NEWSFLASH: NIXZALIZ FOUND GUILTY, THANK GOD!
Nixzmary Brown's mother found guilty of manslaughterBY DANIEL EDWARD ROSEN
The mother of Nixzmary Brown, the 7-year-old whose death stunned a city and influenced a new law named for her, was found guilty of manslaughter but cleared of second-degree murder in State Supreme Court in Brooklyn on Friday.
Nixzaliz Santiago, 30, appeared unresponsive as the jury also found her guilty of second-degree assault, unlawful imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a child.
"The journey for justice for Nixzmary is almost over," said prosecutor Ama Dwimoh. She went on to praise the jury of 10 women and two men for ruling on the case "professionally and stoically."
"Today is a good day for the children because this jury said loud and clear that parents have a duty - it's not just what you do, it's what you don't do," Dwimoh said.
Santiago faces 25 years in prison on the manslaughter charge alone. She is to be sentenced Nov. 5.
Nixzmary's stepfather, Cesar Rodriguez, was convicted of manslaughter in March and sentenced to 26 1/3 to 29 years.
Defense attorney Sammy Sanchez told The Associated Press after the verdict that Santiago should not have been looked at in the same light as Rodriguez. "Cesar was the true criminal," Sanchez said.
Outside the courthouse, Santiago's mother, Maria Gonzalez, avoided reporters as she hustled to a nearby garage.
The nearly monthlong trial brought back to the public's memory the grisly details of Nixzmary's death, including the chair to which she was often violently bound and the litter box she was forced to use as a bathroom.
Nixzmary was beaten by Rodriguez after she took yogurt from a fridge and messed up Rodriguez's printer. Rodriguez slammed her head against a bathtub as she was being doused with cold water. Nixzmary weighed only 36 pounds when she died Jan. 11, 2006.
Her death brought swift and comprehensive changes to New York City's Administration for Children's Services and helped influence "Nixzmary's Law," which charges parents of children who have died as a result of abuse with first-degree murder.
During the trial, Santiago sometimes broke down into tears when prosecutors showed photos of Nixzmary's bruised corpse, even remarking, "This is messed up."
The jurors also heard testimony from an ACS worker how Santiago kept the remains of a miscarriage of hers in a jar. Santiago told Child Welfare Specialist Vanessa Rhoden that she kept the remains because "once she saw the baby's eyes, she couldn't let it go."
Santiago has five other children. Gonzalez is seeking their custody.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
NEWSFLASH: NIXZALIZ FOUND GUILTY, THANK GOD!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Republicans use Obama's picture on food stamp???
The groups president Diane Fedele says she doesn't thinks it's racist although Obama's picture is surrounded by watermelon, Kool Aid, and ribs. What's sad is that it took that picture for a black member of the group to realize why the GOP has such a hard time recruiting African Americans.
Read the story and see the food stamp here:
http://www.letstalkhonestly.com/blacknewsblackviews.html
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Media Declines To Challenge McCain's Evidence-Free ACORN Charge
In last night's debate, John McCain claimed that ACORN "is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy."
That's quite an allegation against a group that's working to register low-income voters. You'd hope that the media would ask McCain's campaign for some evidence for the claim, or at least note that the candidate himself didn't offer any. Or that moderator Bob Schieffer would have followed up in real time.
You'd be disappointed, of course. Reporters were too distracted by Joe the Plumber to pay much attention to McCain's hyperbolic accusation.
Of course, McCain had essentially no backing whatsoever for his claim. As TPMmuckraker and others have pointed out, there's virtually no evidence that fraudulent registration forms of the type erroneously submitted by ACORN in their thousands in some states ever turn into fraudulent votes.
McCain uses term ‘tar baby’
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - Republican presidential contender John McCain on Friday used the term "tar baby," considered by some a racial epithet, and later said he regretted it.
Answering questions at a town hall meeting, the Arizona senator was discussing federal involvement in custody cases when he said, "For me to stand here and ... say I'm going to declare divorces invalid because of someone who feels they weren't treated fairly in court, we are getting into a tar baby of enormous proportions and I don't know how you get out of that."
After the event, McCain told reporters: "I don't think I should have used that word and I was wrong to do so."
Singlaub is McCain’s Ayers...Where is the neo-con backlash??
