Dallas Dreamer

2011-12-15T09:21:00.001-06:00

This is the middle school I have been subbing at regularly all year. The students are definitely likable, but not always focused on academic performance. I believe this sort of program would do a lot to improve the school's performance and the students' retention.

This story is re-posted from the Lakewood Advocate's website.

Yesterday, we told you about the news that J.L. Long’s TAKS test scores last year qualified it for a return trip to the state’s “academically unacceptable” list. Meanwhile, Long’s Site Based Decision Making Committee (SBDM) has been in the process of raising funds to bring a non-profit organization into the school to target parents (particularly Hispanic parents) of neighborhood students and give them better tools to help their children succeed.

The Concilio non-profit offers a program titled “Parents Advocate for Student Excellence (PACE)” in offering tips about creating effective home learning environments, volunteering with schools and interacting with school teachers and staff. The idea is to help Long parents boost their students’ success rates. The organization says participation can boost Hispanic student high school graduation rates to 90 percent from the DISD average of 53 percent for Hispanics.

The SBDM is trying to raise $10,000 to fund the program, and initial pledges have been received from neighborhood families, as well as O.M. Roberts Elementary and Woodrow Wilson High School. If you’d like to help or if you need additional information, contact Ben DuBose or Vince Murchison with Long’s SBDM.

Posted by: Rick Wamre on December 13th, 2011 in All Blog Posts, DISD, Education, Woodrow

Dying to live

2011-10-20T21:27:00.000-05:00

A poem composed about two months ago...feels good to see how far I've come in such a short amount of time...

"To be born anew - one's self must die"

I am paralyzed with fear -
My lungs can't hardly breathe.
I see the change coming near,
The image I don't want to perceive.

Death and Rebirth
by Janelle Schneider

I know I just have to believe
The pain is worth transformation.
But I don't want to leave
The old me in desolation.

In my intense isolation,
Opposite thoughts create brain static.
The whirwind of emotion
Sends me into a breathless panic.

Some say I might be manic -
Others think I'm just depressed.
I don't care - I'm just mad at It -
The It that keeps me from my quest.

It pounds in my chest.
It sinks in my gut.
I hardly feel blessed
When I'm sitting on my butt.

The answer could be in the soot,
Once the blaze finally burns out.
I know the answer is in each foot.
They can carry me through this bout.

But the new Me doesn't have clout
In the mysterious maze of my mind.
Even with each shout,
I roll over and play blind.

I want to be kind
To my Self and others,
But every caring sign
Feels like it just smothers -

The me who covers,
The me who conspires,
The me who shudders,
The me who inspires.

Jobs w/ Justice to Occupy Dallas

2011-10-11T12:21:00.001-05:00

An update from my dear friend Gene's newsletter for N Texas Jobs w/ Justice:

Dear Activists,

Occupy, Lobby, Gather, Demonstrate!

Instead of holding the usual 2nd Wednesday Jobs with Justice planning meeting in Grand Prairie, we will meet at 6 p.m. on Oct. 12 in front of the A. Maceo Smith Federal Building, 525 Griffin at Young in downtown Dallas.

There is seating within the esplanade directly in front of the building. Catty-Cornered, in Pioneer Park, is the base camp of "Occupy Dallas."

Occupation activist Stephen Benavides called while I was writing this. He says that the City of Dallas plans to evict the campers today, October 11, at 5 p.m. They are marching on City Hall at noon.

Stephen does not expect the campers to leave Pioneer Park. The Dallas newspaper and other sources had said that the City gave them until Friday to evacuate, but Stephen said that was wrong. As of 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 11, yesterday's camp needs list had only been updated with two new entries:

Double stroller
Tool Box

I believe that the Occupy Fort Worth group might be in Burnet Park, but it is not clear from their web site, http://www.occupyfortworth.org. They began with an assembly there on Saturday, October 8, of 150 people. The AFL-CIO and MoveOn.org both call for support for them.

Lobby for Jobs and Fair Trade

Even though these may seem to be two separate campaigns, "Pass the President's Jobs Bill" and "Stop the Trade Agreements" are designed to create and/or preserve good jobs. The AFl-CIO has supplied telephone numbers for emergency call-in actions on both issues:

For Trade: Please ask your representative to STOP the trade deals. CALL 800-718-1008.

For the jobs bill: Please call your senators toll free at 1-888-659-9401 right away. We’ll give you directions and connect you with your senators’ offices.

Here are some reasons why you and your senators should support the American Jobs Act:
It will create nearly 2 million jobs and prevent 280,000 teachers from losing their jobs.(1)
It prevents 5 million workers from losing their unemployment benefits.(2)
It makes immediate investments in rebuilding and upgrading America’s highways, transit, rail,
airports, bridges, ports, schools and communications and energy infrastructure.(3)
To make sure the wealthy contribute their fair share to fixing our economy, the American Jobs Act is paid for by a 5.6 percent surtax on millionaires.(4)

Here’s what’s at stake on the trade deals:

Korea: The Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is the largest and most economically significant trade deal since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The Economic Policy Institute estimates the growing trade imbalances associated with the Korea FTA would displace some 159,000 net U.S. jobs, mostly in manufacturing. Its low domestic content requirement for goods and existing problems with transshipment from China also mean that many of the deal’s economic benefits could go to China, which is not a party to the agreement.

Colombia: Colombians who try to organize to lift their families out of grinding poverty are often murdered with impunity. According to international studies, Colombia is the most dangerous place in the world for trade unionists. In 2010, 51 trade unionists were assassinated in Colombia, an increase over 2009 and more than in the rest of the world combined. So far in 2011, another 22 have been killed, and 15 since the much-heralded announcement of the “Labor Action Plan.” Would we do a trade agreement with a country in which 51 CEOs were killed last year?
Panama: Panama has a history of failing to protect workers and enforce labor rights. Panama is known as a “tax haven,” with a history of attracting money launderers and tax dodgers. Only time will tell if the Tax Information Exchange Treaty that Panama recently signed makes a real difference and helps the United States collect the taxes that are due.

