Since the movement’s inception, the SlutWalk campaign has gone viral. Facebook groups have emerged to promote SlutWalks in Europe, Asia, Australia and most major US cities. In Texas, the first of several was held in Dallas in April, future SlutWalks are planned for in Austin and Houston.

Comments like those made by the misguided police officer are all too common. They tend to reflect the beliefs that have been ingrained in nearly all of us as part of a culture that jumps to blame the victim, to blaming anyone and anything but the actual rapist. And such a culture is not just demeaning; it’s dangerous, because it focuses on the outfits and behavior of victims rather than the criminal behavior of perpetrators.

Latinas in particular have always been on the underside of both victim blaming and hypersexualization. Adding to the mix, a crime as horrific as gang rape is rarely seen by individuals, through the lens of culture, race, and class, this suddenly morphs into an indictment against all Latinos.

The idea behind the Slutwalks is simple: rape is rape, no matter what the victim wears, says or does.

Yet, some lose sight of the intent of the marches and feel the marches “celebrate” promiscuity and other forms of sexual expression. Critics of the marches are troubled over the use of the word “slut,” as well as how some participants dress in the marches–some wear leather, fishnets and low-cut tops, where some people prefer marching in jeans and T-shirts. Both feminists and anti-feminists have expressed reservations about the words’ use. The only difference, anti-feminists would often show their true colors with nasty victim-blaming remarks.

Interestingly, blogger Aura Blogando takes it a step further and claims that the demonstrations are organized by “white bourgeois” women who are “utilizing universalist language” to “[reify] existing power structures,” therefore undermining the concerns of “women of color.” She advises her readers not to participate because to do so is nothing more than “tokenization.”

At times like these it is important to point out destructive behavior within our own community than simply to ignore it. Honest criticism has nothing to do with gender privileges afforded to me; but to take advantage of a teachable moment. Blogando’s accusations are not only overgeneralized, but do more harm than good..

To quote Fredrick Douglas: “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both.” To ask the Latina/o community not to get involved is dangerous and a clear demonstration of the exact measure of injustice some are willing to tolerate.

Though abuse exists in all kinds of families, for Hispanic Texans, it has become an epidemic. According to the Texas Council on Family Violence, 77% of all Hispanic Texans indicate that either themselves, a family member and/or a friend have experienced some form of domestic violence. Indicating that approximately; 5.2 million Hispanic Texans are personally affected by domestic violence. Two out of every 5 Hispanic Texan females (39%) experience severe abuse and 1 out of every 5 Hispanic Texas females (18%) report being forced to have sex against their will. This is just the tip of iceberg of an issue that is too complex to be addressed in just one blog post. Yet, the common factor that transcends socioeconomical lines, Hispanic Texans, like the general population, have both a limited definition of domestic violence and have a willingness to blame victims for the abuse they suffer.

As a pro-feminist Latino, I am proud to stand in solidarity with the overarching intentions of many of those who have organized varying SlutWalks. This is why Somos Tejanos is proud to support and participate in SlutWalk Austin on June 11.

While it is true some Latino communities have a strong distrust of law enforcement, we must keep in mind that this is just a segment of the larger Latino/a community. Her critique is unfair and unrealistic, and places the burden on the organizers to have a full understanding of every issue affecting every community when it comes to sexual assault.

Violence prevention requires a comprehensive approach that addresses the underlying causes, such as, poverty, lack of parental supervision, eroding public education systems, and community disintegration. In order for this shift to occur, a multi-racial and multi-issue coalition must emerge.

Debates must always be forced back to the issues. We must all engage in a political education and realize that using our individual and collective voice is critical to the democratic process. If we remain silent, then the people for whom we claim to advocate will continue to suffer. This is something that I personally cannot accept.

I applaud SlutWalk Houston for including a male in the organizing process. Often missing from these discussions are the male voices to speak out against violence. Especially missing are Latinos and the need to call for re-defining the cultural term machismo. It is a gap in the discourse that needs to be filled; otherwise, it only diverts attention to women’s behavior rather than men’s responses to it. As a Latino, I am disgusted with the misogynistic ideas that are embedded in our culture, which must immediately stop.

Social learning theory states that social behavior is learned by observing other people’s actions and the consequences of those actions. Youth are likely to model the behavior that receives the outcomes they desire. Attitudes, behavior, and environment can impact and be impacted by each other. Moreover, attribution theory suggests that individuals try to understand what happens to them and others by identifying or assigning causes to events. It emphasizes coaching and reinforcing pro-social behaviors.

The incident in Cleveland, Texas is a perfect example how racial and cultural stereotypes are reinforced. The victim is Latina, and all the arrested males are African American. As news about the gang rape emerged, battle lines formed. Quanell X and the New Black Panther Party on one side and Mujeres Unidas on the other. Criticizing the media’s role, Michelle Garci­a profoundly put it:

On the eve of a Houston activist’s town hall meeting in Cleveland, a Houston Chronicle columnist noted: “In a place like Cleveland, where the black side of town is still known as the Quarters, it’s not beyond reason to question whether race is playing a role.”

