If you could help to free a political prisoner with a few clicks of a mouse

[redwitch]

would you do it?

I have been posting repeatedly here about Gary Tyler, convicted of murder in 1975 when he was a 17 year old high school student In Louisiana.
Amnesty International has declared him a political prisoner. I say he is a victim of racism and injustice and must be freed. A handful of DUers have assisted me in this effort, but there are so very many of us who have not risen to the challenge. Please do so now!
Many thanks to those who have already signed the petition or written Governor Blanco. Gary has lost 32 years of his life. To quote Graham Nash "In a land that's known as freedom, how can such a thing be fair?"

[pnorman]

1. Thanks for posting that.

I recalling seeing this case mentioned on DU a while back. But although I'm a member of Amnesty International (USA), that was news to me then. But not now: http://www.amnestyusa.org/regions/americas/document.do?id=BF3F0CFC6121613E802569A60060591E

pnorman

[redwitch]

3. thank you, I am hopeful that Amnesty's membership will step up.

There should be so many signing that petition that the server gets totally slammed. A bit frustrating. But when I think of the frustration and grief of Gary and his family I keep plugging.

[POAS]

2. Aung San Suu Kyi n/t

[redwitch]

4. too many political prisoners in this world.

peace, and thanks for responding.

[blm]

5. And thank you for your vigilance.

And your ....... Commitment.

[redwitch]

7. thank you for your continued interest in this case n/t

[Time for change]

6. Thank you redwitch -- Amnesty International's whole purpose is to identify human rights violations

and seek to correct them.

So when they declare someone to be a political prisoner you can be pretty sure that they are right about it.

They have also been in the forefront of exposing the abuses by the Bush administration of our prisoners.

[redwitch]

8. They are a wonderful organization.

And they need our support. Thanks.

[slipslidingaway]

9. Done and thanks, petition from the Amnesty Int'l site....

http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=goJTI0OvElH&b=953489&template=x.ascx&action=8093

"I am writing to express concern about the case of Gary Tyler, who is serving a life sentence in the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola. This is a case which Amnesty International has investigated for many years, and about which it has previously expressed serious concern. There is considerable evidence that casts doubt on Gary Tyler's role in the 1974 shooting of the victim, Timothy Weber. Furthermore there is credible evidence that Gary Tyler, who was 16 at the time of the crime, was seriously beaten while under interrogation in police custody.

Amnesty International believes a serious miscarriage of justice occurred either as a result of or exacerbated by Tyler's race and the racially charged atmosphere at the time of the events. Additionally, Gary Tyler received seriously deficient legal representation at his trial before an all-white jury.

The U.S. Court of Appeal for the Fifth Circuit held in two decisions that Gary Tyler had been "convicted on the basis of an unconstitutional charge" which had "infected the trial" making it "fundamentally unfair." Gary Tyler's conviction was upheld on a technical point only: that his trial lawyer failed to present an objection at the right time. In addition, and on three separate occasions, the Louisiana Board of Pardons recommended to two Louisiana governors that Gary Tyler's sentence be reduced.

I urge you to review the case and grant Gary Tyler a pardon and release him. In doing so, please launch a full and impartial investigation into his case to bring to justice anyone found to have been involved in any abuse or obstruction of justice."

[redwitch]

10. Thank you!

And thank goodness for Amnesty!

[walldude]

21. Signed sealed delivered...

Thanks for calling attention to this. I have been following Leonard Peltier's case for years, and this is eerily similar.

[redwitch]

26. thank you!

They could be any of us.

[LostInAnomie]

11. West Memphis Three

Click the link in my sig to find out more.

[redwitch]

12. Thank you, I will read up on the West Memphis Three

How did you become aware of this case?

[LostInAnomie]

14. There is a FANTASTIC documentary about it...

... called "Paradise Lost". I can not stress enough how good it is, or how much of a miscarriage of justice the case was. If you ever get a chance to watch it please do. It will turn your stomach to see how innocent people can be railroaded just because they are different.

[redwitch]

17. I will try to find it and watch if I can.

Is it readily available? I will look online. Thank goodness for those internet tubes!

[LostInAnomie]

19. I bought my copy of it off of Amazon

There's a sequel to it also, but I haven't seen it yet.

[Puregonzo1188]

13. West Memphis Three one of the worst miscarriages of justices in the last couple of decades in the US...

Their case is absolutely tragic, but I don't want to hijack this topic, but definitely clink on LostInAnomie's link.

[LostInAnomie]

15. When I did my student teaching...

... I took advantage of the situation and showed the documentary "Paradise Lost" to all of my classes. I connected it to the Sacco & Vanzetti case, but my real intention was to just raise awareness about the case.

By the end of the film those kids were so pissed they went on a letter writing campaign and were putting articles in the school paper about it. I was so proud.

[redwitch]

16. Thank you for that.

And good for them to have such compassion and DO something to right an injustice. Evil flourishes when good people do nothing. Getting people motivated to act is no easy task.

[rasputin1952]

18. Done...

:hi:

[redwitch]

20. Thanks honey!

:loveya:

[redwitch]

22. kicking

n/t

[redwitch]

23. Nice DU, come on, nice DU

you can do it, atta boy and girl!

[blm]

24. and a kick

.

[redwitch]

25. Angola Gil Scott Heron

"Appeal to the governor of Louisiana
You may get an answer the process is slow
Federal government too much to help him
It`s been nearly five years
And they won`t let him go

(Chorus)

Tyler is guilty the white judge has said so
What right do we have to say it`s not so
Tyler is guilty the white judge has said so
What right do we have to say it`s not so

Testify under pressure, a racist jury
Government lawyers its all for show
With rows of white faces
False accusations
He`s framed up for murder
They won`t let him go

(Chorus)

Tyler is guilty the white judge has said so
What right do we have to say it`s not so
Tyler ..... etc

Police gun was planted
No matching bullets
No prints on the handle, no proof to show
But tyler is guilty the white judge has said so
They show him no mercy
They won`t let him go

(Chorus)

Tyler is guilty the white judge has said so
What right do we have to say it`s not so
Tyler...... etc

Appeal to the governor of Louisiana
You may get an answer the process is slow
Federal government too much to help him
It`s been nearly five years
And they won`t let him go

(Chorus)

Tyler is guilty the white judge has said so
What right do we have to say it`s not so
Tyler .... etc"