March 26, 1998

Jericho march to be non-combative toward men

Sherrie Huffman, Staff Writer
 
Freedom for United States’ political prisoners is the focus of the Jericho 1998 rally and march, to be held in Washington D.C.
 
On March 27,  40 delegates from Appalachian State University and the Boone community will attend the rally and march to demand freedom and amnesty, said Kim Calhoun, a non-degree seeking student and coordinator of the trip.
 
Calhoun said that in order to generate interest in the trip, she spoke to various campus groups whose organizations might have been interested in the trip.
 
A committee was started to organize the details of the trip.
 
Fundraisers have been held, fliers are posted around campus, and informative movies are being shown on campus in order to raise awareness about political prisoners, said Calhoun.
 
The movies shown were about Mumia Abu-Jamal of the Black Panther Party and Leornard Peltier of the American Indian Movement.
 
Calhoun said that the march is to be peaceful, and the rally will feature speakers such as Geronimo Ji Jaga (Pratt) from the Black Panther Party, Dennis Banks, the organizer of the American Indian Movement and other speakers representing political prisoners.
 
Calhoun said that some people in the U.S. may be reluctant to believe that political prisoners exist in our country.
 
She also said that an organization called the Counter Intelligence Program, referred to as CoIntelPro, is an organization dedicated to keeping political prisoners behind bars.
 
“This is a life or death situation for the prisoners, and we should fight for justice,” Calhoun said.
 
“If we allow them to be silenced, we aren’t free until they are free.  Their freedom is our freedom,” said Calhoun.
 
Professor of sociology and faculty advisor for the trip, Fred Milano, said the marchers are also requesting that many court cases be reopened because many political prisoners were convicted unfairly, especially prisoners such as Leonard Peltier.
 
Milano said that the march has a “1960s protest feel to it,” but it isn’t meant to be perceived that way.
 
“This march is not a left-wing Democrat thing or a Republican thing.  This is an American thing,” he said.
 
Student interest in the march and political prisoners has been great, according to Calhoun.
“I’m really glad to see students getting involved.  I am proud of the students who are going to the march.  I hear a lot about apathetic students on our campus, but these students have shown me otherwise,” Milano said.
 
After the marchers return, there will be follow-up lectures concerning political prisoners. 

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