The new "Restore the American Dream" coalition boosted the President's Jobs Bill on the Houston Viaduct, a fast-decaying bridge, at 6PM on Monday, October 10. About 30 people from Jobs with Justice, MoveOn, Texas Organizing Project, and the Service Employees International Union gathered over U.S. Highway 30 to wave signs and make noise.

Response from the cars on the highway was amazing! Trucks and cars, without being asked, honked their approval. Dallas police wasted no time in telling the group that they could not hang their banners over the railings, so we complied. The officer was not sure if we could even hold our homemade signs, but he didn't get back to us on that, so we did it.

Into the Streets!

Let's participate with the occupation forces in North Texas whenever we can. Let's join MoveOn.org's demonstration at Congressman Hensarling's office, 6510 Abrams in Dallas, at 4 p.m. on Thursday, October 13.

Do what you can!

Gene

Echoes of Korematsu: The Holy Land Five Case

2011-08-31T15:48:00.000-05:00

From my dear friend and former colleague:

AUGUST 31, 2011

Echoes of Korematsu: The Holy Land Five Case

by NOOR ELASHI

As we approach the tenth anniversary of 9/11, and my father remains incarcerated in a modern-day internment camp, the time in which we live begins to feel less like 2011 and more like 1942. But this week could determine whether today’s justice system is capable of rewriting the sad chapters of our history. I say this week because on Thursday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals will hear the long-awaited oral arguments in the Holy Land Foundation case, involving what was once our country’s largest Muslim charitable organization.

Meet my father, Ghassan Elashi. The co-founder of the HLF. Inmate number 29687-177, sentenced to 65 years in prison for his charity work in Palestine. He is an American citizen from Gaza City, who before his imprisonment, took part in the immigration rally in Downtown Dallas, joining the half a million people wearing white, chanting ¡Si, se puede! The prison walls have not hindered his voice, as he writes to me, heartbroken about the homes destroyed during the earthquake in Haiti, the young protesters killed indiscriminately in Syria, the children lost to the famine in Somalia. Most frequently, he writes to me about the Japanese-American internment.

Now meet Fred T. Korematsu, who after Peal Harbor was among the 120,000 Japanese-Americans ordered to live in internment camps. This was in 1942, when President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the military detainment of Japanese-Americans to ten concentration camps during World War II. Mr. Korematsu defied orders to be interned, because he viewed the forced removal as unconstitutional. So on May 30, 1942, Mr. Korematsu was arrested. His case was argued all the way to the Supreme Court, which ultimately ruled against him, stating that his incarnation was justified due to military necessity.

Nearly forty years later, in 1983, Mr. Korematsu’s case was reopened, and on Nov. 10, 1983, the conviction was overturned. Judge Marilyn Hall Patel notably said, “It stands as a caution that, in times of international hostility and antagonisms, our institutions, legislative, executive and judicial, must be prepared to exercise their authority to protect all citizens from the petty fears and prejudices that are so easily aroused.”

Fast-forward six years. It’s already 1989, when my father co-finds the HLF, which becomes a prominent American Muslim charity that provides relief—through clothes, food, blankets and medicine—to Palestinians and other populations in desperate need. Then, in 1996, President Clinton signs the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, giving birth to the Material Support Statute, a law that in time would come under fire by civil libertarians for profiling and targeting Arab and Muslim Americans.

Two years later, in 1998, Clinton awards Mr. Korematsu with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest citizen honor, condemning Mr. Korematsu’s persecution as a shameful moment in our history.

Three years later, the towers fall.

And President Bush declares a “War on Terror.”

In 2001, President Bush signs the Patriot Act, which strengthens the Material Support Statue. The law’s language is so vague that it gives prosecutors the authority to argue that humanitarian aid to designated terrorist organizations could be indirect, and therefore, a crime.

In my father’s case, he is charged with conspiring to give Material Support in the form of humanitarian aid to Palestinian distribution centers called zakat committees. Prosecutors admit the zakat committees on the indictment were not designated terrorist groups, but according to the indictment released in 2004, these zakat committees are “controlled by” or act “on behalf of” Hamas, which was designated in 1995. Their theory is that by providing charity to zakat committees, the HLF helped Hamas win the “hearts and minds” of the Palestinian people.

The HLF case was tried in 2007, lasting three months, and after 19 days of deliberations, the jury deadlocked on most counts. The judge declared a mistrial and the case was tried the following year.

In 2008, after essentially the same arguments, the retrial ended with the jury returning all guilty verdicts, and in 2009, my father was sentenced to 65 years in prison, for essentially giving humanitarian aid to Palestinians.

In 2010, my father was transferred to a “Communications Management Unit” in Marion, Illinois—the aforementioned modern-day internment camp. The CMU received the nickname “Guantanamo North” by National Public Radio since two-thirds of its inmates are Middle Eastern or Muslim. The purpose of this prison—which has another branch in Terre Haute, Indiana—is to closely monitor inmates and limit their communications with their families, attorneys and the media. Thus, I only get to hear my father’s voice once every two weeks, for fifteen minutes. And our visitations take place behind an obtrusive Plexiglass wall.

My father and his co-defendants—now called the Holy Land Five—are in the final stages of the appeal as the oral arguments approach on Thursday. In the Fifth Circuit Court in New Orleans, defense attorneys will urge the panel of three justices to reverse the HLF convictions based on errors that took place in the trial process.

According to the appellate brief, there’s a major fact that undermines the prosecution’s claim that Hamas controlled the zakat committees: “The United States Agency for International Development—which had strict instructions not to deal with Hamas—provided funds over many years to zakat committees named in the indictment, including the Jenin, Nablus, and Qalqilia committees,” writes my father’s attorney, John Cline. He continues stating that in 2004, upon the release of the HLF indictment, “USAID provided $47,000 to the Qalqilia zakat committee.”
Furthermore, defense attorneys will argue that the district court:

a) Violated the right to due process by allowing a key witness to testify without providing his real name, thereby abusing my father’s right to confront his witness. They are referring to an Israeli intelligence officer who became the first person in U.S. history permitted to testify as an expert witness using a pseudonym.
b) Abused its discretion by allowing “inflammatory evidence of little or no probative value,” which included multiple scenes of suicide bombings.
c) Deviated from the sentencing guidelines when they sentenced my father to 65 years.

