Marie Mason Is Turning 50, Cards and Letters Welcomed

On January 26th, long-time activist and political prisoner Marie Mason will be turning 50.  Taking just a few minutes to send a card or write a letter to her is a small, but powerful act for those confined to a prison cell.

You can write to her at

Marie Mason #04672-061
FMC Carswell
Federal Medical Center
P.O. Box 27137
Fort Worth, TX 76127

 

For tips and guidelines on writing Marie, visit her about page here.

 

New Marie Mason artwork posted to the site

Here are some paintings recently shared by Marie with some of her supporters.  You can see more of her work, including other paintings and poetry at Marie’s Writings, Pictures, Video page.

Marie Mason Poem for Nicaraguan Workers

Sugar cane workers are subjected to hazardous conditions in the Isle of Windows.Marie wrote this poem after hearing a story about workers becoming ill in Nicaragua from working on  rubber tree and sugar cane plantations.

The Isle of Widows, Nicaragua
The heat rises, steam
Moves
With the breath of trees,
Into the air
Haunted eyes speak
Their questions of a mystery
The men of science come to study
This embarassing plague
This withering away
That leaves the widows wondering.
What is the science of oppression? Continue reading ‘Marie Mason Poem for Nicaraguan Workers’

Marie Mason Benefit Show Raises Nearly $1000

The Support Marie Mason Detroit crew raised almost $1000 on October 27 in a benefit featuring singer/songwriter David Rovics. It was a heartening turn out of solidarity and generosity by Marie’s community and friends. We plan to set up accounting procedures in the near future that will detail all incoming and outgoing funds.

The benefit served the purposes of raising needed funds, publicizing Marie’s case, and bringing the community together around prisoner solidarity in general as a necessary component of our movement, and with Marie in particular. Every little bit helps.

Oct 27: David Rovics Benefit Concert for Marie Mason

David Rovics Benefit Concert for Marie Mason
October 27th, 7:30pm
Unitarian Universalist Church
4605 Cass Ave, Detroit MI
$10 (light meal included)

On October 27th, activist and singer/songwriter David Rovics will be performing in Detroit to raise much needed support funds for political prisoner Marie Mason.  If you are in the Detroit area, check out this great event and bring as many of your friends with you!

If you are not near Detroit, you can look into organizing a benefit show with David through his website at http://davidrovics.com/organizeShow.php.  David is a long time friend and supporter of Marie, talking about her case regularly on tour as well as writing the song, Marie for her.   Learn more about David Rovics and his upcoming “No Fracking Way” Tour at www.davidrovics.com.

 

Amazon Wishlist: A New Fast and Easy Way to Support Marie

There is now a quick and easy way to send books to Marie- the Amazon Wish List.  It features the books which Marie is currently requesting so you know just what to get her!  Especially living under more restrictive conditions in FMC Carswell, this is a great way to support Marie.

If you would rather bypass amazon you must send the book directly from the publisher.  Just make sure to email us at supportmariemason@gmail.com letting us know what you sent so we can update Marie’s wishlist.

Please make sure to read the following guidelines so that your book reaches Marie:

  • No hardcovers
  • Your name must be included on the gift note

If you have an amazon.com account, you can add her wishlist to your profile for easy reference.

There are currently two books on her wishlist, Becoming Animal: An Earthly Cosmology and The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human​ World.  

It would be great to see individuals and groups work to meet these requests! :)

New info on sending books

If you want to send a book to Marie via Amazon, please indicate that it is a gift and include your name. Otherwise, Amazon will not print your name on the paperwork that goes to the prison, and without the name of the person sending the book, the prison will not allow it.

New on the website: Sentencing transcript, and new pictures, art and poetry from Marie Mason

In case you haven’t noticed, there is a lot of new content on the site.

New things that have been put up in the last few months include photos of Marie at Waseca prison just before she was transferred; new poetry and art from Marie; a new sticker design; and pictures of Marie’s cats. Click here to see these.

Also, we finally have  Mason’s original sentencing transcript from 2009 available. Highlights include statements from an MSU bureaucrat and the sentencing judge, who both declare that Mason should be punished for violating the “marketplace of ideas.” Federal agents describe Earth First! as a “related organization” to the ELF, and Frank Ambrose is described as having taped “hundreds” of conversations with activists. Mason is absurdly portrayed as pulling the strings behind the I-69 campaign while she was on bail with at her mother’s house in northern Michigan. References to her support websites (undoubtedly including this one) are introduced as some kind of nefarious action. And Rod Coronado and Fifth Estate both make an appearance. Well worth a read.

Writing Marie Mason

Just to assure people, you CAN write Marie and she does receive letters.

However, a number of letters that people have sent to her, and that she has sent in reply, have been lost. Because of this, we recommend that you photocopy your letters before mailing them; that way you can resend them if they don’t arrive.

Marie is also interested in receiving books, as well as suggestions for good books at this time. All books must come from a publisher or a source like Amazon; must be softcover; and ideally should be sent one at a time.

Be aware of what you write prisoners and prisons

Everyone should be aware that anything that you write prisoners – and especially prison officials – may have a direct impact on the prisoner.

Please do not write Carswell prison regarding Marie Mason’s food situation.

She wants everyone to know that she is vegan and can buy extra food through the commissary. If you would like to help her out, make a donation (which is used partly to buy vegan food) – but please do not write the prison.

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Write to Marie Mason

We encourage everyone to write to Marie Mason in prison:

Marie Mason #04672-061

FMC Carswell

Federal Medical Center

P.O. Box 27137

Fort Worth, TX 76127

Under no circumstances mention any illegal acts. Letters that mention other Green Scare prisoners may be rejected. Mason has a list of 100 pre-approved people she can write to; if you are not on that list, she will be able to receive your letter but not write back.

Everyone must use their first and last name when writing. All letters must be entirely in English. Be sure to include your return address on the envelope. You should also write her name and prisoner number on each piece of correspondence, as the prison tends to discard the envelope and then may "lose" track of who the letter is going to.

About Marie Mason

Marie Mason is a loving mother of two and a long-time activist in the environmental and labor movements. In March 2008, she was arrested by federal authorities for charges related to two acts of property destruction that occurred in 1999 and 2000; no one was injured in either of them. She accepted a plea bargain and was sentenced on February 5, 2009 to just under 22 years. She is now serving the longest sentence of any "Green Scare" prisoner.

The “Green Scare” is the name given to the recent arrests of animal rights and environmental activists who have been charged with acts of economic sabotage. Federal authorities have sought outrageous sentences (often Life in prison) and have publicly and legally labeled the activists as “terrorists” – despite the fact that no one has been killed or injured in any of the acts.

Supporting Marie Mason does not mean agreeing with the actions that she took -- but it does mean opposing the fear-mongering tactics of the federal government and the outrageous sentences they have imposed.

Background on the Green Scare

For more information on the Green Scare see here

Contact

supportmariemason@gmail.com

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