But the ‘role’ is not defined. Was it a factor in the crime, the arrests or the quality of justice that will follow? Once again, lines are drawn and choices made. An 11-year-old girl or the town? Race or gender? Missing from coverage of this story is the realization that the nature of the media reaction forces people to take sides. We outsiders and journalists are not mere observers but participants.

More profoundly were her personal insights:

I realized years later that, after the Gaitan case, my relationships with men became tinged with aggression and wariness. It was the confused reaction of an angry girl who had learned unspoken rules about sexuality and blame. I watched a woman be sacrificed by my community, and I felt betrayed. As Cleveland draws its lines around race, power and reputation, I wonder if girls there—white, black, Latina and Asian—feel like I once did, scrutinized by outsiders looking in, but abandoned at home.

I know there will be some who may question the place popular culture has in this dialogue. However, popular culture does have an impact on our perceptions. One has to wonder how much seeps into the social spheres of different communities. Take for example the pejorative terms used when a Latino/a does not engage in behaviors perceived to be characteristic of Latinos — “acting white” or “different from them.”

We can no longer sit on the sidelines on the topic of domestic violence. Action speaks louder than words; to do nothing tangible than make these statements a reality, is nothing more than a farce. More importantly, as Tejanos, how can we advocate for equality if we turn a blind eye to the oppression occurring within our own community? If we don’t change our own consciousness, we cannot change our own actions or demand change from others. We should feel ashamed when we see fathers, brothers and uncles treat women with contempt, and when it comes to rape, it only lessens us as men.

The time is now to say BASTA!

(This article first appeared on Somos Tejanos)

Rep. Giffords was shot through the head at close range and is still in critical condition. Dr. Peter Rhee, medical director of the hospital’s trauma and critical care unit, said Saturday that she had been shot once in the head, “through and through,” with the bullet going through her brain.

Six of the victims died, among them John M. Roll, the chief judge for the United States District Court for Arizona, and a 9-year-old girl, Christina Taylor-Green. Christina, recently elected to her school’s student council, was born on Sept. 11, 2001. In addition to Christina and Judge Roll, those killed included Gabe Zimmerman, a former social worker who served as Giffords’ director of community outreach. Also killed were 76-year-old Dorthy Murray, 76-year-old Dorwin Stoddard, and 79-year-old Phyllis Scheck.

The shooter is identified as 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner was arrested at the scene after being detained by bystanders. He is being quested by the FBI, who have said he was the only shooter. The weapon used was reported to be a 9mm Glock model 19 pistol with a 30 round magazine. Loughner purchased his semi-automatic pistol legally in Tucson.

President Barack Obama called the shooting an “unspeakable tragedy,” adding that “such a senseless and terrible act of violence has no place in a free society.” Rep. Raul M. Grijalva, another Democrat from the Tucson area, was “sickened by the horrific attack” and called the shooting a tragedy for “Arizona, our nation, and our democracy.” Arizona Governor Jan Brewer said, “My thoughts and prayers are with Congresswoman Giffords and her family, the Congresswoman’s staff and their families, as well as the other victims of this senseless and cruel violence.”

Various senior Republican politicians have expressed their concern for the physical well-being of Gabrielle Giffords and the other victims, and that concern is no doubt sincere. Sarah Palin expressed her “sincere condolences” to Giffords’ family and to the other victims, John McCain is “horrified” by the attack, and House Speaker John Boehner said that “Our prayers are with congresswoman Giffords, her staff, all who were injured and their families.”

Cult of Personality
These is no denying throughout history there are many examples of deranged loners and violent people attacking politicians, what has changed recently is that politicians are actually encouraging a climate of suspicion and division. It is hard to argue that political debate in this country has not only become dangerous, but a cesspit of venomous innuendo and lies.

The tragedy in Arizona is not uniquely the fault of the Republican Party or the Tea Party or right wing American politics in general. While they share the blame as a whole. It’s impossible to know what motivated Loughner, but it is not hard figure out what inspired him. The question of right wing rhetoric and its effects cannot be ignored as if it doesn’t exist, because it does, and they all know it.

What happened in Arizona is evidence that Republican politics have gone overboard in their rhetoric, as Sarah Palin and the leaders of Tea Party movement swung into damage-control. But this does not absolve them for taking part in creating the hyper-vicious climate that have provoked unbalanced nut-cases to attack others, under the guise of striking back and taking back the country.

A cult of personality arises when a country’s leader uses mass media to create an idealized and heroic public image, often through unquestioning flattery and praise. While the cult of personality generally applies to leaders in in a totalitarian nation, it stands to reason that it is also asserted in everyday situations to advocate conformity to philosophies and lifestyles, by way of herd mentality.

Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik expressed his concern of the current political climate. Dupnik said that “when the rhetoric about hatred … about mistrust of government” gets heated, it inflames “the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

Giffords, a moderate Democrat, expressed similar concern before the shooting. Last March, shortly after the House passed health care legislation, Giffords’ congressional office in Tucson was vandalized. Afterward, she warned of the dangers of the animosity against her by conservatives. She was referring to the use of cross-hairs to highlight the vulnerability of her site on Sarah Palin’s controversial Facebook “Hit List” in the November midterm elections.

She said: “We’re on Sarah Palin’s ‘targeted’ list, but the thing is that the way she has it depicted, we’re in the crosshairs of a gun sight over our district. When people do that, they’ve got to realise that there are consequences to that action.”

had been threatened in the recent past as had John Rolls and his family, who eventually ended up being protected by the U.S. Marshall’s Service for a month in 2009. Dupnik also noted a political event at which an audience member dropped a weapon. During another incident, windows in her office were broken shortly after her vote for health care reform in March, and authorities are currently investigating a suspicious package found Saturday at Giffords’ Tucson office.

Apart from her cross-hairs campaign, she also made news with the remark, “Don’t retreat, Instead RELOAD.”

Palin hasn’t directly commented on whether she thinks there were consequences to her actions, however, this hasn’t stopped from scrubbing the images from her website and her Facebook page targeting Gabriel Giffords and others with the cross-hairs of a gun sight.

No one can argue that Sarah Palin has grown in popularity, to the point she is seen as a pseudo-Biblical figure sent from Above. The truth is, Palin is adored by many because many of them see themselves also taking down the so-called elitists. They stand by her side with an almost unbelievable vigor because, in essence, they are dealing a passive-aggressive blow to those who have frequently criticized their lifestyles over the years.

Palin’s rise is not social phenomena but a manifestation of our credo of rugged individualism. It is this credo that clouds person’s into believing public action as an expression of individual psyche. Jared Lee Loughner may have acted alone and is certainly disturb, but the “political themes of his instability” can be found among the far Right.

There are many other documented incidents carried out by people with mental issues like Jared Loughner, which they are directly involved either with Republican politicians or their supporters at their rallies or in the media. This is not an anti-Republican screed, these are facts and they are representative of the current Republican Party and its links to the Tea Party and right wing voters in general. The Republican Party has done absolutely nothing to put a stop to this kind of intimidation based upon the threat of violence because it needs the votes.

Twenty years before this happened, the funk metal band “Living Colour” prophesied this happening with their hit “Cult of Personality.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

This has been coming for a long time. With all the hate-speech, race-bating, homophobic, immigrant-bashing, and blatant lies that goes unchallenged over the airwaves everyday, it’s a miracle this doesn’t occur everyday

Whether you were born here or just immigrated here, we are taught that Thanksgiving Day is an American holiday to celebrate the “peaceful gathering” – the first autumn harvest – between the Plymouth colonists European invaders and Wampanoag Indians to give thanks for their wonderful bounty. This gathering soon became a symbol of cooperation and interaction between English colonists and the indigenous people.

Most of us remember learning about Thanksgiving in grade school that it was about the Pilgrims and Indians sitting down together to give thanks. The story goes like this: After the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock in 1620; the Pilgrims would have all perished if it was not for the help of their friend slave Squanto, an Indian who taught the Pilgrims how to fish, grow corn maize, and farm the land. At the end of their first year, the Puritans held a “harvest feast” celebrating the fruits of their labor. The feast was to honored Squanto and their new found friends, the Wampanoag Indians. The feast was followed by three days of “thanksgiving” celebrating their prosperity.

The trouble is, almost everything we’ve been taught about the first Thanksgiving in 1621 is only half the story. Little is told about the pilgrims persistent injustices to its indigenous peoples after this “harvest feast.” Even worse, the root of America’s history is on Colonial American history, which is solely based on the 13 New England colonies. But this is no surprise because this pattern of belief is one of the pillars of American nationalism. And because our desire to view this country in a positive light, it is also not surprising that the subject of US genocide against American Indians is conveniently swept under the rug.

Another typical attitude is to exclude Colonial Spanish America as being part of the American history. So it is not surprising that little attention is paid to prior exploration advances made by Spanish pioneers into the southern part of the United States extending from Florida across Texas and New Mexico to California. If we are to take this into account, the reality is, the first Thanksgiving feast was celebrated in 1598 in El Paso, Texas by Don Juan de Oñate – 22 years before the English colonial Thanksgiving.

Gaspar Perez de Villagrá, the Spanish poet who traveled with the group and who documented Oñate’s words days prior to the actual first recorded Thanksgiving feast on American soil on April 30, 1598:

“That, with their throats all miserable dry,
The tender children, women, and the men,
Afflicted, ruined, quite burnt up,
Did beg for aid from sovereign God,
This being the final remedy
That they should have in such distress.
And the sad, tired animals,
Feeble as those of Ninevah,
Worn down by the unchecked fast,
Thus all did show themselves worn out
By the weather they had borne.”

