments have had 20 years to act on global warming and climate change. 20 years to act on a threat that the world’s leading scientists say is the greatest threat to human kind the world has ever faced.
Climate change is the greatest threat to human kind the world has ever faced.
Not war or nuclear weapons, no a falling GNP or economic collapse, but climate change. And our governments tell us they won’t reduce CO2 emissions because it could – not would, but could – hurt the economy. In reality governments are being pressured by corporate interests that don’t want to reduce emissions or switch to a non-carbon based economy because they would have to invest money to do so – money that would otherwise go into corporate coffers or executive bonuses.
This December, world leaders will again meet for climate talks in Copenhagen, Denmark. While protests are sure to greet the conference, we must not limit our influence on the climate discussions to protesting them.
Climate change will impact the lives of every human being in the world. The poorest will be hurt the most. Many are already suffering its effects.
We must send our leaders a message in the strongest of languages. One which every nation understands. A message that cannot be ignored.
On December 11, we must unite for a day of international solidarity; we must demand immediate and real action on climate change, not more false promises. We must strike for climate justice.
This is an urgent call to unions, workers and concerned citizens around the world. Organize in your workplace, in your union halls, on your streets. On December 11th, we must unite.
Failure of our governments to take immediate action to regulate and reduce CO2 emissions will cost human lives and untold economic loss. It is not companies or governments that will suffer, but ordinary people in every town and city, in every nation.
It is in our hands to demand action. It is in our hands to show our leaders the true cost of inaction. Workers unite. Demand action. Strike for climate justice on December 11, 2009.
-Jeffrey Free Luers
http://www.freejeffluers.org
http://climatestrike.wordpress.com/
Massive wildfires consume Australia, fed by prolonged drought. Snow is falling in the desert in Dubai. Bizarre weather patterns across the United States causing floods. The climate is no longer just changing, it has changed. Average global temperatures have risen year after year for over a decade. The international consensus is that human-caused greenhouse gases are responsible for global warming and that we must immediately reduce these gases if we have any hope of stemming the rising temperatures.
Global warming is no longer a future threat waiting on the horizon. Human societies across the globe are already suffering as a result of climate change. The very world as we know it is endangered. Each day, untold species go extinct to never be seen again. Thousands of people go hungry because of crop failure and drought wrought by climate change.
Still, day after day we continue to pump greenhouse gases into the air, making the problem worse. As a society we have completely disassociated our actions with their consequences. We have become lemmings leaping from a cliff, our smiles still firmly in place.
The bottom line is that we must change our lives. Not switch to greener fuels or recycle more. These are good steps but in and of themselves are not solutions. There is but one solution. We must stop releasing greenhouse gases into the air. Period.
Sadly, few people comprehend the severity of the danger we are in. If more people grasped the true peril of the situation, coal power plants would be shut down and their CEO’s likely drug out and hung.
Our world’s top scientists, humanity’s smartest people from across the globe are screaming for us to stop emitting greenhouse gases. No one is listening.
In fact, rather than create a paradigm shift, world leaders, including so-called progressive politicians – like Obama – are pushing for “clean” coal and nuclear power.
Hello. Coal can not, in any form, burn clean of carbon. Nuclear power creates radioactive waste that lasts millions of years and can not be stored safely at any location. The people of Hanford, Washington and those across the river in Oregon have had to learn their lesson the hard way as the site continues to leak radioactive waste from the former power plant and nuclear waste storage site.
Other climate change solutions actually being considered include launching mirrors into space, dumping iron into oceans, and spraying sulfites into the sky in order to create unnatural cloud cover. (More ridiculously true and dangerous suggestions may be viewed at “Techno-fixes report” at http://www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=3126)
All of these ideas are being put forward in an effort by wealthy nations, as well as mega multinational corporations, to avoid the reality (and responsibility) of the situation. We must fundamentally change our lifestyle.
Globalization of markets has failed us. One need only look at global warming and the current economic crash for proof. Poor nations are still poor and exploited, rich nations are still growing richer with more and more wealth being consolidated in the hands of a few.
The world is a frightening place right now. Across the globe, dissent is being crushed under the guise of suppressing terrorism. Here in the states, activists are being rounded up and convicted of terrorism charges for actions that injured no one. People are in prison for running website or giving speeches.
But it isn’t just oppression that is frightening. The arctic is melting, icon species like the polar bear are threatened with extinction, the economy has crashed leaving people across the globe hungry, homeless, and scared.
We need change. We need real solutions and real action and we need it now.
Our society rests on the cusp of catastrophe. We are riding a speeding ship headed straight toward and iceberg (no doubt from some collapsed ice shelf). We have two choices before us: sink with the ship or abandon it.
Global governments have been meeting for climate talks since Toronto in 1988. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was created in 1990 to help facilitate these meetings. For twenty years those in power have been aware of climate change, for twenty years they have ducked, dodged and avoided the problem until it became the global threat it is today.
Twenty years of failure is unacceptable. Now these very same national governments are twenty years later still trying to avoid taking responsibility and enforcing the necessary changed to industry.
We need massive action on an international scale never before seen in human history. We have the ability to create such a massive mobilization. In the past we have achieved international days of action that have rocked the world. We must go beyond those past days of international solidarity however. We must reach for something never before achieved. We must shut the system down in its entirety and force our governments and multinationals to listen and change.
We need an international global strike. For one day we must stop all work and labor. We must shut down the factories, the ship yards, shut down transportation. We must bring everything to a grinding halt. And demand immediate action on climate change. Demand an immediate shift from fossil fuels to alternative energies. Demand accountability from wealthy nations and help for poorer ones.
It is an ambitious goal and a necessary one. We have to act ourselves. We have to demand our governments take action. There is no time to leave the process to governments that have already failed the world for twenty years!
In December 2009 world powers will again meet to discuss climate change and global warming in Copenhagen, Denmark. The likely outcome will be yet another unfair toothless agreement to reduce greenhouse emissions, much like Kyoto in which, after much hype, actually led to increased worldwide emissions.
In December we must show the world governments that they are not in power except by the grace of their citizens. We must remind world governments that they exist solely at our discretion and to serve us, not line the pocketbooks of the rich.
In December we must mobilize to shut the system down with a massive worldwide general strike. Global warming is the greatest threat humanity has ever faced. We must address the threat decisively and immediately. We must confront those that would obstruct such actions overwhelmingly.
In December 2009 it is time for more than just international solidarity, more than just pleading for change. It is time for a united front; it’s time to reclaim our power. It is time for a general strike.
This was so much easier to write in my head than it is now that I’m here with pen and paper in my hand. Turning 30 is supposed to be this big milestone. I remember when both my older brothers turned 30 when I was still a teenager. I remember my older friends turning 30 when I was just hitting twenty. It was a big deal to them.
I think that in our society you are supposed to be somewhat settled by 30; have some idea of what you are doing with your life. Perhaps that’s why 30 doesn’t seem like such a big deal to me. I knew what I was doing with my life when I was 20: trying to make this world a better place and remind people what it means to be human living on a living planet.
For me 30 does mean something though. I’m turning 30 in prison and it means that I have now spent nearly all my 20’s locked up.
A month ago I was having a hard time with that. Yet this morning when I woke, it dawned on me that in all the years I’ve spent behind bars I have still managed to follow my life’s plan. I’ve continued to work toward my goals which remain an active force in my own life. These bars have only served to limit my movement and nothing more.
The last years have been difficult without a doubt. Prison is no cake walk. But I’ve seen my way through it and I’m a better man for it. I’m physically and mentally stronger than I was when I began this journey. And I’ve learned valuable lessons that I will be able to share and teach.
My birthday also marks something else, perhaps even more special. I am entering my last year of confinement. Around this time next December I will be released.
I cannot explain adequately the elation I feel knowing that from here on out each day really does bring me one day closer to the last.
Throughout my incarceration I believed my sentence would be reduced from 22 years to something shorter. However, even with that belief after so many years of waiting for my appeal to be delivered I began to accept that fact that I was going to spend two decades in prison. I cannot attempt to explain here what it feels like to accept that, but a part of you dies inside and it is really hard to get that piece back.
I did something this week that I wasn’t sure I’d ever fund myself doing again. I submitted an application for college. Next month I will be filing for financial aid.
Already I have begun taking correspondence courses through Portland State University. It is a good feeling to know that I have already begun preparing for my release and taking steps to ensure my future.
I had hoped to have a firm announcement at this time, but my bankruptcy has not yet been finalized. Some of you may know that at my resentencing I learned that I was $60,000 in debt to Romania Chevrolet. I feel no moral obligation to repay what insurance has already covered. However, Romania has made it clear that they will come after my wages and what little income I have once I am out. As a result, I have tried to settle with them for cents on the dollar, all I can afford. They have refused all offers thus far, electing to take a fraction of my offer through bankruptcy which is where things currently stand.
Already I am beginning to think about how to transition back into a life outside and what that means for my activism. I am excited to begin working toward a career in green building and environmental design, something I
certainly wouldn’t have considered one of my goals ten years ago.
Perhaps it is a combination of age and not wanting to struggle the rest of my life, or simply a desire to want to create alternatives rather than fight against symptoms. But, I am looking forward to applying myself to a field in which I believe I can create change.
However, I am also excited about sharing my experience with fellow activists and continuing to help build momentum toward change.
I am not sure how well I will transition from writer to public speaker, but I am going to give it a try. My career as an activist is far from over, but I don’t think I’ll be returning to the front lines anytime soon.
I am also planning on focusing a lot of energy on prisoner support. I have a number of friends behind bars for their own eco-actions, including actions in solidarity with me. As a prisoner I know how important support is. And getting them the support and recognition they deserve is a goal I will be working towards.
In my last year, I still need and am asking for your support. Benefit shows and donations for a release fund would be very helpful. I am fortunate to have a great support system once I hit the streets. Still, I will be starting completely fresh with nothing but the clothes on my back.
I am including an incomplete wish list of items or services I’d like help with. Some of these are needs and some are wants. I must admit it feels really strange to put such a list out, but my friends and supporters have urged me to do it. And it’s kind of fun, too, like being a kid at Yule. Or like being a tree-sitter again.
I cannot thank all of you enough for the love and support you have shown over the years. Both I and my family owe you great big thanks for making this time as easy as possible. My only way of showing that gratitude is by continuing with each and every one of you.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Jeffrey Free Luers
Wish List:
Gift certificates
Cooking ware (pots, pans, dishes, utensils)
Laptop
Tent
Sleeping bag
Hiking backpack
Climbing gear
Tattoo artist (who’d like to donate some ink)
Bicycle
For the last several months I have been having these amazing conversations by mail with someone who is as heavily involved in forest defense as I was once
was. The stories and pictures she has shared with me of the campaigns to protect the Weld Valley in Tasmania has been a tremendous inspiration (to
learn
more about how you can help, look up the Huon Valley Environmental Center [HVEC] on Myspace [or go to http://www.huon.org/]. I have been invigorated by
the exchange of ideas and strategies, becoming so excited I even sent diagrams of tree-sits I used to build.
This sudden participation in activism again has made me realize just how much I slid away from it the last few years. In fact, I recently confessed that I no longer know how to apply myself.
It has been a combination of burnout, being forced to focus on my own personal struggles and a disempowering sense of being stuck.
I have made myself a good protagonist when it comes to raising awareness about global warming and environmental catastrophe. When the US still treated climate change as a myth or liberal hoax, it was easy knowing what to do. I was motivated and inspired to dedicate as much time as possible to researching science reports, newspaper articles and other sources of information so that I could knowledgeably write and talk about the matter in order to raise awareness about one of the largest threats to humanity. However, this battle has largely been won. Only the most ignorant or corrupt still deny the truth about global warming, which leaves me confused as to how I can best contribute to and further social change.
I am quite practiced at pointing out the problems. However, like so many others I fail when it comes to providing or developing solutions. The problems are apparent to the public, yet we have no creative solutions or alternatives to provide.
As a result our movement has been co-opted by the very institutions we have been struggling against. The same giant greedy corporations that fucked so much of this world up in the first place are now marketing themselves as green and part of the solution.
The fact that they are succeeding in this greenwashing is a slap in the face to those of us who have dedicated so much time and energy to pulling them out from behind the curtain.
It is accepted scientific fact that we are living through this world’s sixth mass extinction period: the first extinction event to have been brought about by the actions of one species--humans.
We are now moving at geological time. Changes that usually, subtly, take place over thousands of years are now happening in the span of human lifetimes.
What that means in real terms is that our children and our grandchildren will grow up in a world radically, radically different than the one we know and grew up in ourselves.
That we recognize these changes are occurring is simply not enough. It’s most certainly not enough to be placated by the promises of change being made by the same industries that have profited enormously from denying the truth about global warming.
We also cannot fool ourselves into believing that we are somehow innocent in all of this. We too share culpability. Each of us must individually act to lesson our own carbon footprint.
As activists this leaves us in a uniquely new position. We must shift our focus from outreach and opposition to community projects; community organizing and preparation must now take a leading role.
Some projects can be as simple as developing rain water collection systems or coming up with other solutions for predicted water shortages. Others could involve the creation of community gardens to lessen the impact of food being transported into urban centers.
More complex projects could be designing windmills for community and/or individual electrical needs and designing and developing grey water recycling systems.
The possibilities are endless, but they require us to apply ourselves in entirely new ways. It will be hard and dedicated work to achieve the kind of change we need and move away from the industries we have come to rely upon.
One thing is for sure: it is no longer enough to support this struggle by believing in it or going to the occasional demonstration. Each of us must contribute time and energy to affect the change we need to see.
A whole new world is coming. We can not change that. We can, however, help shape it. Where those who have come before us failed to create a society in
harmony with our natural environment we can succeed. In many ways the challenge is even harder than fighting for recognition of the problem, but the rewards
will be that much greater as well.
-Jeffrey Free Luers
It is 10 am on a Saturday morning. If I weren't sitting in prison it might be a normal Saturday as I sit here sipping coffee and writing.
I'm not quite sure when I started thinking of myself as a writer. Though it is certainly something I identify with, I don't consider myself an author or journalist or find any affinity with the professions of writing. Rather, I just think of myself as a person who writes.
This is my art. It isn't pretty. It isn't great. But, when I write I can channel the raw emotions of my soul. I give them life. Sometimes I give them escape. I think this is what it must be like to keep a journal; something I have never done.
These dispatches, however, serve as a chronicle of my life in prison. The fiery rants, the passionate pleas, the sadness, joy, and heartache.
Over the years these writings have served as a window into my life. I did not begin them with that intent. They started as a way to demonstrate to the world and myself that no cage could break my spirit. However, they have become so much more.
Through these dispatches, you the audience have gotten a feel for what it is like to be a political prisoner. Not the celebrity that so often accompanies those of us locked up for direct action, but the deep heartfelt sorrow that is being locked up for an act of protest.
The sacrifice for a principle. This noble cause grows exponential each year. Had anyone asked what I thought prison would be like when I was 21 my answer would have been horribly lacking.
Of course, with increased hardship comes increased strength and determination: the will and desire to see this through to the end. My heart breaks again and again and again, however, my chin never drops and my strength seldom falters.
Is this what it means to be a hero? According to some, I suppose. Though personally I think it is solely because I am stubborn and incorrigible.
I have spent years daydreaming about my release. Years. Never did I actually believe I would be making release plans. Yet, recently a friend put it in very
real perspective. She told me she was looking at her calendar and realized my release date was on there. Granted, hers is a two year calendar. Nevertheless,
the day is that close: 16 months, 13 days as of this writing (but who's counting?).
Years of daydreaming are on the verge of coming true. Well, that's not quite true. That's the problem with dreams, seldom do they turn out quite the way we imagine.
It is hard when dreams fall short. It happens to us all. It is the nature of dreaming, I suppose. Still, it seems especially cruel when years of sustained hope fade. Yeah, I'm quite guilty of holding on to some of the romanticism I constantly complain about. It is no real secret I'm a hopeless romantic.
In the dream she is always there at the gate waiting. It is an awkward but joy filled moment. It's just her. Besides, I'm not into crowds and I'm not interested in a hero's homecoming. I just want to go home to her.
It isn't a typical get out of prison dream. The first stop isn't some seedy motel. There's no sex involved, actually my dream is much more heartfelt. I just want her to be there.
Now, I'd be a liar if I said it has always been the same dream, or the same women in the dream for that matter. Sadly, I am not a stranger to heartbreak or being dumped.
But, this dream was unique (there were seedy motels in the others). This dream has only ever featured one woman. She is the woman I have imagined going home to for over 3 years.
I have known her for more than 9 years. It hasn't always been good. There were times when I didn't like her. Moments I kick myself over now (moments she has occasionally kicked me over as well).
However, the good times were great times. The way we played, the smile she reserved just for me, the gentle and peaceful expression on her face when she slept in my arms. And oh how we lit up the visiting room. When your life is lived for a visiting room whether from the inside or out you'll truly understand the importance of that last part.
Alas, some dreams just can't be held on to and the harder you try the more it slips from your grasp. Sometimes as difficult and painful as it is, you have to just let go and hope for the best. I don't like that, though I do understand it.
You've probably figured out by now that I'm not writing this for you. I'm writing it for her. It is rather cliche, I know, like the musician who writes about his broken heart. I hope you will forgive me for this indulgence I think that you will. Something tells me there is a hopeless romantic in all of us and that perhaps my closest friends are not the only ones who can smile with that knowledge.
Some things should be immortalized. Particularly, those events that leave us better people. This experience, these last years shared with her, has been that for me.
So, to you my dear friend, while it appears our paths part ways here, I look forward to a time when they again bring us together. Thank you for sharing this part of the journey with me.
- Jeffrey Free Luers
I’m experiencing one of those moments that can only be described as nostalgic. Yet, despite the accurate description of that word, it leaves me grasping for a better definition.
Lately, I have been taking the moments of my life and putting them to paper. The process had added colors to my memories, making the pictures in my head every bit as vivid as those in my photo albums.
I have been remembering all of the amazing and inspiring folks I had the honor and the privilege of knowing. Names many would recognize, but I’ve no need to mention (you all know who you are). I have been reliving the experiences, places and subtleties of these friendships.
These moments occurred so long ago, it not only just seems a different time. I know that it actually was! Most clearly the belief and the hope that we really could win. I remember the courageous determination as activists of all kind continued to push the envelope.
I remember a time when we were strong or at the very least we sure as hell felt that way.
Yes, I dream in fairy tales and I’m OK with that. In my day dreams I remember the hard and dangerous work of those who climbed to the tops of trees with me hanging lines and building tree-sits. I recall the faces of those who helped hold the blockades against the bulldozers.
