Hi. My name is Rick Rhoades and I would like to start this by saying thank you to everone who has helped spread the word on the conditions here at Polunsky. Also a big thank you to the folks who have been taking the time to protest in front of the prison. If it does not accomplish anything else, it will let the administration know that someone cares and is watching.

Now the real reason I felt compelled to write is a disturbing bit of news I received from a very special lady named Sonja. She was relating to me that a guy had visited some fellas from Level 1 and that they were saying that Paul and the others on F-Pod are exagg erating and that we are all troublemakers anyway.

First let me say that I have told Paul a number of times that he is not being discriptive enough. He has not been exaggerating anything.Also I have read excerts from Hank Skinner, Roy Pippin, and Derrick Jacksons websites so obviously they are lying also. Right? NOT
I have said many times if 90 percent of the guys on death row were stripped naked and had their cells stripped of everything they would set around and tell each other"well its going to get better" Troublemakers? Yes I guess I am at the moment. I am making trouble for the administration here. What trouble have I caused for the inmates on level 1? If they were so passive in the world they would not have to worry about the troublemakers here on the row. I am not saying passive is not a good thing in most situations. I am just saying this is not one of them.. When have words without some kind of action behind them ever had as much impact as with deeds to emphasize. I truly beleive if there wasnt any of us protesting on f-pod and getting gassed, run in on,or beat up that just writing about these conditions wouldnt have generated anywhere near the public eye it has now.

I dont like the gas and 5 man teams as some people seem to think. I definitely did not like getting my ass beat down on Jan 31 while being held down by 4 men while another(Brown) punched me in the face and head 14 or 15 times. I guess it was my exaggeration 5 days later when my family saw me in the visiting room and were shocked and angered to see both my eyes blacked, arm dislocated, nose cut,the whole left side of my face black and purple and this was after 5 days of healing. I saw Javier Medina visiting his Dad Mom Niece and Nephew. His nephew said I was scary looking and asked me what happened. I saw Thomas Miller-El, they hadnt even heard about most of the things happening on f-pod,but they saw my face and arm. So I can understand some inmates saying we are exaggerating because most of them have no idea what is going on. That is the way this placed was designed,to keep us isolated from each other.

I dont expect everyone to get radical and protest..obviously that is not going to happen and I figure most of these guys must be content being safe and secure in their cells 23 hours a day. So if you are reading this and you have or write some one on the row and that person has complained about conditions... ask them why they have never tried to speak out or tried some kind of protest. There are dozens of ways to protest, have they done anything?

Its just something I have wondered about and no I was not in trouble my 8 or 9 years at Ellis. I roamed around on the program quite a bit, as anyone who knows me can tell you. Didnt feel the need to act out. I had things to do to occupy my mind and time with. Anyway I dont want to rant and rave too much. Just pissed me off to see people speaking out on somehing that they have no knowledge of. Hopefully we can change a little something here at Polunsky, but if we dont.....AT LEAST WE CAN SAY WE TRIED.

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Rick Rhoades

Dearest Rick:


I really do understand where you are comming from, and yes, if you don't complain, nothing will ever get done. The things that are happening at Polunsky is horrifying. I know that most people on the outside trust their DOC and justice system implicitly. They believe that there can be nothing wrong with the way inmates are treated.... That is why we have Amnesty International and Cure organizations. Have Paul and all the other inmates write to Amnesty... Tell them what is happening there. Tell them about the gas and other things they are using against you.

When people are treated as humans, they act human. If they are treated as monsters, they will also portray that.

My Love to You.

Donna

Helo Rick,
I suppose someone will foward this to you sometime.

I know that previous comment did not mean to sound like your resistance is portraying actions similar to monsters. Although I understand what Donna was saying. I see your actions somewhat differently.

I have studied many resisters and your actions remind me more or Gahndi or those shackled in slavery.

Take tired old Rosa Parks for an example. She had no idea the impact of her actions that day she was just too tired to give up her seat and move to the back of the bus. She was just tired of it and refused to budge. And so she sparked the legal and public upheavel and the actions just trickled down from there.
King's purpose was peaceful resistance. Nice clean cut, educated young men and women chosen to protest at Woolworths. Quietly refusing to leave the white segregated bar. It was the horrid unprovoked violence that was cast on them (beatings, people spitting on them) that got the media's attention and people knew something was not right in the South. Something is not right in the South again.

May God protect you and give wisdom to you and those that oppress and act with cruel actions to the helpless.
I would love to send you information about those brave people.

dear torrey !

it also remains me on ghandi. he never attacked somebody, but he forced them. he was not the slave of people, he was in a struggle.

if you would send rick the information, i am sure he would be glad (i do not know if he will answer, since he is not a big letter-writer). his address is:
Rick Rhoades
# 999049
Polunsky Unit
12002 FM 350 South
Livingston, Texas 77351
USA

yours

sabine