New Holly Community Center 5-8 pm

On a Sunday afternoon in September there will be a fun filled celebration in Seattle. This will be a celebration of leno’s birthday and his Write-Tirement. Meaning he will soon be concentrating on his books and perhaps will work part time.

Message from Aviva Rose-Avila:

I would like to invite you to be a part of my father’s Write-Tirement celebration by accepting this invitation, by attending or just helping in whatever way you can. My dad, Leno, would like you; those with whom he has worked and known to be part of this event.

As many of you know he took out his retirement funds 14 years ago to start a unique organization called Homies Unidos to work with youth at risk and Gang members in El Salvador and Los Angeles. Now we ask you to help us raise some funds to allow him to return to Micronesia where he served as Country Peace Corps Director so that he can concentrate on his writings.

I hope you will still be able to attend or be of assistance from a distance. In any case this will be a wonderful event that we would like you to be a part of in some way. You can send any donation to (Att: Aviva Rose-Avila, 1358 4th Street, PHA, Santa Monica, CA 90401) written out to Magdaleno Rose-Avila.

Please let me know how you will be able to participate .

Hugs!

Aviva Rose-Avila
786-368-5756
Aviva.roseavila@gmail.com

NOW FOR MY VIEW OF THE NEWS

a.Three women Supremes
b.Proposition 8
c.Neshoba
d.Asylum victories
e.Latinos and justice system
f.El beso de adios
g.Tans and getting darker

THREE WOMEN ON THE SUPREME COURT

I celebrate this historic milestone but we have a long ways to go yet.. The balance should be 5 women to four men and amongst them we should have an Asian and a gay or lesbian. The Court is still to right wing and is a threat to our very Constitution.
Today the Republicans are holding up two good Asian candidates for Federal Judgeships because they think they are too liberal… I think that is good thing to have a few liberal judges given the right wing politics of so many other federal judges…please pressure your elected officials to keep the names of Liu and Chen in the process.

GOP blocks two federal judges’ nominations

The Senate adjourns, sending back to the White House the nominations of Goodwin Liu and Edward M. Chen to the federal bench in California. Both are perceived as liberal

PROPOSITION 8

I have yet to read the decision but it seems to be good.. The arguments for Proposition 8 were weak and often most absurd. While we celebrate for the moment; just know that this fight is far from being over… So let us keep organizing and building our coalition…

NESHOBA: THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

opens in New York on Friday, August 13th, at Cinema Village.

The Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner families, and Tony and I, will be at the 7:15 p.m. screening for a Q&A with the audience.

We’re showing the new release cut for the first time and are very excited about that too. We hope some of you can be there to celebrate with us the release of our film and that NESHOBA continues to provoke honest dialogue about race in America.
NESHOBA runs from Friday, August 13th through Thursday, August 19th. Check the Cinema Village website for ticket information and show times. Please spread the word to your friends and contacts.

TIME OUT NEW YORK REVIEW
Neshoba: The Price of Freedom
FOUR STARS
Dir. Micki Dickoff and Tony Pagano. 2010. N/R. 86mins. Documentary.

More than four decades after the Neshoba County murder of three civil-rights activists (the same crimes dramatized in Mississippi Burning), one would expect a new doc on the subject to play like yesterday’s news. But with the surprising 2005 indictment of octogenarian hatemonger Edgar Ray Killen, filmmakers Micki Dickoff and Tony Pagano recast the tragedy in the light of a community forced to confront past wounds. Interviewing residents from across the spectrum, Neshoba reopens the debate: How was this allowed to happen? How do we move forward? Some questions, this compelling movie reminds us, still require answers.
(Opens Fri; Cinema Village.)—S. James Snyder, August 9, 2010
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Two Asylum Victories

Every now and then I am asked to be an expert witness on a Central American gang related Asylum case. Most often we do not win and it is tough to get the bad decision. But this last week I was notified by attorneys on two separate cases that we had won .Now that makes you feel very good.

When the client has money I am paid a small fee but on most occasions I am dealing with a law firm that is doing the case Pro-Bono and often the firm can’t pay for expert testimony. So more often than not I’m doing the case pro-bono…no money .but at least I have the satisfaction that I have been a part of the case and often become a cheerleader for the attorney who on occasion can get frustrated or depressed as the process moves slowly forward.. We should always do are best and if that is not enough then we will appeal the beans out of them.

LATINOS-CHICANOS-HISPANICS and the so Called Justice System

Latinos numbers in prison and ultimately on Death Row continue to grow. This is a problem for us all because it is a product of the socio-economic system that is failing this community.

The high school dropout rates of 20 years ago remain about the same. In the mid sixties when we fought for College Scholarships and programs we thought we had found the medicine that would help so many more to get an education and give back to their communities. The problem is that most never make it to college. These high school drop outs become the targets of police wanting to fill their jails and eventually the prisons…

Today the Judicial process is a key weapon being used against the Latino Community. We become easy targets …especially our youth who before they know it they are finger printed, and become part of the long road to judicial never-never land. A land of legal files that outline the pain and despair of our communities…And if the youth happen to be undocumented they are soon on the road to deportation…

Once in jail or prison your life begins to change. In order to survive you end up doing things you would have never imagined. And this can get you into even more problems.

The men and women with families leave behind children and a family that often begins to unravel as the head of the family begins serving a long sentence. Most of those in prison are not violent criminals or a real danger to society. But it seems Society wants to be tough on crime and not smart on crime.

While they correctional systems say that they want to transform the prisoners they somehow manage to move them from one prison to another without rhyme or reason. This makes it more difficult for loved ones to stay connected.

I hope to begin a dialogue with you that while we will begin with Latinos this injustice also affects all prisoners and a system that has gotten out of control. In the process we need to talk about this industry that chews up prisoners and helps to destroy families.

Please write to me at leno@magdaleno.org and just title it HISPANICS AND THE JUSTICE SYSTEM if you want to be involved with this issue… that way I can keep these conversations organized.
I hope that many of you will join me in this just cause

“El Beso del Adios” (Kiss Bessemer Goodbye)

A play written by Tencha Avila

If in the New York Area you must see this “stirring comedy” of the search for
the American dream is still in repertory at Repertorio Espanol
Theatre. 128 East 27th Street —  Tel. 212-225-9920. Tickets begin at
$25.  For more information, visit: www.repertorio.org.  Group rates
are available.

The New York Times:  ”A warm, funny, realistic circle of characters
that it’s a pleasure to spend time with.”

The Village Voice: “A delicately crafted Spanish-language piece that
delves wittily into the domestic dramas of a middle-class Mexican
American family living in Bessemer, Colorado in the 1970s.”

SYNOPSIS:  ”Kiss Bessemer Goodbye”

It’s April, 1970, in Bessemer, a steel mill town in southeastern
Colorado. A Mexican American family is roiled by problems:

Lupita, the first family member to attend university, is about to
graduate, a cause for celebration. Uncle Chuy, a boisterous, self-made
man who regards himself as the unchallengeable head of the family,
arranges for her to teach in a local school, but she’s got more
distant plans with a Japanese American boyfriend who arouses old
family ethnic antipathies.  Uncle Joe, out of work for four months
because of the strike at the steel mill, is severely depressed.
Lupita’s aunt and mother add their problems and solutions to the mix.

The play brings to life a Mexican American family in Colorado four
decades ago and dramatizes the universal themes of love and conflict
in a family undergoing generational and social change.

While it is a drama with serious themes, the cast of distinctive,
complex characters with their own personalities, foibles and
contradictions bring humor to their serious predicaments. In the end,
all works out for the best, but the issues raised will resonate with
the audience long after the curtain falls.

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TANS AND GETTING DARKER

During the summer months many try to get a good tan. But those of us with natural coloring just enjoy our skin tones but we all have to be cautious with the hot sun and a thing called skin cancer. Slap on some sun block if you want to enjoy your summer
Many are able to achieve a good brownness and sometimes they look almost deportable.LOL… but one person who sports the worst and strangest colors is Congressman John Boehner.

His skin color ranges from a muddy yellow to a deep red to orange. Part of the coloring I assume is because he drinks a lot .but his current coloring is over the edge… is he still going to a strange tanning salon or could he be the first Alien from another planet and if so he must be a so called ILLEGAL ALIEN… but where or where can we send him ..??

My best
leno

Sunday night I performed a wedding for Abdullah and Labiba a lovely couple from Afghanistan… aaaahhh love was in the air.. One is Christian and the other Muslim. Abdullah had been held previously in the Tacoma Detention Center as he sought asylum. While there a legal program helped him to get bonded out and he was given refugee for two years in the home of a wonderful gay couple. By the way these two men were the witnesses for all the wedding documents and I found out they offer their home to many immigrants in transition from the detention center.

It was a nice ceremony on the deck at sunset.  It was a nice but small crowd at the home of Immigration Attorney Diane Butler. Her younger daughter served as the flower girl…
Abdullah cooked the many delicious Afghan dishes. The toasts to the wedding couple were done in many languages.  The wedding couple will be off to Virginia and will continue to hope and wait for the best from Immigration.
It was an honor to be part of the wedding but had to scramble when they also asked me to bless the food.  Yes I was the minister for four hours..And was happy to be there…
In the past 16 years I have performed many weddings and funerals and in the process have met many wonderful individuals.