I can still taste the tear gas and feel the pepper spray as we battled riot cops and forced the police to retreat. I can still hear the sound of glass
shattering. And I can remember the laughter and smiles and feeling of freedom that surrounded the campfire or permeated one of the local houses after these
well-lived days.
I still remember those long days standing on the side of the highway with my thumb out. If those who picked me up only knew, eh?
I remember the bands, the music, the punks and the shows. The soundtrack to my own personal revolution.
So what do these memories have to do with anything? Everything and nothing.
I cannot be reasonably expected to have any understanding of what the world has become. Honestly, I haven’t much grasp of it. They call it institutionalization for a reason.
I have no idea what today’s struggles, scenes, and communities are like.
All I have are my memories of a time I know no longer exists. I no longer get a sense of that hope that once was so prevalent amongst us.
I do, however, remember it. I remember the very real sensation of freedom. I remember feeling like we were unstoppable as long as we continue to remain determined.
I am hungry for that feeling again.
As of late people have been telling me how difficult my life is going to be upon my release. I’ve received letters from former political prisoners warning me of the struggles ahead.
Yet, I’m not scared or intimidated. Yes, the world has changed and I’m going to have to relearn how to navigate its currents. But while the world has changed, I have not. Different perhaps, but not changed.
I have not lost myself in these trying years. I have not let go of who I am nor have I forgotten my principles.
Tomorrow is my 8 year anniversary. It is also my 18 months mark. After tomorrow I will have less than a year and a half to do.
I could never have made it this far if it had not been for the people in my life who showed me strength, taught me courage and inspired me to believe. I would not have made it were it not for the love and support of my family and friends and so many people I do not hardly even know.
I owe my life and my freedom to all of those who held demos and rallies, wrote letters, targeted US embassies, did solidarity actions and never let up the pressure for my release. I know without a doubt that it was not the legal system that reduced my sentence. It was you.
Each passing day I find myself wondering what life will soon be like. Aside from the obvious things like being around women, real food, and unlocked doors again, I wonder what my everyday interactions will be like.
I find myself deeply hoping that I’ll be able to climb again. That I’ll be able to put my skills to some use other than as a hobby. I’ve been thinking about doing speaking events--as the requests have already started to come in--and frankly wondering what the hell I’m going to say. I have even been thinking about starting a punk band.
My thoughts have increasingly turned from hopes and dreams to plans and preparations. I am excitedly looking forward to meeting new and amazing people, creating more wonderful memories, and maybe, just maybe, hoping to rekindle that hope and defiant spirit that we really can and really will change the world.
- Jeffrey Free Luers
It’s been over a month since I’ve written a dispatch. Much has happened in that time. Yesterday, May 16, I became officially 19 months to the gate. The months I have left in prison have fallen to the teens. It still doesn’t seem real to me.
Since I’ve been here at CRCI I have received two letters from friends back at OSP. Both are doing life. One will never go home. The most difficult part about my resentencing and subsequent move to minimum has been missing my friends at OSP.
I am leaving them behind. There is no other way to put it than I’m going home and they aren’t.
It’s not political. It isn’t relevant to anyone other than me. And more than a few readers would probably think they deserve their fate. But they are my brothers. They have stood by me for the last seven years. Together we have war stories, ones I can’t write about.
It seems silly to say; I can hear the echo of ridiculousness. Yet, I cannot justify my going home and their staying behind.
Prison is a horrible place. I have seen and done horrible things. But despite all that, the beauty of the human spirit can be found within this place. When solidarity exists it is not easily broken. When convicts unite they can accomplish many things.
Inside the walls of OSP I built a family. My family went beyond race and politics. Amongst those imprisoned for years a unique and powerful bond
builds. When faced with the reality of doing decades behind bars you find strength knowing you have friends doing the same. You do not have to experience it
alone. You have support.
My brothers at OSP have become an extended part of my real family and community. I have introduced them to my parents and friends. I have included them in all I have and shared all that I can with them.
I have no doubt years from now I will again sit in the visiting room at OSP, returning to see and talk to one friend in particular who above all will hold my love, respect and loyalty for life.
I look upon the relationships I have built in prison and I find myself wishing that our activist communities could emulate them.
In the face of the ultimate oppression, politics come to mean less and honor to mean so much more. In prison, I have found common cause with an anarchist’s most hated enemy. Indeed that even has extended into a friendship. The irony of which is not lost on me.
When looking beyond these walls I still see a movement factionalized and divided: green and red; black and white; progressive and radical. And I still see a capitalist monstrosity towering over all.
I ask myself, if I can walk the yard of a maximum security prison with a black gang member on my left and a Nazi skinhead on my right, why the hell can’t activists, radicals, and progressives find level amongst themselves when they have so much more in common?
OK. It’s not that simplistic. I know. Still, there are alliances we could and should be building. There are bridges that should not be burning. If we put as
much energy into building community and making allies as we have talking shit and leveling criticism we might have already taken that first inch. And in the
words of Conflict, “For once we take an inch, you just watch us take the mile.”
Could it be that we actually have a deeply ingrained fear of success? After all, our ideologies are proven. We’ve made little if any progress toward creating alternatives to this society. We remain stuck in the tearing down,laying blame and pointing fingers stage.
Fair enough. There is a lot to be dismantled and done away with. There is even more to build and learn.
I think it is high time to shrug off the chains of isolation and self-exclusion. The rhetoric of pure idealism has been tried and left as wanting.
Of course, it’s nothing I haven’t said before. A brief review of my dispatches will reveal different versions of the same recycled messages, which in itself says something—I’ve been saying the same things for years!
To succeed we need unity. Judi Bari taught us that. The Battle of Seattle taught us that. Even more state repression has taught us that.
For those who still choose to stand on their own; marginalized by their self-righteous politics and inability to open their own mind (while they
demand it of others), I say good luck. Personally, I’m going to try to build a community and movement that realize we must rely on each other to create a
healthy, stable, sustainable and safe society. It’s not about politics it is about life. Life needs diversity.
The real question is how do we build it? How do we create a broad coalition to challenge things like global warming and other social injustices?
While I can already here the groans from my green anarchist brethren, I believe a good place to start is by building bonds with the unions and working people. I know it may be a dream years in the making, but imagine a general strike demanding action on climate change. Picture a union action bolstered by direct action and civil disobedience. What if the docks closed as a gesture of solidarity with eco-defense prisoners? Visualize the world’s most powerful
corporations capitulating to us, the people.
It is not beyond us to build alliances. It’s part of our own radical history. Our history also teaches us that we are more effective together than alone.
- Jeffrey Free Luers
Last Friday I was officially transported back to prison. So, I guess this is the beginning of the end. And what a beginning it has been.
This is how it started….
I met with my intake counselor last Monday. This is the person who decides what my custody level is, and what types of programs (i.e. anger management) if any I need to take. In short, the counselor sets the stage.
This meeting was unique in that for the first time I got to see my file—the one that has always caused me so much trouble. The one that got me pulled off the bus by a captain when I arrived at intake. It is a thick file with a bright red sticker on it that says "Danger Escape Risk."
That's how it started. My counselor asked why that sticker was there. I figured it was a rhetorical question. I mean, he had the file and I surely didn't know. But that was just it. He didn’t know either. He couldn’t find anything.
Then he asked about my sensitive inmate listing, which is a label for inmates who are believed to be dangerous. I replied that maybe it had something to do with my support. I received a quizzical stare. I didn't elaborate.
What's the point?
Much to my surprise, my counselor said, "Well, I can't see why they have all of these restrictions on you. There's nothing to support it." So he removed all of them, listed me as minimum one—the lowest custody level possible, and that was that.
Of course, the next day he came back. The conversation started like this, "Mr. Luers, I didn't know who you were yesterday. But I've Googled you. Do you know how many people you have out there?" And so began more meetings with security lieutenants and captains. I was told I would stay minimum but would be going back to Oregon State Prison, Oregon's only maximum-security prison.
So, it took me by surprise when they brought me to a minimum-security prison in Portland. It's the same kind of shock I experienced when I was arrested. I've just been taken from my family again.
That may sound strange. But I've spent the last 7 years at OSP. The friends and brothers I've left behind were family to me. In fact, I've spent more time with them than most other people in my life. Many of them are doing life, most I'll never see again.
I'm dealing with the separation from my friends while trying to adjust to a place where people aren’t carrying shanks and people don’t get killed.
Things that are definite improvements from OSP, yet also make for a more disrespectful attitude among inmates. The fear of crossing the wrong line at
OSP makes everyone very cautious and respectful. Lots of please, thank you, and excuse me. Here there’s not the same level of politeness. I’m having
trouble adjusting. In a way I miss OSP.
One can also possess less property here. Something that means getting rid of lots of stuff once my property finally arrives from OSP.
There are dorms here and not cells. The yard is very small, though I can get out more. One thing surprising or at least new is the trees around the yard.
Cedars and pines, fragrances I haven’t smelled in years. And frogs. I heard frogs the other night. I even did my own laundry, a first in 8 years. It took
me a while to remember how ironing is; my next task. Though I’m gonna put it off as long as possible—it’s something I’ve never done and I’ve seen
all the comedies with the iron burnt shirt.
Still, I’m not happy or content here. I don’t think I will be. I accepted OSP as home. This place is not home. I feel in transition, but a transition I do not control. Right now I’ve got around 20 months left if things hold. But maybe I’ll go to camp—maybe not. They don’t tell you and there are 7000 people eligible. So who knows? I really want to take some college correspondence courses. But I’m worried I’ll sign up and spend lots of money only to end up in boot camp where I can’t do them. Or I’ll not sign up and wait on boot camp only to not get in.
I’m left not knowing what to do. It’s not a position I like. My future is up in the air and I don’t feel in control of it yet. But, one thing is certain: I have a future I can look forward to that is only 20 months away, or sooner if I get into boot camp.
So like everyone else I guess I'll watch and wait and see what happens. I should be used to that by now, but naturally I am not.
- Jeff "Free" Luers
It is Easter Sunday, a rather strange celebration to me, after all it's just another stolen pagan holiday. Yet, I am celebrating the return of spring; the stirring of new beginnings, new life, new hope, another chance. Spring is like a bright, beautiful sunrise after a long night. It brings a smile to my face and joy to my heart. It is a time for planting seeds and hoping they will take root and grow.
For me it is also a time of reflection, not that I really need an excuse; I'm locked up, so I have a lot of spare time for reflection. Still, most of the campaigns and direct actions I've participated in almost all started in spring. Spring isn't just for lovers it's for revolutionaries!
My thoughts today, however, seem more focused on the past rather than looking ahead to the future. Though I suppose in a way it is both because as I sit here and recall our past struggles and victories, I worry that someday we'll forget them.
I fear that we will forget who we are (or rather who we were), where we came from, and why. Recently it struck me that I'm becoming old guard in this struggle, still far from being an elder but certainly not a fresh voice. The many letters I get from those under 20 confirm this and I must smile at the innocent way they have of making a 29 year old feel old.
But that's what I’ve been thinking about today, because it was just 10 years ago when I climbed that Douglas fir called "Happy" and thus began the Fall Creek/Red Cloud Thunder campaign, which blossomed and sprouted into so much more.
I look at today's struggle and all that is happening and I realize we've moved on from what we once were: A natural process of growth.
But, I wonder if as a part of that process we've left behind who we are? Will we so easily forget the road blockades and tree sits, the roaming street battles, the deaths of David Chain and Carlo Guiliani along with numerous others? Ten or twenty years from now what will we remember of our struggles and sacrifices or even our failures?
I look at the lessons we failed to learn from the anti-war and civil rights struggles of the 60's and 70's in which I am just as guilty. I look at the warriors of these struggles, many of whom are still behind bars decades later still struggling for their beliefs and freedom, still struggling against the same opponent we struggle against today. When we fail to remember our past, we fail to learn from it. We invariably make the same mistakes and fall prey to the same government tricks.
Any student of social change or any well-schooled activist, who knows a bit of history, knows resistance comes in cycles. American history is full of examples.
The problem is that each time we recreate our struggle in a new image or under a new banner we really believe it is new. We fall prey to thinking that our struggle is somehow different from all those that have come before.
Twenty years from now I don't care if I'm remembered, at least not as an individual. But what I do care about is that out struggle is remembered and
not
just by us. I care that we remember why we were in the streets battling cops and capitalism. I care that we remember why we used to risk our lives sitting
in trees through bad weather and long winters. I care that we remember and honor the sacrifices of those warriors who give so much of themselves to
remain
underground and those that gave their freedom or their lives fighting.
These people and these movements represent you and I. They represent all that we have fought and struggled for and all that we believe. They are the embodiment of our movement, our heart and soul. For beyond theory and desire they are the dream and without them we have nothing.
Struggles reinvent themselves time and again (hopefully evolving). They are infused with the energy of youth, young idealists eager to take up the cause. This energy keeps us vibrant, it keeps us alive, but it does not keep us grounded. Only our collective past can do that.
It is easy to look past the sacrifices, the personal struggles, and to let the N30s, the Redwood Summers, the Genoa's and Vail's fade into blurry memories of another time. After all, the world hasn't changed. Sadly, things haven't gotten better.
But, these are the monuments to our struggle. They are testimonials to our determination and our passion. They speak of our courage and willingness to
fight back. These are our movement's triumph, if only for a little while, because for those brief moments in time we rose above tyranny and we chose to
be free, we chose to fight.
It is not that we must never forget. It is that we must always remember. The struggle did not start with us, it will not end with us; this struggle is as much yours as it is mine, as much theirs as it is ours.
Hopefully, the seeds we have planted will become tomorrow's ancient forests. May we always look on that with the reverence and respect deserved.
Jeffrey "Free" Luers
What a long and strange journey this past year has been. I have been riding highs and lows as I have been struggling to regain my freedom and find a balance between my desires for this movement and my own personal happiness.
I’ve made no secret of my often conflicting emotions or my disappointment in radical struggles here in the United States. Yet, despite my confusion about
my
own part in this messy struggle that now sees so many of us locked behind bars—so many split once again into factions, while many others hearts are
broken by the betrayals of friends and former heroes—I have strived to remain true to the ideals in which I believe. It is often difficult to carry your
head
high when the rest of your life feels like you are falling apart, but we must continue to do so because it is only with our heads high that we can meet the
eyes of our enemy and let them know that while we may be afraid we are not cowards; that while we may be hurting we are not broken, and most importantly,
that while we may be small we are not weak, we are still defiant and we can still be dangerous.
As many of you are aware, I was resentenced on February 28th, after years of fighting for a reduced sentence. I will soon be making the terms of my contract with the state available.
In the months preceding my resentencing I was faced with numerous obstacles and forced to make difficult decisions. Upon my arrival at Lane County Jail, I
learned that not only had Judge Lyle Velure come out of retirement to resentence me but that the state was threatening to seek a 20-year sentence
again. Judge Velure began suffering severe prostate problems and had to retire again. Upon receiving a new judge my luck began to change and for the first
time I thought I just might have a chance.
Now, I must say that my original opinion of Erik Hassleman, the prosecutor assigned to my case, was that he is an evil prick. And as I’m sure he will read this, I want to say that in the end he impressed me and that I respect him as a person and an opponent.
As negotiations progressed it quickly became apparent that the state had a bottom line—I was not going to receive a sentence below 10 years. As part of that agreement the state wanted a written apology from me for my crimes. I wrote a statement acknowledging I was wrong to believe that arson could achieve the change I desired, though I added I was not ashamed of nor did I regret my actions.
My attorneys promptly edited and reworded my statement until it resembled a watered-down version of polite discourse. While many of the things I wanted to say were there the heart of my statement—that I was wrong but essentially not sorry—was missing. With some disgust I swallowed my pride and signed the damn thing and I will admit it is one of the harder things I’ve done because it made me feel defeated.
After all negotiations were said and done the state came back with a final offer of a 30 month sentence followed by a 90 month mandatory minimum,
essentially a sentence of a guaranteed 9½ years. After I reluctantly agreed to this as the best I could get, Erik then maneuvered a restitution of $14,000 on
top of the $56,000 judgment I just learned Romania has against me.
In a frantic and somewhat pissed off effort my attorneys spent the next month trying to get the restitution dropped without success. In the final days with my head admittedly hanging much lower than usual I decided I would have to accept the states offer, restitution and all.
Come February 28th, however, I would be surprised beyond my wildest imagination. Not only had Hassleman agreed to dismiss the restitution but he
had decided to grant a sentence modification in my favor. The sentence would now be 90 month followed by 30 months run out of order so that I may qualify
for programs and possibly be released later this year!
During the course of sentencing, Erik spent some time describing my progression as a person and even as an activist during my incarceration. He talked about my subtle shift from a fiery radical to one that acknowledged the failures of some aspects of radical struggle—my words not his—by embracing more mainstream methods of change. All of which is true.
He then went on to describe how I viewed and continue to view my actions as a necessary evil similar to acts such as the Boston Tea Party. Surprisingly, he
seemed in agreement with this analogy and even admitted that good arguments have been made about the legitimacy of sabotage and arson to protest
ecological destruction. But, he went on to say these acts are still crimes and need to be punished accordingly.
After Erik was done I was given an opportunity to read my statement, this time unedited except for some suggestions from my friend and attorney (in that
order), Lauren Regan. Upon finishing my statement I looked to see a somewhat stunned Judge Billings. Admittedly, my first thought was “well I pissed off
another one.” But, then by far the most surprising and ever vindicating thing happened.
Judge Billings told me that in his 35 years as an attorney and judge that my statement was the most sincere and passionate he’d ever heard. He told me he
was impressed with me. He then went on to say that while some people might disagree, pointedly looking at Erik, that in many ways when I get out I would
be considered an “elder statesman” or a “veteran returning from an ugly campaign.” He agreed that we desperately need change and said that I may be
one of the people that have the ability to help create that change but that I needed to do so in a way that would keep others and me out of prison. He
finished by wishing me the best of luck.
By far the most astonishing of the day was the atmosphere of the hearing. Last time I was sentenced I was condemned as an evil terrorist who needed to be
locked away. The difference this time was quite frankly shocking. I was no longer a terrorist but someone respectable. My message was no longer one of
rhetoric but one that needed to be listened to.
What I took away from that day is that in a subtle and elusive way our actions have had an impact on the conscience of the American public, and even on some
of those who are our natural enemies. For sure it isn’t just our actions, but the truth behind them that has come to be understood. Messages about
environmental dangers that years ago seemed fanatical are now accepted science.
