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<TITLE>MY BROTHER'S KEEPER</TITLE>
<META NAME="DESCRIPTION" CONTENT="NAMBLA's goal is to end the oppression of men and boyswho have mutually consensual relationships. Our membership is open to everyone sympathetic to man/boy love in particular and sexual freedom in general.">
<META NAME="KEYWORDS" CONTENT="NAMBLA, NORTH AMERICAN MAN/BOY LOVE ASSOCIATION, MAN/BOY LOVE, PRISON, PRISONER, IMPRISONMENT, INCARCERATION, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, PAROLE, SEX OFFENDER, PRISONERS' RIGHTS, AVERSION THERAPY, CIVIL COMMITMENT">
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<H2><IMG SRC="newlogo1.jpg" HEIGHT=78 WIDTH=310><BR>
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<H2 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><FONT SIZE=+3>MY BROTHER'S KEEPER</FONT></FONT></H2>
<CENTER><P><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><FONT SIZE=+3><I>by</I> Peter Herman</FONT></FONT></P></CENTER>
<P><FONT COLOR="#400000"><FONT SIZE=+1>A religious outlook is not necessary
to appreciate biblical wisdom. Irrespective of religious belief, we are
indeed responsible for our brothers. To act otherwise diminishes our humanity.
This is the reason I have chosen &quot;My Brother's Keeper&quot; as the
title for a prison column appearing in <B><I><A HREF="bulletin.htm">The
NAMBLA Bulletin</A>. </I></B>What follows is an amalgam of some recent
articles. </FONT></FONT></P>
<P><BR>
</P>
<UL>
<TABLE CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 WIDTH="100%" >
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<TD WIDTH="60%"><B><I><FONT COLOR="#FF0000">As some day it may happen that
a victim must be found, </FONT></I></B>
<P><B><I><FONT COLOR="#FF0000">I've got a little list -- I've got a little
list </FONT></I></B></P>
<P><B><I><FONT COLOR="#FF0000">Of society offenders who might well be underground,
</FONT></I></B></P>
<P><B><I><FONT COLOR="#FF0000">And who never would be missed -- who never
would be missed! </FONT></I></B></P>
<UL>
<P><FONT COLOR="#FF0000"><U>Chorus</U>: </FONT></P>
</UL>
<P><B><I><FONT COLOR="#FF0000">He's got 'em on the list -- he's got 'em
on the list; </FONT></I></B></P>
<P><B><I><FONT COLOR="#FF0000">And they'll none of 'em be missed -- they'll
none of 'em be miss'd! </FONT></I></B></P>
</TD>
<TD><IMG SRC="executioner.gif" HEIGHT=305 WIDTH=217></TD>
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<UL>
<DD><BR>
</DD>
</UL>
</UL>
<P><FONT COLOR="#400000"><FONT SIZE=+1>These whimsical lyrics from Gilbert
and Sullivan's </FONT><B><I><FONT SIZE=+2>The Mikado</FONT></I></B><FONT SIZE=+1>
express in jest what has always been a brutal fact. The weak and disenfranchised
make convenient scapegoats when those in power need them. The question
for us should be, do we remain weak and outcast? Do we allow ourselves
to be missed by no one? It is only when the disenfranchised adopt a sense
of community that they begin to gain credibility. It is only then that
the grand inquisitors think twice about community members never being missed.
</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#400000"><FONT SIZE=+1>Imprisoned boy-lovers are an essential
part of our community. For the most part, they are incarcerated under laws
that are inhumane and that defy common sense. To ignore our imprisoned
brothers is to give credence to attacks on our identity as boy lovers.
</FONT></FONT><BR>
</P>
<P><A NAME="Pen Pals"></A><B><FONT COLOR="#0000A0"><FONT SIZE=+2>Pen Pals
</FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#400000"><FONT SIZE=+1>NAMBLA has had a <A HREF="prisoner.htm">prisoner
program </A>since its beginning. An essential part of the program has been
the fostering of pen pals. Communications between those incarcerated and
those who are free is an essential element in building community. The need
for additional pen pals is great. Please volunteer to be one. You will
be rewarded with an experience likely to be very enriching. To volunteer,
address your letters to: </FONT></FONT></P>
<UL>
<P><FONT SIZE=+1><B><FONT COLOR="#0000A0">Peter Herman, 341 Lafayette Street
#175, New York, NY 10012</FONT></B>, </FONT></P>
</UL>
<P><FONT SIZE=+1><FONT COLOR="#400000">or e-mail to &nbsp;</FONT>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<FONT COLOR="#0000A0">&nbsp;<B>peterherman@netzero.net</B></FONT><B>
&nbsp;&nbsp;</B>.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE=+1>As badly as we need pen pal volunteers,
we do require that as a minimum commitment you be or become a member of
NAMBLA. If you are determined to become a pen pal and there are overriding
reasons preventing you from becoming a member, let us know your reasons.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE=+1>It is possible that some reading
this column may have already expressed their intentions to volunteer. Because
administering the program is so overwhelming, it is not always possible
to answer people quickly. Some letters can fall through the cracks. For
this reason, you are urged to write again if you do not get an answer in
a reasonable time. The struggle is hard, so be persistent. </FONT></FONT></P>
<P><B><FONT SIZE=+2><FONT COLOR="#0000A0">Greeting Cards</FONT><FONT COLOR="#800000">
</FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#400000"><FONT SIZE=+1>This past Christmas, with the help
of volunteers, each prisoner in <A HREF="prisoner.htm">our program</A>
received a number of holiday cards. The moral uplift that these greetings
provided cannot be overestimated. The enormous effect of these small gestures
is a measure of how little imprisoned boy-lovers have. The following note
from an Alabama prisoner is typical of the appreciation expressed. &quot;I
was ecstatic to receive your letter today. Also, I am most appreciative
of the Xmas cards. Because of you, I am indeed going to have a merry X-mas
after all. Now I know that there are people out there who care.&quot; </FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#400000"><FONT SIZE=+1>When holiday seasons pass, the bleak
reality of prison life for our incarcerated brothers returns with a vengeance.
