When there are no Mulligans

Written by James E. Johnson Jr.

It keeps coming at me like the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Since I read the New Yorker article in September I have not been able to get beyond the story of Cameron Todd Willingham.

My mother always told me to put myself in someone else’s place as a way to a better empathize or understand what that person is going through. And yet I cannot come close to imagining what Cameron Todd Willingham was going through in his last moments.

Two days before Christmas in 1991, a fire rushed through the Willingham home and killed all three of Cameron Willingham’s daughters. According to some eye witness accounts, after Willingham escaped the… Read more

Politics

Crosspost: Criminals Target Hispanic Immigrants

Written by Imagine 2050 Editors

An interesting article, Criminals Target Hispanic Undocumented Immigrants, by the Utne Reader discusses how immigrant communities are victims of crime more often than ordinary citizens, and how a lack of trust in law enforcement contributes to the problem.

Thieves and violent criminals frequently target Hispanic immigrants in U.S. cities, zeroing in on a community that, due to an often justified distrust of law enforcement, is unlikely to report being victimized. Especially vulnerable are people who are undocumented.

“Day laborers operate in a shadow economy, where they are often paid under the table, in cash,” writes Urbanite (June 2009). Those who are here illegally “are reluctant to use U.S. banks or… Read more

Immigration

Anti-Immigrant Forces Hold Rally in Maryland

Written by Imagine 2050 Editors

The Sanctuary posted a great article by CASA de Maryland about an anti-immigrant rally with very low attendance. If only all anti-immigrant events were as unpopular.

Last week, a conglomeration of anti-immigrant groups, led by “Help Save Maryland” and FAIR (recognized a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center), organized a rally against my organization, CASA de Maryland.

The heavily promoted rally, which was announced in CAPITAL LETTERS on the website of Help Save Maryland, was supposed to draw the anti-immigrant forces from around the state. Their website implored:

Politics

Judges stave off Sheriff Joe…for now

Written by Stephen Piggott

Sheriff Joe Arpaio opened another circus act yesterday when his agents raided a social service agency. This followed federal racketeering suits against four judges, two county board supervisors and their attorneys. In the wee hours of the morning, Appeals Court Presiding Judge Maurice Portley signed a temporary order banning Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his goons from gaining access to the home computer of Superior Court Judge Barbara Mundell. Mundell is one of four judges named in a federal racketeering suit filed by Arpaio. This is the third time this year Sheriff Joe has tried to gain access to the computer files of Judge Mundell.

It is obvious that Arpaio is desperate to read… Read more

Politics

Immigration, it’s Complicated

Written by Sarah Viets

It’s not surprising to see the John Tanton Network operating within white nationalist circles. Indisputable facts highlight the Network’s controversial history. Using the Tanton Network as a leading authority on immigration is unacceptable, especially since one of its editors now serves as a trustee for the white nationalist organization, New Century Foundation.

Wayne Lutton is the editor of The Social Contract, a quarterly journal published by John Tanton’s financial umbrella, U.S. Inc., both are affiliates of the John Tanton Network. According to the New Century Foundation’s 2008 tax documents, he is also listed as one of the Foundation’s trustees. In 1994, Jared Taylor founded the New Century “To study immigration and race relations… Read more

Politics

The Circus Continues: Arpaio Raids Social Service Agency

Written by Jill Garvey

Thursday afternoon Sheriff Arpaio’s deputies raided the offices of a social service agency in Phoenix. This latest act of intimidation is tied to his ongoing attacks against Maricopa County supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox. Wilcox has been an outspoken opponent of Sheriff Arpaio’s. On Tuesday, County Attorney Andrew Thomas brought a grand-jury indictment against Wilcox. Ironically, Andrew Thomas is Sheriff Joe’s good buddy.

Arpaio and Thomas, who are the County’s top two law enforcement officials, have been embroiled in a nasty feud with county supervisors.

Arpaio’s deputies took boxes of paperwork from the agency, Chicanos Por La Causa, which was planning an anti-Arpaio demonstration. According to the Read more

Race – not an issue of the past

Written by Amy Mehta

Race – it’s a concept, a word, a phenomenon, an identifying factor, and an issue which has spanned many centuries and knows no geographic borders. Often, what comes to mind when people think of race in the U.S. is slavery and segregation in the South. Many think that due to the enactment of civil rights legislation, race is no longer a priority. This is because racism is not as blatant as it once was, but presents itself behind the scenes, which is why it is more important than ever to pay attention to it.

Where does racism still exist? Wherever we are willing to admit that it exists. After watching thirteen documentaries exploring different aspects… Read more

Politics

What Next? David Duke to testify on affirmative action?

Written by Eric Ward

Did you hear the one about the white nationalist network invited to participate in a Congressional hearing?

No? Well, sadly, that’s because it’s no joke.

The U.S. House of Representatives’ Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism Subcommittee, which is headed by Rep. Loretta Sanchez, has extended such an invitation to Mark Krikorian, who will testify today, Thursday, December 10th at 10 a.m.

The subcommittee hearing, “Moving Toward More Effective Immigration Detention Management,” will feature Krikorian alongside actual experts such as Dora Schriro, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Corrections; Christopher Crane, Vice President for Detention and Removal Operations at the American Federation of Government Employees National ICE Council – 118; Donald… Read more

Immigration

Frustrated Dreams

Written by Axel Fuentes

Sometimes I would like to ask those around me, how important is it to you to have education for all? Or how valuable is it to live in an educated community?

I am sure that most people would say, “Yes, education is very important and we want educated communities.” Would that be your personal answer? If so, you have a good sense of what it means to be a progressive member in your community. Congratulations! You are excluded from the group that wants to set back this nation.