When putting the lawyerly language aside, human rights attorneys have deemed the HLF case as purely political, perpetrated by the Bush administration. Likewise, the decision to intern Japanese-Americans was based on “race prejudice, war hysteria and failure of political leadership,” according to a 1982 report by the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians.

I can only hope that my father’s vindication won’t take 40 years as it did for Mr. Korematsu. Let us learn from our old wrongs.

Noor Elashi is a writer based in New York City. She holds a Creative Writing MFA from The New School.

This op-ed was inspired by a forward written by Karen Korematsu in the upcoming book, “Patriot Acts: Narratives of Post-9/11 Injustice,” which includes a chapter about my father. You can purchase a copy here:
http://store.mcsweeneys.net/index.cfm/fuseaction/catalog.detail/object_id/29fec7a1-b963-47b4-be9f-c3bce89cf612/PatriotActsNarrativesofPost911Injustice.cfm

DISD to hold public hearings

2011-07-20T18:04:00.001-05:00

Reposted from the DallasNews.com's DISD blog:

DISD to hold public hearings for input on redistricting draft plans

By Tawnell Hobbs/Reporter
thobbs@dallasnews.com | Bio
4:41 PM on Wed., Jul. 20, 2011 | Permalink

Dallas ISD will hold public hearings on Monday, Tuesday, Aug. 1, Aug. 2, and Aug 4 to receive input on four alternative plans trustees could consider in redrawing boundaries in the redistricting process. Times and locations for the hearings are expected to be announced shortly by the district.

The school board must go through the redistricting process to address population changes in trustee districts. The process typically occurs after every census year.

Click here to view the four draft maps, census data, and to receive more information on the redistricting process.

Native American 10 Commandments

2011-07-18T13:52:00.001-05:00

According to my friend John's picture on the wall:

The Earth is our Mother; care for Her.
Honor all your relations.
Open your heart and soul to the Great Spirit.
All life is sacred; treat all beings with respect.
Take from the Earth what is needed and nothing more.
Do what needs to be done for the good of all.
Give constant thanks to the Great Spirit for each new day.
Speak the truth, but only of the good in others.
Follow the rhythms of nature; rise and retire with the sun.
Enjoy life's journey, but leave no tracks.

What's your favorite? Today, mine is: Speak the truth, but only of the good in others. A lesson I am constantly in need of learning!

The Civil Wars Warbled Away

2011-07-14T14:21:00.001-05:00

Stay tuned for some great pix from the show!

Yesterday, I had the great fortune of catching an email from Good Records on time (for once). The little flier in my inbox told me to get my ass to the store 'round da corna' by 5 to listen to absolutely amazing folk-rock duet, The Civil Wars for free!

My friend and neighbor Heather was in need of a nap, so my neighbor Chris happily accompanied me to the best little record shop in Dallas (in my humble opinion...I know this can get pretty divisive for local audiophiles between Good Records and old-time fave, Bill's).

The store was about half-full with wilted but eager fans. Straw fedoras showed in full-force, and some brought canned beer to take the edge of the heat off. Folks positioned themselves on the balcony to get a good shot of the pair when they arrived.

When the two musicians took the stage, they immediately connected with their audience. Female vocalist Joy Williams shared her disbelief when she learned it was merely 106 degrees outside, not the 111 her friend's dash read. We assured her you do not "get used to" the heat. It's damn hot, either way.

And so was their performance! Guitarist and vocalist John Paul White played off of Joy's bubbling energy with a delightfully subtle darkness. The two interacted on stage to deliver a truly moving performance that lifted the hairs on my neck and sent goosebumps down my arms. The pair created harmonies that clung to one another with degrees of intensity. Variations in pitch and volume combined to vibrate surprising affectations of the heart. A particular thrill was their creative rendition of Michael Jackson's hit, Billie Jean.

The Civil Wars later played a show at the Texas Theater in Oak Cliff. Too bad it was already sold out!

Check out another video, Poison and Wine, from their 2011 release, Barton Hollow.

Local makes cameo on National News

2011-06-07T16:45:00.000-05:00

Check out my friend Carol E. & Co. in Kansas supporting our vets:

Summer Dinner Series THIS THURSDAY...

2011-06-06T18:41:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the late notice...just gettin' back into the swing of things...

The Dallas Peace Center's Summer Dinner Series #1
Ken Butigan, Director, Pace e Bene
When: Thursday, June 9
Time: Reception 6:30, Program and Dinner 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Where: Margaux's, 150 Turtle Creek Blvd #202 (facing Irving Blvd.), Dallas. See map here.

Get tickets here.

Watch the video of Ken Butigan, featured speaker:

SMU Shenanigans

2011-06-02T14:33:00.000-05:00

Check out this video for my spontaneous explanation of my political participation...

Bush Blog: Protestor Discusses Opinion on Bush Administration from SMUDailyMustang.com on Vimeo.

More coming soon with my full experience at the protest - including getting escorted out of the non-free speech zone and sneaking back in! (Only to be rewarded by quite a compliment and hug from the original officer who escorted me out. I might be a brave and professional woman somewhere inside me.) ;-b Merry Christmas to every one!

Briefly...East Dallas Dream Store

2011-05-26T00:14:00.000-05:00

Went to a totally kickass botanica today. Driven by sol y luna/sun and moon on Live Oak and Peak a million times. (Their website will be up and running soon.) Finally had the courage to park in the scary street parking on live oak. Like arriving in spiritual wonderland. Bought two candles, some incense, and a sage/lavendar/cedar wand (for harmony). I am super-excited and hope to believe that good vibes come from everywhere and the flame helps amplify it.

