The groundswell against the unpopular Senate Bill 1070 increased to a fever pitch last week with community meetings and demonstrations to denounce the controversial Arizona law. Response to the state legislation, including a march on the state Capitol on Wednesday, has made one thing evident for Valley Hispanics opposing the law—they do not stand alone.
A prayer meeting and rally took place before the May 5 march at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church. Faith leaders from houses of worship all across the Valley came out in force to show disapproval for the law, including the Arizona Ecumenical Council.
“Whenever there are laws that allow people to be discriminated against, I believe God stands in opposition to that law,” declared Bishop Alexis Thomas of Pilgrim Rest. “To our Latino brothers and sisters, this is not your fight—this is our fight.”
The rally also provided a forum for an impressive array of community organizations on hand to denounce SB 1070. Union leaders, a nonprofit coalition which included Chicanos Por La Causa, and several city officials shared disapproval and calls for action, while volunteers collected signed petitions and letters to the Oval Office.
The Reverend Al Sharpton delivered a stirring call to rally supporters, and marched on the capital with thousands of demonstrators.
“It is racial profiling, no matter how you cut it,” Reverend Sharpton stated. He also said that the law “robs the rights of legal citizens of Latino descent” despite that many have “fought wars and built schools” for their country.
“Now you want to pull them over on the side of the road and treat them like second class citizens?” he asked. Sharpton also reemphasized that he did not support the protest solely because racial profiling might occur amongst African Americans in Arizona as a result. “If you open the door to a double standard for anybody, you open the door to a double standard for everybody.”
Thursday, July 29, 2010
African Americans Raise Voices Against Arizona Law
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Call for investigation into sexual attack on detained journalist
Call for investigation into sexual attack on detained journalist
Abdolreza Tajik, a journalist and member of the member of the Human Rights Defenders Centre, has been the victim of mistreatment since his arrest on 12 June. Relatives say that when they visited him for the first time in Evin prison on 14 July, he told them he had been victim of violence in the presence of the Tehran deputy prosecutor general during his first night in prison.
In the course of the conversation in the visiting room, Tajik used the Farsi term “hatke hormat,” which means “to be dishonoured.” His lawyer, Mohammad Sharif, said the term is used in legal language to refer to a sexual assault.
Conversations in the visiting room between detainees and family members are recorded by the prison authorities, who let it be known that they are doing this. The aim is both to monitor what is said and to discourage prisoners from saying too much. Tajik was therefore not free to specify what he meant by “being dishonoured.”
Mehdi Karoubi, one of the opposition candidates in the June 2009 presidential election, published an open letter in his newspaper Etemad e-Melli on 29 July 2009 in which he said young people were being raped in Iran’s prisons.
“Young people have been brutally raped and have subsequently suffered depression and seriously psychological and physical problems,” Karoubi wrote. Former detainees who have managed to flee abroad have confirmed being the victims of sexual attacks, despite the pressure put on them and their families and despite the government’s repeated denials (http://en.rsf.org/iran-newspaper-suspended-in-latest-18-08-2009,34223.html).
Four journalists and political activists have told Reporters Without Borders about cases of sexual abuse in Iran’s prisons.
“The international community has been fully alerted to what is happening in Iranian prisons for the past year,” Reporters Without Borders said. “It is time for Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay to press the Iranian authorities to accept a visit from the UN special rapporteur on torture, so that he can investigate the allegations of mistreatment in Iranian prisons.”
The authorities did not reveal where they were holding Tajik for nearly a month after his arrest at his home on 12 June. His lawyer has still not been able to see him or examine his case file. When a detainee is held incommunicado in this manner, it can be regarded as a case of forced disappearance and as a crime against humanity.
Ali Malihi, an online journalist who used to work for Etemad e-Melli and Sahrvand, was meanwhile sentenced by a Tehran revolutionary court on 25 July to four years in prison and a fine of 100,000 toman (80 euros) on charges of “activity against national security” and insulting the president.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
More Proof that FOX is the Neo-Confederate Channel: Fox News Audience Just 1.38% Black
Fox News may be the undisputed ratings champion in cable news, but not among black viewers.
