VOLUME 6, ISSUE 12 • December 2001
| #Center for Nonviolence | #FREE SPEECH WON
#Is it twiddle dum or twiddle dee for DA ¿?
|
#Peace with Justice
|
#WHY HAVE A DEATH PENALTY MORATORIUM? |
by
Peter Hudson
Local activists are continuing to pursue the development of a Fresno Indymedia Center. Indymedia is an international network of community based news groups delivering multimedia alternative news over Internet.
Indymedia centers have provided a means for activists to get news, which is not adequately covered by mainstream media outlets.
The anti-war movement is covered in depth as is the anti-globalization movement. Events such as the Seattle, Quebec, and Genoa anti-globalization protests were covered from a progressive and activist perspective. Indymedia Centers are usually non-hierarchical organizations with consensus based decision making.
Approximately six months ago a group of young local activists initiated the Fresno Indymedia project, telephoning and meeting with Indymedia representatives from San Francisco.
Lauren Ferber, a leader in the group, has identified resources to start the Indymedia project. This includes people willing to provide media content and work on site maintenance as well as several possible locations for the Indymedia Center.
Currently the greatest need is for a web programmer knowledgeable in the use of HTML, Perl, CGI and PHP.
Three demonstration web sites have been started to test the Indymedia concept in Fresno. The sites provide links to local news stories posted on existing Indymedia resources. The first is a site for Sunday ’s "Food Not Bombs" group set up by Lauren Ferber.
The second is a web magazine "The Fresno Progressive" maintained by Peter Hudson with information about "Peace Fresno," a local peace group affiliated with the Fresno Center for Non-Violence.
The web addresses are:
home.earthlink.net/~fresnoprogressive
If you are interested in participating, Lauren Ferber can be reached at (559) 226-4304, laurenliberty@mediaone.net and Peter Hudson: (559) 225-5842. fresnoprogressive@earthlink.net
by Greg Fletcher
Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer admitted privately that some form of civilian police oversight is "inevitable" in Fresno, but he told the Central California Criminal Justice Committee (CCCJC) that he will defer to the judgment of the Mayor and the City Manager regarding the CCCJC’s proposal.
The CCCJC is presently taking its civilian police review proposal to the city government to obtain support for its implementation. Besides Dyer, members of the Committee have met with the Human Relations Commission. Meetings are being set up with all members of the City Council, as well as the Mayor, the City Manager, the City Attorney, and the president of the Fraternal Order of the Police.
At this time the response is guardedly supportive.
The committee will submit its proposal to the voters if the city government is unresponsive. The proposal consists of a hybrid of the various forms of civilian police review which are in place in other cities in California, with an emphasis on the San Jose model, which seemed to the committee to provide oversight of a broad range of complaints and police practices, while remaining relatively cost-effective.
San Jose has an Independent Police Auditor, who is in charge of oversight of all Internal Affairs investigations of complaints of police abuse and misconduct, and who has access to all information connected with such investigations, including police personnel records. The Independent Auditor keeps statistics regarding complaints against the police, and can recommend policy and procedure changes to the police department.
The Auditor also performs community outreach in order to help make the citizens feel comfortable filing a complaint against the police.
The CCCJC proposal for Fresno includes an Independent Auditor as well as a volunteer Civilian Police Review Board, to be composed of members of the community, which will coordinate oversight of the Fresno Police with the Independent Auditor.
It remains to be seen whether the police union, and the rank and file officers, will be willing to even consider the concept of civilian oversight. It is also unclear how the City Council will respond to the request to fund an Independent Police Auditor and staff from the city budget.
With accounting errors creating a two million dollar shortfall in the Fresno Police budget, it will require a groundswell of support from the community to convince the City Council to set aside money to fund community oversight of the police.
Anyone interested in seeing police accountability become a reality in Fresno should contact all of their elected city officials and communicate their support for the CCCJC’s proposal.
Copies of the proposal, as well as endorsement petitions can be obtained from the Committee. Contact the Central California Criminal Justice Committee at P.O. Box 4555, Fresno, CA 93744, or call Greg Fletcher at (559) 455-9235 .
Police review needs a groundswell of support!
By Mike Rhodes & Bob Fischer
Anti-sweatshop
activists have demonstrated against The Gap on the first Saturday of
every month for nearly two years, and in that time we have opened up the Fashion
Fair Mall to expressive activity.
