2 Black Power Advocates Ousted From Olympics

"Mexico City, Oct. 18--The United States Olympic Committee suspended Tommie Smith and John Carlos today for having used last Wednesday's victory ceremony for the 200- meter dash at the Olympic Games as the vehicle for a black power demonstration.

The two Negro sprinters were told by Douglas F. Roby, the president of the committee, that they must leave the Olympic Village. Their credentials also were taken away, which made it mandatory for them to leave Mexico within 48 hours."

Cellphone Deals Sweeten in Face of New Rule on Keeping Number

Finally, I will be able to rid myself of Verizon (which has horrible service) but keep my precious cell-phone number!

Foes of Idle Hands, Amish Contest a Child Labor Law

The Amish are asking the Congress for an exemption from Child Labor Laws....

"The Amish just want to be let alone, he said, but the federal government is meddling in their lives and livelihoods by fining Amish sawmills and woodworking shops that employ teenagers, in violation of child labor law.

"What are we supposed to do with them if they don't work here, have them stay on the street all day?" said the furniture maker, who insisted on anonymity. "I see what other teenagers do when I'm installing kitchens in people's homes. I see kids watching TV. They don't know what to do with themselves. Shouldn't they be occupied doing something worthwhile?""


While I agree that children under 18 should be occupied with something worthwhile but definitely not in a saw-mill. What if they get injured or crippled? Who's going to look after them for the rest of their lives? I understand that the Amish refuse any form of welfare or medicaid...

CNN.com - Finland may let parents track teens via cell phones - Oct. 17, 2003

I'm sure this will shock everyone when I say that I am utterly opposed to this plan and similar legislation.

An Ugly Game: "What I'd like to know is why all this outrage is springing up over a board game when so little is heard in the way of protest about the outlandishly self-destructive behavior that gives rise to a game like Ghettopoly, and which is burying any chance of a viable future for extraordinary numbers of young black men and women, and their children.
How can you march against a game and not march against the real-life slaughter on the streets and in the homes of inner cities across America? Violent crime, ignorance and disease are carving the very heart out of America's black population.
The president of the Los Angeles Council of Churches, the Rev. Leonard Jackson, told me last spring about the long line of funerals he's had to conduct for young black men and women, and boys and girls. He seemed on the verge of tears. 'The young people have more of a chance of dying here in South Central than in a military combat zone,' he said.
Instead of using their influence to help stop the slaughter, certain truly twisted elements of the hip-hop culture encourage it, celebrating it in songs that not only glorify murderous violence, but also degrade black people to a degree that should leave any sensible person stupefied.
'We dangerous,' says one song. 'Bitches pay a fee just to hang with us.'"

Anglicans Warn of a Split if Gay Man Is Consecrated

Way too much hype over something as irrelevant as a gay bishop in New Hampshire. Move on, guys.

"WASHINGTON - Saudi Arabia's announcement on Monday that within a year it will hold elections for municipal councils could be the first tremor in a slow-moving Middle Eastern earthquake....

the Saudi announcement is potentially a very big deal, and the cynics should take note: more so than even the pluralist maelstrom in Iraq, moves toward democratization in Saudi Arabia could have ripples throughout the Middle East."

Read on here: .

"The International Committee of the Red Cross recently took the unusual step of publicly criticizing the United States over the confinement of the roughly 660 detainees at the Guantánamo naval base in Cuba. After visiting the base, Red Cross officials said there was a "worrying deterioration" in the mental condition of the detainees, largely because they have no idea how long they will be held or what will happen to them."


Read onhere.

"Mrs. Schiavo, 39, who lost much of her brain function after her heart briefly stopped one night in 1990, has been at the center of a bruising legal battle between her husband, who says she is in an irreversible vegetative state and should be allowed to die, and her parents, who say she is aware and should be kept alive.....

Late this afternoon, a spokesman for Mr. Bush said that the governor's legal staff was consulting with experts on the Florida Constitution to see whether there was a way that the order allowing Mrs. Schiavo's death could be found unconstitutional."

Read onhere.

"In an emergency meeting called by the archbishop of Canterbury, 37 Anglican church leaders from around the world met at Lambeth Palace on Wednesday and struggled to avoid a schism over the election of an openly gay bishop in the United States."

Read entire article here.

IHT: Saudi Arabia to hold first elections:

The municipal councils may not have any real authority, but this is definitely a positive step.

Martin Luther King Wins The Nobel Prize for Peace: "Oslo, Norway, Oct. 14--The Nobel Peace prize for 1964 was awarded today to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The 35-year-old civil rights leader is the youngest winner of the prize that Dr. Alfred Nobel instituted since the first was awarded in 1901."