On April 30, 1598, camp was made along the Rio Grande and a Mass of thanksgiving was said in which Oñate took formal possession of the new land, called New Mexico, in the name of the Heavenly Lord, God Almighty, and the earthly lord King Philip II. Oñate wrote:

In the name of the most Holy Trinity…I wish to take possession of the land today…through the person of Juan Pérez de Donís, Notary of his Majesty and Secretary of the journey …in the voice and name of the most Christian King, our lord, don Felipe, the Second of this name…and for the crown of Castile…I take and seize one, two, and three times…the Royal tenancy and possession…at this aforesaid River of the North, without excepting anything and without limitation, with the meadows, glens, and their pastures and watering places…towns, cities, villas, castles, and strong houses and dwellings… the leaf on the mountain to the rock in the river and sands of it, and from the rock and sands of the river to the leaf on the mountain.

The celebration that took place in El Paso has far more right to be called the first American Thanksgiving than the one celebrated by the Puritans in New England. Granted that the United States began with the 13 colonies in New England and therefore could claim that theirs was our first thanksgiving.

This discussion might seem dull to some or as Henry Ford once said “History is more or less bunk.” So why dwell on who did what, right? Both had the same result – the extermination of indigenous peoples. There is another way to put this question, of course: why should it matter, since many of us prefer to live in the now?

If one were to look at the news these days one would enter upon familiar concerns: the condition of our economy, who would be the next president, the war in Iraq, and immigration. The present pales, however, in comparison to the nation’s preoccupation with its past. However, it is the past that imprisons Americans and it is the source that explains America’s present day “pathological mentality and behavior.”

The past is the true news, for it remains undecided, and it is the past to which people know they must refer so as to see ahead. So, shouldn’t we take into consideration the Colonial Spanish American history the moment these territories entered the Union as a part of the American federation?

Because the foundations of our political institutions come from the tradition that was established through the English colonies, many Americans mistakenly leave out how the US has been influence from other colonial powers. As a result, Florida, Texas, the Southwest and Puerto Rico are often marginalized in American history. Friedrich Nietzsche once wrote, “Since we are the outcome of earlier generations we are also the outcome of their aberrations, passions and errors, and indeed of their crimes; it is not possible wholly to free oneself from this chain.”

While many of us acknowledge what we are “thankful for” with family and friends we must also commemorate this day with the knowledge how our ancestors helped settle and develop this land. Because “A community without history is like a person without a memory – incoherent.” – Bernard Bailyn

If you are like me who found it hard to put our moral beliefs into practice on this day, let me assure you, you are not alone. For those who want to oppose the commercialization of the whole holiday season, you can participate in Buy Nothing Day, which occurs the day after Thanksgiving.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jack and Jill Politics has the scoop about the video and the reason Jasiri X wrote this rap song. Her blog post is a must read. I totally agree on Cheryl Contee view regarding society’s double standard on communities of color. In fact, the same question can also be asked “What If The Tea Party Was Brown?”

When the United States of North America annexed a third of Mexico’s territory following the Mexican War, nearly 77,000 Mexicans became U.S. citizens. For generations, these citizens were to be plagued by a prejudicial attitude which would result in overt acts of discrimination and segregation which in turn brought about the curtailment of many of their civil rights, privileges, and opportunities. The sign, “No Mexicans Allowed” was found everywhere.

In Texas, prejudicial attitude and discrimination acts had reached such extreme proportions that Mexican Americans started organizations as defensive measures against such anti-American practices. Outstanding among these were three organizations: The Order of the Sons of America with councils in Sommerset, Pearsall, Corpus Christi, and San Antonio; The Knights of America in San Antonio; and The League of Latin American Citizens with councils in Harlingen, Brownsville, Laredo, Penitas, La Grulla, McAllen, and Gulf.

There were serious doubts as to merger because of personal reasons and ill feelings that existed between the leaders of The League of Latin American Citizens and the President General of The Order of the Sons of America from San Antonio. With this in mind, The Order of the Sons of America and The Knights of America made an agreement to unite themselves even if The League of Latin American Citizens did not. For a year, Council #4 of The Order of the Sons of America and The Knights of America waited for the proposed merger. In the meantime, Alonso S. Perales was in constant contact with Ben Garza to bring about the merger. The fact that the long awaited unification convention was never called by the President General of The Order of the Sons of America resulted in the withdrawal of Council #4 from The Order of the Sons of America at a meeting held February 7, 1929. Also, at this meeting in which Alonso S. Perales was present, it was voted to have a uniting convention on February 17, 1929, at the Obreros Hall, on the corner of Lipan and Carrizo streets in Corpus Christi.

LULAC is not only the oldest, but their rich history of activism in advancing the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, health and civil rights, but also makes them the most successful Latino civil rights organization in the country.