Since the mid-1980s, there’s been almost no attention paid to John McCain’s long-ago association with a controversial group 
But now, with the Republican presidential candidate stepping up his negative blitz against Democratic opponent Barack Obama, some Democrats are hoping that the group — the U.S. Council for World Freedom, and its founder, John Singlaub — will become for McCain what Bill Ayers has become for Obama: a fleeting past association used as ammunition for political broadsides.
Over the past few days, a handful of Obama allies — none directly associated with his campaign — have called attention to McCain’s ties to the council to rebut the McCain campaign’s increasing focus on Obama’s ties to Ayers, a founder of the 1960s radical Weather Underground.
“This guilt by association path is going to be trouble ultimately for the McCain campaign,” Democratic strategist Paul Begala said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “John McCain sat on the board of a very right-wing organization; it was the U.S. Council for World Freedom. It was chaired by a guy named John Singlaub, who wound up involved in the Iran-Contra scandal. It was an ultraconservative, right-wing group.”
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Palin Rally: "Kill Him" Yelled Again
Via Politico, The Scranton Times reports another threat against Barack Obama at a Sarah Palin rally Tuesday:
Each time the Republican candidate for the seat in the 10th Congressional District mentioned Barack Obama the crowd booed loudly.
One man screamed "kill him!" At previous rallies, McCain-Palin supporters have shouted "Kill Him!" as well as "Treason!" "Terrorist!" and "Off With His Head!"
"We were really disappointed when an Alaska Native wasn't appointed," said Kookesh, a Tlingit Indian who held the job in a previous administration.
JUNEAU, Alaska — Gov. Sarah Palin's rural adviser resigned Monday amid criticism of the governor's record on hiring Alaska Natives.
Rhonda McBride, who is not an Alaska Native, made the announcement in an e-mail to several Native leaders, saying there need to be more Native voices in Palin's administration.
"I definitely think it would help to have an Alaska Native in this position," McBride told The Associated Press.
Many Alaska Natives have said they felt neglected when Palin, now the Republican vice presidential nominee, made appointments to her administration, including the rural adviser post.
State Sen. Al Kookesh, a Democrat, said Palin left the position unfilled her first year in office and ignored Native leaders' suggestions on the selection process.
"We were really disappointed when an Alaska Native wasn't appointed," said Kookesh, a Tlingit Indian who held the job in a previous administration.
Natives bristled early in Palin's administration when she named a white woman to a game board seat held by a Native for more than 25 years. An Athabascan Indian eventually was named to the post after protests.
Jesse Jackson causing more trouble for Obama
Jesse Jackson has made what can be considered anti-semitic remarks in a print interview and then said that while he is not part of the Obama campaign that Obama is "part of the family" Read the entire article and interview by clicking the link below:
http://www.letstalkhonestly.com/blacknewsblackviews.html
Monday, October 13, 2008
CALL FOR HELP! SUPPORT BARRIERE LAKE ALGONQUINS AGAINST QUEBEC POLICE ATTACKS, ARRESTS, BEATINGS, HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES
Article by Mohawk Nation News
Photos: Barriere Lake community
Oct. 12, 2008. On Monday, October 6, 2008, the Algonquins of Barriere Lake had enough and blocked Highway 117 in Northern Quebec. They want Canada and Quebec to live up to the "trilateral agreement" signed in 1991 between the 3 parties. The Algonquins have a right to sustainably develop and co-manage their traditional territories and to have a share in resource revenues. Canada and Quebec obviously believe in stealing but not sharing. Isn't that the "slippery slope" that multinational corporations are sliding into right now? They refuse to comply with the agreement which would save the environment.
Rotten to the core, Canada and Quebec responded to the blocked road by sending in almost 100 Quebec police, some fully-equipped riot police, to attack the Algonquins to get out of negotiations. Tear gas was shot into a group of youth and elders. One canister hit a handicapped person in the chest. Nine people, including; an elderly women, a pregnant woman, and two minors, were arrested. Severe "pain compliance" techniques were used on peaceful men, women and children who had secured themselves to concrete-filled barrels. The cops twisted their arms, dislocated their jaws, left them with bruised faces and sore necks and throats from the tear gas.
The Algonquins of Barriere Lake intend to demonstrate until Canada's Conservative government and Quebec honor signed agreements and Barriere Lake's leadership customs.
Allies and supporters are needed as witnesses. From Montreal: Take #15 North to St. Jerome where it turns into #117; drive north past Mt. Laurier and 1 hour after Grand Remous to LaVerendrye Park; turn right on "#362 km" sign; drive 8 kms to the community of "Rapid Lake". Needed are camping equipment, food, phone cards, cameras; volunteers, equipment and everything necessary for makeshift schools. See contacts at end.