NOW FOR MY VIEW OF THE NEWS

a.    American Night
b.    Terminating pregnancy = jail time in Mexico
c.    Eating fruits of harvest

THE ANATOMY OF IMMIGRATION AND AMERICA

RICHARD MONTOYA AND CULTURE CLASH ARE TELLING THE TRUTH …  AND MORE IN A PLAY CALLED ‘AMERICAN NIGHT: The Ballad of Juan Jose.’

Recently I was treated to the most amazing presentation of the history of Immigration in this wonderful one act play.

Montoya, a spiritual rocket and Chicano historian, reached far into his artistic and archeological sides to bring a wonderful story that tells of a chapter of this book called America. In this production he and Culture Clash tell the story of me and of you.. It is a story of greed, race, violence, religion, compassion, hatred, despair and hope. This begins with an immigrant preparing for his citizenship test and then the dreams that enter his mind the night before the big day.

This presentation comes to you at times as a fast large tsunami of truth that fills your everything.. twice. At times it seems to be too much but in a moment you are begging for even more.

You learn of the Klu Klux Klan, heroic black figures, Lewis and Clark, the Japanese Internment Camps, Arizona, town hall meetings, ICE, and about the absurd exam that qualifies one for citizenship.
Richard who has his roots with the famous Culture Clash also performed in the play as did Herbert Siquenza another Clasher. It was good to see these artists introducing their art to others.

This play at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland is there until October and should be seen by all who fight for the rights of immigrants and also serves as a good class room for those who need this lesson of Americana..

And it should be noted that the Acting, costumes, lighting,
Directing, and all aspects of the technical parts of the show blended in as a wonderful mosaic of stories into a seamless cloth.. which gave us reason to enjoy and believe in the characters and the story line…and to hope!!!

AMERICAN NIGHT.. MY NIGHT AND YOURS.

By leno rose-avila
206-618-9909
American Night review
July 5th, 2010 herbert Posted in Press, Schedule |

Play offers offbeat, surreal take on our country’s past

‘American Night’ kicks off OSF’s history cycle of plays with rollicking, insightful satire and occasional pathos
By Bill Varble
for the Mail Tribune

A colored cowboy, a Mexican revolutionary and a Ku Klux Klansman all walk into a saloon …

The premise is put forth by Ben Pettus (Rodney Gardiner), a black cowboy in “American Night: The Ballad of Juan José,” which had its world premiere Saturday afternoon at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s New Theatre.

There’s no punch line, but the setup, with its hint of meta-theater, breaks the tension between three real (in the play) men who fit those descriptions.

It is 1918, and the three are facing off outside El Paso, Texas, where Ben’s wife, Viola Pettus (Kimberly Scott), is selflessly treating victims of the influenza epidemic that killed as many as 100 million people.

It is fitting that she do this, as it jibes with the larger vision of the play, which seems to have been inspired by a belief that often in American history, in the middle of great darkness, somebody steps up to do great good.

The credits say Richard Montoya and Culture Clash wrote the thing, but I don’t believe it.

It plays as if written by the Firesign Theatre and directed by the Marx Brothers, starring Monty Python.

“American Night” is a boisterous, rollicking, surreal, post-modern, postracial (warning: some descriptions may contain irony) journey into American history — and by extension the heart of one man’s American Dream.

Viewing is known to cause unrestrained laughter — and maybe a tear.

Juan José’s (René Millán) journey will take him over mountains and deserts, into wars and plagues, from rock festivals to shlock radio shows to internment camps. He will encounter Teddy Roosevelt, Sacajawea, a Shakespeare-quoting soldier, a bear, Malcolm X, NAFTA, Mormons, Harry Bridges, Bob Dylan, a tea bag lady, Fidel Castro and Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

There will be social commentary, some of it caustic, all of it comic, most of it very funny indeed.

The seed of “American Night” seems to have been “The Citizen’s Almanac,” a sort of Civics 101 booklet published by the government for immigrants trying to become American citizens. Juan José left Mexico, where he was headed for trouble with drug lords and crooked cops, hoping to bring his wife, Lydia (Stephanie Beatriz), and the couple’s baby later.

In the U.S., using flash cards to cram for his citizenship exam, he falls asleep and dreams the play. The narrative has the fractured, disjointed structure of dreams, with one episode segueing into the next outside the normal constraints of rationality or plot.

Juan José finds himself in the Mexican-American War in the 1840s and wants to stop the killing, but the treaty he’s asked to sign will cede a good chunk of North America to the United States at the expense of Mexico, not incidentally making him into an outlaw. What to do?

“Hath not a Mexican eyes?” cries a Mexican soldier, quoting Shylock.

Rim roll.

Sacajawea is a 15-year-old with an attitude. T.R. never sees an animal he doesn’t shoot at. A Klansman with nowhere else to turn brings his baby to black Viola — and the infant has a tiny, little, pointy Klan hood.
Flash forward a bit and it’s a world in which America is ever more Mexican, and Mexico is ever more American, and Nike sneakers can rain from the skies. All this is painted by Montoya and director Jo Bonney in very broad strokes indeed. Scenic designer Neil Patel’s thrust stage fills the entire playing space, with Shawn Sagady’s projections filling in and/or commenting on much of the action: landscapes, the Lewis and Clark expedition, the Manzanar internment camp for Japanese-Americans, the 1969 Woodstock festival, vintage postcards, the inevitable moving train, the Caribbean.

For a world of NAFTA there are giant projections of industrial gears and cogs filling the back of the stage like that famous scene in Chaplin’s “Modern Times.”

Much of the story involves stereotypes, with Culture Clash coming down on the side of the argument that says when we laugh at them they are undercut and lose power.

And laugh we do. Mostly. You can’t tell this story without ugly. There is a sign, of a sort once common, that says “No dogs, negroes, Mexicans.” But in the end the satire is the big-hearted, inclusive, Horation sort.
There is Woody Guthrie claiming this land is his land, and ours, and Harry Bridges organizing workers against the bosses, and a stoner Boy Dylan copping song lyrics to inject into loopy dialogue.
The surreal anarchy of the climax reminded me of “Duck Soup,” but Juan José is no Rufus T. Firefly. Millán plays him, brilliantly, as a straight man with a good heart in the midst of comic chaos, as befits what is essentially a zany but profound civics lesson.

“American Night” lasts but 90 minutes, and tickets should be impossible. Give it stars all the way off the page. And note that it debuted exactly 75 years after the first-ever OSF plays. It is the first of Bill Rauch’s “American Revolutions: The United States History Cycle,” 37 commissioned plays that will tell America’s story. It is a rousing, heartfelt beginning.

Bill Varble writes about arts and entertainment for the Mail Tribune. He can be reached at varble.bill@gmail.com.

Six in Mexico get 25-30 years in jail for abortion

/EFE) Six Mexican women have been sentenced 25-30 years in prison on homicide charges for terminating their pregnancies.

The women have already served between three to eight years of their 25 to 30 year sentences handed down by state courts in Guanajuato state, activists said.

Veronica Cruz, director of the Centro Las Libres, which provides assistance to over 160 women facing abortion-related charges, said the organisation would appeal to the federal judiciary.

Of the six cases, one was a spontaneous abortion, two others were undertaken because of rape and the rest were for accidental pregnancies, Cruz said.

‘All the men who got them pregnant abandoned them’, she said.

Since the beginning of the decade, over 40 women have been put on trial for abortion, which is punishable by up to three years in prison under the penal code.

The legislation regarding abortion varies in Mexico’s 32 separate jurisdictions. While in Mexico City it is legal, some states continue to treat abortion as a criminal offence.

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EATING THE FRUITS OF HARVEST

This past weekend I was enjoying, berries, cherries, plums, and will soon begin on the fresh melons. There is a large fruit and vegetable market near my house that is my source of most of my fresh products.

While enjoying these products I need to remind myself that these are harvested by farm workers who are paid almost nothing and live in minimal shelters. They do not share in the profits and do not have a union that will protect them.

It is a union that will protect  your farm products from abuse of pesticides and ensure that workers are paid what they deserve.

At the same time I appreciate all those who provide services to farm workers year in and year out. One of my sheros is Rosalia Ginsburg who for many years in Oregon has gone out to help the farm workers in her area.

We all can do something… please help those who feed us .

My Jalapeno best
leno

SAVE THE DATE: September 12th 3-5 pm

New Holly Community Center in Seattle
Leno’s birthday and WRITE-TIREMENT CELEBRATION …
For more details contact Aviva Rose-Avila at aviva.roseavila@gmail.com

In the past months I had noticed that my clothes were shrinking and this has had me most worried. Is the shrinking of my clothes affected by a change in the climate.. Or is it the clothes dryer that is shrinking everything I own… Everything has gotten tighter. Nothing fits well..I have gone on the internet to see if others were suffering the same as me.

I know that those who make appliances plan for them to only last for a limited period of time.. Thus the machine will begin breaking down and soon you will have to purchase a new one. so I began to think that perhaps the Clothing Manufacturers were putting something in the clothes so that after a year that they might begin to shrink…I was and am worried .or could it be other circumstances that would make my clothes fit tighter .. Could somebody have exchanged my clothes for a size smaller..???

Thinking this was possible I quickly went to my closet to check out all of the sizes of my shirts and pants…

Then one day my friend Heri came to visit .. took one look at me and said LENO YOU ARE GETTING FATTER..

WHAT? I questioned.

