Friday, August 31, 2012

Letter from Chicano Political Prisoner Ramsey Muniz

 
After spending more than 15 years confined and imprisoned in one of America’s hard core prisons (Leavenworth USP), I was also confined in the so-called ancient dungeons of Leavenworth for 3 years for advocating “human rights” in the prisons of America. I became so ill and close to death, so I was taken by emergency ambulance to Springfield Federal Hospital. As I have shared with Irma, I had an out of body experience of death and life again. Immediately they sent me from Springfield, Missouri, to Florence USP — another hard core penitentiary.

It was there that by the grace of God, after having communicated with Dr. Andres Guerrero in Leavenworth,  that Dr. Guerrero personally visited with Senator Ken Salazar who made an immediate congressional request that I be transferred to Three Rivers Federal Correctional Institution.
It was after 15 years — after the Bureau of Prisons violated the federal court order that I be confined in Three Rivers FCI — that I was finally transferred to Three Rivers FCI as the judge had recommended.

The staff at Three Rivers immediately did not like the idea that a so called Mexican American, Chicano political prisoner was sent to their institution. They claimed that i needed medical attention that they were unable to provide, and I was immediately transferred back out to El Reno, Oklahoma.  Knowing what had happened, I demanded, upon my arrival, a doctor from the free world who would give me a full medical examination. I knew that there was nothing wrong with me since I was not even taking medication and had never ever gone to the hospital even for an aspirin.

The doctor in El Reno, Oklahoma made the medical findings that I was in perfect health and had nothing wrong with me. I immediately asked to be transferred back to Three Rivers FCI. Instead they transferred me to Beaumont Federal Correctional Institution, which is known to be gang related.  In this institution we are lock down half the time.

The world needs to know how they have violated every constitutional right that I have. They also violated the order of the Federal Court that I be confined in Three Rivers FCI. If some doubt my words of truth, Irma has a copy of the sentencing transcript where the Federal Judge Brown specifically ordered and recommended that I be confined at Three Rivers FCI. This is the type of injustice that I speak of and have suffered because many refuse to accept the truth as to what they have done to my life for the last 20 years.

The time has come to let the world know that enough is enough – ya Basta!!! We must have the heart and the courage to come forward and bring justice to a Mexicano who has given his life for freedom, justice, and love for our people and for all humanity.

God’s greatest gift to us from the time of our creation is freedom!
Amor,
Ramsey Muniz
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Ramsey Muniz was the most successful statewide candidate in the history of the La Raza Unida Party (LRUP), ever, period.  In Texas, where he ran for Governor in 1972 and 1974, he shook up the powers that be by taking just a tad less than 7% of the vote in 1972.
 
In 1974 I was doing my requisite internship in my Field Work in Barrio Studies course at CSU Northridge (CSUN) with LRUP in San Fernando, California (a required course to complete my secondary major in Chicano Studies and I was getting additional independent studies credit in Political Science).  I was also running for State Senator at the time against Democrat Alan Robbins.  Ramsey came out to San Fernando, spoke to a packed hall, and impressed me to this day as one of the most dynamic orators I’ve ever heard in my life.

Subsequently, he was subjected to federal scrutiny (in those dark days of COINTELPRO), first stripped of his attorney’s license for supposedly conspiring with his criminal defense clients and later convicted and jailed in a highly suspect trial, resulting in a life sentence.
Get more information from http://www.freeramsey.com.

You can write Ramsey at:
Ramiro R. Muniz, 40288-115 FCI BEAUMONT MEDIUM
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
P.O. BOX 26040
BEAUMONT, TX  77720
Write President Obama to demand a sentence commutation for Ramsey at:
The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
–Jan B. Tucker, State Director, California League of Latin American Citizens