God’s Gunner’s, Booty Bandits, & Bad Boys
By R25288 ( c ) 2006-2007
Donations are appreciated and accepted payable to R25288, via P.O. Box 5514, Clearwater, Florida 33758-5514, or at www.realitycharity.com/R25288. Any and all size donations are accepted with gratitude.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Paragraph 175
“If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn’t part of ourselves doesn’t disturb us.”
Hermann Hesse
The Times They Are A-Changin’
By Bob Dylan
“Come gather ’round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’
Or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’.
“Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won’t come again
And don’t speak too soon
For the wheel’s still in spin
And there’ a no tellin’ who
That it’s namin’.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin’.
“Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don’t stand in the doorway
Don’t block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There’s a battle outside
And it’s ragin’.
It’ll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin’.
“Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don’t criticize
What you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin’.
Please get out of the new one
If you can’t lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin’.
“The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin’.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin’.”
Virginia, always remember that laws are made by man, and not all laws are just, ethical, or moral. In the last century, millions of Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, and other considered “undesirables” were exterminated for being a human being with those attributes of Jewishness, gayness, and Gypsies.
In Germany, in the 1930’s, Hitler began a systematic denial of civil rights, persecution, imprisonment, castration, and extermination of gays, lasting until the end of World War II. It was done all within the rules and laws of the country. It was known as Paragraph 175 of the Criminal Code. It was basically a law against homosexuality, including kissing, fondling, and mutual masturbation. It carried as much as a ten year prison sentence. Gays were forced to wear pink triangles in the concentration camps. There was over a million gays in Germany at the beginning of the 1930’s. Approximately ten percent of those were arrested. Less than half of those sentenced to concentration camps survived.
As another example of systemic violence, my dear gentle readers, gays were not liberated when the war ended like the Jews and others were, but were forced to finish their sentences for being criminals-their crime-loving their fellow man, even though the war was officially over. Those familiar with systemic violence know that the war against systemic violence never ends. They were even denied reparations that others received. Paragraph 175 was not totally dismantled in Germany until 1994. It took America until the beginning of this century to do basically the same. Virginia, justice delayed is justice denied, and some laws have no justice in them whatsoever. Just ask the African-American, whose value under American law was once only equal to 3/5 of a white man’s.
“Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it.”
George Santayana
From my journal, on Saturday, October 30th, 2004, at 9am, I wrote J.D. the following poem:
Cell I2-204 L&U
(meaning Lower and Upper bunks)
For the last 18 days, we lived in this cell
17 times you spoke to me as best friend
We shared together; you were just swell
We’re lifetime partners, we’re not just a trend
It was so “tweet” when you made my bed
I gave you my desserts, you remember the bread
We played Charades, did math, law work, and read
I grew hair on my face, you grew it on your head
We laughed and talked and hummed many a song
Slept, played tick-tack-toe, and hangman
I loved our time together; everything right; nothing wrong
I lost weight; you lost your bumps; I lost my tan
You gave me your greens, and juice made of grapefruit
The weather was fine, we didn’t have to sweat
We both learned some new words, like staff called galoots
We both avoided a Lt. we called heifer, I avoided the Vet.
While 18 days in a lifetime is really quite short
For me, it’s been the best time in my last 20 years
I’ve given issues that we’ve improved for you in court
You say, “It gets greater later,” so Monday I’ll shed no tears
Yesterday, you spoke up for me, when you could have left; I care for you
You protected me; we even did exercises
I’m in love with you, which you already knew
We’re at the point; anything can be said; no need to lie
Each passing day I discover things about you; I love you more
Like knelling, and why crumbs need to be washed from your lips
You called her a “tomboy sissy;” I just called her a whore
We ran out of batteries, and I’m glad we neither use rips(cigarettes)
I liked touching your hand when we said, “Good night.”
Once we had ants; now they’re all gone
We’ve come so far since May; everything now seems natural and right
Saying, “Good morning, honey,” with breakfast in bed before dawn
You taught me how to block up the vent, and make dental floss;
How to make a fountain out of water that sometimes tasted
To go through life without you now would be a real loss
And when we get out, I’ll never make your grits so runny
The things I saw you flush down the toilet would make the Warden scream
I stalked and listened for steps; we read to each other
You allowed me to be comfortable with you; we’re really quite a team
You’ll never be too heavy for me to bear; you’ll always be my brother
I bend for you, and I know you bend for me
In life or prison, our closeness is a blessing, and rare to find
Enjoy it; cherish it; never take it for granted, as I become we
You’re the best thing in my life now; I’ll never leave you behind
For the last 18 days, we lived in this cell
17 times you spoke to me as best friend
We shared together; you were just swell
We’re lifetime partners, not just a trend
For my J.D.-
AML(All My Love), C
“Thou shalt not be a victim. Thou shalt not be a perpetrator. Above all, thou shalt not be a bystander.”
