By Bonnie Weinstein, Bay Area United Against War
(Talk given at the "Wage Peace Mother's Day
Media Walk and Rally Saturday, May 7)
2) National Day of Action to Support GI Resisters
Tuesday, May 10 - San Francisco
Support Pablo Paredes and Kevin Benderman!
Noon at the SF War Memorial Building,
401 Van Ness across from City Hall
3) Julio Ayala, 26 yr. Salvadoran citizen, was beaten to death for
15 minutes by 13 SSF "Peace Officers" on 4-3-05, shortly after
midnight after SF Airport Inn Manager and the occupant of Rm 202,
adjacent to Julio's room complained to PD about excessive noise.
4) The Gates of Hell: Occupied Iraq
by Jack Random
www.dissidentvoice.org
May 5, 2005
http://dissidentvoice.org/May05/Random0505.htm
5) U.S. to Spend Billions More to Alter Security Systems
By ERIC LIPTON
May 8, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/08/national/08screen.html?hp&ex=1115611200&en=5cfdf0fee9e6ae67&ei=5094&partner=homepage
6) Under New Medicare Prescription Drug Plan,
Food Stamps May Be Reduced
By ROBERT PEAR
May 8, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/08/politics/08drugs.html?
7) ACLU OF NEW MEXICO SUES APS FOR FAILURE
TO COMPLY WITH THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, May 5, 2005
CONTACT:
Peter Simonson, Executive Director, ACLU of New Mexico
at 505-266-4622 or (cell) 505-620-0775
8) Toward Global Dialogue: Can We Talk?
by Sam Husseini
www.dissidentvoice.org
May 7, 2005
http://www.dissidentvoice.org/May05/Husseini0507.htm
9) U.S. Forces Mount Offensive
Near Syrian Border With Iraq
By RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr.
and TERENCE NEILAN
Published: May 9, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/09/international/middleeast/09cnd-iraq.html?hp&ex=1115697600&en=036929e346b855f6&ei=5094&partner=homepage
10) States Propose Sweeping Changes to Trim Medicaid by Billions
By ROBERT PEAR
Published: May 9, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/09/national/09medicaid.html?hp&ex=1115697600&en=a22d0d23988af62b&ei=5094&partner=homepage
11) Cuban Exile Could Test
the U.S. Definition of Terrorist
By TIM WEINER
Published: May 9, 2005
"Mr. Posada, a Cuban exile, has long been a symbol for the
armed anti-Castro movement in the United States. He remains
a prime suspect in the bombing of a Cuban commercial airliner
that killed 73 people in 1976. He has admitted to plotting
attacks that damaged tourist spots in Havana and killed an
Italian visitor there in 1997. He was convicted in Panama in
a 2000 bomb plot against Mr. Castro. He is no longer welcome
in his old Latin America haunts.
Mr. Posada, 77, sneaked back into Florida six weeks ago in
an effort to seek political asylum for having served as
a cold war soldier on the payroll of the Central Intelligence
Agency in the 1960's, his lawyer, Eduardo Soto, said at
a news conference last month."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/09/national/09exile.html?hp&ex=1115697600&en=6d59e05bb7bfc462&ei=5094&partner=homepage
12) "REAL ID" APPROVED
Immigration News Briefs (INB), a weekly English-language
summary of US immigration news, is forwarded out to the
email list of the Coalition for the Human Rights of
Immigrants (CHRI).
13) Foss High Students Win Victory For Free Speech And
Counter-Recruitment Movement
Received May8, 2005
Thanks to Doug Nielson for compiling this information.
Thanks to everyone who called in to support us
May 6, 2005
By Clara Lightner (sophomore at Foss High School, Tacoma, WA)
14) Soldier Lifts Lid on Camp Delta
By Paul Harris
The Observer UK
Sunday 08 May 2005
For the first time, an army insider blows
the whistle on human rights abuses at Guantánamo.
"An American soldier has revealed shocking new details
of abuse and sexual torture of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay
in the first high-profile whistleblowing account to emerge
from inside the top-secret base.
Erik Saar, an Arabic speaker who was a translator in
interrogation sessions, has produced a searing first-hand
account of working at Guantánamo. It will prove a damaging
blow to a White House still struggling to recover from the
abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib jail in Iraq.
In an exclusive interview, Saar told The Observer that prisoners
were physically assaulted by 'snatch squads' and subjected to
sexual interrogation techniques and that the Geneva Conventions
were deliberately ignored by the US military.
He also said that soldiers staged fake interrogations to
impress visiting administration and military officials.
Saar believes that the great majority of prisoners at
Guantánamo have no terrorist links and little worthwhile
intelligence information has emerged from the base despite
its prominent role in America's war on terror."
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/050805Y.shtml
15) Palestinians Join Human Rights Lawsuit Against Caterpillar, Inc.