DCLU Executive Council for Fall, 2003:

President: Jed Sorokin-Altmann '05

Executive Director and Webmaster: Adil Ahmad '05

Vice-President: Julia Cohen '05

Treasurer: Alyssa Minsky '06

Secretary: Kate Gilbert '05

Events and Recruiting Director: Rose McClendon '06

Publicity Director: Echo Brown '06

Student Assembly Representative: Helen Parson '06

Marriage Protection Week, 2003

"NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim the week of October 12 through October 18, 2003, as Marriage Protection Week. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this week with appropriate programs, activities, and ceremonies. "

Congress Looks to Grant Legal Status to Immigrants

Hmmm...I just hope that this measure doesn't end up encouraging more illegal immigration....

This article makes an excellent point--the "enemy combatants" should either fall under international law and jurisdiction or domestic law and jurisdiction--Bush, Ashcroft and Co. are trying to make up a third category!

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Judges condemn Camp X-Ray

Iranian Lawyer, Staunch Fighter for Human Rights, Wins Nobel

I don't want to comment on whether Ebadi really deserved the prize or not (or if it was given to her to antagonize the Shia Government in Iran), but I am glad that activists from the Middle East and Asia are being noticed by the Nobel Prize Committee.

By the way, why did Arafat win the prize?

Just a short note that I have set-up a blog at Chechnya as an information portal for all things and opinions Chechnya.

Why did I post here? Because the war in Chechnya is a major humanitarian disaster and ACLU also deals with human rights violations.

Log on and stay informed!

Amendment mania

Quote:
"You and millions of your fellow Americans wake up in cold sweats from nightmares that leave you wondering what would happen if a few congressmen or senators were suddenly killed or otherwise incapacitated. What . . .The simple fact is that our current Constitution and the federal government it defines already explicitly provide for such a contingency -- and in a rather simple and straightforward manner. A senator is immediately replaced by the governor of the state the senator represented, and a replacement representative is quickly elected by the people in a special election. ...they [constitutional junkies in DC] want to set up a convoluted mechanism in the Constitution, to take power from the people, and fill all vacancies -- House and Senate -- by appointment."


Naturally, I was shocked after reading this, so I decided to do some fact-finding...and I found this:
Continuity of Government Commission and this .

Although, Barr makes the amendment sound like evil, it really is not that bad. The idea is:
" constitutional amendment to allow Congress to make provisions for temporary appointments of members if 30% of the seats are vacant."

However, three points:

1. I don't foresee a third of the seats becoming vacant at the same time, so, this amendment is rather redudant.

2. Even if a third of the seats do become vacant, why appoint temporary replacements at all? 67% constitutes a quorum for all house business, except for choosing a President in case none of the candidates have won a clear majority of votes, which would be a rare event in any case. Again, the amendment is redundant.

3. A constitutional amendment is a rather extreme measure and I don't think anything so far warrants an amendment to find replacement congressmen.

Bob Graham withdraws from the Presidential Race

I am interested in seeing who else drops out. I wish we could officially endorse a candidate. I am sure it would have been George Bush ;-)

Furore over study that suggests 'cure' for homosexuality


A rather un-PC study conducted by one of the foremost experts on sexual orientation...

The New York Review of Books: Un-American Activities

Anthony Lewis reviews David Cole's book. I need to get hold of this book ASAP.

WSJ.com - UPDATE: Immigrants, Labor Activists Rally In Queens, NY


Finally, a post about immigrants' rights...again, for educational purposes only:

Immigrants, Labor Activists Rally In Queens, NY


DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

(Adds updated crowd estimate)

NEW YORK (AP)--Hoping to start a movement that will sweep America, as the civil rights movement did in the 1960s, about 100,000 immigrants and labor activists gathered Saturday to rally for better working conditions, legal status and other reforms for undocumented workers.

The rally in Flushing Meadows Park in Queens ended a two-week-long odyssey inspired by the civil rights movement's Freedom Rides. Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., was part of the '60s movement, and urged immigrants to keep up their fight.

"Today you are making history, you are making our country better," he said. "You're bringing together blacks, whites and browns, Protestants and Catholics, Jews and gentiles. It takes all of our minds and bodies to make this country great."

The immigrants, overwhelmingly from Spanish-speaking countries, proudly waved their native flags and carried signs that read "No Human Being Is Illegal," "Legalize Yes, Criminalize No," and "United We Dream."

The rally was the final stop in a journey undertaken by nearly 900 immigrants from 50 countries and their supporters. Eighteen buses transported the participants, who visited more than 100 U.S. cities and towns.

The trip was mostly positive, although a group of riders were stopped near the Texas border by police who asked to see their documentation, said Maria Elena Durazo, the movement's national director.

Hispanics frequently chanted "Si, se puede," which means "Yes, we can," as more than 30 people - ranging from politicians to Cardinal Edward Egan of the Archdiocese of New York.

