Pilgrimage

Powerful.

Best Blog Posts of 2007

Jon Swift has compiled a great listing of posts from 2007. Check them all out here.

My contribution:

Man Eegee
"Thoughts on the Goldwater Institute Analysis"
Man Eegee takes a look at how that Republican outreach to Latinos is going.

What are some memorable posts you've encountered over the year at various sites in WebLandia?

Feliz Navidad

Bud got a new bed for the holiday

Be safe, everyone! I'll be having familia-time today
and then will be gearing up for a trip to New York.
Feliz Navidad a todos mis amigos

Saturday Sara Blogging

Since Bud is on vacation, Sara wanted to stop by and hang out.

The Borders Are Moving Again

One of things that amuses me when border policies get "debated" in the United States is the rock-hard belief among Americans™ that the borders of their country are set in stone. They forget the history - the wars, the influence of money, the betrayals, etc - that have carved the "sea to shining sea" myth.

Borders are fluid, just as cultures and traditions are fluid, and separation is never permanent because we are constantly in a state of flux and migration as a species. Every time warped human nature has tried to deny that reality, the long thread of our nature mocks the attempts of those who choose to bottle in humanity.

The flip side of this is, of course, that conquistadors will sometimes get a dose of their own medicine. Nezua fills us in on a huge development today:

The Lakota Indians, who gave the world legendary warriors Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, have withdrawn from treaties with the United States, leaders said Wednesday.

"We are no longer citizens of the United States of America and all those who live in the five-state area that encompasses our country are free to join us," long-time Indian rights activist Russell Means told a handful of reporters and a delegation from the Bolivian embassy, gathered in a church in a run-down neighborhood of Washington for a news conference.

A delegation of Lakota leaders delivered a message to the State Department on Monday, announcing they were unilaterally withdrawing from treaties they signed with the federal government of the United States, some of them more than 150 years old.

linkage

Looks like karma and Manifest Destiny are going to get a chance to duel.

Guymon Daily Herald Reports Newspaper Racks Vandalized by Racists

As a followup to my recent post, Nativist Hatred in Goodwell, I thought I'd share with my readers an article that recently appeared in the Guymon Daily Herald, by staff writer Miranda Gilbert:

GDH newspaper racks vandalized


Photo caption: Here's an example of the propaganda that can be seen on our own Guymon Daily Herald racks. Photo credit: Heather Avey

A group against illegal immigrants are now protesting – illegally.

Paper signs boasting racial slurs next to God’s name were found glued to newspaper racks this week, including the Guymon Daily Herald’s dispensers at Wal-Mart and Dizzy B’s.

The signs appear to be an advertisement, with the fine print reading “Paid for by the Citizen’s for Public Awareness” but no contract was signed for the $50 a week advertisement block.

“They have not paid us for that spot,” said GDH Circulation Manager Peggy Martinez, who has discovered the signs sporadically through the week. “It is a paid advertising spot, but no one from this group has contacted us.”

Law enforcement was notified of the vandalism and an investigation is under way at the Guymon Police Department.

“They’re worried about immigrants breaking the law, ‘illegals,’ but what they’re doing is illegal,” Martinez said.

The signs say, “Support ‘Operation Wetback’ Thou shall enter a country legally. Thou shall leave a country lawfully — God. Support removal of illegals Call Congress.”

Another sign listed the US code and section which states that harboring, abetting and employing illegal aliens is a crime and listed the phone number for Immigration Custom Enforcement (ICE).

Anyone with information may call CRIMESTOPPERS at 1-800-766-0146 or 338-1899. Callers can remain anonymous.

Whoever put these signs up were cowards, and yes, criminals. And since I am somewhat of a night owl, if I happen to see anyone trying to do this in the future, I'll be immediately making a few phone calls.

Cross-posted from The Mahatma X Files

50,000 Hits? Cool!

Never thought I'd see the day, and am humbled now that it's here.
50,000 hits. Wow!



Thanks for all you do!

