MeInAction

What I'm up to these days...

2011-08-20T03:08:00.001-07:00

playing for change

2011-04-22T03:02:00.000-07:00

There's never been a time to laugh as much as this...

2011-04-22T02:42:00.000-07:00

LAUGH.

Sometimes you just gotta have some fun

and f*ckin' LAUGH!!

Funny Non-Capitalist Answer

2011-01-22T23:42:00.000-08:00

Q: Who actually writes the bills in congress?

The recently passed Stimulus Bill was written by the Apollo Alliance, a non-capitalist, communist based organization of which Environmental Czar, Van Jones, is a member.

Gee, I wonder what the guy who answered that one really thinks about our government. Though, if I was to write an answer, in particular about the financial reform bills, I would have an equally conspiratorial answer about the fascist totally capitalist based organizations like the banking industry. Of which, nearly all of Congress takes money from. Though, let's admit it --- my answer is a little bit based in reality.

Elect them....

2010-11-16T15:29:00.000-08:00

Things I need help on...

2010-10-22T04:29:00.000-07:00

city-wide WI-FI access (without the crackhead idea of "it can be free with advertising"... or can it?)
[Larry Ortega] 2:46am get contract info from School District, City and County on their IT services, all these cos. should be contributing to your campaign, and will be held accountable to make your vision of citywide wi fi a reality...

[You]2:47am hmmm... see? that's why I was supposed to talk with you

[Larry Ortega] 2:48am its actually very simple, just a little homework on your team's part, once you got the names then do the followup, share with them your vision, happy to help you in the meeting...set it up, I got your back on this one, its in my DNA to make sure all our communities have access and training

[You]2:50am ok. good plan. and that's awesome for your offer. let me get to work.
continue Precinct Captains work
research mortgage options for Fontana developers
draft of charter, by-laws, board
draft progressive movement funding proposal
Commissions--- rough list --- more ideas?

Human Relations
Law Enforcement Oversight
Housing Authority
Redevelopment
Fire District
NGO's
Small Business
Greening and sustainability
Transportation
Local Jobs Project
Community Education Link
Family services
Essential goods and services assessment

Assimilation or annihilation... how about a third alternative?

2010-10-22T04:20:00.000-07:00

"We have become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different dreams." - Jimmy Carter

I define myself by the roles and the specific meaning and intention of those roles. I lay bare how I self-identify so there is no misunderstanding about what I value and how I choose to live. It is as transparent as I can be.

But there are hidden dimensions - struggles that I have not yet figured out, roles that I have yet to claim but are who I am. Ethnicity, culture have their place I'm sure in how others define me... and in how I have defined myself, but for so long I have been on the outside of the common definitions and so I've just delayed answering some of these big questions.

I like the thought of the beautiful mosaic... it doesn't have to be uniform. Each part is just as valid, just as beautiful, just as worthy. We become less, not more, by surrendering our language, our culture, our uniqueness and our history, our shortcomings and our triumphs.

can you answer these questions?

2010-10-22T03:41:00.000-07:00

What are

the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment?
the three branches of government?
the names of the Representative and the two Senators who represent you in Congress?

my culture, my language, my history, my life... and now.

2010-05-16T05:19:00.000-07:00

my culture, my language, my history, my life... my now.

By Bobbi Jo Chavarria

May 16, 2010

The first time that I watched the movie about the tejano singer Selena, I was saddened that I hadn't known of her and her music before she died.

I remember hearing of her death only because of the controversy that it had created with one of Gil's (my husband) favorite radio personalities, Howard Stern. He had commented about her death, and in his unique style, found a sick and twisted way to make a joke. From what I recall part of the joke had to do with the craziness of the situation itself, in that the murderer was a business partner and fan club president who was believed to have stolen from the fan club and Selena went to meet her by herself in an early morning meeting at a hotel room. And then, some comments about the music in general because he, like me, had no clue at all about tejano music, its popularity, its draw, or her tremendous role in the genre.

This became relevant for me because Selena's cross-over album and concert tour that was to begin in the summer of that year was being sponsored Sears, and I worked at the credit card call-in center for Sears. Fans were outraged by Stern's jokes and called for Sears to boycott advertising on his show. We were all briefed on a press release, and on what to say to customers if they called in about the issue.

Tejano music was absolutely nothing that I knew anything about and so I knew nothing of Selena. I was much more aware, saddened, and shaken by Kurt Cobain's death the year before. Knowing very little of the singer's popularity and huge following, it all seemed very much out of left field and I don't actually remember receiving a complaint from a credit card customer or hearing anyone else in the department having received one.

At the time, I didn't speak Spanish and was still carrying the idea that I never would learn, and had sufficiently forsaken my family's ethnic background for many, many years at this point. My mother doesn't speak Spanish, can't even roll her r's. My father is not fluent either. My grandparents spoke to me in a weird combination we know as Spanglish, and always accepted and understood my responses in English. My first name does not even translate into Spanish.

This brings me back to the movie of Selena’s life story. An ironic factoid was that Selena herself was not fluent in Spanish. She sang the songs in Spanish, but did not speak it, as her parents didn't speak it to their children. English was their language. Her father, a musician, like my father, was into oldies and rock'n'roll. And that was the first type of music Selena and her band had played. And yet, she became a cultural icon of this ethnic music genre, tejano, that is absolutely Spanish-language only. In just a few brief scenes, this cultural/ethnic/language clash is played out when Selena is about to be interviewed by the Mexican media and her father is afraid of what will happen when her fans find out she doesn't speak Spanish.

I watched the movie on cable, obviously after its release in 1997, not sure exactly when. But it was definitely after a personal shift in my thinking. The music, in the context of the movie and her life story, was powerful. Her voice was beautiful and amazing. And if the scenes demonstrating her performance power over an audience weren't crazily exaggerated, her tremendous popularity made sense to me now.
And the tragic end of her life made me sad, and that sadness stayed with me for a long while. But added to that sadness was the fact that I hadn't known of her. That I didn't know what the words meant to "Como La Flor" (Like a Flower). I was sad that I hadn't thought to listen to Spanish-language music. That I hadn't danced a cumbia or a salsa at my wedding. I was sad for the culture that I hadn't thought was a part of who I was.

This, of course, is all very relevant now. We come full circle over and over again, don't we? I just watched a video, posted by a new friend, of Frida Kahlo and a song, in Spanish, called, "Esa Noche." A love song. I don't understand all the words. I am still learning Spanish. But the music alongside another cultural icon that I had known nothing about before a movie of her life was made here in the United States, was powerful. And I was moved. And I was brought to a weird and crazy thought that I had believed I was over.

I was going to repost the video on my Facebook profile. And then this idea that maybe I shouldn't because I am running for office, and people who don't know me, might think I'm all about Spanish music, and might define me by that, as they have already defined me by my speaking out for comprehensive immigration reform, for my speaking out against 287(g), for speaking for peace, for my being of some mixed heritage that is clearly not Anglo-Saxon European.

This is what societal intolerance does to an individual. Even to one who is trying very hard to live love, acceptance, peace and justice. Even to me.

This is the confusion it imparts upon children, upon our brothers and sisters, literally, our brothers and sisters (like me) who absolutely forsake all the beauty of a multi-cultural background. Who don't speak Spanish or their parents or grandparent's native language, who refuse to teach it to their children, who change their name, or the pronunciation of it.

This is why we have to do better. Because we can do better than severing off the beautiful things - language, music, art, and history - that make us who we are - a connected humanity.

So, of course, I am learning Spanish. Of course, I am teaching my son. Of course, I reposted the video.

And, of course, I am going to a march in Claremont in just a few hours to ask Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to halt the 287(g) program, to halt the immigration raids, and to work with all due haste to provide real security with a comprehensive reform to our current immigration policy.

And of course, later I will be in Riverside to help celebrate the dedication of a peace pole. Just like the one that I hope to bring to our city very soon, with a call to peace, in as many languages as we can think of.

Posted on:
http://meinaction.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-culture-my-language-my-history-my.html

Please visit: http://chavarria4mayor.com for more information about the campaign to elect Bobbi Jo Chavarria for Fontana Mayor on November 2, 2010.

Happy Earth Day! -- Let's have climate change solutions. Repower America.

2010-04-23T00:51:00.000-07:00

Confirmed. Nice. Are we going to do anything about it in San Bernardino County?

2010-04-04T00:23:00.001-07:00

DHS Report Confirms Serious Civil Rights Problems With Local Immigration Enforcement Program

April 2, 2010

ACLU Calls For Immediate Termination Of ICE 287(g) Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 2, 2010

CONTACT: (202) 675-2312; media@dcaclu.org

WASHINGTON – A report from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) reveals several critical problems surrounding Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) 287(g) program, which allows certain state and local law enforcement agencies to engage in federal immigration enforcement activities.

The American Civil Liberties Union has strongly opposed the 287(g) program, believing it has led to illegal racial profiling and civil rights abuses while diverting scarce resources from traditional local law enforcement functions and distorting immigration enforcement priorities. The OIG report affirms these concerns, and the ACLU calls for the immediate termination of the 287(g) program.

“The DHS OIG report confirms in detail what the ACLU has known for many years – that the 287(g) program, fundamentally flawed and incompetently administered, presents serious civil rights and civil liberties problems for U.S. citizens and immigrants,” said Joanne Lin, ACLU Legislative Counsel. “ICE has completely shirked its legal duty to train and supervise 287(g) officers and has instead unleashed a slew of unmonitored state and local law officers across America – many of whom are using federal immigration authority as a cloak to engage in racial profiling. The program should be terminated and de-funded.”

The report finds lack of oversight, training and other failures in the 287(g) program and makes it clear that the program does not have adequate safeguards against racial profiling and other civil rights abuses. Many state and local agencies accepted for the program have a documented history of serious allegations of constitutional violations.

Under the 287(g) program, ICE has failed to:

establish appropriate performance measures and targets to determine whether program results are aligned with program goals;
develop guidance for supervising ICE officers;
provide adequate 287(g) program oversight;
establish a thorough review and selection process for law enforcement agencies requesting to participate in the 287(g) program;
establish data collection and reporting requirements to address civil rights and civil liberties concerns;
provide adequate 287(g) training programs;
provide accurate and honest program information to Congress and the public; and
standardize 287(g) officers’ access to DHS information systems.

“The 287(g) program, as this latest report confirms, all but abandons the constitutional guarantees of fair treatment and due process, and encourages racial and ethnic profiling. Immigration enforcement must respect civil liberties, and it’s clear the current 287(g) program does not come close,” said Laura W. Murphy, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. “The 287(g) program also undermines public safety by exacerbating fear of the police in communities already distrustful of law enforcement.”

The report outlines how local agencies exploited the 287(g) program's defects to engage in systemic civil rights abuses. Although an ICE fact sheet describes how the 287(g) program does not allow state and local agencies to perform “random street operations,” the OIG report describes how one agency improperly engaged in “random street operations” to target "minor offenses and violations of local ordinances," while claiming to act under their 287(g) agreement. In addition, although 287(g) officers are only authorized to use federal immigration authority to take people into custody as a result of violating state or local criminal law, the OIG report found incidents of immigrants being arrested for federal immigration violations without prior arrests on state or local charges.

"The OIG report's message is clear," said Cecillia Wang, managing attorney of the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project. "ICE can no longer stand by idly while local agencies use their 287(g) agreements as cover to engage in the rampant abuse of people's constitutional rights. People in 287(g) communities should have the right to go about their business without being stopped for no other reason than that they 'look foreign' to a police officer."

The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General’s report is available at: www.dhs.gov/xoig/assets/mgmtrpts/OIG_10-63_Mar10.pdf

The ACLU's submitted testimony on the 287(g) program can be found at: www.aclu.org/immigrants/gen/39062leg20090304.html

California's Budget

2010-03-24T04:02:00.000-07:00

Schwarzenegger Affirms That Undocumented Immigrants Are Not To Blame For California’s Economic Woes

That headline made me smile a little for the governor I struggle to smile about.

"While recognizing that undocumented immigration does pose some costs to the state, Schwarzenegger reiterated that the recession that California is experiencing is the result of a larger economic downturn, not immigration."

http://www.laprogressive.com/immigration-reform/schwarzenegger-affirms-undocumented-immigrants-blame-californias-economic-woes/

"A study by Manuel Pastor of the University of Southern California found that immigration reform would increase California’s “state and local tax base by about $350 million in the short run.” A separate study by Raul Hinojosa of the University of California, Los Angeles similarly found that immigration reform which includes a path legalization could generate at least $1.5 trillion in added U.S. gross domestic product over 10 years."

Letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson

2010-03-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

YOU CAN TAKE ACTION TOO: Send a message to the EPA

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 17, 2010

Lisa Jackson
EPA Administrator

Subject: SUPPORT CLEANER AIR
EPA proposal of new rules to lower the amount of harmful ozone, or smog, in our air

Dear Ms. Jackson:

Thank you for examining this serious issue and proposing protections from smog.

In December 2009, we buried a long-time family friend who grew up in the Los Angeles area and died of lung cancer. A non-smoking, woman under 40 (she was 34) who left behind three children, her husband and a lifetime of giving (she was a teacher). As we researched the condition in an attempt to understand how and why this could happen, we found that there was a near "epidemic" of cases just like hers, non-smoking, women under 40, dying of lung cancer.

Just recently I watched the updated version of the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car" that very briefly talks of a study conducted when the smog alerts in California were very serious in the late 1980s that found a high percentage of youth in the Los Angeles area had lesions on their lungs. This is where my friend grew up and lived her entire life.

A recent study in my community in California where we have made many strides to improving smog standards (but still have very poor air quality) showed that the youth in our area have a significantly decreased lung capacity and have a higher than average rate of asthma. What will the story be in 20-30 years as these kids become adults? Will friends and family members be mourning their loss from what is clearly a causal effect of poor air quality and pollution like ozone and smog?

Science tells us, in more than 1,000 studies, that the current smog standards fail to protect the health of millions of Americans. Strengthening these standards is vital, and I'm pleased that the new proposed standards fall within the range recommended by scientists and health professionals.

I urge you to set the primary standard at the more protective limit of 60 parts per billion. Smog is harmful even at very low levels, and this lower level will do the most to protect public health, especially for people suffering from illnesses like asthma.

The environment deserves no less. Please set the secondary standard, aimed at lessening the environmental impacts of smog, at the lower level of 7 ppm-hours to help ensure that our natural places -- and the economies that rely on them -- are protected.

For too long the science and the impacts on American communities have been ignored. Please set things right by issuing strong ozone standards.

Sincerely,

Bobbi Jo Chavarria

ACORN vindicated? Op-ed to SB Sun (as yet unpublished)

2010-03-15T03:24:00.001-07:00

March 7, 2010

I received a phone call Saturday from a San Bernardino Sun reporter on the local response to the question of “vindication” by the release of Brooklyn District Attorney’s report on the investigation of videotape recordings by James O’Keefe.

Vindication? No. We knew the truth from the beginning. In a fair and just world the Brooklyn DA’s report that the video was a “heavily edited splice job” would begin an honest discussion of ACORN by politicians and mainstream media of how the reactionary frenzied hype helped serve a political agenda against low-income and working families.

In the real world that means retracting, reconsidering, and dismissing the political agendas for an examination of the truth and we know that isn’t going to happen.

Fontana council member Frank Scialdone when asked about ACORN in Fontana in your paper was quoted, “hopefully they don’t tell prostitutes how to open a brothel.”

Mayor Mark Nuaimi in an e-mail to me wrote that “ACORN has attacked the very democratic process that has brought PEACE and FREEDOM to … our nation.” And Representative Darrel Issa’s (R-CA-49) office released a report that John Atlas, President of the National Housing Institute noted, “contained numerous factual errors and no evidence for its assertion that ACORN is a criminal organization.” Rep. Issa’s spokesperson stated his office is continuing to pursue an investigation at the federal level.

Not surprising is that none of these elected officials have weighed in on the very systemic corruption of their own party here locally and the very real allegations that have resulted in real criminal charges and real indictments including voter registration fraud (Young Political Majors), misappropriating public funds, bribes, and pay-offs (the current Colonies settlement investigation), and using taxpayer resources for partisan activities (former County Assessor Bill Postmus, who at the time of his arrest was also the Chair of the San Bernardino Republican Party).

Who paid the price?

Thousands of ACORN members across the country who were vilified by strangers, friends and family that believed the sensationalized lies, along with hundreds of organizers and support staff who received threatening phone calls and e-mails from all over the country and ultimately who lost their jobs, myself included.

Tens of thousands of homeowners who lost their homes and sometimes even worse were swindled by the same predatory and suspicious practices of brokers and banks yet again in the process of trying to save their homes. Why? Because one of the largest organizations that was providing free, non-profit loan counseling and assistance to homeowners was no longer there. In fact, banks were incredibly eager to stop working with ACORN Housing Corporation (AHC) immediately and left homeowners in our communities out to dry.

The truth was evident and available to those who would listen and look for it; vindication, however, is a long way off.

Sincerely,

Bobbi Jo Chavarria, Organizing Committee Member
Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE)

Lost Generation

2010-02-09T00:30:00.001-08:00

Words...

2010-01-28T03:09:00.000-08:00

Words become touchy subject in war over illegal immigration

Stephen Wall, Staff Writer

Posted: 01/23/2010 06:11:03 AM PST

Are they illegal aliens or undocumented workers? Illegal immigrants or unauthorized entrants?

In the raging debate over illegal immigration, words carry loaded meanings.

People on opposite sides of the issue insist on their own terms to describe people in the country illegally.

With so much at stake in the fight over the nation's future, words can't be tossed around lightly.

"Propaganda is all about language," said Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a Washington D.C.-group that favors strict limits on immigration. "You go back anywhere in history. Language has been used to influence the way people think. If you can influence the way people think, you believe you can control the outcome."

Mehlman's said his group uses the term alien because it's the legal definition of someone who is not considered a citizen under the law.

"Undocumented is not part of our vocabulary," he said. "An undocumented worker is a guy who left his wallet at home."

Those on the other side say alien is used to portray illegal immigrants in a negative light.

"To me, alien means not human," said Gil Navarro, a member of the San Bernardino County board of education. "Immigrants are human beings."

Federal immigration officials say the word alien has been part of U.S. law for centuries. The federal government's use of the term goes back to 1798, when it was used in the Alien and Sedition Acts.

"It's not a pejorative term. It's a term of law," said Virginia Kice, a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "It's the accurate term to describe a foreign national who is in the country who is a noncitizen."

Elsa Valdez, a sociology professor at Cal State San Bernardino, said that immigration officials have an obligation to change with the times.

"These are certain assumptions that come with these labels, whether it's illegal aliens, or `Japs' or the `n' word," Valdez said. "When you have government agencies using that inflammatory and derogatory terminology, how can you can expect the public to recognize that they're humans just like everybody else?"

She said illegal alien conjures up images of people who are criminals. The term is applied to all Latinos in the United States whether they're here legally or not, she said.

"It doesn't just affect undocumented immigrants. It affects all of us," Valdez said.

State and local government agencies have a different term for describing illegal immigrants who request welfare benefits for their American-born children.