Victims and Surviving Family Members Join Suit Brought by Family
of Rachel Corrie and Charge Company with Responsibility for Role
in Killings and Injuries Resulting from Home Demolition Policy
Caterpillar Amended Complaint (PDF)99KB
Synopsis
On, May 2, 2005, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), the
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) and partnering law firms
added members of four Palestinian families as plaintiffs to their
federal lawsuit against Illinois-based Caterpillar, Inc., charging
the company with responsibility for human rights abuses in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory. The new plaintiffs are joining
the case brought by the parents of Rachel Corrie, the 23-year-old
American peace activist and student who was crushed to death by
a Caterpillar D9 bulldozer on March 16, 2003.
http://www.ccr-ny.org/v2/reports/report.asp?ObjID=nrt9um7hhM&Content=569
16) "More Powerful Than the US Army"
Straight to Bechtel
By JEFFREY ST. CLAIR
May 9, 2005
http://www.counterpunch.org/
17) 'Venezuelan workers are building Bolivarian socialism'
Roberto Jorquera, Caracas
May Day 2005 will go down in Venezuelan history as an significant
date in the developing revolution. Although there was no official
estimate release, it is speculated that around 1 million workers
marched through Caracas on the day. The main slogans of the
demonstration were "Co-management is revolution" and "Venezuelan
workers are building Bolivarian socialism".
http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2005/626/626p13.htm
18) Stop Racial Profiling & Police Brutality! Drop All
charges Against the Somerville 5!
The following appeal was initiated by
the Women's Fightback Network
in Boston, an affiliate of the IAC.
Please respond immediately:
19) Spycam Force
Chicago's two-fisted street cops have a new kind of backup:
a point-and-click
surveillance network tied to a citywide crime-fighting
database. (Smile for the camera.)
By Noah Shachtman
May 2005, Issue 13.05
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.05/crime.html
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
1) For Mother's Day, Bring the Troops Home Now
By Bonnie Weinstein, Bay Area United Against War
(Talk given at the "Wage Peace Mother's Day
Media Walk and Rally Saturday, May 7)
This Mother's day, we are taking up the declaration issued
by Julia Ward Howe in 1870 on behalf of all mothers and all
children: "The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
We protest this war today and vow to do all we can to prevent
the next one. We want all the troops returned home now!
Our work to end the war and discourage young people from
joining the military is of utmost importance. Without
cannon fodder, the government will not be able to continue
this war, or get us into any more wars.
And, we're making progress. The U.S. Army, the Army Reserve,
the National Guard, the Marines, have all failed to meet
their recruitment goals by at least 30 percent or more-the
Army missed it by 42 percent! Nationwide, enrollment in
the Army's Reserve Officers' Training Corps-ROTC-which
trains and commissions more than six of every ten new Army
officers each year, has slipped by more than 16 percent.
Junior ROTC funnels high school kids who plan to go to
college into ROTC. And if they don't plan to go to college
they are encouraged to practice "good citizenship" and
"serve their country" in some way after high school. The
U.S. Army runs JROTC in the public high schools. The schools
have no say in JROTC curriculum and the Army appoints the
teachers. In San Francisco they pretend that it's a "conflict
resolution program," but we are well aware that it is
a multi-million dollar propaganda program to glorify the
U.S. military and to recruit our children for war.
The military's low enlistment rate reflects the fact that
the American people are opposed to this war.
We know what's going on!
While our schools are being shut down across the country,
and schools, roads, railroads, and other basic necessities
are crumbling, and funds for human needs are routinely and
systematically being stripped, U.S. military expenditures
are skyrocketing. Congress voted $82 billion more last
Thursday(May 5, 2005).
In fact, the super-grand total for the military budget for
2004 reached the astonishing amount of nearly $754 billion.
That's 3/4 of a trillion dollars! -And that figure doesn't
include the huge sums of money being spent on war-related
security, space, oceanographic and atmospheric technology,
biological and germ experimentation, research and development,
just to name a few-which brings the amount the U.S. government
actually spends on war into the trillions of dollars each
year-dwarfing the four-hundred-and-one billion dollar war
budget the government officially claims.
Now think of this: The U.N. estimates that it would cost
80 billion dollars to feed, clothe, house and give medical
care to every homeless and starving person on the planet
this year! Can you imagine what we could do with the trillions
this government is wasting?
And where do they get the money for all this? Over the last
three decades, the tax system has been twisted even further
to subsidize the wealthiest 1/100th of one percent of the
country. It is a myth that the more one earns, the more
one pays in taxes. The tax laws are designed by both
Republicans and Democrats to subsidize the super rich
by stealing from the rest of us.
Through tax laws never reported in the news, Congress
takes money from those making $30,000 to $500,000 per
year and funnels it to the wealthy elite.
What a great system. The wealthiest 1/100th of one percent
of Americans create the tax laws that force the rest of
us to subsidize them, and pay for their wars, with our
tax dollars and the lives of our children.
