 Br. MikeO'Grady, S.J., Prisoner of Conscience |
School of the Americas |
Letter from Mike O'Grady to Claver Community
January 9, 2004
1/9/04
Dear Brothers,
--Greetings from Georgia . It is a cold and rainy day down here. As I peer out our cellblock windows I see heavy clouds and people dressed for warmth. Its been cold in here the last few days. I think our hosts have put the air conditioning on in order to do some crowd control. There was a fight/stabbing in here a few mornings ago and last night guys were smuggling in smoking material. To light the material, they needed to engage the electrical system the TV is hooked up to. An arced spark can ignite the material and the person can get their fix. Ingenious & primitive. So much so that it shorted out the electrical circuit, mercifully keeping the television off until it either is fixed…or more likely, until the guards decide to turn it back on.
--By lowering the temperature our keepers know that we'll “cool down” literally. Guys spend much time bundled up in bed linen/blanket trying to sleep and keep warm. With no socks, limited clothes, and light bed covering, guys here do what works.
--I had ordered envelopes for mailing out letters a few days ago. When my order wasn't filled, I was upset and down. I'm seeing how much my ability to correspond with friends on the outside is part of keeping up my spirits. I can feel in a small way how isolating these circumstances can be. For fellows what with no news, limited contact with visitors, and the stultifying circumstances of being locked away, is it so unusual that guys get themselves into a vortex that is difficult to escape from.
--I continue to discern the “best path” for our upcoming trial. As you guys know from our SOA 45 legal briefings, the “Not guilty/stipulate to the facts” includes 4 elements, the last being “doing so for an ‘unlawful reason,'” i.e. entering base for an unlawful reason. This makes me uncomfortable, because I entered this base in accord with the law of necessity, which is legal, and has been shown so both federally & locally. Thus by stipulating to those points I would be saying I did so for unlawful reasons when in fact I did so for lawful reasons—to prevent a greater harm from occurring. Thus the reason for entering the base in order to close the school down/occupy it to stop its operation. I need to continue to sit with this and pray & study and work this through with our legal counsel. Can you guys take a look at that on pg. 7 of Quigley's OVERVIEW OF FEDERAL TRIAL—PROSECUTORS CASE? It makes me uncomfortable to be channeled into a circumscribed understanding of our action—as if it is being mundanized. The #4 element gets to the heart of my motivation and to the deep point of the choice. Pease help me with this fellows…if you feel comfortable & wish to share.
--Joe, thank you for getting hold of Joe Mulligan. I know this detailed stuff surround bond/trial is tedious. Somehow I try to move one step at a time…continually asking God to help me do the next right thing.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
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