"How the US destroyed the Black Panther Party"

It was clear to me that the federal government tried to destroy and did destroy the Black Panther Party and tried to destroy me as a member of the Black Panther Party. They used deceit, they used false information, they also participated in overt assaults on people's lives.

I was assaulted, and two other people were assaulted and shot and imprisoned in Los Angeles. I was imprisoned for six years for assault with intent to commit murder on police officers, when in fact it was the police who initiated the assault - and eventually charges was dropped. It was clear to me then that this was an attack to destroy us, and I survived. And in 2003, it became clear to me that they wanted to continue their campaign to destroy me by visiting me, accusing me and wanting to talk to me about things that happened in 1971.

From 1968 to 1973, I experienced false arrests, I experienced assassination attempts, I experienced being railroaded through the courts, I experienced police brutality, experienced torture - because of my association with this organization called the Black Panther Party for Self Defense. So how does it make me feel in 2005? I feel like it's something that's never gonna end, that my commitment is being challenged again by the United States government.

Because of the commitment that I made in 1967, I'm still being persecuted and punished for that commitment and believing in the 10-point program of the Black Panther Party and implementing some of the programs of the Black Panther Party in some of the social programs that myself and my colleagues are doing. So, I'm very concerned. I'm angry. I don't feel like it's right, and I don't feel like it's something that should go unnoticed, and I don't feel like the government should be able to get away with this continuous harassment.

The same people who tried to kill me in 1973 are the same people who are here today, in 2005, trying to destroy me. I mean it literally. I mean there were people from the forces of the San Francisco Police Department who participated in harassment, torture and my interrogation in 1973. And these same people I have to come in contact with, I have to go before courts in front of, who are asking me the same questions that they interrogated and tortured me for.

I have to be confronted with these people, and none of these people have ever been brought to trial. None of these people have ever been charged with anything. None of these people have ever been questioned about that. So I think if they have to put me in court, I think they should be brought to court and questioned about their behavior as it related to John Bowman, Harold Taylor and Ruben Scott and dozens of other people in New Orleans in 1973.

So if I have to be brought before a grand jury and questioned in secret, where no one is there but the grand jurors, John Bowman, the U.S. Attorney and the state's Attorney (General) - no lawyer for me. Why can't there be some forum where some questions are put to the police department from San Francisco about their behavior in 1973, which is the basis of this grand jury investigation today. That's what I'm asking for is some justice.
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