"We can not go on simply ignoring or tolerating the plight of these brothers and sisters of ours," Egan said in both English and Spanish.

The newly installed bishop of the Brooklyn Diocese, Nicholas DiMarzio, called the nation's immigration system "immoral."

"While many may condemn the presence of the undocumented in our land, we willingly accept their hard labor, their contributions to our economy, and their cultural and religious spirit which enriches our local communities," DiMarzio said.

There are an estimated 9 million people living illegally in the U.S. One of them is Jesus Morales, a farm worker who has lived in Portland, Ore., for 22 years.

"We want more labor protection so we don't have to be afraid to speak out when we see something bad happening at our workplace," said Morales, originally from Jalisco, Mexico. "And we want to be able to reunite with our families who come here seeking better jobs - I didn't see my mother for 19 years when she came here to work."

The rally, attended by many families with young children, was peaceful, but organizers asked a man to leave after he began shouting in Spanish that all of the speeches were given in English.

"This is our fiesta, not theirs," said the man, who identified himself as Jerry Dominguez, who works for a Mexican-community based organization in New York called Casa Mexico.

The rally ended with a concert by Wyclef Jean, a former member of the Fugees, who is a Haitian immigrant.

The Riders' main goal was to lobby members of Congress for support, Durazo said.

There are two bills before Congress that would bring legal status to many undocumented workers. One proposal, the Agriculture Job Opportunity Benefits and Security Act, involves bringing in workers for temporary farm work. The bill would give undocumented farm workers in the U.S. a change to become permanent residents.

The other bill is the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act - known as the Dream Act. It would allow children of illegal immigrants to become legal residents if they entered the U.S. before the age of 16 and have been here for five years. It also allows them access to higher education.

Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride: http://www.iwfr.org

WSJ.com - Critics of Patriot Act Are Acting Patriotically

An old but interesting note by Anthony Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU.

For those of you without subscription to WSJ (For educational purposes only):

Critics of Patriot Act Are Acting Patriotically

In response to Dorothy Rabinowitz's Sept. 22 editorial-page commentary "A Demon for Our Times" about the criticisms of Attorney General John Ashcroft: A significant amount of criticism of Mr. Ashcroft's civil liberties record is coming from within the Republican Party. The sponsor of a House bill to repeal the provisions of the Patriot Act that authorize "sneak and peek" searches was Rep. Butch Otter (R., Idaho) and was adopted by 309 to 118, with Republicans casting 113, half of its caucus.

Other conservative critics include former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, who described Mr. Ashcroft's Justice Department as "out of control." Another former congressman, Bob Barr of Georgia, believes the assault on civil liberties is so severe as to justify his working as a consultant for the ACLU.

The ACLU also was not absent from the debate around the Waco assault in 1993. The ACLU , as did Mr. Barr, publicly expressed its grave concerns about how the Reno Justice Department handled the events at Waco. In fact, we called for a full investigation.

There have been numerous comments criticizing the Bush administration's erosion of civil liberties from individuals such as Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform, Phyllis Schlafly of the Eagle Forum and David Keene of the American Conservative Union.

The Patriot Act was enacted just 45 days after the terrorist attacks, with the public and Congress possessing few of the facts that would have helped fashion policies to keep America safe and free. Now we are beginning a democratic debate, one that should be heralded, not decried, by Mr. Ashcroft and his apologists, for it is inherently patriotic.

Anthony D. Romero
Executive Director
American Civil Liberties Union
New York

Updated September 30, 2003

Silenced Again in Kabul


I am becoming too critical of governmental actions lately and too supportive of human and civil rights, unlike some of my conservative friends, but there are certain things that do need to be criticized. For instance, the Afghanistani constitution which makes no provisions for human or civil rights. I had thought that Afghanistan was to enshrine principles of secularism and religious freedom in its constitution because it almost became the 51st state (just kidding). The loya jirga, I had presumed, was a council of elders, not religious experts. The loya jirga, I had thought, was more liberal than the Taliban. What happened then? Where did this sudden extremism come from?

The authors write about "the compatibility of Islam with human rights," but Afghanistani Chief Justice says, that "he accepted the international standards protected by the Universal Declaration on Human Rights — with three exceptions: freedom of expression, freedom of religion and equality of the sexes."

How can the U.S. support a state that does not honor some of the most important Western ideals? In fact, all three rights (freedom of expression, freedom of religion and equality of the sexes) are also part of the Islamic faith.

I recall that the U.S. imposed sanctions on a certain state because it did not honor human rights. Now, it is itself funding and supporting a potentially repressive regime...

Says both contributed to breakup of marriage

Article about a pathetic nine-term Republican Congressman who got separated from wife because they lived across the road from a Muslim advocacy group, and because lobbyists cannot entertain Republicans any more. He should consider changing his name from Cass Ballenger to Crass Ballenger.

