December 11, 2005

Revolutionary greetings, comrades, loved ones and supporters of freedom worldwide. I am Robert Seth Hayes, an African-American freedom fighter. An incarcerated political prisoner and a prisoner of war for over 32 years.

My career as a freedom fighter began with my moral upbringing. This came from diligent elders who taught by example and both guided and shaped my reasoning as I grew. As a result of this I am the reasoning person before you who is both a strong advocate for freedom and a lover of the environment.

My education blossomed through the Vietnam war and the politics unleashed from it. As a foot soldier in the United States Army, I returned home with complex understandings. I had served honorably in Vietnam, yet I felt the war was wrong. I participated in the war, yet now I condemned it. What caused these feelings of rejection at such a stage in my life? Like so many others, I found myself struggling with past traditions and indoctrination. I was determined to gain answers.