Some words from Jaan Laaman, for my sister Lynn Stewart. Valentine’s Day, 2014. This day is so appropriate to have this event in honor and in support of our friend, our sister, our people’s lawyer, our comrade, Lynn Stewart. We do love you, Lynn, and we do love the fact that you are here with family, friends, and good people in New York City today.
Of course, being joyful that you are finally free and with people who care for you in no way mitigates the hateful and evil actions of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Justice Department and the government of the U.S.A. state, who for months and months and months, refused to give you medical release, even as your cancer spread and your illness deepened.
Through all the time you suffered in that federal prison in Texas, more and more people prayed and meditated for you, hoped for you, signed petitions for you, and took other efforts pushing for your release. We are so glad you are finally free and getting real medical care and living each day in the embrace of people who love you and care for you. I am pretty sure you are already well aware, but let me state it clearly, many people continue to hope, pray and send our best, most helpful thoughts to you. This definitely includes your political prisoner friends and comrades across the country.
So yes, Valentine’s Day is a most appropriate day for people far and wide to send you our continuing support, including material support; our love and gratitude for all the struggle and work you have done and continue to do for so many of us and for the overall freedom struggle. Your sacrifices, as well as your determined principle work over decades, is inspiring, worthy and important.
The government imprisoned you for fighting too hard for too long. In addition, they wanted to threaten and frighten other lawyers who also fight hard for positive and progressive causes. No doubt, some lawyers have been intimidated, but I also personally know of at least one young junior high school teacher who left teaching to go to law school in order to become a good criminal lawyer and continue in the fighting tradition of Lynn Stewart, struggling for freedom and justice in and around America’s courtrooms. We love you, Lynn, and we really want you to stay with us for a long time. Let me conclude with some poetic words by Roque Dalton: “Like You.”
“Like you, I
Love love, life, the sweet smell
Of things, the sky blue
Landscape of January days.
And my blood boils up
And I laugh through eyes
That have known the buds of tears.
I believe the world is beautiful
And that poetry, like bread, is for everyone,
And that my veins don’t end in me,
But in the unanimous blood
Of those who struggle for life,
Love,
Little things,
Landscape and bread,
The poetry of everyone.”
Some words from Jan Lamaan for my sister Lynn Stewart.
These commentaries are recorded by Noel Hanrahan of Prison Radio.