LULAC’s name and its membership policy deliberately emphasized the importance of citizenship – only American citizens could be full members of LULAC. The founders of LULAC believed this gave the group added leverage in seeking to reform American society to accept Mexican-Americans as full and equal citizens. Furthermore, it also put forward a particular identity for the new organization, one its leaders hoped that would change common assumptions about Mexican-Americans in American society at large.

Legacy
The philosophy and tactics LULAC in its first decade believed in a practice of negotiation with local leaders to bring change. If negotiation failed, they encouraged communities to pressure, investigated and documented charges brought by parents, brought evidence to the attention of higher authorities, and publicized the differences between facilities for Mexicans and those for Whites.

LULAC has played a role in the formation of several important related organizations. They created La Liga Pro-Defensa Escolar (the School Improvement League) in San Antonio, and formed a veterans’ committee to address the rights of G.I.’s before LULAC member Hector P. García organized the American G.I. Forum. LULAC members established Little School of the 400, the model for the federal educational program Head Start.

Ironically, LULAC’s early view of oppression parallels with conservative’s reason for dismantling affirmative action. LULAC believed Mexican Americans were not victims of oppression but by a lack of initiative to take advantage of the opportunities they had and to make themselves into citizens that the rest of society would have to respect. In all, LULAC equated Americanism with middle-class success and believed that true leadership could emanate only from the middle class – speak English, dress well, encourage education, and be polite in race relations.

Post-WWII: Change in Vision
LULAC’s vision for Mexican-Americans was forced to change during the postwar years. Renewed immigration from Mexico changed the socio-cultural context and turned America’s attention to the Southwest and immigration issues.

One of the most misunderstood and oversimplified views was LULAC’s position on immigration. It is true groups like LULAC opposed immigration, more specifically temporary workers to America. Their argument arose out of concern they would force Mexican-Americans to find work elsewhere while temporary workers would be used as a captive labor force to lower wages; employers rarely treated Braceros according to the protections included in their contracts. LULAC leaders had the foresight to see the dangers of importing labors.

Before the passage of the Emergency Quota Act of 1921 was passed, the Committee on Immigration and Naturalization held a hearing, Temporary Admission of Illiterate Mexican Laborers, to address the labor shortage in the beat-sugar industry. The farmers argued importing Mexican laborers would be the best solution to address the labor shortage because they were considered disposable labor. Speaking in their behalf, TX Rep. John Garner explained the farmers would be able to save three times the amount of work a “negro and white man would do” because Mexican laborers are considered “peon labor,” people “who knows nothing about the question of money other than to get enough to live on.”

In 1942, facing labor shortages caused by World War II, the United States initiated a series of agreements with Mexico to recruit Mexican men to work on U.S. farms and railroads. These agreements became known as the bracero program. LULAC leaders felt the discrimination towards the foreign workers would threaten their desire for an educated Mexican-American population because the presence of cheap foreign labor would force Mexican-American families to move in search of work. In a letter to President Truman written by LULAC national president Raul Cortez, Gus C. Garcia, and George I. Sanchez expressed that thousands of resident families would be consigned “to live in slums, in extreme ill-health, in ignorance, and in a squalor that is spiritual as well as physical … . What does this promise to the coming generations, to the citizens of tomorrow, to the assimilation of a rapidly increasing number of “Mexicans,’ to the Four Freedoms, to the American Way?”

Once Bracero Program was established, it brought brought millions of temporary, contract laborers to the United States from 1942 until its termination in 1964. The use of Mexican immigrants as cheap manual labor on the great Southwestern farms is not a recent occurrence. It is a thoroughly entrenched system, a systematic exploitation of an underprivileged class of humanity as cheap labor. Crossing the border was a major hurdle in the journey north. Braceros were often subjected to humiliating exams and bureaucratic procedures. If they did not pass the medical exams, they were sent back to Mexico. Those who did make it across, found out their bracero contracts did not always deliver on their promises.

Poor housing conditions, disputes over pay, discrimination, inadequate health care, and a lack of worker representation were some of the braceros’ common grievances. There living condition usually consisted of a shacks or they were sometimes housed in converted barns and makeshift tents with limited water, heat, and sanitary facilities. They were often transported in unsafe and poorly operated vehicles. Although the work was grueling and housing substandard, many braceros endured these conditions, hoping to make more money than they would at home. Health and social services are non-existent. The diseases bred by such conditions are spread by rapid migration. As a result the braceros suffer a disease-death rate much higher than that of the native populations.

Click here to view the embedded video.

They realized that continued immigration would make complete assimilation. The increase in immigration forced LULAC to rethink their view and the approach the as a policy problem. The late 1940s through the 1950s LULAC had reach new heights with their activism. LULAC councils were established throughout the Southwest, and no other group could match LULAC in size of membership or influence.