Una Identidad Sin Fronteras: Posadas

Today, December 17th, marks the second day in another example of centuries worth of cultural synergy in action - Las Posadas. It is a cultural tradition that gave birth to many iconic aspects of modern Latin@ culture.

Within a decade of the appearance of La Virgen de Guadalupe in Tenochtitlan, Roman Catholic missionaries were working on supplanting the Aztec celebration of the birth of their sun deity Huitzilopchtli, which occurred during the (European) month of December, with one that was more Christian in nature. St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit Order, received permission from Rome to institute a nine day period of prayer leading up to Christmas in the "New World". Now commonly known as a novena, each day for this particular novena was to signify the nine months of Mary's pregnancy.

Las Posadas, which means the Inns in English, is the reenactment of Mary and Joseph's experience when they arrived in Belén.

²³⁴⁵⁶⁷In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. - Luke 2:1-8

Each night of Las Posadas, processions of candle-carrying pilgrims make their way in song to pre-determined destinations where they are symbolically and, sometimes truly, turned away. Usually there are figures of Mary and Joseph carried in honor with the procession, as well as a nacimiento (nativity scene) at the house that the people gather. As the nine days progress, verses of the traditional song are added, telling the story of a very different Jesus than is commonly espoused by the rich and elite. Here is the English version, but I've only ever heard it sung in Spanish.

Outside
In the name of Heaven
I beg you for lodging,
for she cannot walk
my beloved wife.

Inside
This is not an inn
so keep going
I cannot open
you may be a rogue.

Outside
Don't be inhuman;
Have mercy on us.
The God of the heavens
will reward you for it.

Inside
You can go on now
and don't bother us,
because if I become annoyed
I'll give you a trashing.

Outside
We are worn out
coming from Nazareth.
I am a carpenter,
Joseph by name.

Inside
I don't care about your name:
Let me sleep,
because I already told you
we shall not open up.

Outside
I'm asking you for lodging
dear man of the house
Just for one night
for the Queen of Heaven.

Inside
Well, if it's a queen
who solicits it,
why is it at night
that she travels so alone?

Outside
My wife is Mary
She's the Queen of Heaven
and she's going to be the mother
of the Divine Word.

Inside
Are you Joseph?
Your wife is Mary?
Enter, pilgrims;
I did not recognize you.

Outside
May God pay, gentle folks,
your charity,
and thus heaven heap
happiness upon you.

Inside
Blessed is the house
that shelters this day
the pure Virgin,
the beautiful Mary.

Final Celebration
Enter, holy pilgrims,
receive this corner,
for though this dwelling is poor,
I offer it with all my heart.

Oh, graced pilgrim,
oh, most beautiful Mary.
I offer you my soul
so you may have lodging.

Humble pilgrims,
Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
I give my soul for them
And my heart as well.

Let us sing with joy,
all bearing in mind
that Jesus, Joseph and Mary
honor us by having come.

linkage

As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, the celebrations for Posadas are full of iconic symbols of la cultura mexicana. Piñatas originated during the first fiestas in the form of estrellas to signify the Star of David that alerted the wise men and shepherds to the birth of Christ. Traditional foods such as tamales, buñuelos (cross between doughnuts and sopapillas), and champurrado (chocolate atole) are also part of the usual forms of celebration.

Across the United States, Posadas are being celebrated by communities and neighborhoods, with some gleaning the obvious political realities faced by their families.

NOGALES, Ariz. — With border agents, Customs officers and police looking on, a group of Catholics here turned the international border into Bethlehem and sang Christmas songs into a green metal grille separating the United States and Mexico.

The Saturday afternoon "Posada on the Border" was a dramatization of Mary and Joseph's search for lodging in Bethlehem the night of Jesus' birth. Re-enactments occurred simultaneously on both sides of the international line, with those on the U.S. side incorporating border politics into their performance.

In a shadow cast by the cement-and-steel border wall, 11-year-old Gerardo Perez, playing Joseph, and 11-year-old Luz Mariela Robles, as Mary, walked the sidewalk along the international border seeking shelter, or posada.

