Customer Reviews

All Things Censored

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Clearly there is a lack of understanding about this work. Mumia Abu-Jamal is a journalist who has been wrongly sentenced to die for a murder which even the most casual observer of the evidence can see he did not commit. These recorded commentaries and essays by Mumia serve to continue to deliver his voice to the people. For those who question the production value of the recordings, remember that they were all recorded in a prison visitation room made of concrete and plexiglass. The reverb/echo effect is a result of the location, not as some have believed from studio tampering. Mumia's voice is highly trained in public speaking - rightly so as he was a radio journalist prior to his 1982 imprisonment - and is as beautiful and terrible as his essays. Unleashing such a voice on the listeners of NPR might have been disastrous only because they might not have been able to handle the truth. The text of the book not only offers insights into the NPR/All Things Considered controversy (NPR DID pull their backing of Mumia the day before the first broadcast as a result of pressure from the FOP and threatening speeches by such pundits as then-senator Bob Dole), it also gives the story of Mumia's case and appeal history. Most important though are the essays themselves. They offer an insight from a revolutionary voice unwilling to be silenced by the un-American efforts of the State of Pennsylvania and the Federal government. He, like Leonard Peltier, languishes in prison because he dared to stand up for the truth. Unlike Leonard, Mumia may have to die for it as well. Those with ears to hear, let them listen - here is the voice of the dispossessed, the wrongly accused, the downtrodden, the forgotten. This is the voice of the greater part of America. Let Mumia Abu-Jamal and all political prisoners currently incarcerated be heard. If they cannot speak, then let us shout their words from the rooftops that all may hear their messages! At the list price this is a pricey book and many may not afford it. Buy it, share it, spread it around. This is a voice we cannot afford to allow to be silenced. La Lucha Continua!

There is a lot of media hype surrounding Mumia Abu-Jamal, a prisoner on Pennsylvania's death row. This book by author Jamal, a collection of his essays, cuts through that media hype and conveys Jamal's words in his own voice and writing style. I found this book to be extremely compelling and thought-provoking reading, and would highly recommend "All Things Censored" to anybody without hesitation. The bonus of having a CD of Jamal's banned voice-recordings of his essays included in this book is a real treat, and makes "All Things Censored" even more of a bargain to buy. I particularly enjoyed listening to the CD of Jamal's essays as I sat reading his words in his book. You will too.

The wisdom of Mumia Abu-Jamal has transcended the grim sentence our system handed him. Whether or not he murdered a man is not as important as the fact that our penal system dehumanizes its inmates. Not only that, our justice and law enforcement systems are profoundly discriminatory, especially against minorities in the lower economic classes. The death penalty merely tortures these inmates until their execution, at a much greater cost than keeping them incarcerated. Why does the system kill to teach our children that killing is wrong? Until we abolish the death penalty, our society can not hope to be truly humane, and the blood of Mumia will be on our hands.

It is a very well written and thought provoking work. I truly admire what he is doing in such limited circumstances, further more appreciate his courage and strength. I was always against death penalty but after reading "all things censored" I was more aware why death penalty is such cruel and in human form of punishment. Must be abolished just like slavery!

All Things Censored

Mumia Abu-Jamal has not only a good oratory style, but also writes vividly and convincingly. Mumia has a rare perspective, as his background as a reporter and his long and unjust incarceration give him an understanding of the political economy of the media, which serves to silence dissent, and the prejudice of the trial and punishment system. This book is essential for anyone who has an interest in US politics, justice, the issue of the death penalty and Mumia's case in particular. It is also an excellent insight into modern American society - the aspect that we are discouraged from seeing by politicians and the media. Any person who has a grasp of America's recent history knows all about police brutality, the oppression of minorities and the choking conformity of censorship, but rarely has a writer conveyed all of this so clearly. If this book is inflammatory, it is only because that is the rightful response to an injustice of the magnitude Mumia has been subjected to. His case encapsulates the blatant and ruthless prejudice of the police and the courts, and their highly pervasive and authoritarian grip on mainstream media discourse. His case echoes that of Nigeria's Ken Saro-Wiwa, and it would be to America's shame if he were to pay the same price for his dissent. Don't believe the corporate-controlled mass media - reject censorship. Find out the facts of Mumia's case and then decide.

Abu-Jamal is an intelligent and insighful man, and the book is thought-provoking at times, but do people really know the details of the murder case that made him a celebrity? To me it does matter who the author of a work is. Please, look into the primary sources as I have since drinking the Abu-Jamal Cool-Aid along with many others. Racism, classism, and punishment for being outspoken all may be issues our society must work to eliminate from our criminal justice system, but they're not the reason Abu-Jamal was convicted. I am sick that I was duped and will not read more by Abu-Jamal.

The speakers I find really compelling to listen to are ones who have some obvious flaw in their speaking style. Noam Chomsky, Terrence McKenna, and Howard Zinn are speakers who are able to connect with audiences in spite of their lack of professional rhetorical polish. That lack of polish can come across as a kind of vulnerability that draws support from the listener where a more cultivated speaking style might leave one cold.

Mumia Abu-Jamal's voice is so perfect, so smooth and controlled that it strikes a distrustful chord in me. This CD consists of a collection of 3-minute commentaries that Mumia recorded for NPR's All Things Considered but which were never aired. William Kunstler, who reads one of Mumia's essays on the CD, opines that NPR failed to air Mumia's words becuase they (NPR) lacked the courage to stand up to the law enforcement community. I don't know what level of truth Kunstler's suspicion may enjoy, but if I were an NPR exec, I might have reservations about airing the segments to an audience used to commentaries by people like Andrei Codrescu and E.B. White, whose voices just exude texture and character. By comparrison, Mumia's delivery comes across like someone doing id spots for an FM rock station. The echo chamber reverb on his voice on this CD exacerbates the problem.

The essay that William Kunstler reads on this CD is quite moving, and while its content is very much in the same vein as the majority of Mumia's audio-essays, Kunstler's delivery seems so much more genuine and compelling. Mumia Abu-Jamal is passionate, articulate, and well informed. If he seems humorless, it should be remembered that he is on death row. Even so, I don't see myself giving this disc many additional listens.

Mumia Abu Jamal is undoubtedly correct with regard to his opinions about the American Judicial System, and many of the essays in this book, on everything from rap music to jail suicides, are heart rending and angering. But with regard to Jamal himself, the claims his supporters make of his innocence get more and more tenuous the harder one looks at the case. And his silence on the matter is also a bit disturbing. If an innocent man were rotting in a jail cell on death row in one of the worst prisons in the country, he would not be reminiscing about the past and the significant flaws of the system--he would write ceaselessly about the circumstances of his case, why he is innocent, what really happened that night between him and Officer Faulkner, and perhaps give us a little insight into why even his own brother would not testify on his behalf. A lucid, unsparing mind, an amazing talent, a true political activist and revolutionary, yes, all this and a vicious murderer to boot. When the smoke clears and a fair trial finally happens, some of these young kids who worship him are going to be mighty disappointed. All the lefty lawyers and goofball celebrities in the world can't cloud the actual truth, as romantic as Jamal's background may be.

I'd still recommend the book. Just remember what kind of a human being wrote it.