And what do we get in return? Jails! Growing at a rate
of about 900 inmates each week they now hold over
2.1 million people. That's roughly 1000 prisoners out
of every 138,000 U.S. residents. Compare that to Cuba,
which holds 297 prisoners out of every 100,000 Cuban
residents. Prison has become a "rite of passage" for
young people in America's poor communities-those same
communities where the U.S. military hunts and captures
its hungry cannon fodder.
But has American big business suffered in any way? Exxon
Mobil Corporation's first-quarter profits surged 44 percent.
Halliburton's net profit was only $365 million. It would
have been much more but they had to pay fines for being
caught cheating on government contracts. But Bechtel, based
right here in San Francisco, made a cool $17.4 billion-all
of them are profiting at the expense of Iraqi and American
lives.
We are going to have to put a stop to this. We are going to
have to join together and turn things around to end this war
and bring our troops home-and we want them home now!
We have to reach out to everyone opposed to this war and
continue to build and organize a giant, united antiwar
movement-including a counter-recruitment campaign in every
city. It's already being done all over and we're linking
together now. We have to go to every college and high school,
every mall, every recruitment office in every community and
stop them from recruiting; we have to have antiwar referendums
on every ballot to make it crystal clear what the American
people really want; we have to go to every school district
and demand that they cut all ties to the military and stop
handing our kids over to them-and we have to show up anywhere
the military shows up-to put an end to military enlistments
and prevent this government from continuing this war or
from spreading this war to Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, Korea
or anywhere else.
Together we can defeat the warmongers, protect our children
and ensure them a bright, peaceful and caring world.
Mother's Day Proclamation - 1870
BY JULIA WARD HOWE
Arise then...women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts!
Whether your baptism be of water or of tears!
Say firmly:
"We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage,
For caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity,
mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country,
Will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."
From the voice of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with
Our own. It says: "Disarm! Disarm!
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe our dishonor,
Nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil
At the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home
For a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace...
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God -
In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality,
May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
And the earliest period consistent with its objects,
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
2) National Day of Action to Support GI Resisters
Tuesday, May 10 - San Francisco
Support Pablo Paredes and Kevin Benderman!
Noon at the SF War Memorial Building,
401 Van Ness across from City Hall
Over a dozen cities participating!
On the day before their scheduled court martial for refusing
to participate in the unjust Iraq war and occupation, tell the
U.S. military: "Resisting illegal war and occupation is not
a crime!" and to "Respect Conscientious Objection". Some Bay
Area event participants will immediately car caravan to San
Diego to support Pablo Paredes. To join the caravan, contact
courage@riseup.net
On December 6, 2004 Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Pablo Paredes
refused to board the USS Bonhomme Richard as it left San Diego.
Instead, Pablo stayed on the dock and spoke with the media about
his opposition to the Iraq War while wearing a t-shirt that
declared, "Like a cabinet member, I resign." (photo above right)
On January 16, 2005 Iraq War veteran Army Sgt Kevin Benderman was
charged with "Desertion with Intent to Avoid Hazardous Duty" and
"Missing Movement by Design" after refusing to return to Iraq.
His bid to for discharge as a conscientious objector had earlier
been rejected. Army Sgt Kevin Benderman is scheduled to be brought
before a general court martial at Fort Stewart, Georgia on the same
day as Pablo Paredes' special court martial in San Diego, California,
on May 11.
Initiated by Courage to Resist, with the support of Not in Our Name
and many other organizations and individuals.
Sunday, May 29 - Berkeley
Military Voices Against Endless War and Occupation
Aidan Delgado, Dr. Gene Bolles, Camilo Mejia, Cindy Sheehan,
Tim Goodrich, Stephen Funk, with audio/visual presentations,
awards, and entertainment.
6 PM at King Middle School, 1781 Rose Street
Online advance tickets now available!
Event endorsers needed!
"A celebration of conscience, courage, resistance, and truth
in a time of war."
With Iraq War veterans, family members of service persons killed
in Iraq, and military resisters. Iraq uncensored. Today's military,
from recruiting to stop-loss to a possible draft.
Memorial Day Weekend 2005: Saturday, May 28 in Los Angeles
at the Immanuel Presbyterian Church, and Sunday, May 29 in
Berkeley at King Middle School.
Hosted by Not in Our Name, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Gold
Star Families for Peace, and the Los Angeles Coalition Against
Militarism in Our Schools. Co-sponsored by Middle East Children's
Alliance, Veterans for Peace, Vanguard Foundation, Central
Committee for Conscientious Objection, Global Exchange,
KPFK Radio (LA), and many others. $12 adv online, $15 at
the door ($9 students)
-
The Not in Our Name Project needs your support!
