Once Clare is set on a specific goal, she’s committed to seeing it through. She’s quick on her feet and she likes the short and sweet aspect of engagement. I knew this episode would be over in a flash so as soon as Clare flew into high gear I followed her lead. We only had to wait a few moments before He came into view and headed our way. Secret service men were all around him so we’d have to be diplomatic and stay calm. Things actually unfolded easier than expected. I stood back and observed while Clare went into action, that is, after being given the go-ahead…

This was Clare’s deal. She had known Reynold Moore and his former wife for years before Rey was convicted. Rey was always kind and thoughtful towards Clare and now she was determined to do something for him in return. Rey is the only black man among a group of six so-called co-conspirators in the 1992 death of paper mill worker, Tom Monfils. Clare never doubted Rey’s innocence and that day, Clare was going to speak on his behalf in front of a prominent black man whom Rey had delegated for, in a 1988 bid for President of the United States. She was going to make sure that this political figure understood the full scope of Rey’s current plight.

In an instant Clare stepped directly in front of Rev. Jesse Jackson, causing him to literally halt in his tracks. She was armed with powerful words and a book that documented all aspects causing Rey’s wrongful conviction. She would make sure that Rev. Jackson understood what was at stake. Included in the book she was about to give him was information to contact us should he find it within his power to help out in some way.

All eyes were on my sister as she boldly looked directly into this man’s eyes. She leaned the book on his chest and spoke…

“Rev. Jackson, I have a book for you to read about Reynold Moore; a friend of mine who aided in your 1988 presidential campaign. He was wrongfully convicted of murder many years later and remains behind bars to this day. I am here to ask that you help him in his release. Please take this book and read it. Then you will understand what this is all about. I thank you, sir.”

As fast as she had stepped in front of Rev. Jackson, she now stepped away, allowing him to grasp what she had said. He paused and acknowledged her message by repeating it in its entirety. She nodded to confirm as he turned and handed the book to the secret service man behind him. He commenced his walk towards the main stage. As this procession of men once again commenced to the stage, the Secret Service agent holding the book promised to make sure that Rev. Jackson received it back.

Later that day, after Rev. Jackson’s powerful speech to a crowd of thousands, Clare and I were filled with a renewed hope that maybe the encounter with him would be a turning point in our mission. I remember stopping what I was doing to watch as the caravan pulled out of the grounds. I hoped that the chance for Rey’s vindication did not exit along with it.

Unfortunately, despite our efforts to follow up and contact Rev. Jackson,  we never heard back from him or his associates. All other efforts to get books into the hands of other politicians went unheeded that day as well. It was a a major disappointment for all of us as we tried to bring an awareness of this controversial topic into the political realm.

I still wonder if Rev. Jackson ever thought about us or read that book. My reasons for telling this story do not rest on what Jackson did or didn’t do, but rather to illustrate the lengths we went to accomplish our mission. Although the day was relatively unsuccessful, we had done our best. We knew we could not dwell on the failures. We had to move on and continue the search for those who could help.

It would take five years and many bumps in the road before we’d find legal representation for these men, but we did it. And now we feel certain that we will be successful in our ultimate goal; freedom.

I’m proud of all we’ve accomplished. And although not everyone we encountered along the way was able or willing to step up, the right people ultimately did. What this really is about is doing what is humanly possible to help those in need no matter how impossible a goal may seem.

Information about the Monfils case.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Lakewood, Wisconsin – September 7, 2010 

Authors, Experts and Activists Will Gather at Fighting Bob Fest 

Denis Gullickson and John Gaie, authors of The Monfils Conspiracy: The Conviction of Six Innocent Men will be promoting their book and the innocence of Dale Basten, Mike Hirn, Mike Johnson, Keith Kutska, and Rey Moore at an annual gathering of progressive activists this coming Saturday, September 11, in Baraboo, Wisconsin. 

Along with exoneree Mike Piaskowski, Midwest Marketing Director Joan Treppa, and private investigator Johnny Johnson, Gullickson and Gaie will be talking to progressives at Fighting Bob Fest at the Sauk County Fairgrounds. Keynote speakers at the event will include, (main speaker to be disclosed in part 2), Tammy Baldwin, Jim Hightower, David Obey, Mike McCabe and others. 

“This will give us an opportunity to take our cause to the progressives from throughout the state and the Midwest,” said Gullickson. “The folks who attend this event are exactly the kinds of people who can help us further our efforts to gain justice for our guys, because they are passionate about what they believe. It also gives us a chance to support Ed Garvey who has become very involved in our cause.” 

Garvey, a highly-respected Madison attorney and political activist, is the founding force behind Fighting Bob Fest. The Fest is an annual political event that has grown from 1000 attendees in 2001 to over 8000 in 2009. In July, Gullickson, Gaie, Piaskowski, Treppa, and Johnson met with Garvey to explore avenues for pushing for new trials or the outright release of the five men who remain incarcerated in Wisconsin prisons. Garvey—who serves as emcee for the event—will be plugging the book and the cause from the dais throughout the day. 

“At the very least we intend to hand a book directly to (main keynote speaker),” said Gaie. “Rey Moore was a delegate for him when he ran for president. We’ve had a pretty successful summer expanding our circle through Ed Garvey. If we can get (this person) involved, we can take our efforts to the next level.” 

According to the event’s website, Fighting Bob Fest is “an old fashioned Chautauqua” named in honor of “Wisconsin’s most famous hell raiser, Fighting Bob La Follette. La Follette fought for democracy and economic fairness; he busted trusts, railed against the robber barons’ control over the political system, called for open primaries, workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance. He thought people and ideas should rule instead of Big Money.” 

This event represents a lesson learned in a series of highs and lows we experienced while helping to free five innocent men. On this day, my optimism overflowed with possibilities. But this encounter would be a wake-up call regarding the inaction we’d encounter over time.

Accompanying me on this new adventure was my sister, Clare. She and I were great at accomplishing the impossible because of our mutual abandonment of all reason or adverse thoughts. To us, that only inhibited success. Growing up, Clare was a mentor, an inspiration for the person I would become. She had always been there for me and this day was no different. Her reasons for being there were twofold; first…to support my calling and second…because of her personal friendship with Reynold Moore, an innocent man serving a life sentence for a crime he didn’t commit.

Our motivations were also borne out of Rey’s connection to the keynote speaker for this event. Clare and I were going to demonstrate how enterprising we could be by making a concerted effort to stop this famous person dead in his tracks and demand that he acknowledge our mission! We had a plan in place and when the opportunity arose, we would be ready.

As we waited for the arrival of this guest, we grabbed a quick bite to eat at a food stand near our booth with a clear view of the road that would bring him onto the event grounds. We were finishing up when Clare yelled, “Joan, come on, there he is!! Let’s grab the book and get in position! Hurry or we will miss our chance!” I turned to look in the direction she was pointing in time to see three black sedans turning onto and grounds, heading toward the parking area. It was him! So far, our plan was coming together. And it soon became clear which route this person would be taking in order to get to the main stage.

I was proud of my big sister for what she did next…