SI, MAS GORDO.. MUCH FATTER! JUST LOOK AT YOUR FACE AND YOUR STOMACH… YOU LOOK AS IF YOU ARE GOING TO GIVE BIRTH

BUT I HAVENT HAD SEX I said and smiled at her

LOOK IN THE MIRROR she insisted

So I went to the Mirror and asked MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL WHOSE THE FATTEST OF THEM ALL

The mirror showed me the awful results.. A chubbier face and a very large stomach

I was in shock!!!! There in the mirror I saw my baked potatoes, salt, chips, steak, burritos and tamales.. They had slipped down my mouth and decided to take up residence in my body

What a shock!!!! I could not blame the clothes that were getting smaller… it was me that was getting larger…

I will be on a fast in DC for four days at the end of June to protest the Death Penalty. This will take place on the steps of the Supreme Court… But before then I must begin cutting out some items that are making me larger. I also decided to go swimming more often. Perhaps this will help..Oh yes I will also drink more water and eat more Jalapenos.

HOW ARE YOUR CLOTHES??? ARE THEY GETITNG SMALLER??

NOW FOR MY VIEW OF THE NEWS

1. What to do
2. Bugleme
3. Initiative 1098
4. Planting for Peace
5. World coalition against the death penalty

What to do..WITH BP

This is the most horrific disaster of our time and we can’t figure out what to do .. For years we did not regulate the industry and now we are paying for years of neglect. The republicans have led the charge to give these polluters a free license to destroy our world…

Some of the most disturbing images is of birds suffering covered with oil.. what we don’t see is what gives me the biggest night mares is at the bottom of the gulf and in the various currents that will destroy ocean animals and plant life for years to come . Not to mention the marsh lands and poisoning the people who work and live near the gulf.

I wonder why we have not heard from the government of Mexico? Why are they silent when their beaches and fishing industry will also be damaged?

The effects of this Oil Tsunami will be felt for years both by the environment and the economy.

Some small businesses will receive some compensation for their losses but the workers of these businesses will probably not receive anything.. They will just have to sit and starve. When Crops have been devastated by a storm Farmers have crop insurance or get aid from the government but the farm workers get nothing… And the same will happen to the workers who will lose their place of employment due to the BP DISASTER.

The White House needs to do more and/or let us know what is being done. We don’t and shouldn’t trust BP.

Perhaps we should camp outside the homes of the officers of BP and outside their office building.. And perhaps we should follow their family members where ever they go and remind them that their parents are destroying an important part of our world.

Bugleme ..Its new and exciting way to communicate

I want to introduce you to a new and exciting program called Bugleme. By joining up on this system you can get my actual voice and get a backstage pass into my activities on a regular basis. I will be telling you what I am doing and in many cases asking you to help me to work on behalf of Human Rights. Please go to the Web page listed below and accept the one month free trial period. Once you have received some Bugles let me know what you think. Below is the link for you.

http://magdaleno.bugleme.com/celebrity/home

Why Faith Leaders Support Initiative 1098

sponsored by Washington Association of Churches and Lutheran Public Policy Office of Washington

As people of faith we are called to protect the vulnerable, to change systems that are unjust, and to create a world in which everyone is treated fairly and equitably. Washington State’s tax system fails on all of these values. That is why the Religious Coalition for Tax Reform is organizing support for Initiative 1098.

We have a chance right now to put our faith values into practice. After decades of inaction — as our state falls further and further behind in our ability to fund core priorities — Bill Gates Sr. and many other faith and civic leaders are stepping forward to help lead a campaign to enact real tax reform in Washington State. This proposal will not just make our tax code fairer, empower small businesses, and create jobs; it will raise more than $1 billion per year to fund core education and health care priorities – priorities the faith community values.

Dedicated Funding for Quality Education and Health Care

Initiative 1098 will raise $1 billion per year to help us build a more vibrant economy and better opportunities for our children. That new revenue will go to a special trust fund dedicated to funding education and health care priorities like reducing class sizes, lowering tuition costs at our colleges and universities, and funding the voter-approved basic health plan and long-term care for vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities.

For more information please contact YES ON 1098 by calling 206-225-4610 or by email at infor@yeson1098.com. Petitions needed before July 2^nd.

World Coalition Against The Death Penalty

This important conference will be held this weekend at the Hastings Law School in San Francisco. For information contact http://deathpenatly.org/june12

Leno along with Michael Radelet, Mike Farrell and many others will be speaking.

PLANTING FOR PEACE

Yep, I got some plants into the ground… I almost had a heart attack digging and planting… I planted cucumbers, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapenos, bell pepper, squash and pumpkins. Now will see how they do.

Why is it called a Peace Garden?? One reason is because I am doing something good and it helps me come to peace with my world when I am out there digging and doing… better than going to a shrink… in about 2 weeks I should get some flowers and then by mid July I should have some production of something…

This is the first time in Seattle where my plants can get a lot of sunlight… and this is good. My roommate Maru and her daughter have their own plot going… and while we are not competing… I do want my plots to do well.. After all somewhere in my life I was a farm worker…

My best

leno

A week or so ago I was in the Catholic Cathedral looking for Jesus…it was at this service that one of the ushers an elderly Filipino gave me a fist bump when we were supposed to be giving each other the sign of peace (normally a handshake).. Now that was super cool.

I go to a variety of places of worship hoping to find God. I often think I see him/her on the streets begging for money… or perhaps it is the woman helping those with some incurable disease. Or perhaps it is a truck driver taking another load of hope down the highway. Or an immigrant farm worker…I am told to be ready for God and that he/she might just be whom you least suspect.

Once a few years ago when I was Peace Corps Country Director in Paraguay that I had to admit that I thought that I WAS GOD…..(when I told this to my sister Roberta .she said
WHEN DID YOU STOP TAKING YOUR MEDICINE? And I had to laugh) Now there I was in Paraguay having my weekend coffee and eggs when my house keeper who had just came from answering the bell that was at the gate to the residence interrupted my peace and quiet,

SENOR, Irma my housekeeper urged, THERE ARE TWO MORMON BOYS HERE AND THEY WANT TO TALK TO YOU

WELL TELL THEM I AM NOT HERE.. And I returned to my coffee

BUT I TOLD THEM THAT YOU WERE HERE AND THAT YOU SPEAK ENGLISH AND THEY GOT VERY EXCITED… SO PLEASE GO TALK TO THEM.

The Mormon Church has one of the best language programs and trains it missionaries to go to any part of the world with the proper language. And then they send off these youth on door to door excursions to convert the unsaved. When the CIA and FBI were looking for language trained agents many a Mormon was hired…

I went to the gate…Grumpy… nothing worse than a grumpy Mexican who is pulled away from his breakfast.

Yep there they were standing just the other side of the rust colored gate and fence..
GOOD MORNING …WHAT ARE DOING HERE TODAY? I asked… there they were in their white shirts with ties in the early morning heat.

They said their names and said they were with the Mormon Church…

BUT WHY TODAY? WHY DID YOU COME TODAY?? I continued to question

WELL TODAY IT WAS ON OUR SCHEDULE FOR THIS NEIGHBORHOOD the lead missionary said.

WELL… I MUST TELL YOU THAT THIS MORNING I WOKE UP AND DISCOVERED I WAS GOD… YES GOD! I BET YOU ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT GOD WOULD LOOK LIKE… WELL THIS IS HOW HE LOOKS TODAY…

They were in shock…they didn’t know what to say …

AND OH BY THE WAY… IN MY BOOK YOU WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO ARRIVE HERE UNTIL TUESDAY…SO PLEASE COME BACK ON THE PROPER DAY…

As I turned to go in… I said

AND BY THE WAY I GIVE YOU MY BLESSING. As I said these words I held up both hands in the air over my head sort of bent in their direction and fought the temptation to make the sign of the cross.

I am sure that they had a most interesting story to give their supervisor at the end of the day. But I do hope that God looks better than me .. Wouldn’t it be funny if there were places of worship that had my or your picture all over the walls? And that people worshipped us.

LMAO (whatever that means)

NOW FOR MY VIEW OF THE NEWS

a. Israeli commandos
b. Exodus ship 1947
c. Boycott is growing
d. Memorial day whom do we honor

ISRAELI COMMANDOS BOARD A FLOTILLA OF SHIPS CARRYING HUMANITARIAN AIDE AND ACTIVIST HEADED FOR PALESTINE

This is a huge story and needs to be followed closely…it is absurd that the Israelis’ think that they can board a ship in international waters and shoot people…none of the violence would have happened if they had not boarded these ships commando style.. More details will be coming out and none of it will be good for Israel. International pressure is needed and a UN investigation needs to begin now and the Red Cross needs to be visiting all being held by the Israeli government.
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May 31, 2010, 2:48 pm

Echoes of Raid on ‘Exodus’ Ship in 1947

By ROBERT MACKEY

The New York Times The “Exodus 1947 ,” a ship filled with Jewish Holocaust survivors who wanted to immigrate to Palestine, after it was seized by the British Navy in a deadly struggle at sea and brought to Haifa in July, 1947.

Updated | 8:51 p.m. To some Israeli observers, it was impossible to miss the parallels between Monday’s killing of pro-Palestinian activists by Israel’s military in international waters, as commandos intercepted a flotilla of ships trying to break the Israeli naval blockade on Gaza, and a seminal event in the Jewish struggle for an independent homeland.

Noam Sheizaf, an Israeli journalist who is rounding up reports and commentary on the attack on his blog, “Promised Land,” points to a post in Hebrew by Rafi Man of the Israel Democracy Institute which asks: “Will This Be the Palestinian Exodus?”

Mr. Man was referring to the story of the “Exodus 1947,” a ship filled with Jewish Holocaust survivors who wanted to immigrate to Palestine in July 1947. That month, the British Navy intercepted the ship to enforce a ban on Jewish immigration to the territory, which was then under British control.