"Our Human Services departments tend to use the term `undocumented' because that's the word the state tends to use, so it's become habit," said David Wert, San Bernardino County spokesman.

The county doesn't have a policy establishing an accepted term or forbidding certain terms, Wert said.

Social service practitioners may prefer the term undocumented because their programs do not necessarily concern themselves with whether an immigrant is legal or illegal, but whether they have documentation to prove eligibility for certain programs, Wert said.

In the field of education, undocumented is the more appropriate word, according to the National School Boards Association.

"It doesn't have the stigma and doesn't sound as bizarre as alien," said Lisa Soronen, the Virginia-based association's senior staff attorney. "The problem with alien is it doesn't sound like a person."

In the school context, undocumented children aren't viewed as illegal because the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that they have a constitutional right to receive a free public education from kindergarten through 12th grade, Soronen said.

Others say the word undocumented is used to soften the impact of illegal immigration and confuse the American people to make them sympathetic to illegal immigrants.

"It sugarcoats the criminal elements in our society," said Raymond Herrera, founder and president of We The People California's Crusader, a Claremont-based group opposed to illegal immigration.

Herrera said it's very important to use the right word in the immigration battle.

"It allows you to assess the problem and arrive at the right solution, which is to deport the illegal aliens and leave the legal immigrants in America alone," he said.

-----------------------------------------------

Thank you for the article, "Words become touchy subject..." and bringing this conversation to the forefront. It is a conversation that many peace, human rights, and others have had time and time again about words and language and what is appropriate to say and what is unacceptable when we hear it. When I was quoted as saying "illegal" when talking of immigration, I could easily call the reporter on it and know that I was misquoted. I remain very conscious to only use that term when quoting others, but I do not embrace that language for many of the reasons that your article points out, but essentially because it is a dehumanizing term.

And it is must be clear that this distinction is beyond "politically correct." It is the epitome of the difference between violent and nonviolent communication. Marshall Rosenberg, PhD., founder and director of the Center for Nonviolent Communication highlights this in an excerpt from his book, Raising Children Compassionately, about the possibility of violence, judgment, with the seemingly innocuous term child - "there is danger... if we allow it to apply a different quality of respect than we would give to someone who is not labeled a child."

There can be violence in a language that is meant to label and give attributes to a person or a group of persons. The difference can be subtle, but the potential damage means we must be aware of what we are saying, and to ask for clarification when we hear language that creates feelings of pain, sadness, and anger. As the dialogue about immigration has demonstrated, the words we hear from activists, media, and elected officials can indeed hurt.

As an aside, or to add yet another idea of how to refer to new or recent arrivals to our country, we might consider history and what has historically created mass migration from one place to another. While there have always been the adventurers who gladly, willingly seek new lands and cultures, typically social, economic, environmental and political conditions create the impetus for the types of mass migration and displacement of huge populations our continent has seen since the early 15th century. This most recent wave of immigrants is no exception. The vast majority have been displaced by harsh, unbearable, or intolerable conditions from countries all over the world, and they, like others before them have done, seek a better possibility.

Sadly, history also demonstrates that we haven't done much better than we are doing now when it comes to understanding how to address the myriad of concerns that arise when large groups of people are displaced - the need for safety, community, and stability on one side, the need for inclusion, acceptance, and compassion, on the other. No wonder the language gets rough. But we can do better, and of course, if we are to move forward with solutions that address the needs, concerns, and values of all the people who are impacted, we must. An understanding of nonviolent communication is one step, working with conflict resolution experts is another, and there are many more methods and ideas. An intention to develop these types of resources, tools and training is critical, and is part of what legislation for a U.S. Department of Peace calls for.

Disagreement is inevitable, subtle and overt violence is not. Your article did much to start the conversation that we must remain conscious and conscientious to the language and words we use. I hope your reporters, the editorial board, and others will continue to define and redefine the language that is used when discussing all important issues, especially issues, that at the end of the day, like immigration, are about fellow human beings, our brothers and sisters of our shared earth.

Bobbi Jo Chavarria
Regional State Coordinator
Campaign for a U.S. Department of Peace
Inland Empire DoPeace & Nonviolence Alliance

-----------------------------------------

This is an excerpt from Raising Children Compassionately, by Marshall Rosenberg, Ph.D. which is available from our bookstore.

http://www.cnvc.org/node/404

For many parents, the way I’m talking about communicating is so different that they say, “Well, it just doesn’t seem natural to communicate that way.” At just the right time, I read something that Gandhi had written in which he said, “Don’t mix up that which is habitual with that which is natural.” Gandhi said that very often we’ve been trained to communicate and act in ways that are quite unnatural, but they are habitual in the sense that we have been trained for various reasons to do it that way in our culture. And that certainly rang true to me in the way that I was trained to communicate with children. The way I was trained to communicate by judging rightness and wrongness, goodness and badness, and the use of punishment was widely used and very easily became habitual for me as a parent. But I wouldn’t say that because something is habitual that it is natural.

I learned that it is much more natural for people to connect in a loving, respectful way, and to do things out of joy for each other, rather than using punishment and reward or blame and guilt as means of coercion. But such a transformation does require a good deal of consciousness and effort.

2009 Reading List

2010-01-05T02:38:00.001-08:00

I had a goal to read 30 books. Figured I'd give myself a break, having a baby and all to take care of this year. Still missed the mark though. With 8 days left for the year, I figured out that I was 9 books short. That sucks. But, then again, I read about 21 more books than the average person does. So, not bad.

What to Expect the First Year by Heidi Murkoff
For One More Day by Mitch Albom
Attention Deficit Democracy by James Bovard
The Second Nine Months by Vicki Glembocki
The Progressive Revolution: How the Best in America Came to Be by Michael Lux
Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher
Che: The Diaries of Ernesto Che Guevara
Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist by Michael J. Fox
Just After Sunset by Stephen King
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
Naturally Health: First Foods for Baby by Jacqueline Rubin
What We Say Goes: Conversations with Noam Chomsky
The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule by Thomas Frank
Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy by Donald B. Kraybill, Steven M. Nolt, David Weaver-Zercher
The Age of American Unreason by Susan Jacoby
Baby Talk by Monica Beyer
This Land is Their Land by Barbara Ehrenreich
Imperial America by Gore Vidal
Panic: The Story of Modern Financial Insanity edited by Michael Lewis
Little Pink House: The True Story of Defiance and Courage by Jeff Benedict

Fontana ACORN activist steps up fight - Topix

2009-12-20T22:57:00.000-08:00

Fontana ACORN activist steps up fight - Topix

So I love the comments.

Crackhead editing strikes again, "ACORN in Fontana"

2009-12-08T01:41:00.001-08:00

Apparently this guy doesn't like what I had to say... and some of the viewers don't understand poetry. For context, let me explain that part of my introduction of being a "blend" was from a poem I shared at one of my grandfather's eulogy in January 2008 (I say one, because the both of them died within days of each other).

Additionally, if you go to the blog where this video was posted (http://www.acorncracked.com/blog/?p=158) then you will also understand that the context of why I was there which had nothing to do with the checkpoints. I was there because two people who don't live in Fontana spoke before my city council and said that the 287(g) program was great and even though it's not within the council's jurisdiction, they had some information to share about how great it was. The mayor then said, "thank you very much, we’ll be happy to review and take a further look at that."

I wanted to be sure where the mayor and council stood... did they agree with that position or did they stand with the community that is 68% Hispanic. I brought with me and shared an Amnesty International report showing the hundreds of thousands of human rights violations and the over 100 cases of American citizens being deported.

Were they willing to understand that it doesn't serve the community to support or participate in such a grossly unjust law. We need better answers, and I offered them a chance to begin with just recognizing the basic humanity of all people. Not shown in the video above - but in the complete version at the City of Fontana website -- is the mayor's answer of absolutely not he took his oath to "defend it [the Constitution] against enemies, foreign and domestic."

Then at a later meeting, I asked for Fontana to be a Human Rights City, and begin the dialogue, and analysis that could help us get to the structural solutions that we could support without violating human rights in such a broad way. In an email response, the Mayor requested substance and "not token resolutions that sound all nice but ultimately are used by organizations to destroy the fabric of our society."

Have the Media 'Falsely Framed' ACORN?

2009-11-26T03:21:00.000-08:00

Have the Media 'Falsely Framed' ACORN?

ACORN to speak at Fontana council meeting - Topix

2009-11-12T22:53:00.000-08:00

ACORN to speak at Fontana council meeting - Topix

So I've totally been caught up in the comments for the last 20 minutes or so. Just fun, sad, interesting, and more than a little tragic - the rhetoric. Oh my garage... there's tons of work to do, isn't there?

It is hate, because it is not love.

2009-10-31T15:23:00.000-07:00

I am first a poet…then a human being, a world citizen, then a woman, a wife, mother, daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, cousin, neighbor and friend. I am a graduate of Fontana High School, and a Fontana homeowner for nearly 16 years.

I am also of a blend that goes back to the Aztecs,
the Apache, the language of the English,
the Spanish, and the Pascua Yaqui
a blend of California, Arizona and other states of Mexico
from way back when it was all one land
way back before men started drawing imaginary lines in the dirt
and declared imaginary separation between brothers and sisters
between families and friends

And I am family to brown-skinned, light-skinned,
red-haired, brunette, blonde, bald-headed,
English speaking, slang-talking,
tattooed, Latin, Hispanic, native, hoodlum,
whatever you want to call them,
survivors and descendents of the original inhabitants of America.

We live within this culture working hard,
daily facing the challenge to be defined
as something beyond what we look like,
where we're imagined to be from,
what neighborhood we live in,
what gang we must be a member of,
what language we speak and what accent we speak it with.

Among us are… grade school dropouts and college graduates.
Veterans and active-duty armed force members,
military contractors and peace activists.
Some are well-read and others dyslexic, and functionally illiterate.
Some are professionals and others labor with their hands and backs,
and still others are artists, musicians, writers.
There is one who was beaten to death in the custody of police last year
and yet others who have sought to serve and honor that profession.
There are marriages and partnerships that have been fleeting
and others lasting into many decades.

It's a mix and I have been able to see a varied and diverse view of life experiences and guiding principles up close and personally. I have seen prejudice within my own family, among friends, coworkers and casual acquaintances justified with all sorts of reasoning and arguments, conveyed with deep conviction or plain ignorance.

But, I can recognize hate when I see it, even when it is dressed up, looking pretty, and reasonable or tries to appear as self-evident truth or rule of law. It is hate because it is not love.

------------

I share all of this so you will understand who I am and why I am here… I am an activist, volunteering and lobbying for the public good.

There are those who have used the “rule of law” as the rationale for their support of the ICE 287g policy. There are others who will use these people and their rationalization to support their prejudice.

Both will create and support exclusionary laws and then speak of personal responsibility and accountability, and of the community’s privilege to demand compliance. And then say that things we know to be happening aren't happening.

This was demonstrated with two speakers here a few weeks ago, talking about ICE 287g, immigration status, and rule of law.

I subscribe to a higher law. You might too. I strive to clothe myself with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, and with the love which binds us all together. I remember that I am my brother's keeper and strive to live the golden rule. And I do not remember the asterisk that says I will do that only if their paperwork is in order.

The injustice, the ineffectiveness, the real and potential harm of the 287g policy itself is at the heart of the matter here.

I have copies of an Amnesty International Report entitled, “Jailed without Justice” that shows countless wrongful detainments, violations of human rights, and over a hundred deportations of natural-born or naturalized U.S. citizens. The ICE immigration detainment policy is faulty and must be changed and 287g perpetuates that wrong in local communities.

It is racial profiling. It is discrimination. It is unjust. That members of our community are looked upon with suspicion and derision, is appalling. That they are being asked daily to justify their presence, is insane [inane].

I also brought with me copies of the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Human Rights for your review, in case you have not looked upon them in a while.

I am here because I don’t know how you feel about this.

Paraphrasing Dr. King, “in the end we will not remember the words of those who speak against us, but we will remember the silence of our friends.”

Are you our friends?

People of conscience, of intellect, of awareness, of compassion would understand that this country’s history, this city’s legacy of the KKK, of racial intolerance and division and the current cultural and ethnic diversity demands a stance to be taken.

It is too easy to slip into socially [and] politically expedient, silence.

I ask you to end your silence and let us know the character and resolve of those who purport to serve this community.

Will you place upon the council's agenda a resolution recognizing the higher principles within the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Human Rights as the bedrock and foundation of our community?

and

Will you place upon the council's agenda a resolution in opposition to ICE's 287g policy and call for the immediate termination of the memorandum of agreement between the County of San Bernardino Sheriff's Department and ICE?

Thank you for your time and I look forward to continuing the discussion.

ARTICLES

Fontana Herald -Members of Fontana City Council deny allegations of racial profiling by police (Citizens address controversial topics of race, illegal immigration during meeting)

SB Sun - ACORN and community group allege racial profiling by law enforcement officers near Fontana schools

See the video replay of the Fontana City Council Meeting here.

FOX News Isn't News. It's a Political Operation.

2009-10-28T01:03:00.001-07:00

Powerful truth and the core of why I am an ACORN member.

we can all get along... =)

2009-10-23T01:01:00.001-07:00

The Jay Leno Show: Dennis Kucinich & Steve LaTourette - Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

I came, I spoke, I rambled, I rocked

2009-10-08T02:00:00.000-07:00

Riverside Rejects Racism -- I spoke at the rally held on September 26.

Overall, it was good. Some of the people and groups left to the site where the others were gathering (the haters) and reported back that there ended up being only about 15-20 of 'em. And they dispersed well before the time they had planned.

I had someone record my speaking (thanks Corla) --- cuz I'm wanting to catch my affectations and stuff -- and sometimes off the cuff I say some good things, and yet, I can't remember them. There's a part where I get a little fast and stumbling in this speech --- but I can't take the time to edit it (even if I knew how) --- so here it is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oTFBAE9fUM

Some of the speakers spoke in Spanish and translation wasn't available. While there was effort to work hard to absorb the message in our hearts if not our heads, I sensed a little impatience here and there. And, even more so when others spoke of humane immigration reform. It might be that some understood Nazism as it related to the Holocaust and Jewish people, but maybe not connecting the modern-day Nazism as it is directly affecting immigrants, especially of latin descent - at least not in such a deep way that they were willing to stand, in the heat, listening to someone speak and not being able to understand. I myself, could get the gist of what was being said, but, some of those speakers were articulate, were poetic, and I don't yet know big words that come from knowledge, and wisdom, and compassion. "My hands are your hands, my feet are your feet..." one woman said. "We are one."

And I got a little fired up --- I couldn't articulate it well --- but I was thinking about if we reject racism, then it starts with the sort of impatience that happens when you don't know what's going on, and though, you might not really, truly believe it --- a part of you is thinking the line we have all heard -- "This is America, speak English." This sort of --- lack of understanding -- from language to the issues that millions of people are facing everyday are the roots of racism, no?

An in-law to my family, who has lived here since he was less than a year old, has been in a detention center in New Mexico for the last few months -- not sure if he'll be deported. He's got twin girls, a baby boy, a home, a small-business, and a wife who is a nurse and been working extra trying to get him the legal help he needs, hold the home together, and reassure her children they will see their father again. The reasons why he is there are directly because his surname is Hispanic.

And when I read Amnesty International's report about how natural-born U.S. citizens including a mentally disabled man have been deported --- well, we must reject racism and we must defend human rights, right? I wish I would have been more articulate, had more time to think and be succinct. But we do what we can.

2009 International Day Of Peace Palm Springs

2009-10-05T01:06:00.001-07:00

The ACORN I Know | AfterDowningStreet.org

2009-09-25T09:55:00.001-07:00

The ACORN I Know | AfterDowningStreet.org by David Swanson

A handful of ACORN staff people with great expertise and unrelenting effort organized thousands of members to drive this campaign until Household agreed to pay victims $489 million through the 50 states attorneys general, and later agreed to pay millions more through ACORN, as well as to reform its practices.

"This campaign was an example of what can be done if enough different angles are pursued at once and the company ripping you off is put on the defensive and constantly hit with the unexpected. This campaign increased the size and power of ACORN to effect future progressive change. This is good news for low-income neighborhoods, but bad news for Wells Fargo, the predatory lender next on ACORN's list."

ACORN Fake Prostitution Scandal Hits San Bernardino

2009-09-18T06:39:00.001-07:00

Local politician -- part of the very corrupt political machine that has been leading our community with increased violence, crime, economic devastation, and near-zero accountability to the community --- talks out of his ass about what he doesn't know about. That's typical.

We can be inspired... but we can't be fooled.

2009-09-12T06:33:00.000-07:00

“Come on people now, smile on your brother. Everybody get together try to love one another right now.“ - The Youngbloods

The president was right on in saying that health care was a moral issue that will determine the character of our nation. A for-profit health insurance system... that about sums up our character. Not to the champion for the people --- Rep. Dennis Kucinich.

Book Review: The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule by Thomas Frank

2009-09-09T22:23:00.001-07:00

The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule by Thomas Frank

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The book was good, well-researched information. The information itself was nauseating and disheartening - something like ideaologues and the lunatics running the asylum. It took an amazingly long time to read but only because I had to stop in the middle and read something slightly more hopeful and light.

View all my reviews >>

http://factcheck.org/2009/08/rncs-bill-of-rights/

2009-08-30T14:31:00.001-07:00

RNCâs âBill of Rightsâ

Republicans' rundown is a mix of false, true and misleading claims.

August 26, 2009

Summary
The Republican National Committee this week posted a âHealth Care Bill of Rights for Seniors,â which RNC Chairman Michael Steele and others have taken to the airwaves to publicize. It contains a number of claims weâve seen and criticized before, but also contains one new one that has some truth to it, and another fresh one that has very little.

The RNC says that cuts proposed by Democrats "threaten millions of seniors with being forced from their current Medicare Advantage plans." Thatâs certainly possible. Ratcheting down payments to the private insurance plans in Medicare Advantage would likely cause them to reduce benefits or even withdraw from the market. That might force an unknown number of beneficiaries to find new plans or go back to the traditional system, which still covers 78 percent of the Medicare population.

Another new wrinkle in the RNCâs "Bill of Rights" is a claim that Democrats have proposed raising TRICARE insurance costs for retired military and their families. This one is false. It was actually the Bush administration that most recently proposed changes in TRICARE, which the hospital industry said would cost hospitals $458 million in its first year.

The RNC "Bill of Rights" document also recycles claims that Democrats are proposing $500 million in Medicare cuts without mentioning that much of that is offset by proposed Medicare increases. It falsely says that a comparative effectiveness research panel set up earlier this year could limit care based on a patientâs age, when in fact the law expressly prohibits the council from issuing such mandates. And the RNC implies, wrongly, that seniors who meet with their doctors to discuss end-of-life care could have their treatment cut off involuntarily. In fact, these discussions would be voluntary and any directives limiting treatment would have to come from the patient.

http://factcheck.org/2009/08/rncs-bill-of-rights/

The Great Nationwide Kiss-In

2009-08-27T23:18:00.000-07:00

When you consider the sweetness of affection...
the beauty of love...
the hilarity of playfulness...
and the gift of friendship...
a kiss is just a kiss.

And anyone, anytime, should be able to express that.

- August 15, 2009.