Led by Miriam Lewis, also 11, who played the angel, they knocked on doors of three "inns" named Arizona, California, and New Mexico/Texas.

Each time, they were rejected and the group prayed for migrants who have died in that state while trying to cross into the United States from Mexico on foot.

Catholic officials say the dramatization was intended as a message that we need to be more welcoming of migrants seeking jobs and homes in other countries.

linkage

This is one of my favorite celebrations of the year because it turns the commercial-infected holiday season into one infused with the spirit of charity and family. Traditionally, gifts were not even opened on Christmas day, but rather on Dia de los Reyes Magos in January, but as with any melding of cultures, I'll be handing out presents to mis hijados and getting some from family on the 25th. There is one aunt that waits, though, and I smile to think of her.

She lives in the house of my great-grandmother who passed when I was a small child. Although I was a little guy at the time, I can still visualize the corner of her living where the nacimiento was layed out with care - the same nacimiento that was given to me when she passed on - the same that I proudly put out every year during these final days of the year.

It is a reminder of where I've been and, more importantly, a re-realization of the charity that is expected of me as a follower of a boy who was born in a stable among animals because his family was turned away.

Mas información:

Posadas - Wikipedia
Navidad en Mexico - Mexconnect.com
Posadas on Olvera Street
Holiday Traditions - Mexico (with Champurrado and Arroz con Leche recipes!)

Nativist Hatred in Goodwell

As I was fixing to leave Goodwell this afternoon to run some errands in a neighboring town, I noticed the following two racist signs on adjacent dumpsters at College Corner, a local convenience store. Of course I didn't have my camera handy at the time, so I waited until this evening to get a couple shots of the offending signs. The only identifying information I could find was on one that claimed it was paid for by some entity called "Citizens for Public Awareness." A quick drive around town suggests that College Corner was the only location where these signs were posted. Given that store's location - right across the street from the university campus - I'm guessing the perps were shooting for maximum visibility.


Similar signs have been found in Arizona, as witnessed by my friend Manny, and an ASU student who shot the following video:


I recall that Manny was hoping to research the group behind the signs, so perhaps he'll chime in and offer some insight. From what I've been able to gather, this Citizens for Public Awareness organization doesn't exactly have much presence on the internet. That said, what little info I've been able to dredge up suggests that its founder and president, Nancy Schaefer, has been known to make nativist statements in the past. So, assuming this is the same group, the signs are definitely in character.

I'll likely be making a few phone calls Monday to see who has jurisdiction over dumpsters, and see what it'll take to get the signs removed.

All that aside, there is something fittingly symbolic of racist garbage like the above signs glued to dumpsters.

For those requiring some context, here's a little something on nativism.

Cross-posted from The Mahatma X Files.

"More Fertilizer for the Cacti"

The desert claims another victim.

The body of a Nicaraguan woman who died while trekking into the United States with a group of illegal immigrants was found on the Tohono O'odham Nation on Wednesday, a Border Patrol spokeswoman said.

The 46-year-old woman had become ill and fell behind the rest of the group, Senior Patrol Agent Dove Haber said.

linkage

One of the trolls at the Tucson Citizen responds: "More fertilizer for the cacti"

A direct result of politicians and policies that aim to dehumanize the flow of people seekin refuge. Luckily, there are groups and movements that do not forget that we are one global family. Please consider giving a donation to them for the holidays - consider it fertilizer to grow the U.S. a new conscience.

• Border Action Network
• Border Angels
• Coalición de Derechos Humanos
• Humane Borders
• No More Deaths
• Samaritans
  
• many others, feel free to list any you know in the comments
  

Operation Tamale

This is so offensive and vile that I can't even muster the words to convey an appropriate rant.

Apparently making tamales is a job that many Americans want. Monday in its continuing effort to insure that Americans can have Tamale making jobs ICE raided an American Tamale factory and deported twenty-one workers. To add insult to injury ICE agents named the raid “OPERATION TAMALE”.

More from Nuestra Voice

Border Action Network Posada

This coming Saturday, Border Action Network will be looking back at a year of human rights advocacy as well as forward to continued trainings of Promotores and Know Your Rights campaigns in neighborhoods across southern Arizona.

