Special Messages From Commander X to Supporters and Ian and Stephanie
Listen to his heart wrenching phone calls about his doggies in Mexico
Friday Amy Beth and I were both able to have several short phone calls from the jail. The good news is that X is able to make phone calls during free time and his solitary conditions have changed to allow him three hours per day outside his cell. He has also made some friends who give him some sense of security in the general population.
One big item on his list was checking on support for his sister. I promised to find the 2018 tweet above so she knows his love and respect is lifelong, not a side effect of confinement. Amy Beth had never seen the tweet before so it made that sweeter.
On the downside he is beyond distraught about his dogs and messages he was sent suggesting the dogs would be surrendered to animal rescue. He recorded two special messages to Ian and Stephanie for me to make public. Stephanie is one of his special friends currently caring for the dogs in Mexico and Ian wrote the documentary film about X that was released just prior to his capture. An interview with X and Ian about the film is linked below with the tweet promoting that podcast.
My own special thanks to Ray Johansen for moving the messages to an audio platform. The live voice conveys emotion no transcript can capture. There are question marks in a few places where his words are inaudible.
Message Part A ~
“Please everyone, I want to thank you all for everything you are doing for me. My baby boys need your help. We need to get them out of Mexico and into Canada as soon as possible. Please, they are my world, thank you.”
Message Part B ~
“Ian, there’s so much I want to say. I wish I had told you this under better circumstances; I wanted to. You are my brother I never had and I feel like ?? your story I might be the brother you wish you had. You have done so much for me but I must beg of you to do one last thing. I will never ask anything again.
Ian my babies are in danger and I need you to rescue my boys and bring them to stay with you in Canada for just a short ?? just a few months. (sobbing) They cannot stay where they are much longer Ian.
I walked down the middle of a continent in part so that I wouldn’t disappoint you. If our situations were reversed and your children needed me (sobs) know I would die for your sake. My boys are my spiritual children and like you I would rather die than live without them. If you can’t have them shipped to you directly, fly to Mexico City and get them yourself. We will find a way to reimburse you.
Please call Stephanie today, immediately and tell her to hold out until you can arrange this. Amy Beth will give you her phone number in Mexico, you can call her on WhatsApp Messenger, she has WhatsApp but call her immediately and let her know you are working on this. There’s not much time Ian.
It would please me deeply if ???? could be their caretaker. I will make videos for her explaining my boys’ personalities and she can make videos and send them back to me. I know she would do this for her Uncle Gordon and she’ll love it. She’ll have so much fun. By fall you should be able to send them to the States.
My life is in your hands Ian, please (choking on his words) I’m begging you. Who else do I know who’s an expert at rescuing little doggies from Mexico? (deep sigh) Okay?”
########### end transcript ###########
There’s a bit more from our conversations that are not recorded but included messages to be passed along. After chastising him twice for shortening my name (he is a habitual offender) and debating the merits of me conveying details in my own words (he does prefer full control) he agreed I was up to the task of capturing the spirit of his message and promised for the 10,000th time to stop shortening my name. Impossible promise lol he does it to his sister too and she’s equally miffed by half her name!
He would like the people who don’t know me to understand that he and I have worked together for a decade because I was always a public face working with FreeAnons and in that role supported him in exile. Obviously the decade long friendship produced a level of trust gained from watching Sue Crabtree and me work on behalf of many who have been incarcerated over the years. My Flickr albums are linked in the 2012 picture of Jeremy Hammond’s mother Rose at Foley Square, NYC Federal Court, to get a sense of those activities.
Defaulting to using me in that traditional role is nothing more than X exercising some control in a situation where he has been rendered virtually powerless. There’s a level of comfort like an old pair of work boots that have crossed a continent and the feeling of an old boot is a fitting analogy for the journey.
It does not in any way diminish or indicate any change in his other friendships nor his appreciation for those who have done so much for him. Each and every one of you will always be cherished with a special place in his heart. You know who you are and what forged those bonds between you; nothing will ever change that.
He would like you to trust that I am accurately conveying his messages. Both he and his lawyer Jay Rorty requested the legal fund raisers be ended because it presents problems for his defense with a pro bono attorney. We did let him know this request was was handled as fast as you can say “Expect us” and he sends thanks for that.
As he expressed clearly in his own words, the dogs are of utmost concern. His trauma in Mexico now adds to an overwhelming anxiety about their relocation. To that end he would like any remaining funds from Friends of X campaign to be used to facilitate the dogs’ travel and reimburse expenses for anyone involved in making that happen.
He assured me the people involved in the Mexico support know one another and can communicate among yourselves. Several emails from Jay Rorty copied both Ian and me as well as the circle of Mexico friends so it’s easy as pie to reach either of us if needed.
One final thought from me about hactivist support in general and X in particular. Everything about the experience is exceptional for better and for worse; very little is easy or routine or convenient and lots can be exasperating and exhausting. But to have the opportunity to work with those rare individuals who risk everything to strive for something bigger than themselves is priceless and I wouldn’t trade it for all the easy friendships, creature comforts and conveniences in the world. :~)