Strong City

(Santa Fe, NM) Today I learned that the state prison in Los Lunas has severed all contact between my father, Wayne Bent, and the outside world. Though I should not be surprised by anything at this point, I was surprised today when I learned from John McCall, Mr. Bent’s attorney, that prison officials have put my father on 24×7 “suicide watch.” Prison officials are using this “suicide watch” ruse to keep John McCall from visiting my dad, and to sever all other avenues of communication between my dad and his family.

It is illegal, by the way, for the prison to keep John McCall from accessing his client, even if he were suicidal.

I will address the suicide issue in a moment, but first I would like to say that I first learned of these changes this morning when I faxed a letter to Deputy Warden Joe Garcia, requesting a special visit on behalf of our relatives that wanted to visit my dad on short notice. I was advised to contact Mr. Garcia with this request by a supervisor at the prison last Friday afternoon.

Mr. Garcia called me later this morning, and told me that “under the current circumstances”, my father would not be allowed any visits. I asked him what “the current circumstances” were, and he said he could not answer me because it was “personal information.” I said, “So, you’ve cut his visits off, then.” He replied, “No, we have not cut off his visits, he just cannot be visited under the current circumstances.” We danced around like this for a little bit until I began to realize Mr. Garcia did not want to just come out and say the truth, which is, “If your dad ends his fast, he can visit with you.”

Talking with Mr. Garcia struck me as very similar to talking to a hoodlum or gangster of some kind (I’ve talked to a few of them as a deputy sheriff). Sometimes one has to read between the lines in order to get the subtle message they are trying to convey.

This afternoon, attorney John McCall went through the normal channels at the Department of Corrections to request a visit with my father. To his astonishment, his request was denied. The explanation given was that my father “is a danger to himself” and has been placed on 24 hour suicide watch. Mr. McCall feels this is a lie and a ruse on the part of prison officials. He also said the prison has no right to deny him access to his client.

The timeworn “suicide” mantra has been used by the State every time they are about to violate our rights, or lose an argument. It began several years ago with a series of incursions onto our church property by law enforcement, up to the time Esther was taken away in the night without due process or a warning of any kind. Fears of “suicide” were always the cover for these kinds of operations. It is a “red herring” thrown out by those who work by deceit and have no moral foundation for their cause. It is a distraction they use to confuse the issue, and change the subject.

In the 22 years our church has been in existence, not one member has ever committed suicide. We believe it is a sin, one that cannot be repented of. It is against the beliefs and teachings of Wayne Bent. My father has taught for years that suicide is “the coward’s way out” and those who commit suicide will never go to heaven. I know my father well, and he would never resort to such an act, for any reason. A 24 hour “suicide watch” so my father doesn’t hang himself or slit his wrists is so ridiculous it would be laughable, were it not for the treacherous motivations underlying it.

Fasting is not suicide. There is no command in the Bible that tells us we must put food in our mouths. In fact, the Bible teaches us to fast in certain situations, including the kind of crisis we are facing. There are many great religious figures who have fasted, some “unto death”, such as Gandhi (he didn’t die by fasting, but by an assassin’s bullet). It is a form of prayer that requires a kind of courage and self-discipline that few people have.

This level of commitment frightens the State. It is accustomed to manipulating people through bribes and threats. With those confined in prison, the State offers and takes away privileges as a tool to regulate behavior. When someone like my father doesn’t want their bribes and isn’t afraid of their threats — withdrawing from their game like my father has — people who live by force become very insecure. Hence, the lies and distortions that prison officials are now manifesting. These are the final methods of a sinking cause.

A couple of weeks ago my father gave me a message to pass along to all of you. He said if he dies in prison and it is claimed he committed suicide (i.e. he hanged himself or cut his own wrists through some overt act of his own), we should know he died at the hands of another person because he would never do such a thing.

Even though I haven’t communicated with my father over the past few days, I know what he is doing. He and I have talked a lot about this over the past year or so, and especially the past few weeks. I know his resolve. He is on a total fast now. He will not bow down to the beast, making peace with a corrupt system that enslaves people. He does not want any of their favors. He is not going to capitulate so he can have visits from his family again, and see his attorney. He is not going to compromise himself by pretending to be a child molester when he is not.

This is the entirety of the issue surrounding my father’s legal case. The issue is not that he touched the naked sternums on two underaged girls. He never would have gone to prison for that — especially for ten years. The real issue is that my dad has been a thorn in the side of the Beast for a long time. He openly confronts tyranny and oppression. He has declared liberty from all forms of soul control. He has broken the chains that have bound people to this earthly system. Finally, the State of New Mexico threw him into prison where they hope he is safely buried. Now, they are trying to silence and break him. They will fail.

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