Same Phenomenon, Different Era
Today, once again, we are confronted by a rising tide of anti-migrant sentiment. The arguments are the same, the view in the USis that “illegal immigrants” are violating of US immigration law; therefore Congress seeks to address this problem through anti-crime legislation. While the view in Mexico is that Mexican migrants are filling jobs Americans don’t want. What is intriguing, the need for temporary labor can be found over several decades in congressional testimony yet the solution has always been the same.

Latinos are now the largest minority in the US, but Latino community is no longer homogenous as in the past. It is now made up from many different countries with very different cultural backgrounds. However, like previous generations of immigrants and minority groups, anti-immigrant views have not changed. Once again, the Latino community will to look to LULAC and the National Council of La Raza to be their voice. Hopefully, they will not ignore the lessons of the past and not prove George Santayana, the Spanish-American poet and philosopher, correct; those of who do not know our history, are condemned to repeat it.

These leaders chose an historic time to make their concerns public, on the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. “It is shameful that these appalling actions by Sheriff Arpaio have gone unchecked for so long,” said Center for New Community Chair, Rev. Kazi Joshua. “The number of Black leaders who spoke out in today’s newspaper should send a clear message to the Department of Justice that this is an urgent civil rights crisis that requires immediate action.”

The advertisement details the most alarming actions taken by Sheriff Joe Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, including:

• The humiliation of over 200 individuals chained in shackles and marched through the streets of Phoenix, and their segregation based on national origin;
• Use of Sheriff’s Office resources to harass public officials, civic organizations, newspapers, and community leaders publicly opposed to Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s negligent actions;
• Profiling of individuals based on their ethnicity and language;
• Irresponsible remarks and actions that denigrate his office, including stating on national television that “it’s an honor” to be compared with the Ku Klux Klan, and public photographs with a self-identified neo-Nazi.

In addition to detailing the actions of Sheriff Arpaio, the advertisement stated, “As Black and African American leaders we call on Attorney General of the United States Eric H. Holder and the Department of Justice to prove once and for all that this is not Arpaio’s America.”

“We are deeply troubled about the growing level of racism and racial division seen in Maricopa County,” stated James E. Johnson, Jr., a former county commissioner from Eagle County, Colorado and current Center for New Community organizer, “and the unwillingness of national political leaders to step forward to condemn activities that dehumanize people within the community.”

For more information on this article continue reading at Imagine 2050

Recently, Rep. Luis Gutierrez introduced in Congress, Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity (CIR ASAP) Act of 2009, to renew the debate on comprehensive immigration reform. For many immigration advocate groups, the bill is seen as the first step toward fixing the broken immigration system. Nevertheless, many political observers are anticipating getting this bill passed will be an uphill battle.

Gutiérrez’s CIR ASAP bill would include border enforcement provisions, visa reforms that promote family unity, the strengthening of employer sanctions, and a path to permanent residence for undocumented immigrants, who eventually could achieve citizenship if they proved evidence that they have been working, pay a $500 fine, learn English and have no criminal record.

One of the provision that is included in the CIR ASAP is the DREAM Act component, which would provide for the legalization of undocumented youth who have graduated from high school in the US and are pursuing higher education. This provision would successfully integrate the growing number of immigrant students in US schools by removing the barriers that hinder thousands of young students who have grown up in this country from going to college.

According to the College Board, it is estimated that about 65,000 undocumented students graduate from US high schools each year. Although they can legally attend most colleges, they are not eligible for most forms of financial aid and many do not qualify for in-state tuition at public colleges and universities. Even if an undocumented immigrant student applies to a college, in many states, they are forced to pay out-of-state tuition fees, which can be more than three times the in-state tuition rate.

To help alleviate this problem, in 2001, Texas became the first state in the country to enact legislation to allow undocumented students to qualify for in-state rates, provided, they meet certain criteria. Since then, more than a dozen states have acted: ten allowing residency and several denying it.

As if the hardships undocumented immigrants encounter is not enough, a Texas anti-immigration organization is determined to add insult to injury by making it impossible to attend college. The Immigration Reform Coalition of Texas (IRCOT) has filed a lawsuit challenging Texas’ state law that allows undocumented students to pay in-state rates, according to the Houston Chronicle.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs allege that at least 8,000 illegal immigrants attend Texas colleges and universities at discounted tuition rates for in-state residents or receive some form of state financial aid, saying the statute violates federal law. The lawsuit also requests an injunction barring illegal immigrants from receiving the in-state break on tuition or state-funded financial aid.

“We don’t think that taxpayers should break federal law in order to subsidize people who are in the United States illegally,” [David A. Rogers, a lawyer for the Immigration Reform Coalition of Texas], said.

While people may disagree on the issues for immigration reform, it is difficult to understand IRCOT’s harsh take on the state’s statue concerning undocumented college students, which they have characterized as a violation of federal law. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The fact of the matter is that in-state residency is entirely a state-determined benefit or status. To date, federal law grants states the right to pass their own legislation regarding in-state residency for undocumented students, according to Michael A. Olivas, a law professor at the University of Houston and director of the Institute of Higher Education Law & Governance. This was also confirmed by the Department of Homeland Security in a letter to the North Carolina Attorney’s General office, stating that federal law does not prohibit the admission of undocumented students to universities and college.