There is a shift occurring in this country and it is one that we have very much helped shape. It is not a radical shift and is not enough of a change to correct society’s many wrongs. But it is a noticeable shift we must embrace and continue to push in the right direction.
Since my last dispatch many months ago people have written and expressed concern that I have retired from activism. That is a misconception. I have not retired I have simply sought a different way to create the change I want to see.
I still believe direct action and militancy have their place. But I also see quite clearly its failures and our failures. I’m also quite aware of the failures of mainstream channels of activism. We must find ways to overcome barriers and the obstacles that come in our path. It seems nearly impossible but it isn’t.
All we must do is seriously evaluate how each of us can make a difference; how we can each contribute to the changes that need to occur. In order to do that
we must leave the rhetoric behind; we must step away from pigeon-holding ourselves into no-win situations. We have to recognize when to stand our
ground
and when to compromise. We must move beyond our comfort zones and embrace strangers as potential allies.
The very simple truth of the matter is that the environmental crisis facing us is going to affect all of humanity regardless of color, creed or political affiliation. It is the one thing that we must challenge together; if we fail in that we all fail.
If I’ve learned nothing else in the past 8 years, I have learned that we ourselves have to open our minds. We have to expand our thinking because our ways are not always right and even when they are right they might not be the best way for creating change.
We must learn to recognize our failures and learn from them. We must learn to think strategically, focusing on the larger picture, while also being willing to evolve and change. If change is going to start with us we must embrace the fact that we too must change.
There is lots of work to be done. There are many wounds to be healed. We have to start picking up the pieces and putting them back together. We have to
remember our strength and face the challenges ahead. We have to again find our passion to act, our willingness to sacrifice, and increase our capacity to
understand. There is no roadmap for us to follow. We are trailblazers in this and as such we must rise to the challenge.
I myself am confused but I’m not lost and I haven’t given up. Despite the ache in my heart I still have faith in us. I still believe we can fix these problems facing us if only we would act with determination and courage. I’m still here and I am not quitting.
- Jeffrey “Free” Luers
February 16, 2007
Thursday, February 15th was just like any other morning for me. I woke up at six, went down to breakfast and ate with my friends. I came back to my cell and turned on the morning news. My cellie went back to sleep, covering his eyes from the light of the TV as I made a cup of coffee.
I had just started paying attention when the ticker at the bottom of the screen read, 'The man who set fire to three SUVs as an environmental protest, will serve a shorter sentence than originally planned.'
'That's me,' was my first thought. My second (and much louder) thought was, 'I won my appeal,' I exclaimed, disturbing my cellie and waking our neighbors.
My cellie looked to the TV as the screen continued, 'The Court of Appeals has ruled that Jeffrey Luers was improperly sentenced.'
'That's you!' my cellie exclaimed, echoing my first thought and waking up more neighbors. My cellie got out of bed as the ticker informed us 'Luers will be sent back to Lane County for re-sentencing.'
The neighbors started asking us to keep it down. My cellie turned to the bars and shouted, 'My cellie just won his appeal.' And in a show of cheer one can only find in prison, the morning silence was forsaken as everyone started congratulating me.
I have spoken with my attorney and there are still many battles ahead. Hard choices will have to be made. I am by no means close to walking out of prison, just one step closer. This is a victory, and while my own personal struggle is making headway others are just beginning.
On January 23 eight former Black Panthers (Ray Boudreaux, Richard Brown, Hank Jones, Richard O'Neal, Harold Taylor, Francisco Torres, and Herman Bell and Jalil Muntaqim - both of whom have been political prisoners since 1978) were arrested and charged with the 1971 killing of a police officer. Taylor and Bowman were first charged in 1975. However, a judge threw the case out after ruling that the men had been physically tortured and coerced into giving confessions.
These men are not the only victims of an ongoing political witch-hunt being conducted by the Bush Administration. The SHAC 7 are serving time for maintaining a website. Rod Coronado is awaiting trial for publicly discussing his role in an Animal Liberation Front campaign that he served time for in the 90s.
Bush has recently, and very quietly, passed laws bringing the National Guard under federal, instead of state, authority. He has enacted laws that make it permissible to open the mail of US citizens without a warrant. Laws are being passed nearly everyday eroding civil rights and granting extraordinary police powers. The Bush Administration rules by creating fear and then uses that fear to justify increased executive power and excuse human rights violations and war crimes.
While Democrats discuss 'non-binding' resolutions on the Iraq war, innocent Iraqis and US soldiers are dying. Dying for what? Another imperialist war for oil!
Bush claims we are fighting to protect our freedom. He must not be referring to the civil rights he has taken. Rather, he must mean the freedom to be the world's largest contributor to climate change; the right to be the greediest nation in the world, consuming more of the world's resources than any other nation in history.
And now that human-caused global warming is acknowledged as a real threat, what is being done? More debates and the same lack of action.
The American public has placed their faith in a Democratic controlled congress and senate. Indeed, the Democrats may offer some solutions, but they will never create social change. That task has historically fallen to the people.
Generations of activists and revolutionaries have fought against corrupt powers to create social change. Several generations of political prisoners are still behind bars, and still the silent war wages on. While each generation and each individual have faced their own struggles, making sacrifices for their cause, each of us shares a dream. We all believed and continue to believe that a better world is possible: One with justice, equality, and freedom for all.
We believe strong enough that we have staked our lives and our freedoms on
it. Because we know that only action creates change.
Every generation of warriors have stood and fought for something better. Every generation of warriors has asked you - the people - to stand by them, in solidarity. They have asked for your support and action in creating change.
I am not saying or asking anything new. Indeed, much greater people than I have asked the same thing of their generation in the name of the struggle. So what makes me think this time is different?
Nothing. I'm just hoping that this time you will do more than listen and nod your head in agreement. I'm praying that this time you will take it upon yourself to get involved; to get your family, friends, and neighbors involved. I'm asking you to believe that change is possible and that united we can create it.
This June, show your solidarity with me, and all those who have struggled, past and present, to make this world a better place. Struggle with us. Hold demonstrations or gatherings at federal buildings or US embassies and demand change. It doesn't matter what cause or issue you fight for - we are all connected. What does matter is that we stand united and make our voices heard.
-Jeffrey 'Free' Luers
January 22, 2007
It is no secret to many of my friends and loved ones that I have become hardened and numb to so many things. In fact, my cynicism has become one of my endearing qualities. I am greatly amazed by that.
So, it may sound strange that for the first time since I began my struggle against human caused climate change I am hopeful.
Global warming is upon us. We are feeling its impact and witnessing its effects. And it is only going to get worse. But, it is not too late to start mitigating those impacts and start reversing the trend.
Right now, as I write, congress is discussing introducing four new bills to combat climate change. Finally, the United States government is starting to take steps toward challenging global warming. This could be a historic first
step.
For years, the Earth Liberation Front and other clandestine groups have targeted companies responsible for climate change. These actions have been carried out in an effort to punish these companies, bring public awareness to
the dangers of climate change and create social change.
We may now be taking the first steps toward realizing these goals. And while I’m not so egotistical or deluded to claim this as a victory, it is an opportunity.
It is an opportunity we must take and act on with full force. Our militants have spoken with action and will doubtlessly continue to do so if necessary. But now is the time for us to push for change with diplomacy.
I am asking that all activist groups coordinate a grassroots campaign to influence congress, the senate and the media. Now is the time for a coordinated letter and phone campaign demanding the following actions be
taken:
1. Official recognition that global warming is a serious threat to the economic, social, and environmental well-being of the United States
2. Implementation of a cap on carbon dioxide emissions without exception for aging factories or industry
3. Mandatory increase of vehicle gas mileage
4. Support for alternative sustainable energies in the form of government investment, tax breaks and grants
5. Compliance with the Kyoto Protocol
One idea would be for groups to write sample letters. Then table with them gathering signatures for the letters and sending them all at once to their members of congress and senate.
This is our first real chance to create a government policy on global warming. It may be reformist or compromising and may end up being far from what is needed. But we must do everything in our power to ensure that laws
are created that are as effective as possible at curbing green house emissions. This is our chance to truly fight for a better, healthier planet and begin moving away from harmful industry practices. Please do not fail to
act. Get involved.
With hope for a greener future,
- Jeffrey Free Luers
For the last several years I have been writing about the causes and signs of global warming. I scour newspapers and science journals for the latest studies. It’s no real surprise that the guy in prison for trying to call attention to global warming is writing about it.
When I first came to prison global warming was a myth. I had to argue the facts in numerous interviews. Some journalists were convinced by my passion and knowledge and others dismissed me as crazy.
Now more and more attention is being given to climate change and its inherent dangers. Major media outlets are reporting on climate change on a regular basis.
Just the other day the Register Guard reported that a 41 square mile chunk of Canada’s arctic ice shelf had broken off due to climate change. Reporting that the remaining ice shelves are 90% smaller than when they were discovered in 1906 (‘Ice shelf break blamed on climate change’ 12-30-06). Even the US government has now acknowledged the plight of polar bears that are threatened by climate change.
However, I was shocked when the Oregon Department of Corrections recently put an article in the prison bulletin about the dangers of global warming! The article went so far as to break down the types of green house gases. It concluded by asking the inmate population to do its part in fighting global warming by recycling paper to avoid creating methane gas (by letting it rot in a land fill).
I am glad that these issues are finally being acknowledged. It is great that steps are finally being taken to halt climate change. My own captors now agree climate change is a threat. The Bush administration is beginning to acknowledge it. Several states, including Oregon, are fighting legal battles in an effort to reduce green house gas emissions. It is great news. Even though it is going to take much more effort it is at least a start.
However, it leaves me asking the question: If I’m right and climate change is this huge threat, why am I still in prison?
I have served more than six years for a property crime that hurt nobody. My codefendant was released more than a year ago. Whatever debt I owe to society is paid in full.
We all know - you and me and the state - that I was punished for my politics. I was made to be an example. Well, my politics turn out to be right. No one is arguing with me about that anymore.
It is time for my punishment to reflect my crime not my politics. It is time for me to go home.
Depending on the outcome of my appeal, I will be asking the governor to commute my sentence. I can’t legally request that until my appeal process has ended. But when that time comes I will be asking for your help with letters, petitions, demonstrations, and media outreach. I believe that you have the power and influence to bring me home. I hope that you will answer, if I call.
- Jeffrey Free Luers
December 20, 2006
I honestly don’t have much to say at the moment, which is unusual, as everyone knows how much I love rabble rousing.
This is the first winter in a long time that I haven’t suffered from depression. I think I owe that to a very special person in my life and a
super amazing group of family and friends.
I turned 28 a few weeks back. And I want to thank everyone that sent me cards and letters. I got over 50 of them last week and they are still coming in. Thanks for all the love.
Perhaps the best gift of all came from my wonderful attorneys and friends at the Civil Liberties Defense Center, who have gotten me my visits back and are still fighting to get more. Thank you so much.
Happy holidays to everyone, and best wishes for a bright new year full of change.
Jeffrey "Free" Luers #13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
November 12, 2006
I learned the fate of my friends and allies during a visit a few hours after the pleas were entered. Then last night a guard came by with a newspaper article. He wanted to know how I felt about it.
It breaks my heart when I think about how this all could have been avoided. I’m outraged and saddened that there are so many traitors and cowards amongst
us.
The four people who pled guilty November 9, 2006: Jonathan Paul, Nathan Block, Joyanna Zacher, and Daniel McGowan, are victims of these traitors. Yet, despite the betrayal of their comrades, they have continued to act with honor and dignity.
For those of us who have chosen the path of resistance, there is no greater test of character than standing in the courtroom. There is no greater test of honor and integrity than facing the consequences of that resistance.
I have had the honor and privilege of briefly knowing Nathan. I smile knowing that I once shook this man’s hand. I wish I could give him a strong embrace now.
Daniel is one of my closest friends. Since his arrest I have been unable to communicate with him. I have not had the chance to tell him how much I love him and how proud I am of him.
I have not yet had the honor of meeting Joyanna or Jonathan. And I look forward to the day when I can look them in the eye and express my heart felt gratitude for all they have done.
Daniel, Nathan, Joyanna, and Jonathan: carry yourselves proudly. Your bravery will never be forgotten. You are all heroes. I salute you.
With my deepest respect and admiration,
Jeffrey “Free” Luers
The other day I was sitting out on the yard with an anarchist punk friend of mine. He and I share many common ideals, interests, and life experience. Over time, many fellow squatters and punk rockers have come and gone. But he and I are doing some time and are glad for the company.
We reclined on the bleachers watching the sky. The sun had already set behind the prison buildings and we were in their shadow. It was the time of evening I love so much. The setting sun casting colors on stray clouds and yet the sky remains a brilliant blue. Few things remind me that despite the walls I am still a child of the earth. The sky is my solace.
I was lost in my tranquil state when my friend said out of nowhere, “You know, Free, you are probably the most famous person I know.” I started laughing, my eyes still on the sky. “You know, you might be right. But, I’ll remember you when I get to the top.”
“I know,” he said laughing. “That’s why I’m going to sell all of your stuff on E-bay.”
We both laughed in that characteristically prison way, where laughter truly is the only medicine. A few minutes later and it was time to head back home, back to the cell.
Compared to most prisoners I am very fortunate. My friend is right. I am famous (amongst activists anyways). I am supported with visits, letters, money, and books. My fellow prisoners and the guards respect me. All things considered, I live a comfortable life.
I am thankful for the love and support I’ve received. I’m even more thankful that my words have spread so far.
Still I can’t help but wonder if my words are reaching the right people. I love that I can inspire other activists and like-minded individuals. But I aspire to reach beyond our own and get through to members of the general public. I want to form alliances with the working class and social justice struggles.
I dream of the day when unions stand in solidarity with environmentalists and refuse to unload or ship products made by companies destroying the planet. I want to see anarchists supporting picket lines and struggling for a living wage. I want to see the struggle to end vivisection embraced by all struggles.
I live for the day when supporting multifaceted struggle means embracing lobbying, direct action and sabotage as legitimate and equally valuable components of change.
I want to go beyond radicalism and liberalism, move past definitions. I want labels and stigmas to disappear. I want a truly united front against oppression and injustice.
I would love to see real and meaningful change accomplished in my lifetime. In my heart, I know it is possible. But it will only be accomplished by destroying our chains be they made of prejudice, factionalism, or by the tools of oppression. We must then create bonds of mutual respect and solidarity so we can begin building the alternatives to the structures and systems of today, in order to make room for a better tomorrow.
Divided we stand united we rise.
- Jeffrey “Free” Luers
The last several weeks have been very intense. Many of you are familiar with my personal struggles at this time having lost my contact visits for the next year. But, that is a small story compared to what the last two weeks have been like at OSP.
The Oregon State Penitentiary is Oregon’s only maximum-security prison. It is a home to violence, drugs, and sexual assaults. Typically, OSP is deceptively calm, but underneath is a perpetual storm always capable of becoming a full-blown disaster.
Last Sunday the storm broke loose and so far shows no sign of letting up. It started with the brutal beating of a guard during the evening yard.
What needs to be understood is that many - though not all - the guards here are disrespectful and dehumanizing. They believe they are untouchable and therefore immune to repercussions. This doesn’t mean they treat everyone like shit; a handful do, but usually they split somewhere down the middle. You know, while someone might be nice to you they aren’t always nice to everyone kind of thing.
This is the underlying tension that constantly exists. It is the nature of any environment where one group has all the power and another none.
Sometimes that scale tips, often violently, and not always without warning. And so last Sunday a guard was beaten into submission, and when the guards ordered everyone on the yard to lie prone no one did. And when the guns were turned on us a chorus of fuck-you was sounded. And when the gun towers ordered everyone to be still no one was. And when the prisoners were suddenly
empowered the guards lost all of theirs. Then the gates were locked and all of the guards left the yard. When the ambulance arrived to take their fallen a cheer went up across all of OSP.
That night a modified lockdown was imposed. All blocks would only have one yard. In essence everyone would be on 22 hour a day lockdown.
But that would not be enough to stem the flow of blood. The next night an inmate was stabbed. Rumors circulated that he was a snitch.
The day after that a fight erupted in the chow hall. One a week has been the average for a while now.
Then on Wednesday night I watched a man die. He took his last gurgled breath less than 10 feet from me and then his heart stopped beating. I watched for twenty minutes as medics performed CPR and shocked him.
I felt nothing as I watched this man die from my cell, nothing as they pronounced him dead. Nothing when they put the crime scene tape around his body.
They left him lying in front of my cell for five hours, his body partially covered with his feet and the top of his head sticking out.
I was awoken and questioned by the police at 4am. I went to sleep with his stiff body just outside my bars. Turns out the man was strangled, homicide or suicide is still unknown.
Today I read in the paper the man was a child molester. He admitted to raping and using a foreign object on a girl younger than twelve. He was sentenced to eight years.
The night he died I felt nothing. Today I feel glad that he is dead.
This is prison. I shower next to serial killers and sexual predators. I have alliances with people I’d fight on the streets. My best friend is a murderer and I love him like a brother (my parents love him too for that matter).
I walk with eyes in the back of my head. I seldom have anything to worry about but I never let my guard down. Every time I get a new cellmate I size him up and decide how I’d take him if I had to.
My friends watch my back and I watch theirs. No one deals with trouble alone. We joke about death. We laugh at the violence and suffering in here. It is a part of our daily existence. It has become part of who we are.
I can watch a man get stabbed in the neck and keep eating. I can pretend to not see a man lying helpless in his own blood (along with everyone else on the yard). And I can watch a man die and be completely unmoved.
Would someone please tell me how this is supposed to make me a better person? Can someone please tell me how locking away more than two million people into places like this is going to stop crime? Is there anyone out there that can convince me we are this planet’s most evolved creatures?
- Jeffrey “Free” Luers
When I started this dispatch a few days ago, my thoughts were jumbled. I’m not sure they are any clearer now. But I know what I want to try to say.
Now that I am out of the hole most of the letter that were sent 4-5 weeks ago are starting to be delivered. Thank you all for the love and support. It warms my heart.
I don’t know what it is like for our other captured warriors. There is little communication between me and other prisoners. And there is a definite lack of structure that would allow the political prisoners to work together. I would like to change that. However, that is perhaps a topic for my next dispatch.
I find myself in a strange situation of being a voice for an ideal and belief system. I give countless interviews and speeches on anarchism, environmentalism, direct action and activism. I always try to just speak for myself, but give an overview of broader topics.