The New York Times' Brian Stelter tweeted that, according to Nielsen Media Research, Fox News has averaged just 29,000 black viewers in primetime so far this television season (9/09-7/10). That represents just 1.38% of its 2.102 million total viewer audience.
CNN and MSNBC, meanwhile, both have far more black viewers, both in absolute terms and as a proportion of their overall audiences.
MSNBC has averaged 145,000 black viewers, representing 19.3% of its 751,000 total viewer audience.
CNN has averaged 134,000 black viewers, representing 20.7% of its 648,000 total viewer audience.
Stelter noted that he pulled the Nielsen numbers after working on his story in Monday's New York Times on race and cable news.
His piece, "When Race Is the Issue, Misleading Coverage Sets Off an Uproar," examines the recent media firestorm over comments made by USDA official Shirley Sherrod as an example of "warfare" waged by conservative media.
Immigrant groups criticize fingerprint initiative
DENVER — The federal government is rapidly expanding a program to identify illegal immigrants using fingerprints from arrests, drawing opposition from local authorities and advocates who argue the initiative amounts to an excessive dragnet.
The program has gotten less attention than Arizona’s new immigration law, but it may end up having a bigger impact because of its potential to round up and deport so many immigrants nationwide.
The San Francisco sheriff wanted nothing to do with the program, and the City Council in Washington, D.C., blocked use of the fingerprint plan in the nation’s capital. Colorado is the latest to debate the program, called Secure Communities, and immigrant groups have begun to speak up, telling the governor in a letter last week that the initiative will make crime victims reluctant to cooperate with police “due to fear of being drawn into the immigration regime.”
Under the program, the fingerprints of everyone who is booked into jail for any crime are run against FBI criminal history records and Department of Homeland Security immigration records to determine who is in the country illegally and whether they’ve been arrested previously. Most jurisdictions are not included in the program, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been expanding the initiative.
Since 2007, 467 jurisdictions in 26 states have joined. ICE has said it plans to have it in every jail in the country by 2013. Secure Communities is currently being phased into the places where the government sees as having the greatest need for it based on population estimates of illegal immigrants and crime statistics.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Anthony Sowell, Alleged "Cleveland Strangler": Is Race a Factor in Serial Killer Probe? - Crimesider - CBS News
Thursday, July 15, 2010
NAACP DELEGATES UNANIMOUSLY PASS TEA PARTY AMENDMENT
NATION’S OLDEST AND LARGEST CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS ASK TEA PARTY TO REPUDIATE RACIST FACTIONS
(KANSAS CITY, MO) – Over 2,000 NAACP delegates today unanimously passed a resolution—as amended—called “The Tea Party Movement,” asking for the repudiation of racist Tea Party leaders.
The resolution condemns the bigoted elements within the Tea Party and asks for them to be repudiated. The NAACP delegates presented this resolution for debate and passage after a year of vitriolic Tea Party demonstrations during which participants used racial slurs and images. In March, members of the Congressional Black Caucus were accosted by Tea Party demonstrators and called racial epithets. Civil rights icon John Lewis was spit on, while Congressman Emanuel Cleaver was called the “N” word and openly gay Congressman Barney Frank was called an ugly anti-gay slur.
“We take no issue with the Tea Party movement. We believe in freedom of assembly and people raising their voices in a democracy. What we take issue with is the Tea Party’s continued tolerance for bigotry and bigoted statements. The time has come for them to accept the responsibility that comes with influence and make clear there is no place for racism & anti-Semitism, homophobia and other forms of bigotry in their movement,” stated NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. “Last night after my speech, I was approached by an African American member of the NAACP and the Tea Party. He thanked me for speaking out because he has begun to feel uncomfortable in the Tea Party and wants to ensure there will always be space for him in both organizations. I assured him there will always be a place for him in the NAACP. Dick Armey and the leadership of the Tea Party need to do the same.”