In the midst of these state-by-state policy debates, students can all too easily dissolve into statistics and their experiences into testimony. It becomes easy to overlook the consequences, both on an individual level and even an institutional one.

The sad truth, these state laws are also limited in scope. They are unable to provide any means for changing one’s immigration status. As a result, once they have finished their college education, they are unable to contribute to our economy to the full extent of their abilities, leaving them in employment limbo.

The ghosts of our legacy of racial inequality continue to haunt us. Incidents of racial violence; the racial inequities in the nation’s criminal justice system; the racial disparities present in health care delivery and access; the acrimonious debates over immigration policy; the hate crimes perpetrated against those from another country; and now with this latest move by the Immigration Reform Coalition of Texas provide ample evidence that dehumanizing immigrants has become too commonplace in our society.

Cartman is clearly disturbed and bemoans how there are too many “Mexicans” and other minority groups at “his” water park. In South Park fashion, Cartman breaks out into a song, “Not My Water Park.”

In the latest incident of violent rhetoric against the President, an anonymous user of Facebook who launched an online poll on Saturday asking “Should Obama be killed?,” with the choices of yes, no, maybe, and “If he cuts my health care.” More frighteningly, the poll drew attracted more than 700 respondents.

According to Facebook spokesman Barry Schnitt, the poll was created over the weekend using a third-party application that lets users conduct their own survey and they shut it down once they found out about it. What is truly disturbing, the poll was up for three days before it was yanked down. Giving Facebook the benefit of the doubt that they acted quickly did shut it down once they knew about, that would mean nobody had the audacity to notify Facebook.

Fortunately, GottaLaff from The Political Carnival noticed the poll and alerted the Secret Service immediately and provided them with a screen cap of the poll.

This is not the first time Facebook has made the news for being a forum used for all kinds of hate speech. People used this popular social networking site to post anti-Muslim and anti-immigration rhetoric to college students posting pictures from racist theme parties.

The press continues to look past the obvious and blaming healthcare controversy for the current backlash. For example, The Christian Science Monitor headline is ‘Kill Obama’ Facebook poll: latest sign of healthcare anger?;

Racism is not dead. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) Intelligence Report recently reported that the level of hate is rising. With the rise of hate, America is reverting back where blatant racism is becoming the norm.

As long as the right wing pundit dominate the airwaves with their fear mongering and lies, WE are in danger. The President is in danger.

Is there anyone out there interested in peace and unity anymore?

Three things immediately shock the conscious soul upon learning about the murder of Luis Ramirez. The simple manner in which he died is the first of those.

Ramirez, a father of three, was beaten to death in the streets of Pennsylvania by as many as seven young men who were at the end of a night of drinking. The motive? Judging by the slurs heaped upon him along with the many blows to his body: apparently nothing more than being out at night while Mexican. The teens who ganged up on Ramirez came upon him walking with a young woman, reportedly his girlfriend’s sister. Obviously bringing threat, they asked him what he was doing out at that time of day. Then they set upon him. In the end it was a final hard kick to the skull which left the 25-year-old father convulsing on the concrete with fatal brain damage.

The police arrived shortly after the attack but rather than jump into hot pursuit of the white criminals, they chose instead to search Latino eyewitnesses for weapons, claiming that following the guilty parties simply wasn’t their “priority.” Ramirez’s attackers weren’t arrested for another two weeks, even though eyewitnesses at the scene knew who they were without a doubt.

The second stomach-churner is the jury’s decision to exonerate Ramirez’s killers from the charges of third-degree murder, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, and ethnic intimidation, leaving to stand only the reduced charge of simple assault. This, despite the testimony of Eileen Burke, a retired police officer at the scene. Burke testified that at the end, the murderers yelled to Ramirez’ girlfriend “You effin bitch, tell your effin Mexican friends get the eff out of Shenandoah or you’re gonna be laying effin next to him.” This, despite two of the accused men themselves admitting to yelling “go home you Mexican [expletive]” at the scene of the crime.

Yet somehow, in the face of these facts, the all-white jury ruled there was no evidence of “ethnic intimidation.” According to a CNN report, town residents were quick to explain and downplay the actions of this violent group of “star students and football players” as “just an alcohol-fueled confrontation among kids.” They furthered their argument by reciting “a litany of attacks allegedly perpetrated by Latinos against Anglos.” Perhaps they could have saved time and breath by saying The spics had it coming.

The third, overarching, shocking reality thrown into sharp relief by the murder of Luis Ramirez is how easily an environment of violently xenophobic rhetoric and targeted hate has normalized a modern-day lynching to the point that it is absorbed and diluted with barely a blip into the everyday news cycle and into public consciousness. How effortlessly a subhuman category of being is constructed and subsequently reviled. How a verdict has been passed on just how to deal with this synthesized Creature, and how effective that virulent messaging has been evidenced in a death like this one and in a pattern that plays out in various towns, cities, and states across the country. Seemingly unconnected cells of hatred hammer the dominant culture’s sentence down upon a targeted group, and the system nods and winks when all is done.