I’m not entirely sure how all of this came about. It could be because of my amazing friends who have put up websites, made stickers, and movies about my story. My wonderful friends who refused to give up until the world knew my name and case.
Maybe it’s because of how much time I got and the fact that I steadfastly refuse to quit running my neck. Always preaching, even begging, for a revolution.
It might even be the right combination of the two. Still it never ceases to amaze me at the overwhelming amount of mail I’ve received, so many people from all over the world telling me how much I’ve inspired them.
I like to think that I inspire people because I’m still trying, still struggling. I like to think that I’m proof that everyone has this courage and passion inside of themselves.
It would break my heart if people thought I was something special or part of some kind of vanguard. I’m just an ordinary human being. I’m just like you.
Direct action isn’t something that is supposed to be left to some vanguard. It is for the people. All people. It doesn’t have to be spectacular it just has to be consistent.
Finding the courage to face state repression isn’t difficult it just takes believing in yourself and knowing you are right.
When I read the papers, even mainstream ones, I see how much global warming has become apart of our collective conscience. It is on the front page, in the comics, and editorials. Everyone is saying, ‘Something must be done’. And everyone is saying it like the power to fix the problem lies in someone else’s hands.
How did we as a society ever get so disempowered? How did we become so impotent?
For a long time I thought it was fear of repression. I thought it might have been intimidation or the belief that a small group of people can’t change anything.
But, what if it’s none of that. What if our collective fear is that we are powerful beyond measure? What if our fear comes from not wanting to be responsible?
These days it seems like everyone knows what is going on. Many people want change and are articulate and passionate about ending the war, creating social and environmental justice.
So, really, what gives? Why are we waiting?
I guess there is some big miracle around the corner. I just don’t know about it. Now that I know, I can sit back and rely on it, too. I can turn to these nameless and faceless others that will create this miracle. I mean, thank goodness, it’s someone’s responsibility to address all these pressing issues.
That doesn’t work for me. It shouldn’t work for anyone else.
I know what my country is doing wrong. I know what we are letting corporations get away with. It is my responsibility to try and stop it because I know.
I don’t enjoy it, but I embrace that responsibility. To steal a quote, evil flourishes when good people do nothing.
If you are reading this you likely know, also. Especially since I’ve yet to master preaching beyond the choir.
This responsibility is yours, as well. You don’t have to like it (I don’t). But you have to accept it, for two reasons: 1) you have the power to change that which is wrong. 2) You know what’s wrong and if you do nothing then you are part of what’s wrong.
I don’t want to be in prison. I wish I had been born in a different time, one that allowed me to live a simple life with my family and friends.
I’m not sure how much I believe in destiny or fate. All I know is that I was born into this mess. Born into a society of injustice, that puts profits before life and justifies all of it with twisted morality.
I can’t live in this world without challenging it, I don’t know how. Some people say that’s why I belong in prison. And, maybe, I do. If there is only a handful of people willing to fight back against insanity maybe this is where we belong. Locked away as a threat to those in power. Locked out of mainstream activism because our resistance goes beyond what the state allows, beyond their self-defined comfort zone.
But that doesn’t make me or anyone else an elite. Perhaps it just means we try too hard. That we have the audacity to believe a better world is possible and that we can help create it.
Maybe I’m the crazy one. It could be that those in power are supposed to be corrupt. Inequality really could be human nature. Maybe people should know their places and cower before their masters. It could very well be that this is the order of the universe and those who accept it have the right idea.
If that is the case, well, I’ll just have to continue being stubbornly wrong.
Jeffrey ‘Free’ Luers
Talk about a shitty couple of days. I get out of the hole on Sunday, August 20. To start I have to fight to get out on my date because I'm not in the computer. I get let out without having had a hearing, which means I have no sanctions.
I'm excited, though. I know that no matter what I get to call her today. I get out right at yard line. I go and find my new cell conveniently locked on the bar box. The first cell on the tier, the one right in front of the guard.
Ok, no big deal. Been here before. I throw my bedding in and hit the yard. The number that I've dialed nearly everyday for many months is gone from my memory. I try many combinations. I have to know it!
I don't. I call the old number. I feel like an ass. I get the new number. Finally, her voice. I don't know what to say. So much is happening around me: softball, birds, sunlight, people coming up to shake my hand. I haven't been outdoors in six weeks. Nowhere near my longest hole stretch, but it's messing with me.
I try, she keeps saying talk to me. Yet, the only words that come are ‘I love you’, ‘I'm scared they will not let me see you.’
It's been less than twenty minutes. I notice cops pointing at me. Something is coming. I know it. I know the look. Sure enough here they come.
‘Luers, you're not supposed to be out here, you're going back to the hole.’
‘But I'm not on LOP (loss of privileges).’
‘You just got out of the hole, of course you are.’
‘I never got a hearing.’
Looks of suspicion, hands going for the cuffs. Then something unexpected. She believes me.
‘Ok then.’
‘What was that about,’ I hear over the phone.
‘Nothing, just more of the same.’
Next day. Monday.
I go down to pick up my property. All my envelopes that I was told weren't there when I was in the hole. They are right on top. Guess they didn't want me writing letters the first few weeks. No biggie, it ain't the first time.
Lots of my property is missing. Nothing major. Just the food and coffee I bought the week before the hole trip. That kind of thing happens. It will work itself out.
Again, drop the stuff off, hit the yard. Everyone is shaking my hand offering me food, coffee, shoes. I mean everyone: my friends, black guys, skinheads, strangers. It feels good to be respected. It feels good to know that my politics, my character goes beyond prison divisions. People respect why I'm in prison. This place is a micro community and like any community it has its
‘popular’ members. Somehow I'm one of them.
Back to the cell. All my stuff doesn't fit. Fuck, shit, fuck! Ok, 30 books gone. Damn not enough. Ok, got to mail some letters home. Still not enough room. More stuff has to go. I've gone from a 6x9 cell with 7 shelves and a drawer to a 5x8 with one shelf and drawer. I've accumulated a lot of stuff in 6 years. Not more than the two duffel bag limit. But the limit still won't fit in a small cell.
I feel slightly ill about this loss.
Day number three. Tuesday. Today.
They called me in for my hearing today. Nevermind speedy investigations. This one took 5 weeks. 5 weeks to get a tape of a phone call and ask a cop one question.
At the hearing I'm informed that they listened to 6 phone calls. 3 hours worth of conversation. They never heard me talk about smoking pot. Never heard me talk about pot.
I'm told that there's no longer any basis for suspicion. Reality and what is written in the report are two different things.
Vindication. My heart leaps. Maybe, for once I'll get ahead. Well, at least not any farther back.
Then a set back. The UA officer lies to the investigator. Says he didn't give me any water before the test. Says maybe 6oz.
But he gave me two 8oz glasses. 16oz in 15 minutes.
Their very rule says one 8oz glass every half hour after the first half hour. He violated the rule but he can't admit it. That alone would get me off. It would also show he was incompetent.
Still, I'm not worried. Even though it's his word against mine I've still got the ace. The hearings officer says there's no reason to believe I was smoking weed.
He gives me the decision. He says with no suspicion I do not find you guilty of disobeying an order (Yes! I've won!). However, you still submitted a diluted UA. So I find you guilty of contraband one.
I'm sanctioned to 14 days LOP, 42 days hole time (time served, a $50 fine, and I lose my contact visits for one year. Even though no one thinks I smoked pot.
I felt sick. It took a lot not to hit a cop today. Any cop, it didn't matter. Even the ‘cool’ ones who think I got fucked over simply say that's the way it goes.
I wanted to say ‘yea, well I'm an anarchist and this is the way that goes’ Pow! But I keep control of my seething anger. I make my way back to my cell. My stupid fucking cell on the bar box where I can't get away from anyone.
Here is when it hits me next time I see her face, next time I see my parents, there will be glass between us again. Just like county jail. No hugs, no kisses, no holding hands for a year.
I've done it before. It doesn't seem like a lot. But when the only thing that has kept me going are those visits, it's everything.
I'm not sure I can be ‘good’ anymore. I'm not sure that I want to be. I'm not sure what that means for my future.
Then again, maybe I'm just bitter, tired of being fucked over by the prison system. Maybe this feeling will pass. Or maybe next time I'm pushed, I'll push back. Maybe I won't have to. Maybe people out there will start pushing back when they are pushed and all this stupid authoritarian bullshit will end.
Jeffrey ‘Free’ Luers
Thank you all so much for the letters and books you have sent me in recent days. I know right now there's a bit of confusion about why I'm in the hole. I'd been hoping to know more myself before writing about it. However, that hasn't happened. So here is what has happened and what I know:
The whole thing started in mid-June when my neighbors got caught in their cell with a joint. The next day they took the wrong neighbors to the hole! Realizing their mistake a few days later they let the innocent party out of the hole and UA'd my tier.
One week later on June 30 I was called down to give a UA based on a phone conversation I'd had. I complied thinking it was just more of the same goings on as the week before.
Then I was UA'd again on July 3 and again on July 5. On July 10 they came to take me to the hole. I was told my June 30 UA was diluted. By which they mean I had more liquid intake than my body used (more than one cup of coffee). Some how this throws the PH balance of your pee off.
The report against me alleges that I admitted to smoking pot on the phone. That I drank excessive water to dilute my system in order to mask my drug use.
There are a few things wrong with that theory. Weed stays in your system - which is why they retested me twice before bringing me to the hole. And again a week after. All test negative. The other problem is the last time I smoked pot was June 15, 2000, the day before my arrest.
At my initial hearing I asked for an investigation including questioning the officer who administered the UA test, asking him how much water he gave me before the test. I also asked for a copy of the phone call to be part of the record, as I never made any statements admitting to having smoked pot in prison.
The case remains under investigation. I suspect it will remain under investigation until I am released from the hole on August 20. At which point it will likely be dropped. This is not an uncommon prison tactic.
I will write again as soon as I know more. For now, I ask people to be patient. If I need any public support on this issue we all know I will not hesitate to ask. Mostly, I'm just concerned with keeping my visits. The hole time doesn't bother me so much.
Again, I thank you all for your love and support. I am honored to have such wonderful people in my corner. Thank you to my dear friends that rally folks every time I'm harassed. Thank you to all you strangers out there who show your commitment to change and your compassion for humanity.
Still standing strong with head unbowed,
Jeffrey ‘Free’ Luers
Today is my six year anniversary. I almost didn’t notice to tell you the truth. It isn’t just because one day blends into another in here. Right now I just don’t really care that much that I’m in prison. I know how that sounds but that’s brutally honest. I got careless, I got sloppy. I slipped up. I got caught.
But, over the years something happened. I got stronger. I got louder. I became more powerful than the state ever wanted me to be.
You see, I was supposed to be a message to you all out there that would dare resist. But not enough people listened. Some kept fighting back. They kept liberating animals. They kept burning things down.
Now the state wants to send a more powerful message. They sent in agents and infiltrators. They bought off activists and turned others into traitors with threats. The message is simple: the government sees this movement as a threat. And they are telling you that if you challenge them they will try and lock you away for life.
It’s a powerful message. It’s down right intimidating, to be honest. But, this last weekend (June 9-11) another message was sent by 43 cities around the world. That message was very clear: we will not disappear.
Yea, some of us are going to end up in prison. That’s a fact. Some of the weaker individuals might break under that threat. That’s a fact, too. And that is intimidating. Why sugarcoat it?
However, when an international solidarity event, in which 43 cities participate, can be organized from a maximum security prison….That’s not just intimidating. That’s a threat.
There’s no denying the authorities have a lot of power. But so do we and we have to recognize that. We have to harness that energy. Every time we are pushed we must push back twice as hard.
Thank you for not being silent. Thank you for standing up for the “green scare” victims, the earth liberation prisoners and for me. I am so grateful, so very grateful I can’t wait to read and hear about all the events.
We have shown that we are united, that we can and will support our prisoners. Now let us show our might. They have heard your words. Make them feel your actions. The earth, the animals, the future, our children, your freedom, the people of Iraq, your very own community needs you to fight back. You are all we have. Your resistance is our only weapon, our only defense. You are the
only protection we have left. PLEASE do EVERYTHING you can to help.
Jeffrey ‘Free’ Luers
I’m really sad tonight. The last few days have been difficult. I get like this sometimes. Just part of the challenge, you know? It’s usually not this bad. Most times I just miss what my life once was.
Tonight the hurt is deep. It’s so real I can feel the tears on my cheeks.
It’s not often that I allow my personal life to extend beyond these walls. Your world is not mine. And unless you’ve ever been locked up – years not days – you could never understand my world.
I often find it strange that I don’t regret my actions. I don’t feel sorry for myself or resentful. But, damn I sure as hell don’t want to be here anymore.
Sometimes I wonder if my actions were the foolish endeavors of an idealistic youth. I think about the different paths my life could have taken.
Mostly, I dream about what my life could be like if I could just get out tomorrow instead of in 15 years. Fuck. I think about that a lot! I want what tomorrow would give me.
I hate feeling like this, like my heart is about to break. I hate waking up in the middle of the night reaching out for her only to realize it’s just another dream. It’s just a memory from long ago.
She was at work when I called, digging in the dirt. We were under the same sun but our worlds couldn’t have been more different.
I counted the concrete sections of wall between the gun towers as I listened to her sweet voice. There are 12. There are always 12. I count them every time I use the phone. I don’t remember when I started doing this, but I’ve done it for a long time. I can’t use the phone without counting them. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12.
I watched a fight as we spoke without interrupting the conversation. Someone got jumped by two other guys. Maybe he had it coming, maybe he didn’t. All of them got pepper-sprayed. But not gun shots this time.
The phone call ended. How does a person stay in love with a guy in prison? I can’t give her a tenth of what she deserves. And though it goes unsaid we both know it.
A few times a year we sit across from each other in the visiting room. At the best of times we get lost in each other and I could swear she is the only other person in the room.
I haven’t been with a woman in years. When she kisses me it’s like…well, it’s the most wonderful thing I know. Of course, she’s a trouble maker (part of the attraction, for sure) and I always get strip-searched after her visits. I stopped being embarrassed long ago, but I still feel a little sorry for the cop who has to strip me after seeing her.
How do you have a relationship when you are separated by guns, walls, razor wire, and 2000 miles? You don’t.
We pretend real hard that somehow our love will be enough. That every letter, picture, phone call, visit, is somehow enough to get us through this.
She prays that by some miracle or act of judicial kindness this all ends sooner than later and I come home. I pray that we have the strength to hold on until that day comes.
The odds are against us. Tonight I’m sad because that is so very apparent to me.
This place has taken more than my liberty. It has eaten away at my sanity. It has robbed me of my happiness. It has kept me from expressing and sharing love the way love was meant to be shared.
My life could have been different. It could have been better than this. And damn it, I deserve better than this.
But, if my life was different it would not have as much meaning. There is power in my pain. There is resolve in my loss. My spirit can’t be defeated. I can’t be broken – because I’m right. Truth is on my side.
A journalist recently wrote to me. He said that history will judge me kindly and those who oppress me harshly. I’m not so sure about that, but history will vindicate me. In many ways it already has.
Our society is wrong. Our government is fascistic. Our people, our world will suffer the cost of that.
I fought back and continue to do so not just because it is the right thing to do. It is necessary.
I may suffer. My story may not have a happy ending. In the end I might be the loser of this fight. But, I’ll never be beaten. You can knock me down but you can’t knock the fight out of me.
If these are the years that will define my existence; If this becomes the sum total of my life’s work; If all I have left in the end is my defiance, at least I’ll be able to say one thing: My spirit never stopped being free.
Jeffrey ‘Free’ Luers
Earlier this month, the Earth Liberation Front struck in Salem, Oregon. I doubt many people outside of Oregon heard about this action. However, in Oregon it was a hot news topic for days.
What kind of daring action could garner such media attention? The words "Stop building ant farms, ELF" spray-painted on a new housing development.
The first headlines were "Eco-terrorists strike again". Then the speculations came. Was this an act of hardened terrorists or was it a prank? The debate went on. The police didn't know. The media could only guess.
The only thing that remained concrete was those three red letters: E-L-F. The difference came in how it was discussed. The media said "the police are unsure whether this is the work of teenage vandals or seasoned terrorists. If it was vandals they will be charged with criminal mischief. However, if it turns out the graffiti was actually done by terrorists they will be charged with federal anti-terrorist laws."
The "crime" remains the same but if it was committed for political reasons the punishment is much worse.
Recently, 3 college students were arrested in Alabama for the arson of half a dozen churches, for more than a week. The fires made national headlines. In some places burning a church is chargeable as a hate crime.
The three stated it was a prank that got out of control and all three were released on $50,000 bail.
Daniel McGowan, on the other hand, who was charged in two ELF related arsons, was only released after posting $1.6 million bail.
This is what a police state looks like, when laws are passed punishing protest more severely than social crime; when a person can be labeled a terrorist instead of a dissident; when the media uses the same language as the rulers without question; when allegiance to ones country means subservience to its rulers.
~
I am a warrior. I have never denied what or who I am. I have engaged in actions contrary to the laws of the United States. However, before I ever participated in illegal actions I employed every legal method available to invoke change.
I have met with business leaders, mayors, and members of congress. I have had these people lie right in my face or tell me they were powerless to do anything. I have seen corporate interests trump public interests time and time again with government support.
When people have no say in how they are ruled or what actions are taken on their behalf, they are not free. It is not freedom to choose your rulers if the method of rule remains the same. It is not freedom when your community lives in poverty, polluted by toxic and chemical waste and subject to abject police brutality, while your leaders and bosses live like royalty. It is not freedom when social order is maintained through fear and manipulation.
In the face of such truths it becomes the duty of all able bodied men & women to resist. It may be illegal but it is not wrong to fight injustice. It is not wrong to challenge corporate arrogance. It is not wrong to resort to force when diplomacy fails.
~
For years I and other earth liberation prisoners have received your support. There have been letter-writing campaigns, fundraisers, protests, direct actions and international days of solidarity. I am honored and thankful for your love and support.
Each of us know and believe our struggle is a legitimate one. We have a right to clean air, water, and land. We have a right to rein in corporate and
government practices furthering climate change. We have a right to resist oppression.
However, if we are to succeed our struggle must be recognized as being legitimate in the eyes of the world. Our resistance must be recognized as necessary.
One of the first steps in accomplishing that is by demanding recognition of political status for our prisoners. All incarcerated and accused members of the Earth Liberation Front and other earth liberation prisoners are political prisoners. Our actions that brought us to prison are political in nature. Our trials are about our politics. Our sentences are increased because of our political motives.