Now, community groups can hand out fliers inside the mall, talk with shoppers about important issues, and even hand out STOP GAP SWEATSHOP balloons to kids, all with no censorship by Fashion Fair security or management.
The anti-sweatshop demonstration at Fashion Fair last month might have been the last one regularly scheduled, as local activists felt they needed to shift their focus to stopping the bombardment of Afghanistan and defending civil liberties against attacks by Bush II.
But Fashion Fair is forcing us to continue the demonstrations indefinitely.
The Gap 19 achieved a clear victory in Superior Court when Judge Hamlin declared that our actions on May 6, 2000 are protected by the Constitution. He threw out the criminal charges and declared, "with prejudice," that we had won the legal battle. It turned out that we had won the battle, but not the war.
We figured, after winning the judge’s ruling, that we would go with our signs and fliers back to the front entrance of Fashion Fair one last time, demonstrate that we had won the right to exercise free speech, declare our victory, and then move on to work against the U.S. permanent war and oil grab in the Middle East. But nooooo, that would have been too easy.
A couple of days before the November 3rd demonstration, we started getting calls from Fashion Fair security and their legal counsel telling us that if we were to exercise what Judge Hamlin said was our Constitutionally protected rights at the mall, then they would have us arrested (again!).
As Green Party activist and frequent demonstration participant Michael Feliciano said "these people are in deep denial over their loss in the courtroom."
We pointed out to Fashion Fair security and their legal counsel that they had lost in court, and that we have a legal right to engage in expressive activity at the mall.
They were not impressed with the "finer points" of the law and said that they had already talked to Rene Martin of City Police Dept. who had agreed (again!) to accept demonstrators arrested by Fashion Fair security.
This stunning, 2nd time around, denial of our civil rights by Macerich Company’s legal counsel and the city police flies right in the face of Judge Hamlin’s legal ruling. But wait! There’s still more!
Macerich Company’s legal counsel informed us that the District Attorney Ed Hunt has reassigned this case to a new prosecutor, and that the DA intends to appeal Judge Hamlin’s decision to the 5th Court of Appeals. If the DA prevails there, he will put us back on trial for the same charges that Judge Hamlin dismissed.
The DA had 60 days from the October 9 ruling to appeal, but as of press time we have had no confirmation of an appeal by the DA’s office.
On the advice of legal counsel, anti-sweatshop activists decided not to risk getting arrested at the November demonstration. Everyone agreed that there would be nothing gained by having more people in criminal proceedings at this time.
Instead, protestors lined Shaw Avenue with anti-sweatshop posters and took their message to the streets. Appreciative drivers honked their support.
Inside Fashion Fair the anti-war group Peace Fresno handed out fliers and talked to shoppers at a table that anti-sweatshop protestors helped them get. The mall is obligated by law to provide community groups with reasonable access to shoppers, including a literature table, the ability to hand out fliers, and the right to talk with their neighbors about important issues. We have held Fashion Fair to the letter of the law, and made them provide us with those things.
We cannot stop in courts or on streets...
What we are struggling over now is our right to stand at the front entrance of the mall with signs, and hand out fliers to shoppers. Judge Hamlin specifically said that Fashion Fair ’s lawyers CANNOT write their own laws that determine what citizens can do at the mall. If a group is engaged in "Constitutionally Protected Activity" Fashion Fair CANNOT have them summarily arrested for that activity!
We are determined to make that ruling stick, even if we have to go all the way to California Supreme Court.
In addition to that battle in the criminal courts, the Gap 19 is pursuing a civil action against Fashion Fair for its violation of our civil rights when it ordered its private police force to arrested us for peacefully demonstrating in May of last year. Fashion Fair must be made to understand that it can’t arrest people who are exercising their First Amendment rights.
We cannot stop fighting in the courts, and we cannot stop demonstrating on the sidewalks, until we make Macerich Company understand and respect the right of the people to freedom of speech, and to peaceably assemble to seek a redress of grievances.
With the goal of having at least one person leafleting in front of every Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy store on the face of the earth (approximately 3,000 stores worldwide). Go to http://www.gapsucks.org/ for more information.
The Fresno Free College Foundation (FFCF) awarded this year’s Free Speech award to The Gap 19 Free Speech Defenders.
The award, given at the FFCF annual banquet on November 9, was presented to the defendants and their attorneys for their tireless work in defending Free Speech and Civil Liberties.
