Talk:Anthony Papa

Some suggested edits
from JP to NPOV - read Papas book - everything that is stated is true - he is a symbol -- look at these Endorsements for his book "15 To Life" : How I Painted My Way To Freedom - yes I am a fan!

"Anthony Papa has written a riveting account of how he courageously painted his way to freedom from prison after unnecessarily serving twelve years. His story puts a human face on the nearly one million nonviolent drug offenders confined in prisons throughout the country" --Susan Sarandon  -Actor/Activist

"A powerful memoir of one man's struggle for freedom, 15 To Life tells in vivid prose the story of Anthony Papa, a painter and a casualty of the War on Drugs. This journey of a soul shows the power of art to transcend the violence of prison, and all that is possible when the human spirit refuses to be contained. Papa's account should be required reading for New York lawmakers and all Americans who care about civil liberties." --Sister Helen Prejean - Author of Dead Man Walking

"Papa's story gives me the chills. He's been through so much you won't believe it 'till you read it." Jack Black -Actor (School of Rock)

"Anthony Papa's "15 To Life" tells of a heroic escape from a brutal system by a man who refused to give up. A thrilling, unforgettable read!  -- Tim Robbins  - Actor (Mystic River)

"Anthony Papa's "15 To Life" is a must read for the hip-hop community. Over 94% of the 17,000 people locked up under New York's drug laws, the harshest drug laws  in the country, are black or Hispanic.  Like Papa, I am trying to end these racist laws.  We need your voice.  You can start by reading this book  -- Russell Simmons  - Chairman Hip-Hop Summit Action Network"

" "Papa is a true American hero whose ingenuity and never say die attiude conquered frightful adversity " -- Jason Flom -President Atlantic/Lava Records

"Anthony Papa's "15 To Life" is a gripping story of justice gone wrong and an inspiring tale of personal triumph. It is a scathing indictment of the antiquated Rockefeller drug laws that have imprisoned thousands of nonviolent offenders and wasted billions of dollars of taxpayer money" --Former US HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo--author of Crossroads

"There have been a lot of books over the years about men in prison, but Anthony Papa's "15 To Life" is unique. This is a wrenching, compelling, and darkly ironic story of a man discovering his artistic soul behind bars and using his talent to gain his freedom.  It will provoke you, it might enrage you, and it could even inspire you.  But it won't easily let you forget it." Peter Blauner --Best selling Author of the Intruder and The Last Good Day

"The Rockefeller Drug Laws must change and Papa's "15 To Life" is a good reason why!" -- Frank Serpico Legionary Former NYC Police Officer

"15 To Life" is an unbelievable story about one man's journey through a living  hell and how he survived and now is fighting to change the most racist drug laws in America. Read this book - learn something! -- Al "Grandpa Munster" Lewis -  Actor/Activist

NPOV
Whoever did this article obviously holds Papa in very high esteem:


 * "His art became a weapon used to fight the failed war on drugs in the United States."
 * Papa became a symbol of the Nation's war on drugs and generated hundreds of news articles profiling its human interest aspect.*
 * In 2004 Papa’s memoire "15 to Life: How I Painted My Way To Freedom" (Feral House) was released. It is a personal odyssey about transcendence that takes readers inside the harsh world of a maximum-security prison, where Papa spent twelve years fighting for his freedom while struggling to survive the violence and degradation of life behind bars. It tells how Papa came to find solace through painting, and how it was ultimately his art that set him free and gave birth to his political awarness that compelled Papa to become an agent of change and transformation.

Who wrote this thing, his publicist? His mother? Or maybe Papa himself? This is not a biographical article, it's a press release. C'mon, this reads like a brochure advertising him as a speaker-for-hire, not a biography. You can't copy and paste the publisher's buy-this-book blurb from his book jacket as half of a biography, for god's sake. It doesn't even have quotes around it. I came to this article to find out more about his crime and to see if it was really entrapment or not (as was claimed in the article that brought me here). Not to read his book jacket and a description of him that sounded like it came from his mom. Cowcharge (talk) 22:56, 1 April 2017 (UTC)

Repetion
The bit about the Mothers of the New York Disappeared appears twice.

Plagiarism/copyvio
A lot of this article is a word for word copy from the "The Official Site of Anthony Papa": http://www.15yearstolife.com/

OTOH, there is some interesting information about Papa in this article http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n523/a13.html?1778 that could be usefully added to WP article.

OK, in response to my own comments just above, made ealier today, but not signed, I've largely rewritten the article to correct its worst features, and taken off the PoV flag. FRS 20:25, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

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 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20070805025210/http://www.drugpolicy.org/library/staffwritten/papa.cfm to http://www.drugpolicy.org/library/staffwritten/papa.cfm
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20050826173328/http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/11/08/1513258 to http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/11/08/1513258
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20050909063618/http://www.counterpunch.org/herschel12042004.html to http://www.counterpunch.org/herschel12042004.html
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20050307145048/http://feralhouse.com:80/press/15tolife/ to http://feralhouse.com/press/15tolife/
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External links modified
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 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20120222035440/http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=5bb1982be79fb8d44ab6e06b9f559f5b to http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=5bb1982be79fb8d44ab6e06b9f559f5b

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