What is a botanica, you non-Spanish speaking Americanos ask? It is the closest thing to an American Indian/mestizo Catolica store you can get. There were herbs, statues, dolls, offerings, rosaries, candles, jewelry, and more. As I learn more, I will share. I loved loved loved it!!!

Underemployed or Unemployed? Either way, it sucks

2011-05-17T15:58:00.001-05:00

By: Gene Lantz, reposted from North Texas Jobs with Justice
Please see below the story for more info on how you can help. Let's stop looking at the problem and start being the solution!

The national effort for "First Friday" vigils on unemployment was joined by Dallas on May 6th. The first Friday is when the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases bad news and statistics on unemployment. The BLS is part of the Department of Labor, and both are housed in the A. Maceo Smith Federal Building at Griffin & Young downtown. That's where we set our vigil. We leafleted the employees, including BLS employees and at least one statistician during their noon lunch period.

Trish Major, Mavis Belisle, Brad Walker, Anita Thomas, Beth Freed and I participated. A guard from inside the building came out to tell us that leafleting was illegal on federal property, that the sidewalk was federal property, and that we would have to move across the street. We refused and she talked to someone on her two-way radio, but then she left and didn't come back.

The news headline from Associated Press that morning exulted, " How April job growth beat projections by 32 percent" because the BLS statistics had shown an increase in jobs over the past month. What the article didn't mention was that there were even more layoffs than new jobs. The net loss resulted in a .2% increase in the official unemployment rate. It went up to 9%.

A few days earlier, the Economic Policy Institute had accurately predicted a rise in unemployment because the gross domestic product had dropped to an average annual rate of 1.8%, down from 3.1% in the previous quarter. EPI economist Josh Bivens said, “Growth this slow, if sustained for a year, would most definitely lead to a guaranteed rise in the unemployment rate – it’s time for politicians to put jobs back on the top of the issues menu.” The conclusion was, "This rate of growth does little to lower the overall employment rate and shows more government intervention is necessary to make significant progress."

The previous week, news sources revealed that the much-watched statistic of first-time applications for unemployment benefits had spiked up to 474,000 in the first week of May. That's double the new jobs created in April. The trend is toward more unemployment.

Our leaflets used the same BLS statistics that brought such joyful news from the Associated Press to show that the picture for American workers is grim. We used algebra to surmise that if 9% of the total workforce was 13.7 million, then the total workforce must be about 152 million. Then we added up some of the other direct victims of this employment crisis:

Marginally attached workers (unemployed but not looking): 2.5 million
Long term unemployed for more than 27 weeks: 5.8 million
Involuntary Part-time workers: 8.6 million
Sum of direct victims of unemployment crisis: 24.4 million or 16% of the 152 million. Of course, we are all victims because wages and benefits are being depressed everywhere, but 16% is lot more accurate and a lot alarming than the 9% published by BLS.

In addition, some workers are much harder hit than others:

Official African American unemployment: 16.1%
Official Hispanic unemployment: 11.8%
Official teenage unemployment: 24.9%
Other BLS statistics for May 6th indicate trouble behind and ahead of us.
The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls: 34.3 hours. The average American worker isn't even getting a 40-hour week, much less overtime pay. Productivity rose another 1.6% in the first quarter. In other words, those who still have jobs continue to produce more and more due to speedup, new machinery, and new methods of work. Much as the bosses love automation and steadily increasing productivity, it puts more of us out of work.

As we explained to passersby, the immediate solution is government action such as that taken by the Roosevelt Administration during the 1930s. The long-term solution is a reduction in working hours with no cut in pay. Neither is even being considered.

As our leaflets concluded, "And yet, nothing is being done!"

Click HERE to see Labor Dallas's main Underemployed/Unemployed Information Page.

Find a working proposal for an Unemployed Union HERE.

Also see:

Historical Solutions

People and Organizations That Can Help ****Useful Resources!!!***

Demand Solutions for Today ***Real Things YOU Can Do!!!***

Find out what North Texas Jobs for Justice has done so far.

Vaulted Dreams: The Human Family / La Familia Humana

2011-05-10T12:32:00.006-05:00

From the archives - first published Fall 2007 for a Dallas Peace Center blog.

UPDATE: Since the public outcry against Hutto, mentioned below, the Immigration Detention Center no longer imprisons children as of 2009, in accordance with international law.

According to the website Racism Review in the Fall 2009: "In a study of arrest patterns in Irving, Texas, the UC Berkeley Law School found that 96% of the people held under this program were Hispanic. Moreover, police were more likely to arrest Hispanics for minor offenses once the city began to participate in the Criminal Alien Program."

Let us not forget that we have large populations of Asian, African, and European immigrants as well as Latinos of all nationalities. More importantly, let us remember: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” ~Lady Liberty

There is an open wound in our community, and its heart bleeds in Irving. The Dallas suburb leads the nation in human trafficking, namely through the deportation of Latino immigrants. This trauma is affecting every one of us that make up the human body [of the metroplex].

According to the [mainstream] media, the Irving Police Department is simply enforcing a recently passed program, and a bunch of ‘wetbacks’ and their progeny are getting up in arms over the deportation of criminals.

The so-called CAP (Criminal Alien Program) is presented as a reasonable tactic for “immigration management” while the federal government flounders on the question.

Here’s what happens: brown-skinned, dark-haired men and women get pulled over because of their appearance, or their car’s appearance, and asked for their id's. When they fail to provide [legitimate] paperwork, they are hauled off to the city or county jail for [minor traffic infringements.]

Previously, the police department would merely detain the individual for the minor infraction. The city law enforcement did not have the authority to check the resident’s legal status, and so once the inmate got time served or bail paid, the individual was freed.

With law enforcement partnership programs like Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) CAP program (they love those acronyms, don’t they?), the local cops have the power to check out the [residence] status of the ordinary person who was speeding or had a taillight out.