FFCF President Rych Withers pointed to the long history of struggle for Free Speech in Fresno - The IWW in 1910-11, the struggle at CSUF in the 60’s and 70’s, and now the anti-sweatshop Free Speech struggle.
The Gap 19 defendants and legal counsel each received a certificate acknowledging their important contribution in the fight for Free Speech. They shared this year’s Free Speech award with Distinguished Journalist Amy Goodman, producer of Democracy Now In Exile.
A project of the Central Valley Partnership for Citizenship
For more information contact: Myrna Martinez-Nateas at
559-222-7678 or Erica Kohl at 510-653-1255
by Ed Eames
Chair of the Fresno Americans with Disabilities Act Advisory Council.
Struck by a car as he was traveling in his power wheelchair next to the curb on Palm Avenue near Cornell. Elias Gutierrez, a 60-year-old activist for the disabled, was killed, Sunday morning, March 18.
Two days earlier, Gutierrez was speaking at a Fresno Disabilities Advisory Council meeting. With palpable fear in his voice, he again noted the danger he faced on a daily basis traversing the streets of our city. He was describing how he would be a victim of the city ’s lack of concern and wanton disregard for the safety of its citizens.
Most of the regulars were at the meeting. There were people from the Fresno Center for Independent Living, The National Federation of the Blind and the California Access Network. As chair of the Advisory Council, I was delighted to welcome several new wheelchair users to the group. In addition to disabled members of the community, representatives of the Fresno city administration were present. Dr. Bob Quesada, Deputy City Manager, acting as liaison between the city and the Advisory Council, sat on my right. Scattered around the table were representatives of the Fire Department, Convention Center, Public Works and Traffic Engineering.
The Fire Department reported that of the more than 1,000 fire hydrants inspected in the last month, none were in violation of the minimum mandated clear path of travel of 48 inches.
The Convention Center representative indicated the water fountain had been lowered to the required height and the women ’s toilet was being renovated to meet codes. Traffic engineering spokesperson reported on traffic signals where the crossing time had been extended to give pedestrians a fighting chance to get across the street.
The
Public Works representative talked about the proposed installation of
audible pedestrian signals at several high-traffic pedestrian crosswalks.
Gutierrez, a member of the Advisory Council for more than a year, pressed the
city representatives on what they were doing to remove parked cars blocking the
sidewalks in his neighborhood. These vehicles were forcing him out into the
street on a major road leading to the airport, he said, and he had had several
near-accidents. He was told that the area in question was a county pocket within
Fresno, and the city could do nothing about ticketing the drivers or removing
the cars. We all joined Gutierrez in expressing our dismay at this impasse. The
discussion then turned to the lack of curb ramps in the city.
Once again Gutierrez spoke, telling of his inability to get to bus stops because of the lack of curb ramps. All Fresno city buses are equipped with wheelchair lifts, he said--but what use were they when you couldn’t get to them because you couldn’t get up or down the sidewalks?
Others voiced the same complaint. Ever since joining the Advisory Council, Gutierrez had been complaining about the lack of sidewalks and curb ramps in Fresno.
He had been forced into the streets to travel from his home to stores, recreation centers and friends’ homes. Gutierrez was foretelling his own death. That evening, Fresno television stations broadcast the image of an over-turned wheelchair on the sidewalk, and a single shoe in the street. It made a profound emotional impact. The news report that night did not mention Gutierrez by name.
We didn’t know until the Fresno Bee published his name in a follow-up story the next day that the man killed had been our Elias. Learning of his death, I became depressed, as did most of the Advisory Council members. The motorist who killed Gutierrez admitted he was driving 40 miles an hour on a local street when he decided to switch lanes. The 40 miles an hour was the posted speed limit, even though it was a residential area. The motorist had not seen the wheelchair until it was too late. For years, members of the Advisory Council had been exhorting city traffic engineers to lower speed limits and prolong crossing times at traffic signals. The city would always respond that our needs as pedestrians had to be balanced with the needs of motorists who had to get where they were going as quickly as possible.
We were continually told that any increase in time for motorists at red lights would lead to more road rage, resulting in even more violence against pedestrians and other drivers.
Our right to safe passage seemed never to enter the equation. Gutierrez’s daughter arrived in Fresno several days later to go over his things. She told me that in his journals Gutierrez constantly wrote of the fear he felt every time he went out in his wheelchair. For many of us, depression soon turned to anger when we learned that the motorist who killed Gutierrez was being only cited for driving without a license. Had Gutierrez been non-disabled, his death would have been considered manslaughter, we felt sure. Enraged by the incident and the manner in which it was being treated, we scheduled a public meeting on May 2. The city would have to answer some questions.
