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January 26, 2005 Dear Nora, Chuck & the November Coalition Family I received my Winter edition of the Razor Wire, and WOW, was I ever so happy to get it! It's the first one I've seen in over a year. I miss being involved. I'm still writing letters to my local newspapers, and to churches. I have a godson who is an associate pastor at the Potter's House, under Bishop T. D. Jakes. My godson, Clint, is involved with Potter's House Prison Ministry, and he circulates my articles there. So if you ever need him, just let me know. It started last Friday! The guys who had cases pending are receiving letters from District Courts all over, and some are getting their cases vacated by the [state] Supreme Courts. Others are receiving letters from the courts getting time knocked off of their original sentences. (Note: all of these were already in court, pending.) I don't know how I'll come out because I have no money to hire my original trial lawyer. He wrote me and told me his fee would be $7500 to do my motion to the court. I don't trust these jailhouse lawyers; they have too much 'game' in them. Hopefully God will soften my lawyer's heart, and he'll file for me. Enclosed is my article "Let Thy Will Be Done" (printed below), which I submitted to The Dallas Morning News and some churches. I asked pastors to read it to their congregations, and to not forget their loved ones in jails and prisons. My love to the Razor Wire family Clyde
Biggins 23084-077 Let Thy Will Be Done By Clyde Biggins
When one gets into a situation concerning life and death (prison) his best friends not only will betray him, but he'll also have friends and loved ones who will disown him, and act as if he doesn't exist. This is the case of one of the other twelve disciples, Peter. After Jesus spoke (Matthew 26: 30-32), Peter answered in Matthew 26:33 and said, "Though all men shall fall away (flee) because of Thee, yet I will never flee." Jesus went on to say, in Matthew 26:34, "Truly I say unto thee, that this night, before the cock crows, thou shalt deny me." In the same chapter of Matthew, verse 69, after Jesus' arrest, the scripture goes on to reveal that Peter, while in thc palace, was approached by a young girl who came unto him saying, "Thou also was with Jesus of Galilee (verse 70)." But he denied that to them all, saying "I know not what thou sayest," and Peter did go on to deny having known Jesus three times. In verse 74, Peter began to curse and to swear, saying "I know not the man!", and immediately the cock crew. In verse 75, Peter remembered the word of Jesus which Jesus had previously spoken to him --"Before the cock crows, thou shall deny me three times," and then Peter went out and wept bitterly. These words were written more than two thousand years ago, and came through the book of Matthew the Apostle. The Storms Of Life We Face DailyWhen one looks back two thousand years, and uses the meaning of words to describe certain situations, one can say "Jesus was going through the storm his life. When I first read verses 38-45, I wept. It's as if I could feel my Lord Jesus' sorrow. Jesus knew that his disciple Judas Iscariot had already betrayed him, and that the betrayal would lead to his own death. Close your eyes for just a few seconds and imagine seeing Jesus falling on his face praying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou will." (Verse 39). Jesus went away the second time and prayed the same prayer over. What was in this cup that Jesus prayed to his Father to let pass from him? I have heard scholars say it was Death, Separation, and Sin in the cup. Jesus had to die for our sins to be forgiven. He had never in his short life been separated from his Father. But, Jesus knew it was His Father's (God's) will, and He obeyed God, saying "But as thou will." Verse 41 goes on to speak of how our spirit is willing to do right but how our "flesh" is weak. This essay was to be about myself and others who are in prison and jails who have been falsely accused and lied about. We weren't put to death as Jesus was. However, there really are some in our day who are innocent who are now on death row, who have been lied about. Some have been exonerated by modern DNA tests. But what about the men and women who remain in prison who have been lied about and "snitched" on? Who was "ratted" on like Jesus was? How many Judas Iscariots live in our society today? Do you know one? Men in prison know many with Judas Iscariot's distinguishing trait. They are the ones you trusted, ones you called your friends. They have even been family members, relatives, boyfriends, and girlfriends. The police. The prosecutors. The DEA and even misguided and misinformed judges, as it was with Jesus. Old Judas, as we know, sold Jesus out for thirty pieces of silver (verse 15), saying "What will ye give me, and I will deliver Him unto you?" They agreed with him for thirty pieces of silver. In today's society informants, better known in prison language as rats and snitches, are Judases. Some get paid money. But most of the time they do it for a reduction in their sentences -- a 'lighter' sentence. Those in authority today are no different than those of two thousand years ago. Back then they were called Chief Priests and Elders. There also were governors who, compared with those in authority today, held higher rank than the courts, then made up of Chief Priests and Elders. In Jesus' case, it was Pontius Pilate (chapter 27) the governor, who speaks of Jesus' trial during which he was ordered put to death. None of us here in prison who has been falsely accused and lied about will ever suffer the sorrows that Jesus did. But "we too suffer great sorrows, great pains, and frustrations." Just as Jesus had to be separated from His father, we are separated from our wives, our children, our brothers, and our sisters, and the rest of our loved ones. Jesus cried and prayed. We cry and pray also. 2003 - A Proposal for Federal Sentencing ReliefA PLAN TO RETURN FEDERAL PAROLE - DraftBy Glenn Early, Prisoner of the Drug War - November 15, 2003 I. OBJECTIVE:To enact legislation that will implement a revised parole plan that will allow all federal prisoners to earn the right of parole, alleviate federal prison overcrowding, and reduce real and social costs to our nation. II. SCOPE:This plan demands that a committee of knowledgeable and dedicated individuals be established to draft proposed parole legislation; build a coalition of current organizations whom now support a broad array of prison and sentencing reform; expand the coalition to include, but not limited to, the American Medical Association, the American Association for Retired Persons, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, the American Council on Education, the National Organization for Women, the NAACP, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Vietnam Veterans of America and any or all religious organizations either as sole representatives of their faith or as a whole, represented by a national association with the ultimate goal of supporting and lobbying for passage of federal parole legislation. The committee shall build this coalition with entreaties of federal dollars being better spent for the respective members of the coalition rather than warehousing U.S. citizens in federal prisons for inordinate and inflexible amounts of time. Further, compassion may also play a role in building and strengthening the coalition. Last, the committee will also solicit funds from prisoners, their families, trusts, and/or any organization that may be willing to bring about change in the current situation of long and many times hopeless incarceration for U.S. citizens. These funds would support the described activity herein but ultimately, if sufficient monies became available, the monies would engage a" Washington DC lobbying firm and perhaps a public relations firm to promote and promulgate the proposed legislation. III. A BEGINNING:There are a myriad of organizations currently advocating change in the criminal justice system and many espouse different agendas to effectuate their desired result. For the purposes herein, we will refer to these organizations as (core) organizations. We have organizations that address legalization of marijuana, ending the drug war, eliminating mandatory minimum sentences, alternatives to prison and others with still more divergent interests. One theme consistent within all the agendas is some type of change or relief in the sentencing structures for federal prisoners now and in the future. Reestablishing a federal parole mechanism will, in the least, meet some of the objectives, if not most, of the above described organizations. Therefore, it is paramount that all current (core) organizations advocating change play a role in promoting federal parole legislation. |
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