Donate online: donate.notinourname.net
Or send your tax-deductible contribution today to:
Not in Our Name
3945 Opal Street, Oakland CA 94609
www.notinourname.net
phone: 510-601-8000
email: bayarea@notinourname.net
local: bayarea.notinourname.net
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
3) Julio Ayala, 26 yr. Salvadoran citizen, was beaten to death for
15 minutes by 13 SSF "Peace Officers" on 4-3-05, shortly after
midnight after SF Airport Inn Manager and the occupant of Rm 202,
adjacent to Julio's room complained to PD about excessive noise.
The official version stands: Julio "stopped breathing" while
constrained in a body wrap.
The Ayala's family was not allowed to view Julio's body, due to
"lack of suitable facility", was barred from talking to hotel
staff, has not been able to access autopsy, PD, paramedics or
Fire Department reports. Idriss Stelley Foundation, October 22
Against Police Brutality, Ella Baker Center and staff from SF
Carecen and Coleman Advocates are launching Justice4JulioAyala's
Campaign, to support Julio's family struggle for justice.
A Candlelight vigil was held for the 30 Day Anniversary of Julio's
death by the SF Airport Inn. Today, the altar was dismantled
without notice to the Ayala's family, who left instruction to
hotel management and SSF DPW department in order to retrieve
altar in such eventuality. The community is organizing a press
conference and protest on the steps of SSF City Hall on
Wednesday 5-18-05 at 5 P.M., and is scheduling a special hearing
with San Mateo City Council in June. The Ayala's family attended
the first year anniversary for Cammerin Boyd march and Rally in
San Francisco yesterday, and are bravely joining the rank of
families whose loved ones have been killed by Law enforcement
in the Bay Area, struggling for Justice. On Friday May 12 at
7PM, there will be a traditional 40-day mass at St John of the
Shipwreck on 3rd and Jamestown in San Francisco. Please send
a message of support to the Ayala's by loging onto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Justice4Julio/
Dear members of the press:
The Ayala Family is anxiously awaiting calls from the media
to update our community on the developments of
Justice4JulioAyala Campaign. Please contact Julio Sr.
or Mirna Ayala at (415) 508-0094, or call Idriss Stelley
Foundation 24HR Bilingual Spa. Crisis Line at (415) 595-8251.
Please log onto the site listed as above for latest community
messages and posted events.
We are counting on you !
mesha Monge-Irizarry
Idriss Stelley Foundation
Hosting "Justice4Julio" on Indymedia Radio noon time weekly,
exact day to be posted later
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
4) The Gates of Hell: Occupied Iraq
by Jack Random
www.dissidentvoice.org
May 5, 2005
http://dissidentvoice.org/May05/Random0505.htm
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
5) U.S. to Spend Billions More to Alter Security Systems
By ERIC LIPTON
May 8, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/08/national/08screen.html?hp&ex=1115611200&en=5cfdf0fee9e6ae67&ei=5094&partner=homepage
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
6) Under New Medicare Prescription Drug Plan,
Food Stamps May Be Reduced
By ROBERT PEAR
May 8, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/08/politics/08drugs.html?
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
7) ACLU OF NEW MEXICO SUES APS FOR FAILURE
TO COMPLY WITH THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, May 5, 2005
CONTACT:
Peter Simonson, Executive Director, ACLU of New Mexico
at 505-266-4622 or (cell) 505-620-0775
ALBUQUERQUE - The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New
Mexico sued the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) today for
failing to properly notify parents of their option to prohibit
public schools from directly sending their children's contact
information to military recruiters. The ACLU claims that the
school district's current practices violate students' privacy
and due process rights, as well as provisions in the federal
No Child Left Behind Act.
"Not all parents want their children to be plied with mailings
and phone calls pushing them to enroll in the military," said
ACLU Executive Director Peter Simonson. "At a time when people
who enter the military face the very real prospect of going
into battle, parents should have the right to control what the
US Department of Defense knows about their children and how
easily they can recruit them to become soldiers."
Karen Meyers, a volunteer attorney for the ACLU said, "We sent
letter after letter to the APS administration asking them to
comply with the privacy protections in the No Child Left Behind
Act. They responded by creating a form for parents, but didn't
fully address our concerns about the timing of the issuance of
notice to parents. It's important to get notice to parents that
their children's information is being disclosed in a timely
fashion, in order for parents to be able to respond. We hope
this lawsuit will finally clear this up."
"It wouldn't surprise me if upon learning of this lawsuit many
parents will find out for the first time that their children's
contact information is going straight to military recruiters,
courtesy of the Albuquerque Public Schools," Meyers said.
The complaint was filed in the Second Judicial District Court
in Bernalillo County by ACLU of New Mexico Staff Attorney George
Bach, ACLU of New Mexico Co-Legal Director Maureen Sanders, and
Cooperating Attorney Karen Meyers with Aguilar Law Offices, P.C.