We need you to help us demand political status; by writing and calling politicians, newspapers, and other media and demanding recognition; by reaching beyond our borders to international organizations like Amnesty International and other human rights organizations, as well as the United Nations and other governments.
The state says people like me are terrorists. They use the label to instill fear and justify their repression. Only you can change that.
-Jeffrey Free Luers
2006. That has such a profound meaning to me. To start it means the beginning of my 6th year. It means come April, if I don't go to the hole, I'll have exactly 15 years left.
2006. Seven years since the pinnacle of this movement in Seattle. Seven years for things to get worse.
2006. Another year to try again. To hope and watch each sunrise with a sense of anticipation. Could this be the year? Could tomorrow be the day?
Everyone seems to take away something different from these writings of mine. I like that each person interprets my words based on what is in there heart. I like that at any given time I can receive compliments, criticisms, and even challenges from any one dispatch. If nothing else it tells me I'm making people think.
A very dear and special friend told me recently that my dispatches lacked something very important. That they lacked me!
She went on to say how well she knows me. That I only share one small part of me in these writings. She honestly worried that the world was not seeing the wonderful person I really am [her words].
That stuck to me. How can someone so close to me, who knows my heart ask me the hardest thing of all - to open up. I don't like to feel vulnerable. I don't like to feel like I don't have a wall to hide behind. I don't like sharing with strangers.
The damnest thing is that she's right. I think I hide too much.
It is so easy for me to make this prison sentence all about resistance. All about standing up for something better. After all, that's why I'm here, right?
But after all these years, and the decline in action, the "why" I'm here gets lost. Only the "how" I got here remains. It has been simplified beyond measure. "Free fought for the earth" or "Jeff was protesting global warming." Some people even say I did it for the animals.
All of these are great reasons. But nobody makes a stand just because something is bad or unjust. They always do it because something makes them care.
In 2000, my friends had a baby girl. She was born very sick. She had to undergo so much medical treatment and it was touch and go the whole way. All my friends wanted was for their baby to live. A whole community came forward to support them.
This baby was fighting for her life. I knew she would be fighting her whole life. She would struggle just to live and when she made it we would hand her a broken world. A world full of injustice and corruption and haunted by every type of exploitation. A world polluted beyond repair.
I wept for her and for what we would give her, for what my nephew and nieces would inherit. I cried for the world I would leave my kids if I ever have any.
I knew then who I was fighting for, why I would fight and how hard I would fight. That's when it got personal.
Our children, whether our own or members of our community, deserve better than what we were handed. We have struggled to right the wrongs of generations because those before us did not fight or did not succeed. That is not a legacy we should pass on. If we are ever to move forward as a human race then humanity has to improve with each generation. Not get worse. Not trade one injustice for another.
I don't know how much I accomplished before I got locked up. My actions were small and I've no idea how far they rippled. I do know that I inspired people. It is my gift and it is what I do even when I'm not trying to.
I'm good at inspiring people because I'm inspired by love. I can't tell you what to fight for. You've got to find that on your own. All I tell you is there are some things worth fight for.
Jeffrey "Free" Luers
13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
Earlier this week it was reported that William Rodgers, accused of Earth & Animal Liberation Front arsons, committed suicide in his jail cell.
I know very little other than that. However, I find the circumstances suspicious and strongly encourage people to push for an investigation. The news is incredibly sad. If William did in fact take his own life it is the first time an earth/animal liberation prisoner has done so. It is a devastating precedent.
I cannot begin to guess why. I can relate to the desperation and readily admit thoughts of taking my own life entered my head as I awaited trial. I think it is likely a common experience when people are facing a lot of time.
The fact that he followed through on the thought breaks my heart. And my sympathy goes out to his family & friends.
I am left wondering if there is something we could have done to stop him. Was this an entirely personal decision based on the prospect of doing a lot of time? Or was this an act of desperation from someone who felt completely alone?
There are four people left who desperately need your support. Daniel McGowan, Sarah Harvey, Kevin Tubbs, and Chelsea Gerlach. Write to them. Support them. Let them know they are not alone. Let them know there are people who will stand by them until they are released. Be there for them.
Jeffrey "Free" Luers
13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
This last week I've been talking to a lot of people about the recent arrests. I know what it is like to be where these people are now. I understand very well the anxiety of not knowing what is happening. The fear and the stress. Trying to be strong and level-headed not just for yourself but for your loved ones. In my conversations with people I can tell they are afraid. Not just for those arrested, but for themselves. Scared to talk, scared to act, and scared to support.
These people need your help. You might not know them. They might not be part of any activist community. But they represent the heart of this movement and this struggle. Because they are the ones accused of actions that have become legendary and made into songs. They are the ones bearing the brunt of this struggles' resistance. They are the scapegoats for the Department of Justice. They are suffering for every act of defiance this movement has carried out under whatever banner. We owe it to these people to support them. We owe it to them to not be controlled by fear.
YOU have to help them! If you ever considered yourself part of this struggle, a part of this movement, if you were ever just thankful somebody was brave enough to make a stand - YOU have to help them! Have a meeting with your local activists, form a collective, or act on your own. Find out what you can contribute: A website, a paypal account, legal help, fundraising, networking, letters, visits - any kind of support. Make it happen. Hell people we are pros at this by now. We've had our practice runs. This one is for real. This one makes or breaks us as a movement. It defines who we are as people.
Decades from now this will be a story of how the people came together. Or it will be a tale about how the back of a struggle was finally broken. I know the story I plan on writing. Who will help co-author it? Who will help make history?
(As of this writing, Stanislas "Jack" Meyerhoff, one of those arrested, has agreed to testify against the others charged. Jacob Ferguson has been identified as another informant and is still free and uncharged. These men are cowards and scum of the lowest order. They should be treated accordingly.)
Jeffrey "Free" Luers
13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
I write more of these things than the world will ever see. The ones I do send out get edited and rewritten until I'm satisfied it isn't too much. I know I am intense in all my emotions and honestly that's where my courage comes from.
My friends know me well, but each of them knows a side or a trait of me and few see the whole picture. I think that many would say I can be very open, but unreadable and closed when I choose. I carry my pain on the inside. I keep it there because it is mine. I know that trait can be analyzed and defined many ways, especially in men. But it is not a macho thing for me. Pain is like love, it is intimate and personal. It's not something to be shared with everyone. On occasion, through these Dispatches, I open a window to my soul. Sometimes, you can only make people understand by showing them...
Yes, I'm depressed and it hits me in waves. At times I feel like I'm drowning. I'm not depressed by my life. I can take care of myself quite well and, all things considered, my life is pretty good. What has me heartbroken is the state of this struggle. Frankly, I feel disappointed (not personally; in that regard I feel amazingly loved and supported). I feel like the force I've believed in for the last 13 years has failed. I feel defeated. I know it is incredibly naïve and utopian, but I truly believed that we were gonna change the world. For the first time ever it hit me that I'm not sure we will.
"Struggle" here in the U.S. seems far more centered around feel-good activism than it does creating change; more about symbolic dissent than actual resistance. It is almost like for most people being aware of the problem and being upset by it is enough. It isn't and it never will be.
Five years ago I said we were running out of time to act. In those 5 years, this movement has grown weaker and more withdrawn. There is less cell activity and more people in jail. There are fewer protests and more factionalized in-fighting. It has become easier to isolate ourselves in self-marginalized cliques pointing fingers at each other instead of raising a united fist.
This summer, I wrote a few controversial pieces about this movement. I flat-out said we had grown timid and weak. I tried to pick a fight. I wanted people to get angry. I wanted to see the lifeblood of this movement stir. I got one letter in response. One. He said he felt the same and was glad someone had the courage to voice it. The only other response was from the nice man who types these Dispatches and sends them to you. He argued with me (thanks, bro).
Today, I received 5 letters about my last Dispatch. I'm sure I'll get more. These folks were trying to cheer me up and make me smile. I appreciate the gesture and concern sincerely, make no mistake. Still, I point this out because to me it is demonstrative of our movement at large. Few people want to address the tough questions: Where are we going? Why aren't we more successful? How do we evolve our tactics? How do we create real and meaningful change? Most activists are willing to point out the good. Many are quick to get positive energy going. Even if at the end of the day nothing changes. It is easier than facing the often difficult truth.
Before I fell (came to prison) I saw a very common expression spray painted around town, in zines and movement rags. It was simple, defiant and full of hope. "We will win." It's been a long time since I've seen it in anything. It's been even longer since I've heard it said with any conviction. What happened to that fiery determination? What happened to riots in the streets? What happened to regular ELF activity? When did we lose our fighting spirit and how the hell do we get it back?
I've given my liberty for this struggle. I would have given my life if I thought it would have brought change. Because I believe our birthright was stolen from us. Because I believe in freedom; I believe our Earth and the web of life are sacred. Because I believe in you and your ability to bring change.
I think you are scared and I think change frightens you. I also think you are stronger than you know. There is a warrior inside of you waiting to be found; waiting for you to believe. Your fear is misplaced. No one should fear what will happen if they fight back. Everyone should fear what will happen to us if we don't.
I've given up on trying to inspire. I won't fight for anyone who won't fight for themselves. But I'll fight - alone or side by side with those willing to stand. However, I won't dare place hope in this movement. While it has demonstrated its ability to be a force for change, it has not shown a willingness to create it. Our accomplishments are few and far between. It is a harsh thing to say. I know of many positive examples that can be used to counter it. But, at the end of the day you still aren't free. Wealth is still controlled by governments and corporations. The ice caps are still melting.
With activist networks spanning the globe with the intelligence and knowledge I know we possess, there is only one reason things have not changed. We have yet to dedicate ourselves to the task. I'll believe "we will win" when you show it to me. I'll have hope for our future when you give it to me. If we aren't in this together then we are in this alone. One is an awfully lonely number. But I wrote about that already.
Jeffrey "Free" Luers 13797671 OSP 2605 State Street Salem, OR 97310
It's been a long time since I can remember being happy. It's been even longer since I can remember having hope. I don't respond to letters anymore. I don't write. I don't maintain friendships. This summer, for the first time, I seriously considered calling it quits and turning my back on the people of this struggle. In fact, I wrote it all out and read it every day for a week until I made my choice. When I close my eyes, I can feel my heart breaking. I feel the changes happening all over. I don't have to read the now daily headlines about climate change to know what has happened. I am a child of the Earth. I am a brother to all life on this planet-a part of an intricate web maintained by a delicate balance.
The balance has been disrupted and try as I might, I couldn't fix it. I can't fix it. I feel responsible. I feel answerable to future generations for what my peers have done. I feel accountable to my wild relations for what my kind has wreaked.
A sadness dwells in my heart that I have never felt before. It goes beyond my comprehension. Tears build in my eyes when I see pictures of melting ice caps. I am so sad for us and for the kids in my life that will inherit the future. How did we let this happen? How could we destroy our home? Our world is going to change. Things we once took for granted will become scarce. It is already starting.
It may be decades or years but our civilization is going to collapse. It is going to be a living hell if we are unprepared. Think New Orleans after Katrina only in every major city at once. As it is right now, we rely on this social structure to supply our food, water, electricity, protection and health care. When these items become scarce, it won't be the poor or disenfranchised that have access to them.
We need NOW to start working toward self-sufficiency. Every community needs to start preparing. Take classes on water purification. Build community garden spaces with year-round crops. Develop networks for skill-sharing and mutual aid.
Pretend that you, your family and friends-everyone you hold dear have just been abandoned to fend for yourselves. Travel is restricted. Supplies aren't coming in. You are completely on your own. What would you wish you had? How would you take care of each other?
These are questions that need to be answered. We failed on stopping climate change. We can't fail on being prepared. That failure will mean your life.
My friends-this is as serious as it gets. I pray that you understand the gravity of danger we face. Everything is changing. Every facet of life will be affected. Those who can adapt will have a chance. Those who take action and prepare will survive.
Jeffrey "Free" Luers
13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
Last week for the first time, I got to sit down with my support collective. It was the first time we had all been in the same room together – friends from Oregon, California, and New York. In fact, it was the first time in many years I had even seen one friend (love you bro). There was a strong undercurrent of emotion, most noticeable in those last moments where I walk through a different door. The visits were great. It was awesome to see my friends. It was also good to share ideas and get feedback. Especially, as some of my friends are moving in new and exciting directions in their own lives.
In the next months I expect many changes, from the level of activity to who is involved. We are making this transition to figure out not only how best people can support me, but how best I can contribute to the struggle.
One topic of discussion was my last two dispatches. In fact, there was some concern that I was going to disband the collective at this meeting. I realize that those dispatches were controversial and have generated a lot of responses. Good. I hope that I can say things that make you uncomfortable. I hope that I can challenge you. Most important, I sincerely hope that I can force you to challenge me back or grow as individuals and a movement.
On a daily basis I defend my actions in interviews with journalists, arguments with guards, and debates with prisoners. When I am confronted by fascists for being an anarchist, when I am teased for being a "feminist" – or as I prefer, an egalitarian – or when I’m called a hippie and a tree hugger, I stand my ground and force them to accept it or do something about it. I’m not looking for a fight but I sure as hell ain’t gonna back down from one.
Over the years, my debate skills have become so honed I can rattle off facts and numbers at the drop of the gloves. I know how bad things have gotten. I clip articles from dozens of sources. I keep notebooks full of information on climate change and U.S. tyranny. The knowledge physically makes me ill.
When I see the international level of support I have, I am more than awed. I am honored and incredibly grateful. I never ever expected it. I also feel extreme guilt – guilt that I am stealing resources from an already desperate movement. It is difficult for me to reconcile that with the good that I believe all your support and I have accomplished. It may be hard for people to understand, but I am more concerned with seeing us win than getting out of prison.
There are some that believe I am out of touch with the state of the movement today. Perhaps I am. Or perhaps it is just easier to dismiss things you don’t want to hear if you can dismiss the person saying them.
I know that historically when popular movements peak in this country it is at the crux of their militancy (with some exception). At this point, they either win or hit a brick wall. When the latter happens, momentum fades faster than you can say, "What the hell just happened?"
Even before 9/11 we started losing momentum. As the police learned how to respond to and prevent massive protests and riots by establishing "protest zones", we were unable to recover and adapt.
In Eugene, Oregon, and some other cities, all action stopped after my sentence. The state hitting back so hard scared the shit out of people. The deterrent worked; the illusion was shattered. This was no longer a game. Militancy took a sideline. People were scared and rightfully so. But, on the whole, instead of addressing the reasons for that fear, instead of looking for ways to adapt and overcome, our movement systematically began to avoid confrontation. We took our radical energy and redirected it into legitimate and socially acceptable channels.
9/11 became an excuse to avoid all militancy. True violent horror had visited us and it was an ugly sight. Many said this was not the time for militancy; America would not understand or approve. Everyone was affected differently by 9/11. Some, noticeably those in power, were not affected at all. Personally, when I see a group of foreign extremists striking on American soil killing innocent and guilty alike because of our government’s actions, I pray that those are actions *we* can address so that others do not take it upon themselves to do so.
9/11 was no excuse to forgo militancy. If anything, it was a reason to increase it. In the rest of the world’s eyes, this government acts on our behalf. If Americans do not challenge U.S. tyranny (at home or abroad) we are viewed as supporting it. Right or wrong, that has opened all Americans to attack.
Of course, it is not that simplistic. But my point is this: The rest of the world does not share in the knowledge that "the government for the people by the people" is a farce. We have every reason to be dismantling the U.S. war machine. We have every reason to smash industries that are contributing to global warming. We have every reason to be in the streets and up in arms. I challenge any radical to deny that. Hell, I challenge anyone who is truly paying attention to claim otherwise and back it up. We all know things are not improving; even if we don’t say it out loud.
It is vitally important to recognize the importance of all our tactics. I support folks working on single issues, be it shutting down HLS, cleaning up a local environment or reclaiming abandoned space. I support big protest, letter writing campaigns and meaningful reform. But I’m not going to give us a self-congratulatory pat on the back when we can and should be doing more.
Avoiding militancy is not the solution and is, frankly, bad form. What we should be doing is having honest conversations about what militancy can contribute and accomplish – how to use it strategically; how to avoid capture; and how the aboveground and underground can combine into a cohesive movement.
What we should be doing is going all out. Whatever method you subscribe to, you should push yourself. You should stretch your comfort zone and go two steps further. Until we make this movement a threat again, I’m sure my words will continue to upset people. That’s the thing about a nagging conscience. It only gets to you when you know you are wrong or you feel guilty. So I’m gonna ask you a real honest question. I hope you will answer it honestly and without defensiveness.
Are you doing all you can do, or could you be doing more?
I know that sometimes I’m gonna piss people off. But I can promise you one thing – I will fight side by side with you and this movement until the day I die.
I hope to see you answer in the news. I hope the whole country hears your voice.
Jeffrey Free Luers
13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
Back in ’98 when a friend and I started the Fall Creek Treesit, we sat alone in that forest; no ground-support, no other treesits – just us. We watched from our perch high in the canopy as Grandmother and Grandfather trees were felled to build the road. I remember spilling the coffee I was brewing on our little stove as I watched. My friend, the most mean and cynical man I’ve ever known, said the first and only kind words I’ve ever heard escape his lips:
Some will fall so that others may be saved.
The tears streamed down my face in silent protest of what I was witnessing. Below, the loggers jeered and laughed. I donned my climbing gear and my knife. I was going to the ground, and, one way or another, this was gonna end.
My friend stopped me. I don't even remember what he said. But I remember sitting there in spilled coffee, tears in my eyes. It is the most powerless and helpless I've ever felt.
I think back to that time now because I am feeling very similar. I'm sitting trapped in a cell watching the world go to shit and I can’t do a damn thing about it.
A couple of articles caught my eye the other day. One was about fish farming and the necessity of domesticating the ocean. The author, a scientist, went on to say that we have accepted the domestication of the land, now we must accept the domestication of the ocean; the days of wildness are over. The other article was about global warming. It said it was too late – not enough had been done, not enough would be done; all we can do is prepare for the consequences.
A friend sent me photos of the recent protests in Scotland. The army helicopters flying over, dropping off troops, protecting the rich – the elite – the only humans that matter. I was amazed (but not surprised) that people are still shocked by this. (I guess they don't remember US soldiers with M-60s at last years' G8.)
Back in the states the Patriot Act has been renewed. Bush just took away all the wilderness designations environmental reformists fought so hard to get. US courts have ruled it is legal for developers to demolish homes to build malls. And our prisons are filling with radical activists and would-be revolutionaries.