While some will have had a bit of turkey and cranberry sauce doled out
to them in their institution's perfunctory gesture of seasonal good will,
most will not have received so much as a kind word from unforgiving family
members. There is something you can do to ease the pain. </FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#400000"><FONT SIZE=+1>If you missed the opportunity to
send holiday greeting cards and do not feel that you are ready to make
a commitment beyond sending such cards, there is still a way you can participate.
Let me know if you are willing to send birthday or special event cards
to participating prisoners. Supportive communications with imprisoned comrades
tell the world that jailing people for loving, consensual acts is barbaric
and unacceptable. </FONT></FONT></P>
<P><B><FONT COLOR="#0000A0"><FONT SIZE=+2>Talents </FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#400000"><FONT SIZE=+1>The job has barely begun. We are
just tipping our toes in the water. There is a rich vein of untapped intellectual
resources among imprisoned boy-lovers. Among them are artists, writers,
philosophers, technicians. We who are free are best positioned to mine
their talents for the good of our community. Writing to a prisoner can
enrich the lives of both participants and create a synergy that will advance
our cause. To this end our need for more volunteers to be pen pals is insatiable.
</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><B><FONT COLOR="#0000A0"><FONT SIZE=+2>Contributions </FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#400000"><FONT SIZE=+1>Financial contributions to <A HREF="prisoner.htm">the
prisoner program</A> are always welcome. Some prisoners can hardly afford
the cost of mailing a letter. A number of others who are in slightly better
circumstances have themselves sent in stamps to help out the less fortunate.
We must value these gestures of generosity for the commitment and strength
of will they represent. Many in prison are potentially our greatest activists.
Let's help them realize their potentials. </FONT></FONT></P>
<P><B><FONT SIZE=+2><FONT COLOR="#0000A0">Stay in Touch</FONT><FONT COLOR="#FF0000">
</FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#400000"><FONT SIZE=+1>Suggestions for improving our prison
information are always welcome. If you wish to be contacted about prison
issues, send me your e-mail address. &nbsp;&nbsp;</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=+1><FONT COLOR="#400000">Contact me at </FONT>&nbsp;&nbsp;<FONT COLOR="#400000">&nbsp;</FONT><FONT COLOR="#0000A0">peterherman@netzero.net</FONT><FONT COLOR="#FF0000">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</FONT>.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=+1><FONT COLOR="#400000">If you prefer regular mail, write
me at</FONT> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<FONT COLOR="#0000A0">Peter Herman, 341
Lafayette Street #175, New York, NY 10012</FONT>. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#400000"><FONT SIZE=+1>If a response is not immediately
forthcoming, don't take no for an answer. Remember that things can fall
through the cracks. After a reasonable time, write again. The prison program
is an overwhelming job, and mail tends to get backed up. So friendly reminders
are always useful. </FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#400000"><FONT SIZE=+1>Most of all, get involved. The journey
which we undertake may not reach its destination within our lifetimes.
Let us nevertheless make the endeavor one of heroic proportions that enriches
all of our lives. </FONT></FONT><BR>
</P>
<P><B><FONT COLOR="#0000A0"><FONT SIZE=+2>Things You Can Do</FONT><FONT SIZE=+1>:
</FONT></FONT></B></P>
<UL>
<LI><B><FONT COLOR="#400000">Make a monetary contribution to the <A HREF="prisoner.htm">Prisoner
Program</A>. This will allow us to increase the number of newsletters we
can send. </FONT></B></LI>
<LI><B><FONT COLOR="#400000">Tell incarcerated boy-lovers you know about
the <A HREF="prisoner.htm">Prisoner Program</A>. </FONT></B></LI>
<LI><B><FONT COLOR="#400000">Acquaint yourself with the do's and don'ts
of writing to prisoners and become a pen pal. </FONT></B></LI>
<LI><B><FONT COLOR="#400000">Visit an incarcerated boy-lover. </FONT></B></LI>
<LI><B><FONT COLOR="#400000">Connect with the Prisoners' Civil Rights movement.
</FONT></B></LI>
<LI><B><FONT COLOR="#400000">If you have an incarcerated family member
or friend and you need to better understand his situation, contact us.
</FONT></B></LI>
</UL>
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<P><A HREF="select.htm"><IMG SRC="m0p7nau7.gif" BORDER=0 HEIGHT=58 WIDTH=58></A>Copyright
&copy; NAMBLA, 1999. All rights reserved.</P>
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