The CAP program gives local law enforcement unprecedented access into a person’s residency status. Also, the program grants cops the authority to turn that person over to ICE immediately. They are usually shipped to a detention center for up to six months pending deportation. (See: Hutto, Haskell (Rolling Plains), and Raymondville Detention Centers.)

This process replaces the standard route of hearings through the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR), the only immigration office to remain with the Department of Justice.

Reports said between 1,000 and 2,000 Irving residents and sympathizers showed up for a protest outside of Irving City Hall last Wednesday. I was there and the crowd was certainly energized, but they clearly need more support from non-Latino communities. The leaders are calling for a moratorium on the policy, but local law enforcement officials appear unwilling to cooperate.

Admittedly, the federal government has left the local agencies high and dry on the ‘immigration question.’ This is partially because immigration law is a cumbersome mess by itself. Immigration policy has been built up depending on what particular group the ‘nativist’ Americans (i.e. WASP descendents) are trying to keep out at the time. Whether it’s the Irish, Italians, Chinese or Mexicans, immigration restrictions have been developed based on the prejudice of the day.

Additionally, the bureaucracies have been overhauled and started from scratch through the creation of the Department of Homeland Security . Created in November 2002, with the passing of the Homeland Security Act, the Department was the largest government shake-up in fifty years, since the founding of the Department of Defense.

ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) didn’t exist until Homeland Security absorbed the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Services), then under the Department of Justice, in March, 2003. Serving as the strong-arm enforcement wing, ICE is but one of a few different tools in the Homeland Security’s immigration policy.

In other words, the executive/enforcement arms of the government have been strengthened at the expense of the judicial/justice-related part of the machine. Read about the ‘enlightening’ city council ‘debate’ on the CAP program here.

So, the ‘criminals’ are traffic offenders, or ordinary undocumented migrants who have existed in this economy for at least decades, if not centuries. In fact, whose ancestors were the original inhabitants of this land, anyway?

After all, let’s reframe the issue here and remember where this story comes from. Does anyone else feel guilty for pigging out on a day that’s meant for thanking the great race of Original Americans and our ‘Spirit’ of choice? While trying not to reflect on the cultural and actual genocide ‘our’ ancestors committed? Does anyone notice that the past is shrouded in cowboy and Indian myths while today all the settlers’ kin maintain that the indigenous descendents have to stay out?

From the perspective of a property-owning white American, which is the view we’re usually fed in the [mainstream] media, all these ‘foreigners’ (pronounced ‘furenurs’) are moving in and taking ‘our’ jobs and using ‘our’ resources.

Let’s not mention that ‘they’ are building ‘our’ neighborhoods, schools and offices, as well as cooking ‘our’ food and cutting ‘our’ grass. Or that ‘their’ children are becoming doctors, teachers and professionals of every kind, bringing riches of tradition and ingenuity together. (Or that Mexican doctors, for example, get American mechanics’ jobs, so they can put their daughters through law school.)

Like any immigrant parent, Mexicans, Central and South Americans move to the U.S. of A. to build a better life for their children. Many risk their lives to pursue the illustrious, internationally renowned ‘American Dream.’ That’s the kind of inspirational determination that has made America a beacon of hope the world over for the last century. Unfortunately, that light is quickly being snuffed out by the inhumane actions committed by our current governments.

[Keep these things in mind as Irving approaches its city elections for 2011.]

Briefly...On Education

2011-03-10T15:30:00.000-06:00

I began substitute teaching this year. Although I've spent lots of time in many different classroom environments, this is the first time I've spent all day in an ISD classroom.

I have taught elementary, high school, and today I broke into middle school. I had been terrified of this age group, but it's actually been the easiest assignment so far.

Dade Middle School is at Malcolm X and MLK Blvds in Fair Park. I have taught many after-school programs in the area and have found that kids in low-income areas tend to respond the most to positive encouragement. Since beginning this post, I have worked at Dade several times. Each time has been rewarding.

I feel that I am doing my best as a substitute. Besides the fact that I can't hold my breath to get a job at DISD, I have massive flexibility. That means I can enter each classroom refreshed, not burnt out on particular students or stories.

By coming in ready to go, with positive hopes for the day, students can latch on to a different project than they're used to - they actually do listen and follow directions (just not all at once)! And they know more than you think...every time!

More to come soon...

Fellow Dreamer: Valley Reed and Chrysalis Healing Arts

2010-08-17T13:09:00.005-05:00

My dear friend Valley Reed and I reunited after a long dry spell last week when I (finally) attended one of her Dream Circles. I was so completely joyful that I went and found out more about her Chrysalis Healing Arts venture.

Here are some dream events coming up in the next month:

All events begin at 7:30 p.m. and occur at the stone circle by the Bath House at White Rock Lake.

Tuesday, Aug. 24 - Moon Beams and Moon Dreams Circle (Full Moon)

Thursday, Sept. 9 - Dark Moon and Dark Dreams Circle (New Moon)

Thursday, Sept. 23 - Harvest Moon Ceremony, Drum Circle, and Pot Luck (Autumn Equinox)

Valley Reed is a teacher of dreams and dance and seeks paths toward healing and wholeness for the individual, family, community and planet earth. She is a certified teacher of Active Dreaming with Robert Moss and has recently launched the Southwest School of Active Dreaming located at the KeKino Institute of Healing in Plano, Texas. She facilitates dream group leader training with The Core Techniques of Active Dreaming based on concepts presented in "Conscious Dreaming", "Dreaming True" and "The Only Three Things" written by Robert Moss. She also teaches classes on Family Dream Sharing based on her experiences with her own family, as well as and years of experience teaching to children and families, and also lecturing on the topic.

Read on for a complete profile of Valley and events in October.

