essay

Latinos in Criminal Justice System: The case of Oscar Lopez Rivera and his book entitled "Between Torture and Resistance".

 

Important quotes from the book " Between Torture and Resistance": 

"Oscar's voyage of terror through the prisons system  in the US began in 1981. The physical conditions, abuse,  and the torture of total isolation, sensory deprivation and the degrading frequency of the naked full body searches...... despite the hard times and experiences imaginable he found strength in his resistance..." p. 39

During his trial, Oscar addresses the jury. His declaration was a lesson on  rime of colonialism:

" Colonialism , dear members of the jury, is a monumental injustice according to the norms of civilized humanity and a crime under international law.  According to the United Nations Resolution 2621, the continuation of colonialism in all its forms and manifestations is a crime ... pp 43-45.

Comments about the book:

"The story of Puerto Rican Nationalist Oscar Lopez Rivera told in this book is a story of the lengths to which our government will go to punish and silence voices of liberation.  But it is also the story of the courage of one man who perseveres in his hunger and thirst for justice."

During Oscar Lopez Rivera's presentation ( now age 76 and living in Puerto Rico), he gave students a message:  He said " What I learned in the 36 years of imprisonment was that the jailers had me imprisoned physically, but never mentally.  I was always a free man.  I endure  12 years in complete isolation and under sensory deprivation  intended  to kill my fighting spirit.  I took good care of myself and only ate the foods that were healthy. I exercised every day even while in isolation.  I learned that the human spirit can adopt  to any environment  and circumstance.  I learned so much about my resiliency and determination. What I can you give  all as a message is that under this pandemic if we search deep into our human potential, we can overcome anything we put our minds to do".