As my colleague Margalit Fox wrote in December — in an obituary for Yitzhak Ahronovitch, the captain of the Exodus 1947 — the violent way the British Navy seized that ship and deported the refugees backfired, creating global sympathy for the plight of stateless Jews. Ms. Fox explained:

The refugees had no legal authority to enter Palestine, and the British were determined to block the ship. In the battle that ensued, three Jews aboard the Exodus were killed. The ship’s passengers — more than 4,500 men, women and children — were ultimately deported to Germany.

The attack and its aftermath, which focused attention on the plight of many European Jews after the war, made headlines worldwide and helped marshal support for an Israeli state. [...]
Captain Ahronovitch was 23 when he took the helm of the Exodus. On July 11, 1947, he picked up the refugees at Sète, in southern France. On July 18, as the ship neared the coast of Palestine, the British Navy intercepted it. Captain Ahronovitch tried to break through, but two British destroyers rammed the ship.

Several hours of fighting followed, with the ship’s passengers spraying fuel oil and throwing smoke bombs, life rafts and whatever else came to hand, down on the British sailors trying to board, The Times reported at the time. Soon the British opened fire. Two immigrants and a crewman on the Exodus were killed; scores more were wounded, many seriously. The ship was towed to Haifa, and from there its passengers were deported, first to France and eventually to Germany, where they were placed in camps near Lübeck.

According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, when refugees from the Exodus 1947 were forced into displaced persons camps in Germany by the British military:

Large protests erupted on both sides of the Atlantic. The ensuing public embarrassment for Britain played a significant role in the diplomatic swing of sympathy toward the Jews and the eventual recognition of a Jewish state in 1948.

THE BOYCOTT IS STILL GROWING AND BECOMING STRONGER

Alfredo Gutierrez now in his mid-60’s a former legislator is now the lead person in Arizona for the boycott. In interviews he has said that the marches are great but not all of the answer. He reminds us that we have to do voter registration, voter turnout and pressuring of everyone to boycott Arizona. I met Alfredo in 1984 when we were part of a delegation to the middle east and even then I was impressed by his political knowledge.

The recent gathering of activist culminated in about 20,000 marching in the streets of phoenix while across town in Tempe the BUYcott movement of Minutemen, Tea Baggers and others held their rally in DIABLO STADIUM.. yep Diablo means Devil.. so I think they chose a good place with an appropriate name for their rally.

While tens of thousands bused and flew into Arizona for the BOYCOTT demonstrations .. the pro SB 1070 could only draw a very much smaller crowd of locals who came to vent about the immigrants. Some say that his BUYcott rally was organized by the Tea Party of Texas and did draw some folks from Missouri and California. But the BUYcott event was dwarfed by the BOYCOTT march and rally. Later many of the local BUYcotters would go home to their manicured lawns, clean homes and cooked meals all done by undocumented immigrants.

The BUYcott team has a most uphill battle trying to convince many new conventions and meetings to come to Arizona… these meetings and conferences are planned years in advance and cannot be changed and moved so easily. So while the BUYcott sounds good, it is more smoke and mirrors than a reality. I am sure that today many business people are praying that a law suit prevails that puts this law into legal limbo.

Businesses in Arizona like in most states have suffered during this economic recession and there are still many small operations closing down as more people continue to lose their homes. Now a boycott makes it even more difficult for marginal tourists businesses to survive.

Even the big hotel and restaurant chains will begin complaining. Their boards want a profit and will demand that the governor and legislature stop this foolishness. And soon they will begin to hear from the Airlines who are losing money as well as the auto rental companies. At first these businesses will complain within closed meeting rooms but soon after that they will make their pleas public. Everyone will lose economically including the farmers and farm workers. But the rich love their profit line more than they hate undocumented workers. And if they have to choose they will chose profit over silly laws.
So my plea is that you help to continue to expand the boycott and in addition send in teams of folks to do voter registration. Arizona is our Mississippi.

MEMORIAL DAY WHOM SHOULD WE HONOR????

I honor the heroes and sheroes of our country… I include not just those who served our country in uniform but that those who also fought for peace and were demonized for raising the questions about senseless wars.

Many buried in government coffins and graves were cannon fodder for the politicians of the moment who wanted to raise their sabers in the air and then stay home and let others go to war.

We have Memorial Day, Veterans Day, the 4th of July and many more where we celebrate battles and those who fought them. And this does not include the many statues and monuments in honor of war. And we don’t even give lip service to Peace.

We need to have a DEPARTMENT OF PEACE, a National Day of Peace and monuments to all those voices of reason…to all the peace makers.

So this Memorial Day I honored all the heroes and sheroes.. Just remember that dying with a uniform on does not automatically make you a hero.. I know many a hero and sheroes who never wore a uniform and did the most amazing acts of humanity. Recognizing them all will give us a better future
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SEND AHORA YOUR STORIES AND GET YOUR FRIENDS TO SUBSCRIBE

You too can give your thoughts and ideas for AHORA…Write your news and thoughts… share your life with others… and then get your friends to subscribe… all they have to do is go to magdaleno.org and fill out the info requested on the mailing tab.

You can send your short essays, poems or links to stories, u tube and other interesting items… It just takes a minute and you can perhaps reach someone who needs the information you have in your mind or heart…

My best
leno

First of all there are a lot of things I want to correct and do before I get deported to the so called Promised Land.

• I want to be here for comprehensive immigration reform
• I want to see gay marriage accepted by all states
• I want to find the money for a hair transplant
• I want to win the lottery
• I want to change the laws in Arizona and some other places
• I want to finish writing my next three books
• I want to hear many more stories of the men and women who work hard to change this world
• I want to see the death penalty abolished
• I want to see violence diminished and healing increased
• I want to see a female president of this country…
• I want to do more for peace in the middle-east
• I want a cleaner and safer environment
• I want to regulate big business, and the military better
• I want to learn more from the Native people of our lands..

Thus you can see that I am not ready to be deported to the so called promise land.. And if they try to send me right now I will resist. LOL

NOW FOR MY VIEW OF THE NEWS.

a. Why we must help other
b. Elena kagan
c. BP is a terrorist
d. Governor of Arizona says no and yes
e. Rebranding Arizona

KING ON WHY WE MUST HELP OTHERS

MLK ..Dr. King said many things during his last speech in Memphis.. but one thought that stuck with me yesterday as I once again listened to this speech was the following … King said that many times we hesitate to help someone thinking about what the consequences might be on our own lives.. Instead of thinking of what would happen to the person that we might help if we did not help them.. in other words.. Be willing to walk off the ledge and help others and quit worrying about yourself. ..

ELENA KAGAN

Don’t know much about her but she seems to be heads above many of the boys on that court..and to tell the truth it just might be a beautiful thing to see all 9 members of the court being women.. okay .. okay .. I know .. There are plenty of good men who could also do good on the court.. Let’s just hope that some of these right wing judges leave before they do any more damage to the constitution.

BP IS A TERRORIST BUSINESS

This rogue company that cannot manage its oil well is a bigger danger to our ecology and the stability of our country than some on whom we focus as terrorists.. This oil spill will damage the livelihood of people, kill ocean animal and plant life and damage the economies of both the USA and Mexico.

Right now there are huge clumps of oil moving under water out of sight like a monster from the darkest regions of the earth (like the old time movie favorite the BLOB). This liquid oceanic dark cloud will be trouble for all sea and land that it touches.

The enemies today of the people are mega corporations that put profit over people. And they must be controlled and managed..

Today three corporations are playing the blame game regarding this oil volcano in the gulf and are not willing to tell the truth. I want them to put in writing that they will cover all the costs. At the same time these industry giants continue to make huge profits and lobby for even more deregulation.

All politicos should want to get control of these oil barons and Wall Street mega churches. They are the ones who can bring down a democracy faster than a small band of armed enemies.

The Governor of Arizona says …NO TO ETHNIC STUDIES ..AND YES TO RACIAL PROFILING..

Arizona is going backwards.. it seems like their politicos have gotten into TIME MACHINE and or have taken some strange desert peyote or perhaps even acid and have TAKEN A BAD TRIP… the only problem is that they are trying to take every one in Arizona with them …

There have always been some allowances in our country for Racism and Stupidity .. But right now the TEA BAGGERS, THE EX MINUTE MEN and RIGHT WING NUT JOBS …have joined together and are drinking the KOOL AID of fear and hatred and getting politicians to do their dirty work.

The governor will help to bankrupt state government by trying to defend against the many law suits coming their way . This will get even more complicated because there will be less revenue for the state due to the boycott..

Many small businesses cannot afford to lose one to five percent of their sales. This in these difficult times is their profit of margin.. You will begin seeing many businessmen and women going to the politicians complaining.. Although they may support these strange laws .. They are more interested in their own survival than in punishing the Mexicans.. It might take a month or two but they will feel the difference..

Farmers just might have problems getting workers to harvest their grapes, lettuce and other crops in the months ahead.. and who will cover their losses..

I suggest that someone start a business of creating signs for good businesses that might read something like WE SUPPORT HUMAN RIGHTS FOR EVERYONE. Thus local folks and visitors can choose to patronize these businesses. Yes .. Although there are many boycotting the state there will still be plenty of us who will go to Arizona to protest and do voter registration.. And we need to know where to shop..

The Seattle City Council approved the Arizona-boycott resolution 7-0 Monday afternoon. It calls for comprehensive immigration reform, and denounces the Arizona law.