CELEBRATE WITH US! - Our 3rd Annual Posada

• Date: Saturday, December 15, 2007
• Time: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
• Place: St. John’s Church - 602 W. Ajo Way, Tucson

Border Action Network invites you to celebrate this holiday season at our 3rd Annual Posada where we will reflect on our accomplishments of 2007 in promoting Human and Civil Rights, but equally important, we will celebrate our commitment to working with one another for justice in our communities while we share great food and music.

• Dinner and Live Music
• The graduation of Human Rights Promoters in Tucson and Sahuarita
• The graduation of the first “I Know My Rights” English class
• Slideshow of our 2007 Highlights

More on posadas later.

El Día de Guadalupe Redux

[reposted from last year]

Today is a very important day in Mexico, as well as across the world among the countless descendants of indios who find themselves still influenced by the forces of 15th century synergy - el día de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.

How could an apparition of a female figure captivate such a large swath of humanity throughout the centuries? The answer ties into the previous article I linked to yesterday.

La Virgen de Guadalupe, appearing to San Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, was morena - dark skinned. The language she spoke wasn't English, Spanish, or French - rather Nahuatl - the mother tongue of the Aztecs, whose empire was ending its rule due to the conquests and disease of Europe. She instantly became a symbol of empowerment for the indigenous people of Latin America who were fighting to preserve their identity in their own homeland, which was rapidly changing with each new ship to their shores.

While the Roman Catholic Church obviously played an important role in this event - San Juan Diego was instructed by La Morena to present himself to the bishop - the woman was also seen as a manifestation of the Aztec Goddess Tonantzin - a lunar deity. If you notice, La Virgen de Guadalupe stands atop the crescent moon on the tilma image. Also, the pyramid dedicated to Tonantzin was located in the spot where today's Basilica de Guadalupe now stands.

The Indians, whose religion had many gods and goddesses of all shapes and attributes, revered Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent. Following Juan Diego's encounter, they accepted the God of the Spaniards and flocked to the shrine built to house the holy image. The message of the apparitions and the symbolism of the miraculous portrait of Guadalupe had great significance to the Indian population. In the next seven years, eight million Indians were converted, at least nominally, to Catholicism. The Spaniards continued to colonize Mexico and to extend the teachings of the Church in America. Without the fortuitous appearance of Mary, they might have vanished from Mexico.

The Virgin of Guadalupe is important to Mexicans because she is their supernatural mother and because she represents their major political and religious aspirations. The Spanish Conquest represented not only their military defeat and the destruction of their culture, but also the defeat of the old gods and the decline of the old ritual. The apparition of Coatlaxopeuh to a common Indian can be viewed as the return of Tonantzin. The old religion is still alive!

linkage

The Guadalupe apparition has had a divided meaning from the very beginning. Its most popular mainstream account was attributed to Father Miguel Sánchez while the native people received the news and message via the Nican Mopohua in Nahuatl - detailing the four apparitions of Nuestra Señora. Here are versions in nahuatl, spanish and english. It begins this way:

Ten years after the seizure of the city of Mexico, war came to an end and there was peace amongst the people; in this manner faith started to bud, the understanding of the true God, for whom we live. At that time, in the year fifteen hundred and thirty one, in the early days of the month of December, it happened that there lived a poor Indian, named Juan Diego, said being a native of Cuautitlan. Of all things spiritually he belonged to Tlatilolco.

The mestizo people have always fought to claim their indigenous identity as well as demand dignity in a society that weaves together racism and classism. It continues today, and on the feast of Tonantzin, we remember the blending of sangre that has produced much richness, yet exists in a world still full of disparity. The color of the skin determined how one was treated back in the 15th century and continues through today.

The promise of Guadalupe is one that echoes the tenets of liberation theology - a reminder to the poor that they do not suffer without an advocate for their plight.