I concur.

2009-08-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/24-1
Published on Monday, August 24, 2009 by TruthDig.com

This Isn’t Reform, It’s Robbery
by Chris Hedges

Percentage change since 2002 in average premiums paid to large US health-insurance companies: +87%

Percentage change in the profits of the top ten insurance companies: +428%

Chances that an American bankrupted by medical bills has health insurance: 7 in 10

—Harper’s Index, September 2009

Capitalists, as my friend Father Michael Doyle says, should never be allowed near a health care system. They hold sick children hostage as they force parents to bankrupt themselves in the desperate scramble to pay for medical care. The sick do not have a choice. Medical care is not a consumable good. We can choose to buy a used car or a new car, shop at a boutique or a thrift store, but there is no choice between illness and health. And any debate about health care must acknowledge that the for-profit health care industry is the problem and must be destroyed. This is an industry that hires doctors and analysts to deny care to patients in order to increase profits. It is an industry that causes half of all bankruptcies. And the 20,000 Americans who died last year because they did not receive adequate care condemn these corporations as complicit in murder.

The current health care debate in Congress has nothing to do with death panels or public options or socialized medicine. The real debate, the only one that counts, is how much money our blood-sucking insurance, pharmaceutical and for-profit health services are going to be able to siphon off from new health care legislation. The proposed plans rattling around Congress all ensure that the profits for these corporations will increase and the misery for ordinary Americans will be compounded. The corporate state, enabled by both Democrats and Republicans, is yet again cannibalizing the Treasury. It is yet again pushing Americans, especially the poor and the working class, into levels of despair and rage that will continue to fuel the violent, proto-fascist movements leaping up around the edges of American society. And the traditional watchdogs—those in public office, the press and citizens groups—are as useless as the perfumed fops of another era who busied their days with court intrigue at Versailles. Canada never looked so good.

The Democrats are collaborating with lobbyists for the insurance industry, the pharmaceutical industry and for-profit health care providers to craft the current health care reform legislation. “Corporate and industry players are inside the tent this time,” says David Merritt, project director at Newt Gingrich’s Center for Health Transformation, “so there is a vacuum on the outside.” And these lobbyists have already killed a viable public option and made sure nothing in the bills will impede their growing profits and capacity for abuse.

“It will basically be a government law that says you have to buy their defective product,” says Dr. David Himmelstein, a professor at Harvard Medical School and a founder of Physicians for a National Health Plan. “Next the government will tell us a Pinto in every garage, a lead-coated toy to every child and melamine-laced puppy chow for every dog.”

“Health insurance is not a race to the top; it is a race to the bottom,” he told me from Cambridge, Mass. “The way you make money is by abusing people. And if a public-option plan is not ready and willing to abuse patients it is stuck with the expensive patients. The premiums will go up until it is noncompetitive. The conditions that have now been set for the plans include a hobbled public option. Under the best-case scenario there will be tens of millions [who] will remain uninsured at the outset, and the number will climb as more and more people are priced out of the insurance market.”

The inclusion of these corporations in the crafting of health care legislation has not stopped figures like Rick Scott, the former head of the Columbia/HCA health care company, from attempting to sabotage any plan. Scott’s company was forced to pay a $1.7 billion fraud settlement—the largest health care fraud settlement in U.S. history—for stealing hundreds of millions from taxpayers by overbilling for medical care. Scott, who made his money primarily from Medicare, is now saturating the airwaves in a reputed $20 million ad campaign that is stoking the anger and fear of many Americans. His ads are coordinated by CRC Public Relations, the group that masterminded the “Swift boat” attacks against 2004 Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.

“They are using our money to campaign against us,” Dr. Himmelstein told me. “The money for these commercials came from health care interests that collect fees from American patients. We experienced this before in Massachusetts. We ran a ballot initiative for universal health care in 2000 and the insurance industry spent $5 million on it, including the insurance company I am insured by. They used my premiums to smear an idea that 70 percent in Massachusetts, according to polls, favored before this smear campaign. Universal health care was narrowly defeated.”

The bills now in Congress will, at best, impose on the country the failed model in Massachusetts. That model will demand that Americans buy health insurance from private insurers. There will be some subsidies for the very poor but not for anyone above a modest income. Insurers will be allowed to continue to jack up premiums, including for the elderly. The bankruptcies due to medical bills and swelling premiums will mount along with rising deductibles and co-payments. Health care will be beyond the reach of many families. In Massachusetts one in six people who have mandated insurance still say they cannot afford care, and 30,000 people were evicted from the state program this month because of budget cuts. Expect the same debacle nationwide.

“For someone my age who is making $40,000 a year you are required to lay out $5,000 for an insurance premium for coverage that covers nothing until you have spent $2,000 out of pocket,” Himmelstein said. “You are $7,000 out of pocket before you have any coverage at all. For most people that means you are already bankrupt before you have insurance. If anything, that has made them worse off. Instead of having that $5,000 to cover some of their medical expenses they have laid it out in premiums.”

The U.S. spends twice as much as other industrialized nations on health care—$7,129 per capita—although 45.7 million Americans remain without health coverage and millions more are inadequately covered. There are 14,000 Americans a day now losing their health coverage. A report in the journal Health Affairs estimates that, if the system is left unchanged, one of every five dollars spent by Americans in 2017 will go to health coverage. Private insurance bureaucracy and paperwork consume one-third, 31 percent, of every health care dollar. Streamlining payment through a single nonprofit payer would save more than $400 billion per year, enough, Physicians for a National Health Plan points out, to provide comprehensive, high-quality coverage for all Americans. But the proposed America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (H.R. 3200 in the House) will, rather than cut costs, add an estimated $239 billion over 10 years to the federal deficit. This is very good for the corporations. It is very bad for us.

The lobbyists have, as they did with the obscene bailouts for banks and investment firms, hijacked legislation in order to fleece the citizen. The five largest private health insurers and their trade group, America’s Health Insurance Plans, spent more than $6 million on lobbying in the first quarter of 2009. Pfizer, the world’s biggest drug maker, spent more than $9 million during the last quarter of 2008 and the first three months of this year. The Washington Post reported that up to 30 members of Congress from both parties who hold key committee memberships have major investments in health care companies totaling between $11 million and $27 million. President Barack Obama’s director of health care policy, who will not discuss single-payer as an option, has served on the boards of several health care corporations.

Obama and the congressional leadership have shut out advocates of single-payer. The press, including papers such as The New York Times, treats single-payer as a fringe movement. The television networks rarely mention it. And yet between 45 and 60 percent of doctors favor single-payer. Between 40 and 62 percent of the American people, including 80 percent of registered Democrats, want universal, single-payer not-for-profit health care for all Americans. The ability of the corporations to discredit and silence voices that represent at least half of the population is another sad testament to the power of our corporate state.

“We are considering a variety of striking efforts for early in the fall,” Dr. Himmelstein said, “including protests outside state capitals by doctors around the country, video links of conferences in 70 or 80 cities around the country, with protests and potential doctors chaining themselves to the fence of the White House.”

Make sure you join them.
Copyright © 2009 Truthdig, L.L.C.

Chris Hedges writes a regular column for Truthdig.com. Hedges graduated from Harvard Divinity School and was for nearly two decades a foreign correspondent for The New York Times. He is the author of many books, including: War Is A Force That Gives Us Meaning, What Every Person Should Know About War, and American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America. His most recent book is Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle.

Astroturf defined --- net neutrality

2009-08-20T01:09:00.001-07:00

This is kind of a big thing------

&amp;lt;!-- The logos depicted in this widget are the property of the respective corporations listed. --&amp;gt;

Great Nationwide Kiss-In

2009-08-14T17:38:00.000-07:00

Promotional video #1:

Promotional video #2:

Promotional video #3:

Rep. Joe Baca Weasels on the Public Option

2009-07-29T04:27:00.000-07:00

From: http://campaignsilo.firedoglake.com/2009/07/27/rep-joe-baca-weasels-on-the-public-option/

By: Marisa McNee Monday July 27, 2009 10:30 am

Rep. Joe Baca (CA-43) tells Mike Stark why he can't pledge to vote against bill that doesn't include a public option:

We'll have to wait and see. Any kind of a pledge you make you don't know what's in it.

huh?

You can reach Congressman Baca's office at: (202)225-6161
--------------------------------

Poor Mike Stark... he thought Rep. Baca was a progressive and didn't know that he is actually on the Blue Dog Caucus. By the way Mr. Baca, my congressional representative, this is how you support a strong public option with access for all:

The proposal??

2009-07-28T22:02:00.000-07:00

A friend forwarded this to me today ---- perhaps you've seen it ---

When a company falls on difficult times, one of the things that seem to happen is they reduce their staff and workers. The remaining workers must find ways to continue to do a good job or risk that their job would be eliminated as well. Wall street, and the media normally congratulate the CEO for making this type of "tough decision", and his board of directors gives him a big bonus.

Therefore: Reduce the House of Representatives from the current 435 members to 218 members. Reduce Senate members from 100 to 50 (one per State). Then, reduce their staff by 25%. Accomplish this over the next 8 years (two steps/two elections) and of

course, this would require some redistricting. Some Yearly Monetary Gains Include: $44,108,400 for elimination of base pay for congress. (267 members X $165,200 pay/member/ yr.) :$97,175,000 for elimination of their staff. (estimate $1.3 Million in staff per each member of the House: and $3 Million in staff per each member of the Senate every year) $240,294 for the reduction in remaining staff by 25%: $7,500,000,000 reduction in pork barrel ear-marks each year. (those members whose jobs are gone. Current estimates for total government pork earmarks are at $15 Billion/yr).

The remaining representatives would need to work smarter and improve efficiencies. It might even be in their best interests to work together for the good of our country! We may also expect that smaller committees might lead to a more efficient resolution of issues as well. It might even be easier to keep track of what your representative is doing.

Congress has more tools available to do their jobs than it had back in 1911 when the current number of representatives was established. (telephone, computers, cell phones to name a few) Note: Congress did not hesitate to head home when it was a holiday, when the nation needed a real fix to the economic problems. Also, we had 3 senators that were not doing their jobs for the 18+ months (on the campaign trail) and still they all have accepted full pay. These facts alone support a reduction in senators & congress.

Summary of opportunity:

$ 44,108,400 reduction of congress members.

$282,100, 000 for elimination of the reduced house member staff.

$150,000,000 for elimination of reduced senate member staff.

$59,675,000 for 25% reduction of staff for remaining house members.

$37,500,000 for 25% reduction of staff for remaining senate

$7,500,000,000 reduction in pork added to bills by the reduction of congress

$8,073,383,400 per year, estimated total savings. (that's 8-BILLION just to start!)

Big business does these types of cuts all the time. If Congresspersons were required to serve 20, 25 or 30 years (like everyone else) in order to collect retirement benefits, tax payers could save a bundle. Now they get full retirement after serving only ONE term. IF you are happy with how Congress spends our taxes, delete this message. Otherwise, I assume you know what to do.

---------------------
Here was my response:

Hahahaha. This is an interesting proposal. I only laugh because I've seen up close and personal the political process --- and this would never happen. Corporations have bought and paid for these guys... while taxpayers might save 8 billion --- without Congress the corporations would lose trillions so it ain't gonna happen, baby. Who else would go into the hole (budget deficit) to make sure businesses don't lose profits? Although, I do like the idea of this sort of uprising! Lol.

I appreciate your willing to share this idea. It's radical. It's thinking out of the box. It's food for thought. Glad you're questioning how our government works!!!

Welcome to Civics 101 - How the U.S. Government has been taken over, bought and paid for by the Military/Congressional/Corporation (Oil, Insurance, Pharmaceutical) Complex.

The original proposal for a Dept. of Peace in 2001 called for about $8 billion in spending. So that totally would have made me happy if we could put the savings to effective programs back in our own communities which would inspire sustainable growth, economic justice, working together, etc.

PENTAGON SPENDING (about 57% of our budget)
Where did we get the amount $8 billion? It was equal to 2% of Pentagon spending for 2001 (now that amount would be $14-18 billion.) Which means the Pentagon's annual budget (which has never passed an independent audit, mind you and can't account for trillions of dollars of spending) is $900,000,000+. $900 BILLION. Where does the Pentagon spend their money? While some goes to our military personnel, the bulk of it goes to equipment (and now other services), ie government contractors, i.e. corporations. Big corporations. The kind that make weapons. And the some of the "other services" include corporations that have mercenary guns-for-hire that are ready to do dirty work here in the United States if folks get really interested in making real changes and cutting government revenues. How else would they get paid?

An example of this type of corporation would be a local company that makes, operates, and maintains the unmanned drone aircraft that keep killing people in Pakistan. Well, someone I know happens to work for this company. And he can attest that every day those same drones are flying over our cities --- way way way high so no one can see. =) That's fun, right? I would rather pay for a new playground.

MEDICARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY (which typically is almost the other half of our budget)
These are budget items called entitlements, mandatory outlays -- meaning we find the money to provide this to whoever qualifies (and the costs are rising as more baby boomers hit retirement) --- is the other huge chunk of taxpayer money.

However, Social Security which is actually Social Security Insurance is actually paid for with separate taxes --- individual contributions and employer contributions. Self-employed people pay both part for themselves. So, in truth, that's a different bucket of money - separate from all our other taxes -- and it is to be invested in government bonds with a conservative/moderate growth --- ya know, like insurance premiums. So when it's time to pay out --- there's money there, and there's probably enough to cover inflation.

One of the reasons why there's a big ol' fuss about it being insolvent -- is because over the last 30 years -- the corporations/congress have stolen the money from the bucket and used it to increase their profits -- leaving the bucket empty and to be filled with other taxes. Or as some propose, not at all. "Let them eat bread." Cost of living increases have been debated and sometimes denied in recent years -- so the stories of seniors eating pet food is not so off. In San Bernardino, seniors were our largest group of folks that seriously could not afford $10 a month in dues. Many have prescriptions that they cannot afford to fill, making them too sick to find a part-time job (if there was actual work to be had) to supplement their income. And, oftentimes they are sick because they have worked an entire lifetime in jobs and/or industries that made them sick --- unsafe working conditions, exposure to toxins, etc. But these businesses have paid big money to not be liable for any of that --- or have to fix it so their workers would stop getting sick.

As for Medicare -- corporations, again, have their hand in this bucket. Their paid staff (lobbyists and congress) have made it illegal for Medicare (and our Veterans Hospitals) to negotiate with pharmaceuticals for bulk discounts -- which is why they make more profit$ in the United States than in other countries for the same drugs. Also, as we know from the ongoing debate --- health care costs are out of control. Would it surprise you to know that health insurance and pharmaceutical corporations were the MOST PROFITABLE corporations in the world until a few years ago? Now they're number two -- with oil companies taking over the number one spot.

As for this idea ----- "When a company falls on difficult times, one of the things that seem to happen is they reduce their staff and workers. The remaining workers must find ways to continue to do a good job or risk that their job would be eliminated as well. Wall street, and the media normally congratulate the CEO for making this type of "tough decision", and his board of directors gives him a big bonus. "

Well, this whole thing and the "tough decision" actually sounds a little ironic and sarcastic. I do believe tough decisions are made in small businesses, and folks with a conscience, about letting staff go. However, as noted, the CEO's get congratulated, Wall Street and the board of directors rejoice because of money saved (ie more profits!). So, they tightened their belts -- on the backs of the people who do the work. Hooray for the owners of our government (corporations, CEOs, big business and investors). Tragic for the other 99% of us. So that kind of doesn't justify us shrinking our Congress --- which, ideally, are REPRESENTATIVES for the people. It does mean we fire the bums and hire people who will do the right thing for us (ie we gotta vote and we gotta vote for the right people and we gotta question them often, if they're doing the right thing).

By the way ---- $165,200 a year ---- that's like a Mary Kay National -- she might even make little bit more, right? Technically the constituency of each congressman is roughly 600,000 people. Even with a staff of 25, and cell phones, email, etc. --- could ONE National inform, assist, and represent 600,000 consultants?? That's the entire Mary Kay consultant base.

And their salary --- It's a lot --- but it isn't enough to make someone have a NET WORTH of tens and hundreds of MILLIONS. So ask yourself how our Congressman are getting so rich? Including your NEW congressman, Rep. Mary Bono-Mack and your old congressman, Rep. David Dreier (who's been there for almost 30 years). They're not very powerful, per se, but they go along with the party line well enough. Thank the corporations who need their votes to increase their profits.

You want to change government spending --- change the guys who decide how the money's spent. Take money out of elections. Make sure the people who are in office know who their boss really is --- and let them know we're not gonna pay them a ton of money so don't take the job if you want a lot of money.

IF you are happy with how Congress spends our taxes, delete this message. Otherwise,I DON'T assume you know what to do cuz really most people don't --- so figure out where you want to start, and I'll do what I can to help. LOL.

P.S. Per our campaign's latest PEACE OF THE PIE budget sheet --- we're asking for 1% of the federal budget for a Department of Peace (which is still the same as about 2% of the Defense budget since theirs is over half the entire budget -- but it's less confusing to folks because they think we want to take it away from the Defense budget -- and that makes them feel less safe. [she said, ironically]).

And I didn't even touch on the Justice Department --- and local state governments --- and the money we're spending on prisons. Now that we've made the prison system profitable -- turned over to corporations --- we've increase prison expenditures (and arrested and jailed more people) so they can make money too.

THE SHIFT Movie Trailer

2009-07-27T10:37:00.001-07:00

wow!! I saw wow.

Did you vote for this guy?

2009-07-27T01:00:00.000-07:00

His 2008 platform includes:

Creating a single-payer system of universal health care that provides full coverage for all Americans.
The immediate withdrawal of all U.S. Forces from Iraq and replacing them with an international security force.
Guaranteed quality education for all, including free Pre-K and college for all who want it.
Immediate withdrawal from the WTO (World Trade Organization)and NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)
Repealing the USA PATRIOT Act
Fostering a world of international cooperation.
Abolishing the death penalty.
Environmental renewal and clean energy.
Preventing the privatization of social security.
Providing full social security benefits at age 65.
Creating a cabinet-level "Department of Peace"
Ratifying the ABM Treaty and the Kyoto Protocol.
Introducing reforms to bring about instant-runoff voting.
Protecting a woman's right-to-choose while decreasing the number of abortions performed in the U.S.
Ending the war on drugs.
Legalizing same-sex marriage.
Creating a balance between workers and corporations.
Restoring rural communities and family farms.

He didn't win. But, I have a feeling that if he had won... he would still be holding strong to this commitment on these platform issues and we, the people, would be better off because of it.

Do you know who it is?

We want the public option

2009-07-16T20:29:00.001-07:00

health care... it's on everyone's mind

2009-06-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

So, I'm going to participate in a petition delivery --- of 80 double-sided pages of signatories to help my blue dog congressman understand that real health care reform is what we want. At least 375,000 folks across the country. The action day is Thursday, but since we'll be on the road to Colorado, I'll do it tomorrow.

I support a single-payer health care plan, hands down, no compromise. That's me. But if 170 fellow constituents in my district signed something that our congressman needs to see, I'm gonna make sure he sees it.

and for a good laugh (if it wasn't so true):

The Meaning of Your Calendar

2009-06-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

So then I ended up sending this out -- an expansion of the thought on previous post.

