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An Open LetterBy VVAWIn June 1974 Gary Lawton was asked to speak at a rally sponsored by the Southern California affiliate of the Nation Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. Angela Davis, one of the chairpersons of the Alliance was to be one of the other speakers. In refusing to speak on that occasion, Gary, a member of VVAW/WSO, wrote the following letter of explanation to Angela Davis, a leading member of the Alliance and the Communist Party, USA. During the period when Angela Davis was the focus of the struggle against repression, Gary freely and fully did all that was asked of him by Angela Davis Defense Committee in support that struggle. The Defense Committee, and the Alliance which is its successor, promised to actively support Gary; in fact there has been no support. As mentioned in the latter, similar promises were made to Ruchell Magee; those promises were also broken, The National Steering Committee of VVAW/WSO feels that it is in the interests of political prisoners around the country that the practice of the Alliance in these cases be public knowledge. The following letter was handed to Angela Davis during the above-mentioned rally. Riverside, California June 13, 1974 Angela, I was recently asked by the Southern California Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, to participate along with you and other speakers at a rally to be held at the Embassy Auditorium on the night of June 14, 1974. As much as I may, for other reasons, regret it, I feel that I must decline the Alliance's invitation owing to the fact that I cannot participate in a program with an individual (or group of individuals) whom do not have the best interest of all oppressed people and political prisoners at heart, and whether it is of any significance to you or not, I want you to know that the foregoing statement is directed solely to you. Since your exoneration in the Marin Court House thing, you have done little to nothing in giving the same meaningful, consistent support to other political prisoners that was so eagerly and selfishly given to you at the time in your life, when you most needed help. By this I mean, that since your release from incarceration you, and those around you, have engaged in a phony game of "Selective Support" of a few political prisoners and dealt with one or two issues (and those in very half-hearted jive manner), but for the most part you seem not to give a damn about what is happening to the mass of both political prisoners and subjugated people as a whole here in the wilderness nation of Amerikka. If you can support Bro. Ben Chavis in North Carolina, then why can't you give that same kind of righteous support to Ruchell Magee; and while I'm on the subject of Ruchell Magee. Ask yourself this, whom is more deserving of your total support, help and encouragement that Ruchell. But no, you have turned your back on Ruchell, just as you have turned your back on dealing with the real issues of fascist oppression in this country. You are now making a big to do about repression in North Carolina. You seem to have lost sight of the fact that what is happening in North Carolina is taking place everywhere here in this wilderness nation and if that were not so George and Jonathan Jackson would be alive today, the Attica massacre would not have happened, Martin Sostre and those he represents wouldn't be waging a single-handed life and death struggle behind bards on the most outrageous form of frame-up, and Zurebu Gardner and I wouldn't be facing a third trial in as many years for an act we didn't commit. My sister, you have lost touch with people; and worse then that, you have become an ego tripping hypocrite and sell-out to the very cause you once seemed to believe so fervently in. Respectfully,
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