Friday, Oct. 8 - Dark Moon and Dark Dreams Circle

Friday, Oct. 22 - Moon Beams and Moon Dreams Circle

Fri-Sun, Oct. 29-31 - Dreaming with the Ancestors at Whispering Waters Retreat in Wizard Wells, Texas

Her diverse background in dance and movement includes Ballet, Modern, African, Jazz, Gospel, Contact Improvisation, Bioenergetics, Dance Therapy, PreHispanic Sacred Dance, Dream Body Movement, Kundalini Yoga, Tai Chi Chuan and Universal Dances for Peace. Her commitment to dance spans her lifetime as a performer and choreographer as well as a teacher to children and adults. She offers classes in Creative Movement for young children through a program she devloped called Loco! Motion! Express! which explores the imagination along with rhythmn and creative movement. She offers classes in Peacemovement which she developed as a method of conflict transformation through contact improvisation. She also teaches workshops on Sacred Body Image which engages creative process and movement to uncover fragmented, distorted images in the body and soul and reconnect with our shining radiant self toward a dance of wholeness.

In the year 2000 she founded Chrysalis Healing Arts, located in Northeast Dallas as her private practice where she combines dreamwork, energy work, and sacred dance and ceremony toward wholeness and healing.

Her studies in shamanic dreaming and healing began in 1985 with her Teacher "Ten Bears" Bart Anderson, who trained under Wallace Black Elk of the Lakota Sioux Tribe and now continues her study with Robert Moss and his shamanic approaches to Active Dreaming. She has also studied with Dr. Apella Colorado and other traditional elders through the indigenous mind studies program in Maui, Hawaii. She also studies sacred dance with Dr. Patricia Torres of the Mexico Institute of Interdisciplinary Anthropological Studies in Guadalajara, Mexico.

She has been a member of the International Association for the Study of Dreams since 2000, and is a frequent panel presenter at the IASD Annual International Conferences. Her presentations and workshops include topics such as Dreaming with Children, Family Dreaming, Dreaming with Indigenous Peoples and Dream Wayfinding.

In 2001 she choreographed and performed as a dance "The Crow and the Phoenix" created from a fairy tale she wrote based on her dreams.

America's Potential Power in Pakistan

2010-08-06T15:35:00.003-05:00

While on a pleasant vacation last week, I thankfully unplugged from the news cycle for a while. However, I wasn't back long before I discovered what I'd missed. The same old, same old, plus these floods in Pakistan.

I was confounded when I heard about the floods. My heart instantly resonated for those who have already seen so much violence from the military offensives, insurgency terrorism, and drone attacks.

Just today, the government announced its incredibly generous offer of an additional $25 million in aid to the unfortunate residents of Pakistan's Swat Valley. That brings the total aid package to a whopping $35 mill.

Currently, the Pakistani government receives approximately $450 million in developmental aid and $300 million in military aid from the United States each year. There were talks earlier this year of tripling the development number, but $35 million hardly seems to accomplish that goal.

I am glad to see Obama's willingness to shift focus to development, though, as Bush's "big stick" policy has obviously been less than successful. The northwest province of Pakistan is the most contentious front of the battle against the Taliban. What serves terrorism recruitment, and what hinders it?

This time seems a good one to ask: What is the "War on Terror," really?

Terrorism, although difficult to define, is generally agreed to be a tactic. It's a tactic of war in which violence is used against civilians as intimidation, usually to advance some sort of political ideology or agenda. It's also seen as a tactic of the underdogs - somehow, what the military does lies outside the purvue of terrorism. (But what about those pesky contractors?)

I argue that poverty and ignorance, combined with an easily manipulated ideology, such as religious fundamentalism, results in terrorist recruitment. Let us not forget that terrorism is not confined to an idealogy. Islam is not more prone to using "terrorism" in its wars than Communism, Catholicism, or Free Market Capitalism.

When people have few or no options to grow and succeed, they lose hope. When they lose hope, they become willing to kill or be killed. By giving a child a meal, education, and shoes, one aids that child in becoming a productive member of society instead of adding to the criminal element.

Killing more civilians, whether through official military warfare, contracted mercenaries, or remote control robots, only serves to fuel terrorism. As these floods subside and the millions diplaced find new homes - likely in refugee camps - who will be there to help them out? The U.S. Government or the Taliban? Who's willing to get on the ground?

Nearly 2,000 people have died already. Between 4 and 12 million people have been displaced, depending on the source. Who will give these folks new opportunities? When will we stop spending our money on bombs and start spending it on books - both here and abroad.

My dream: That Obama have the courage to slash the Defense budget and transfer resources to the State Department for foreign development and the Dept. of Education for domestic development. Let's not sell our Selves short and marry our self-destruction. Here's to hopin'... ;-b

Keeping the American Dream alive for EveryOne!

2010-08-02T14:04:00.003-05:00

This is a reproduction of a press release sent by Grassroots Leadership, a non-profit organization long-dedicated to the people imprisoned inside T. Don Hutto "Residential" Facility.

Join Us August 7 in a Vigil Calling for Dignity, not Detention!
No More Arizona SB 1070s, No More Huttos!

Please join Grassroots Leadership, Texans United for Families, and organizers from across Texas for a vigil to draw attention to the nation's unaccountable and out-of-control detention system. The vigil will mark the one-year anniversary of Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) announced detention reforms and the end of family detention at Hutto. However, since the reforms were announced, the detention system has actually expanded, and abuses continue to occur.

The vigil will take place on Saturday, August 7th at 7 p.m. at the T. Don Hutto detention center, 1001 Welch in Taylor, Texas.

T. Don Hutto, a private prison operated by Corrections Corporation of America, is currently the country's only immigrant detention center exclusively holding detained women. ICE currently heralds Hutto as a model detention center despite the revelation that a CCA guard was accused of sexually assaulting several women detained at the facility.

While ICE has promised detention reforms, the agency continues to expand detention centers. Texas is home to 10,000 detention beds, with plans for continued expansion. Furthermore, the growing enforcement of immigration laws by local law enforcement through programs like 287(g) and Secure Communities as well as anti-immigrant legislation such as Arizona's SB 1070 will increase the detained population. Please join us to call for Dignity Not Detention for immigrants.

For more information on the vigil or carpooling times, please contact Bob Libal at blibal@grassrootsleadership.org or (512) 971-0487.

