I do not know how to go about writing this letter to the student body: I guess my first step should be to ask for your attention. I want to talk to you about something that needs to be addressed, that affects all of our lives. Something that we should all know about but don't because of the silence that surrounds this issue by nature. Here goes:
Early this past fall I had what I'll call a mental breakdown. It culminated in my being admitted to the Psychiatric Unit of a hospital. While I was there, I decided that I wanted to complete the semester at Oberlin. When I returned to campus I was contacted by a member of Residential Life and Services who made an appointment for me with Ehrai Adams ostensibly to discuss whether I should stay at Oberlin. The day after I was released I walked into Ehrai's office and was presented with a Behavioral Contract.
It was the most disgusting thing I had ever seen. It was drawn up in extremely legalistic language and was written between myself and Oberlin College. It stated six terms for remaining a student at Oberlin, including that I wouldn't try to hurt or kill myself, that I wouldn't threaten to do that, that I would identify (by name) two individuals in addition to my therapist(s) whom I would contact if I began to feel that the above would happen, I had to give consent to my Area Coordinator to contact my therapist to verify that I was following my 'Treatment Plan,' and that "with the exception of any medications that may be prescribed as part of my treatment, I will abstain from any mind altering substances including alcohol." The contract went on to say that "The above indicates my understanding of the lack of appropriateness of my recent behaviors and my need for professional psychological therapy and continued medication. I understand that if I do not comply with the above, I will be asked to voluntarily withdraw from Oberlin College within 48 hours; otherwise, I will be asked to withdraw from the College."
I do not know if someone reading this will appreciate the horror of being faced with such a paper so soon after one was in the hospital. All I can say is that it was awful; I am still dealing with what happened and what it means for me. I sat in the office for an hour with Ehrai staring at me while I tried to think what to do. I was told that part of the reason I was being made to sign this was that when I came to Oberlin I had agreed to a certain standard of behavior. I had violated that, so this was what had to happen. I was told that I should be grateful that this was all that was happening; many schools kick students such as myself out. When I said that I would sign the paper but that in that office I had gone from loving Oberlin to hating it and that signing was killing part of me, I was told that that was too bad, but that I had to sign.
I know that I am not the only person that this has happened to. Several friends had to sign similar pieces of paper and the local professionals have heard of many contracts. Apparently if one takes the rest of the semester off because of a mental problem, one has to sign some version of the contract when one comes back.
I do not know what effect this letter will have. I do not expect that this will change Oberlin College's policies: they do have what they believe to be very good reasons for doing this. I only hope that my writing this can save other students from the pain that I went through. Please, if you ever know another student who has to go into the hospital, make sure that they are prepared for what will happen once they come out, that they know what has happened to so many of us.
"Any ruling founded on injustice is not justice. The righteous fight for life, liberty, and for justice can only continue." - Mumia Abu-JamalBefore he was sent to death row 17 years ago, Mumia was called the "Voice of the Voiceless" for his role as a journalist and radio commentator who exposed police brutality and injustice in his home city of Philadelphia, and as the primary journalist to expose the brutal police attack on the Black nationalist MOVE organization. At the time of his 1981 arrest for the murder of Philadelphia cop Daniel Faulkner, Mumia was president of the Philadelphia chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists, and had no prior criminal record. Mumia has continued his journalism from death row, writing almost 400 columns and making many radio appearances.
There are innumerable holes in the case against Mumia which raise far more than a reasonable doubt about his guilt of the crime for which 17 years of his life have been stolen. The bullets found in officer Faulkner did not match those in Mumia's gun, which he carried for protection on late nights as a cab driver. Mumia's fingerprints were not on the alleged murder weapon. Mumia was tried and sentenced to death by Pennsylvania's Judge Albert Sabo, known as the "hanging judge" for sending twice as many defendants to death row as any other judge, who was also a member of the Fraternal Order of Police. Witness Veronica Jones, who saw someone other than Mumia flee the scene of the crime, testified that the police attempted to coerce her and another witness to lie - and her testimony was stricken as irrelevant. Although courts later ruled that a white supremacist's membership in the Aryan Nation could not be used against him in court, Mumia's former membership in the Black Panther Party was used extensively by the prosecution in his trial.
The movement to free Mumia Abu-Jamal has become a rallying point for fighters against racism and injustice around the world. Mumia's case exemplifies the overwhelming race and class bias of the death penalty and the criminal 'justice' system. Defendants like Mumia, accused of killing a white person, are 4.3 times more likely to get the death penalty than those convicted of killing a Black person. Death row is full of defendants like Mumia, who were unable to afford experienced attorneys, extensive research, and expert witnesses - yet no rich person has ever gotten the death penalty. The death penalty has always been used to silence radicals - like Sacco and Vanzetti and the Rosenberg couple - who spoke out against injustice and held a vision of a fairer society.
Moreover, Mumia himself has never separated his case from broader issues of injustice. Giving up the opportunity to have his story aired on ABC television, he refused to cross the picket line of workers who had been locked out by the TV station. He continues to speak out against police brutality and racism.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently rejected Mumia's final state appeal for a new trial. Bill Clinton's Effective Death Penalty Act has made it much more difficult for the Federal Government to overturn state death penalty rulings, and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge could sign Mumia's death warrant at any time. It is going to take a broad mobilization to show that we won't tolerate the injustice of this execution. Friday, February 26 is National Student Day of Action for Mumia Abu-Jamal. Please attend the teach-ins and evening discussion to find out more and get involved, and to sign up to attend the Millions for Mumia march April 24 in Philadelphia. In 1995, Mumia came within two days of execution, but an outpouring of protest by activists saved his life. We can't let this Voice for justice be silenced!
Submitted by the Oberlin Coalition for Mumia Abu-Jamal, including college junior Gillian Russom and college sophomores Kyoko Aoki and Eva Owens and college first-years Tarika Powell, Abe Jaffe and Peter Cairns.
Copyright © 1998, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 127, Number 15, February 26, 1999
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