Interestingly, the article mentions that "they [the Congressman and his separated wife] pool their Social Security checks to furnish hospitals and schools in Latin America." How can it be that a bigoted racist individual as Ballanger will furnish hospitals in "colored" Latin America? Maybe, he's just opened a bank account in tax-free Panama and is transferring his black monies there (see: Harmful Tax Havens).

American Civil Liberties Union : House Passes First-Ever Federal Ban on Safe Abortion Procedures; ACLU Promises Lawsuit to Protect Women and Doctors


Three comments:

First: I don't think that the American government has any right to interfere in the lives of its citizens on the basis of moral or religious viewpoints. The Constitution clearly prohibits respecting any one particular religion, see the First Amendment to the Constitution. Whereas the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 is clearly an attempt to ban abortion on the basis of religion. Yes, if the United States were a Christian theocratic state, I would have supported this measure because the government then would have the authority (given to it by the people) to regulate their lives. In a secular state, however, such interference is intolerable.

Second: On the other hand, the reasoning given for this act is as follows:
"(1) A moral, medical, and ethical consensus exists that the practice of performing a partial -birth abortion --an abortion in which a physician delivers an unborn child's body until only the head remains inside the womb, punctures the back of the child's skull with a sharp instrument, and sucks the child's brains out before completing delivery of the dead infant--is a gruesome and inhumane procedure that is never medically necessary and should be prohibited." (See
Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003)
This reasoning makes me think that Partial-Birth Abortion is a horrible and potentially dangerous procedure, but a secular government still has no right to interfere in the lives of its citizens.

Third: The bill itself states that the procedure is hardly ever used by surgeons because it is a "disfavored procedure." Then, why ban it? If it's not used frequently, then why waste valuable congressional time banning it? Instead, the Congress should spend time dealing with the detainees, deportees and others held in custody without trial.

BBC NEWS | Europe | Albanian boy 'traded' for TV set


And we thought the days of human trading were over...

Newsday.com - Immigrant registration constitutes racial profiling, panel told


You don't need a panel to realise that the registration indeed constitutes racial profiling -- only males from Middle Eastern and other Muslim states have to register. I agree that individuals from these states have been attacking the United States, but Colombians, Venezualans are just as bad when it comes to anti-Americanism...

Not Ready for Prime Time

Rush Limbaugh needs to learn to keep his mouth shut at the right moments...

Judge Rules Out a Death Penalty for 9/11 Suspect

SUPPORT THE 'TRUE PATRIOT ACT'

Contact your elected representatives and ask that they co-sponsor the recently introduced "Benjamin Franklin True Patriot Act," (H.R. 3171) designed to repeal unconstitutional sections of the original USA PATRIOT Act.

The bipartisan bill, which was introduced by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) on September 24, 2003, and co-sponsored by 19 other representatives, addresses mounting concerns raised by citizens at a grassroots level who have organized to defend the bill of rights.

The Kucinich-Paul bill repeals 15 sections of the original USA PATRIOT Act, including those that permit:
* "sneak and peak" delayed notification search warrants (section 213),
* warrant-less searches of a broad range of personal records including library, medical, and financial records (section 215),
* the indefinite detention and deportation of non-citizens without judicial review (section 415).
The True Patriot Act also bans:
* certain post-9/11 special immigration detention regulations including the use of local law enforcement to enforce immigration laws,
* Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) restructuring that limits immigrants' judicial review.

FOR FULL TEXT OF THE BILL, GO TO:
Benjamin Franklin True Patriot Act


Contact your representative today and encourage him or her to support this bill.

CO-SPONSORS OF THE BILL: Rep. Paul (TX), Rep. Conyers (MI), Rep. Miller (CA), Rep Baldwin (WI), Rep. McDermott (WA), Rep. Serrano (NY), Rep. Hinchey (NY), Rep Schakowsky (IL), Rep. Lee (CA), Rep. Solis (CA), Rep Woolsey (CA), Rep. McGovern (MA), Rep. Abercrombie (HI), Rep Stark (CA), Rep. Filner (CA), Rep. Grijalva (AZ), Rep. Honda (CA), Rep. Tubbs Jones (OH), Rep. Jackson- Lee (TX), Rep. Farr (CA).

ACTION REQUESTED:
1. CONTACT your elected representatives to ask for their support for this bill.
Benjamin Franklin True Patriot Act

2. Send copies of correspondence to the officials above.

Modbee.com | The Modesto Bee

Quote: "Civil libertarians may sometimes be guilty of hysteria, but history has shown that their fears are not fantasies"

190 names on the DCLU blitz list!! We have grown 9400% since the two of us (Jed and me) started DCLU in June.

It's all about numbers...

President Sees Marshall Take Supreme Court Seat

ON THIS DAY | 1 | 1962 Mississippi race riots over first black student