God’s Gunner’s, Booty Bandits, & Bad Boys
By R25288 ( c ) 2006-2007
Chapter Twenty-Six
Religious Freedom Denied
An Open Letter To Governor Charlie Crist
“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.”
Abraham Lincoln
We Shall Overcome
An Old Black Gospel Song
1. We shall overcome
We shall overcome
We shall overcome some day
CHORUS:
Oh, deep in my heart
I do believe
We shall overcome some day
2. We’ll walk hand in hand
We’ll walk hand in hand
We’ll walk hand in hand some day
CHORUS
3. We shall all be free
We shall all be free
We shall all be free some day
CHORUS
4. We are not afraid
We are not afraid
We are not afraid some day
CHORUS
5.We are not alone
We are not alone
We are not alone some day
CHORUS
6. The whole wide world around
The whole wide world around
The whole wide world around some day
CHORUS
7. We shall overcome
We shall overcome
We shall overcome some day
CHORUS
Virginia, remember that every new prison we build is a testament of our ungodliness. When we fear not tomorrow, we can live brave today.
Dear Governor Crist:
By way of introduction, I formerly resided at the penal colony of Liberty Correctional Institution, in Bristol, Florida. I refer you to chapters 24 & 25, at www.r25288.com for background.
Charlie, I hope you don’t mind if I call you Charlie, because you project an image of a man who is receptive to all Floridians. Anyway Charlie, I need your help. No, Virginia, I am not going to ask Charlie for money, that would be too easy. Charlie my partner resides at __________________, and his name and ID # are__________________________ (filled in for the governor). Charlie, he is being denied the right to wear an approved religious medallion, with a cross in it. I don’t think we should support religious intolerance, and I hope you will inform the Department of Corrections to let my boy have his medallion back.
On April 16th, 2007, my partner wrote me the following words:
“Hopefully they’ll give me back my chain. I don’t know why these people are pain freaks. One(1) thing I’ve learned about DOC is it’s always the hard way with them.
“Wrote a request to the law library for research time this week. I want to do some research on a state hab. and going after my appeallant counsel for ineffective assistance. I’ll let ya know what I come up with. I should be on call-out some time this week.
“Enclosed is a copy of informal and formal grievance, and newspaper article about Mexico City allowing conjugal visits for homosexual prisoners, nice, huh?? I know you’ll enjoy reading it!!
“Informal Grievance, 3/25/07
“Sir/Ma’am, I got here March 12th, 2007, which was about two weeks ago, and I came with a religious necklace and medallion that was approved by Washington C.I. chaplain and property room, along with an invoice showing that it’s not over fifty $50. A lady Sgt. told me I’m going to have to send it home, even after I showed her my invoice. She even got the chaplain here to look at it which he said, “Inmates can order them, but we don’t want no one to hurt you over it.” Sir/Ma’am, inmates are walking around here with big gold chains that’s worth hundreds of dollars, but why can’t I have mine? It’s my religion.
“Respectfully Submitted,
“___________________, #______”
“Response
“236-0307
“Assistant Warden of Programs
“Policy allows inmates to have a plain chain and medallion with a value of no more than $50. The medallion is the main item of religious significance.
“Denied 4/4/07″
“Formal Grievance
“Warden
“4/15/07
“I contend with the response I received on my informal grievance, I’m in compliance with policy rules which allows inmates to have a plain chain and medallion with a value of no more than $50. I have all the proper paperwork and receipt. I’m at a faith based institution. I’m a Christian. I’m allowed to wear religious material, and my property was taken from me arbitrarily. I’m requesting my cross and chain be returned to me because this is a denial of my First Amendment rights of Freedom of Religion.
“Respectfully Submitted,
“__________________,#______”
Charlie, my partner is 26 years old, an African American, 6″ tall, and 190 pounds of muscle. Charlie, my partner had worn his cross for months, and no other inmates hurt him. I think my boy should be allowed to wear his cross and chain. What do you think?
Respectfully Submitted,
Christopher Eckhardt/R25288
cc:
American Civil Liberties Union
125 Broad Street 18th Floor
New York, New York 10004
American Civil Liberties Union of Florida
Executive Director Howard Simon
4500 Biscayne Blvd. Suite 340
Miami, Forida 33137
Larry Helm Spalding
ACLU Legal Staff Counsel
314 West Jefferson Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32301-1608
ACLU Northern Florida Office
P.O. Box 12723
Pensacola, Florida 32591-2723
Human Rights Watch
350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor
New York, New York 10118-3299
Amnesty International
5 Penn Plaza, 14th Floor
New York, New York 10001
Humanists of Florida Association
Heather Wellman, Director
P.O. Box 18574
Jacksonville, Florida 32229
Center for Individual Rights
1233 20th Street NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20036
The Beckett Fund for Religious Liberty
1350 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 605
Washington, DC 20036
Christian Legal Society
Center for Law & Religious Freedom
8001 Braddock Road, Suite 300
Springfield, Virginia 22151
People For the American Way
2000 M Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036
The Carnegie Foundation
50 Vista Lane
Stanford, California 94305
Freedom House
1301 Conneticut Avenue NW, Floor 6
Washington, DC 20036
Hudson Institute
1015 15th Street NW, 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20005
My dear gentle reader, I need your help. No, Virginia, I’m not going to ask them for money, that would be too easy. Please let our governor know that you support religious freedom, even for inmates, maybe especially for inmates. You may contact Charlie at www.flgov.com, then click on the button, .Contact Gov. Crist, then fill in the data, and in the Category box pick Prisons, and in the Agency box pick Corrections, then just refer Charlie to www.r25288.com, and Chapter 26, and tell him you support religious freedom for inmates, and that you hope he’ll help my boy. Thank you, and yes, Virginia, this means you too.
J.D. and I thank the Broken Bridge Brigade for featuring parts of Chapter Twenty-Four in their April, 2007, newsletter. You may view it at www.esnips.com/web/justice4inmates.
First they came…
By Pastor Martin Niemoller
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent:
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
