Magdaleno

Dear Friends

We are in the midst of a holiday season where many are taking out their credit cards and getting deep into debt.  Those with the biggest issues will be those who wait till the last moment to do their shopping. I suggest that you wait till the 26^{th …} there will be a lot of good sales then and then even more savings after the New Year

NOW FOR MY VIEW OF THE NEWS

1. freedom elusive
2. human rights day award
3. don’t fence me in
4. execution botched
5. the storm
6. military tactics
7. rite aid kindness

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FREEDOM IS STILL ELUSIVE FOR IRAQUI WOMEN

Women’s rights has taken many steps backward since the Saddam was removed from power..  Women today can not demonstrate secular thoughts dress or ideas. Each day the country continues to move into very restrictive religious process that does not tolerate the liberation of women.

HUMAN RIGHTS DAY AWARD

On December 7^th I received the DISTINGUISHED CITIZEN AWARD from the City of Seattle as part of their Human Rights Day Recognition. When they first called I thought they said EXTINGUISHED CTIIZEN …so immediately I checked out the obituary columns in the newspaper.  Later in an email I saw that it was distinguished not Extinguished and I was relieved.

It was interesting that I got many e mails from so many congratulating me on the award. Most recently at the Swedish Family Medical Clinic I went from patient to a VIP…both doctors and nurses had read the article and were impressed.  I reminded them that they were also exceptional heroes since they did so much good for so many…

I accepted the award in the name of Jim Garcia my long time mentor, a man who taught me to apologize and ask for forgiveness….I will soon send him the award in recognition of all that he has done for me and so many…

When I accepted the award I accepted it in the name of all those who work for human rights and in the name of my organization’s board, staff and clients. In fact when they honor one of us they honor all those we work with…and many who do the crucial work in our communities never seem to get the recognition they deserve.

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Don’t Fence Me In ..or out

Once the right wing immigrant haters started their campaign to build the BERLIN WALL TWO …we began to joke that perhaps when they built it that they would employ undocumented  workers who would do their work on the north side of the wall and would go further north once the wall was completed.

A story in USA TODAY got my attention last week when a contractor who was building part of the fence was fined for employing undocumented workers to build this border fence..The company in question is Golden State Fence Co. which built part of the fence on the California/Mexico border. The company will have to pay the Government $4.7 million dollars. In addition Mel McKay president of the company will pay $200,000.00 and vice president Michael McLaughlin will pay $100,000.00 and could face up to five years in prison.

This is most interesting given how much demonizing they do undocumented workers and how this fence is to keep immigrants out.

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EXECUTION BOTCHED IN FLORIDA

Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida suspended all executions after it took the state 34 minutes to execute Angel Nieves Diaz. This is twice as long as it normally takes. It is said that Diaz was writhing and trying to mouth some words up to the end.. The state had to give him a second dosage after the first dosage was released into his muscles as the needles inserted went trough the veins into his flesh.

At the same time a Federal Judge in California extended the moratorium on the use of lethal injection. The issue at the heart of this moratorium is that lethal injection is considered cruel and unusual punishment.

THE STORM IN THE NORTHWEST

Last week we had this incredible wind storm hit the northwest leaving many with out power, many homes flooded and several dead. Numerous trees took out the power lines and damaged many homes. Many individuals helped each other and were good neighbors. Traffic was disaster and all the schools were closed.

My apartment was with out power for 24 hours.  I was having difficulty dressing for work in total darkness…..   I could not find the flash light or a candle to light. Finally some one called and my phone and it lit up a corner of the room. I kept my phone open and got a little bit of light…just enough to help me find my way through my closet…

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Military Tactics of HOME LAND SECURITY

The recent raid of Swift packing company many plants exposed again the military tactics of the officers of ICE. You would think that it was a military operation in Iraq.. These scare tactic and roundups are trying to focus the public attention on humble immigrant workers because the war is going so bad and the Bush administration had done nothing to stem international terrorism.

This is a disgusting show of muscle against a humble working community. They prosecute, and deport the immigrants but do nothing against the employers. Since Bush came into power there have been few prosecutions of employers who break the law. And neither the media nor the politicians ever call them ILLEGAL EMPLOYERS…

RITE AID

            Another act of humanity.

Yesterday I was at a RITE AID drugstore near my home … I waited in line while a young disabled woman paid for and organized her holiday items onto her walker and her arms.  I know of her because she attends OUR LADY OF THE LAKE ..a church in my neighbor hood.

Moments later this young lady was having trouble getting her key into the trunk of her car given she had to balance all those packages. Her predicament was noticed by the sales lady who left her post and went to the parking lot to help her …This made me a happy Mexican….another person going out of their way to help another person.

