Brian Tranmer
02683-017
P.O. Box 1280
Beaver, WV 25813
June 22, 1996
Louv Brother Carl,
First let me tell you that I did receive both of your last packages and I
did find the contents very interesting, in fact that's just the kind of stuff that I've
wanted (I'm referring to the literature on the brothers)
because every time I try to explain to people how I grew up it's hard for them to
comprehend or relate to the full picture of the spirit and mind set of the thing. Of
course they can all grasp and usually like the concept of smoking ganja in Church but it's
hard for them to understand (which was far more important) the powerful spirit of louv and
brotherhood that drew the true brothers together. Even though everyone loved to burn
ganja that was not the main essence of the spirit, that just intensified the spirit that
was already there. I love to burn herb and I know that you do too (we used to smoke
it together all the time) but that is not what makes us brothers. What makes us
brothers is that we care about and try to uplift a fellow brother or sister in whatever
little way we can. Everyone might disagree on certain things but when you can come
together in unity and put aside your differences or compromise on them I don't think that
there is any greater feeling than that and I believe that that was the essence of the
brothers. That spirit was even why the brothers were so successful in the ganja
movements, it's just sad that most of them carry bad thought against or even hate each
other now. Anyway, back to the subject of trying to get people to try to understand
the kind of life that I grew up in, that's the reason why one time I had asked you to send
me some of the old pictures (since I know that you were the main picture man) so that I
could show them to people, but I remember that you told me that you had left all of your
old pictures out at Jim's farm in Miami. :-( Now second, I want to thank you for the
money that you sent me, that was very kind and thoughtful of you, I do appreciate it and I
won't ever forget it. Shit, that's two weeks at the commissary for me. :-)
Loyalty and devotion is also something that I learned to value and respect from both
growing up in the Church and, of course, from my father
which has always been a very loyal person. Shit, I could have been out of prison a
long time ago if I would have wanted to sell out my so-called friends and brothers (I say
"so-called" because most of them wouldn't even take the time to write me a
letter now) but growing up the way I did tought and instilled in me to hate
"Judas" (informer) which is a principle (even though most of the people that I
was loyal to didn't really appreciate it) that I'm happy I have because I know that it's a
principle that no amount of money in the world can buy, either you have it or you
don't. Still even in the belly of the beast I have to count my blessings.
Speaking of bing in the "Belly of the beast" I don't know if you know it of not
but I'm still in the "Hole" where I've been now for nine months now (since
October 24) and they say that I have nine more to go. Yes, they've put me on
"Terrorist status" and they're trying to punish me hard for the riot that
happened last year. Of course, this is against their own law (in the BOP rule book
it says that it's a violation of our human rights to keep us in segregation for any longer
than 180 days) but they're getting around their own laws by saying that we are a
"long term hold over." As I'm sure you know the law was made only for us,
they can break them whenever they get ready, it's a prime example of
"Just-us." Supposedly we are waiting on bed space in a penitentiary but
the truth is that we are down here being punished over and over again. "This is
definitely the bloodclot beast. Now to bring you up to date on a little of the recent
gossip on some of your old brethren. I heard that the government was revoking Brother Louv's (new name "Brother Nate") appeal bond
or whatever the fuck he was out of prison on, I had thought that he was all finished with
(especially since he's been out so long) that bullshit but I guess that there is still
something hanging over his head. Anyway I heard that they want him to go back to
prison for a few months and then start on his five years of parole. If that was his
reason for not wanting to talk to any of the old brothers they ended up fucking him anyway
and now he'll really have a good reason. Another thing I heard is that brother
(elderberry) Dogie was suing the brothers for the farm up in St. Thomas because he says
that "He's the last surviving elderberry so the farm is rightfully his."
It's really something how some brothers gave their life to build the thing and then other
ones reaped all the rewards. I mean why wasn't sister Jane given a piece of the land
after brother Carl died? I don't know but I would say that the elderberries were
some real shit when it came to looking out for their brothers and sisters. Oh yes,
by the way, I talked to Michael Hatfield (the lawyer) the other day and he asked me if you
were hooked up to the "Internet computer system" which at the time I hadn't
gotten your package yet so I told him that I didn't know. Needless to say that it
was quite a coincidence when a couple of days after he asked me that I received your
package telling me about your Internet work. Anyway he was
curious to know what you were doing lately so if you want to give him a call sometime
here's his phone number 352-669-2131. I would give you a call but I only get one
phone call every two weeks so I usually call my Mother. Can you believe that the
Warden here has the same name as you? Maybe he's some family to you and you could
call him up and tell him to take it easy on me. Well my brother I'm going to end this
letter here but let me say that I think the "Internet" thing is a good
idea. Obviously it's a good way to spread the word, you've already found a good
brother (Christopher Harrison) that's hungry for some
true brothers and some doctrine, it sounds like he already has the spirit. I'm not
much of a letter writer but I'll write him a letter as soon as I get caught up. I thank
you again for being a good brother to both me and my father.
Much louv and respect,
your brother
always,
Brian