The resolution was amended during the debate to specifically ask the Tea Party itself to repudiate the racist elements and activities of the Tea Party. It comes on the heels of NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous’ announcement of the “One Nation, Working Together” Movement culminating with a national march on Washington on 10-2-10.
The resolution will now go to the NAACP National Board of Directors for a full vote when they meet in October 2010 in Baltimore, MD. A formal copy of the resolution will be released at that time
Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Interview with Kesha Rogers, Dem candidate who wants to impeach Pres. Obama
Read the interview here: http://aareports.com/2010/07/here-is-my-interview-with-kesha-rogers.html
Sell Out Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg has been useless in my book since the day that she encouraged Ted Danson to wear Blackface. It only got worse when she questioned whether Roman Polanski was guilty of 'rape rape'. Now, she has come to the defense of none other than Mel Gibson."
Someone has to stand up to Whoopi and her defending of criminal and racist men.
Saturday, July 03, 2010
'Bye, Eastland: 'This wasn't just a mall, it was a community' - CharlotteObserver.com
On the mall's last day, longtime walkers bid final farewells throughout building.
By Danielle Kucera
dkucera@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Thursday, Jul. 01, 2010
Workers with Boxer Properties board up the lower entrance at Eastland Mall, as people who wanted to visit the mall for the last time exit on Wednesday. ROBERT LAHSER - rlahser@charlotteobserver.com
Buy Photo Store
Charles and Penny Mills, who have shopped at Eastland Mall since it opened, visited for a final time Wednesday."
Thursday, June 24, 2010
HIV and Pregnancy: A Death Sentence?
By now, I think everyone knows that HIV/AIDS is a major problem, especially in Africa. Poor medical care and lack of knowledge on the disease (even here in the U.S.) have caused fear, misconceptions, dread, and depression for those who contract it. For years, becoming pregnant after contracting HIV was a death sentence for the resulting child.
A few years ago, scientists discovered a “miracle” treatment for pregnant women with HIV–a way for her to deliver the baby without the child contracting HIV. Doctors and humanitarians alike cheered this wonderful treatment. Finally, a solution to the problem of mother-to-baby transmission.
I’m kicking myself at the moment for not being able to find the interview I heard on the radio, on NPR I believe, in which a doctor discussed this procedure. However, I did find a study done in Africa on the treatment.
The woman is given a shot of nevirapine, one drug of a three drug “cocktail” used to help the immune system in AIDS treatment, during labor. The child is then given a shot of it after birth. The majority of the time, this treatment is effective in preventing the transmission, and the child is spared from the terrible life of an HIV patient.
However, what other scientists have just discovered is that the use of nevirapine during labor is actually detrimental to the mother’s treatment later. There is a chance that the mother will become resistant to nevirapine, which renders useless the three drug “cocktail” used for HIV/AIDS treatment for her later. She will die sooner because of this. Her child will be without a mother.
Monday, June 21, 2010
COURT DATE AND GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION FOR TROY DAVIS TOMORROW & WEDNESDAY
Court date set for Troy Davis, an innocent man on Death Row
By: Eugene Puryear
Still fighting for justice after 19 years behind bars
After 19 years on death row, two scheduled executions, innumerable court hearings, rallies and teach-ins, Troy Davis will finally get
his day in court on June 23. In line with the most recent Supreme Court
ruling, the U.S. Federal District Court in Savannah, Ga., will hear evidence as
to Davis’s innocence. Davis was convicted in 1991 of the 1989 murder of
police officer Mark Allen MacPhail. While no gun was found and no physical
evidence linked Davis to the crime, the prosecution produced nine witnesses who
testified to Davis’s guilt.
Troy Davis
Since that time, however, seven of the original nine prosecution witnesses have recanted their testimony.