Subject: [iedopna] The meaning of your calendar
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:01:55 -0400

Dear Peace People!!

I have thought about reaching out to all of you and checking in on a few things that I've been thinking about for a while now -- then I received an email that talked about the importance of your "calendar" and "budget." Specifically, the idea that where a person spends their time and money speaks volumes about who they are and what is important to them.

"...I used to say that a budget tells you what and who are most important to a family, a church, a city, state, or nation. And that’s certainly also true about a calendar. Who or what is most important?" - Jim Wallis, Sojourners

The campaign for a Department of Peace actually embodies this idea of priority: if we say that violence reduction is necessary, if we wonder if there are better solutions than what we're doing now (because it seems to not be working all that well), then we need to spend some resources (time and money) to making these things happen and answering these questions. As a nation, we need to focus on how to create peace nonviolently in our communities, nation and world. That's what we're asking for when we're asking to create a Department of Peace at the highest level of our government.

"One little person giving all her time to peace, can make news. Many people, giving some of their time, can make history." -The Peace Pilgrim

So, I give time and money on the campaign. Not all my time. Not all my money. Which is good, because then I'd have no money for food, clothes, my home, you know, the details of life. Plus, doesn't it seem like budget issues are on the forefront of everyone's mind? And time, well as a new mom, my calendar has never been so entirely blank and yet been so busy.

But I give some time and money because it's important to me. I don't want to make news, I want to make history. I want to make violence history. For a lot of reasons. And these reasons change, and more reasons pop up all the time. Ethan, my 6-month old, is an example of a new reason. You probably have a lot of good reasons for joining this group, being in this group or staying in it.

Some of you know the story about how I first got involved in the campaign. I watched, kept an eye on the website (thepeacealliance.org), looked for a local group (there wasn't one) and generally had interest in the idea (though I didn't know many details). I did this for over two years.

Did you ever hear the story about the pig and the chicken? One is committed and one is interested. When it comes to breakfast, eggs and bacon, for instance, the chicken is interested, the pig is committed. Haha. Luckily the campaign doesn't ask for the kind of commitment the poor pig has to give.

So in January of 2006, I received an email about a conference call discussing a day of lobbying on Valentine's Day here in California. I had a phone. I shuffled some things around (namely dinner) and was on that call. It wasn't like it was meant to be, it was just that peace was important to me and my calendar didn't reflect that. I'd emailed friends, taken "ACTION" online with a petition, letter, etc. My friend Sean calls it "armchair activism." So I made the call happen!

The call was for organizing a plan to visit all of the Senatorial offices across the state and deliver a Valentine cookie for peace -- A Department of Peace. Between Sen. Boxer & Sen. Feinstein, there's 11 or so offices across the state. The ONLY office where a volunteer was not going to visit, was here in the Inland Empire (Sen. Boxer has an office in San Bernardino).

Finally, it came to two essential questions. If not me, who? And if not right now at this moment, then when?

I was scared that I didn't know what I was talking about, I had plans already and had to go way out of my way to get to San Bernardino, and I had just a little time to print out the packet and put it together in some sort of cohesive, presentable fashion. Plus, spending $30 on a heart-shaped cookie didn't sound appealing either. I had just taken a break from sales and had very little extra money. But then I got over myself and just decided to do it. And that, as they say, is that.

I had moved from interest to commitment. There's a brief summary of some things that we've done since at the new IEDOPNA website

It's been three years. My ability to give has waxed and waned depending on what is going on. Two years ago, I spent the summer in Northern California training for a new job to learn community organizing, I've spent the last six months learning what my friends had told me about how time-consuming and energy-depleting taking care of baby can be was true. So, I realize, we do what we can, as we can.

But, we define what is important to us overall when we look at our calendar and our budget. If we don't, we run the risk of giving time and resources to things that we don't value.

Get to the point already, right?

Overall, since I made the decision in 2006, my calendar & budget reflects my commitment to peace. And yours can too. There is so much to be done. We have yet to get a local congressional sponsor for the bill. Besides Marcia Taack, there are no other Team Leaders helping to coordinate news and information, or organize actions. This group is about the opportunity to GIVE to the cause of peace.

I would be honored to hear your answers: Are you interested in peace? Are a committed to peace? How are you willing to open up your calendar (and/or your budget) to reflect that interest and commitment? How can I support your effort?

If not you, then who? If not now, then when? Let's make history today.

Peace!

how you spend your money and your time

2009-06-19T01:51:00.000-07:00

I once coined the phrase, “A budget is a moral document.” But being a dad to Luke and Jack, I now have a new phrase, “A calendar is a moral document.” ... I used to say that a budget tells you what and who are most important to a family, a church, a city, state, or nation. And that’s certainly also true about a calendar. Who or what is most important? - Jim Wallis, Sojourners

To say that I agree with the above completely, doesn't even come close.

Orwell was only the beginning...

2009-05-29T00:46:00.000-07:00

so watching, listening, hearing news... about all sorts of things - how prop 8 passed and was upheld because it means the end of civilization if people are in love and want to be married, things like "the CIA 'lied' to me and I've always been supportive of an investigation (someone else do it) we'll do oversight" (or rather, just watch though they're both part of the job), "it is torture/it isn't torture, but if it was, it worked so it was worth it," I'm not racist if I say her food is weird, but she is because she mentioned her heritage"...

so I looked up words like Doublethink is the act of holding two contradictory beliefs simultaneously and fervently believing both (and I had incorrectly called it hypocrisy), cognitive dissonance, and discovered a new one too "true believer syndrome" and my brain almost exploded because some people will always talk louder and longer, no matter how faulty their case and we've got a lot of work to do.

anyway... this op-ed/article is funny.

Arrests on Capitol Hill over Single Payer Health Care Issue

2009-05-07T03:40:00.001-07:00

I've been busy...

2009-04-14T11:46:00.000-07:00

to look at this blog you'd think I haven't been busy. I have... check out ethanluc.blogspot.com.

So to catch up ---

I've gone green on the baby front - cloth diapers, reused clothes, breastfeeding exclusively, reused gear
I've donated clothes
I've been free-cycling (check out freecycle.com and join your local group)
We had a green Easter basket
held a couple of Dept. of Peace campaign local meetings to kick-start the local effort
and am going to a FREE Depeche Mode concert... it's a must -- we gotta go!! see the video for their newest song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bsXOcK9_Cw

Black Friday's Foreseeable Tragedy

2008-12-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

Dear Mr. Zorn,

Like you, I was shocked and saddened to hear about the tragic death of Wal-Mart employee Jdimytai Damour in Long Island, New York on Black Friday.

The very next day, on a television show, entitled "The World's Stupidest Shoppers" footage from years past showed frenzied shoppers rushing overwhelmed clerks, limited security staff, with fist-fights, trampled customers and more, and it was not surprising to see that many of these instances took place at Wal-Mart stores. Watching the show, what was most surprising was that it had not happened before. While his death was an accident, it was absolutely preventable.

One untrained worker should not have been asked to control a crowd of thousands by himself. If Wal-Mart had provided appropriate security, Mr. Damour would be with his family this holiday season. In fact, the Boston Globe estimated this Tuesday that the additional security would have only cost Wal-Mart around $6,000.

It is not the responsibility of taxpayers to fund police protection for the crowds that gather to spend money at your stores. It is Wal-Mart’s responsibility.

If Wal-Mart or any other company plans to profit by creating a sales frenzy, it must also be responsible to pay whatever it takes to protect its shoppers and workers.

In the future, I urge you to do everything in your power to see that Wal-Mart protects the safety of its customers and employees so that something like this tragic incident does not happen again.

Respectfully,

Gil & Bobbi Jo Chavarria
Fontana, CA 92335

Write your own letter!: http://action.walmartwatch.com/page/content/accountable

Open letter to Health Insurance Companies: Do you propose to guard the henhouse?

2008-12-03T17:37:00.001-08:00

From Bobbi Jo Chavarria
To America's Health Insurance Plans

Subject: Do you propose to guard the henhouse?

Quality, affordable health care available to all Americans is essential to a healthy society and nation. It is understandable that the insurance industry is required to make health insurance coverage profitable to its shareholders and the bottom line. It is, after all a business. When we're talking about the dignity and quality of human life, however, the industry's efforts to lobby Congress to protect profits is an unsuitable solution for the United States.

The industry has sought to make health care a business paying outrageous salaries to CEOs while raising insurance premiums to working families and American businesses. You have created a bureacracy designed to control costs, which essentially, denies care that doctors prescribe, and limits who and what will be covered.

It is unfathomable that you would work against your financial interests so let's be real - you cannot be trusted to handle health care reform. Because the industry has continued to be so profitable it is unconscionable and contrary to the interests of Americans to leave the solutions of "reform" in your hands. You can count on me to do what it takes to not let you derail this call for comprehensive health care reform that will finally provide quality, affordable health care for all.

WRITE YOUR OWN LETTER: http://healthcareforamericanow.org/page/speakout/ahipplan

The first appearance of Joe the Plumber

2008-11-20T13:15:00.000-08:00

August 29th, 2004 9:38 pm
Day in the Life of Joe Middle-Class Republican
by John Gray

my comments in italics - The first appearance of Joe the Plumber

Joe gets up at 6:00am to prepare his morning coffee. He fills his pot full of good clean drinking water because some liberal fought for minimum water quality standards (and every year, his local water municipality has to report on the quality in order to show that they are not accidently poisoning the community with things proven to be harmful). He takes his daily medication with his first swallow of coffee. His medications are safe to take because some liberal fought to insure their safety and work as advertised.

All but $10.00 of his medications are paid for by his employer's medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance, now Joe gets it too. He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs this day. Joe’s bacon is safe to eat because some liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry. (and, chances were that a few years ago, the workers in the meat packing industry also earned a living wage, and had the liberal protections and benefits of union workers too. Though, that may have changed, but no worries, the multi-billion dollar conglomerates that run the industry now can afford to report the unprotected, undocumented immigrant workers to ICE and have a fresh batch of workers shipped in before Joe gets too sick from e-coli and salmonella breakouts that have appeared throughout the increasingly de-regulated industry these last years.)

Joe takes his morning shower reaching for his shampoo; His bottle is properly labeled with every ingredient and the amount of its contents because some liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained. Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some tree hugging liberal fought for laws to stop industries from polluting our air. He walks to the subway station for his government subsidized ride to work; it saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees. You see, some liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.

Joe begins his work day; he has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe’s employer pays these standards because Joe’s employer doesn’t want his employees to call the union. If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed he’ll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some liberal didn’t think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

Its noon time, Joe needs to make a Bank Deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe’s deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some liberal wanted to protect Joe’s money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the depression.

Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae underwritten Mortgage and his below market federal student loan because some stupid liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his life-time. (and was able to be a long-standing community member with affordable home security, meaning he wasn't homeless or transient in unsafe, unaffordable tenant status! And, this of course, is hoping that Joe didn't refinance out of that low-interest, fixed rate, long-term loan with it's mandated affordable payment into the unregulated realm of a subprime loan that has destroyed new and old communities alike.)

Joe is home from work, he plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive to dads; his car is among the safest in the world because some liberal fought for car safety standards. He arrives at his boyhood home. He was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers Home Administration because bankers didn’t want to make rural loans. The house didn’t have electric until some big government liberal stuck his nose where it didn’t belong and demanded rural electrification. (Those rural Republican’s would still be sitting in the dark.)

He is happy to see his dad who is now retired. His dad lives on Social Security and his union pension because some liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn’t have to. After his visit with dad he gets back in his car for the ride home. (His dad probably also has a decent medical coverage plan in addition to medi-care, again because of the crazy liberals! So his dad doesn't have to choose between food and medicine once his costs go past the "medicare donut-hole" that deregulation, and the free-market have created.)

He turns on a radio talk show, the host’s keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. (He doesn’t tell Joe that his beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day.) Joe agrees, “We don’t need those big government liberals ruining our lives; after all, I’m a self made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have.”

This kind of thinking is what allows people to unequivocally support right-wing conservatism talking points with very little basis in reality, facts, analysis nor a deep understanding of how our society has functioned and how the fabric of opportunity, equality, and justice is being ripped to shreds. That's probably why people have been standing around a little stunned at just how crappy their situation is - and why those two "economic stimulus" payments were actually needed by many to eat, pay the rent or mortgage, and cover their unregulated rising energy costs, living expenses, and more.

Iraq War Ends -- and other good news

2008-11-17T10:18:00.000-08:00

July 4, 2009

Iraq War Ends - Troops to Return Home Immediately
National Health Insurance Act Passes
Ex-Secretary Apologizes for WMD Scare
Congress Returns Civics to High School Curriculum
Labor Dept. Launches Job Creation Program
All Public Universities to Be Free

Read more about these breaking news stories and more at: http://www.nytimes-se.com/

Disney was half-right, all things are possible if you believe, but you must WORK for it too. Join with neighbors, friends, and others on the campaigns and issues that matter most to you - social and financial justice, education parity and improvement, health care for all, and more. www.acorn.org

It's a new day...

2008-11-10T12:54:00.000-08:00

susan and chap man

2008-11-09T18:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween

2008-11-09T18:17:00.000-08:00

Leadership in Communities

2008-11-04T12:57:00.000-08:00

"To my mind, you cannot speak about the need for leadership within our communities without being prepared to take on responsibility yourself. It’s not enough to point the finger at those who have let us down and to expect others to come forward and fix our problems. Nor can anyone afford to call themselves a leader unless they truly have the interests of our community at heart."
-- Jackie Huggins, Indigenous Australian Author

Questions to Ponder
Where is leadership needed in the communities I live in?
When have I been a leader?

Action Steps
Look for needs.
Forget titles, just take action.

You are a leader if you take responsibility and lead. It is your choice.
--- Kevin Eikenberry

community organizers

2008-10-31T14:45:00.000-07:00

thanks to all those groups and people who've got our back...

there's more... look for the truth. =) you can find some more videos here from a variety of sources: http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=17869

Spookie cat

2008-10-16T01:11:00.000-07:00

Party on man!!

The House that Mama Built

2008-09-29T16:03:00.000-07:00

http://kcet.org/socal/2008/09/the-house-that-mama-hill-built.html

Millicent Hill, better known as Mama Hill, runs an afterschool program in Watts for at-risk youth. Hill developed a “Safe Passage,” program to transport children from different gang-affiliated neighborhoods to her home, where she helps them stay on top of their school work and out of gang life. Over one hundred children a month take part in “Mama Hill’s Help Inc.”

Mama Hill was recognized for her community work in 2007 by L’Oreal Paris. But soon after she was awarded the “Women of Worth” honor, Mama Hill lost her L.A. City funding. Forced to come up with that share of her program’s budget, Hill refinanced her home. Mama Hill's adjustable rate mortgage rose quickly from 7.5% to 10% and she fell behind on her payments. In 2008, Mama Hill’s house was in the process of being auctioned off to the highest bidder.

ACORN, a community organization that supports low to moderate income Americans stepped in to help Hill save her home, which is also home to Mama Hill’s Help Inc. “The House that Mama Hill Built,” is the story of Millicent Hill’s fight to save her house and her thriving after-school program.

In Defense of Community Organizing

2008-09-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

Last week I sent this email to everyone on my list.... it was prompted by a couple of petitions/emails from different lists I belong to, not to mention my own shock/outrage/anger/surprise/disbelief/whatever
--------------------------------------
Dearest Friend,

In her acceptance speech last night at the Republican National Convention, Vice Presidential nominee and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin said, "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a `community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities."

Nominally, her words were an assault on Barack Obama's early career as a community organizer on Chicago's south side. But the impact reaches farther than that and is a direct affront to the thousands who have dedicated their lives to making America great.

As an organizer myself, I took these comments personally. As you may know, these last few years -- first as a volunteer organizer for the department of peace campaign, and then as a paid organizer with ACORN -- have taken a tremendous amount of time, energy --- and responsibility. Oftentimes, the weight of the responsibility has been overwhelming because there is just so much that is needed to be done and every organizer I know, puts in long hours, with their heart and soul to do their part --- taking upon themselves the ultimate responsibility of a world citizen in a democratic country -- participation, learning & sharing that knowledge, holding elected officials accountable to their words and their actions and their job description, and empowering others to do the same. I just signed a petition to tell Governor Palin to apologize for her disparaging remarks about community organizers -- I hope you will too.

Please have a look and take action.

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/defend_community_organizers/?r_by=-243650-nGSuF_x&rc=paste

Thanks!

Bobbi Jo Chavarria

Head Organizer, San Bernardino ACORN (www.acorn.org)
State Regional Coordinator, Department of Peace Campaign (www.thepeacealliance.org)

-----------------------------------------
So then my friend Darin responded...
"I do not think that Sarah Palin was talking about ALL community organizers,,,,, just Borack Obama. It seems to me that a lot of people take themselves way too seriously. Each side takes offense at what the other one says but they fail to realize that they both do AND say the same thing. What Ms. Palin did for the candidate race was add some life to it. I cannot sign the petition because I do not feel that she said anything wrong against ALL community organizers. If I signed a petition each time someone offended me,,,,, well,,,, my fingers would be numb."
------------------------------------------
My response to Darin:
like so many things --- opinions are plentiful and need no qualifications to exist. I shared mine... thanks for sharing yours. =-) Hope you're doing well.
Peace,
Bobbi
------------------------------------------
And then I get a phone call from my dad... which is funny and weird and had nothing to do with this mess except he was listening to a guest host on the Rush Limbaugh show this morning talking about the mortgage crisis and the government takeover of Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac and a caller asked just where were the people and groups that were taking on these companies and CEOs who are getting paid bonuses, cashing in stock options, etc. while people are losing their homes. My dad thought to call me because the guest host said it was groups like ACORN who were doing it... and causing trouble for these lenders, making them work with homeowners to save homes.

At the end of the conversation it wasn't about whether or not it was a good thing or a bad thing, it was just that an organized group of people is an empowered group of people who just doesn't roll over and let things happen to families, neighbors, and their community without holding those responsible for the problems or the solutions accountable.

****Disclaimer/note**** Let's not even begin to reason why my dad listens to Rush Limbaugh... we disagree on a LOT of things. We've had many conversations about my work on the Dept. of Peace and with ACORN.

My dad, to his credit, did leave me with this idea that I liked.. and I'm paraphrasing here.. but it was something to do with what he had heard from a pastor a long time ago justifying their action, "We are problem-solvers not trouble-makers."

Returning to Gov. Palin's slam and the whole GOP convention tone in general --- a little bit less valuable than adding "life" to the campaign --- adding judgement, pettiness, and simplification of a really complex society just to get some applause and stir up things to stir up things without offering any kind of solution, just talking smack.

... got this video from another ACORN organizer and wanted to share

... and Jon Stewart right at the end, nailed it.

summer

2008-07-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

I found this beautiful summer poem and thought it might help make your day. It did me, and it's very well written. ENJOY!

' Summer '
A poem by Abigail Elizabeth McIntyre

SHIT!
It's Hot !

The END

San Bernardino action on WaMu

2008-05-08T16:30:00.000-07:00

As part of a national day of action in 30 cities across the nation at Washington Mutual banks and at the Federal Reserve...