Our press conference May 1 had been planned to coincide with a City Council meeting. The four local network affiliates and the Fresno bilingual TV station all covered our statements, weaving in footage of the spot where Gutierrez was killed.
The coverage helped spread the word about the next day’s event. The public meeting the following day was packed. Gutierrez’s daughter from Connecticut and his former wife from New Mexico were there as well.
Calling the meeting to order, I asked the group for a moment of silence in tribute to our dead activist I had given considerable thought to what I wanted to see accomplished in this session. I wanted the city to know we would not let this incident go unnoticed. I wanted members of the disabled community to seize the opportunity to express their fears, hopes and anger in the presence of city officials and the press. I wanted to begin the development of a plan of action to avoid a repetition of this tragedy.
As I sat in the seat reserved for the President of Fresno City Council, I thought about how unresponsive this body had been to the needs of Gutierrez and other wheelchair users. When Sgt. Jim Lusk of the Traffic Division confirmed that driver had merely been cited --for driving without a license --disabled people demanded to know why charges of vehicular or involuntary manslaughter had not been lodged. Lusk said it might take up to six months to complete the investigation; it would then be up to the district attorney’s office whether to press manslaughter charges.
We were dismayed to hear the police say they had no idea as to the whereabouts of the driver. We were told that since 1992 fewer than 400 corners in the city had been retrofitted with curb ramps. We learned the city had written to the Department of Justice in 1996 requesting an exemption from the ADA Title II mandate requiring curbs be ramped! The city had told DOJ there were more than 10,000 corners in Fresno needing curb ramps; despite this, a spokesperson said the Fresno Public Works Department was asking the city for only $175,000 for the next fiscal year --to install 130 ramps.
We disabled people were stunned. We felt betrayed by the city. The meeting wasn’t just about curb ramps. City officials were asked about increased time for pedestrians to cross at traffic lights, installing audible pedestrian signals, removing barriers on sidewalks, providing access over railroad crossings.
An amazing number of wheelchair pedestrians told the meeting that they, too had been involved in accidents, or nearly missed being hit. Over and over we heard, "We need sidewalks! We need ramps! We need time to get across streets!" Our anger was permeating the chamber. A city staffer said he "sympathized with the plight of wheelchair users." "We don’t want sympathy, we want action!" an Advisory Council member roared back. Something had to be done, we all agreed, to avoid a repetition of the events leading to Gutierrez’ death. The city had to lower speed limits. It had to install curb ramps. It had to increase pedestrian street crossing time at traffic signals. It had to enforce the laws about cars and obstacles obstructing sidewalks.
At an emotional budget hearing held on June 5, members of the Advisory Council urged the City Council to allocate $500,000 for cutting curbs, up from the $175,000 target that had been sought. When the final budget was adopted, the recommended $500,000 allocation for curb ramps had been reduced to $225,000.
In July, the Fresno police department finished its investigation of the incident. They found the driver was going 48 mph and was at fault for not having a clear view of the road on the right when he decided to pass the car in front of him. They recommended to the district attorney that vehicular manslaughter charges be lodged against the driver. A county-wide campaign is underway to pass a half-cent sales tax to appropriate funds for transportation. As a member of the Steering Committee convened to plan expenditures of the new tax income, I am working to include funding for audible pedestrian signals, sidewalk curb cuts, longer crossing time at signals and pedestrian overpasses at high traffic intersections --so members of the Fresno disabled community will have a fighting chance to stay alive.
In Sacramento, California’s capitol, the City Council approved a plan in January to spend $4.5 million annually installing or retrofitting more than 50,000 ramps over the next several decades. The plan came about as a result of a lawsuit filed years ago --1992 --by the Oakland-based Disability Rights Advocates.
In November, U.S. District Judge Milton L. Schwartz ruled that Sacramento had "failed to meet its obligations" under the Americans with Disabilities Act by not installing cuts or repairing bad curb cuts when it resurfaced streets. But whether the ADA also requires cities to remove obstacles on sidewalks --bus shelters, benches, poles --that block access--is a question that’s now been appealed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
"Protesting is the most effective way of influencing public opinion at the local level,"says Vincent Lavery, a veteran of anti-war movements over the past decades. Lavery speaks for many peace activists mobilized by the September 11th tragedy and subsequent "War On Terrorism."
