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TO: The American Prison Writing Archive - c/o Hamilton College From: Brian Fuller Hondo, TX. 78861 RE: Permission & Consent Questionnaire - Thank ya'll so much! "them" Dear Friends, Thank you for writing me back so soon. We're on lock-down right now. So all mail is good mail! I'm surprised more people don't take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to make our voices heard. Every day I hear people whining and complaining about injustice and disparity. My answer to them is: "Matters must be expressed to be resolved..." So I reckon we'd better Get To It! I want people to understand that there is so much more to this world of "Mass Incarceration" than what they think they know. All this concrete and steel represents a completely misused last step to some totally preventable problems that started many years ago. It is my personal belief that America created this whole Prison Industrial Complex To Be A Default Mechanism For All Their Complacency And Corruption in Dealing With Social Justice Issues at the Community Level. There are some very hard questions people need to be asking in order to break through said barriers of complacency and corruption that make up the status quo! What happened in peoples lives early on that ever led them down this road in the first place? Are there proper checks and balances within our "system" that are being followed? Are their ulterior agendas being pursued by people abusing the integrity of their authority? Are there any conflicts of interests between private investors and the elected public officials within said "system"? Are there any demographic factors showing evidence of disproportional inequity? Please don't think of me as some disgruntled conspiracy theorist. Trust me, I never wanted to be doing this in the first place. However, since this task has been thrust upon me against my will, then I'm going to speak up and speak out and be the best activist that I can be. There have been times in my life when people told me the Truth and it Pissed Me Off! Do you know why? Because I Was In The Wrong! Therefore, if what we're doing rattles some cages and ruffles some feathers Then We Know We're Doing It Right! We need to make some noise and Shake Things Up. If we speak the Truth and make a bunch of enemies in the process - Then We Know That They Are In The Wrong! The abuses of power which perpetuates this problem depend upon fear and intimidation. A bully will only remain a bully until somebody dares to stand up to them. A predator will only remain a predator until somebody turns the tables on them and makes the hunter the Hunted. We're going to Turn Up the Heat For The Greater Good! When people find out all of the sordid details and dirty little secrets that they don't want us to know - there will be marching in the streets! A lot of what I'll be sending ya'll will deal with tough topics from both in prison, and way before. Things like: abuse, neglect, mental illness, addiction, depression, suicidal ideology, anxiety, and much more. Both compassion and assistance depend upon our ability to pique the interest of these with the knowledge and authority to affect positive change. The cold hard facts of the Truth should be More than a "good enough" story to make folks want to get involved. If art and poetry aren't quite y'alls thing, then please, post them or share them with whoever you deem appropriate. Creative expression and artistic endeavors are a therapeutic means of survival for me. They keep me from being pulled into the insanity of this shit hole. They are little pieces of me, and therefore completely necessary to conveying my thoughts and ideas. People need to hear about more than just the prisoner side of this issue. They need to know that we were once People Too! I've been working hard all my life to transcend my shortcomings and be a functional productive member of society. Many times, I've been able to blend in with all these "normal" people. I've always had to try so much harder than other just to be "almost normal". You see, I have Autism Spectrum Disorder. I don't like labels, and this one covers a wide range of issues. That's why I'm so adamant in defending the rights of all us mentally ill people who get picked on and taken advantage of. I turn 51 years old this year. Back when I was a kid, they just called us "special". I often wonder just how different my life would be if there was the same attention given to A.D.D./A.D.H.D. and anti-bullying campaigns back then. I don't want an entire next generation to have to go through what I have. But if we don't put a stop to this perverse travesty of justice, then that is exactly what is going to happen. Now, go and exacerbate that worst case scenario by a factor of 10. Society is on the verge of experiencing a nightmare the likes of which has never been seen; all because of the greed and corruption within the inner circle of elitist politicians and shareholders who run these "for profit" prisons like: (GEO, LaSalle, Corrections Corporation of America) There is an endless variety of ways the "powers that be" are able to maintain the facade of treatment and rehabilitation. They'll falsify and manipulate records to show "the numbers" are down in regards to recidivism rates. We get some very eloquent "lip service" about probation and parole programs. Truth is, these programs have been designed to bleed as much cash out of people for as long as they can - then as "bed space" becomes available they can be revoked as a means to get money another way. Money is made hand over fist, going and coming. It all amounts to extortion, conspiracy, and racketeering. Texas keeps about 155,000 inmates in the system at any given time. Believe me, I know what I'm talking about First Hand. Back in 2000 I was put on probation for a weapons charge. I didn't "go out" and commit a crime. I protected my home. They'll give you Probation for a Sawed Off. They'll put you in Prison for a Joint! Guess what? Long before there was #Metoo - there were simply guys like me. When the pedophile grandfather of my 11 yr old daughter was molesting her - I Put Some Hands In His Life; some steel toe wolverines too! Texas doesn't care about rapists and child molesters. They're simple "repeat business" for them. Put them on "paper" and set up a "payment plan." Public safety My Ass! It's all about Money. Always has been. On the afternoon of April 25th, 2015, I kissed my girlfriend goodbye so she could go watch her granbabies. That was the last time I saw her. Three hours later, three men came into My Home and Robbed Me. I got up off the toilet and chased them down to try and get back my wallet and phone. I even told them I wouldn't call the cops if they'd just give them back and Go! Well, when they punched me in my face, the situation rapidly escalated. I'm 6'2" and 250 lbs. I'm big, fast, strong, and I got P.T.S.D. Yep, I "freaked out". There were 3 of them and only 1 of me. So I used my hammer to even the odds. Cops were pissed because I didn't call them. I told them, "how could I dumb ass - they stole my phone, too?" Texas Penal Code 9.41 gives the property owner the Right To use force and defend life and property. (Justification Excluding Criminal Responsibility). Unfortunately, nobody ever cared about Mr. Fuller's rights. I ain't got "connections and deep pockets." During election years the only things that matter to crooked sheriffs, judges, and district attorneys are Cash and Conviction Rates. So I was interrogated 3 days later without an attorney. They tricked me into coming in there under the guise of, "Oh...no sir, you're not in trouble here. You're the victim. They Robbed You!" They even had me identify one of the men on Surveillance Video Using My Stolen Card! I was manipulated and coerced under duress into signing statements. (I got hit in the head with the hammer too!) They denied me a lawyer while I sat in jail 4 months and they built their case. They withheld exculpatory evidence of the robbery from the grand jury. They lied about dates and facts to gain their enhanced indictment. I could fill up the rest of this page and several others with lists of Civil, Human, and Due Process rights violations being commonly committed in Texas. I'm not a real smart man but I'm pretty good at basic math. "Justice" IS for sale in Texas. How else could the men that Rob Me go free and I come to Prison? They simply made "them" a better offer. You see, it's "them" that are ruining everything we hold dear. Throughout history "they" and other power hungry elitists have been pulling out all the stops to get "their" way. Power corruption and absolute power corrupts absolutely. I ain't telling y'all nothing that you don't already know. When I picked up my pen today, I wanted this to be so much better. I guess I'm starting to ramble now. Thank You for giving Us a platform on which our voices can be heard. There will be better letters and better days ahead. I thank God I can read and write. I am a child of love and light. I believe in goodness and right. Good Luck and Good Night. Sincerely Brian Fuller What Do Ya'll Know About the "Reform Alliance"? Eph: 3:20. Psalm 68:6 Deut. 16:19