This was another great act of humanity…unnoticed by the press but just as important as the more public displays of compassion…

Give hope to another

leno

DEAR FRIENDS

It was amazing to be in Seattle some days ago and watch the snow coming down for a couple of days.  I wonder what the citizens of Buffalo, New York thought about our 2-6 inches of snow when they measure their snow fall in feet.  We Seattleites don’t know much about snow tires or how to get out of a skid …I saw plenty of cars captured by the ice and snow. And was glad that I had a bit of snow culture in my blood from Colorado. But I got to be honest I can not take the cold anymore…

NOW FOR MY VIEW OF THE NEWS

1. Vietnam
2. Human rights day in Seattle
3. Your holiday gifts
4. Chavez wins

VIETNAM vs. IRAQ

For three years no one wanted to draw the parallels between Vietnam and Iraq.  And no one wanted to admit that there was a civil war going on in Iraq..  Now many statements coming out from a lot of sources talk about pulling out troops under whole variety of circumstances. And the Administration is not calling those statements as CUT AND RUN     … The President is backed up into a corner and he does not know what to do… Many of his so-called friends are running away from him..And I don’t believe that he can go to military bases and pull out this old rhetoric for the troops…Everyone by now knows that he and Rove have been lying to the public since day one.

It was sad to watch Bush go to Vietnam and for him not to understand the many contradictions involved with his trip. He was much safer in VIETMAN than he ever has been in his brief visits to IRAQ…

We need to get our troops out of Iraq …NOW …too many lives are being lost and we have created mess and have in the process destabilized much of the middle-east. We went in saying we would make Democracy flourish and the only thing to flourish is blood and destruction.

HUMAN RIGHTS DAY CEREMONY IN SEATTLE

The City of Seattle will celebrate Human Rights Day Dec. 7^th with and Awards Ceremony recognizing three organizations and an individual as Distinguished Citizens. Also NPR journalist Maria Hinojosa will speak at the Ceremony which is 11:30-1:30 and will again do a presentation at Town Hall that evening.

Maria Hinojosa to speak at Human Rights Day Celebration

Award-winning journalist and author Maria Hinojosa will speak at a free evening event to celebrate Human Rights Day in Seattle on Thursday, December 7, 5:30-8pm at Town Hall on 8th Avenue and Seneca.

The theme of the event is “Human Rights: Crossing All Borders.” Maria Hinojosa is host of “Latino USA” on National Public Radio and senior correspondent for the PBS newsmagazine program NOW. During her long career she has received numerous awards for stories such as, “Manhood Behind Bars,” “Kids and Guns,” and “Immigrant Nation: Divided Country.” Her books include “Crews: Gang Members Talk with Maria Hinojosa” and “Raising Raul: Adventures Raising Myself and My Son.”

As part of this year’s celebration, Ms. Hinojosa also will speak at a daytime event from 11:30am-1:30pm at First United Methodist Church’s Drury Hall on 5th Avenue and Columbia.

Both events are free and open to the public.

The festivities of this year’s Human Rights Day event will include at 11:30-1:30 the presentation of the 2006 Human Rights Distinguished Citizen Awards to the Transgender Jail Policy Group, Magdaleno Rose-Avila, and Washington State Veterans for Peace Chapters.

YOUR HOLIDAY GIFT    

Now is the time for you to think about holiday gifts that you might want to give to an individual or organization. This is a good time to think about what you can and should give. It is not the price nor the size but the thought behind the gift.

Some give out cookies, small home made gifts while others give out warm smiles and hugs. Others just write special cards, emails and yet others make phone calls on those special days.  When you give it should come from your heart …and if it comes from there it will be welcomed.

And if you have some extra change many wonderful organizations will welcome your contributions.

HUGO CHAVEZ WINS IN VENEZUELA

Chavez wins again and much to the chagrin of the Bush Administration. Here you have a man who is admired not only in Latin America but also in the Middle East. He is admired because he is willing to stand up to the USA and because he is willing to help other countries with his oil resources.

While the Bush administration was captured by their own invasion of countries they took their eyes off of Latin America. Many countries in Latin America are looking to the Chavez Coalition as their voice for business and democracy in the southern part of the hemisphere. Meanwhile the influence of the USA continues to be diminished.

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DECEMBER SNUCK UP ON ME

I was shocked to discover that the December had already arrived… The end of the year was near and I had so much to get done before the New Year would begin. Much of my unfinished work has to do with my writing, editing and a garage that was never organized. This coming weekend holds a light schedule and I just might get some of this done. Many of us have those unfinished projects that call out for our attention and we should finish our coffee or tea and get at these tasks that we have ignored for most of the year…GOOD LUCK..!!!

My best

leno