###
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
8) Toward Global Dialogue: Can We Talk?
by Sam Husseini
www.dissidentvoice.org
May 7, 2005
http://www.dissidentvoice.org/May05/Husseini0507.htm
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
9) U.S. Forces Mount Offensive
Near Syrian Border With Iraq
By RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr.
and TERENCE NEILAN
Published: May 9, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/09/international/middleeast/09cnd-iraq.html?hp&ex=1115697600&en=036929e346b855f6&ei=5094&partner=homepage
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
10) States Propose Sweeping Changes to Trim Medicaid by Billions
By ROBERT PEAR
Published: May 9, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/09/national/09medicaid.html?hp&ex=1115697600&en=a22d0d23988af62b&ei=5094&partner=homepage
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
11) Cuban Exile Could Test
the U.S. Definition of Terrorist
By TIM WEINER
Published: May 9, 2005
"Mr. Posada, a Cuban exile, has long been a symbol for the
armed anti-Castro movement in the United States. He remains
a prime suspect in the bombing of a Cuban commercial airliner
that killed 73 people in 1976. He has admitted to plotting
attacks that damaged tourist spots in Havana and killed an
Italian visitor there in 1997. He was convicted in Panama in
a 2000 bomb plot against Mr. Castro. He is no longer welcome
in his old Latin America haunts.
Mr. Posada, 77, sneaked back into Florida six weeks ago in
an effort to seek political asylum for having served as
a cold war soldier on the payroll of the Central Intelligence
Agency in the 1960's, his lawyer, Eduardo Soto, said at
a news conference last month."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/09/national/09exile.html?hp&ex=1115697600&en=6d59e05bb7bfc462&ei=5094&partner=homepage
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
12) "REAL ID" APPROVED
Immigration News Briefs (INB), a weekly English-language
summary of US immigration news, is forwarded out to the
email list of the Coalition for the Human Rights of
Immigrants (CHRI).
On May 5, the House of Representatives voted 368-58 to approve
the final version of an emergency supplemental appropriations
bill, which includes a series of anti-immigrant measures
originally introduced as the REAL ID Act [see INB 2/12/05,
4/3/05, 4/24/05]. The appropriations bill assigns about $76
billion for military operations, $656 million for tsunami relief,
$4.2 billion for foreign aid and $635 million for the Department
of Homeland Security (DHS) bureaus of Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). About
$455 million goes for ICE to hire 50 criminal investigators and
168 immigration enforcement agents and deportation officers, and
to obtain 1,950 additional detention beds. About $177 million
goes to CBP to allow that agency to hire, train, equip and
support 500 Border Patrol agents.
Although the Senate voted 99-0 on Apr. 21 for a version of the
appropriations bill which excluded REAL ID, Senate leaders agreed
in negotiations on May 3 to accept most of the REAL ID Act
provisions in the final bill, supposedly in exchange for support
of future immigration reform measures. The Senate is expected to
approve the final version of the appropriations bill when it
resumes sessions during the week of May 9.
The final bill requires applicants for state driver's licenses to
show proof of citizenship or legal residency, document a home
address and provide a photo ID. State motor vehicle departments
would have to verify the documents using federal databases.
States would have three years to comply with these requirements.
If a state didn't comply, its licenses couldn't be used for
federal identification purposes, such as boarding planes or
entering federal buildings. [Associated Press 5/6/05; Los Angeles
Times 5/6/05; Investor's Business Daily 5/6/05; Miami Herald
5/6/05; GovExec.com 5/5/05]
Some of the bill's controversial asylum provisions were modified
in the final version. As passed, the Real ID Act will require
applicants for asylum to prove that their race, religion,
national origin, political opinion or membership in a particular
social group constituted "at least one central reason" for their
persecution. Current law requires applicants show that their
persecution was based "at least in part" on one of these factors;
the original version of REAL ID would have required applicants to
prove that one of these factors was "a central reason" for their
persecution.
Taken out of the final version of the bill were provisions
eliminating stays of removal (which would have allowed asylum
seekers to be deported while their cases are on appeal to federal
court), giving bail bondspeople unprecedented power to detain
immigrants in removal proceedings, and restricting judicial
review of credibility determinations by immigration authorities.