What can I do? My words cannot galvanize the masses. I can’t make people fight back. I am lost. I could write a guerilla manifesto on how to fight a successful revolution in the US, opening myself up to more consequences, maybe even more time. But would anyone act? Would anyone organize? Would any non-militants offer aid; offer to help put society back together? Would anyone open themselves up to the risk? Would you?
I think that I can answer all those questions: No. Inaction is the price of privilege. Hypocrisy is the cost of comfort. It is impossible to inspire by inciting feelings of guilt. I know this, but, it is also impossible to inspire when I believe it is a lost cause.
Even when I take into consideration the many brave cells out there fighting, and I know why they fight; in the depths of my spirit I know and I understand. I still believe we have lost. Those are the three words no one wants to hear. The words I am loathe to write. But maybe hearing them will slap you back to reality. This isn't a game. It sure as hell ain’t a fucking fairytale with a guaranteed happy ending.
The resistance is up to you. You can organize – really organize bringing people together. You can teach – not just your friends, but strangers. You can propagate the resistance with graffiti, stencils and flyers. You can create alternatives by squatting, guerilla gardening, creating and using alternative energies. You can become a militant – a smart one who learns how to cause the most damage and get away.
But what you can’t do it sit on your ass and flap your gums about how messed up things are. Because if you know how bad it is and you do nothing, you are the reason we lost. And you insult and betray everyone who has fought back. You spit in the face of those who have given their lives or lost their freedom demanding something better.
If our international movement cannot mount an offensive that is more than just a spectacle, then we deserve our fate. And I deserve 22 years for being foolish enough to believe we had a chance.
There are many who will continue to fight against all odds. Because for us, it is personal. If nothing else, we will go down fighting. That's a lot to ask of someone – asking them to fight a losing battle. But, I'm asking it of you. If we are going down, let’s go down swinging. Let’s make it the toughest, hardest fought battle this system has ever faced. And if we lose, at least we will have made them earn it; at least we won’t have just handed them the world. At least we will have made a stand.
There is no shame in losing a fight – if you fight. That's the only thing I expect of any human being – when they are pushed against a wall, they fight back. I expect that of you.
Jeffrey "Free" Luers
13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
I’m sitting here on my bunk, sipping strong coffee and listening to Crass. You punk rockers out there can understand the relevance of the latter. Writing was the last thing I intended to do when I got everything together a few minutes ago. But here I am.
By now I’ve received a rundown of all the June events held in various cities around the world this year. I am constantly amazed at the level of support I have received over the years. A day does not go by that I am not incredibly thankful to each and every one of you. And while most of you remain nameless and faceless to me you have earned a special place in my heart.
The last several months I’ve put a lot of thought into my support network and groups. And I’ve come to the conclusion that we have different goals. To the amazing credit of my friends and the people I work with, they have tried (and succeeded) in building an international campaign for my release. This outpouring of support has brought joyful tears to my eyes more than once.
I want to go home. I want it more than any "free" person can imagine. But, I don’t want to come home to the same world I left. In the five years I’ve been in prison things have only gotten worse. The sad truth is that while support has grown for environmental and social justice movements worldwide our ability to create change has waned. Even the ability of moderate and mainstream groups to lobby reform has become languid. The media, better than anyone, has shown the dividing lines: the liberals versus the right. Despite the various factions existing in both camps, one thing is clear - no one is disputing the fact that there is an "us and them." Regardless of which group you identify with your enemy is clearly defined – he’s on the other side.
I know that my name graces internet hit lists; that those who label me a terrorist never want me to see the light of day. I know that my sentence is as much about punishing my beliefs as it is about intimidating you. The world is not dying, it is being killed. It is being killed by the same governments and same corporations that are killing people.
The best way that anyone can support me is not by asking for my freedom, but by demanding your own. Support me by fighting back. We are all in this together, only the size of our cages differs.
They only have power because we have yet to recognize our own. The passion that rules our hearts must be unleashed. Great acts are not born of great men or women. They are born of ordinary people who dare to fight for a dream. Please, on my knees I beg you, be as daring as the world you believe in. Fight for it as if all you hold sacred is on the line. Because, it just might be.
Jeffrey "Free" Luers
13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
I woke up a few days ago and realized I’d been in prison for five years. I was expecting some kind of sadness, possibly even regret. Thing was, it didn’t phase me one bit and that made me laugh. I looked around my little cage; briefly thought of the people and life that I have lost. I thought to myself "is this it, is this the best They can do?"
Five years later, and I still love, I still hurt, I still get angry. I still stare at the sky with awe and wonder. I am still free! And I defy my captors with every smile, every laugh, and every treasonous thought. I am alive and strong and I will continue to fight because the spirit is with me.
Recently, I was asked by The Oregonian what has kept my spirits so high. My response was easy. I told her, "I am right. I know I’m right and more importantly I know I’ve made a difference."
Each day it becomes more clear what we are losing. Worse, it becomes unbearably recognizable how much we have already lost. We are killing our planets’ ability to sustain human life. We are allowing freedom to be subverted by tyranny. Freedom is a birthright. Freedom can not be granted. It cannot be given. It cannot be locked away!
But, freedom can be given up. It can stop raging inside of you. It can be easier to be a slave. Compliance with this State, its corporations and their treaties is one of choice. Are there consequences to not complying? Yes, and they are severe. But acquiescence is a validation of their rule. Failure to resist legitimizes everything from taking civil liberties away to destroying the planet.
Is there still a fire inside you? Is there still a righteous anger? Will you choose to live in a cage you have the key to? These are tough questions. It is easy to get defensive in response. The truth is often as hard to hear as it is beautiful.
One person can inspire hundreds to resist. Hundreds can inspire thousands. We are holding back ourselves when more than ever we should be fighting. Fighting with words AND actions. Fighting with conviction, honor and love. Fighting to win. Fighting because we are right. Fighting because it is the right thing to do. Fighting because this is your fight!
Are you a slave or will you be free?
Jeffrey "Free" Luers
13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
I can always tell when spring has arrived. The air smells different, the atmosphere feels different, and I always feel the urge to rabble rouse. It is tradition every year around this time for DOC and I to butt heads. Perhaps, it is a primal response to each other’s existence. But whatever the reason, this years dance has begun.
As many of you may be aware, back in 2003 I was thrown in the hole for writing an article published in the Earth First! Journal about my experiences and beliefs. The timing of my isolation suspiciously coordinated with the first day of protest against my sentence. For the past two years I’ve been questioned about my plans for June (as if I have any say in what you all do – but rock hard). Ever since my time in the hole I have been denied the ability to have journalists come to interview me. That denial appears to have now been extended to include CNN. The level of censorship also includes my outgoing mail, specifically my artwork. My drawing of 3 people in a cloud of teargas, one womyn holding a slingshot, another a molotov like a candle and a man holding a brick has been censored. The prison refuses to allow me to mail it because "it endorses and supports anarchist activity."
Not only is this a violation of "law", it flies in the face of logic. It is too dangerous to mail out, but I can keep it in the prison safely. No one ever said you had to be smart to work here. I am already challenging this issue, but I suspect it will be many months before the public can view it.
The implications of this are not good however. They may soon try to censor anything I say or write claiming it supports anarchist or ELF activity. Remember, if they can do it to me, they may soon do it to you.
Things are starting to go down hill fast in this country. Not just the draconian laws being passed, but the repression of dissent. History has shown us time and again that tyranny is best challenged early because once established it is at its most formidable. We must not make this mistake. We must not lose momentum or cower from fear of the state. But most important of all YOU can not rely on another to make a stand for you. Practice what you believe.
There is so much a small group of people can accomplish, and our numbers are far from few. Recognize the power you have. Look around your city or town; find the sources of injustice and oppression whether it is a corporation or a state agency. Challenge it, fight on your terms, try something new, and use unconventional means. Above all, find a way to win.
My friends, my sisters and brothers, we have been idle too long. The foundation for tyranny and oppression is set. The WTO, the Bush administration, homeland security… how much more must we take? How much longer will we wait? It is not for nothing that we dream! We have a right to struggle and take back what is ours. We have a responsibility to create something that is better. If you believe this, if you feel freedom stirring in your blood, if injustice make you sick and oppression fires your rage, then you MUST do something. Inaction speaks as loudly as action, but it says something completely different.
Jeffrey Luers
13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
Ten days into the month and already I'm overwhelmed with so much happening in my life.
Loss used to be something I had a hard time coping with, but in the last few years I've become so accustomed to it that it's routine. Lose privileges - visits, phone calls. Lose mail because it gets "lost." Lose friends and family because out of sight is out of mind. Lose love because she shouldn't have to wait or cope for 22 years. Lose support because I support the destruction of the United States government and its corporate allies - through force if necessary.
The more I lose the stronger I get. The more the state throws at me the more power I have. The more I am alone the braver I become. It makes no sense, but it is true.
Everything that could break my spirit has failed. Every challenge to my morale I've overcome. I cannot be broken and every obstacle I must face only reconfirms that truth. Our struggles for freedom and liberation, our fight for the earth, they have been beaten and crushed. Yet each time they rise again. Through attack, infiltration, and despair they have survived.
We cannot be defeated. We can only be stopped by our own inhibitions. The power of one voice is incredible. The strength of one brick, one match, one can of spray-paint can move us closer to victory. The power of many voices acting as one is unstoppable.
The time is drawing near to act or accept failure. Unlike struggles of the past this one has a time limit: toxic waste, nuclear weapons, and pollution have seen to that. Each day the state grows stronger. They know eventually crisis will hit and people will act out of desperation.
Before that day comes you must act from courage. You must act from love and desire to see that day never come. They have billboards. We have walls. Let's see which is more powerful. I challenge you to act. Unleash your propaganda. Revolution is coming.
Jeffrey Luers
13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
This dispatch is long overdue. I apologize for that. I intended to write this weeks ago, but ended up catching a food-borne viral infection that infected more than 300 people at 2 different prisons. It effectively put me out of commission for about a week.
By the time I was recovered I was bombarded with writing and other projects which I still haven't gotten caught up with.
I have been asked to give a speech, via phone, at the 23rd Annual Environmental Law Conference being held at the University of Oregon next month. I know there was some debate as to whether I was an appropriate speaker. I appreciate all those who encouraged my participation.
Recently, I was also contacted by CNN, which, honestly, took me by surprise. They would like to interview me about the environmental movement and my case. The real challenge will be if ODOC will allow the interview. I have been denied the last four media requests.
A few weeks ago I spoke with my attorney about my appeal. For some reason the court is not ready to hear my case. I don't quite understand this as I am no longer waiting on the establishment of case precedent needed to resolve issues in my case.
I have always expected my appeals to be lengthy. However, I am going on four years on my first appeal. I'm beginning to get a little annoyed.
The only upside is that because of new sentencing laws I will have to be resentenced. The only question is how much time the Court of Appeals will ordered reduced.
Hopefully, in the next few weeks I'll be able to write a more indepth dispatch addressing some important issues that I focus on in my speech.
For the time being, though, I just wanted to give you all a general idea of what is going on with me. As always I am thankful for your interest and support.
Jeffrey Luers
13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
I have struggled with writing this for the last several weeks. In fact, I’m starting at several of the previous attempts in front of me as I try to find the words I need to say. Forgive my lapses in these dispatches. I’ve been doing them for a year now. I have strived to inspire people with my words. At times, I have tried to inspire action. However, the majority of the time I have tried to inspire you to look within your self and see your true strength and power-to find the courage to be free.
Too often, we accept the roles forced upon us whether they be stereotypes or the obligations of a content citizen. Sometimes, we create our own role to hide behind, afraid to face our true selves or our fears. The walls can be built so thick we can almost forget we have become guided by pain or fear.
In my life, I have been guilty of both and on more than one occasion. In fact, I am guilty right now. I feel an obligation to every person out there who looks up to me or admires me. I feel an obligation to a movement that expects its political prisoners to stand strong in the face of all adversity.
Many of the decisions I have made in the last four years I have made because of these obligations.
A friend of mine recently said to me, “What people don’t get is there is the image of "Free" the world sees and then there is the guy I’m walking the track with’.
I have dedicated my entire adult life to the struggles I believe in. My sense of honor demands no less and despite all of my failures, personal and political, I am proud of myself. It’s a personal victory. I found the courage to be me. But, lately I can’t remember if I’m Free or Jeff or the two are even interchangeable. It’s not that I’ve forgotten who I am. I’ve forgotten who I want to be.
So, now I must find the courage to let go of obligations; self-created or otherwise. I’m not a role model or a leader and I sure as hell ain’t the hope for a better future-because that’s you. No, I’m just a simple guy with a big heart and a lot of dreams. Actually, I’d like to think the only difference between you and I is that I got caught.
I’ve entered a stage in my life where I need to reevaluate what I need to be doing. There have been many changes in how I view my life, the people in it and my goals. This will be my last dispatch until my appeal is decided or I feel the need to say something. I’m not sure which will happen first.
Of course, I will continue to write articles and editorials as inspiration strikes. I will continue to stand strong in the face of all adversity, not because it is expected of me, but because I demand it of myself. We are all warriors, only our battlefields vary. Freedom is your birthright. Take it!
Jeffrey Luers
13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
Well, uh, it looks like I did it again. Been thinking about writing one of these for a few weeks now. OK, first off, I'm not really that far behind. I wrote a dispatch about a month ago but it seems to have disappeared. I may have to rewrite it but until then…
My oral arguments for appeal have been postponed again. But, for a good reason this time. The US Supreme Court recently ruled that it was illegal for judges to sentence people to longer sentences than state sentencing guidelines allow. The court held that sentencing that is increased by a judge's belief in aggravating factors basically consists of new charges or crimes that need to be brought before a judge.
As this case directly affects my case (I had three years extra added by the Judge), the appellate court has given me and the state time to file arguments.
Anyone who knows me well, knows that I'm incredibly pessimistic about the 'justice' system. However, having reviewed the case law and hearing the true excitement in my attorney's voice, I believe it is possible that I may receive a sentence reduction as low as 9 years.
There has also been quite a bit of excitement here at Camp Snoopy aka Oregon State Penitentiary. A few weeks ago, an organized boycott of canteen and the phones started. Almost monthly, the canteen has been raising prices and in April, collect call rates went up. To give you an idea, it costs $25 to call friends in Eugene and $30 to call my parents in the LA. These are 30 minute phone calls.
The boycott demands were quite simple. Stop exploiting us with artificially high prices. Bring back education and vocational training programs and provide better food and medical services. In typical fashion, the prison authorities responded harshly to people refusing to use their 'privileges'. After all, a million dollar industry was being brought to its knees. The prison went on modified lockdown, more guards and guns were brought in and dozens of people went to the hole or got shipped out.
Early into the second week of the boycott, the administration appeared to be willing to negotiate. It remains to be seen what, if any, change will occur. However, the prison has said it is building a classroom (of course, we already have 6 not in use).
I encourage everyone to support this struggle by writing or emailing the Governor of Oregon and requesting that the exploitation of inmates and their families through high phone and canteen prices come to an end. Request the Governor do a full investigation to the lack of education, job skills and vocational training in Oregon's prisons.
In other news…You all probably know that I am routinely the target of harassment by prison guards. This has become so normal to me that I am desensitized to it, actually, sometimes it can be really funny. It would seem however that others are not so amused. Not so long ago, I was approached by a Sergeant and this is what they had to say to me.
"I see they are picking on you again. I don't know how you can stand it. It makes me sick. I just can't stand the injustice of it all. God, it makes me mad!"
It reminded me of a recent interview Ron Arnold, founder of the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise and consumption rights activist, recently did. He said he is convinced that I am not a member of the ELF which to him is akin to saying 'he's not a terrorist".
He went on to say that my harsh sentence "cheapens the justice system". (Well Ron, you are right that I claim no allegiance to any group though I can think of quite a few acronyms I strongly support).
My point is this. I may be locked in jail. Our movement may be losing. But are we beginning to turn their people? You hear that Feddie? You are no longer safe from your own people. From behind prison walls, my words are spreading. I'm making allies and sympathizers with those who wear badges. Some of your strongest patriots are beginning to question your justice.
The tides are beginning to turn. Today's terrorists are becoming tomorrow's freedom fighters. More and more people everywhere are beginning to question why people like me, people like you…hell, people like my parents are being labeled terrorists. The state loves to be in absolute control. When that fails, control through fear will work just as well. But, when the state loses the ability to instill fear, then change is blowing in the wind.
To those in power, I have this to say. I can see why you are afraid. I get letters from your children. They know the world you are building is unfit for them. Even your own are starting to know it. They are looking for new alternatives, new solutions. Mr. Politicians, Ms. Corporate Business. Officer Friendly-you are running out of places to hide.,
For the Earth, for the wild, for the oppressed,
Up the rebels,
Jeffrey Luers
13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
I'm looking at a picture of someone I love very much. It's late into the night, my blood is full of caffeine and I wish I was drunk instead. I'm listening to Casey Neill-his music helps me remember.
I was just living out a fantasy in my head where I remembered what life can be. Sometimes, when I close my eyes I can almost smell the forest. I can almost visualize the constellations. I can almost feel her touch.
Late at night, I think about my dreams. Not ones of revolution. I think about my deepest personal desires. I dream about my life after prison, as it will happen tomorrow. I want all the things I never had time for or I shunned for my struggle.
I want to share my life with that someone special. I mean really share my life not just share space. I want love, laughter, joy, sorrow, silence, passion and adventure. I want to garden, wash dishes and cook together. I want someone who can teach me things I don't know and at the end of the day, still make me smile like it was the first time we met.
A lot of folks probably have that dream which makes me pretty normal, I guess. But, I worry that maybe I already found that, maybe my moment has passed. That is the biggest sacrifice I made for my beliefs.
I start to think about what my life will be like without a home, alone, trying to readjust to friends and family I haven't seen outside a visiting room for years. I think about the perfect scenario too. She's there and all the years waiting and hoping wash away. But will I freak out the first time I wake up and find someone in my bed? Will I stand in front of doors waiting for them to open?
Of course, by this time I realize I'm tired, it's late and I've got a ways to go before I need to worry about such things. I laugh a little and take another glance at a smiling photo. Goddess, sometimes I seem to find myself in the strangest of places. To think, I was gonna write letters tonight.
Love-life-revolution. Life-Love. Are they really all that different? To hell with politics, what do you really want? Ain't that what its really about-what we really want? There are too many damm politics in life to begin with. That's what got us so screwed up in the first place.
I don't want my politics to come true. I want my dreams too.