To view the video of the brutal police attack, go to www.barrierelakesolidarity.blogspot.com.
In 1996, Indian Affairs tried to hijack the agreement by sneakily replacing the legitimate chief and council with their outside nominees [sort of creating "New'gonquin appointees] to stop the agreement.
Algonquins, who are not part of the colony of Canada, do not come under the Indian Act. Elders nominate eligible leaders who are then approved, by consensus if possible, in assemblies. Participation is open only to those who live in the community, speak the language, and have knowledge of and connection to the land. Since they rejected the colonial "implants", the majority have been deprived of employment, education and social assistance. Electricity is being run by local generators. The parents of more than half of the children refuse to send them to Indian Affairs funded schools. The reason is because the curriculum, no Indigenous language instruction and no say in the running of the school. Volunteer community members are educating the children. They need school and food supplies. There are no phone lines. They subsist on bush food and donations. This sounds like Kanehsatake. We wouldn't be surprised if the same players are involved in Barriere Lake. See the list of slimy bureaucrats at end of this article.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Smile Precious Erica
Now that the trials are over, I believe ERICA GREEN can look down on us with a big smile -- Remembering Erica with Love - KWH
Racist, Sexist Buffoonery from Arkansas City, Kansas Mayor- SHAME ON YOU!
MAYBE HE AND CHARLES KNIPP CAN GET TOGETHER
THE DEGRADATION OF BLACK WOMEN MUST STOP!!!
Hat tip to BumpShack.com
Arkansas City, Kansas mayor Mel Kuhn found himself amid a heap of controversy after dressing in drag and blackface at a fundraiser for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). Mel performed as the character “Smellishis Poon” and actually won the contest. His backup dancers were the “Red Hot Puntangs.”
Mel Kuhn, the Mayor of Arkansas City Kansas, won a beauty pageant fundraiser last weekend. Kuhn participated in the Men in Tights, drag queen contest that has become an annual fund raiser for CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates. The agency supports foster children in the court system.
Kuhn named his character “Smellishis Poon,” and the name appeared on programs and was announced during the event. He also had back up dancers for the talent portion, and called them his “Red Hot Puntangs.”
After the local NAACP talked with Kuhn he seemed to realize the severity of his actions and issued an apology after initially declining not to.
“It has been brought to my attention how offensive this was and I absolutely agree that it was shortsighted of me not to see that in the first place. I am sincerely sorry and I sincerely apologize for the offensive nature of my actions. This was not CASA, this was of my own volition, and I take full responsibility for my actions. The buck absolutely stops here”. - Mayor Mell H. Kuhn
Mayor Kuhn used extremely bad judgment even if it was for charity. He initially said he was in tan face not black face. Either way he should have been smart enough to know how it would be perceived. Even if he didn’t mean anything racial he should have been more mature than to use the names “Smellishis Poon” and “Red Hot Puntangs” which are dirty and vulgar. They remind me of names frat boys would have used during a skit in college.
Kuhn seems sincerely apologetic and has agreed to more meetings with the Wichita NAACP to ease feelings and talk about working on race relations in the are. Sometimes people are naive and not racist and other times people are just racist. Maybe Kuhn can use this as a good thing and work with the NAACP to truly help race relations there in Arkansas City.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Ward Connerly and Ignorance
Right-wing's darling Ward Connerly has made a name for himself in opposing racial preferences in California back in 1997. He allied himself with the most right-wing, racist, most backward groups in America. The biggest irony is that many of those same right-wing groups snub him. So he became a better self-hating bigot by selling out people of color, being anti-immigrant, and blaming people of color for their problems, not institutional racism.
The thing is that his one-time ally against racial preferences, Mr. Wood, was against Connerly's proposal to abolish racial categories in California. Mr. Wood, a longtime opponent of affirmative action, disagree. He thinks racial profiling college applicants is a good thing.
A lot of his white conservative base oppose intermarriage between Blacks and nonblacks. Ward Connerly doesn't get it. When he told his white audience that he's Irish, French, and American Indian, they laughed at him. So much for pleasing the right wing, eh.
Ward Connerly to me is worse than Clarence Thomas. With Clarence Thomas, what you see is what you get. As for Connerly, he's too secretive and sly. And his white right-wingers and Republicans neither respect nor liked him period.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristina-wilfore/ward-connerly-cashes-in-p_b_126806.html
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