Ken Hudson, an activist against the war said, "On September 11th my wife and I looked at each other and said ...almost simultaneously, ‘we have to do something.’" Jim Bartram said," (The war) is much more likely to produce terror than put a stop to it. In the process it will further victimize the innocent civilians in Afghanistan."
Three
peace activist groups have formed as Fresnans respond to the war: Peace Fresno,
Campus Peace and Civil Liberties Coalition and Student Action Front. Peace
Fresno emerged from meetings at the Fresno Center for Non-Violence forming
street action, media accountability, education, and teach-in committees. Peace
Fresno activists leafleted shoppers in Fresno ’s Fashion Fair Mall while
protests against the GAP took place outside.
The Campus Peace and Civil Liberties Coalition has organized tabling in the free speech area at CSUF and a series of forums. The Student Action Front staged a street theater protest marching into the Fall Military Showcase recruitment day at FCC wearing bloody fatigues and carrying a flag draped coffin.
Anti-war activity started September 16, when 400 people marched from the Wesley United Methodist Church to the Masjid Fresno Mosque to oppose military action. The Mosque has been holding a series of community events and a panel discussion on terrorism was held at the Unitarian Universalist Church. The Student Action Front distributed educational videotapes on Islam. Street demonstrations at Shaw and Blackstone are continuing every Friday.
When bombing started October 7 more than 50 people came out to the street protest. At CSUF a group of Arab students organized a protest against the war, and at FCC Rod Gaudin has been conducting a forum series the "War on Terrorism."
On
another front, Abdo Ali Ahmed was killed in his market in Reedley in a crime
probably motivated by hate. A press conference was held by the Fresno-Area
Muslim Leaders at Fresno City Hall to call for investigation of the murder as a
hate crime.
An anti-war protester was hit in the chest with a bottle thrown by a motorist, windows have been broken and threatening letters received. Vicki Fouts said "I did the protest thing one time and it scared me," reflecting the fear many Muslims in our community express. In response the Fresno Center for Non-Violence facilitated a forum on hate crime prevention at Masjid Fresno Mosque with representatives from Global Exchange and National Lawyers Guild.
Upcoming anti-war events include a forum at CSUF "Bin Laden and Taliban: The New US War Against ‘Terrorism ’, and a Peace Day concert with Michael Parenti and Spearhead in February.
More information about local anti-war movement is available at:
home.earthlink.net/~fresnoprogressive
fresnoalliance.com/home/calender.htm
For an up to the minute listing of all Peace actions in the Fresno area and how you may join call the Fresno Center for Nonviolence at 559-23PEACE (559) 237-3223.
Every Monday 6:30 PM The CSUF Campus Peace &Civil Liberties Coalition meets in Social Sciences Room 205B. There is another, more social meeting on Tuesdays from 4 pm to 5:30 pm in the Coffeehouse on campus. They have a table on Wednesdays and Thursdays in the Free Speech area from 12 Noon to 2 pm. For more information, e-mail: oscartategilmore@hotmail.com
Every Tuesday 6:00-6:30 AM SILENT VIGIL at First Congregational Church of Fresno, 2131 N. Van Ness, in memory of the people killed on Tuesday, Sept. 11th. Everyone welcome. Bring a candle if you can. Nora DeWitt/FCCF Community Outreach, 225-1894 (eve)
Every Tuesday 7 PM Meeting of the Student Action Front will be at 743 E. Weldon in the Tower District. Help organize further actions in Fresno to promote unity through peace. Contact Lauren Ferber laurenliberty@mediaone.net for more information.
Every Tuesday 6:30 PM The Fresno Peace Committee will hold an anti-war organizing meeting at the Fresno Center for Nonviolence at 985 N Van Ness. If you want to help STOP THE WAR - come to this meeting!
Every Wednesday and Friday 4:30 PM A demonstration for peace will gather at Shaw and Blackstone until the crisis is over.
Every Friday 3 PM FRESNO CITY COLLEGE FORUM ON WAR AND PEACE. A series of forums on the Bush "War on Terrorism" and the alternative will be held every week at Fresno City College Forum Hall 101. The forum is free and open to the public. Forum topics will be announced on a weekly basis. For more information contact Rod Gaudin at 442-4600 est.8349.
by Celeste Cooke
a Sixth Grade Teacher and member of Project S.A.F.E. Students in America for
Friendship and Encouragement
One
of the most difficult tasks that I have faced as a teacher was on September 11,
2001. My sixth graders were scared, confused, and in need of knowledge and
assurances that they were safe. I made it a point to let them know that their
town of Corcoran, California was safe from attacks because while it is declared
as the "Cotton Capital of the World", it is so small that most maps do
not even show where it is. The relief in my students ’ eyes was something
I’ll never forget.