The resolution urges Seattle city government to refrain from sending employees to Arizona and from entering into new contracts with businesses headquartered there –when legal and practicable.

In Arizona you have a lot of snow birds that have retired there and many of them have brought their conservative politics with them … and they now want to rid their new home of the people who have lived there for the longest of time.

Recently La Sarah .. Palin was in Arizona and stood up with Gov. Jan Brewer vowing to get an ANTI-BOYCOTT movement going.. Hey LADIES the bottom line will be the dollars and centavos not the rhetoric for the business community..

This is a green (dollars/pesos) movement against a red (racist) movement.. So put your helmets on and get ready for the ARIZONA HUMANITY OLYMPICS..Join a team and GET READY TO RUMBLE

In this process you will get to hear women, men and students saying

NO SE PUEDE (oh no you can’t) to the governor of Arizona.

So please do your part and make history..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
.
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Rebranding Arizona

by Ginger Rough and Dawn Gilbertson- May. 14, 2010 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic..and edited by leno
The loss of business is critical in a recession-battered state vitally dependent on visitor spending.
“It’s up to us to get the truth out there. This is impacting Arizona’s face to the nation,” said Brewer, who blamed the controversy on misconceptions about the law.

A new task force is charged with rebranding and repositioning the state as a unique destination spot.
That is sure to be a tough task after weeks of talk-show comedians, celebrities, politicians and others making Arizona a punch line, calling the law racist and drawing comparisons to fascism and Nazi Germany.
Senate Bill 1070, which Brewer signed April 23 and which takes effect in late July, requires police to ask a person about his or her immigration status if there is “reasonable suspicion” the person is in the country illegally. Being in the country illegally will be a state crime under the law.

One of the task force’s first goals will be trying to stop the trend of boycotts, officials said.
An early plan for how to do that is due in about a month.

“The end goal is to reassert that we are a safe, inviting, diverse and culturally aware community,” said Steve Moore, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Brewer agreed to transfer $250,000 from the Arizona Department of Commerce to the Arizona Office of Tourism to support the effort.

Tactics will likely include not only a marketing campaign but direct contacts with the tourism industry elsewhere in the country.

The backlash against Arizona couldn’t come at a worse time, convention and business leaders say.
The state, which took in $18.5 billion in visitor spending in 2008, has seen its tourism industry struggle in the past couple of years as the U.S. economy sagged.

It took a bigger hit as a result of what is commonly called the AIG effect.

Officials were just starting to see signs of life when the backlash over the new immigration law began, said Debbie Johnson, CEO of the Arizona Tourism Alliance and the Arizona Hotel and Lodging Association.

To date, dozens of cities and groups have announced boycotts. Arizona has lost at least 30 to 40 meetingsand conventions, she said.

“We were surprised by (the boycotts),” Johnson said. “We didn’t think it was going to be a tourism issue. This is a political issue.”

The new task force has about 15 members representing business throughout the state’s tourism industry.

They said stopping the boycotts is a top priority because they are worried about the approximately 200,000 hotelworkers, restaurant employees and others who could lose their jobs if the industry can’t find a way to lure new business here.

As part of their effort, officials plan to revive a past campaign that encourages Arizonans to take advantages of specials and deals and vacation within the state. How to rebrand the state to potential visitors has not yet been decided.

A big issue, Johnson said, is “tentative” bookings and new business, those groups that have indicated they were interested in coming here between 2011 and 2015 but are now refusing to sign contracts.

“We’re hearing from our sales people in the hotels and resorts, that people aren’t returning their calls anymore – that they don’t even want to talk to Arizonans,” she said.

Tourism officials huddled for nearly two hours in Brewer’s offices at the state Capitol on Thursday, discussing early strategies and devising ways to push the rebrand out to the public. They offered no time frame for fixing the problem but acknowledged this will have to be a long-term effort.

Acknowledging that Arizona has developed a serious image problem because of its tough new immigration law, Gov. Jan Brewer and tourism-industry leaders said Thursday that they will launch a new effort to stanch the flow of lost trade and convention business in the state.

The legislation and firestorm of negative publicity that followed brought calls for boycotts, moved groups to back out of local conventions and led several cities to cut business ties with Arizona companies.

TRAVEL WHILE YOU CAN

It is amazing how much you can learn by traveling… I have not done it recently but am getting ready to do some more. You just have to be willing to learn and experience the country you are visiting… Staying in a five star hotel does not give you a real look into the local culture.

So take time to travel and learn.. And if you cannot go to another country then go to another state or another end of your state and experience the world around you… sometimes you just need to go to another neighborhood in your own city to have a new experience.

Open up your eyes and your arms to the world in which you live
My best
leno

You have to lived the drug enhanced 60-70’s to find today’s news as real … you just have to listen to the news and say is this Saturday Night Live?

A Right Wing Anti-Gay Minister who is caught coming back from a Vacation trip with a young man who was hired from a male escort group called RENTBOY. And this Rev. Rekers says he hired him to carry his luggage .. Now that is funny . I travel with a lot of luggage and have managed it by myself.. Am I missing something?

Then there is the former moderate Senator John McCain who was previously decent on immigration reform now blaming immigrants for everything but the Vietnam War.  McCain’s recent campaign ad dubbed the THAT DANGED FENCE just shows what some politicos will do to get elected.

And now BP’s oil disaster is blamed as Obama’s Katrina.  And the governor of Texas calls this ecological disaster AN ACT OF GOD..11 workers missing 100 plus workers who survived being intimidated by a company whose oil volcano will pollute the coastlines and ocean waters of the gulf coast and Mexico.. Just because BP and others fought regulations we now have this tsunami of oil..And the Bush Administration supported them all the way to the bottom of the ocean.  Oh by the way were are LA PALIN and here DRILL BABY DRILL cheerleaders…and these same folks who do not like government now seem to want so much government help..

In Seattle police May — A Seattle police officer offered a tearful apology after being caught on camera kicking an innocent man and using a racial epithet.

The video shows a group of officers standing around three men who are lying on the ground. Seattle Police Detective Shandy Cobane shouts, “I’m going to beat the [expletive] Mexican [expletive] out of you homey! You feel me?
The young man was also it seems assaulted by a woman officer.. If this had not been videotaped the officer would not be apologizing.. Racial and Gang profiling are  ALIVE AND WELL in the Northwest.

KEEP LISTENTING TO THE NEWS .. IT WON’T BE LONG BEFORE YOU TEXT OR TWEET SOMEONE SAYING OMG ABOUT SOME STRANGE  THING IN THE NEWS..

NOW FOR MY VIEW OF THE NEWS

a.    Immigration changed called for
b.    Protest Arizona and wear a shirt
c.    Rev. George Rekers has too much luggage
d.    Bill Mahers on mother’s day and immigration
e.    My back was not shovel ready

Immigration Marches Demand Boycott of Arizona and Call for Comprehensive Immigration Reform

I attended and spoke at the March and Rally in Seattle that had over 15,000 and was considered by experts to have been the second largest immigration event since the 65,000 took to the streets in Seattle in 2006.  There were smaller but most important events in about 9 other cities in Washington.

Los Angeles with it’s 250,000 participants was the biggest event.  Dallas, Chicago and many other cities showed that there was a national movement for Immigrant Rights.  It was wonderful that two large demonstrations were held in two Arizona Cities Tucson, and Phoenix.

Now the work at the community level must continue to organize and educate many about how they can support the effort for reform and to send a strong message to Arizona.

Get ready for more work and help to change our world for the better

George Rekers, Anti-Gay Activist, Caught With Male Escort ‘Rentboy’

George Alan Rekers, a prominent anti-gay activist who co-founded the conservative Family Research Council, was caught returning from a 10-day trip to Europe with a male escort he found on Rentboy.com, which is exactly what it sounds like.

Not to worry, Rekers told the Miami New Times, which broke the story: He claims he learned his 20-year-old companion was a prostitute only midway through their trip, they had no intimate contact, and he hired the young man only because recent surgery means “I can’t lift luggage.”

This seems highly dubious, not least because the New Times reporters spotted the retired professor pushing his baggage cart through Miami International Airport. It would be extremely difficult to stumble upon the Rentboy.com homepage, which features young well-muscled men rubbing each other’s crotches on grainy video loops, and not figure out what the site means by “rent boy.”

The site’s pages aren’t indexed by Google, either, so we’ll need to take the New Times’ word for it that the profile page for Rekers’ escort advertised his “smooth, sweet, tight ass” and “perfectly built 8 inch cock.” The young man denied that he and Rekers had sex, but he did confirm that they met via his Rentboy profile.

With the scandal flaring in the wake of the New Times expose, Rekers published a statement on his personal website that decries the story’s “misleading innuendo.” He confuses libel with slander, but he doesn’t deny any specific element of the story, only repeating his claim that he needed help carrying luggage and averring that family and friends will back that claim.

Rekers, who is also a professor emeritus of neuropsychiatry at the University of South Carolina and a Baptist minister, recently testified against gay adoption in Florida, where he resides. Raw Story flagged a particularly jarring article in which he claims that children adopted by gay couples are more likely to commit suicide.

The retired professor has remained far less high-profile than his Family Research Council co-founder James Dobson, but he is an extremely prolific author of books like Who Am I? Lord and Growing Up Straight: What Families Should Know About Homosexuality. He has also advised members of Congress, the White House, and the Department of Health and Human Services, according to the New Times story, which is worth reading in its entirety.