She who is always found among the poor...becomes a model of a spirituality of liberation for the poor and for those who live in real solidarity with the poor. Her Magnificat becomes a song of historical liberation. In the Puebla documents she becomes a model "for those who do not accept passively the adverse circumstances of personal and social life . . . but who proclaim with her that God 'exalts the lowly' and, if it is the case, 'pulls down the princes from their thrones"' - linkage

Haters in Tucson

Well, so much for the siesta.

This was the view from the window of the cafe where I just ate my lunch:

Any ideas for some additions to their yellow turdblossom?

A Quick Siesta From Politics

It's raining in Tucson, snowing on Mount Lemmon, and I don't wanna do anything today! In this joyous spirit of slacktitude, I'm gonna respond to James' tagging for the seven factoids.

These are the rules:

1) Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
2) Share 7 facts about yourself.
3) Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
4) Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I'm addicted to live music. I can't get enough of it and make sure that I get my fix at least once or twice a month. I think it's due to the alto saxophone playing years. Seeing a group or artist jam out gives me a rush. Last night was Ozomatli on Ice - my heart will be smiling for awhile now.
   
2. I meditate frequently. It's the only way I know how to keep my arteries from popping from the high blood pressure that spikes whenever I read the news. Taking cues from mystics in various traditions, it has helped me control my anger and learn to be more patient. This is obviously a road that will be traveled for a long, long time as I have much work to do...
3. Cooking relaxes me. The smells, the textures, the tastes, the challenge of tweaking a recipe to make the food shine - I love it all. While I don't cook as much as I would like, because it's just me and I have no qualms about eating leftovers for a few days, the evenings that I do whip up something in the kitchen are among my favorite of the week.
4. The neurotic Virgo in me never stops counting. An example: I try very, very hard not to look at my alarm clock before I fall asleep because I end up unleashing a torrent of insomnia by calculating the exact time of sleep I'll be getting for the night. If I doze off and wake up, the vicious cycle repeats itself. For long drives, I do the math for distance and speed to figure out when I'll get somewhere. It's mostly for fun, but the blame for this lies squarely with my high school physics teacher who told us to try it one day.
5. I get what we call in spanish - ansias (or ansiedad if you're a linguistic purist) - prior to big events. My private journal for the week prior to Columbine and 9/11, as two examples, reads out of an episode of the Twilight Zone. It stems from an inner voice that I've learned to be aware of, and occasionally embrace, that I discovered in high school and later in college when there were seismic encounters with spirituality among my family. On one hand it freaks me out, on the other I just shake my head and wonder if I need a good cocktail of meds.
6. Lightning freaks me out. I'm sure this has to do with the fact that five bolts have come within 30 yards over the years.
7. I can identify most beers based on taste. This technique can always use more practice, though. Heh. One time I was eating at Chuy's with my cousin and when my second round arrived, I told her that it was [insert name here, I can't recall], she mocked me in jest....until the bill arrived and it revealed that I was correct. She'll never doubt my powers again. :)

Passing this exercise in procrastination and frivolity over to Family Man, Jen, Nancy, janinsanfran, Louis, brownfemipower and Janet. Looking forward to learning more about you all.

Open Thread! Open Thread! Open Thread!

Today is International Human Rights Day

Sixty years later, the Declaration is still a true road map to global peace...if only we would embrace it.

This theme for 2008, “Dignity and justice for all of us,” reinforces the vision of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as a commitment to universal dignity and justice. It is not a luxury or a wish-list. The UDHR and its core values, inherent human dignity, non-discrimination, equality, fairness and universality, apply to everyone, everywhere and always. The Declaration is universal, enduring and vibrant, and it concerns us all.

linkage

Blame the Criminals and Wetbacks!

Every once in a while, the naked truth of hardliners' sentiments shine freely. In this case, Georgia's Carroll County Commissioner Bill Head has a Russell Pearce Moment during a public hearing.

"It's going to get worse as criminals move in from Atlanta and, based on what I see, and wetbacks from down south, uh, we're going to have more and more all the time," Head said.

"Nobody in the room said anything, but I think everyone was taken aback," said Chappell, who sat beside Head.