Alligator Cafe supports its roots

2010-07-15T23:16:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite restaurants in the neighborhood is the Alligator Cafe, located roughly at Live Oak and Peak.

This restaurant is wonderful. It's locally owned. It has super-yummy cajun food of all kinds. It has a drive-through. They feature live blues musicians throughout the week. What more can you ask: a dynamic, cultural, local, culinary jewel. How could it get better?

Well, The 'Gator Cafe found a way: They are donating 10 percent of their sales to the "Fisherman Fund," assumedly for folks in the Gulf that have been adversely affected by this crude disaster. I hope to stop by and find out more this Tuesday night. I only hope they soon decide to stay open later - the only improvement left for this staple spot. Read on for my reviews of the best picks there.

My personal favorites are the catfish po'boy and the crawfish etoufee. Really, these are my staples at any Cajun establishment, but at the Alligator Cafe, you really get the bang for your buck. The etoufee is flavorful and meaty - meant to satisfy.

The bread of the po'boy is crunchy on the outside, soft in the middle - definitely tastes fresh backed. The catfish is fried crispy, without too much batter. The french fries and hush puppies rival as my favorite side.

They even feature real seafood specials - smothered filets of fish with rich sauces and scrumptious dirty rice. The only thing I have left to try are the desserts. Bread pudding, etc. always sounds tempting - but I've already filled up! Maybe I'll make an extra effort to save room this Tuesday.

Update from Friends at Labor Dallas

2010-07-12T19:30:00.005-05:00

This is a Jobs with Justice press advisory.

Please join Jobs with Justice at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 14 at 2218 E Main in Grand Prairie for the 2nd Wednesday North Texas Jobs with Justice meeting. They will continue working up more ways to stand up against this awful jobs crisis.

Minimum Wage Panel from United Labor Unions, Local 100, Dallas
For more info, call Kenneth Stretcher, 214.228.8506

When: Saturday, July 17 at 10 a.m.
Where: Warren United Methodist Church, 3082 Malcolm X Blvd

Featured Program:
1) A panel on the working and living conditions of Dallas minimum wage sanitation workers
2) A panel on the need for a Living Wage ordinance in the city of Dallas.
3) A one block March to the Martin Luther King Statue, followed by a rally.
4) And food! RSVP info below.

Martin Luther King, III and William Lucy, the union organizer who called Martin Luther King, Jr. to come to Memphis to support striking minimum wage sanitation workers in 1968 and who served as the secretary treasurer for AFSCME, the oldest and largest public sector union in the country for several decades, are coming to Dallas to conduct a panel to investigate the working and living conditions of Dallas' minimum wage sanitation workers.

They will be in Dallas on July 17 to meet with the only sanitation workers in the U. S. who are still working for the minimum wage. Over 100 Local 100 members and other non-member minimum wage sanitation workers will be joined by over 200 church members and community activists to participate in a panel led by King and Lucy to examine their working and living conditions and to examine the need for a living wage ordinance in Dallas.

The panels will be held in the Warren United Methodist church at 3082 Malcolm X Blvd. There will be a lunch afterwards and this will be followed by a one-block march and rally, in front of the Martin Luther King statue, which is located in the 2900 block of Martin Luther King Blvd. Everyone is invited and welcome.

If you would like to eat, please call 214.823.2001 and tell us you are coming or just leave a message so we can be sure there is enough food.

We did pretty well at our July 2 news conference. Channel 23 was the best one I saw, with 5-10 minutes of very sensitive coverage of the jobs crisis and us. Channel 5 covered us, and they did well on the post office issue. Channel 11 was pretty good and can still be seen online, but you have to click on the little advertisement, which is only a few seconds. Lots of people heard us on the radio, too.

Of course, there is a long text version on LaborDallas.org. There's still no word from national organizers on the NAACP/AFL-CIO march Oct. 2, but we will swing into action as soon as they tell us what we can do.

Garden Cafe returns to comfort my belly and soul

2010-07-07T13:05:00.003-05:00

The Garden Cafe is located at 5310 Junius Street in Dallas. They can be reached at 214.887.8330.‎

The first spot I moved to in East Dallas was at Junius and Beacon. It was more a chance than a choice, but it turned out fortuitously. A lovely little park was located down the street, along with a hidden strip mall housing a curious place called Garden Cafe.

Just to show you how much of a recluse I can be, I spent over a year at that apartment, longing to go to the cafe, but never having the courage to make the trek by myself (I admit it). Of course, I can't recall the exact company I was with during my first visit because that's not what stands out in my memory.

Instead, I recall beating myself with a (foam) baseball bat for not coming sooner. The quaint, over-the-counter service of homecooked meals, including breakfast and daily specials, transported me to an imaginary, simpler time.

Although the cafe itself has a nice ambience, I've only once sat inside (because the bees were trying to eat my honey-drenched sweet potato pancakes). I prefer the wonderfully designed and maintained garden out back. From cilantro to rosemary and peppers to tomatoes, this restaurant guarantees fresh ingredients in their receipes.

I admit I was disappointed the other week when my boyfriend and I hopped across the street to eat at one of our favorite spots, and it was closed. Apparently, they had some equipment issues that have since been resolved and are now open for business. Then again, that had been a Monday, and they're still only open Tuesday thru Sunday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Must remember - locavore culinary heaven available every day - except MONDAY! Happy bites!

P.S. My favorite - chicken and dumplings - is on Sunday. Yum...

Affordable community healthcare

2010-07-02T12:50:00.003-05:00

KERA featured a special radio program on affordable health options in the metroplex on Tuesday. I tuned in because I haven't had reliable health care since I got kicked off my parents' plan when I graduated in 2005 (age 23). (I'm now 28 and don't qualify for either the passed extension for 26 yr olds or the proposed extension for 28 yr olds.)

A representative from Project Access, networked by the Dallas County Medical Society, works with ten clinics and 17 hospitals in Dallas County. You do have to be a Dallas County resident in order to participate although you do not have to be a citizen. See more here on eligibility requirements.