NEW RULE ON IMMIGRATION and Mothers Day

BY BILL MAHER

New Rule: This Mother’s Day, all Americans must pause and extend a special thanks to the women who maintain our homes, who take care of our kids, and who still make time for sex with Dad. I’m talking, of course, about our nannies. Lost in this whole immigration debate is why Americans want to be so harsh on the people who, in so many and varied ways, enable them to sit on their fat asses. Nannies, valet parkers, gardeners, all the people who do the things we’re a little too busy or important to do. There are plenty of people to be mad at our there — the jerks at Goldman Sachs, the idiots at BP, the guy who charged you fifty bucks for these tickets — why set our crosshairs on the humble, servile people?

I’ll tell you why. Because we’re bullies. Instead of confronting real threats, like the debt or the environment or Utah, we pick out the poorest, most defenseless kid on the block — illegal immigrants — and say, “What are you looking at?” But I’ll tell you something, you anti-immigrant hoopies — as usual you’re mad at the wrong people. It was corporate America that busted your unions and didn’t keep your pay up to the cost of living, causing your wife to have to go to work and Esmeralda to have to come in to watch the kids. Your problem is low wages, not low riders. A middle class life can now only be maintained with the presence of an underpaid underclass. In the 1940s, fewer than one in five moms worked outside the home. Ironically, mostly in bomber factories, to beat Nazi Germany, a place, like Arizona, where you always had to show your papers. I kid, that’s an unfair comparison. The Germans knew how to dress.

All this anger that we see aimed at the Mexican underclass might be more understandable if illegals came here with a bad attitude and sent the crime rate soaring — but they don’t. The Justice Department says violent crime in Arizona is at its lowest point since 1971. Property crime is at its lowest since 1966. There is no problem. There’s only dicks and the politicians who pander to them.

I know this is anecdotal, but I’ve hired several immigrant housekeepers — legal immigrants, I might add, in case anyone at the White House is considering me for a Cabinet position — and they’ve all done great work. Especially on my monologue. While the one American-born Caucasian guy I hired to do some handyman work stole my tools. You know who you are, Stephen Baldwin.

And when I drive home every day and see maids trudging up a steep hill to the mansions where they work, and I offer them a ride, I’m astounded: they never refuse, because they’re so exhausted that they’ll accept a ride from a mysterious gringo blasting rap music, even though that’s the beginning of every slasher movie ever. You know, neighbors, you’re trusting these women to clean your homes, feed your pets, and give your kids their daily dose of Ritalin — the least you can do is not make them walk up the hill.

Some time in the distant future, brown people are probably going to — and I say this without judgment — breed their way to power in both Europe and America. Arab populations are growing in countries like France and Holland, and I think we all see where this Mexican thing is going in America. That’s right, because they fuck more, the darker skinned people are going to rule the world, and white people, for their own self-preservation, should get a start on being nice to them now! Nice! Just be nice, to the poor and desperate people who change our Depends and cook our food, hopefully not in that order.

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HURT MY BACK AND GOT HELP and then went to help others..

Today my back was not shovel ready…

I love gardening .. It is good therapy … and  I love plants.. Well this morning I awoke to this huge pain in my lower back and had to pay a friend to help me begin some of the work on the yard.. But once my back is better I promise to take up the shovel and begin putting out some plants..

Later in the afternoon I could walk a bit with a ton of Advil in me so I went to support UFCW 21 (UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIALS WORKERS) at a demonstration outside of a Safeway’s. There  I ran into members and friends of my work at the Social Justice Fund.. All of them were there supporting a good union contract for the workers.

Then I was soon home where I managed myself slowly into bed for a nap. Naps are free and seem to do us a lot of good.



My best
leno
Arizona shirts can also be purchased through me and Ahora

On their April 15th tax day gatherings.

I looked for television clips, and photos in news papers for this diversity.

I saw lots of grey hair, men, women, some standing and some sitting. In their diversity they had tall folks and short folks.. Some whose signs showed they could spell and some not. And that is also a form of diversity.. I did see a few folks in the crowd that were not eligible for Social Security. More age diversity… And in the east two events rumor has it found a black person to get up and speak but no other people of color were seen in those crowds.

The diversity was as good as it was when their ancestors landed on the shores of this great land and the Native Americans watched them come in some small boats from some bigger ships. Those Natives should have arrested them on the spot for coming to this country without proper documentation.

Now if you are of Indian heritage you must be getting angry when you hear Tea Baggers saying they WANT THEIR COUNTRY BACK.. the only one’s who have right to say this are Native Americans.. not some invader who took the land and oppressed the Native People. Yes let’s take our country back and give it to its rightful owners.

While these tea baggers have gone off the deep end on Health Care, many predict that they will even go even crazier once the immigration debate in Congress begins.

In the meantime lets ask them to join a particular tribe or quit this garbage about
I want my country back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NOW FOR MY VIEW OF THE NEWS

a. May 1st immigration march in Seattle
b. Living while brown in Arizona
c. Social Justice Fund Reception
d. Shadow becomes a lawyer
e. Mother earth responding
f. Who gets what representation
g. Stand for Judge Chin

Join us for the 10th Annual May 1st Immigrant Rights March and help us spread the word by sending this email to your family and friends!

Event Details
: Saturday May 1st, 2010

Rally 12:00PM at Judkins Playfied (behind St Mary’s Church- 611 20th Ave S)

March 12:30PM 
March will end at 1:30pm followed by a program with elected officials and music at Memorial Stadium in the Seattle Center (401 5th Ave 98109)

RSVP: Email maru@washingtoncan.org

Unite to show the solidarity of our communities and the power we are ready to use to benefit our country. Call on Congress to protect and promote immigrant and worker rights.

We are all workers!

Join Washington CAN! on May 1st! RSVP today, email Maru@washingtoncan.org

LIVING WHILE BROWN IN ARIZONA ..GOV. JAN BREWER SIGNS BAD LAW

Them anti-immigrant politicians got themselves a new law.. that law gives police the right and power to stop and demand proof of citizenship of anyone in 
Arizona.. and we know what that means.. Stop folks that look like Mexicans and if they can’t pull up a valid passport or a picture of their ancestors coming over on the Mayflower boat then they probably be turned over to immigration.

The legislation, sent to the Republican governor by the GOP-led Legislature, makes it a crime under state law to be in the country illegally. It also requires local police officers to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are illegal immigrants; allows lawsuits against government agencies that hinder enforcement of immigration laws; and makes it illegal to hire illegal immigrants for day labor or knowingly transport them.

“There are serious criminal issues that Arizona faces and police chasing brown folks will take away from the work they should be doing. It will swell the populations of the jails and the detention centers. All this costs money and it will break the local policing budget.”AP

In addition they will in the process vilolate the rights of many and there will be multiple lawsuits at a huge cost to local cities and the state.

Now while some are calling for a boycott of the state. .. I would first like to try a couple of BROWN TUSNAMIS for Arizona. Let us pick a couple of weeks and take all us brown folks and their friends and descend upon Arizona and visit the counties where they are enforcing this law. Let us go to the jails, police departments and line up asking about missing persons.. Brown persons.

If you can’t go to Arizona perhaps someone could get some phone numbers to certain police stations and we could call for days asking for information to see if it is safe to travel there .. this will tie up their lines and get their attention.

I would also suggest that we do a massive voter registration drive this summer in key districts and throw some of these folks out of office,

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JOIN THE SOCIAL JUSTICE FUND FOR A SUMMER SOCIAL

Yep come and share a smile and build a community of change

Join SJF on Tuesday May 11th for a Social Hour!  Come mix and mingle with other SJF members.  Bring your friends!

Where:   O’Asian Kitchen, 800 5th Ave Suite Plaza 1, Seattle, WA 98104
When:  May 11th from 5:30-7pm

Contact: uma@socialjusticefund.org

Now if you don’t live in the Seattle area go to some local gathering where you can celebrate HUMAN RIGHTS.
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SHADOW BECOMES A LAWYER … from being a Homie to becoming a Lawyer

Today I was in a meeting with some Latinos when I get a call from El Salvador . It is Juan Javier Duran (SARCO) and Jorge Rosales (SHADOW). The are two of the 22 original founding members of Homies Unidos. They are helping me and some Seattle lawyers who are working on an immigration case.

I met them both in the summer of 1996 in El Salvador. Both were deported members of La Mara Salvatrucha. Both were tough street wise brothers. And now both have been out of violence for about 7 years. Juan Javier found religion (Jesus) and has a family and is doing good and Jorge just recently graduated and is a full fledged lawyer in El Salvador..

Jorge said that he was sorry that I could not have been in at his graduation and went on to say that I was the inspiration that led him to believe enough in himself that he could make this huge change. I must tell you that I wanted to hug Jorge and cry in joy for his graduation. And I also wanted to weep for all the other Homies who are started out with us in 1996 and are now dead knowing that they too could have accomplished peace and new lives just like Juan and Jorge.

I am so happy that I met Jorge and Juan in 1996 and that together we helped each other down this road of life.

Double Fudge.. yep ….JORGE IS A LAWYER…

MOTHER EARTH IS RESPONDING…

In the past 6 months we have see a number of earth quakes around the world, we have seen areas where there rain and snow fall have decreased while others have seen flooding and incredible snowfall.

On top of all this there have been huge earthquakes that have taken place in Haiti, Chile, Mexico, China, the USA and many other locations .. and we will see many more before the end of the year.

