Filter Commentaries
27 commentaries found
Page 1 of 2
Anxiety
So, my name is Jamil Pirant. I’m calling from IYC [Indiana Youth Center], and this piece is called, “Anxiety.” I almost gave up. I know that’s a hella foul way to start that off. That’s… Full Transcript
With A Heavy Heart
Hello, I am Izell Robinson, Minnesota inmate number 210006. Today, I come to you all with, you know, a heavy heart because of everything that I’ve witnessed going on out there with the recent mass… Full Transcript
COVID Negligence
Okay, hi, my name is Brandi Oligney. I’m an inmate woman here on Valley Correctional Facility. I contracted COVID from working in the kitchen and they put me in a unit. I’m on medication to… Full Transcript
Whats Lurking In The Hallway?
Okay. My name is Stacy Anderson. My number is 821983. I’ve been incarcerated for 12 years and I was inspired by writing my own poem. I always had a vivid imagination, so I decided to… Full Transcript
Using Los Ninos as a Wall
“Using Los Ninos for a wall.” The wail of babies rips like a knife through millions of hearts. Children scared, alone, torn from their mothers, weep and wail as their families try to enter Fortress… Full Transcript
The Politics Of Fear
“The Politics of Fear.” As I said previously, the recent events of Charlottesville, VA were turning points in American history, but what is its source? Its source is the source of American identity, for what… Full Transcript
Gangsters in Government
“Gangsters in Government.” In a matter of days, the Whte House has gone through its latest purge. Gone are stalwarts of the GOP, men like journalist Sean Spicer and former Republican National Committee chief Reince… Full Transcript
The National Disease of America
Don’t Get Trapped
This is Wilbert Sanders, also known as Jazz the Poet with one I called “Don’t Get Trapped.” Since music calms the savage beast, let’s compose a song with lyrics so strong, violence actually comes to… Full Transcript
Mean Men
The regime of Donald Trump has radiated a global aura of dread, fear and the bared teeth of the state as a predator, hungry for power. From Day One the Trump Regime has used fear,… Full Transcript
The Greatest American Hypocrisy
Good morning. My name is brother Khalfani Malik Khaldun. I am calling from in Indiana Department of Corrections, Wabash Valley Corrrectional Facility, and this is the greatest American hypocrisy, all power to the people. Since… Full Transcript
“Tears & a Smile”
Tears and a smile. For many across America, the presidential election has left them distraught, awash with anxiety, fear, and dread. It seems surreal. A candidate caught on tape saying what he said, who launched… Full Transcript
Shock & Awe
I didn’t see this coming. The words I never thought I’d say, “president Trump,” had become reality. In a remarkable campaign full of bile, hatred, fear and loathing, guess what? Fear won. Hatred now gulps… Full Transcript
For the Party Everything- For the People Nothing
For the party, everything, for the people, nothing. It is, to say the least, somewhat disturbing to see how impassioned are the president and the first lady in bringing out the black vote for democratic… Full Transcript
Make America White Again
The 2016 Republican National Convention, under the ponderous pressure of Donald Trump, was, in many ways, an escape back in time – to the 1950s, and ‘60s – an era when Barry Goldwater, Richard Nixon,… Full Transcript
From In Here
Sometimes, after 36 years imprisoned, the view from in here is shrouded in mists of confusion and despair. Violence and death, repression and resistance, and the growing recognition there are fundamental issues still unresolved after… Full Transcript
For the Love of Yuri
Recently, a congressman announced his opposition to a computer corporations’ honoring of the late activist, Yuri Kochiyama. Kochiyama, in her long and eventful life, fought for many things, among them, this commentator’s life and freedom.… Full Transcript
Voting for Your Pain
An election is occurring tonight. It’s a primary, one of dozens to come. It matters not where — or, for the most part, even who. Elections are public expressions of emotion, as in ‘who do… Full Transcript
Judicial Fury
Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court, in its Montgomery v. Louisiana decision, ruled that its earlier 2012 ruling in the Miller v. Alabama case, (limiting life sentences when it came to juvenile defendants) was indeed retroactive… Full Transcript
Listen to the full commentary here: Hi, my name is Krystal Clark. My inmate number is 435064. I’m in WHV, the Valley of Death. This prison is terrible, ladies. I gotta catch my breath. I’m… Full Transcript