On a vegan 'prisoner', please read- haven't heard from him since,..

[Guest guest]

Mike Staton <civildis

 

CC: Karuna_Wang,

A call for an American Renissance

Mon, 16 Oct 2000 01:36:15 -0400

 

 

Today, Friday, October 13, 2000 I received a letter containing

the following message:

 

" James K. Hahn

City Attorney

Office of the City Attorney

Los Angeles, California

312 S. Hill St. 2nd FL.

Los Angeles, CA. 90013

(213) 485-6681

October 03, 2000

 

Case No. 0CR30613

 

Dear Michael James Staton:

 

Please be advised that a criminal complaint has been filed

charging you with a violation of Section P148A1, commonly known

as resisting a public/peace officer. There may be other charges

included in the complaint which are not listed here. If you are

on probation in any other case, a probation violation also may

have been filed.

 

You are notified to appear for arraignment in Division 83

of the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles,

located at 429 Bauchet St, Los Angeles, CA 90012-2995 at 8:30

a.m. on 10/25/00.

 

Failure to appear at the date and time indicated may

result in the issuance of a warrant for your arrest.

 

Please bring this letter with you to court.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

[signature]

 

Alan Dahle

Supervising Attorney

Maria Elena Reyes Branch

 

An Equal Employment Opportunity-Affirmative Action Employer

1800 City Hall East * 200 N. Main Street * Los Angeles, CA.

90012-4131 * (213) 45-6370 "

 

My response follows:

 

To Alan Dahle,

 

I received your letter summoning me to court.

I observe and experience the system and the judicial branch.

It doesn't serve me, nor does it represent Who I Really Am. I

see violence, destruction, and people forcefully denying others

of free will. I observe that the human species doesn't act in a

highly evolved or enlightened manner generally. So I have

decided to reduce personal participation in this system. I aim

to be more and more independent from it. I realize that if the

current power structure is to be stopped, individuals must

refuse cooperation.

I went to Los Angeles with the intention to be part of

creating the world anew. A world with reverence for creation,

life, death. A world where people are in harmony with nature,

where no one is denied access to food (real food, not pesticide

laden genetically manipulated by-products of

corporate/capitalist agribusiness), shelter, love, joy, or

happiness. A world where destructive behavior patterns are

prevented not punished. I see so many living in a reactionary

manner, repeating history over and over. It would be wonderful

to experience something new.

While in LA I was doused with pepper spray at least twice,

shot with about 2 dozen paint balls filled with pepper spray (I

was told by a person recording the event that the officer

shooting me had a smirk on his face). I was hit in the heal

with an object believed to be a rubber bullet, jabbed

repeatedly with night-sticks, thrown down being arrested by a

group of police, jeered at, and harassed by " peace officers " .

At no time was I violent or threatening. Some suggested that I

file a lawsuit against the LAPD for the violence, abuse, and

excessive force. I chose not to. I chose to forgive the police

officers for their actions. I choose to not go through the

bureaucratic hassle of the legal system (organized to suppress

dissent). I chose not to use the legal apparatus and thus

legitimize the institution. The current system leaves little

outlet to live life in liberty, pursuing happiness. So I'm in a

place trying to create an alternative. An alternative to the

destitute wage-slave driven, consumer-oriented, materialistic

reality. An alternative with vibrance, with a spiritual

explosion of celebration.

So as I read the notification letter, I wonder what is the

purpose in taking me to court. After being assaulted and

subject to chemical warfare, have the agents of the state not

had enough? Is their thirst for punishment ever quenched?

I choose non-cooperation. I refuse to show up in court. I

refuse to pay fines. If you want me you can come and find me.

So here I am, penniless, in a society that rewards

exploiters and leaves scraps to the exploited. But I stand

vigilant. I shall live these grand ideas and achieve great

change regardless of the opposition I face.

 

Blessings,

Michael James Staton

 

A note to friends, family, and supporters: I'm a raw-food

vegan, meaning, I only recognize a wide variety of certified

organic, fresh, raw; fruits and vegetables, with occasional

seeds and nuts, as food. I may be sentenced to imprisonment and

being aware of what is commonly fed to prisoners, I appreciate

all assistance in receiving food as specified above. If not fed

in accordance to these specifications, I plan on fasting during

the duration of the jail time that I may serve. Cooked,

processed, packaged, chemical covered " food " is seen as

synthetic toxins. Animal flesh and by-products are seen as

pain, murder, and death laced with hormones. Genetically

Modified Organisms are seen as a violation of the process of

creation and a threat to life as is. Artificial colors,

flavors, and anything non-organic is poison. Thank You.

[Guest guest]

, " Karuna Wang " <karuna_wang@u...>

 

>

> Today, Friday, October 13, 2000 I received a letter containing

> the following message:

>

 

Such civil disobediance is a courageous but very risky

undertaking. I would not recommend anyone doing this.

I would tend to discourage such an act. However, I do

honor and respect those who express such non-violent

courage without breaking any laws.

 

This message does not describe the entire circumstances

but does imply a peaceful, lawful, non-violent protest.

 

If the subject of such an arrest is determined to be

vegan, that fact will be used for additional punishment.

It is less likely that a non-vegan would be incarcerated

under similar circumstances because the punishment would

not be experienced to the same degree as it would be by

a vegan. This gives the " criminal justice system " an

opportunity for extreme punishment that would not be

grasped or understood as punishment by the non-vegan

public. Thus, there would be little or no outcry of

injustice or comprehension that the punishment far

exceeds the ostensible crime of protest.

 

We would rather give our lives than eat meat. It is

likely that our bodies would react to prison food as

though it were poison. Few in our society can understand

this reality.

 

Blessings and light (protection) to this soul!

 

Ernie