Vol. 75/No. 33      September 19, 2011

Why use ‘Caucasians’?
It seems it is now official Militant policy to refer to white people as “Caucasians.” In a cultural sense, “Caucasian” refers to peoples who inhabit the Caucasus mountains (the Georgians, Chechens, Aeris, Armenians, etc.). More precisely it describes three language families not spoken anywhere outside the Caucasus.

“Caucasian,” when used to refer to the “white” or “European race,” dates back to the early 19th century, when it was said humankind was divided into “Caucasoid,” “Mongoloid,” and “Negroid” races. Modern science has debunked this whole concept. The Militant doesn’t use “Negroid” when referring to people of African descent or describe Chinese or Japanese people as “Mongoloid.” So why use the inaccurate and unscientific term “Caucasian”?

David Altman
by email

From Pelican Bay
I enjoyed the coverage you gave of the California hunger strike. I felt the need to give thanks to you for the support on this issue and to give an account of the protest from one of the participants here in Pelican Bay SHU.

Many people out there perhaps never heard of the Security Housing Unit (SHU). Many would be surprised that enhanced interrogation exists here in California prisons, and it’s called the SHU.

Prisoners sent to the SHU understand the only way they will leave is parole, snitch, make up false intelligence on other prisoners, or die. Simply being seen speaking to a certain prisoner can be seen as gang activity and get you sent to the SHU. All visits are behind glass and on phones. You cannot make any phone calls in SHU ever, no pictures to send family. Mail and political literature are heavily censored.

We are not allowed simple art material such as blank art paper or even colored pencils or pens. These things are done to make us unable to have access to self-therapy and create an isolated existence so dreadful that we either succumb and collaborate or end up going insane from years of isolation. Most choose the latter. Many have been in SHU for decades, and unfortunately most are forgotten.

The prisoners in Pelican Bay have defied the label of “worst of the worst” that the state’s propaganda produced to turn the public against us. The supposed “violent criminals” have exercised a non-violent protest.

We have shined the light on the prison system. We demand to be treated as humans. Although the hunger strike has ended, the struggle has just begun. Prisoners understand the state will not meet all the demands, and officials are still discussing what demands will be met. But prisoners understand this is a protracted struggle. The thousands who took part prove that the biggest obstacle has been overcome.

The tremendous amount of support from outside activists and revolutionaries was indescribable and injected us during our hunger strike with a jolt of peoples’ power that was much needed!

I hope to see more coverage in your paper, as we need to keep attention on the SHU. As each day passes, more poor people are crammed into these tombs. Yet in these dark gulags, clenched fists are being raised in greater numbers, and these tombs are being transformed into schools for revolution!

A prisoner
Pelican Bay, California

Editor’s note—We urge you and other prisoners to keep us informed on your struggle.
 
 
Related articles:
Why ‘Caucasian’ and not ‘white’?  
 
 
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