Dear outside world, my name is Christopher “Naeem” Trotter of the Pendleton 2. On June the 10th, I had a clemency hearing, and was truly humbled by all the support I received from all across the country and world, from freedom-loving people who believed in humanity, compassion and justice. The Pendleton 2 defense committee did an excellent job in making sure that when I went to my clemency hearing, that I had the support and that the five member board knew that I wasn’t alone. I was very honored to have people appearing in person and online for the hearing, and I’m proud to say that the support I had at the hearing outnumbered their five member board.
We had freedom-loving people who wrote amazing personal letters to the board on my behalf. We presented the board with over 42 pages of signatures from freedom-loving people who supported the Pendleton 2. At the clemency hearing, the five parole board members were hell-bent on rehashing the past of what happened on February the 1st, 1985, with a one sided narrative, than focusing on the man—instead of focusing on the man I am today, and using the hearing to correct their injustice. The parole board members were intent on talking about the harms to the victims on February 1st rebellion, but never once talked about Lincoln Love, who was the real victim; that was savagely beaten, while handcuffed and shackled, with a baseball bat by racist prison guards who were members of the Sons of Light, an offshoot organization of the Ku Klux Klan.
And nor did they talk about the Pendleton 2 as being a victim for having to sacrifice their freedom and life in order to save the life of a fellow human being. The board never once asked,”Mr. Trotter, how are you doing?” They never once considered what a traumatic experience it was for me to be put in a position where I was forced to choose between going home in three months, to take care of my sick mother, or save the life of a fellow human being who could not defend himself from the savage attacks by racist prison guards who were hell bent on taking his life while he was handcuffed and shackled.
Many people probably would have chosen to go home in three months and take care of their sick mother while the racist prison guards killed the defenseless prisoner. But, I chose to help my fellow human being. I knew that my mother would be proud of me because that’s the son and man that she raised me to be. The wounds I carry from the February 1st rebellion would never properly heal as long as I’m inside this belly of the beast because doesn’t a day pass by that I don’t wonder if I would be the next Lincoln Love or George Floyd.
This fight for the Pendleton 2 to receive justice and freedom is not over with yet, and I’m asking all freedom-loving people who believe in humanity, compassion, and justice to once again, rise up and support the Pendleton 2 in the next phase of this battle as we target the Governor of Indiana. I ask people to write supportive letters on the behalf of Christopher “Naeem” Trotter, 862556, to the Governor of Indiana and ask that you support his petition for clemency. And this is what I want the outside world to know: that if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.
Any mother or father or wife that has a son or daughter in prison. This is a very cruel reality. Anytime that you have to sacrifice your life to save the life of a fellow human being, when you have people in authority, they’re supposed to serve and protect you, and they don’t do that. Instead, those are the main ones that are abusing you — there’s something wrong. There’s something wrong. And for all the people in the outside world that may have someone incarcerated inside this industrial prison complex, I ask that you please connect with them. Please ask your daughter or your son or your husband or your child, how they’re doing in there, how they’re holding up, how they’ve been treated. Find out what’s going on in here, because that’s the only way we can help change things. We have to be able to share this information. You have to be able to talk to your loved ones in here. Again, thank everybody for listening to me. My name is Christopher “Naeem” Trotter of the Pendleton 2. Thank you for your support. Bye, bye.
These commentaries are recorded by Prison Radio.