"I thought it was an unfortunate remark and inappropriate, and it does not accurately reflect Carroll County," Chappell said. "If any of our Hispanic community was offended, I apologize for our Board of Commissioners."

linkage

Note the Chair's language: "If...was offended, I apologize". Not: "The remark was patently wrong and bigoted, therefore I apologize". Mr. Head, on the other hand...

...told local TV news stations Thursday that he stood by his comments and did not plan to apologize.

History of the U.S./Mexico Border

Courtesy of ImmigrationProf Blog, a comprehensive history of the movement and policies affecting the border between the United States and Mexico. Introduction:

On a different September 11—the one in 1998—the body of a man was found floating in the All-American Canal in the Imperial Valley of southern California. The next day, Saturday, September 12, another man, who had been in a coma since August, when he was found in the valley’s desert with a core body temperature of 108 degrees, died. On Sunday, the Border Patrol discovered the body of Asuncion Hernandez Uriel in the same desert. Some of her group stayed with her, but she died of heat stress. The same day, the decomposed body of Oscar Cardoso Varon was pulled out of the canal. In all, the bodies of four migrants attempting to cross to the United States from Mexico were found that weekend.

New Mexico Senior Deported After Parking Violation

We must secure the borders so that parking violations across this great land will cease for eternity, ushering in a new era of freedom from Traffic Survival School....or something.

U.S. immigration officials deported a pregnant Roswell High School senior after she was pulled from class Wednesday by a local police officer regarding a traffic ticket issued days before.

According to Roswell Police Chief John Balderston, Karina Acosta, 18, was given several days to provide proper identification after being cited for a parking violation and driving without a license on Nov. 29 but failed to do so.

RHS Student Resource Officer Charlie Corn, a 10-year RPD veteran, removed Acosta from class Dec. 5 regarding the traffic violation and detained her at the school before notifying U.S. immigration officials of her illegal status, according to Balderston.

linkage

Searching across the web for more information on this particular incident has yielded nothing besides the linked article. The scenario, however, is being played out across the country. Local law enforcement agencies are now taking it upon themselves to act as INS agents. When it comes to their involvement on school grounds, tension between officials becomes inevitable.

Roswell Independent School District Assistant Superintendent Mike Kakuska said the RISD has officially protested Acosta's arrest with the INS and the Mexican Consulate.

"We are very, very concerned as a public school as to what happened the other day," said Kakuska, addressing a group of about 50 parents who gathered at RHS Friday morning. "The police officer, without our knowledge, had this young lady brought into his office here at school and the detain orders were issued through him, not the Roswell schools."

I've placed a phone call to Gov. Richardson's office to see if he has any comments on the case.

tip of the hat to commenter Larry in New Mexico

Hutto: America's Family Prison

Powerful video, courtesy of the T. Don Hutto Blog

Bill Introduced For Samaritan's Green Card

I love my Congressman - even more so because this will make the hardliners' heads explode.

U.S. Rep. Rául Grijlava submitted a private bill Thursday asking Congress to issue a green card to an illegal entrant who officials credit with saving the life of a 9-year-old boy he encountered in the desert on Thanksgiving night.

Late Thursday evening, Grijalva submitted the private bill, “H.R. 4339, for the relief of Jesus Manuel Córdova Soberanes,” to the clerk of the house, said Natalie Luna, Grijalva’s press secretary. The bill will be referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

linkage

James offered a post over the Thanksgiving weekend outlining this instance of a modern day Good Samaritan in action. Córdova was honored earlier this week at a ceremony at the Nogales Port of Entry.

"We don't know what would have happened to Christopher," said Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada. "He was lost in an area where there was no help. Then Manuel Jesus shows up - his guardian angel."

Santa Cruz County Supervisor Manuel Ruiz described Cordova as "a young man who gave up his dream of helping his family to help a young man." He addressed Cordova's mother, Alma Lydia Soberanes, in Spanish and commended her for raising such a compassionate son.

linkage

Government Personnel Cross the Border to Collect Blood

The office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has nailed unlicensed physicians in New Mexico for crossing the border to Juarez to collect blood samples for a study regarding genetics and disease among Latin@s.