My students expressed a desire to reach out to those affected by the tragedy. My students made cards of sympathy and encouragement for both the New York and Corcoran firefighters, police officers, and emergency personnel. The students thanked them for being real American heroes.
One
day shortly after 9/11, a student relayed a rumor he heard about a local Middle
Eastern convenience store owner who had danced and laughed when he heard the
news of the attacks. Another student repeated a rumor he had heard of a
different store owner in town that had also danced and laughed while watching
the attacks on television. We discussed the harm that such rumors could create.
For the next few weeks we read about disturbing reports of hate crimes being
committed against peoples of Middle Eastern descent as well as others with
similar physical characteristics.
My students were saddened upon learning that a man from Yemen had been murdered in his convenience store in the nearby town of Reedley. My students decided to extend their card making to include the Middle Eastern/American business owners in Corcoran. They made cards of friendship thanking them for being great Corcoran citizens. The store owners were greatly appreciative of the students ’ kind act of friendship..
Several weeks later we found out that a local convenience store owned by two brothers from India had their windows shot out for the second time since 9/11. My students decided to involve the community with their card making project.
They chose October 27, "National Make A Difference Day "to launch Project S.A.F.E. which stands for: Students in America for Friendship and Encouragement.
"National Make A Difference Day "is a day that all Americans are asked to reach out and do something to help make our country an even kinder, better place to live. We submitted a letter to the editor of our local paper inviting the community to participate with Project S.A.F.E. on "National Make A Difference Day". We invited them to the convenience store that had their windows shot out to make cards of friendship and encouragement for all the Middle Eastern/American store owners in Corcoran.
On October 27, my students and several parent volunteers collected cards made by Corcoran citizens and gathered over 500 signatures on a petition requesting a proclamation from the City Council declaring Corcoran a "Hate Crime Free City." The cards were delivered that day. Once again, we were given heartfelt thanks for such acts of friendship. The store owners expressed that the cards not only meant a great deal to them, but to their spouses and children as well. The owners proudly taped the cards to their windows next to their American flag posters.
On November 6, eighteen of my sixth graders went to the City Council to present their petition and the resolution calling for Corcoran to be declared a "Hate Crime Free City. "The City Council voted unanimously in favor! The students explained to the City Council that they hope to expand Project S.A.F.E. throughout the country. They want school children and community members across America to make cards of friendship and encouragement for their local Middle Eastern/American business owners. They also want school children to submit petitions and a proclamation to their city councils to declare their city "Hate Crime Free ".My sixth graders now know that one person can make a difference!
Thirty-eight Corcoran sixth graders understand that a loving community is a colorful patchwork quilt sewn securely together with the precious threads of respect and compassion. A community, like a quilt, needs all the varied, yet equally important sections to be joined together to provide each citizen a warm and secure home. A safe home is one that celebrates the rich cultural diversity that enriches and strengthens each family member’s life.
Please join project S.A.F.E. Send cards of friendship and encouragement to your local Middle Eastern/American businesses in your community-your home. Help Make A Positive Difference. United We Stand.
For further information please contact Ms. Cooke and students at John Muir Middle School, 707 Letts Avenue, Corcoran, CA 93212 (559) 992-4167 or e-mail to ccooke@kings.k12.ca.us.
by Maria Telesco
THE BIG QUESTION: Do death penalty abolitionists want to bring a complete, total and permanent end to capital punishment, or do we just want a temporary delay until we can figure out if it ’s "fair?"
That debate has gone on for a few years among abolitionists, undecideds and legislators. On Saturday, November 2nd, representatives from Death Penalty Focus (DPF), Amnesty International (AI), California People of Faith Against the Death Penalty (CPF) and Californians for a Moratorium on Executions (CME) met in Sacramento to settle it once and for all: we want an immediate moratorium while we develop strategies to bring about complete and permanent abolition. Donna and Charlie Larsen, parents of a factually innocent son on death row, and Maria Telesco, represented the Fresno DPF and AI chapters at the meeting.