In a positive development, the Real ID Act removes the annual
cap--presently 10,000--on the number of asylees who can adjust
their status to permanent residency. [Immigration Equality
5/5/05; Latin America Working Group 5/6/05; ILW.com 5/6/05;
Congressional Quarterly 5/4/05]
REAL ID gives the Secretary of Homeland Security the authority to
waive any legal regulation that would impede the construction of
border barriers, fences, or roads. It also limits legal
challenges to such projects to those brought on constitutional
grounds. The original version of REAL ID would have required the
Secretary of Homeland Security to waive all laws that would
impede barrier construction, and would have barred all court
challenges. [LAWG 5/6/05]
The final bill includes an amendment from Sen. Barbara Mikulski
(D-MD)--approved in the Senate's version of the bill--for a two-
year waiver of the 66,000 annual cap on H-2B visas for returning
low-skill seasonal workers. Maryland's seafood processing
industry, which relies on foreign workers, lobbied heavily for
that amendment. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) inserted
a line in the final bill giving 10,500 visas to Australian guest
workers in high-skill jobs. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
added a provision to provide up to 50,000 visas for foreign
nurses and physical therapists and their family members, by
reassigning visas which were left unused between 2001 and 2004--
though apparently drafting errors have left that provision in
doubt. Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) added a measure eliminating an
annual cap of 1,000 on asylum grants for people (primarily from
China) who claim persecution based on forced population control
policies. [Investor's Business Daily 5/6/05; AP 5/4/05]
On May 7 hundreds of immigrants and supporters protested the
passage of REAL ID in Rockville, Maryland. Maryland is one of 10
states that don't require driver's license applicants to prove
they are in the US legally. [AP 5/7/05]
Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) plan to
unveil a bipartisan immigration reform plan during the week of
May 9. The plan is likely to include provisions for allowing some
undocumented immigrants to apply for permanent residency, while
also including measures tightening immigration and border
enforcement and penalizing employers for hiring undocumented
workers. [Arizona Republic (Phoenix) 5/6/05]
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13) Foss High Students Win Victory For Free Speech And
Counter-Recruitment Movement
Received May8, 2005
Thanks to Doug Nielson for compiling this information.
Thanks to everyone who called in to support us
May 6, 2005
By Clara Lightner (sophomore at Foss High School, Tacoma, WA)
I'm happy to announce that Principal Sharon Schauss
has finally agreed to our proposals for Students Against the
Draft and War. This victory for free speech was the result of
the tremendous student support we recieved in Foss and also the
phone calls to my administrators from thousands of supporters
from around the country and world. Today I had a meeting with
Principal Schauss and informed her of SADW's three key demands:
1. The right to find out two weeks before the military
recruiters are scheduled to come to our school. We also want the
right to put up a table next to the recruiters with alternative
points of view and information.
2. The right to have weekly meetings in the school in order to
build our student club.
3. Permission for having the meeting next Tuesday, May10, that
we had planned for May 5, including the guest speaker, Ty Moore,
of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Principal Schauss has agreed to the first two demands. She will
also agree to the third one after she has seen the video we are
going to show: Military Myths, which I plan to bring to her on
Monday. She will also talk to the school board and go through
the necessary procedures to have guest speaker Ty Moore come in.
I'd also like to describe how May 5th went. That morning,
before school, I went into Principal Schauss's office with a member
of Socialist Alternative, Jessica Pruitt, who has been helping
out with the campaign. We asked Principal Schauss whether or not
she was allowing the meeting to happen that afternoon. Mrs. Schauss,
of course, told us we could not hold the meeting because we had
not filled out all the proper paperwork and did not have $1 million
in insurance. Although we had a chartered student club willing to
sponsor us, she still would not let us hold a meeting. This is
a hypocritical double standard because other student clubs don't
need to fill out paper work or get Principal Schauss's approval
to bring guests into our school. After not letting us explain
ourselves for most of the meeting, Principal Schauss threw us
out of her office. Jessica was attempting to explain that she
was not clear on the procedure when Principal Schauss yelled
at us to exit the office. We immediately took that as another
infringement on our rights as students.
That afternoon, we called a press conference. I spread
the news through the entire school and passed out fliers urging
students to meet in front of the school for a protest/press
conference. A couple newspapers showed up, Tacoma News Tribune
and the Tacoma Weekly. I was interviewed and gave a speech to
the students who were there. The speech went well, except for
one point where the JROTC who had been watching attempted to
disrupt by laughing loudly. I, of course, thanked them for being
so mature and went on speaking. Also, Principal Schauss attempted
to break up the press conference in the middle by making an
announcement over the intercom for everyone to leave. She was
ignored and the meeting went on very well. We had 40 students
sign up for our e-mail list and met students who were very
interested in becoming very involved. We now have nearly 100
students signed up on the list.
This morning, I found a large article about the event
in the Tacoma News Tribune. It made the front cover of the local
news section with a large picture of myself giving my speech.
(It can be found at
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/education/story/4839747p-4444990c.html)
I've also had a few confrontations with JROTC students who were
quite angry with me, but I was able to explain myself. I found
that most of the JROTC students are very open-minded and
considerate. We are not against the JROTC students. We understand
that most young people join the military because they don't see
any decent jobs or educational opportunities out there. We are
against people being signed up to die for a war about oil and
empire. We are fighting for more money for jobs and education so
young people can chose an alternative to the military. Hopefully,
we will make peace with them and will be able to have meetings in
the future with no problem. We are also offering the JROTC
students the opportunity to come to any of our meetings to watch
or speak if they request it.