Project Access can accept folks who make slightly more than the minimum required income for Parkland HEALTHplus, a non-insurance payment plan offered through Parkland Hospital.

Parkland Hospital can provide services to all Dallas County residents, but payments can be tricky. You could be on Medicaid, you could qualify for their actual health plan, or you could qualify for the HEALTHplus payment plan. Or you may just have to pay out of pocket. Find out your eligibility BEFORE you get sick!

Not in Dallas County? Click below to read more on how you can find the medical resources you need.

Call 211!

211 connects you to all kinds of social services in your area. This was the panel's consistent response to those living outside Dallas County.

Call 211!

The Father and the Sun

2010-06-21T10:14:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, I spent a pleasant meal with my parents, a typical ritual in our family to celebrate holidays. Like Father's Day itself, the dinner was planned last minute, almost as an afterthought.

I've long held an interest in the original meanings of our American holidays. Last year, I wrote about the peacemaking beginnings of Mother's Day. And after my Summer SolstiCelebration coverage, I noted that Father's Day had slipped by without one cyber-mention.

Is it a coincidence that Father's Day falls at roughly the same time as the Summer Solstice? Even though I haven't (yet) found research to back me up, I can't help but think it makes sense that the dominant pagan holiday - the longest day of summer for sun-worshipping folks - was supplanted by the dominant deity in our more humanist society - the father.

If we look into the origins of spirituality, we find that humanity evolved from nature-based, pagan belief systems to masculine, monotheistic religions to a nature-based, scientific paradigm. According to National Geographic, the Summer Solstice marked the halfway point of the growing season for ancient farmers, another reason for its social importance.

Back to dad, a young woman with a single father was one day inspired by a Mother's Day sermon, according to National Geographic. Not wanting his parenting triumphs to go unheeded, she argued for a paternal holiday. I have yet to find anything regarding the decision to timing, but the coincidence is to much for me. The sun represents the father - the all-knowing, all-seeing force in our life, which provides warmth and nourishment for the planet's family.

The Compassionate Catnapper

2010-06-17T12:05:00.003-05:00

Read more below on how to get a stray cat in your area fixed for a low cost (or free) and how you can help support this essential service in our community...

I am a cat person. I have always had affection for the feline race, so don't even bother debating it with me. My mind's made up.

I have 2 cats. Sugar, an appropriately sweet tuxedo, has been my loyal and affectionate companion since I was 13. (That makes her 15, btw.) My other rascal, C.C., was originally so-named because she was the Courtyard Cat at my apartment complex. Shortly after she came into my home as a declawed, abandoned stray, I found out it really stood for Crazy Cat.

So, I like to help my feline brothers and sisters when I can. Earlier this year, I started feeding a beautiful little black cat. She was so scrawny, and it was so cold, so eventually she found her way inside. Turns out, she didn't stay scrawny long. She was pregnant.

Praise god hallelujah, I managed to find homes for all four kittens and the mama cat (thanks, folks!). Now I just have to deal with the three remaining strays at my apartment. Thanks to KittiCo, a non-profit that fixes strays and feral cats for donations, I hope to keep the local family in a triad.

These three are obviously abandoned housecats, too - or at least two of them are...the baby may have been born wild. The adult female was easy to catch - she walked right into the carrier, and I just shut the door behind her.

The adult male and baby were obviously more skittish. Once at KittiCo, I decided to rent a trap for the other two. It required a $50 check as a collateral deposit, which I will get back when I return the trap. A week later, it still hasn't worked! Wish me luck!

Nonetheless, here's the story with KittiCo - They only accept patients on Mondays and Thursdays from 7 to 9 a.m. and you must pick up between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. on the same day. You may not drop off animals. It is not a shelter. It is a clinic. They provide spay/neutering services for a requested $55 donation. They also offer flea dips, rabies shots, and other essential services for small donation amounts.

KittiCo needs all the help they can get. Mail financial donations to:

KittiCo Cat Rescue
PO Box 600447
Dallas, Texas 75360-0447

Please put Driver's License number and date of birth on checks. In memo section, write: "Donation/TNR". All donations are tax deductible.

They also have supply needs, such as towels, bleach, dry cat food, and other cleaning and office supplies. Come by during their M/Th windows to drop off any materials you can.

Save the kitties! From themselves! :-b And the owners who abandon them... :<
And here is the rest of it.

Cruisin' for Coffee

2010-05-19T14:46:00.007-05:00

I moved to the Lakewood/East Dallas neighborhood in the spring of 2006. It didn't take me long to appreciate the quaint shopping center at Skillman and La Vista (aka Live Oak).

Other neighbors may recall the little store front labeled Coffee Co. in bold, red letters. I noticed it across the way from Benny's Bagels, but for some reason, its small, homey facade intimidated me, and it took me nearly three years to cross its threshold.

Of course, I wondered why I hadn't made the trip before. What I found dazzled my eyes with amazement, like a kid in a candy shop. Locally owned and operated for decades, Coffee Co. roasts their beans in-house every day. They aren't kidding when they say their coffee is fresh.

The beanery has all varieties of coffee, including organic, as well as loose tea blends. Their FARMER'S MARKET produce section boasts colorful tomatoes, cucumbers, and avocados, as well as small dairy items like feta.

Coffee Co. also features crafted dips, Godiva chocolates, and other fine gift items. It is locally owned and operated, surviving the last few decades of onslaught by Starbucks. They don't serve espresso - they just roast good beans.

Super-brief update

2010-02-22T20:57:00.004-06:00

I am not dead.

I still live in East Dallas.

I work at the Dixie House (in Lakewood).

I am grateful to have a job.

I still go to the Bridge (most) Tuesdays from 2 to 4 p.m. Luckily, I have three partners who make sure someone's facilitating the creative writing class at all times.

I am changing - and I'm aware of it.

I'm still in the middle of it, so it's hard to describe.

I always long to write more...

But right now I don't have the internet, plus multiple other obstacles/excuses (depending on your pov) - so...I guess I'm just brewing right now. It's all good.