HOLOCAUST MUSEUM, WASHINGTON,DC
“The writer must be universal in sympathy and an outcast by nature; only then can he see clearly.”
Julian Barnes
Virginia, I received this from a publisher:
TO: ______________, Managing Director
FROM: ___________, Editorial Coordinator
RE: Reading Report for “God’s Gunners, Booty Bandits, and Bad Boys” by Christopher Eckhardt
DATE: May 30, 2007
Please review the reader’s report for the above noted manuscript. I recommend it for publishing…
Christopher Eckhardt’s “God’s Gunners, Booty Bandits, and Bad Boys” is the autobiography of a man who has experienced the highs and lows of life, and learned from each meaningful event that freedom of expression must be preserved at all costs.
The author spent nearly five years in a Florida prison without due process. He says, “I was imprisoned…for being a former Vietnam War protester, conscientious objector, lifetime pacifist, and current gay Democrat. Violent criminals received less time than I did by the same system.” He lived in Florida for eighteen years without as much as a speeding ticket. When he enters the prison system, he is thrown into another world, where the prison is called camp, ducks are novices, and dawgs are experienced inmates. This prison-speak also includes the brown shirts who are the officers, the blue shirts who are the inmates, and the white shirts who are the administrators.
He recounts his special love affairs with Blue and J.D., and the difficulty of developing a loving relationship with his partners behind bars. He became adept at working the system, however, and never gave up on his long standing belief in the dignity of the human spirit. He says, “Prison was my tsunami, and I survived.” He now lives in a homeless shelter, and continues his campaign for justice, and despite three suicide attempts, lives every day to the fullest.
“God’s Gunners, Booty Bandits, and Bad Boys” is a stark look at prison life and the penal system in general. Despite Christoper Eckhardt’s considerable awards and recognitions, he does not flinch when he describes the injustices he suffered. The work is liberally sprinkled with quotes from James Baldwin, Nelson Mandela, Robert Kennedy, Helen Keller, and lyrics to many songs, including “Folsom Prison” by Johnny Cash. The narrative contains many flashbacks to the author’s childhood and family life that add depth to the work. This autobiography should capture the attention of the author’s readers, giving them an insider’s look into prison life.
There is an article at www.abcnews.com, “Supreme Court Rules Against ‘Bong Hits 4 Jesus’ Student.” I was the 128th comment to the article on June 25, 2007. I wrote:
“As a plaintiff in Tinker v Des Moines, I mourn the loss of freedom in America today by our currently Republican controlled U.S. Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court today ruled against the least among us with power: our children and students. Now, none of us are safe anymore. Next they’ll send women back to the kitchen, pregnant and barefoot, and take away their control of their bodies. Then, they’ll send Hispanics south of the border; then they’ll send African-American back to the back of the bus; then, they’ll send gays back to the closets; and then they’ll send more homeless to jail. Today, we begin to mourn the loss of freedom in America, and it is truly unAmerican at the beginning of the 21st century. This is just another further attempt by the Republicans to use government to control the thinking of Americans. Republicans are a serious threat to the freedom that our forefathers pledged their honor, property, and lives to establish and protect for all Americans-not just to those that they agree with. Freedom of Expression, and our Constitution were seriously wounded by a Republican controlled U.S. Supreme Court today, and we became less of the “Home of the Free.” Our founding fathers cry today because terrorism is no longer just an outside threat, but the loss of freedom is as terroristic as the loss of innocent lives. Our current Republican, extremely conservative, Uncle Tom Supreme Court wants limited government for itself, but maximum government control over the rest of us and our thinking. Not enough Americans stood up for our children and students, so they will live with less freeedom than we enjoyed. Next they will come for your freedoms, and who will be left to stand up for you? Remember, what we lost today was and is important. It was and is the basis of our strength-the right to freedom of expression-speech, religion, and the press. May you and God protect America, our Constitution, and our blessed way of life.
Posted by:
r25288 11:09 PM”
“Who controls the past,” ran the Party slogan, “controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.”
George Orwell, 1984
On June 27th, 2007, Susan Donaldson James wrote an excellent news article about Mary Beth, John, and me. It is titled “Now Middle-Aged, Student Protesters Echo Triumphs and Casualties of the 1960’s.” It is available at www.abcnews.com, and then in their search engine just type in my name, or www.r25288.com, and hit enter/search and there you are.
“If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.”
John Stuart Mill, On Liberty
Virginia, our American flag flies on my patio as I write this, as it does on my office desk daily, as it will this Wednesday, July 4th, 2007. J.D.’s charge does not involve drugs, sex, treason, and he never hurt anyone. He is a 26 year old African-American, and the state of Florida never intends to let him live free again. My dear gentle readers, it is wrong; it is not justice. Regardless, J.D. and I wish you and yours a joyous 4th of July. Celebrate your freedoms, and continue to protect them for yourself and your family, and help me and others who are struggling to change unjust laws, extreme sentences, and systemic violence.
“Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!”
II SAMUEL 15:4