Now we have glaciers coming apart in Latin America and a volcano in Iceland is spewing tons of ash and closing many airports.
Something is going on with Climate Change and Mother Earth is responding.
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WHO DID NOT RECEIVE ADEQUATE REPRESENTATION? The Death Penalty

Prior studies on representation indicate that many death row inmates did not receive adequate representation:

In Texas, nearly 1 in 4 condemned inmates were represented at trial or on appeal by court-appointed attorneys who have been disciplined for professional misconduct at some point in their careers. (Based on an examination of 461 capital cases, Dallas Morning News, September 10, 2000).

In Washington state, one-fifth of the 84 people who have faced execution in the past 20 years were represented by lawyers who had been, or were later, disbarred, suspended or arrested. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Aug. 6-8, 2001).

In North Carolina, at least 16 death row inmates, including 3 who were executed, were represented by lawyers who have been disbarred or disciplined for unethical or criminal conduct. (Charlotte Observer, Sept. 9, 2000).

Texas death row inmates faced a 1-in-3 chance of being executed without having their case properly investigated by a competent attorney on appeal and without having any claims of innocence or unfairness presented or heard.” (Lethal Indifference: The Fatal Combination of Incompetent Attorneys and Unaccountable Courts Texas Defender Service, 2002).
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Appeals Court Judge DENNY CHIN

The United States Senate voted on Thursday to elevate Denny Chin, a Federal District Court judge in Manhattan, to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Times Topics: Denny Chin | Loretta E. Lynch

The confirmation, by a 98 to 0 vote, came on the same day that the Senate confirmed by unanimous consent Loretta E. Lynch as United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

Judge Chin has been involved in many prominent cases, including that of Bernard L. Madoff, whom he sentenced in June to 150 years in prison for his enormous Ponzi scheme. He is also considering a pending settlement of a class-action lawsuit filed by authors and publishers over Google’s book-scanning project.

Judge Chin, 56, who was born in Hong Kong and came to the United States with his family when he was 2, will become the sole Asian-American to fill an active judgeship on a United States Court of Appeals.

His father worked as a cook in Chinese restaurants, while his mother worked as a seamstress in Chinatown garment factories. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School and Princeton, and obtained his law degree at Fordham University.

President Obama nominated Judge Chin to the Second Circuit in October. The circuit is known in particular for its decisions in financial and white-collar cases. It is also the court from which Justice Sonia Sotomayor was chosen for appointment to the United States Supreme Court.

Note.. we should all be excited about this appointment!!!

My best
leno

The other evening I was sharing some Mexican Food at El Gallito with Delila Leber and Ramon DelCastillo of Denver when I began doing my imitations of some notable figures. I was doing MLK, Ali, Malcolm X, Marlon Brando’s Don Vito Corleone (from the god father) and Howard Cosell. I like doing them on occasion.. And am told I can do a good Black South African Voice and a reasonable Johnny Cash on occasion.

There was a young couple who as they were leaving came over to say hello… the husband had a carrier with their infant child safely tucked away… they looked like a wonderful young family… the young wife smiling, her long black hair swaying leaned over as she came to our table ..

She looked at me and said “we were listening to you and we loved hearing your voice, and my husband (who was also smiling by then) said I should come over and tell you”

I was taken aback.. What my voice had charmed them?

Thank you… I am glad you like it…” I have been told by others that I had a distinctive voice.

We liked your god father and think you should have radio program… and do you do any voice over’s” the young woman asked

No I don’t do voice over’s but I do speak at a lot of events and do radio on occasion”

We talked some more, I gave them my card and told them to connect with me and that I will go visit them and read to their baby in my best of voices..

Since college I have often been told that I have a good voice.. I personally don’t like my voice…and wish that I could sing… but I can’t carry tune…

Why didn’t God give me a singing voice, good looks.. Or a better brain..But then .. I should not complain too much .. Since on occasion I can give a good speech.

NOW FOR MY VIEW OF THE NEWS

• Immigration rallies and marches
• Ya basta … enough
• Aung San Suu Kyi
• A week for planting..

IMMIGRATION RALLIES ON APRIL 10TH

AND ON MAY 1ST THERE WILL BE MORE MARCHES AND RALLIES.

The New York Times had a photo of an Immigration Rally being held in Nevada last Saturday. It was one of the 8 or so rallies held on this date in different parts of the country. The photo shows a crowd that looks to be 8-10,000 and they had many speakers including Senate Leader Harry Reid and Arturo Rodriquez President of UFW. The photo looked wonderful.

In Seattle One America coordinated a coalition that held an energetic rally of several thousand individuals with a wonderful representation from the Asian and Island communities. There were many speakers and video messages from the two senators. One great part of the event was the voices of youth that was presented by Washington Can. These events are food for the soul. While often I am asked to speak it is also just good to be part of the crowd cheering and chanting and not being one of the speakers.

On May 1st in Seattle and in many other cities organizations will celebrate workers and immigrant rights. I again will be there with my best voice cheering and chanting. In Seattle this May Day event has always been coordinated by EL COMITE. They are planning a large march and rally. You can coordinate with Juan Jose Bocanegra and contact him at bocajj1@comcast.net.
My thought is that we need to have multiple events and actions that keep our issue in the face of the elected officials and the media.

I remember that during the time of the Chicano Movement that we had many voices calling out racism and asking for change. And in retrospect I am happy that we had so many organizations, voices and approaches. At some point I hope that we will all come together and push for immigration reform like we did for health care.
So get your walking shoes on and get ready for MAY 1ST.

YA BASTA ….ENOUGH

we will not be silent..We will do what is needed.. So be careful and realize that what you sow …you shall also reap.
The right wing , Tea Baggers, Palin, Bachman, Fox News and others are stirring up a lot of folks to fear, hate, and in some case attack people and their representatives. Lou Dobb’s and others stirred for years anti-immigrant feeling that have resulted in more race related violence (hate crimes) against immigrants and Latinos.

At some point organizations and groups in the communities of color will have tolerated more than enough and this right wing racism will be met with an even more active in your face groups that will not be intimidated. While the tea bag movement is grey and mostly retired the reaction that they will inspire will come from a more active and younger crowd. This group will not tolerate the intimidation, spitting on, or the calling of the N WORD or other racist terms. You cannot oppress a people and their spirits with fear and intimidation.

Our history of experiencing lynching’s and racism has demanded that we take actions against the oppressor. Now these radical elements of the right wing have even gone to threatening the lives of elected officials. Most of these new terrorists are on Social Security or some other public assistance.. And they make threats saying that they don’t want the government involved in their health plans.. OOPS the government created their plans and they are benefiting from what they call SOCIALIST MEDICINE…

In the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s were filled with many individuals and groups who stood up for justice and freedom. And those unjust racist attacks of that era were not tolerated nor will today’s racism be accepted. So my caution to the right and the tea bag folks is that they need to be careful..yes be careful about where they go with their hatred … they just might wake a new generation of individuals who while they believe in the best of our society will not allow the current racist attacks and threats to go unanswered. So keep an eye on Tax Day April 15th the Tea Baggers will be at it again in many cities protesting Taxes while benefiting from the fruits of the Tax Tree.

And just to remind you that there will be an additional two rallies on April 19th in both Washington DC and Virginia where they are encouraging demonstrators of this right wing to come and brandish their weapons. I believe that this is dangerous and any gun going off for whatever reason could cause havoc. Now think about this for a minute… what if people of color were to hold a demonstration with guns.. would they be tolerated by the authorities..?

As you know I have worked with gang members and my thought was to have about 2-3,000 gang members to join the NRA and then to show up in masse at one of their conventions. NOW THAT IS WHAT I CALL FUN…

Guns are a dangerous element in our society and we need to be careful about how we keep and display them.
So … I think we are in for a HOT HOT SUMMER and we must seek cooler heads and actions that will find peace and understanding in a political climate that could go ballistic…

AUNG SAN SUU KYI

the lastest news is the Suu Kyi is ill and has been seen by medical staff recently. Rumor is that it might have something to do with her heart. I hope that she can consult with an outside medical expert in order to have a good second opinion.

THIS IS THE WEEK FOR PLANTING

I like planting things in my yard.. My roommates are beating me to the punch … I hope to get into the swing of things this coming weekend. I want to plant tomatoes, squash, cilantro, and jalapenos..

Some weeks ago when in Pasadena I went by my old house to see the tree that I had planted in 1992.. Now it is a tall tree over 60 feet tall and providing the much needed shade. Just think if we all planted some trees every year and helped them to grow strong.. and think about how wonderful our world would be…

So in the weeks ahead take a couple of moments and plant something .. you have to invest in Mother Earth if you want her hug you back sometime in the future..

One day plant a tree and the next an idea on how to make our world better .. but get busy and plant… we need you and your actions..

DREAM AND PLANT… AND DREAM SOME MORE

My best
leno

I went to work for the union as an organizer in 1970-74 and worked for $5.00 week for wages and $10 for food. It is amazing that thousands of individuals worked for this paltry sum of money.  And we performed miracles with little or no money. Cesar and all the union leadership received the same compensation.

Later in 1992 while working for Amnesty International in Los Angeles I was invited to a UFW convention in Delano. Cesar introduced me to the workers as one of his great organizers from the old days.. I was proud to be recognized by Cesar in this way .. While I did do some good organizing .. I was also a stubborn young man who then had more ego than brains.

Later that day we were picketing a Safeway store in Delano and for a moment I was walking along side with Cesar. He turned to me and said WHY DON’T YOU COME BACK AND WORK FOR US ..I looked at him and asked WHY WOULD I WANT TO DO THAT ???