So, I'd like to thank everyone who called in and
e-mailed Principal Sharon Schauss and Superintendent James
Shoemake. Even the steelworkers national union office called
me to guarantee 100 calls to my principal from their members,
and more support if we needed it. The entire school was aware
that they had been receiving hundreds of phone calls each day
from all over the world. I'd like to thank member of the local
coalition for their help. I'd like to give a special thanks
to Socialist Alternative, the organization I joined recently
for giving me help, support, advice, and all the resources I
needed. It all went so well that there is no more need to call
or e-mail. We will also update everyone on how next Tuesday goes.
Thank you all again for calling and supporting us. This has
been a major success for our school and for Students Against
the Draft and War.
Clara Lightner, sophomore at Foss High School, Tacoma, WA
Students Against the Draft and War
Marxism mailing list Marxism@lists.econ.utah.edu
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism
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14) Soldier Lifts Lid on Camp Delta
By Paul Harris
The Observer UK
Sunday 08 May 2005
For the first time, an army insider blows
the whistle on human rights abuses at Guantánamo.
"An American soldier has revealed shocking new details
of abuse and sexual torture of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay
in the first high-profile whistleblowing account to emerge
from inside the top-secret base.
Erik Saar, an Arabic speaker who was a translator in
interrogation sessions, has produced a searing first-hand
account of working at Guantánamo. It will prove a damaging
blow to a White House still struggling to recover from the
abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib jail in Iraq.
In an exclusive interview, Saar told The Observer that prisoners
were physically assaulted by 'snatch squads' and subjected to
sexual interrogation techniques and that the Geneva Conventions
were deliberately ignored by the US military.
He also said that soldiers staged fake interrogations to
impress visiting administration and military officials.
Saar believes that the great majority of prisoners at
Guantánamo have no terrorist links and little worthwhile
intelligence information has emerged from the base despite
its prominent role in America's war on terror."
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/050805Y.shtml
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15) Palestinians Join Human Rights Lawsuit Against Caterpillar, Inc.
Victims and Surviving Family Members Join Suit Brought by Family
of Rachel Corrie and Charge Company with Responsibility for Role
in Killings and Injuries Resulting from Home Demolition Policy
Caterpillar Amended Complaint (PDF)99KB
Synopsis
On, May 2, 2005, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), the
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) and partnering law firms
added members of four Palestinian families as plaintiffs to their
federal lawsuit against Illinois-based Caterpillar, Inc., charging
the company with responsibility for human rights abuses in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory. The new plaintiffs are joining
the case brought by the parents of Rachel Corrie, the 23-year-old
American peace activist and student who was crushed to death by
a Caterpillar D9 bulldozer on March 16, 2003.
http://www.ccr-ny.org/v2/reports/report.asp?ObjID=nrt9um7hhM&Content=569
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16) "More Powerful Than the US Army"
Straight to Bechtel
By JEFFREY ST. CLAIR
May 9, 2005
http://www.counterpunch.org/
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17) 'Venezuelan workers are building Bolivarian socialism'
Roberto Jorquera, Caracas
May Day 2005 will go down in Venezuelan history as an significant
date in the developing revolution. Although there was no official
estimate release, it is speculated that around 1 million workers
marched through Caracas on the day. The main slogans of the
demonstration were "Co-management is revolution" and "Venezuelan
workers are building Bolivarian socialism".
http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2005/626/626p13.htm
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18) Stop Racial Profiling & Police Brutality! Drop All
charges Against the Somerville 5!
The following appeal was initiated by
the Women's Fightback Network
in Boston, an affiliate of the IAC.
Please respond immediately:
Please take a minute to read the flyer below regarding a very
important struggle against police brutality and racial profiling
in Somerville, MA.
We are appealing to you to immediately call or send a fax to
Dr. Albert Argenziano, Superintendent of Somerville Schools,
demanding that all five students immediately be reinstated at
Somerville High School, in good standing, with no repercussions.
The decision to reinstate or expel is currently in the hands of
Dr. Argenziano and the deadline is this Thursday, May 12.
The students have been unjustly suspended for more than 10 days.
No court has found them guilty but Somerville High School
officials have decided they are "guilty until proven innocent".
This is a travesty of justice!! More than 300 of their peers
at Somerville High School signed a petition requesting their
reinstatement. Please help save their futures!
Make your voice heard!
Dr. Albert Argenziano Superintendent, Somerville School
Department Phone: 617-625-6600 x6005 or 617-625-6600 x6000
Fax: 617-625-4731 aargenziano@k12.somerville.ma.us
Letter from Bonnie Weinstein, Bay Area United Against War
To: Dr. Albert Argenziano, Superintendent of Somerville Schools
Dear Dr. Argenziano,
The problems in the schools are a reflection of the problems
in the general society. Today, our youth find themselves in
the position of working for MacDonald's and Burger King holding
two or three part-time jobs, joining the U.S. Military, or
risking the streets and going to jail.
