[col. Writ. 6/21/13] © ’13 Mumia Abu-Jamal
Ralph Pointer, the husband of lawyer – and now federal prisoner, Lynne Stewart, is on a mission.’
To save the life of his wife.
His wife, Lynne, was an almost legendary lawyer, who brought her whole heart and all of her legal training, to the defense of the down pressed, of many movements for social justice of the ‘70’s, ‘80’s and beyond.
Recently convicted of violating some post – 9/11 Special Administrative Measures (called SAMs), in defense of her client, the blind sheikh, Omar Abdel-Rahman, she was given 18 months in prison, and after appeal, it was upped to 10 years! This for a ‘rule’ that expressly violates the 1st, 5th and 6th Amendments, violating the rights of both clients and lawyers!
Here’s the rub – Lynne is 73 years old, with advanced breast cancer. Such a sentence is tantamount to a death sentence.
Ralph, quite understandably, is doing whatever he can to bring his wife home, where, around family and loved ones, she can receive a more efficacious course of treatment. It almost goes without saying that prison medical care is among the worst.
Ralph is protesting in the capital, in Washington, DC, these days, to try and affect her and compassionate release.
They’ve won statements of support from the former Archbishop and human rights activist, Desmond Tutu – and civil rights activist (and former comedian . and 1968 presidential candidate, Dick Gregory. Indeed, Gregory started a liquid fast in mid-April to protest Stewart’s continued caging.
Join Ralph Pointer, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Dick Gregory in bringing Lynne back home –alive!
For more info, contact: lynnestewart.org.
-© ’13 maj