During the review, we identified several compliance issues in both protocols. The concerns consisted of the use of an unlicensed physician to conduct certain diagnostic interviews and to draw blood without disclosing this to the IRB; irregularities in the de-identification of the informed consent documents; unavailability of medical records for some subjects to support pre-existing diagnoses qualifying the subjects for the study; failure to obtain approval from either the IRB or the Office of Research and Development (ORD) for conducting research activities internationally; and the use of a tissue bank not approved by the VA.

linkage (.pdf warning)

The blood samples were collected from participants who were interviewed and paid a stipend of $125. They drove a government vehicle across the line and when returning, failed to declare the blood samples with Customs, according to the website VA Watchdog.org. Also noted from the report is the following:

However, we did find irregularities in the recruitment process, verification of inclusion criteria, informed consent de-identification, and the credentialing and privileging of research personnel involved in the two protocols reviewed. Finally, we note that both protocols involved the banking of tissue specimens from human subjects at an offsite tissue bank not approved by VA for use in these particular protocols. (emphasis mine)

The report goes on to outline the failure of government personnel to secure consent forms from all participants, obtain prior medical records to determine health history, and the unsubstantiated claim that used needles were utilized for the blood draws. The exploitation of Mexican citizens was noted due to the currency disparity, with the rate being nearly 10 pesos for every U.S. dollar.

Toy Drive For Children Imprisoned in Texas

Please bookmark the T. Don Hutto Blog that is making sure the stories of families, especially the children, imprisoned in the Texas concentration camp are told. They have organized media campaigns, marches, vigils and other events to raise the flag of outrage against this blatant violation of human rights.

One of their current campaigns is a toy drive for the children within the prison walls. Please help:

"How the ICE Stole Christmas" Toy Drive Reception

Toy Drive for the kids at Hutto Detention Center
December 6th. 6-9pm.
1401 E 34th Street (on the corner of Lafayette and 34th)

Come as you are and bring an unwrapped toy, book, art supply (everything in its original packaging) or a $5-$10 cash donation. There will be adult beverages and sodas, and some yummy snacks. ALL proceeds from this party will be used to buy toys, books, and art supplies for the children imprisoned in the Hutto facility.

Questions should be directed to Bren at 512.296.0147 or cynthia.bren[at]gmail.com

**If you are unable to attend the toy drive reception, but want to contribute any dollar amount to the toy/book/art supply fund (one dollar is not too small), please give any donations to ProCo's donation collectors: Laura Martin, Maritza Kelley, Caroline O'Connor, or Bren Gorman when you see them in class or in the halls. Also, you can leave donations in a marked envelope in Box 235. All cash donations will go to purchase additional items, and fill in the holes from what we don't collect at the toy drive. We will use the money to purchase educational toys, books, and art supplies to be given to the kids at Hutto for Christmas.


Thank you in advance for your generosity and Happy Holidays!

North Carolina Cop Steals From Latinos

Bizarre.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A police officer has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges for pulling over Hispanic drivers and stealing their money.

Former Washington police officer Steven Ray Hilsinger had served as a patrol officer for about a year before his arrest in September following an investigation by the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office and the State Bureau of Investigation.

linkage

He was nailed after stealing from an undercover police officer. Perhaps he should go into the witness protection program, relocate to Phoenix and work for Mayor Gordon (who's a Democrat, by the way). He seems to have the racial discrimination thing down to a science and the Valley is salivating at a chance to practice the technique.

Under increasing pressure to take a stronger stand on immigration issues, Mayor Phil Gordon announced Monday that he would seek to end a controversial police immigration-enforcement policy.

Operations Order 1.4 prevents city police in most cases from asking about a person's immigration status. Gordon said Monday that he could no longer support the 20-year-old policy.

linkage

I'm so glad I don't live north of the Gila anymore.

U.S. Citizens Mischaracterized by AP

Headline: Hospital group troubled by plan to deny birth certificates to illegal immigrants

Reality: The Associated Press is too lazy to make sure their headlines are accurate. There is no plan to deny birth certificates to "illegal immigrants", there is a plan to deny birth certificates to United States citizens.