He smiled at me and said WE DOUBLED THE WAGES

WOW CESAR YOU DOUBLED THE WAGES.. FROM $5 to $10

YES He replied .. By that time he was holding onto my elbow keeping me close to him

Then I was suddenly rescued by an older woman in a flowing colorful skirt and sporting a mane of white hair who wanted to speak with him.. It was great .. I had escaped Cesar without giving him an answer.

The next year Cesar died unexpectedly..Those of us from the farm worker movement were in shock at this loss
I and my daughter Aviva like 50,000 others went to his rosary and then the funeral in Delano. It was the most incredible event. I saw people from my many years with the union.

Some months after the funeral I was invited to meet with the leadership of the Union and some of Cesar’s family. As we ate lunch in Los Angeles I was asked to help them start a foundation in Cesar’s name. After much conversation they asked if would take the job as Director of the foundation.

WHAT ARE THE WAGES??? I asked

$10  a week they responded and they all  smiled.. .

WELL LET ME CHECK WITH MY FAMILY AND I WILL LET YOU KNOW …

6 Weeks later I was at the Union headquarters working on setting up the foundation for $10 a week. I could just see Cesar some place smiling and acknowledging that he got me at the wage he wanted.

NOW FOR MY VIEW OF THE NEWS

a.    Immigration reform one taco at a time
b.    March 31st Cesar’s bday
c.    HEALTH CARE PASSES
d.    The Red Rep. John Boehner
e.    Red Rep. Boehner
f.    Meet new friends

Immigration Reform, One Taco At A time

“Through Tacos for Justice the simple act of eating is converted into an act of social justice,” said Erin Glenn, Executive Director of the Asociación de Loncheros L.A. Familia Unida de California. “Our trucks will give a 10 percent discount to every patron as well as donate to the National Immigrant Justice Campaign for every Tacos for Justice coupon used in a purchase of the ‘Justice Menu’ at our participating trucks.” Valley Star, Mar. 17, 2010.

This notice was sent in by Kinza.. Now I am going to LA in April and want to know where to get my TACOS FOR JUSTICE COUPONS..

100,000 plus marched in Washington DC for immigration reform on Sunday the 21st . In addition there were marches in other cities on this day. (mean while the right wing had hundreds in DC under the TEA BAG BANNER trying to stop the historic health care bill) now tell me who represents the people of America.

In Seattle we will have a rally on April 10th and a March and Rally on May 1st.  hope you can participate in events in your community.

We must all raise our voices for COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM.

MARCH  31ST  THE BIRTHDAY OF CESAR ESTRADA CHAVEZ

On the 31st I will take a moment to celebrate Cesar’s birthday. And in doing so I will be recognizing all the men and women who worked with him so many years ago in CSO Community Service Organization. This was the precursor to the United Farm Workers Union. This is where Saul Alinsky student Fred Ross began organizing Latinos.

I also will be recognizing the many Filipino Farm Workers who were the first to go on strike and then joined by Mexican farm workers being organized by Cesar, Dolores, Gilbert, and others.

I also want to take a moment on this day to honor all the strikers, the boycotters, the donors and the many who prayed for success of the union. Every year I run into many who helped to make the union successful.  These heroes and sheroes come in all shapes and sizes and from every imaginable community. And to think that I was part of this historic movement. The UFW spawned many an organizer and that is gooder than good can be.

In the next Ahora a nice remembrance of Cesar Chavez by Martha Garcia

HEALTH CARE PASSES 120-111

This is a historic moment and we must thank not only those who voted but all those who worked for so many months to pressure our elected officials.

Now the tea baggers and the ultra right wing will have to get shriller and crazier in the months ahead.. but those  who will health protected by this new law will not listen to their lies.

We can take a moment to celebrate and then get back to work.
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Rep. John Boehner ..Why the strange skin color and red nose?

The Alcoholic Nose.. While I am not a doctor .. I have seen this before. In my home town we had an old farm worker who had pretty pale skin and as he went through life his skin got redder as did his nose. And his nose began swelling at the end as he continued his drinking of cheap wine… it seems that alcohol shows up early on the skin and the nose.

Now for a long time I thought that Republican John Boehner the House Minority Leader was spending too much time in a tanning salon… now I am beginning to think that his skin color and nose are a result of alcoholism. Just take a look at the tip of his red nose… either he is coke addict, becoming Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer or he is in fact a stone Alcoholic.

With alcoholics their liver goes and or they do something really stupid while under the influence of Alcohol… well Boehner does stupid things already so now we just are waiting on the liver to start acting up…

Jimmy Luna a dear friend and Huelgista/striker when I was with the farm workers union suffered the same outward appearances on him. Finally his liver stopped working and we had to bury him in La Garrita miles outside of Center, Colorado.

Okay .. okay .. I know what you are saying LENO IS NOT A DOCTOR.. But then you give me an explanation for his red nose and orange skin… and no I do not think that he is an alien from another planet… nope.. He is just one very very strange man from this planet.
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DEATH TO THE DEATH PENALTY.

This week, Virginia executed Paul Powell for murdering a 16-year-old girl and raping and attempting to murder her 14-year-old sister. Reading the details of the crime, your instinctive response is utter revulsion and a cry for justice to be done. But state-sanctioned killing — unless it is for reasons of national security — is not something we as a society should be doing. In America, 139 people on death row have been exonerated. And a study on death penalty appeals found two-thirds of all death sentences were overturned due to serious errors, including prosecutorial misconduct. Then there is the cost: it is much more expensive to execute a prisoner than to send him to prison for life. For example, California could save $125 million a year if it eliminated the death penalty. That’s a lot of money for a state cutting social services to the bone. It’s time for the death penalty to be put to death.

MEETING NEW PEOPLE

This past weekend I was a Global Donors conference where I saw some old friends but met many new potential friends. When I got to this conference I went into my INTROVERT SHELL but soon I was taken out of this bunker and I was meeting many new and interesting individuals.. And I had a good time meeting so many interesting spirits.  The hard part was getting started.

Take a moment and meet someone new.. And open the door to another world.

My best
Leno

This past week there were 8 rallies in Washington State alone.

And in other states there were many other activities. We must all continue to raise our voices and keep the phone calls, demonstrations and emails going until this issue is resolved. Every month about 4,000 individuals die from lack of health insurance. This is criminal that so many die and people like Senator Joe Lieberman must be held accountable for holding up our efforts to save lives.

Below is a link to a video that was produced by Kathy Cummings. And, guess what? Leno is in the video.





Also below is Kathy’s contact info so that you can thank her for her work:
Kathy Cummings
Communications Director
Washington State Labor Council
314 First Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98119
Office: 206 281-8901 ex. 28
Cell: 206 604-3698
Email: kcummings@wslc.org

NOW FOR MY VIEW OF THE NEWS

a. Houston shakes up Texas
b. Immigration
c. Tiger Woods
d. DC approves gay marriage
e. Give to a non-profit

Houston Shakes Up Texas

HOUSTON (Reuters) – Houston Saturday became the first major U.S. city to elect an openly gay mayor, Annise Parker, after a hotly contested run-off election that gave gay and lesbian supporters a symbolic victory following defeats over legalizing same-sex marriages in California and Maine.

“Just so you know, Houston is not the most progressive city in America but it took a giant step into the future”, Leno.

Immigration Bill Introduced

RESTORE FAIRNESS…

A historic moment has finally arrived and we need YOU to do your part to
help fix our broken immigration system.

Yesterday, Rep. Luis Gutierrez introduced the Comprehensive Immigration
Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 (CIR ASAP). It is
already supported by 87 members of Congress.

The Bill outlines a progressive vision for fair immigration reform that
respects due process and human rights.

Some provisions:

1. Codify detention standards to provide humane conditions, medical care
and legal counsel and stop the senseless deaths;
2. Provide secure alternatives to detention so that we stop locking up
harmless individuals, children and people with severe medical conditions;
3. Enable judges to review DHS decisions and practices to prevent abuse
and human rights violations;
4. Create a fair path to citizenship for the millions of hardworking
individuals and families who live here.

As Rep Gutierrez so rightly said, “This is a crisis of human and civil
rights, it’s crisis of our economy and workforce and it’s a crisis of
national security.”

This crisis needs our urgent attention. Now, more than ever, we need
you to URGE your Congress members to support immigration policy that
respects due process and human rights.

Write to them directly by going to Restore Fairness today!

Tiger Woods

The media has uncovered more lovers and seems many are becoming rich off this golf pro. I just wish we had as much news coverage on the homeless, the people being killed by our bombs, people dying from lack of health care and victims of domestic violence. Tiger Woods is not an elected official and his issues are a private matter unless he hurt someone or if he broke a law.

Nonetheless this is yet another example how powerful people can do what they want… elected officials, sports figures, entertainment stars, and the super wealthy break all the rules and are soon forgiven…

This is an abuse of power and should not accepted. Power is the most potent drug on the open market.

Recently a man was killed for adultery in Somalia, many countries have harsh punishment for such an act. And that does not solve the problem of infidelity.

Washington DC Approves Gay Marriage.

It seems that the city council of DC has approved gay marriage. Now this must drive those right wing senators and congressmen crazy.

Give Of Your Money and Your Time To A Non-Profit

While I suggest that you give to the SOCIAL JUSTICE FUND NW .. I also want you to consider in addition to us other non profits in your area that are helping people in your community.

We depend on your help so that we can help others

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

My best,
Leno