The NYC Anarchist Black Cross has just posted a letter from Connor Stevens, an activist with Occupy Cleveland who was ensnared in an FBI-manufactured terrorism plot. An FBI informant spent months building a relationship with Connor Stevens, Brandon Baxter, Doug Wright and Joshua Stafford. These four young men joined Occupy to help build a better world, but they were manipulated by Shaquille Azir, a ruthless FBI informant, into planning a crime they never would have even considered on their own. For background, read the story in this graphic novel: Manufacturing Terrorists
I very much appreciate the letters. Despite my slacking on keeping up with correspondence,these letters, whether from groups or individuals, help me to maintain my focus and sense of perception. It is all-too-easy to go through life with blinders on, cutting ourselves off from our greatest sources of strength and purpose.
I am interested in learning how I can, in however small the contributions, offer more to our ongoing struggle.
I am currently engaged in the perpetual challenge of keeping up with the letter writing, as well as continuing my studies.
There is much I would like to mention, but for now I will limit this letter to an expression of my interest in being recognized as a political prisoner.
I hope my tardiness may be forgiven, as extenuating circumstances have until now caused me to be hesitant in pursuing both identification as a political prisoner specifically, and political engagement more broadly. But such silence must be broken.
With a gentle strength in a hard place, in living solidarity,
You can write to: