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Incarceration Nation

To Protest is a Right

Statement in support of the California prisoners’ hunger strike

By Kevin Cooper

Frederick Douglass once said, “It’s easier to build strong children, than it is to repair broken men.”

The same can be said for women, as they are included in the oppression that has been going on since the beginning of human beings oppressing each other.

Throughout the history of this world, at one time or another, certain people from every generation have had to fight for their equality, their civil rights, and most importantly, their human rights!

Without these historical and current day struggles, it’s safe to say that more people would be oppressed than currently are. But of those who are being oppressed, they are tired of it! All over this planet, poor and oppressed people are standing up, and speaking out, and fighting back in every way that they can, even non-violently, to gain what was theirs at birth: their human rights.

Many have been broken, but many more have not, and won’t be, because they understand that this ongoing struggle for their human rights is bigger, much bigger, than them as individuals. It’s about our collective humanity!

One thing is for certain, and history is our best teacher in this. If there is no struggle, there will be no change! The fight for one’s human rights is not always easy, but it’s necessary. Especially when it comes to people who have been targeted by the system.

To do, or say, nothing is to suffer in silence while you’re treated like a non-human; a stereotype, a piece of trash. In America, we have in this so-called democracy the right to protest for our rights, and it’s a right that must be used to change the system.

Because not only is protesting a right, it’s your constitutional right. Which is so very important for all of us to remember, because the oppressors don’t seem to follow the constitution when it comes to us, the oppressed!

So no matter where you are, if you’re being repressed, undressed, suppressed, regressed, depressed and outright oppressed by the powers that be—it’s in your best interests to PROTEST!

—July 8, 2013