And who is the legislative mastermind behind such an effort here in Arizona? No other than the white supremacist group National Alliance-supporter Russell "Operation Wetback" Pearce.

We have reached the point of absurdity.

[UPDATE] The staff at the Tucson Citizen has reworked the headline they wrote to accompany their AP Wire Service article: Hospital group troubled by plan to deny birth certificates to children of illegal immigrants

Better.

[UPDATE the 2nd] Yet another revision, this time giving the word "illegal" a makeover as a noun. This is getting ridiculous! Plan to deny certificates for illegals' newborns rattles health group

La Cucaracha Celebrates Cinco Años

The anniversary passed, but I wanted to give a shout out to Lalo Alcaraz for reaching a great milestone. His daily cartoon La Cucaracha has turned five. ¡Felicitaciones, Lalo!

La Cucaracha is a unique strip that provides a view of the world through the sharp, satiric lens of its young Latino characters and the fertile mind of acclaimed creator Lalo Alcaraz. Growing up on the U.S./Mexico border gave Lalo a dual outlook on life. He’s not "Mexican" enough for his relatives in Mexico and not "American" enough for some in the U.S.A. It’s this double-edged Spanglish attitude that fuels this jalapeño-biting satirical observations in his daily comic strip, La Cucaracha.

Click the strip for more.

Associated Press Does It Again

Apparently the Associated Press delivered their staff new dictionaries recently, updating the entry for the word "illegal" to reclassify it as a noun. Either that, or institutional idiocy continues to rule the day.

[UPDATE] Yahoo News, not the AP, appears to be the culprit. More later on that.

Woman Charged with Murder for Stillbirth

Via brownfemipower at Women of Color Blog, we read the following message from the Executive Director of National Advocates for Pregnant Women:

As you know, we've been doing our best to fight injustice in Oklahoma, where we've been working since 2004 on behalf of Theresa Hernandez, a woman charged with first-degree murder for suffering a stillbirth. The prosecutor attributed the pregnancy loss to her drug use despite the fact that no medical evidence links methamphetamine use with stillbirths.

[snip]

In spite of our best efforts, this past September Ms. Hernandez — worn out from nearly four years in jail without contact visits from her children and dreading the possibility of a life sentence — accepted the prosecutor�s reduced plea of second-degree murder. This would ordinarily be the end of the story. Instead, NAPW and our local allies are turning this development into an opportunity to educate the community, demand that such prosecutions never happen again, and ensure that the community knows that — plea or no plea — Ms. Hernandez is not a murderer.

Go read the whole thing

My only comment is that the perfect title was selected by brownfemipower: There is no justice when a woman does time for a non-existent crime

14th Amendment Under Attack...Again

I'm going to give my stock response to this: I'm all for it*

Arizona voters may be asked to decide whether to prohibit the state from issuing birth certificates to children of non-U.S. citizens and require hospitals to check the citizenship of parents of newborns.

Those are key provisions of a proposed initiative filed Friday for possible inclusion on the November 2008 ballot, and a leading legislative critic of illegal immigration says he plans similar but separate legislation to take the issue to voters.

linkage

*as long as it's made retroactive to the 1787 ratification date of the U.S. Constitution.

Building a Wall from Propaganda

I've received eight emails now from advocates of the Great Wall of America™ flogging a story about Islamic terrorists making contacts with human smugglers in Mexico to cross the line and attack Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista.

How many times does this need to be repeated?

FORT HUACHUCA — A federal report in May that this Southern Arizona Army post may be the target of Middle Easterners who were smuggled into the United States from Mexico is “not valid or credible,” a FBI spokesman said Monday.

linkage (emphasis mine)

Whomever leaked the information is not a dummy. They're aware that the mere act of introducing such an inflammatory claim into the water cooler conversations of this country is enough to keep the money flowing to the wall-builder wing of the military industrial complex. Profits don't discriminate between fact or fiction.