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The process of defining a subhuman class and institutionalizing discrimination and violence against that group is not new. How quickly and conveniently some of us allow our collective memory to cover its own tracks. Parasite, diseased, leeching, dangerous, over-breeding, vermin. These terms and this imagery have been deployed for ages, on various groups of people, on various pieces of land, in the service of various endeavors; and always to bring about the same ends. To demonize and dehumanize a group of people so that other people come to understand that the social compact with the demonized group is broken; that discrimination and violence against the dehumanized class now carries no moral consequence. That is the meaning of this latest ruling by an all-white jury in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania. Racial murder of a Mexican carries the same consequence as walking up to a white person and punching them in the belly: simple assault.

The notion of a categorically subhuman class of persons who exists below the rules and obligations the rest of humanity warrants is as simple as it is ugly. Ugly like the prison at Guantánamo, where unfortunate bodies from the Middle East are deprived of anything resembling the law, ideals, or morality most Americans feel they deserve by mere existence. Ugly like Abu Ghraib. Ugly like the prisons in Baghdad and Bagram, where atrocities appear to be the norm. Even as our government promised that it was “fighting Them There” in order to prevent “Them” from coming “Here”, an ideology of dehumanizing terror was propagating and swelling in our own ranks and within our own borders; an ideology which devalues “Hajis” in the same way that it foists hatred upon Mexicans and all others who sound or appear somehow Latin American.

The murder of Luis Ramirez-like the murders of Marcelo Lucero and Wilter Sanchez and Jose Sucuhañay-are but logical steps in the process of defining a subhuman class of ALIEN and inciting anti-Latino violence, which will continue unless marked changes are made in our society. Changes in the immigration dialogue. Changes in the way pundits frame and discuss the issue. Perhaps even more importantly, changes to the fashion in which both Republicans and Democrats pitch and move legislation. The entire “Enforcement Agenda” that directly links immigration status (and thus all Latinos) to criminality, discussed coolly by seemingly rational voices on both Right and Left, is but the socially and politically acceptable umbrella which shields crimes like the murder of Luis Ramirez. The ubiquitous message resonating from coast to coast of this continent, across which peoples of Latin American descent have been migrating back and forth for thousands of years, is that we are in the crosshairs. And that we deserve to be in those hair-trigger sights.

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Though it is necessary and a good thing, it is not enough to pass H.S. 1913, the current Hate Crimes bill that has cleared the Senate and is now headed for the House. Nor is it adequate to simply pass the D.R.E.A.M Act (though, again necessary, so please sign), and/or to legalize the immigrants who are working and raising families in the US, and be done with it. These things must be done, and soon. But we must not rest there.

First, we must demand a satisfactory accounting find its way to this unresolved injustice. (Please sign the petition to add your voice.) Next, we must be honest about what has happened here in our nation; about how this gathering animosity has manifested in various ways to result in a targeting of one class of people; about how segments of our current culture and business world stand to profit from maintaining the status quo, despite the harm. We must think of how we can personally lend a hand in changing this in our own communities and social circles. Finally, we must change on a much larger scale, very particular and practical elements of this manifestation.

Continuing to reinforce and advocate for the image of a permanent criminal and essentially subhuman class of people by maintaining Immigrations Customs and Enforcement (ICE) in its current form; the raids that rake psychological gashes into entire communities, the booming detention center industry, stopgap measures like 287g, virulently anti-Spanish language and anti-Mexican rhetoric blasted out over acceptable media outlets, as well as continuing to build up a heavily militarized border-this can end in nothing but more violence against and deaths of Latinos/as in the US, and on a growing scale.

There are those who turn away from trying to alter the course of something seemingly so large, or who simply grow more cynical and bitter with each new injustice. They would have you believe the US will never learn, that this government and this culture are incapable of remembering or acting on the very important lessons from which we bear national scars already; lessons that would prevent us from repeating yet another harm against yet another group of people of color; but in new ways and in a new year.

The Sanctuary Editors reject such a view in favor of self-empowered, self-organized social change. We know it will not be easy to turn this tide. But we must. Such a change is incumbent upon all of us and we will all pay a price if we do not succeed, with both a further lose of life, and our own humanity. We must pass humane legislation, and demand that true justice play out in our courts. We must insure that civil rights be protected. We must loudly expose and forcefully challenge any pundits or politicians who are constructing a subhuman class with their words and actions, and as bloggers and activists who fight for human rights, we must hold our fellow activists equally accountable to take a strong stand on the right side of the bright line drawn by this tragedy. Luis Ramirez will never come back to his family. Let us ensure that his life was not lost in vain.

Content is republished in full from The Sanctuary.