ACORN member, Barbara Eaton of Fontana, delivered a letter to home loan specialist manager Marty Barbados addressed to CEO Kerry K. Killinger at the downtown San Bernardino branch next to City Hall. Thirteen ACORN members (some WaMu customers) marched in, planted themselves across from the counter and sang and chanted, handed out flyers, and talked with other customers while they waited for the police to show up. Some customers made a point to get flyers and asked what was going on. When the flyers and the demands that would help our communities save homes from foreclosure were shared, they asked for more copies to pass out to friends, family members, and their churches. Right from the moment we walked in, the security guard asked us to leave, asked us to keep quiet, etc., but also very quietly indicated her support for our actions!! Great!!

A second manager, visibly upset, asked us to leave and told us that the police were on their way. Members agreed that we'd wait until we had to leave and told the manager that we'd wait for the police. A reporter from the San Bernardino Sun arrived and interviewed members. With low chants we kept the action going until a San Bernardino police officer came, and after a long conversation with ACORN folks about the subprime crisis, he asked us to take our group outside. When we finally decided to leave, we had delivered the letter, the demands and our message, and marched back outside chanting, "Hey, hey Kerry K, how many homes did you take today?"

On his way out, the police officer mentioned that the branch manager said if we were to go back in they'd ask for trespassing citations to be issued and arrests to be made. If local branches can't talk to or work with a group of retired homeowners, concerned community members, and customers, it makes sense that what are they doing at a national level to help ease the subprime crisis is not enough! Boo hoo WaMu!!

PS ACORN leader, Pewe Salgado, helped with one more great WaMu chant to the tune of "Bad Boys" (the theme from Cops)

WaMu WaMu

whatchya gonna do?

Subprime loans

make our neighborhood blue

WaMu WaMu

whatchya gonna do?

whatchya gonna do

when the bill comes due?

Positive

2008-05-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

If you ever watch the movie Juno you'll probably laugh, like I did, at the scene where Juno, the 16-year old title character, tells her parents that she's pregnant. After she leaves the room, it's even funnier as they each muse that they were hoping for drugs or expulsion. But the part that I will always and forever remember is somewhere in the middle of the scene where she declares, "if it's any consolation, I have heartburn down to my knees and I haven't taken a crap since Wednesday. Morning."

It was at hearing that, the Saturday night before last, that I realized I was pregnant. Thank you, Juno! I'd been feeling hormonal, a little bloated and a little crampy, but not in the regular way and I couldn't figure it out and I had a feeling, but I didn't want to get my hopes up. My neck had been really sore, which is where I always feel the flu coming on, and maybe my mind had given up trying to fool my body because with the crampy feeling, I was already feeling a little sad that here comes my Aunt Rose, Aunt Flo, the period. Etc. etc.

I'd had hopes the last couple of months, when I was days or even a week late and -- this is the power of the mind -- as soon as no second line appeared on the pregnancy tests, I would give up something in my head and what do you know, the natural cycle would be released now that I wasn't deluding myself with false hopes. Argh!

But, last Monday - a week ago, I woke up, inspired by Juno, and decided that whatever the answer, I'd use that last pregnancy test in the medicine cabinet and just get on with the week - whatever the answer. I remember setting it down on the back of the toilet... to allow the pee to work it's way across the fibers into the little window of life (or death) and like a scary movie, I couldn't decide whether or not to look or shut my eyes and wait for it to be all over. When the first line started to show, "I was like, ok, there it is, that's it, just the one line" and then when the second line, darker, bolder, more pronounced showed through, I realized that the second line was the test indicator that I had been seeing for the last few months that had always been the dark one, it was, "wow, so that's THE line. No way! The line, I can't believe that's the line. Yay!!!!"

So we spent the week, Gil and I, contemplating that line. I did two things with the stick, I took a picture and I hung it up on the bulletin board in the dining room. Classy, sanitary, weird, I know, but I would walk by, with circular glances and watch it hanging there out of the corner of my eye, contemplating it all. We talked about letting people know. I contemplated the craziness that it was so early, according to my calculations probably about 10-12 days since conception. I sent a text message to Rosie and Judy, I couldn't help myself. And when my mom stopped by for lunch, I showed her the picture on my phone.

But there's that lingering, "no way," right? So on Friday, when I knew that I wouldn't be able to take a whole weekend of seeing people, and not really knowing, with no second confirmation, on the way to work I stopped at Kaiser and walked the three flights up to the OB/GYN check-in and asked for a pregnancy test. (By the way, the three flights of stairs left me a little breathless with the realization that I'm soooo out of proper cardio shape!)

I had taken my morning pee at home because I just couldn't hold it, but I managed to squeeze a small amount out. I took my paperwork, which was basically a blank piece of paper, my medical card information stamped at the top, and "pregnancy test" hand-written across the bottom part of the page, over to the slot outside the door and then I waited with the lunch bag that gave my pee cup a little bit of privacy on the chair next to me.

The nurse called me in, took the bag, and then took my blood pressure, 117 over 79 -- or something like that. Either way she said good. I was glad that my breathing had gotten back to normal from the 3 flights of stairs. And then I was sent back out to the waiting room to wait. I like it when things are named what they are.

So when the nurse called my name again, and halfway into the hallway of the offices, handed me the slip of paper that had a great big red POSITIVE stamped on it, I started crying, hugged the surprised nurse, and made my way out the building, text messaging Gil that it was confirmed - by a nurse! So there! The line was right!

Me in NOLA

2008-04-05T15:17:00.000-07:00

Field Operations Meeting in New Orleans. Look at me... (though really you can't see cuz I'm taking the picture) with all the buddies from around the country --- we're working hard -- we're thinking hard (can't you see the steam??) --- some people (I will mention no names) are also playing hard in New Orleans.

So one of the funnier ideas was about how to engage members, develop leaders, reward and recognize growth, leadership, etc. Soooooo... we're gonna become Mary Kay. Can you tell that was my idea?? hahaha. But it's valid, right? Pins, ribbons, crowns and cars!! Well, maybe not cars... but there we go!

I miss Cat Riley

2008-04-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

October 31, 1994 - March 29, 2008

Grandpa Luis

2008-01-13T01:10:00.000-08:00

I believe the proper response would be ... WTF. But we'll just take it from here - one day at a time.

Grandpa Raul

2008-01-13T00:08:00.000-08:00

Raul L. Montano
March 8, 1919-January 10, 2008

As Forrest Gump said, "That's all I have to say about that." But it's mostly cuz I can't find the words.

Blind Taste Test #2

2008-01-06T23:16:00.000-08:00

And the winner is...


	Dennis Kucinich Score: 76	Agree Iraq Immigration Taxes Stem-Cell Research Health Care Abortion Social Security Energy Marriage Death Penalty Gun Control Environment	Disagree Line-Item Veto Education
-- Take the Quiz! --

Trish Reuser & how she made me feel...

2008-01-05T05:16:00.000-08:00

So got the news today...

"It is with great sadness, shock and grief that I am writing to inform you of the passing of our wonderful friend, Trish Reuser. She was an amazingly kind and generous woman with whom I have worked for nearly 13 years. I loved her very much as I know all of you did as well. Trish touched so many lives in Mary Kay, please pass this information on to all who knew and cared for her. She was at home and had a sudden heart attack.

"I left this quote in because it is how Trish ended every email at it sums up all that I learned from her...

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, they'll forget what you did, but they'll never forget how you made them feel."
---------------------
Can I tell you what I learned from her? It would be hard to grasp it all, but I learned that you can always find the time to give even when it feels like you don't have the time. I learned that when you're sharing - your time, your energy, your wisdom - it is about the other person, always.

Can I tell you how she made me feel? There would be so much to say and it would all be said with smiles, with gratitude and appreciation, and a wonder at the grace and love that is possible from someone.

Community activist group ACORN gaining support

2007-12-28T16:24:00.000-08:00

Community activist group ACORN gaining support
04:36 PM PST on Thursday, December 27, 2007

By CHRIS RICHARD

The Press-Enterprise

Usually at San Bernardino City Council meetings, the audience is small.

William Wilson Lewis III / The Press-Enterprise Robert Catalano, 52, left, and Sean Hagstrom, 53, load a van on moving day for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.

Meetings that begin at 3 p.m. every other Monday can last for hours. By the time the council is halfway through the agenda, most listeners have drifted away, and the level of participation in the public comments period often ebbs with it.

At one meeting earlier this year, a lone gadfly earnestly suggested that council members to seek policy guidance in Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf."

Known as ACORN, it wants a commitment from local officials to expand crime prevention in San Bernardino.

Sometimes, nobody has anything to say at all. But recently, there's been a stirring of change.

At a meeting in November where council members discussed the expansion of the city's crime-fighting Operation Phoenix, the audience included some 30 people in scarlet vests.

They were volunteers with the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN. And they had a unified message. Extending more vigorous police patrols to crime-plagued neighborhoods was a good idea as far as it went, ACORN speakers said.

Even more, however, they wanted a commitment to expand crime prevention, from youth recreation to parenting classes to jobs training.

Last week, at a meeting to discuss allegations that police harass black and Latino residents of the city's Westside, ACORN activists played a crucial role, leafleting the neighborhood and urging neighbors to attend.

The Rev. Bronica Martindale, a meeting organizer, said ACORN's help made the gathering a success.

"They're new, but they can really get people to turn out," she said.
The group, which bills itself as the nation's largest community organization of low- and moderate-income families, has maintained a San Bernardino office for several years. But Bobbi Jo Chavarria, head organizer for San Bernardino, said in September that the organization launched a much more intensive local effort, starting with a commitment to improve police-community relations.

Since then, Chavarria has seen her list of affiliates grow from about 200 to about 1,500. After a recruiting and training period next month, Chavarria expects her staff to double, with about seven full-time organizers. The organization has moved to larger offices so it can offer more services, including assistance to residents facing foreclosure.

This is not Chavarria's first experience with community activism. Two years ago, she launched a local campaign to establish a federal counterpart to the Defense Department, a Department of Peace.

While she says she remains committed to that goal, ACORN takes precedence right now.

"It's really hard for people to see the mountaintop vision when they don't have food on their table or trust government at any level," she said.

Enthusiastic Responses
On the local issues, she said, San Bernardino residents have responded enthusiastically. At first, when Chavarria or another organizer knocked on their door, they were suspicious, wanting to know what she was selling. But when they realized she wanted to know about their concerns, enthusiasm spread fast, Chavarria said.

Pewe Salgado, Westside ACORN chairwoman, said she was impressed when she learned that the organization has 350,000 member families nationwide.

That brings a respect from local authorities that her own organization, More Action Regarding Community Havoc, lacks, Salgado said.
She said she founded her organization a decade ago after her granddaughter and her boyfriend died in a gang-related attack. But her group has only 15 members.

Salgado, a self-described former gang member, said she sometimes wonders whether authorities take her seriously.

"With ACORN, I can see that they listen," she said.

City Councilman Rikke Van Johnson, who represents the Westside, said one reason he has been impressed is that the group seems to rise above ethnic and economic distinctions.

"They bring together a real cross-section of the community, and you don't always see that happening," he said. "Also, they're very well organized."
Martindale, a leader in efforts to extend Operation Phoenix social programs, said she is impressed as well.

As president of the California Gardens Neighborhood Association, she said she often has wondered why it can be so difficult to enlist neighborhood support for San Bernardino civic organizations.

Other groups have addressed many of the same issues that ACORN is taking on, she said. But when ACORN helps with a meeting, crowds turn out.

"With as many neighborhood groups as we already have, that boggles my mind," she said.

"From what I've seen, the people who have stepped forward in that group are the people who probably were going to be leaders anyway. They may not have had the capacity to organize. ACORN has provided a platform for them to be the leaders they were called to be."

Reach Chris Richard at 909-806-3076 or crichard@PE.com

ACORN Caucus of Color

2007-12-28T16:21:00.000-08:00

It is what it is. We all have color. More than anywhere else it makes sense to show the changes in the world... in the population. More than anywhere else, we have the chance to demonstrate beyond all measure of doubt that greater diversity means More. More.

ACORN responds to California fire emergency

2007-10-26T23:04:00.000-07:00

ACORN has established clothing distribution site at Southern California shelter.

California ACORN – the state's largest community organization with more than 37,000 member families – has begun the fight for those impacted by the wildfires that are devastating Southern California. ACORN is working with over 500 low- and moderate-income families affected by this crisis, and organizing to ensure that the voices of working families are heard. Almost half a million Southern California residents, many of them renters, have been forced into makeshift shelters run by private relief organizations. While many emergency needs are being met, questions remain about transitional housing, medical care and basic supplies for evacuees.

Click here to donate to the ACORN Institute California Fire Response and Recovery Fund now!

In San Bernardino, ACORN member Meg Coons of Lake Arrowhead, who was forced to evacuate her home with four relatives and three pets, said she has been frustrated by the response to the fires. Along with about 3,300 other evacuees, Meg and her family sought shelter at the Orange Show Fairgrounds, where she said she has had trouble obtaining the proper asthma medication and has been forced to sleep in her car in order to keep her pets with her instead of leaving them in cramped cages. ACORN members have set up clothing and food distribution sites at the fairgrounds.

Meanwhile, hundreds of residents of Ramona, a city nestled in the north eastern portion of San Diego County, are living in temporary shelters like one at Escondido High School. Many evacuees are undocumented, working families who worry about when they will be able to return to their homes. As renters, most fear eviction because they can’t get into Ramona to pick up their paychecks and pay their rent. Oliva Barrera, a new ACORN member, was evacuated on Sunday with her four young children. She is pregnant and worried about contacting her husband, who was in Mexico before the fires. She was unable to let her husband know where to find her because of a power outage that struck just before she fled her home with her children. Uncertain how long she will be away from home and worried about her children, Oliva joined ACORN to be part of an organized disaster response.

Having learned important lessons after Hurricane Katrina about disaster response, long-term recovery and survivor mobilization, ACORN is kicking its disaster response program into high gear in Southern California. We are visiting shelters, organizing committees of victims and developing a program for immigrants to ensure that all levels of government respond appropriately - particularly FEMA. ACORN's protracted struggles with FEMA after Katrina resulted in crucial expansions of short-term housing assistance and increased funding for Gulf Coast restoration. As ACORN members returned home after Katrina, the organization has led the charge toward recovery, gutting and preserving thousands of homes, building the first new homes in the Lower 9th Ward and fighting for fair and equitable distribution of rebuilding funds. For more information about ACORN’s wildfire organizing efforts, email caacorn(at)acorn.org.

26-10-07 14:05

Category: California, Chula Vista, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Orange County, San Diego, San Bernardino

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING, NANCY?

2007-09-07T00:47:00.000-07:00

To join the Liberty Underground news service visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/libertyunderground/ where we put out a daily news/opinion piece which goes beyond the narrow range of corporate media propaganda.

Nancy Pelosi has the power. With a rap from her gavel she can make fur fly at Babylon on the Potomac. How do we glimpse into her mind? I am certain it must be difficult to be the first female Speaker of the House. Millions of eyeballs follow wherever she goes. She may feel she is being compared to men who held the job in the past, asking, "Can a woman cut it?"

Does she fear that siding with the peace movement will make her appear as weak? Would corporate media scream that a man in her position might be more willing to suck it up and allow another million people to die in Iraq?

As a combat veteran, I have seen the madness of war unleashed, with its rotting bodies and hungry children. I am most impressed by the heroism of those who oppose war, because that takes more courage than to submit and go along in a land where war has been worshipped as a central part of the culture over the last 65 years. We have been at war, with our own troops and mercenaries, more than any other nation over that span.

I am impressed by the heroism of women who've shown leadership in opposing our current wars, women like Representative Barbara Lee, Cindy Sheehan and Colonel Ann Wright, who could have had easier lives by just keeping their mouths shut. And women like Medea Benjamin who, as a constituent of The Speaker, takes us inside of recent attempts by the peace movement to reach Nancy Pelosi, in order to get her to side with the American people and end the madness --Jack
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nancy Pelosi Should Listen to Karl Rove
by Medea Benjamin

Karl Rove might be a nasty guy, but he’s no dummy. In a press interview as he left office, he gave the Democrats some free advice. He described his politics as building on the energy of the base of the Republican Party and expanding it outward. He mentioned that the Democrats could build on the energy of their base, like the “Pink Ladies”, he said, referring to the Code Pink women who dogged him until the day he left office.

Instead of courting the “Pink Ladies” and the energetic peace movement that helped put the Democrats in power and turned Pelosi from Minority leader into Madam Speaker, Pelosi has alienated CODEPINK and most of the peace movement. It started the day she became Speaker, when she said that defunding the war and impeachment were off the table. It worsened when she compromised with the conservative “Blue Dog” Democrats on an Iraq funding bill instead of supporting the Progressive Caucus. And it totally fell apart in May 2007 when she allowed Congress to give Bush another $95 billion for war with no timetable for withdrawal. While Pelosi herself voted against the bill, many anti-war activists held her responsible since she failed to put pressure on the conservative Democrats to form a united front against another blank check for war. They also pointed out that in the case of both the unrestricted war funding and the expanded FISA wiretapping, she had the power to just keep the bills off the floor.

With a Bush Administration request for even more war money looming in September, CODEPINK and a coalition of 1,300 anti-war groups called United for Peace and Justice have been pushing for a meeting with the Speaker to see what her strategy will be this time around. If she really wants to end the war, as she insists she does, what lessons did she learn from the Spring defeat that will ensure a different outcome this Fall? How can the peace movement work together with the Speaker to make sure her new strategy works?

Despite countless requests, Pelosi has refused to have either a private meeting with the peace community or a public Town Hall meeting in her district. The last time she held a Town Hall meeting was in January 2006-almost two years ago!

During the August recess, while Congresspeople all over the country held meetings on the issue most pressing to their constituents-the war-Pelosi rejected a request from over 30 San Francisco peace and justice groups, ranging from Jewish Voice for Peace to Muslim American Voice, from the Labor Council to MoveOn.

So on August 12, CODEPINK took the request to her home, organizing an encampment and hunger strike outside her Pacific Heights mansion. It is a tactic that was successful with Senator Dianne Feinstein. After six days of having campers outside her home, Feinsten came out to have a cordial half-hour discussion with the fasters and promised a longer meeting. Not Pelosi. During the two-week campout and hunger strike, Pelosi’s only interaction with the activists was her hostility toward them. Arriving home late one evening, hunger striker Toby Blome asked “Why won’t you meet with us?” “I’ll never meet with you,” the Speaker screamed. “Get away from my house.” When Blome asked her about the homes of all the Iraqis whose privacy we invade, Pelosi snapped and called her “a nut.”

Hoping the Speaker would change her mind, the activists kept up the vigil, sleeping on the hard cement, drinking only liquids, and trekking to her downtown office every day singing (to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat) “Nancy, Nancy you’re our rep, It’s time to end the war, Meet, meet, meet with us, That’s all we’re asking for.”

