Panthers want action
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now aiding the Jews in Israel for the genocide of the Jewish people. The Germans murdered six million Jews. The American racist has taken part in the slaughter of over fifty million black people; therefore, we feel that this is a modest demand that we make.)
4. ) We want decent housing, fit for shelter of human beings. (We believe that if the white landlords will not give decent housing to our Black Community, then the housing and land should be made into cooperatives so that our community, with government aid, can build and make decent housing for its people.)
5. ) We want education for our people that exposes the true nature of this decadent American society. We want education that teaches us our true history and our role in present-day society.
6. ) We want all black men to be exempt from military service. (We believe that Black people should not be forced to fight in the military service to defend a racist government that does not protect us. We will not fight and kill other people of color in the world who, like black people, are being victimized by the white racist government of America. We will protect ourselves from the force and violence of the racist violence of the racist police and the racist military, by whatever means necessary.)
7. ) We want an immediate end to POLICE BRUTALITY and MURDER of black people. (We believe we can end police brutality in our black community by organizing black self-defense groups that are dedicated to defending our black community from racist police
2 KANSAN Jn.10 1969
oppression and brutality. The Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States gives a right to bear arms. We therefore believe that all black people should arm themselves for self-defense.
8. ) We want freedom for all black men held in federal, state, county and city prisons and jails. (We believe that all black people should be released from the many jails and prisons because they have not received a fair and impartial trial.)
9. ) We want all black people when brought to trial to be tried in court by a jury of their peer group or people from their black communities, as defined by the Constitution of the United States. (We believe that people will receive fair trials. The 24th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution gives a man a right to be tried by his peer group. A peer is a person from a similar economic, social, religious, geographical, environmental, historical and racial background. To do this the court will be forced to select a jury from the black community from which the black defendant came. We have been, and are being tried by all-white juries that have no understanding of the 'average reasoning man' of the black community.)
10. ) We want land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice and peace. And as our major political objective, a United Nations-supervised plebiscite to be held throughout the black colony in which only black colonial subjects will be allowed to participate, for the purpose of determining the will of black people as to their national destiny."
The concluding paragraph of the platform states:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that
among these are me, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and, accordingly, all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But, when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security."
After reading the platform it is clear why Bill Whitfield.
KCBPP deputy minister of information, said, the BPP "objective is to develop revelutionary political power for black people"—outside of the system!
Whitfield said BPP membership requirements are confidential, but membership is open to both male and female black people. He said qualified persons must participate in a six-week "Panther-in-training" program. The training is very disciplined.
Whitfield said Panthers must be able to take orders and carry out assignments. They also are required to read at least two hours a day, from a required reading list.
According to BPP Central Headquarters in Oakland, Calif., other rules, punishable by suspension or expulsion if broken, include: forbidding a member to use narcotics or weed or to be drunk, while doing BPP work and forbidding a member "to use, point, or fire a weapon of any kind unnecessarily or accidentally at anyone." Rules forbid stealing or commission of crimes against other party members or black people. Arrested Panthers are required to give only their name, address
and can not sign any papers. All members must understand legal first aid.
Revolutionary proclamations have not been the only Panther "claim to fame." Panthers also have participated in political activities and initiated their own "Breakfast for School Children Program."
The "Breakfast Program" has received national praise.
The program is designed to feed undernourished ghetto children. Panthers feel it is ridiculous to attempt to educate a child who has a hungry stomach.
Whitfield emphasized that the program functions without federal, state or county support. He said most donations come from the black community. He said the program will be discontinued when school is out, but may be replaced with a summer lunch program.
The KCBPP was started in early February and has not had a chance to run political candidates for public office, however, West Coast chapters have done so.
The organization's biggest problem has been alleged police (pig, Panther vernacular for
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