Nine new witnesses have come forward to support claims of Davis’s innocence. Despite this, courts from Georgia to the U.S. Supreme Court have passed the buck,
either denying Davis a hearing on the new evidence or handing off responsibility to another jurisdiction. Further hampering Davis’s efforts to
have his case heard with new evidence is the fact that Georgia does not guarantee counsel for the appeals of death row inmates, leaving him until recently without effective counsel.
Davis’s case has become a rallying cry for those who oppose the racist death penalty. Tens of thousands of
people around the world have recognized that the conviction of Davis fits the pattern
perfectly for the racist application of the death penalty in the United States.In Georgia, specifically, the American Bar Association found a person is 4.5
times more likely to be sentenced to death for killing a white person than for
killing a Black person. It is obvious that Georgia’s legal
authorities want to continue to muzzle Troy Davis to avoid exposing the reality of their sense of “justice.” With seven witnesses recanting and nine new witnesses, further investigation in the case of Davis will undoubtedly
reveal police misconduct, coercion and lack of due diligence. Further, the
sentence of death and prosecutors’ zeal to ignore potential exonerating evidence
will go even further to show that the entire death penalty process is more about
playing on racist prejudices for political reasons than finding the truth or
“crime prevention.”
After 19 years on death row, more than enough potentially exonerating testimony has come to light for Troy
Davis to, at the very least, receive a new hearing. To his many supporters, it is enough evidence to support his freedom.
19 years too many!
Abolish the racist death penalty!
Free Troy Davis!
Troy Davis Campaign: June 22 Global Day of Solidarity
Troy Davis has a hearing date (June 23, 2010) – Please Take Action!
Who:
Everyone who is
concerned about the human rights case of Troy Davis.
What:
A day of
solidarity activities in communities around the world.
When:
Tuesday, June
22, 2010 (anytime). (This is the day before the hearing).
Where:
A visible
location in your community.
Why:
To keep a light
on the Troy Davis case and to demonstrate a global community
standing together and remain vigilant as the court reviews the new
evidence.
How:
Please organize an activity, such as:
a. a vigil
b. tabling
c. a teach-in
This kit provides some "how to" guides on organizing activities. Also, please use the tools—the event sign-in sheet to keep in touch
with folks who come out, the fact sheet to educate them about the
case, the petition and the handbill about the photo mosaic action.
At all events, please take part in the photo mosaic action ("Lend
Your Face for Justice").
Important:
We want to be
able to report how many events will be taking place to demonstrate
the tremendous support. Please email
dpac@aiusa.org
to let us know if you will
organize an activity. Please include the name of your community,
the type of event and how others can join you (i.e. a contact name,
email address, time and location of the activity).
Available resources: For links and downloadable items, visit
www.justicefortroy.org
Netanyahu: Security blockade on Gaza will only get stronger
Senior cabinet ministers on Sunday approved steps toward easing Israel's land blockade of the Gaza Strip, days after Jerusalem had issued a non-binding declaration supporting such a move.
"There will be no civilian closure of Gaza but there will be a security closure," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after the meeting. "That security closure will be tightened from now on."
He added: "We have deprived Hamas of the ability to blame Israel for hurting the civilian population [of Gaza] and our friends around the world are getting behind our decision and giving international legitimacy to the security blockade on Hamas."
Sources inside the prime minister's office expressed satisfaction with the move. "In the wake of this decision, the world's focus will be on the Qassam rockets Hamas is firing out of Gaza and not the coriander that Israel isn't allowing in," one senior aide told Haaretz.
Another official said the policy reversal would have been the right move, even without Israel's raid on Gaza-bound aid flotilla three weeks ago, which left nine activists dead and stepped up pressure on Israel to lift the siege.
"The new policy will prevent absurdities like blocking shipments of pasta to Gaza and will strengthen Israel's international position in enforcing a security closure. It will also strengthenl Israel's moral standing in its demand to free [captured Israeli soldier] Gilad Shalit.
The decision drew praise from the White House and criticism from the Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip, who called it "deception" and said that the blockade must be lifted entirely.
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