Letter from Prison 3
9
September 2000
Dear
family, friends and SOA Watch friends,
I am writing this on Saturday
afternoon, as we all wait for the guards to walk through the dormitory for
one of the 6 "counts" that occur throughout the day. They look into each room (at night with the aid of
flashlights) counting, not wanting to lose a single, precious prisoner!
Several of the counts are "standing counts" where we have
to be standing quietly next to our beds.
Problem child that I am, I always have to stifle a smirk or smile
at this very serious, regimented demeanor.
Anyway, the good news is that for the last two weeks I have been
"counted" in my little double rather than the 14-woman bus-stop.
The relative privacy and quiet is an extraordinary blessing.
I am able to work in my room now, rather than having to scurry
around looking for quiet corners. And
this past week I have finally been assigned to a "job" in food
service (5:30am to noon, M-F). The
job itself is no big deal, and gives me a way to meet more of the women.
The only negative is that it takes a sizable bite out of my day.
Suddenly keeping up with the mail is not at all assured!
But I will do my best with what is given--have been figuring out
the best way to schedule sleeping, writing, walking, schmoozing with the
women. Veremos -- we will
see.
Aileen LeBlanc of WYSO came this
week and I had an interesting skirmish over "interview
protocol." But it
resolved when a staff person stuck her neck out a bit to make an extra
phone call. It's a long story I won't go into now, but suffice to say
that I was left wondering again if some of the staff are not secretly
sympathetic to what I'm doing here. It
was great to see Aileen, as it was to see Kristen Wicker of the IW [Impact
Weekly] a couple weeks ago. I
always feel connected to home, but sometimes it's nice for that connection
to be very tangible! In
addition to the local press coverage, I have been sending articles out but
have yet to hear from any of those papers or periodicals.
Regarding media work, Willie Righter always counsels me,
"Margaret, anything you give the media is 'bread on the
water'."' " I know
that is true, but I'm nevertheless going to make sure the water is aware
of the bread that has been cast!
By the time you read this I will
be a little more than half way through this prison witness.
All in all, I think it is going well.
But I also sense that in some ways I am skimming the surface of
what is possible here, at least in terms of my own comprehension.
But it is a process, it still feels very appropriate even when
sometimes difficult, and I trust its organic, unfolding nature.
And, at the risk of being redundant, let me say again that I can
feel you keenly as part of that process.
Thank you!
Let me end by reminding and
asking you to keep those letters to DeWine and Voinovich covering their
desks! (Or for those of you
who are not Ohioans, write your Congresspeople.)
But, in my opinion, Sen. Mike DeWine deserves to hear from EVERYONE
regarding his role in crafting the $1.3 billion (in mostly military aid)
package that Clinton recently awarded Colombia.
If you need more information, go to soaw.org
or to the Colombia Support
Network. http://www.colombiasupport.net
Thanks and take care. Por la
paz,
Margaret