By
definition, a moratorium is a temporary stoppage or pause. Some legislators,
like Gov. George Ryan of Illinois, have declared moratoria while they conduct
studies regarding the fairness of the death penalty, examining factors such as
racism, poverty, ineffectiveness of counsel and factual innocence.
Many abolitionists, including Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking and unofficial, leader of the worldwide abolition movement, previously rejected the concept of a moratorium because she thought we should only work for permanent abolition. Sister Helen changed her thinking a couple of years ago, and headed up the Moratorium 2000 petition drive. This campaign has collected hundreds of thousands of signatures worldwide, including 37,000 from California.
CHIPPING AWAY
Activists finally realized we‘re not going to achieve full and total abolition in one fell swoop. We‘d have to chip away at the monolithic killing structure bit by bit. We‘ve campaigned to prohibit executions of mentally ill and mentally retarded inmates, with some success. We have attempted to stop executions of those who were under 18 at the time of their crime, but our states flout that provision of international law with depressing and shameful regularity. We struggle to bring cases of factual innocence to the powers that be so that more innocent people are not executed, and that has been an uphill battle: over 100 innocent men and women have had their sentences reversed and been released from death rows across the country, but experts fear there may be hundreds more like them who will die unexonerated.
The U.S. has the largest (combined) death row in the world, with nearly 3,800 men and 52 women waiting for the executioner. California has over 600 men and 12 women on death row. No other western democracy uses the death penalty, so we put ourselves in the company of Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and China.
Critics of the moratorium campaign, calling it "nothing more than a public opinion poll, a waste of time and ink," wondered why it wasn’t a ballot initiative.
For several reasons, organizers said:
 | Ballot initiatives cost upwards of $1 million, and we don ’t have that kind of money. |
| If a ballot initiative was a dismal flop, the effort would cost us public support and momentum, perhaps forever. |
| The signatures gathered now will not go to waste; they will be stored in a database, to be resurrected later when the time is right for a ballot initiative. |
THE GOAL
The goal of the campaign is to present Gov. Gray Davis with at least 100,000 signatures by May 1,2002, along with as many organizational endorsements as we can collect, urging him to declare a moratorium on executions in California. Should a moratorium take place, we will nevertheless continue our efforts to achieve total abolition.
Last month‘s Labor Community Alliance contained copies of the petition. Now that details have been ironed out, the moratorium campaign is fully in progress, and we need your support and cooperation. Those who already have petitions are asked to photocopy them, and return the completed forms to the address below.
Petitions and organizational endorsement forms are available from Maria at 255-9492 or at the Fresno Center for Nonviolence, 985 N. Van Ness Avenue.
by
Jeffrey W. Eisinger
On November 8, 2001, the Federal Election Commission issued a unanimous opinion recognizing the Green Party of the United States as the National Committee of the Green Party. For the Green Party, this is further evidence of its continued growth across the country and it lays the groundwork for a more coordinated nationwide organizing effort.
Although the national recognition would allow the Greens to accept contributions of up to $20,000 a year from individuals, the party has limited such donations to $10,000, and it continues to refuse corporate donations.
The FEC decision came two days after the nationwide elections which saw the number of elected Greens in the country increase to 110. In California, there are now 37 elected Greens, more than any other state in the union.
The rapid growth of the Green Party is attributable to the wide appeal of its Ten Key Values. If you would like to learn more about the Greens, or get involved in its local activities, visit our website at www.greens.org/cal/fresno or call 265-3647.
by Mike Rhodes
Support the world’s coffee farmers by taking part in a Fair Trade Coffee Day of Action December 8 and purchasing fair trade coffee in your local stores and cafes. The Community Alliance encourages you to buy a pound of organic Fair Trade coffee from your local store or café (see www.transfairusa.org for a list of stores or websites that carry Fair Trade coffee) If you don’t consume coffee, consider purchasing a Holiday gift of Fair Trade Coffee for a friend. Send email to fairtradeday@yahoo.com to report your purchase and get more info about Fair Trade.
While the world confronts a terrorist crisis, Mexico and Central America are facing a severe famine intensified by a crisis in the international coffee market. Today’s world market prices for coffee are at their lowest point in history. While coffee companies reap huge profits, millions of coffee farmers and workers face unemployment, land seizure, starvation.
Forced off their land
As a result of the low coffee prices, tens of thousands of Mexican coffee farmers have fled their fields in search of incomes to feed their families. The Salvadoran government acknowledged the loss of over 30,000 jobs due to the price slump. In Nicaragua, thousands of displaced coffee workers have set up makeshift refugee camps in regional cities to demand work, land, and food for their families.
