Letters

Dear John & Friends,

Got some time now for writing and all, so I thought l'd get this off to you. There is an incredible amount of work that must be done here and in my own self, but I finally wrenched that time away from all those that would have us all waste ourselves slaving for the monster. So now I have time to write letters that NEED to be written.

The paper is doing well considering all the uphill struggle involved. The major obstacles seem to be apathy and economics. Therefore, it will be a while before we can be doing as much with Rising Sign as we want to.

Apathy has become less of a difficulty in recent days. People are gradually coming to be involved n putting out the paper, in the ways that they can contribute best. What most of us have been doing is rapping with many, many people about what the paper can do for them and how they can use the paper to help attain the ends of various community projects/programs. What is really excellent is that people with experience in the media are becoming involved; they are needed desperately.

The economic problem will take a little longer to resolve. Printing costs are really bad. Advertising is almost impossible (especially because of the very concept, our hearts are not in it). Unemployment is very high in Battle Creek so the people who would contribute can't. Some of us on the paper have already gone broke getting it out. But we still can laugh and sing and dance, 'cause even if the paper don't get out for a while, we're in this for the rest of our lives. There is no defeat and no turning back. Even when there is no food and no money, we're happy.

These things will be resolved!! The second issue is coming out tomorrow! The potential here is beyond perception, but there are times when l've seen it and beyond, so I know. We have already obtained free office space. There is a group of people who will be supplying us with materials in a couple of months. The paper sells well so the printing costs are covered by that and advertising. The second issue is bigger and better than the first. None of us have starved yet so there is lots of hope (lots of free dope too).

A group of about 30 from BC made it to the Dec. 10 rally last week. Right now I can't say much about it because it was really, really too much. One of our group (we were spread out throughout the arena) reported that some righteous person threw about 30 lids into the audience! Of all the people we've talked to, not one reported any violence between all the brothers and sisters there. But much of the Rally is locked up now in our heads and won't be forgotten! Best of all the rally sprung John from the slammer! The people freed John, the people freed Huey, and the people will free everybody!

With unifying love to conquer the monster,

Mike and Donna

We received this letter last week from a rainbow brother from Brazil who visited Ann Arbor a few months ago...

Brother;

Here I am now, back in the streets of my town, together with my comrades, trying to start a truly revolutionary group. Feels very good to be home again, brother, it's really great to get together with my people and work hard all day long and then climb to the roof of my house and get high on some killer weed and feel the warmth of these beautiful cosmic tropical nights. I think of you and your people fighting for life in the heart of this automatic monster Amerika and it's so strange to be here now feel ing the magic heat of this night sitting under a thousand stars, thinking of you in the middle of this mad machinery of death. But suddenly I can feel that even so far away the enemy we fight is the same, and I have this total belief that we're gonna win, nothing is going to stop us in our way to win the love of the people of the world. We're gonna get the togetherness we need and together as one we're gonna rise and destroy this un-human system and create human paradise all over this planet.

But conditions here now are real bad. The reactionary forces are strong and are keeping the people brainwashed, with the help of U.S. Imperialism, which supplies the government here with guns and tanks and bombs. Fascism is everywhere. One of my brothers was caught in Rio De Janeiro with some hits of acid. He was taken to jail and there he was beaten and tortured (electric shocks) for a week.

Anyway we're trying the best we can, We're together and revolutionary energy is high in our hearts. We want to start as a commune-- a cultural guerilla center. Our first weapons will be a people's revolutinary rock and roll band, a street poetry/theatre group and a newspaper. The band will be very much like the UP. We're working on synthesis of the UP, old MC-5, Stooges, Who and also influences of vanguard jazz people like Coltrane, Sanders, Gato, Shepp, Sun Ra. When the music gets to your blood you go crazy, man!

How is everyone? Please send me an issue of the SUN. I really want to be kept in touch with everything that relates to the American Revolution, which I see as the most important battle in the planetary movement for total liberation of humanity.

Love, Love, Love, Love

Sergio

Dear Jeanie,

Yea well alright! The people have finally freed John. I guess I should introduce myself before I get carried away. I am told by my parents that I am John Hinkle. The great state of Ohio says I am 82365. I have chosen the name J. L. House and prefer to be called Jason. I was refered to in the newspapers as drug pusher. Sounds dangerous doesn't it?

I am presently in Lebanon Correctional Institute for the sale of 1 lid of grass to a well disguised pig. The lid only cost him $15. It may end up costing me 20-40 years (38 months to the parole board). So far t has only cost me about $1,000 in lawyer fees and as of this date, 105 days in jail. (Not to mention the wear and tear on my nerves.) I have one chance to be free and that is due to a law in Ohio providing for "shock probation." That is where they put you in jail for just a little while and then let you out on a 5 year probation. I am still trying to get shock probation and am asking to be probated to Ann Arbor because it is one of my favorite places to be. I also know some people there who have gotten me a job and a place to stay. Really fine people.

One friend of mine carne to see me and I told her to go to the Hill St. house and find out John Sinclair's address for me. She said she would and one week later I heard over the radio that he had been freed on some type of bond. I was so happy, it was almost as if I had been freed myself.

I got a letter today from my friend and in it was a clipping from the SUN explaining what had happened with a picture of John & Leni. As I flashed the back of the page I saw your plea for people to write to prisoners to help keep them in touch with reality. I hope not to confuse you but this is reality. None the less the idea is good and you gave a telephone number to call or an address to stop by at. As I have no phone and I am temporarily detained I couldn't make it, so I am writing. I will volunteer to write to anyone in jail, in the service or on the streets. I would be really happy to write to anyone anywhere.

l'm not sure how long it will be until I get shock probation if I do get is so I am hoping to hear from you soon to get a couple of addresses in case I should have to go back to Columbus. I guess it doesn't matter too much cause if I get probation l'll be back in Ann Arbor soon no matter what. My keeper only allows me one page so even though I have many other things I could and would like to say, l'll close hoping that I will hear from you soon.

Love and Peace,

Jason

Hey Man Dig,

I know that I might be one of the last people you ever expected to hear from but dig, I think that there's a message that we have in common now, and that is to tell all the people that are doing scag to stop doing it. It only destroys your mmd and l'm not just saying that because l'm scared either, because right now I don't have anything to be scared of. I do wish that I would have listened to you and the hundreds of others that were telling me to freeze my actions. Now I realize that people can only know for sure by experience, but they can sure learn a lot of they only listen to people that are trying to help them. Now that I am behind bars my urge to help other people grows stronger. I don't want to sit here and let all of my brothers and sisters make the same mistake that I made, when there is a way that I can help them even though I can't be there in person. Man like drugs are the worst thing on the market, the cops and their friends put them there for people to put themselves into a position for a bust. They know that there is no reason that they can bust people for wanting to be free so they push you into other things . . brother take care and remember I am trying.

Your friend,

Larry Pickett