Letter from Bernard Rappaz 1 July 2010
Hôpital Universitaire de Genève
Quartier carcéral
Bernard Rappaz
Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4
1211 GENEVE 14
To the Swiss Hemp Coordination, Romande
Genève, 1 July 2010
Dear friends
Thanks for your letter, my only alimentation is injustice and solidarity. I understand you but I cannot accept your attitude and advises. You come as Zorro, as an angel of death, while I am arriving at the end of my tunnel of freedom or death.
I ask understanding and respect, that’s all.
For 45 years I am fighting for different causes, in a non-violent way, using also its most dangerous weapon: the hungerstrike.
No-one can make me change my mind. I am happy that finally someone from the Swiss Hemp Coordination has contacted me! In half an hour, I will receive the visit of Fabrice from Geneva.
To die is not a problem for me, otherwise I would not have made this 7th hunger strike to protest against my prison term ! I have won the 6 previous strikes in spite of the advises of people like you. Death is also a wonderfgul spiritual experience, it is evasion and freedom. In my case it will be also a relief to leave this world of fools and maybe to see my little Dorien again.
You react like François, you don’t know anything about hungerstrikes, but you have your opinion and think you are the only ones who are right. Yes, I take risks, yes, I could die any day now, yes it is me who decides, is that OK?
There is also the relief of the activist for free hemp who has succeeded 100 % to bring this just fight behind the bars, OK ? My spiritual beliefs belong to me and help me a lot in this moment.
Yes I do not want suger, salt, vitamines or anything. Let me die if I become inconscious ! That is the price to pay. Here the doctors will respect it.
Hope is always alive.
Yesterday the only person who can save me has come to speak with me, one to one, for 2 hours. The chef of the securty department of the Valais region, Ester Weber Kalbermatter, someone with a head that is just as hard as mine!
A warrior, violent or non-violent, is not afraid to die, otherwise he is not a warrior, right?
When I was a Swiss hemp pioneer, nobody thought this was possible, nobody dared to support me and still I have done it, OK?
When I wanted to create the Swiss Hemp Coordination even I had to convince François, and now the Coordination exists.
Freedom for hemp will come one day to Switzerland and I do what I can. There is my book that I also want to translate into German. Ruth deserves our respect, as she is not afraid to stand alone if necessary!
I don’t care about my ego and if I will be a myth or not, that is not important, only the fight is important. You can send and translate this message to other members of the SHC. Boris respects me and does not annoy me with messages like: please start to eat, or other crap. Gandhi and Mandela did not stop their strikes before they had success. I have already done 600 days of hungerstrike in my life!
P.S. Keep in peace, strength and happiness
Bernard
Freedom or death (in a totalitarian state that is governed by multinational companies that prohibit even plants, offered by God for one reason: “benefit”)
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