I wrote that this winter and promptly put it in my stack of writings never to share with the world. I came across it the other morning clearing out my things.
Yesterday, I also got a letter from a friend and comrade I've known for years. He wrote that he was upset by my June 3rd dispatch because it could have discouraged people from June 12th he adds, but I don't think it did.
Reactions like that are the reason I usually don't share such personal thoughts. Now, they are also the reason I will start sharing them. Life is not about politics (and politics sure as hell ain't about life). Life is about living. Likewise, our struggle should be about living and not about politics.
I didn't get involved in this fight because of the general evil of the system and state. I got involved because of my personal dreams of freedom and happiness. I fight in the hopes that one day, I will be free to live my life as I see fit.
When we make our struggle impersonal, it loses its passion. It becomes political and not revolutionary. Quite often, I'm told I write very well, that I have a way with words. I can see that I do not because I don't know how to convey this simplest of messages…
The feeling I get when I stay up all night with a lover to watch the sun rise, when I drink pure water straight from a stream, when I walk down a street without fear, when I breathe fresh, clean air. That is freedom. That is my birthright. That is why I fight because someone got the idea that they could grant that and take it away as they please.
My passion comes from my love for life and there is a barrier barring me from truly enjoying it. That barrier is capitalism and the oppression and destruction associated with it.
When I look into the eyes of young children, I see hopes uncorrupted by the knowledge that civilization is the destroyer of dreams. I know these children will face worse than me. I fear many will be raised to believe in lies and accept a mediocre life, as so many adults have.
Life can be better than this. We don't have to take what we've been handed just because it has been handed to us. We don't have to be passive in pursuit of our dreams. We can fight for them. We can fight for them! That's why we have feet so we don't have to live on our knees.
Jeffrey Luers
13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
Wow. I’ve started getting feedback about how well things went on June 12th. Thank you, everyone. All day Saturday, I could feel the energy of so many people. The prison officials could feel it too.
The Department of Corrections released a bulletin about the day. It told guards to be prepared for an anarchist threat and the possibility of anarchists showing up at the prison. I heard guards talking about being ready to fire on demonstrators and already getting their stories straight. They also made it clear for my benefit t hat if anything started inside the prison, they knew who to shoot first. That made me smile.
The day was totally awesome for me. I got to speak with Kevin Price and Claude Marks on the phone. Ramona Africa also gave me very inspirational words which deeply touched my heart. Klee, from the band Blackfire, sang me a very beautiful traditional Dine song about strength of heart. The phone was passed around to many friends, some of who have been continually subject to FBI harassment for being involved in my support.
Several people across the country were intimidated or harassed by agents for supporting me., It is a clear sign of the government’s fear that it is losing its power of intimidation. My sentence was supposed to discourage people, not inspire them. All of you have inspired me.
I’d like to ask folks that were targeted by the FBI-if you have business cards or the names of the agents that harassed you, please mail or email copies to the POB Box or website. [ed note: POB 3, Eugene, OR 97440 and/or info@freejeffluers.org ] I want these people to know that every time they harass someone, their name and all the information we have on them will be posted on my website.
However, I do owe a great deal of thanks to the FBI. If it was not for their bulletin, I would not have had half the media coverage that ‘J12’ received. Thank you very much-you have done a great service.
I am so thankful for everything you all did. It will take weeks to learn all the details of everything but my utmost gratitude to Eugene, Oregon; Morgantown, West Virginia; Moscow, Russia and everywhere else. I look forward to hearing your stories.
Additionally, I’d like to revisit my June 3rd dispatch. I’ve been getting a lot of feedback from people about how sad it made them. The reason I wrote that is because I needed people to understand that this experience is not political to me-it is personal. I don’t want people to romanticize my situation or me because it would happen to anyone of you. I’m not here for burning SUVs-that is only part of it. I’m here because I will not bow my head. The government and the way our society is structured is wrong. It gives full power to a privileged few. I will resist that until it changes or I die because it offends my belief in freedom.
But I’ll save that tirade for another time. Be safe, be courageous and keep fighting. The tides are beginning to turn.
Jeffrey Luers
13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
Generally, I strive to keep these little writings of mine impersonal. This time, I’m going to do the opposite.
In two weeks, I’ll have been in prison 4 years. It is not a big number but the closer it gets, the longer it feels. Despite my ability to always keep my head high and to remain strong and determined, I feel the years taking a toll on me.
I’m having a really hard time. This is difficult for me to say. It is hard for me to acknowledge.
I can’t share feelings anymore. I can’t share how bad my heart hurts at watching the sun set over a wall. I keep secrets from my best friend because I no longer know how to share them or because I simply cannot bring myself to, I let things go unsaid. Really, when I ain’t going anywhere for 18 years, what is the point in saying them? It usually makes things harder anyway.
The other day, I explained to my mom why she should not have hope for my release on appeal or a shorter sentence or anything. I explained that 99% of all appeals are denied. She cried and told me all she wants is for me to get out before her, my dad and oma (my 94 year old grandma) die. You want to know what I said? I said, I can’t have your hope on my conscience.
Most nights and days for that matter, I sit with a photo album looking at pictures of people I love. In my mind and often in my heart, I tell them things that I’ll never tell them in real life. I share dreams that I know can’t come true. I tell them that I no longer have any hope for my own life.
I am not a martyr and I am not hero. I don’t fit some perfect archetype and I cant live up to any ideal of what so many people think I am. I’m just a man who loves without being able to say the words and who cries without being able to shed tears. I chose this life. I chose the possibility of prison. I chose to forsake my personal life for that which I believed in. It was not out of any altruistic or self-sacrifying desire. I chose this life because I don’t think I could live with myself if I did not.
I’ll never know if in the end I could have or if in the end, I would have regretted not doing more. I also know that because of my choices, I’m missing out on experiencing true love. I’m missing that freight train ride across Canada and I’m missing that little piece of land out in the country where I could grow my food, hunt, fish and live in peace for the rest of my days as mother nature intended.
I’m not sure I’ll ever know if I made the right choice or if it was worth it. I don’t have any regrets about my actions, not my choices for that matter. I can live with them but sometimes especially late at night, when I’m, looking at a picture of a smiling face, they can be incredibly hard to bear.
This is my lot in life as I await my 43rd birthday. It will be my last birthday in nail. After , if we still have a world, I can walk out into it no longer understanding it no longer having the dreams I have now. Perhaps along, hopefully with a friend- I can start all over trying to find a place in a life I’ve forgotten how to live. When I think about the future, I think about the year 2022.
Jeffrey Luers
13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
It feels like it has been a long week but I can't seem to recall doing a whole lot of stuff. I think everything just takes longer in here and in the end, I look at it and think 'that's all I did. Damm, I feel tired."
I've been having a lot of dialogue with my fellow prisoners about what it would really take to bring change in this country. A lot have different answers and more have no answers at all. One thing is sure-most people want this system gone.
Been writing a lot this week about those talks. Trying to develop solutions to our problems. And one thing hit me. We try so hard as a movement to challenge the state from mass action to clandestine attacks to literature and propaganda. But what do we put back into our communities? There is Food not Bombs. Some cities have guerilla garden projects and maybe a handful have some squatters or homeless rights actions.
There is not enough happening in the returns department. For change to occur, another viable option has to exist. We are long from creating that but we can start winning the hearts and minds of our neighbors.
Ever notice how big corporations make big shows at 'giving back' to the community? Honda has an inner city parks programs. Chevron buys land to 'preserve' in the name of conservation. That is valuable propaganda for them. It makes them look good in the public eye.
This is something we can do and we need to. Why don't we have our own food banks? I think it would be pretty easy to put together an anarchist/revolutionary/activist (whatever the hell) community service crew. Fixing up folks' leaky roofs, helping people set up gardens, cleaning up parks-anything that shows we want to help our community be a better place. Perhaps, a bike program. Establishing a place to teach people how to read and write. Basically, creating programs that help people. See revolution is not about politics-it is about life. This is why we have been so unsuccessful. Most people don't care about the government. They don't vote or pay attention to politics because it doesn't change anything for them. Here we are fighting politic with politics. It doesn't work and we'll never win that way. When we can demonstrate the ability to change lives, we will have the strength we need to challenge the state.
Obviously, it is more difficult than that. But I know real change is going to start in our own streets -not on the streets that the next big protest happens.
All right, that's my little rant for now. I have a few important updates though., I made a pretty silly error in asking folks to get all the sign on petitions back by June 1st. I'm not sure what I was thinking because for those holding events on June 12, that is a perfect time to get signatures. So, please forgive my error-the deadline has been extended to July 1st. I apologize for my inconvenience.
Don't I sound all official?
The other big update is my appeal. Oral arguments have been postponed until late July. No date has been firmly set so it may be moved again. I got the feeling that the court is not very anxious to hear my case.
Many thanks to all the folks out there holding events and working to get me out of prison. Much love and gratitude to all those struggling to free us all from oppression.
Up the rebels,
Jeffrey Luers
13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
OK. Well, I've been less frequent with these than I originally intended. I'm not gonna make any promises but I'm going to try and fix that.
First off, I have an urgent notice. Calls from prison have always been expensive. It costs my family over $30 for one phone call and over $20 to call my friends only an hour away from here. On April 15, Qwest and AT&T, the phone carriers in Oregon prisons, raised their rates making the new fees retroactive to April 1st.
Months ago, we were promised phone cards that would dramatically reduce the phone fees by up to 40%-which is still too much cash. In an evil twist, the new phone fees were raised to a connection fee of $3.95 for the first minute and 69 cents for each additional minute for an interstate call. The new phone card will allow inmates to have a discounted rate that is the same as the old collect call rate of $2.35 and 45 cents. AT&T, Qwest and ODOC have decided to collect a fortune off of prisoner by raising our rates and then offering is a discount of the old rate. Please feel free to contact companies and give them a piece of your mind.
It has been a hot spring here in Oregon. Last weekend, temps hit 89 degrees and we have reached 80 degrees a few times since then. For the last few years, the 80 degree mark was not reached until May. The world over has seen a rise in temperature for the last ten years. Earlier this week, the state of Washington had a tornado bring havoc. All over we are witnessing bizarre weather patterns as nature reacts to a human made crisis.
Millions of people from the poorest to the richest nations have recognized a need for action against future climate change. In the late 90's, a team of international scientists stepped forward with the horrible news that we cannot prevent the greenhouse effect-we can at this point only take steps to keep it from getting worse.
That was the discussion that occurred at the first meeting in Kyoto. Here we are 7 years later and no steps have been taken to stop the industrial march of destruction. The depletion of ozone and climbing temperatures is very much like cancer. It can sneak up on you without your knowledge and kill you. However, if caught early, it is treatable.
16 years have passed since the Environmental Policy Institute warned that only the total and rapid phase out of all ozone depleting chemicals could stop global warming. The arrogance of the human race is astounding as nations steadfastly refuse to even acknowledge the possibility of a problem. Those that do saw we can adapt, believing we are immune from the devastation nature has brought this planet before.
The UK Observer recently reported that conclusive evidence shows we are currently in the sixth extinction the planet has had. It points to manmade causes. The warnings given a decade ago are coming true and still they are ignored.
I do not have the words to express the urgency of the matter which is why in June of 2000, I let my actions speak. It is of the greatest importance that we bring all ozone depleting and carbon-emitting industries to a dead stop now. We do not have another 5 years to figure this out. 5 years from now, these actions will come too late. We need mass action now. Everyday, every hour, we must be in the streets until those in power have no choice to listen to us. We must shut it down. It must be a priority. Do not wait, do not hesitate.
Jeffrey Luers
13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
I'd just started this dispatch about an hour ago but it turned into an article I very much needed to write. So, now I'm done with that so I'll write this.
Those of you who have been keeping up with these things know that I've dedicated this year of my life to writing and working toward real change. Along those lines I've teamed up with a friend and fellow political prisoner, Rob Thaxton to put together a zine focusing on creating change. I anticipate this being a lengthy process and likely not available until the end of the year.
In the meantime, I will also be writing other pieces to keep the flow going. We gotta keep piling on the pressure and keep the ideas flowing until we can build the alternative.
I do have a legal update to share. The last paperwork has been filed in my appeal. I should have oral arguments in April or May. After words, the court may take as long as it needs to render a decision. My attorney has done a great job often times taking my own arguments and rewording them in 'legalese'. Event though we have had our disagreements, I can say that I am encouraged by all the work he has done.
Still, I am all too aware of the way that the system works and I believe that is quite likely that the court will affirm without opinion my conviction and sentence. With a case as politically charged as mine, it is probably that the Appeals court will pass the burden of deciding to the State Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is the last line of my direct appeal. After that, I have ways to challenge the sentence and conviction but each attempt is increasingly unlikely.
I am prepared for this outcome should it happen and I have plans should my appeals fail to continue to challenge the state both in and out of the courtroom. If this ends up being the case, I hope that I can count on your continued support.
You can help me most right now by downloading a copy of my 'statement of support' and gathering as many signatures as you can (names, signature, occupation, city, state) and mailing them to my POB (POB 3, Eugene, OR 97440) no later than June 1st. These signatures will be part of a package to the United Nations petitioning for recognition as a political prisoner.
Thanks for taking the time to read what I write and thank you for your support.
Jeffrey Luers
13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
PS-While I'm sure some of you are aware of this, Tre Arrow was captured recently. We do not yet know what kind of stand he is going to make on the charges against him but he must have our support and we must support him in the manner he requests.
Well, I guess that the authorities really like these little writings of mine. It would seem that the last one took 2 weeks before leaving the prison. I imagine the prisoncrats gathered around to discuss the merits of my writings. I picture them deeply engaged in conversation laughing and cracking jokes. Perhaps one of them holds the slightest sense of doubts and questions “what if…” But, for the others, it is just another day protecting society from the scum of the Earth. Today, that scum happens to be me.
My writings have to be reviewed, photocopies and archived. My words are a threat. I may encourage, incite or promote. I may advocate, educate or worse-I may just tell the truth.
At present, all requests for interviews with me are being denied. Since September of last year, journalists have been denied face-to-face interaction with me. I have to ask: what makes what I have to say so dangerous that my every word must be analyzed and recorded? Why can’t I sit face to face with a journalist? Might I say something that couldn’t be censored? Why have they already threatened and punished me for my writings?
Your guess is as good as mine. I’m not someone special or powerful. I’m not saying anything that hasn’t been said before. The more I think about it, though, the more I think I’m not the threat. I think you are-the people reading this. They aren’t scared of what I might say, they are terrified you might listen-that you might act.
How does that make you feel? You are so powerful you can frighten the system. I know how it makes me feel. It gives me hope.
Some people would say with all I’ve done, both in and out pf prison, I’ve accomplished a lot. I’ll always wish that I could have done more but realistically, for the circumstances, I’ve had an impact on people since I’ve been locked up. I know this.
I also know that you are not limited like I am. I know that you have the power to make all the difference in the world. I know that because of you, the world we live in may one day be the world we wish it to be. I believe in your strength. I believe in your abilities and not because I’m dreaming or because I have to have hope. I have faith in you because I know the power one person has. I know the difference one person can make. I know there are 100s, 1000s and millions of you. I know why those in power are frightened…they have good reason.
It is only our lack of collective action and feeling of disempowerment that allows things to stand. Once people realize that they are more powerful than any army on Earth, things will change. When the cities stop, the systems back home will crack. The future is unwritten-who do you want to do the writing?
One by one we rise,
Jeffrey Luers
#13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
I think it's been a month since I've written one of these. I've tried on several occasions but simply could not find the words I wanted. It's a new year and the question is, will it be like the last?
Personally, I have many battles ahead and the STG [ed-security threat group] staff and ODOC [ed-Oregon Department of Corrections] have already let me know they too are gearing up. Recent events have let me know that once again I am a target for harassment this year.
I know that I will continue to fight an uphill battle in the courts as I challenger a corrupt system that has labeled me a terrorist. On top of this, I will struggle with daily life and emotions as I try to figure my own life out, my relationships with others both in and out of prison, and I try to find some kind of happiness and those things each one of us desire-love, trust, passion and hope.
But what of the greater challenges ahead?
Recently, I was talking politics and revolution with a friend and she said to me the last thing we need is 19-year-old boys fighting a revolution. I think she was referring to me at 19. Sure enough, I don't feel as invincible now as I did then.
Still, that's not the point she was making. Our society is not ready for a revolution. Women still get raped everyday, communities are still divided along racial lines, people still don't care about one another. If revolution came right now and we actually won, ultimately, we would replace what we have now with capitalism, racism and patriarchy because we still haven't overcome those ailments or come up with alternatives
How's that for a slap of reality upside your head? Ever heard the expression 'there's always a few bad apples in every bunch'? What if in all of humanity, there are only few good apples? Yeah, I'm a bitter cynical bastard at this point or maybe just devil's advocate but the question remains. If we can't effectively address the issues of patriarchy and racism, if the streets remain just as violent and unsafe as they are now or worse-is it worth it? Case in point" Somalia.
At the same time, we are threatened with extinction. The Asheville Global Reporter reprinted an article from the Guardian (UK) recently. The headline read 'Global warming to kill off 1 million species by 2050". The article was about an international study headed by Chris Thomas, a professor of conservation biology at Leeds University. I'll just simplify the article for you. We could very possibly lose 1/4 of all animal and plants living today.
Ready for another slap of reality upside the head?
We have already released enough carbon dioxide and toxins into the air that we can't stop global warming-we can only try to not make it worse. The only thing that would accomplish this is if we drastically reduce these emissions to near zero in the next couple of years. That is the only way we can begin to reverse the trend.
Now I don't know about you all but that knowledge brings me right back to where I started, politics and revolution. We aren't ready for change my friends and we have to create it. It is time to pull out all the stops. Everyday we must be educating, challenging and fighting. We must form alliances. We must smash patriarchy and every form of oppression. We must stamp out racism in every form and we have to do it locally and fast.
A lot of uphill battles this year and we don't have time to figure it out and that scares me. We have to make a big push this year. Create safe spaces for women-and you men out there need to support and respect these-and incorporate self defense training (I don't know much about them but I've heard GirlArmy in the Bay Area are doing great things). To our geniuses out there, and you know who you are, lets get people off the grid. If we could get social centers, infoshops up and running on their own juice, we could set a great example. This spring, plant food in every available space, set up community meetings-bring folks together-forget politics, religion and color and focus on what everyone has in common and what we can accomplish together.
Revolution is not about politics. It is not about smashing capitalism or anything else. Revolution is the celebration of life and freedom. It is the expression of joy and happiness in a drab and dreary world. If we make it about anything else, it just ain't worth fighting for. Now get out there and pick up that monekywrench, figuratively or literally, because we have a machine to shut down.
