amy: i want to ask about assata shakur. the new u.s.ions could impact assata shakur the legendary figure within the black panther party and the black liberation army, who now lives in cuba where she has political asylum. assata shakur was convicted in 1973, killing of a new jersey may 2, state trooper during a shootout that left one of her fellow activists dead. she was shot twice by police during the incident. in 1979, she managed to escape from jail, and she later fled to cuba. she has long proclaimed her innocence. in 1998, democracy now! aired her reading an open letter to pope john paul ii during his trip to cuba. this is an excerpt. >> 1977, was convicted in a trial that can only be described as illegal inching does legal lynching. in 1979, was able to escape with the aid of some of my fellow comrades. i saw this as a necessary step not only because i was innocent of the charges against me, but because i knew that the racist legal system in the united states, i would receive no justice. i was also afraid i would be murdered in pri