Charlie Don't Surf parole hearing

[kung]

PRESIDING BOARD COMMISSIONER KOENIG: Mr Manson?

INMATE MANSON: Charles Manson, inmate, B-33920.

KOENIG: Would you spell your last name please?

MANSON: M - A - N- S -U - N

(Not content with giving his name a new-schizo sounding spelling, Manson goes on to exhibit a none-too-confidence-inspiring disregard for some of the details of his convictions.)

KOENIG: I said that we accept as true the court findings in the case. The fact that you were found guilty and you are guilty of those particular murders. If there's any change or anything you wanted to say about -

MANSON: So all that is reality to you?

KOENIG: Yes, yes we accept it as true -

MANSON: And that - and either - even if it never happened, it's still all reality to you?

KOENIG: Yes, because you were found guilty by a court of law.

MANSON: And - OK - and all the things that in that courtroom that went through the courtroom is reality to you?

KOENIG: Yes. OK. We accept as true -

MANSON: Now let me - let me just say one thing.

KOENIG: OK

MANSON: Nine black Muslims and three Mexicans signed a writ that said I was Jesus Christ. Is that reality to you as well?

KOENIG: I didn't read that in the board report.

*Later the board admonishses Manson for not using his time in prison more constructively. Manson takes issue but doesn't do himself any favours by addressing the board as "Dad".

DEPUTY BOARD COMMISSIONER BROWN: You have an I.Q, that's well up over 100 points.

MANSON: Yes, I am pretty smart.

BROWN: Have you done anything at all to improve your reading and writing skills?

MANSON: Yes, I read a book. I read a book. It was kind of boring man. You know. I can think better things than I can read. I mean, reading is kind of like slowing down and people only love each other in books. You can't love each other in reality, because you're all trapped in books, locked up in wars. You're all locked in the Second World War, man…

BROWN: And so you haven't done any of those kinds of things?

MANSON: Well, what I'm trying to explain to you without a lot of - I don't want to appear like I'm somebody, but I'm on the top of everything. I'm the smartest guy in the whole world, you know. I can't - I don't think there's anyone in the world - there's anyone in the world - there's no subject in the world - there's no subject I can't tell you everything you want to know about it, you know. I've even fixed a Harley Davidson motorcycle. I'm short change, I know how to deal off the bottom. I've learned everything you've taught me, Dad.

*Nevertheless, Manson hangs on in there and even has occasional moment s of lucidity. His account of the use of stimulants, for instance, sounds almost refined.

KOENIG: Ok. It says here, no military service. You used LSD extensively, mescaline, amphetamines and barbiturates, but no alcohol. Is that correct?

MANSON: No.

KOENIG: No? Enlighten me.

MANSON: I've taken a few tabs of acid, I smoked grass, I smoked a little hash. I don't mess with drugs per se. I don't do anything self destructive. I like the cactus buds. They're a spiritual experience, and I -

KOENIG: Peyote?

MANSON: And mushrooms are OK.

KOENIG: Yes.

MANSON: I drink Scotch whisky. I like Scotch whisky and I drink beer occasionally. I'm not much of a wine drinker, but now and then some wine with meals is all right.

*But Manson's presentation really begins to fall apart when he has to answer to accounts of his mouthing off to female prison officers - accounts stating, for instance, that "Manson exposed his penis and said, 'suck my dick, you white bitch, you're nothing but a witch.' Manson then proceeded to spit on me." Manson, unaccountably, takes this as his cue to break into inpromptu scat singing and rapping.

MANSON: Ok. Can I explain that?

BROWN: Go ahead.

MANSON: The turnaround, it comes to push, push comes to shove, shove comes looking around to see where you're up above or down below, where you're at and how it turns. Something that says good, says bad, that's good, say what it is, what it is, that's cool.

So when you catch cool you got some fool coming through the door, you don't know what he's doing about what. He just come and fell out of the water like a fish on the floor. And he don't know what he's doing, he's got no idea where he's at and he's coming into other people's lives talking about words he don't even know nothing about it…

*From hereon in, it's mostly downhill for Manson. One imagines for instance that when the board asked Manson to speak of his "suitability for parole" with reference to his job skills they hoped he's talk about working in an auto body shop or a diner. In fact, Manson announced: I don't know what else I could be if I couldn't be suitable to be your leader. I ain't nothing … I'm your president at least three times."

And Manson somewhat undermines his poignant recounting of the long years he's spent incarcerated by pointing out: "You only kept Christ on the cross three days."

In the end, it appears Manson doesn't especially want to be released.

MANSON: …just like you draw a line across the desert and I'm sitting there and you come and draw a line, you say, you can't get out of there. I say, I'm aware. You say, you're locked up. I say, locked up in what? He say, well, you're locked up and we free. And I say, oh yeah? And then you walk back and forth and you play important with my life as if you've got something I want, you know.

Like you got out and I'm supposed to be in, but yet I'm everywhere and I'm out and in and I'm all around, down to your San Diego zoo, and I'm riding a motorcycle and I'm your children and I'm the trees and I'm your -

BOARD COMMISSIONER ACETO: Ok. Hold it. Hold it up. Hold it up.

[paisley]

wonder what he would've become if he hadn't have gotten hung up on having a killing spree? so many ways a trip can turn, thank god killing isn't usually one of them... he makes too much sense for comfort, be pretty tough to ever get comfortable around someone who isn't against random violence and even sees a purpose to it

one of the last few times he came up for parole he just said "if you ever let me out you'll have to regret it for eternity" or something like that and went back to his cell

[bradm]

BOARD COMMISSIONER ACETO: OK. Hold it. Hold it up. Let's get to the meat of this hearing: what do you think of SCI headlining Lollapalooza?

* At this point Manson went into a raging fury, attemtped to rush the board, and had to be physically restrained by the guards, ultimately requiring sedation.

Aloha,

Brad