Divided we stand, united we rise,
Jeffrey Luers
#13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
As another calendar year draws near its end and I am a year older, I find myself reflecting on this year of my life. I'm now ¼ of a century old & it's my fourth birthday behind bars. This year has by far been my toughest year yet. I've had some very personal losses. I've said a lot of good-byes, some voluntary, others some of the hardest goodbyes I've had to say.
I've had to face some tough challenges and learn to accept things about my life that I just don't want to. Often, I've written and said that I have come to terms with being here for the next 2 decades but I haven't.Each day gets harder, not easier. I find myself questioning decisions I've made. I'm looking back on 25 years of life and asking myself, what have I accomplished?
I have some good memories, made some amazing friends (some of the finest people in the world you all are too). I helped save a forest and I gave all I could to a movement I believed in. Believed is the key word because I'm losing faith.
I learned the hard way this year that I cant be the friend I want to be to those I love and care about I cant be there to wipe away tears or just sit and listen. I'm not there to share in the laughter. I cant be the companion I want to be.
I'm losing my youth and why? Because we are struggling for things we should not have to fight for-we shouldn't have to fight for clean air, water and soil. We should not have to fight for our freedom. Freedom is our birthright.
In the face of all the horror stories I read and hear about everyday, I'm running out of words of inspiration. Word has gotten to me that women and men were sexually assaulted by the Miami police at the FTAA protests. I've seen video of white officers beating a black man to death in Cincinnati. These are just a few stories that managed to float to the surface.
Where do we draw the line? What is enough? When do we fight back? Because waiting to protest the next meeting of the WTO, FTAA, Democratic or Republican conventions [substitute 3 letter acronym here] is not gonna do it. Drinking and smoking pot-while nice- ain't gonna do it either.
When can we start discussing real situations? Because to date our methods are not working, And we don't talk about that, we disregard criticism or anything that is not self-congratulatory.
I live with some of the most fucked up people in this state, and product of their environment or not, how do you or I inspire them to change? How do we stop domestic violence? How do we convince the average person to stop participating in a capitalist lie?
We need viable solutions and real alternatives and we have to do more than come up with them, we have to provide them. That has to become a priority. That alone is not enough though and even though we are unprepared for the fall of empire, we have to fight for it. Never, ever, ever again should the police, or anyone, be allowed to rape or beat someone to death. There must be consequences.
There is a small group of wealthy elite running our world into the ground. They have barricaded themselves behind the most extraordinary security the world has ever seen because they live in fear that one day the rest of the world will be against them. That day is fast approaching. They know it, they are preparing and they are ready. Are you?
I'm dedicating this next year of my life to finding real solutions. I want to be inspired by accomplishment. I want to believe again.
Jeffrey Luers
#13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
I always feel a little funny writing these because it isn’t like any of my other writings but a direct view into my life. It gets sent out to all you wonderful people-some of whom I know-many I don’t. I must admit-I ask myself “why do these folks sign up for these updates?” (Oh and officer: I know why you sign up).
Lately, I’ve been thinking about my future a lot. It is driving me nuts, to be frank. I have this good/bad habit of dreaming the impossible-bottomline, I’m a romantic at heart and a realist in mind. It makes for a very confusing life at times. I have some great dreams I’d love to have come true and I hold on to them because all I have to get me through the day is my dreams.
But, it devastates me to think they may be 19 years away because with each passing year, they are less likely to come true. And I become a little colder inside, a little harder and a little more resolved to tough it out and hold my head up high. That’s where I’m at right now. I’m pissed off and determined to make my imprisonment as hard on the state as it is on me- harder if possible.
I’m working on several different projects and many have a long term range and goal. One of these projects is fighting for political prisoner status. This presents a unique challenge as the United States has never acknowledged that it has political prisoners. [Editor: last count, there are over 115 political prisoners and Prisoners of War being held by the US government. Source: Prison Activist Resource Center]. Of course, we all know better. I want to change this for myself and for everyone past, present and future that has suffered under political repression and imprisonment in this country.
To start, I am currently researching the process of getting political status from the United Nations as well as from other international organizations. I would appreciate any help or information on this process (write me directly or my PO Box 3, Eugene, OR 97440). I anticipate this being a lengthy process but my goal is to have the petition put together and submitted no later than February 4th.
Once I’ve completed this stage, I’m going to look to forcing recognition from the state. This will probably not be for some time but I need to start building support and the organization now if I hope to accomplish this. This is how it starts-by me asking for your help.
The resistance is alive and strong. It grows everyday. It is spreading across border and languages. People all over are recognizing the oppression that capitalism causes and the destruction that is brings. We already know our struggles are legitimate. It’s time to make the state and its allies acknowledge that.
In the spirit of total resistance,
Jeff ‘Free’ Luers
#13797671
OSP
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
I’ve been putting this update off for more than 2 weeks now because I just really haven’t wanted to deal with what I’m about to write. I figure that sitting here in my cell sick, my mood can’t really get worse so it is the perfect time to write. [By the way, for those who know me personally and are prone to worry, I’ve just got a cold and I’ll be fine :)].
All right, lets get right to it. About 2 ½ weeks ago, I received the state’s response to my brief (Ed note: appeal). To start, my first brief was denied for being too long. The court held me to 50 pages. The state’s brief is 64 pages long-apparently they do not share the same constraints. In the first 16 pages, the state calls me a terrorist twice and does so 3 more times throughout the brief. They refer heavily to my political beliefs and writings as well as reading material I owned on revolution and military handbooks-the same used to train the US military. Throughout the brief, I am compared, through innuendo to al-Queda and my conviction for Tyree Oil is compared to planting a nuclear bomb in a crowded city.
It is greatly disturbing to me that these allegation s were not even raised during my trial. Sure, references were made in trial, to the Earth Liberation Front (ELF). However, I was never called a terrorist. The use of these allegations now appear not only to be use of emotionally charged words to sway my appeal but fare more maliciously seem to be laying the groundwork for labeling me as a dangerous terrorist threat”.
The dangerous terrorist threat label can, under current laws, effectively give me life in prison. The US government has the authority to refuse release to anyone they deem to be in this category.
Though I must admit, I’m prone to believing the worst. I find it difficult to believe it is coincidence that 4 months ago, I was written up by ODOC [Editor note: Oregon Department of Corrections] for being a member of the ELF- a ‘domestic terrorist’ group-in essence- called a leader and labeled as putting the general public at risk. Now, again the same thing is happening in a court document.
I cannot attempt to describe the anger and heartbreak I felt as I read the state’s brief. Heartbreak, because do not believe that I will leave prison and anger because I am powerless to do anything about it.
I’m sitting her looking at my pictures I keep on the wall. I see my family and my friend. I’m looking at the handful of people I love more than life itself. As I look at them, I know I may never see them again outside a visiting room. I may never see them in the light of a campfire or cook food with them.
They say I’m dangerous. It’s not my actions or my words that make me dangerous. What makes me dangerous is that no matter what they do I will not bow my head. I will not say they are right because they aren’t right. I will never let go of my beliefs. I will never stop believing in equality and freedom. I’ll never stop believing we are all children of the Earth. I’ll never stop believing that we can do better than this. That’s what makes me dangerous-my will cannot be broken. If they can’t break mine, they can’t break yours, and if they can’t break yours, they can’t break ours. I four will cannot be broken, if we refuse to give up, then we will win. And that’s what makes us dangerous-we will never stop believing a better world is possible.
Until all are free the struggle continues,
Jeff ‘Free’ Luers
Hello everyone. I have good news to share. On 9/10 I was released from segregation. I have not had an opportunity to speak with my attorney so I’m not sure what I can share. However, I would like to extend my deepest thanks to Lauren Regan, AAL and her legal assistant, Misha Dunlap for their awesome help. They put in a lot of time into getting me out of the hole-taking time from their busy lives to come visit and talk strategy with me. Thank you.
As of right now, I’ve been out for 5 days. I have been given my job back on the yard and I’m working on getting my old housing back in the worker’s housing which gives me a bigger cell.
Yesterday, I had an interesting conversation with a prison friend. He told me that I need to mellow out and just do my time-that I can’t win against these people. I get that a lot from folks-even from supporters on the outs.
Revolution is a way of life. It is not one act of resistance. Who we are, how we live-will decide the future. I play many roles in my life. I am a son, a brother, an uncle, a best friend and a prisoner. But before every one of those, I am a warrior. I live my entire life in resistance to the mindless destruction of this society.
Because in every role we play, we must be revolutionary. How can we change things if we do not change ourselves? We must rid ourselves of the oppressor within and that starts with our personal relationships. It starts with how we choose to live.
I came to prison for the way I lived my life. I challenged the system and its allies in every fashion-from dialogue to action. It is who I am. I will not cower before repression; I will not leave the side of our animal relations. I will not be silenced in my defense of Mother Earth. I am alive and strong and I will fight because the spirit is with me.
I did not leave this at the prison gates. My spirit is as strong and defiant as ever. I will always struggle with every means available to me-as all we must. And with my dying breath, I will cry for freedom if I must.
It is our warrior spirit that makes us strong. It is our willingness to struggle to the end, never giving up that will see us through. Against all odds, we must stand strong and united, courageous with the belief that our spirits can not be broken. We stand with the strength of Mother Earth, with the strength of all our animal brothers and sisters and the web of life. We stand with the strength and warrior spirit of our ancestors who fought against oppression and for their sacred lands. We are all descendents of ancient cultures that live in harmony and balance with the Earth.
Thousands of years of genocide and assimilation have brought us to where we are, It is time each of us remembers our collective pas. It is time each of us renew our oath to the web of life. We must rekindle the flames of our warrior spirit.
Each generation has a responsibility to make things better for the next. My sisters and brothers, it is time to unite. It is time to rise. It is time to fight like we’ve never fought before .We must challenge this system and all its sickness on every front.
Against all odds we must win,
Jeff ‘Free’ Luers
OK, this is a few weeks overdue but really, I have an excuse.
I met with my attorney on August 5th about legal remedies for my hole sanction. During the course of our talk, she advised me that she had spoken with my appeal attorney and that he informed her the state would not be seeking any more extensions and would be filing their response.
So I assumed that on August 12th, the state's due date, I would be getting a copy of that brief which I could then write about. Well, after all this waiting, I still haven't received it. I can't say that they filed one or if I misunderstood and they won't be asking anymore extensions after this one.
At any rate, I don't know. Bizarre how my young adult life hangs in the balance on this issue and I'm the one in the dark about it.
Had an interesting interaction with the prison authorities. A friend of mine sent me a letter in which she described 3 photos she had enclosed. Only there were no photos. I just figured she forgot to put them in, something I have done (See second sentence :)
Only 4 hours later, the officer who sent me to the hole shows up at my cell. He says "I owe you an apology". I know what your thinking: He's here to say "Free, I was wrong-we're letting you out of the hole". But no, instead he pulls out 3 photos-the photos described in the letter. He goes on to say how sorry he is, that he doesn't know how it happened and that he doesn't mess with people's mail. And yeah, maybe it's all BS but at least he gave them to me.
The thing that really got me was the statement he made after that. " You know you're being watched. All your stuff is being looked at. Stay out of trouble, God Damm it. I'll be talking to you when you get out". We talked a little more and he left.
I feel so special I'm being watched. But, who all is watching? That's the question. I'm just of interest to the ODOC or are the FBI rumors true. I think its time for me to write Ashcroft. he he he...
Hopefully, I'll have some more information soon to pass along about my appeal. In the meantime, be well, live free. Keep fighting.
Jeffrey Luers
PS- Last update I mistakenly said a former police officer compared me to al-quaeda on Democracy Now. It turns out I was misinformed and that comparison did not take place. However, that comparison has been made by others in law enforcement.
It's hard coming up with things to write about. I've been pondering it for the last few days. I wrote a statement to be read at the upcoming Break the Chains conference in Eugene and its got me thinking about prison.
(Yeah, OK, so I think about prison a lot but not in the context of the industrial complex). A friend once sent me a bunch of Tao or Buddhist proverbs and one stands out in memory. When you make a clay pot, it is not the pot that is valuable but the empty space inside.
It makes perfect sense. I mean why build a solid lump of clay to hold something? Then, I started thinking about that proverb in terms of prisons. Prisons are one of the fastest growing industries in the USA. But they are not valuable empty. The only way profits can be made is if they are full.
How twisted is a society that finds more value in locking a portion of its people away then finding a way to heal the wounds that created the situation? And now with the 'war on terrorism', even more people are being locked away and they don't even need to be charged. Hitler would be proud of good ol' George W. I am seeing far too many comparisons that can and are being made.
Personally, this scares the hell out of me. I'm already labeled a domestic terrorist. Now, I'm in the hole because ODOC says I'm an active member of the Earth Liberation Front, the group the FBI lists as the number one domestic terrorist threat.
Recently, on the radio show Democracy Now!, a former police officer compared me to al-Queda- a compassion that has been made before. Based on the present regime in Amerikkka, I as well as several others could be threatened with life in prison for being who we are, saying what we say and for the labels that we have been given. Once upon a time, I would have said 'no way'. But, that was before I was given 22 years for burning a couple of SUVs and for a fire that never happened.
Still, it is not my government that I fear. It is my fellow citizens who do nothing to stop this madness. We can all say he's not my president, not in my name. The truth though is: unless people actively resist-he is your president and it is being done in your name.
Apathy or disassociation doesn't make anyone less responsible.Power only gains strength when left unchallenged. It's the ability to use our voice that can make the difference. Its using our voice that will make the difference.
Maybe, I should call these rants instead of updates. Next time, I hope to actually have some news about my situation and upcoming events. Until then, I'm doing good, staying strong and take life one day at a time.
For total liberation,
Jeffrey Luers
Well, by now everyone should know I'm in the hole. There is a separate article about that on the site.[ed: see here.] I won't write about it again. So, I've been in the hole for almost 3 weeks now. It sucks but its nothing new. My first year down (while I waiting for trial) was pretty close to this-a little less severe but not much.
Being on 23 ½ hour lock down 5 days a week and 24 hour the other 2 gives me a lot of time to think. I reflect a lot on my life-past and future. It's difficult to explain what it feels like to think about my future. I have these great dreams. Always thought, I come to the realization that those dreams are 19 years away.
That doesn't leave me a lot of space for hope. I've had too many dreams shattered in here to try and make others come true right now. That probably sounds pessimistic. But, here is what life looks like from my point of view.
I live in two worlds. The life I try to maintain on the outside with friends and family via letters, phonecalls and occasional visits. I try to keep the possibility alive that there will be something, maybe even someone waiting when this is over. I know though that outside these walls, life is constantly changing. I've said more than my share of goodbyes in the last 3 years. Life moves on and it is a beautiful experience for those that can experience it.
I also live in a time capsule. The routine of violence and repression and stagnation does not change for me. Different prisons, cops and prisoners may change but that's it. This is my world-there can be nothing else right now. And each year, I grow further away from the outside.
Trying to reconcile the two is difficult at best, impossible at worst. I try. More and more I find myself keeping my emotions to myself, a lesson that is constantly learned and reinforced in prison-"you can only trust yourself". Trust becomes a huge issue.
Trust is this amazing feeling and out there is reinforced though touch, sight, sound and action. You are face to face with it all the time with the people you share it with. That's not true in here. Not many people can afford a $25 phone call from me. Fewer can find time to visit and all too often mail is delayed or people do not have the ability to write (yeah, I actually believe that some people aren't letter writers). Trust becomes an issue.
I find that trust with a small few in here. I build community in here and indeed there a few guys in here that I've come to consider family.
As these ties and bonds build in here, the ones on the outside slowly slip away or simply can no longer compete with the ever present bond with fellow prisoners-others who know all to well about loss. Institutionalization sets in.
I never thought that would affect me. I was wrong. I see the changes even if I still can keep others from seeing them. I'm not afraid that prison will change my heart and soul. I know that can't happen. But, I am truly frightened that some day I will no longer be able to open my heart to those that love me-that I will not be able to trust anyone but myself. I'm afraid that as I build my own walls around me to protect myself from the hurt and pain that is prison life, that I will forget how to tear them down when I leave.
Not much of an update and more personal than I intended. None the less, it is the truth, or my version of it. As long as I can face this reality, I can fight it. I find strength in that.
Jeff Luers
July 2, 2003
Greetings everyone. This is the first of a hopefully regular series. I have decided that I need to start writing updates about events in my life. There are numerous reasons for this-the biggest is that my support base has grown and a number of people have taken an interest in my well being. I must say this is strange but really awesome at the same time. Thanks to all the compassionate people out there.
The other big reason is that I have been overwhlemed with mail. I try to write eveyone back but it is growing increasingly hard. My postage costs for this month alone has been around $50. With 3 college classes, work, personal time, and time for my writing and drawing, I simply fall behind. Every one of you deserves a personal response to the letters you send me. Sadly, I just cannot do it at this time. I will do my best to address each letter in a broad way in these updates.
I am currently in the process of putting together a large article/story about my involvement in the Fall Creek Treesit. (I was asked to write it for a book). There is a chance that you may be seeing it sometime in the next few months, thought. I'll keep people updated about this.
Copies of a radio interview I did with Julia Butterfly from my treesit in 1998 will soon be available. We are still in the process of organizing this and we are unsure of how many people would be interested in buyin goine as a fundraiser. So, if you are interested, please email my website, let us know (freefreenow@ziplip.com) and we will make copies accordingly. A price has not been determined yet so tell us what you think about that too.
For those of you wondering why I am sounding like such a capitalist, the Oregon State Gov't has decided that convicted felons no longer have a right to public appeals attornies. I have an attorney for my appeal right now. However, after this first appeal,the state will no longer provide me with one. So, if I have to take the case to a "higher court or post-conviction, I wil need to pay for an attorney, hence, why I am exploiting myself for profit. Please feel free to pirate all of my stuff-everything is anti-copyright (except for cops and corps.)
The punk band Resist and Exist, from LA, will be going back to the studio in August. During this recording session, they will be recording a poem I wrote, Army of One, as a song. Thanks to them and all the other musicians out there making punk, hip-hop and folk a threat. Music must feed the revolution.
Well folks, I think that is all for this time. I'll be wrtiing of one these every 2-3 weeks and how ever long it takes to leave the police, prison or FBI. Remember to keep up the pressure-only we can change the world. Live wild and live free.
In the Spirit of total resistance,
Jeffrey Luers aka Free