When will our children be able to stand up for their rights
and needs? In a country that spends literally trillions of
dollars on war and weapons research and development, schools
across the country are being shut down. Community Colleges
are being ravaged and dedicated students must work sometimes
more than one job, take care of a family and go to school.
In addition, our poorer communities are virtual police states
where everyone is a criminal suspect. And while drugs are used
by young people from all economic backgrounds, the poor are
prosecuted and incarcerated at a much higher rate. In fact,
more than 90 percent of all prisoners come from economic poverty.
Our educators are obliged to act in the interests of the poor
and disadvantaged and demand for them the same they demand
for their own children.
When do poor kids get a trip to Paris to study art instead
of a trip to jail?
Reinstate those kids and help them to fight against their
circumstances of poverty and racism. That is the obligation
of every educator.
Sincerely,
Bonnie Weinstein, Bay Area United Against War
P.O. Box 318021
San Francisco, Ca. 94131-8021
Come & Pack the Court! Tuesday, May 10, 9:00 AM
Somerville District Court
(Orange Line to Sullivan Station, Bus #92 or #90)
Call the Mayor of Medford, Michael McGlynn to demand that
all charges be dropped Now! - 781-393-2408
STOP RACIAL PROFILING AND POLICE BRUTALITY!
DROP THE FRAME-UP CHARGES AGAINST CALVIN BELFON,
CASSIUS BELFON, EARL GUERRA, ISIAH ANDERSON &
MARQUIS ANDERSON!
Every day, across the country, Black youth and other young
people of color are the victims of racial profiling and
police brutality. Skin color and national origin are seen
by police as a cause for suspicion and a reason to violate
people's rights. "Driving while Black" or "walking while
Black" is the all too common harsh reality for our young
people. Racial profiling can result in beatings, maiming,
imprisonment and even death.
On April 20, 2005, 5 Black youths from Somerville (Calvin
Belfon 17, Cassius Belfon 15, Earl Guerra 16, Isiah Anderson 17,
and Marquis Anderson 16) were the victims of racial profiling
and a brutal, unprovoked attack by Medford Police. The Somerville
youths were walking to catch a bus home and stopped at a Store 24
nearby. Outside they were confronted by a heavily armed Medford
police officer. He grabbed Calvin Belfon by the throat and
punched him twice in the face. Fearing serious bodily harm
or worse, Belfon defended himself. His brothers and friends
came to his aid. When Calvin appealed for the cop to stop,
he responded by calling him a racist name. A police riot
ensued with at least 10 cops armed with guns, clubs, mace and
flashlights, beating the 5 youths. All 5 young people sustained
injuries to the face and head and all were maced. Calvin and
Isiah were clubbed on their heads with a flashlight. All later
went to the hospital for treatment. Police also gang-profiled
the youths as evidenced by asking them what their "street names"
were.
A cover-up of this vicious assault by the Medford Police
quickly followed. In pre-fabricated stories, police told the
press and media such things as they were "fighting for their
lives" "teens turned on them" , "were overwhelmed", etc. Absurd
lies like these are commonly used by police to cover up abuse
and pin it on the victims in order to get away with it.
Needing a probable cause for the unprovoked attack, the police
claimed the youth were making trouble in the Store
24 and that the youth had tried to grab cop's weapons.
All five of these young people are students at Somerville High
School who get good grades and have never been in trouble at
school or with the law. They are all excellent athletes and
members of the football, track and basketball teams; respected
by their peers. All five attend church on a regular basis.
All dream of going to college. They currently have been
unjustly suspended from school. They have been charged with
assault with a deadly weapon, assault and battery, and
disorderly conduct. The future of these promising students
and athletes is now in jeopardy.
Our youths have a right to walk down the street, attend an
event, or drive their cars free from police harassment both
psychological and physical. They have a right to walk safely
and not be terrorized by racist police. We need to come
together as a community and demand this - parents, guardians,
educators, peers, and residents.
Join us in demanding: Drop all charges now. Reinstate the
students at SHS immediately. Conduct an independent
investigation into police actions on April 20, 2005.
Stop racial profiling and police brutality.
Come & Pack the Court! Tuesday, May 10, 9:00 AM Somerville
District Court (Orange Line to Sullivan Station, Bus #92 or #90)
Call the Mayor of Medford, Michael McGlynn to demand that
all charges be dropped Now! - 781-393-2408
Issued by: Committee to Defend the Somerville High School 5
Against Police Brutality c/o Women's Fightback Network &
International Action Center - 617-522-6626
Anyone can subscribe.
Send an email request to
Action.News-subscribe@organizerweb.com
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19) Spycam Force
Chicago's two-fisted street cops have a new kind of backup:
a point-and-click
surveillance network tied to a citywide crime-fighting
database. (Smile for the camera.)
By Noah Shachtman
May 2005, Issue 13.05
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.05/crime.html
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