On Day 5 of the hunger strike, Pelosi’s San Francisco Director Dan Bernal coldly told the fasters and their supporters that the Speaker would not have the time to meet with peace groups in her district anytime during the August recess, period. That very night, CODEPINK in Arizona emailed us an article from the Ahwatukee, Arizona paper saying the Speaker had made a surprise appearance at a “Democrats and Donuts” coffee klatch in their little town before going on to a fundraiser. “I was amazed she took so much time to speak with us,” gushed local organizer Pamela Jamar Wald in the Ahwatukee paper. The next day, CODEPINK Los Angeles passed on the news that Pelosi was meeting with high-dollar donors at the estate of Beverly Hills political fundraiser Daphna Ziman. While Pelosi had no time for her constituents, she spent the month of August jetting around to fundraisers in seven states.

Meanwhile, it’s not just passionate peace activists who are disillusioned. An August Field Poll of California voters found Pelosi’s approval rating plummeted from a high of 48 percent in March to 39 percent by August- a tie with Vice President Dick Cheney. The drop came primarily from Democrats and independents disappointed that Congress has been unable to change policy in Iraq. California voters’ view of the entire Congress was a disastrous 20 percent approval, 66 percent disapproval-the lowest rating since the Field Poll started asking the question in 1996. It’s even worse nationally. An August national Gallup poll found 18 percent approval, 76 percent disapproval–the worst since the group started asking the question in 1974.

Nancy Pelosi is not only blowing it with the peace movement-turning those who should be her base into her adversaries and paving the way for “peace mom” Cindy Sheehan to make a spirited run for her Congressional seat-she’s also blowing it with the majority of Americans.

Our advice? Stand up to Bush. Don’t allow Congress to give another blank check for war. Force the conservative Dems to follow your lead. Don’t only vote the right way, but use your power as Speaker to only allow bills to the floor that include a fixed timeline for withdrawal or stipulate that funds only be used for the safe and speedy withdrawal of our troops.

And one more thing. Take a clue from Karl Rove. Build on the energy and passion of the anti-war movement. Make them your allies. If you can meet with Syrian strongman Bashar al-Asad, you can surely meet with the peace-loving Pink Ladies, the Quakers, Veterans for Peace and others who have been the heart and soul of our nation’s efforts to end this shameful war.

Medea Benjamin (medea@globalexchange.org) is cofounder of Global Exchange (www.globalexchange.org) and CODEPINK: Women for Peace (www.codepinkalert.org).

somebody's tagline... too great.

2007-08-29T22:45:00.000-07:00

SOMETIMES what gives you peace... is putting up only one finger.

"Let others know about People's Revolution! Spread the word... the more who know the truth, the greater the force against the capitalist system! Resistance forever!
............ ......... ../´¯/)
............ ........, /¯../
............ ......./. .../
............ ./´¯/'...'/´¯¯`·¸
........../' /.../.... /......./¨¯ \
........('(. ..´...´.... ¯~/'...')
.........\.. ......... ......'.. .../
..........'' ...\..... ..... _.·´
............ \........ ......
STICK UP YOUR MIDDLE FINGER TO US IMPERIALISM AND CAPITALIST OPPRESSION!"

There is life here.

2007-08-07T23:09:00.000-07:00

There is death here
and promises of more...
There is life here.
Anyone hearing this is breathing,
maybe hurtin' but breathing for sure
If there is any light to come
it will shine from the eyes of those
who look for peace
and justice
after the rubble and rhetoric are cleared
and the phoenix has risen.
Affirm life. Affirm life
we got to carry each other now
you are either with life or against it.
Affirm life.
- Suheir Hamed, Def Poetry

I don't know what I want to write here. I've been watching the first season of Def Poetry (somebody somewhere get me some of the other seasons) and you just gotta love words. The power of words and I love. I love words. So rather than sentences that I cannot figure how to make come together, here are a few words about today.

there is life here
(title inspired by Suheir Hamed)

the problem house on the block
causes problems
and has problems too
sitting on the porch
a crack addict one month clean
former heroin addict
drinking a beer
the mother of an army veteran
who served three years in Iraq
two in Afghanistan
who enlisted right out of school
over twenty years ago
do people see the mother
when they see her?
she sleeps on the couch
in her granddaughter's
section 8 home
barely able to contain
the kids
their energy
their needs
their wants
a boy
sharp-eyed and attentive
inquisitive and verbal
with the arm broken
off his eyeglasses
I almost want to cry
I write down
"homemaker"
and "retired"
as occupations of the household members

next door.

the scent of smoke
not cigarettes
I've never smoked enough
to know the scents
like some know the scents
I have no sense.
should we knock?
every door.
every door.
problem doors
have problems too.
there is no answer.

next door.

a recent oakland tech graduate
not quite like piedmont
she says of the high school
just over a few blocks
where the teachers care more
have more
do more
but graduated nonetheless
she is readying for a trip on Friday
to play basketball for Missouri
learned and earned her way out of Oakland
but didn't demonstrate
with teachers and students
for better schools
it didn't do any good anyway
why miss class?
saw no irony in leaving to study
criminal justice
justice

I leave the teenager
with words that I remember
that I have written down
so I would remember
she leaned forward when I said,
"Martin Luther King said,"
and I hope she heard it
where and how she needed to hear it
"We will remember not the words of our enemies
but the silence of our friends."

Next door.

a strong, gentle, aware,
muslim mother
5 months older than me
born on my grandma's birthday
she wants to leave this city
she wants to change this city
she knows some of the answers
but knowing she could not knock
on neighbor's doors
not after this weekend
the assassination of a reporter
a bakery raided
young men arrested
only three charged
where are the others?
Where are the other Muslim men?
The Patriot Act.
Nobody has to tell us.
Is this the U.S.?

And knowing
7 other deaths
this weekend
it's on the minds
it's in the hearts
and it aches
and she looks at her 13 year old son.
What will the Patriot Act
do to him in America?
What will happen
to the children
here in Oakland?
Here in the war?

My head hurts
and it aches
and my feet
aren't tired enough
to stop walking
my ears have not heard
enough to stop listening.

Next door.
Next door.

Before I left
to come back here
reading the news
of this past weekend
my husband asked,
"You still want to go back?"
"Back into the war zone,"
I say with a sort of grin.
But I know
the war zone is outside my door too
and it has taken a long time
for the war to move
outside
my door
It has taken even longer
for the war
to move
outside
my heart

So, next door
one door at a time

The 62 year old mother
whose son age 42
(the answer to the universe)
started using drugs 14 years ago
when his father died
and she works hard
to not be codependent
to give him a place to stay
but no money in his pocket
to flush shit
in his veins
or through a pipe
and she hits the floor
at the sound of bullets
and it will never change
she says
and there is no hope
and it is not that I set
out to prove her wrong
it is that I walk faster
and listen harder
to show the gratitude I feel
for her.
Thank you for showing
what will happen to me
if I close the door
to the war zone
outside
and act like
it won't find its way in.

Next door.
Next door.
Two teachers.
A lawyer.
Next door.
Next door.
You never know
when the next door
might be filled
with light
might let some
light shine in.
You never know until
you knock
on the next door.

Bill Maher...

2007-07-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

blind taste-test

2007-07-25T14:59:00.000-07:00

If I were smart enough (I was wise enough to think of this... just not skilled enough to know where to even begin)... I would have done this for everyone that I know to really test-drive what they think about how the government should operate, what should be done about so many aspects that affect our lives, and even what the government's role should be regarding things that the government has no business being a part of in our lives.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,145174.shtml

See for yourself what really matters to you - and just exactly who is the candidate is. This may affirm Ben Cohen's belief in the True Majority (truemajority.org) of our nation. Radical, liberal, whatever you want to call it - it's a vision of the U.S. that holds true to our principles and deepest aspirations as a nation.

Whatever the Question...

2007-07-18T03:59:00.000-07:00

Why am I willing to subject myself to the up and down oftentimes, heart-wrenching, of social, political, comunity organizing? Having been repeatedly asked, and having repeatedly asked myself... I can only think of the tattoo that has been on my mind for a while now --- something signifying a life philosophy that inspires and comforts, motivates and challenges, and fills me with a sense of adventure and wonder at how it's all going to turn out.

Quite simply -- Whatever the question, the answer is love.

Is there a deeper understanding possible that can sustain each of us to live a life that answers all questions with love? Poets, songwriters, artists, humans of all measure and of all faiths have contemplated this idea, in search for meaning, purpose, understanding. And those whose lives would strive to be a reflection of love, and of love's intention, turn this question inward and over and over ask, "what will I do with my time, where will I spend my energy, upon what will I turn love's focus?"

That's the answer, I say. The answer is in the question. It's because I must. What else would I do?

"Love is all there is." As a couple of wise boys from Liverpool said.

Or as some wise girl in a San Francisco housing projects, wrote, in a bathroom stall... (and from that I add love, because I've been asking myself the question, and have been looking for answers, and then I close the door of a bathroom stall and see this...)

But it isn't easy. The doing isn't so much the hard part. Oftentimes, I find myself energized and inspired by the doings, of the moments when you can see something triggered within someone, and all I can do is go with the flow and be amazed and grateful, and sometimes even overwhelmed with some sort of satisfaction of being filled where I had only an inkling of conscious realization that something had been missing. What is hard, what is difficult is remembering the truths when you come home... and your heart is pounding, your hand is shaking, and your head is buzzing with what you have done, what you haven't done, and the reality of just how much more needs to be done. And you wonder, you question, I wonder, I question if I'm really up to the task. And from what well will I draw upon to sustain the answer I have chosen to stick with. I know the well is vast, that it is infinite, but sometimes I don't think I am quite capable of remembering that. So I awaken, with a few hours of sleep, where I had collapsed, reluctantly and exhaustedly into sleep. I awaken and with the whispers of the universe still in the room, I write.

I love it that in the picture above, you can see a piece of tape on the wall, put there for who knows what reason. And I find it ironic that this apparent useless piece of tape is painted over. Because now, if it were to be taken off, it would leave it's permanent mark of something having been there but is now so obviously gone. Maybe I am just a piece of tape. Useless, insignificant in what actually sustains a wall, and holding up nothing but myself, but leaving a small mark that will remain when I am gone.

And I just spend a little time in wonder, like a robot in a sci-fi movie or Spock, who cannot understand that it means when my eyes just want to leak water. Is it love's well unsprung?

Random quotes from songs I heard while writing:

"I believe that love is the answer, I believe that love will find a way." - Blessed Union of Souls
"Aqui no existe la tristesta, solo exista la alegria. Este baile de los queridos... " - Ozomatli
"If I tell you I'm strong will you play along, or will you see I'm as insecure as anybody else?" - Dave Matthews and Blue Man Group
"It's a new day, it's a new dawn, it's a new life for me, and I'm feeling good." - Nina Simone
"How long til my soul gets it right, did any human being ever reach that kind of light?" - Indigo Girls
"I've come to find a way to breakthrough and save this heart of mine" - Lenny Kravitz
"Don't think we're not serious, when's it ever not?" - Jimmy Eat World
"Be my friend, hold me. Wrap me up, unfold me. I am small and needy, warm me up, and breathe me. Ouch, I have lost myself again, lost myself and I have no will to be found. Yea, I think that I might break. Lost myself again and I feel unsafe." - Sia
"However far away, I will always love you. However long I stay, I will always love you. Whatever words I say, I will always love you." - The Cure
"When it gets cold outside and I got nobody to love, you'll understand what I mean when I say there's no way we're gonna give up. And like a little girl that cries in the face of a monster that lives in her dreams, is there anyone out there because it's getting harder and harder to breathe?" - Maroon 5

SWAT & local school train for crisis

2007-07-11T10:02:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how I feel about this... part of me wants to say, ok, that makes sense. And another part of me wants to go --- WTF?!

What other trainings could be simulated? Preparation is key... but do we start with the rare and statistically unlikely possibility of a renegade shooter(s) or do we start with what we already know has happened and is happening in this and surrounding communities... ie. racial tensions that result in large-scale disturbances, interpersonal conflicts that escalate into physical violence between peers, harassment and bullying that has affected nearly 70% of SB high school students (according to an Inland Congregations United for Change student survey)? A Dept. of Peace as called for in House Resolution 808 currently proposed in Congress right now, would assist communities to go beyond the policing part of crisis prepareness, however vital and necessary, and into considering and addressing the root causes of violence. So that while trained, a police officer or department may never have to be faced with "eliminat[ing] the threat" as Sgt. Mike Blay says. The "threat" being a disturbed student or youth - a person. How do we eliminate the threat of the crisis in the first place? Isn't that a question that addresses the safety concerns of students, teachers, parents and communities? And where is the training for that?

__________________________________________
SWAT, school train for crisis
Stacia Glenn, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 07/11/2007 12:00:00 AM PDT
http://www.sbsun.com/ci_6345528

Video: School Shooter Training
VICTORVILLE - Two shotgun blasts broke the silence of a hot afternoon, sending a sea of screaming students scampering through the hallways of Victor Valley High School.

A boy in a white T-shirt waving his arms in the air rounded a corner and made a quick dash to the right to avoid a collision with two SWAT members.

"He's over here!" yelled a girl, frantically pointing toward a masked gunman wearing a gray jumpsuit and firing a rifle into a crowd of students.

If this chaos had been real, two would have died and several others would have been injured in just a little more than six minutes. But it was role-playing SWAT members in a training simulation - not actual gunmen on the campus Tuesday afternoon. And none of them had real weapons.

It was the third run-through of a training exercise designed to teach school resource officers, first-response sheriff's deputies and SWAT members how to handle a school shooting.

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Advertisement

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The training, orchestrated by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, kicked off just after 3 p.m. and wrapped up around sunset.

In the simulation, 14 SWAT men in green fatigues gripped their MP5's tighter and split off into teams, speaking in low tones and motioning at students to move toward safety.

After one "shooter" was handcuffed, two more shots rang out and SWAT members peered around a corner just in time to squeeze a few rounds off at a shooter who stood in front of a Coke machine.

He didn't go down until a sole uniformed officer sprinted around the corner and pulled the trigger inches from his chest.

One gunman wiped the sweat from his brow and grinned.

"I spent my whole life trying to stay out of trouble, and now I got to play a crook," he said.

More than 180 people participated in the exercise, including school administrators, sheriff's Explorers, sheriff's deputies, school resource officers, Victorville firefighters and city public works employees.

"Just dealing with a situation of this magnitude, having been through the training, will put (law enforcement) at ease a little bit if this ever happens," said Cindy Beavers, sheriff's spokeswoman.

No shooters ever have stepped onto a school in San Bernardino County, but there have been 37 school shootings nationwide since 1996. Twenty-three of them at high schools.

Deputies used Glock simulation handguns that shot soap pellets. The gunmen used blanks. No real weapons were allowed on the grounds.

Sgt. Mike Blay encouraged his men to keep focused on the shooters rather than turn attention to the injured students, because one day it could be a life-or-death decision.

"The shooter is shooting other people," he warned. "The bottom line is to eliminate the threat."

Kucinich on Letterman

2007-07-04T19:23:00.000-07:00

Supermarket Swindle

2007-07-04T00:35:00.000-07:00

SIGN THE PLEDGE
not to shop at Ralphs, Vons, or Albertsons stores if they force a lockout or strike.

Asleep at the Wheel

2007-06-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

So I had this conversation with a few people about the Blackwater "internment camp-like" facilities being built... and this is what they're for.

Asleep at the Wheel
Press ignores congressional OK for martial law
By Robert Kubey

On October 17, 2006, when George W. Bush signed the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2007—a $538 billion military spending bill—he enacted into law a section called “Use of the Armed Forces in Major Public Emergencies.” In the view of many, this Act substantially changed fundamental laws of the United States, giving Bush—and all future U.S. presidents—new and sweeping powers to use the U.S. military anywhere in the United States, virtually as he sees fit—for disaster relief, crowd control, suppression of public disorder, or any “other condition” that might arise.

That's nice.

From the BlackwaterUSA website:
We are not simply a "private security company." We are a professional military, law enforcement, security, peacekeeping, and stability operations firm who provides turnkey solutions.

BTW - I googled 'professional military' and it's all, you know, associated with military guys, mostly active duty, in the various branches - but not companies. Not so much for profit. Interesting.

A private firm that offers law enforcement. A private firm that offers military solutions. I haven't looked up mercenary (and then I did)... but for now I will just share this title - Scahill, Jeremy; Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army (2007), Nation Books - and make plans to read it so0n.

And perhaps await the National Guard (against their will) to police "any other condition" that may arise where I just might be.

James Kotecki Interviews Dennis Kucinich

2007-06-19T08:34:00.000-07:00

Dennis Kucinich is the Heart & Soul of PDA

2007-06-19T08:19:00.000-07:00

Dennis Kucinich is the Heart & Soul of PDA
June 18th, 2007
It seems like a million years ago… July 2004, following the Democratic Convention in Boston, when a thousand people filled a hall in Roxbury Massachusetts, for the Progressive Democrats of America’s first convention, and PDA was born.

PDA was an outgrowth of the Kucinich for President 2004 campaign. Most of the people in that hall that day were Kucinich supporters, joined by Deaniacs. Seeing Dennis Kucinich and Howard Dean hold their hands up together in Roxbury signaled a spirit of cooperation, integrity and hope that continues on in PDA.

Three years later, PDA is growing and going strong. This past weekend, I was part of about 75 PDA leaders from California who met in San Luis Obispo to discuss the direction of PDA in our state and the nation. As we gathered to take a group photo at the end of our meetings, I thought, someday we are going to look back at this and realize that we were part of something so powerful that it completely changed the world – for the better...

...While many members of PDA are still looking over the smorgasbord of Democratic candidates running for president in ’08, the values and idealism of our original Kucinich roots remain. Of all the candidates running for President, only Dennis Kucinich is 100% in alignment with PDA priorities.

What Do Subsidized Corn, A Militarized Border, and Finance Reform Have To Do With It?

2007-06-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

We cannot continue with a system in which millions of workers and their families live in fear and are subject to economic exploitation. - Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich

If the United States is to be free to negotiate fair trade agreements that protect jobs, the rights of workers, and the environment, then there is no alternative but to repeal NAFTA and withdraw from the WTO. I have sworn to repeal NAFTA and the WTO, and I will unalterably continue to work toward these goals. - Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich

-------------------------------------------
Published on Monday, June 11, 2007 by CommonDreams.org
What Do Subsidized Corn, A Militarized Border, and Finance Reform Have To Do With It?
by Doris "Granny D" Haddock

The following remarks were offered at a Democracy for America gathering in Manchester, New Hampshire on Saturday morning, June 9th, 2007:

It is normally expected that, when given an opportunity to speak, I will talk about campaign finance reform and, more specifically, about how the public financing of campaigns can cut the threads of the big- money puppet show.

But today I would like to talk about unauthorized immigration, which has nothing to do with the big money corruption of our political system, except for everything.

Unauthorized immigration seems to be a big issue right now with our Republican candidates, as they are well-known to be the “law and order party.” That, after all, is why they are insisting that Scooter Libby pay the full price for his perjuries and obstructions of justice. They are for law and order, with the normal exceptions of the Geneva Convention and the U.S. Constitution, especially its Bill of Rights. But we know what they mean: When they say they are for law and order, they are talking mostly about keeping down the uppity poor folk. They are certainly not talking about the big corporations, hotel companies, agribusiness giants, retailers who employ millions of unauthorized immigrants but who make up for that sin many times over with their large campaign donations.

