To all my Portland friends and supporters,
I've been trying to find a way to thank all of you for your hard work on
my behalf, but after two months all my efforts have come up short. I
don't know what I could ever say that would properly express my gratitude
so I hope you forgive this inadequate attempt.
For those of you who have not heard, my lawyer's fee has now been paid in
full. This was no easy task, and it would not have happened without you
friendly PDX folks. Seriously, no other community worked harder to help
me out and I'll never forget it. All of the time you spent on organizing
and attending benefits for me is amazing. I want you to know that those
bake sales, rummage sales, spaghetti dinners, eBay auctions, movie
nights, and other events really kept me going through a depressing time
and that the money earned is giving me a fighting chance to beat this
conviction on appeal.
The benefits were not without scandal though. My old friend Elaine was
talked into working at a kissing booth for the appeals fund. At one point
a gentleman approached her with a convincing story about needing a kiss
on credit. The smooth culprit in this case swore that he just did not
have a dollar on hand, but months later he still has not paid up. Dude,
you didn't just steal a kiss, you stole a dollar from a guy about to go
to jail! Anyhow, kissing strangers for money exemplifies the kind of
sacrifices people were willing to make.
I guess now is as good of a time to announce this as any other. The
outpouring of assistance and moral support from you PDXers has made me
decide that I'll be moving to Portland upon my release from prison. With
any luck the SHAC 7 will win our appeal and I'll be joining you all within
two years. If the appeal fails than I will most likely see you in four to
five years. I'm pretty bummed at losing that much of my life just for
making a few speeches, but in a strange way paying that price has
introduced me to hundreds of friends I never knew I had and I'm more
thankful for that than I can convey at this time.
With love and respect,
Josh
P.S. Special thanks to Food Fight, the very best all vegan store on the
face of the planet and the best supporters a person could ask for.
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