But I do not come here to talk about corrupting campaign donations and the need for public campaign financing. I come to talk of unauthorized immigration and a little about corn and something about tortillas. I call it unauthorized immigration, not illegal, because I don’t want to use words that confuse my Republican friends.

By the way, in saying that Republicans are very interested in the immigration issue, I do not mean to imply that it is less important for any of us.

If you will look around the grocery store check-out lines and notice the widening measurements of our fellow citizens, we can certainly see for ourselves the problem of having too much cheap labor around to do all our yardwork and housework for us. By my calculations, the roughly 3 billion pounds of extra weight now being carried on the hips of working-age American citizens is roughly equivalent to the combined weight of the unauthorized immigrants now in our communities. The math is clear and persuasive. Cheap labor is bad for everybody.

But why are so many people risking their lives to come into our country now? When did this big rush begin?

It began when Mr. Clinton approved NAFTA – the North American Free Trade Agreement, and when he militarized our southern border at the same time. Prior to these combined actions, families crossed the border very commonly and casually, especially during harvest seasons. After harvest, they would go home to Mexico or Central America because that’s where they lived with their families in quite happy communities.

When the border was militarized, it became too risky to go back and forth. So they stayed.

Why did Mr. Clinton militarize the border? He did so because NAFTA was about to pull the rug out from under Mexico’s small family farms. We flooded Mexico with cheap corn–exports that we now subsidize to the tune of some $25 billion dollars a year. Congress gives that money of ours to a handful of agribusiness giants. Of course, I am not here to tell you why Congress does that, and what might be done to stop it, such as with the public financing of campaigns. But they do it, and Mexican family farmers cannot compete. In the years since NAFTA was signed, half of Mexico’s small farms have failed. The only kind of farming that can now compete in Mexico is big agribusiness, which does not employ as many people. Tortillas in Mexico now contain two-thirds imported corn, and they are three times as expensive at retail level than before NAFTA. The people have less money, and the cost of food is rising. We have done that. Our precious Senators and Congressmen and their corporate cronies have enforced that raw and cruel exploitation in our names.

The result of undermining Mexican farms, as Clinton expected, was a rising flood of poor people moving from rural areas into Mexico’s big cities, which have become so poor and overcrowded that all one can do is dream of going north across the border.

Now, if any Democratic candidates for President would like to show a little courage and intelligence, let them address the real cause of our flood of unauthorized immigrants. Will Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Obama or Mr. Edwards or any of the other candidates face down the agri- gangsters that are behind this problem? Probably they will not, so long as Iowa has a major primary.

Let me say that I am not ranting and raving in the least about these new Americans. When Mexico owned Texas and everything west of Texas, and when Mexico cut off migration across their borders into Texas, our people kept coming anyway –crossing illegally in search of opportunities for their families. When Mexico got upset by this, we trumped-up false reasons for a war, and we illegally took those lands. If that wasn’t enough law and order for you, we also conducted unfettered genocide against the region’s native people. So let’s not stand on any moral high ground regarding that southern border.

The people coming across the border today, with the usual exceptions, are family people with an incredible work ethic. Personally, I welcome them. I congratulate them for their courage and their dedication to their families. I want them to stay and become citizens, or, if some prefer, to return to their homeland at a time when there is international justice and a decent chance for their prosperity at home.

I regret what the political corruption of our system has done to their farms and their communities back home. It is not the peoples’ fault –it is the fault of corrupt leaders of both parties and both nations. We must speak this truth to these powerful people, even to those presidential candidates whom we otherwise admire.

So, candidates Clinton, Edwards, Obama and the rest: Do you understand the reasons why immigration numbers are growing? Are you smart enough to understand the situation? Are you brave enough to do something–to even say something–about it? Or is the truth too big for you?

All of us in this room have a duty to be good citizens and good Democrats. And that means we must ask the toughest questions so that the interests of the people –the people of our nation and of the world –will be served. Isn’t that what we’re here for?

And do you see why I do not need to harp on campaign finance reform, to cut the puppet strings that allow these cruelties to continue? I didn’t have to say a word about that, because you understand it. You understand what must be done in regard to the public financing of federal and state campaigns. And that only begins the reforms we require in this challenging new age.

Thank you.

Doris D. Haddock, known throughout the country as “Granny D,” walked across America in support of campaign reform at the age 90. She turned 97 on January 24, 2007.

Native American & Alaska Native Women Suffering Shocking Rates of Rape

2007-06-14T02:21:00.000-07:00

From Amnesty International...
May 12, 2007

As we prepare to celebrate Mother's Day, I wanted to tell you about our current campaign to stop violence against Native American and Alaska Native women.

A couple of weeks ago, the findings of Amnesty's report exposing the US government's failure to protect Indigenous women from shocking rates of rape made headlines across the country.
http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=kmK3JgMYIlJZJpL&s=kiLML0OMJjKUL7OTG&m=doLNJYMAKfLSG
Native American and Alaska Native women are more than 2.5 times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted than other women in the US. More than one in three Native American or Alaska Native women will be raped at some point in their lives.

But why are Native American and Alaska Native women at such risk of sexual violence? A complex maze of tribal, state and federal jurisdictions created by the U.S. government often allows perpetrators to rape with impunity and in some cases even encourages assaults.

According to Pauline Musgrove, the Executive Director of the Spirits of Hope Coalition, "women don't report because it doesn't make a difference. Why report when you are just going to be revictimized?"

For example, Native American and Alaska Native women often: - Do not get timely – or any – response from the police. - May not get forensic medical examinations. - May never see their cases prosecuted.
We believe those abuses can and must be stopped, that's why we are launching a campaign to address the critical human rights abuses documented in this report and joining the work of the many Native American and Alaska Native organizations and advocates who have been at the forefront of efforts to protect and respect the rights of women.
Right now we have a real chance to make a difference: The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) has a section called the Tribal Title IX, which seeks to improve safety and justice for Native American and Alaska Native women. By urging Congress to support VAWA and the Tribal Title IX we can significantly impact federal efforts to address sexual violence against Indigenous women in the US.

http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=coJMIXNwFcJKJ1K&s=kiLML0OMJjKUL7OTG&m=doLNJYMAKfLSG
Join voices with Native American and Alaska Native women and take action to stop the violence.

Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Zaynab NawazWomen's Human Rights Campaigner
Amnesty International USA

PS: Got 3 minutes? Watch our slide show to learn more about violence against Native American and Alaska Native women and what you can do to stop it.
-------------
... 86% of reported assaults are perpetrated by non-native men.

How to Spot a Peace Candidate

2007-06-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

CHECK OUT THIS BLOG....
-----------------------------------------

How to Spot a Peace Candidate By David Swanson
I think you could spot a peace candidate in a crowd of warmongers pretty easily if you asked each candidate these
questions...

------------------------------------------
I had this idea... a grid of questions and platform issues... candidate's answers... no names, no pictures, perhaps even text from a speech (being diligent to give no indication of identity... ) and then see where the chips fall in people's minds, hearts, priorities.

Anyone want to jump all over this project? Feel free - you can have all the credit. The peace questions... that's a start!

Peace Ranking...

2007-06-11T16:17:00.000-07:00

First-Ever 'Peacefulness' Ranking Launched; U.S. Scores Low
Nicole Olsen
OneWorld US
Sun., Jun. 10, 2007

WASHINGTON, Jun 8 (OneWorld) - The first study to rank countries around the world according to their peacefulness and identify the drivers that create and sustain peace was released here last week.

Norway took the crown for most peaceful nation among the 121 surveyed by the Global Peace Index, followed closely by New Zealand, Denmark, Ireland, and Japan. The United States and Iran received nearly equal -- and low -- scores, placing 96 and 97 on the list.

Iraq placed dead last, just below Sudan and Israel.

The Index, initiated by international businessman and philanthropist Steve Killelea and co-produced by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), measures and ranks nations' "peacefulness" based on an average score derived from 24 key indicators.

The new measurement is expected to help governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and businesses replicate initiatives whose success can now be more accurately measured and evaluated, said the Global Peace Index's founders.

Norway took the title for most peaceful nation due largely to the internal peace it is experiencing and its limited involvement in external conflict, except for peacekeeping missions. Norway's strong international ties, particularly with neighboring Scandinavian countries, also contributed to its high ranking.

Although Norway's military expenditure was higher than other Nordic countries surveyed, its citizens' access to small arms and light weapons is highly restricted, improving the country's peacefulness rating.

The indicators used to rank the countries, which ranged from a nation's level of military expenditure to its relations with neighboring countries and its level of respect for human rights, also allowed EIU's team to identify common "drivers" that make for the most peaceful societies.

Among these are high levels of income, schooling, and regional integration. Peaceful nations were also found to share high levels of transparency in government and low levels of corruption.

The United States scored low on the scale despite possessing high levels of democracy and transparency of government in addition to education and material wellbeing. The low ranking resulted in large part from its direct engagement in warfare and external conflict. High levels of incarceration and homicide and an elevated level of military spending were also cited as negative contributors to peace.

"There will be many questions and concerns about the index's findings, but it is hard to discredit this project," Global Peace Index CEO Clyde McConaghy told reporters, adding that it was a "good" first attempt at something never before done.

The Global Peace Index has been endorsed by several Nobel Laureates and many other notable dignitaries, and has drawn support from several NGOs, including the Washington, DC-based Alliance for Peacebuilding, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation in California, and OneWorld (the parent organization of the OneWorld on Yahoo! News service).

According to the Index's sponsors, the data it produces will make it easier for NGOs to invest in more appropriate aid programs for each country, provide a tool to hold aid recipients accountable, and, over time, provide a benchmark for the overall performance of all world actors working for peace.

McConaghy said the Index's existence means that "links between peace and prosperity will be uncovered" and "profiles of what a peaceful nation looks like will be created."

"And this," McConaghy added, "will provide a better foundation -- a foundation of underlying peace -- for solving important issues like global warming, overpopulation, and a decreasing biodiversity."

Will we VOTE DIFFERENT in 08?

2007-06-08T10:15:00.000-07:00

The hope of the world.... and end of the universe

2007-06-06T10:20:00.000-07:00

The hope of our nation and thus the world - since it is U.S. policy (good or bad) that affects the world at large.

And... on a lighter note.... The End of the Universe

The Peace Candidate

2007-06-04T05:05:00.000-07:00

in the news...

Kucinich casts himself as the peace candidate. Rather than "play to the crowd at the moment," he said, he took an anti-war position when it was unpopular. He wondered why the senators should be considered strong contenders for president when they were so wrong on Iraq with such deadly and destructive results. And "why should I be precluded from being considered when I was so right?"

He added: "Suppose for a moment that I was totally wrong. Suppose Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. . . . Do you think I could even take the stage in a presidential debate?"

Kucinich also knows exactly who his audience is for tonight's forum. He points out that he still lives in the house he bought for $22,500 in 1971.

"I'm speaking to friends and neighbors, people in my neighborhood who are like people all across this country, people hungering for a new direction," he said.

************
http://www.selectsmart.com/president/2008.html

It's like I know myself or something....

Your Results:
1. Theoretical Ideal Candidate (100%)
2. Dennis Kucinich (81%)
3. Barack Obama (78%)
4. Joseph Biden (72%)
5. Hillary Clinton (70%)
6. Wesley Clark (69%)
7. John Edwards (66%)
8. Christopher Dodd (65%)
9. Al Gore (65%)
10. Bill Richardson (56%)
11. Mike Gravel (46%)
12. Elaine Brown (46%)
13. Ron Paul (40%)
14. Kent McManigal (37%)
15. Rudolph Giuliani (32%)
16. Mike Huckabee (29%)
17. John McCain (25%)
18. Mitt Romney (21%)
19. Chuck Hagel (21%)
20. Tommy Thompson (21%)
21. Sam Brownback (16%)
22. Fred Thompson (14%)
23. Newt Gingrich (13%)
24. Tom Tancredo (11%)
25. Duncan Hunter (10%)
26. Jim Gilmore (8%)

the IVCLA takes positions on health care proposals

2007-06-04T04:50:00.000-07:00

Letter to the Editor
Fontana Herald News
June 4, 2007

From the IVCLA's website -- "This powerful partnership serves as a catalyst, advocate, lobbyist and educator, ensuring that a pro-business agenda is always considered."

The pro-business agenda, would, of course, include for-profit health insurance companies that are in the business of making money at the cost (and health) of its customers. Many have upwards of 25-35% in administrative costs to pay exorbitant CEO compensation, are beholden to shareholders and Wall Street, and employ adjusters whose sole job is to keep costs down - meaning, denying health coverage, benefits and treatment.

Though we are lucky enough to have an employer-based family health insurance plan, others are not so fortunate. It is time to break the link of healthcare to employment as many small businesses will never be able to afford for-profit insurance premiums no matter the tax incentive. Nor can most individuals. Cheap, high-deductible or catastrophic policies do not provide affordable healthcare, and are a band-aid, at most.

During a job transition, my mother, now an employee of the City of Chino, currently pays $375+ a month for COBRA. The city does have an opportunity to participate in a high-deductible group insurance plan (after a year of employment) that may very well cost much more in the event she gets sick, suffers a long-term illness, or sustains an injury (especially since the city does not pay into state disability, provide her any sick-pay, nor vacation pay-- just as many other cities, municipalities, and small businesses are unable to do).

Rose Ann DeMoro, director of the California Nurses Association will join state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, chair of the Senate Health Committee, and author of the healthcare reform bill, SB 840 at a legislative briefing on June 12th in Sacramento where filmmaker Michael Moore will testify. DeMoro notes that Moore's newest documentary "SiCKO" is "not just an indictment of an indefensible healthcare industry in the U.S. It's a rejoinder for those who think we can fix the soulless monster by tinkering with an unconscionable system that puts us further in thrall to those who created the crisis."

This weekend hundreds marched in San Bernardino in a New Orleans style funeral march for our existing, broken system, in support of this legislation and universal health CARE for all. Not health coverage. Health care.

I encourage people to visit onecarenow.org to determine the costs of not supporting SB840. This bill, incidentally, was passed in California during last year's legislative session but vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger. That veto, has cost my mother and other Californians like her $2,250 in insurance premiums these first six months of 2007, not to mention co-pays for appointments, prescriptions, and other deductibles. A pre-tax Health Savings Account is not the answer, nor is a tax-deduction. The money still must be SPENT on a broken system just to get a little back. Who can afford that?

Bobbi Jo Chavarria

Get a backbone

2007-05-24T16:22:00.000-07:00

May 24, 2007

The Honorable Joe Baca
1527 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-0543
FAX: 1-202-225-8671

Dear Representative Baca:

This is the statement in the news quoting you, Rep. Baca --- I implore you to vote against this flawed bill and veiled threat against our troops.

Democrats say they hope to send Bush a new bill by the end of the week he will sign, and troops in combat will get the resources they need without disruption.

"I'm frustrated" with the war, said Rep. Joe Baca, D-Calif., a member of the Blue Dog coalition, a group of conservative Democrats. "But we realize too we have a responsibility to fund our troops and make sure they have the right equipment." (CBNNews.com http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/162516.aspx)

Voters elected Democrats in November to show some a backbone and lead the way out of the mess in Iraq, but the supplemental bill to be voted on this week won't end the war. There are no real timelines or real accountability for the Bush administration -- just a blank check for an endless war.

A vote for this Iraq supplemental bill is a vote to continue President Bush's failed Iraq policy, and you should vote against it.

America wants an end to the war. Poll after poll has shown that Americans support a timeline to bring our troops home.

This is happening everywhere. MoveOn members in districts across the America are printing out backbones and delivering them to their representatives today. MoveOn’s 3.2 million members have spoken loud and clear – we want congress to show some backbone and end this war.

Keith Olbermann has it right, any true president would have unequivocally stated that our troops would be safe no matter what. For Congress to kowtow to this immoral threat to our troops does a great disservice to all of those in uniform and serving, including my 20-year old cousin Devin, in Fallujah right now. Cancel payments to government contractors, absolutely ensure they are safe but end our occupation and bring them home now.

"This is another stage in the sequencing of ending this war," said Pelosi, who added that September will be "the moment of truth." (Washington Post, Democrats Relent On Pullout Timetable, Wednesday, May 23, 2007; Page A01)

If this is the stance Congress is taking from the Democratic Leadership, the real moment of truth will be in the accounting of lives lost, American and Iraqi, between now and September. My cousin and tens of thousands others, are on borrowed time while the President is allowed to use their service in this game of chess. Do not play this game.

Sincerely,

Gil & Bobbi Jo Chavarria

Committee for a Democratic Majority Survey

2007-05-23T15:58:00.000-07:00

So I was asked... and I answered. The only "optional" question I didn't answer was about stem cell research. Now that I think about it, I should have put, "Yes. Duh."

Your views on the war in Iraq (optional):
We never should have been there, it is illegal and immoral. Architects of the war should be tried as war criminals, the president and everyone in his administration should be impeached and left to the world court, again being tried as war criminals. I have family members on active duty whose service is being exploited and misused in this war, and who can look forward to being completely disregarded by their government when and if they return. Meanwhile CEOs and stockholders of war profiteers steal from the American and Iraqi people unabashedly and without consequence. End this war now. Bring voices of reconciliation and diplomacy to the table and allow a sovereign nation to determine its best course for its own people. "Democratic" regimes installed by the presidential/congressional/military industrial complex will only serve to bite us in the ass a mere few years from now.

Your views on Social Security (optional):
Bring out the facts. I want to know the facts, not political spin from those who stand to gain.

Your views on the Minimum Wage (optional):
No one, anywhere in the U.S. could live on this wage. This "battle" for a one or two or three dollar raise over the next two-three-four years is ridiculous. Imagine that with one hour's work (take home) you would be 30 or 40 cents short for a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread. Of course, you wouldn't be able to afford the electricity to store your milk, or the rent for a place to live even if companies hired you as a full-time employee (which they do not). We are subsidizing companies to pay poverty wages, with no benefits, no safety net, no healthcare.

Your views on Health Care (optional):
Universal, single-payer healthcare. Not health insurance. Not tax credits or deductions. Free and available healthcare to all who need it. LIFE should not be about profit and loss and should not be about investment returns. My mother pays $2000+ for six months of health insurance with a $25 copay for visits and prescriptions simply to remain healthy enough to work a less than full-time job for the City of Chino with no sick pay, no vacation, and no disability insurance. Companies are being forced to cut benefits, held hostage by the health insurance industry whose bureaucratic waste is spent on those whose only function is to deny healthcare to people.

Your views on National Security (optional):
I'm not afraid of the boogeyman. I'm not afraid of evildoers attacking our country. It does alarm me to consider that with limited resources, potable water, food, energy, that my neighbor could become an enemy. World security will depend upon the leading nation of the free world modeling and taking the lead on new and renewable energy sources, on sustainable agriculture, and on human rights issues for one and all.

Your views on School Reform (optional):
The double-talk of America's priorities being our future generation and the children of the world needs to stop. We cannot spend our energy legislating to protect our children from the influence of media when schools cannot afford books, teachers, or the reasonable class sizes that would give students the critical thinking skills to determine where and how they spend their energy. We cannot hope that generosity, bake sale fundraisers and donations can make up for the social and economic injustice that leaves so many without a proper education. Privatizing schools is not an option only leaving minority and poor students to fend for themselves. It is the very epitome of arrogance to implore communities to pick themselves up by their bootstraps while stealing their boots, books, chalk and pencils. The rhetoric of teacher's unions having a stranglehold on school districts and their ability to ensure teachers are effective and qualified is another ridiculous argument attempting to cripple public schools and force privatization.

Your views on Immigration (optional):
An arbitrary line in the sand, desert, or earth, cannot dictate where human rights begin and end. Nor who is granted what, by the color of their skin, the origin of their birth, or the language they speak.

Your views on Student Loans (optional):
$45000 in debt does not allow for a bright future. No opportunties to repay this back in service to a community or country (without picking up a gun) cannot be a sound investment decision by any nation.

Vision Demolished

2007-05-21T16:23:00.001-07:00

what's the mission? what would you call it?

Outsourcing the War - Jeremy Scahill

2007-05-21T14:20:00.000-07:00

Editor's Note: Jeremy Scahill, bestselling author and investigative reporter for The Nation, testified May 10 before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense on the impact of private military contractors on the conduct of the Iraq War. This is the full text of his remarks.

(can be found at this link...)
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070528/scahill

What I Experienced March 17th

2007-05-12T05:21:00.000-07:00

For reference please see the letter I received by email from Maria Anna Gonzalez addressed to "Community Advocate" --- below. Also below is the full text of my poem shared, including a brief introduction that I typically open up with.

I was at the March 17th event in San Bernardino, held by the NAHR as part of the "peace in our communities" contingent of the "Anti-War, Immigration Reform, Peace in our Communities Rally." I shared information about the campaign to establish a U.S. Department of Peace & Nonviolence (current legislation in the House HR808) with attendees and was given an opportunity to speak to the crowd. I shared part of a poem, written just for the day, "Walk in Peace." To the best of my knowledge -- the points discussed in Maria Anna Gonzalez's letter to Community Advocates, in terms of the day of the event are truthful and concise. I cannot speak to the agreed upon terms with the city, nor the current challenges NAHR is facing with the City's $17,600 bill for the event, quite simply, I was not among the organizers.

I would like to share a little bit of my experience that day with the "counter-protestors."

After the event was over I had to walk through the last five or six men standing at the northeast corner across from City Hall to get to where my car was parked - about twenty feet away from where they were standing. One was engaged in a dialogue of sorts, back and forth shouts with a woman who was at the crosswalk from where I had just come. None of them hindered the path to my car or anything as I walked through, I did say, "excuse me" and they graciously cleared the way as I lugged my wheeled suitcase, and juggled my briefcase and banner. But I'm just bold (some would say crazy) enough to give information about the campaign to anyone in my path. Another reason for going back was my not wanting to leave behind a yelling match as I drove away. So, after loading my car, I went back with a handful of campaign flyers and asked if they would be willing to take one. I talked with and was challenged by a couple of them (did I use drugs? is that why I want open borders? Do I not want America to be safe? This must be the reason why I was with "all of those people" over there.) And I was assured, that it wasn't about race or prejudice. Though, the man who had been yelling in the back and forth with the woman, had been offering her a free ride "back home to Mexico."

I was ignored altogether by one man leaning against a fire hydrant, holding an American flag and looking straight forward. He never once turned my way as I held out a flyer to him, and didn't say a word in reply - yea or nay - he just kept looking straight, jaw clenched.

I left not quite believing that it wasn't about race or prejudice, but I was just a little content that during the conversation with the men who would talk with me, the others just sort of lost interest in continuing to stand there, and started back to their own cars, leaving me at the corner alone, to return to my car.

I will be there Wednesday, at the Press Conference at the San Bernardino City Hall, and I will be there at the People's Forum on Thursday. And I will be there, again, in peace.

------------------------------

Dear Community Advocate:

This is an urgent call to all who advocate for
social change and thewell-being of the poor and oppressed, to attend and
participate at aProtest Press Conference that will be held in front of the
SanBernardino City Hall (300 North "D" Street) on Wednesday, May 16 at Noon for
the purpose of protesting the City's efforts to join theranks of the LAPD and
all other governmental agencies that areimplementing illegal and immoral
measures to repress the righteousvoices and manifestations of those
organizations and individuals such as yourself and the National Alliance for
Human Rights. They are tampering with our First Amendment Rights!

On
March 17, NAHR held a March and Rally in support of an end to theWar in Iraq,
Peace in our Communities, and Immigrant Rights. In an effort to comply with the
City of San Bernardino's policies and procedures, event organizers secured a
permit and liability insurance and met on numerous occasions with city staff and
law enforcement representatives. At no time during any discussion with the
City's agents was there ever any mention of a cost for law enforcement presence.
On March 17, however, San Bernardino City Attorney Penman had a bill hand
delivered to Armando Navarro's home (he signed the permit documents) in the
amount of $5,000 for what Penman called "extraordinary law enforcement costs."
In response, NAHR delivered a3-page letter to both the city attorney and the
mayor rejecting the charges and stating clearly that at no time did the event
organizers ever project participant numbers beyond the 1,000 to 1,500 as stated
in the NAHR's application for permit; therefore, no extraordinary law
enforcement measures were needed. As if that were not enough, the new amount
being billed by the City is more than $17,600, again via a letter sent by
Penman.

The City of San Bernardino is playing campaign politics at the
expense of NAHR; and, with their corrupt tactics, is hoping to discourage other
organizations and/or individuals from exercising their right to public assembly
and freedom of speech. Furthermore, on March 17, they allowed the SOS and
Minutemen groups to assemble across the street from our event, without a
"permit" for either their protest or their use of sound amplification equipment
(bull-horns). Allowing the City of San Bernardino to fraudulently bill NAHR sets
a precedent that will hurt us all. Please help us denounce these corrupt city
officials on May 16.

In an effort to put forth a plan for the continued
preservation of our right to public protest, NAHR will also be holding a
Peoples' Forum onThursday, May 17 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at Papa Gallos 2866
9th Street (corner of 9th and Waterman), in the City of San Bernardino. We must
come together and organize against these "Gestapo-like"efforts. So much and so
many are depending on us. Regardless the issue, be it education, political
participation, socio-economic wellbeing, immigrant rights, etc., we need to put
a stop to any public or private effort designed to suppress us.

For more
information call Armando Navarro at 951-333-6819.
Gracias. Maria Anna
Gonzales

------------
INTRODUCTION

I am a first poet

Then a human

A world citizen

A student

A woman

A wife

A daughter

A granddaughter

A sister

A cousin

A niece

A friend

A latina

A neighbor

A business woman

An American

AND

I am granddaughter to Mending Mother Catalina and daughter and niece to her children who lived under the stress of WWII veteran, Master Sergeant, Valentine, angry, alcoholic, abusive, who suffered from what today we know as PTSD

I am cousin to Iraqi war veterans
– Kenny, USMC

– Russel, USMC

I am aunt to Active Duty Lance Corporal Joseph of the USMC

I am cousin to Active Duty Lance Corporal Devin, USMC on order to ship out into the war zone by the end of this
month. * Devin left April 1st, arrived in Fallujah on the 3rd.

I am cousin to Active Duty Francine, US Navy, who helped build the war ship USS Griffin celebrated this past Thursday in San Diego.

I am cousin to 1^st Gulf war veteran – Sammy of the US Army.

I am cousin to veteran of both the Navy & Army National Guard, Anthony who is currently on his third tour into the war zone as a military contractor.

I promise you… all of them, all of them, all of them
– wanting to make a difference and still part of a poverty draft where they could not see another way to serve, nor any opportunities in this land of plenty – where the economic and social injustices are hard, hard, hard, to overcome
without a good education, an awareness of the world, and a commitment to find all of the information you can before signing your future away…

And I am sister to 19-year old Adam, whose gentle musician’s soul is being targeted by military recruiters right now on his college campus.

Because this is just part of my story…

As a poet, human & world citizen

Along with the voices of all that I am

I am an activist, volunteering, and lobbying for the
public good, lobbying my congressman and imploring my community to support the
establishment a US Department of Peace and Nonviolence.

So I’m going to talk to you about what I think about peace.

So though I didn't get to share this poem in its entirety (time was very very very limited)
-- this is what I wrote for my time at the mic on March 17th at the Peace Rally
in San Bernardino. (some called it an anti-war march, a human
rights/immigration reform march, some called it building peace in our
communities march, some called it all three. I call it a Peace
Rally.)

WALK IN PEACE

it is right
it makes sense
if you stand up
in anger
if you get so mad
that you stand up
to do something
anything
to rage
against the machine
the sytem
that keeps you down
I won't blame you
if you like me
get tired when
you see
the dismissal
in their eyes
oh, it's just you
you, you, you ____ whatever

it is right and
it makes sense
if you stand up
when someone else's
ignorance
rises before you
and tries to
silence
your voice
I know it's hard
to maintain poise
when your brother
or sister
or uncle or aunt
when your family
is trapped in the
traps of social
and economic
injustice
and you stand up
cuz you can't rest
while all this happens
to some of the best
people you know
and love

However,
I will tell you this
though you stand in anger
though infuriated
beyond all measure
though the hits
just keep on coming
at you
you must take a moment
review
and take a breath
and choose
to walk, talk, move
in peace

If what we seek
is liberty
& justice for all
it would make no
sense to me
to ACT out in anger
there's no one
to hate
no enemy
but the one we
create
at least not
anyone who
by seeing them as such
will make your life better
at least not much

So I will repeat
that if you walk
& move & groove
in anything but
peace
you defeat
yourself
before you begin
and though I truly
believe there is
no "they"
- they will win

so how to walk in
peace
how to move in
peace
how to think in
peace
just remember
what it is
you seek
for yourself
for your family
for your community
justice - true justice
rights - all our rights
all our inalienable
undeniable
deepest truth
human rights
remember that
dream that
vision that
hope and picture that
then include
every single person
every one far
and near
and get really
clear
that every
"single person
is a son
or a daughter
of the one
earth mama
and the one
earth papa"
and though I
stole that line from
Michael Franti
I say it because
it's real to me.

this is how you
move in peace
you welcome it in
and you let it stay
and you renew the welcome
every day
I know that I may
be preaching to
the choir
but to keep singing
the song of peace
can only take us
higher
as we work in
peace
towards
peace & justice
it is the hope of
all who are here
gathered here
that we can live
life without fear
and, I know it's hard
that it can seem too much
of them
of they
of us
of stuff
too much to rise above
the anger & the frustration
but I know
there's no other way
to bring
peace & justice
to our nation.

Bobbi Jo Chavarria, March 17, 2007

Make a Difference...

2007-05-11T00:34:00.000-07:00

Ok so this goes to the conversation that Marcia and I had earlier today -- you never know the impact your actions (or inaction) make in the lives of others. And sometimes, if you're lucky, angels in your life let you know, to give you hope that you ARE valuable, can make a difference... etc.

http://www.makeadifferencemovie.com/

I watched this and cried (of course) and I've totally heard this story before (and I've cried before) ... but so great to see it put together.

Not to mention, the little boy grows up to be a hottie. Though, that's entirely besides the point. =)

a couple three more

2007-04-24T02:13:00.000-07:00

The Ten Indian Commandments

May The Sun Bring You New Energy
Live with Intention - Mary Anne Radmacher

posters and words

2007-04-24T02:02:00.000-07:00

To Laugh Often and Much - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Peace - Unknown

Be the Change

Bob Marley - One Love

Fall In Love Or Fall In Hate- Solbeam

shannon's spring break questionnaire made me cry

2007-04-16T01:05:00.000-07:00

So I'm reading the bulletins on myspace... I actually do that every once in a while -- especially when I have something to post -- (see previous blog about tix for the Gift of Peace that our group is hosting out here in somewhere in the IE)

And... so I'm reading the messages and come across my cousin Shannon's questionnaire about her spring break... she's so funny -- and there was this one word question -- Cried?

And her response made ME cry.

i teared up wen i wrote to my brother this morning
does that count?

Her brother, my cousin Devin is in the Marines and was shipped out two weeks ago and is in Fallujah right now. (you can write a message to him too by signing the guest book on his website: www.devinsantivanez.com)

My tears, I know is just from overwhelm. I'm tired, a little stressed trying to find a location for the play we're hosting in two weeks. Tired from the planning, work, and the running around for the benefit we held this past Saturday (www.iedopna.org/benefit.html).

And, I'm even overwhelmed by the love that I felt while walking around and talking with people, sharing info, etc at the event. And things don't always go exactly as planned and sometimes things come out better than planned and sometimes things are more beautiful because of that big old mix of contradiction and irony.

And I know I'm stubbornly hopeful. Optimistic and idealistic and take on way too much. And sometimes I actually hear people when they tell me that I can't do everything, though most of the time I just keep on going and somehow every once in a while miracles happen, and I bend time and destiny and it's great.

And I can even get overwhelmed with the hope and love that people send my way. Most of the time I do what I do in the hope that someone is just a little bit inspired to do something more, different, better, and I'm grateful for the affirmation, the giving, the openness of people. Life is beautiful. People are amazing.

But it's so hard sometimes when you're feeling alone, and the task before you is so large. You know, peace on earth. Love, connection, community. Little things like that.

And the truth is, I'm not alone. And the task is still so large. And so in my overwhelm moments, I have to reach for something... something that makes me remember WHY even through those moments I have to keep on going, and keep on trying.

So I read Shannon's answer to a question on an internet slambook type questionnaire -- and I'm reminded. I do what I do so little sisters don't tear up during spring break when she's writing to her brother who is in a war zone.

Walk in Peace

2007-03-19T04:02:00.000-07:00

How I resolved my presence at "anti-war" rallies... I WALKED, TALKED, MOVED - IN PEACE.

So though I didn't get to share this poem in its entirety (time was very very very limited) -- this is what I wrote for my time at the mic on March 17th at the Peace Rally in San Bernardino. (some called it an anti-war march, a human rights/immigration reform march, some called it building peace in our communities march, some called it all three. I call it a Peace Rally.)

WALK IN PEACE

it is right
it makes sense
if you stand up
in anger
if you get so mad
that you stand up
to do something
anything
to rage
against the machine
the sytem
that keeps you down
I won't blame you
if you like me
get tired when
you see
the dismissal
in their eyes
oh, it's just you
you, you, you ____ whatever

it is right and
it makes sense
if you stand up
when someone else's
ignorance
rises before you
and tries to
silence
your voice
I know it's hard
to maintain poise
when your brother
or sister
or uncle or aunt
when your family
is trapped in the
traps of social
and economic
injustice
and you stand up
cuz you can't rest
while all this happens
to some of the best
people you know
and love

However,
I will tell you this
though you stand in anger
though infuriated
beyond all measure
though the hits
just keep on coming
at you
you must take a moment
review
and take a breath
and choose
to walk, talk, move
in peace

If what we seek
is liberty
& justice for all
it would make no
sense to me
to ACT out in anger
there's no one
to hate
no enemy
but the one we
create
at least not
anyone who
by seeing them as such
will make your life better
at least not much

So I will repeat
that if you walk
move & groove
in anything but
peace
you defeat
yourself
before you begin
and though I truly
believe there is
no "they"
- they will win

so how to walk in
peace
how to move in
peace
how to think in
peace
just remember
what it is
you seek
for yourself
for your family
for your community
justice - true justice
rights - all our rights
all our inalienable
undeniable
deepest truth
human rights
remember that
dream that
vision that
hope and
picture that
then include
every single person
every one far
and near
and get really
clear
that every
"single person
is a son
or a daughter
of the one
earth mama
and the one
earth papa"
and though I
stole that line from
Michael Franti
I say it because
it's real to me

this is how you
move in peace
you welcome it in
and you let it stay
and you renew the welcome
every day
I know that I may
be preaching to
the choir
but to keep singing
the song of peace
can only take us
higher
as we work in
peace
towards
peace & justice
it is the hope of
all who are here
gathered here
that we can live
life without fear
and, I know it's hard
that it can seem too much
of them
of they
of us
of stuff
too much to rise above
the anger & the frustration
but I know
there's no other way
to bring
peace & justice
to our nation.

- Bobbi Jo Chavarria, March 17, 2007

MeInAction

What I'm up to these days...

playing for change

There's never been a time to laugh as much as this...

Funny Non-Capitalist Answer

Recent post on Answers.com

Q: Who actually writes the bills in congress?

The recently passed Stimulus Bill was written by the Apollo Alliance, a non-capitalist, communist based organization of which Environmental Czar, Van Jones, is a member.

Elect them....

Things I need help on...

Assimilation or annihilation... how about a third alternative?

can you answer these questions?

my culture, my language, my history, my life... and now.

my culture, my language, my history, my life... my now.

Happy Earth Day! -- Let's have climate change solutions. Repower America.

Confirmed. Nice. Are we going to do anything about it in San Bernardino County?

DHS Report Confirms Serious Civil Rights Problems With Local Immigration Enforcement Program

California's Budget

Letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson

ACORN vindicated? Op-ed to SB Sun (as yet unpublished)

Lost Generation

Words...

Words become touchy subject in war over illegal immigration

2009 Reading List

Fontana ACORN activist steps up fight - Topix

Crackhead editing strikes again, "ACORN in Fontana"

Have the Media 'Falsely Framed' ACORN?

ACORN to speak at Fontana council meeting - Topix

It is hate, because it is not love.

SB Sun - ACORN and community group allege racial profiling by law enforcement officers near Fontana schools

FOX News Isn't News. It's a Political Operation.

we can all get along... =)

I came, I spoke, I rambled, I rocked

2009 International Day Of Peace Palm Springs

The ACORN I Know | AfterDowningStreet.org

ACORN Fake Prostitution Scandal Hits San Bernardino

We can be inspired... but we can't be fooled.

Book Review: The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule by Thomas Frank

http://factcheck.org/2009/08/rncs-bill-of-rights/

The Great Nationwide Kiss-In

I concur.

Astroturf defined --- net neutrality

Great Nationwide Kiss-In

Rep. Joe Baca Weasels on the Public Option

The proposal??

THE SHIFT Movie Trailer

Did you vote for this guy?

We want the public option

health care... it's on everyone's mind

The Meaning of Your Calendar

how you spend your money and your time

Orwell was only the beginning...

Arrests on Capitol Hill over Single Payer Health Care Issue

I've been busy...

Black Friday's Foreseeable Tragedy

Open letter to Health Insurance Companies: Do you propose to guard the henhouse?

The first appearance of Joe the Plumber

Iraq War Ends -- and other good news

It's a new day...

susan and chap man

Happy Halloween

Leadership in Communities

community organizers

Spookie cat

The House that Mama Built

In Defense of Community Organizing

summer

San Bernardino action on WaMu

Positive

Me in NOLA

I miss Cat Riley

Grandpa Luis

Grandpa Raul

Blind Taste Test #2

-- Take the Quiz! --

Trish Reuser & how she made me feel...

Community activist group ACORN gaining support

ACORN Caucus of Color

ACORN responds to California fire emergency

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING, NANCY?