Some 30,000 Panamanian indigenous families, who depend on seasonal coffee-picking wages, face hunger from plummeting prices .The World Food Program has estimated that 150,000 refugees have been created as a result of this crisis. Hundreds have died, and thousands may follow.
The good news is that consumers have the power to make a difference in farmers ’lives NOW! Together we can educate consumers and promote organic Fair Trade Certified coffee. Together we can expand the desperately needed market for fair trade coffee and send a powerful message to the coffee industry that consumers demand coffee free from social and environmental exploitation. Due to a lack of demand, very few coffee producers who strive to meet laudable labor and environmental standards are able to sell their product at the fair trade price.
Fair Trade:
- Ensures farmers receive a fair price for their harvest
- Creates direct trade links between consumers and farmer cooperatives
- Provides access to affordable credit, helping farmers stay out of debt
- Promotes sustainable environmentally practices.
Currently, Fair Trade Certified coffee is independently monitored by TransfairUSA (www.transfairusa.org).
POSITION FILLED: The Center is pleased to announce the appointment of an Assistant Center Director, Steve Malm. Steve has been closely associated with several Center allies and projects (including Death Penalty Focus, and "The Right Stuff from the Left"). He is also a working paralegal, and a single dad. Steve’s primary assignment will be to recruit and coordinate volunteers not only for the Center but also for our affiliates e.g. finding workers for the monthly Community Alliance collating party. He will also assist our Development Director, Angela Price, on special events. We welcome Steve onto our official team.
POSITION OPEN: We are still searching for a treasurer to replace David James, off to Africa on a mission assignment. We need someone with a grasp of accounting principles, able to work with our record keeping software, and willing to put in about 5 hours a month for a $50 stipend. If interested, call Richard at 266-2559.
PHONE-A-THON: By now many of you (our closest associates) will have received our annual solicitation letter--and perhaps even a follow-up call. Unlike Blanche DuBois, we rely on the generosity of friends rather than the kindness of strangers. Last year, your unprecedented support put us in the position to be a far stronger resource for peace-and-justice activities throughout Fresno. Help us sustain the work: for example, our funding for the Assistant Director position comes from our one-time matching grant fund and unless we raise enough money over basic operating expenses to renew the contract, we will be able to keep Steve on the job for less than a year. Those of you not on our list are also encouraged to support us. You get a subscription to this newsletter as a bonus.
BOARD CHANGES: At our November Board elections, Ray Ensher asked to be transferred from our working Board to our Honorary Board. He recruited Vicki Fouts as his replacement, and she was readily voted on as our newest Board member. We are still looking for additional Board members, especially from populations not now represented on the Board. Arthur Siegel, Maria Telesco and Vince Lavery were re-elected as Prez, Veep and Secretary respectively.
NOTES: Last month’s Book Sale raised just over $1000.
Thanks again to Johnny Bedrosian of the Armenian Deli for use of his lot; to Jennifer Renzi & Peter Hudson for access to their house next door; to Shirley Hart of Hart’s Haven Books for providing us with our basic stock; to Doug-Out Cookies and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts for the help with refreshments; and to all the donors, workers and shoppers who made this event a success.
The Center has become an official member of El Concilio de Fresno. Richard Stone will act as liaison. Several projects are being funded by our 3rd annual Peace Challenge, including proposals from Barrios Unidos, the Boys & Girls Clubs, and the Gay/Straight Alliance. Full details will be provided next month.
The Whitney Foiundation’s grant for our "Sane Living in a Violent World" program has been extended. Richard and Vincent have made recent presentation to EOC’s West Fresno Teen Connection, Gateway Schools, Edison High, and Ruiz Homes.
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, GIVE THE GIFT OF PEACE.
SUPPORT US...JOIN US. SHALOM! PAIX! PAZ! SAALAM!
(AND ALL THE LANGUAGES I DON ’T KNOW!)
THE WELCH REPORT
November 14, 2001
Jack H. Welch, M.D.DRUG PRICE DEBATE
"The debate over the price of the anti-anthrax drug, Cipro, has refocused attention on the cost of prescription medication in the US and around the world. Advocates for the elderly in the US want cheaper medications for seniors who lack prescription drug insurance." The cost of a 50-day supply of Prozac for treatment of clinical depression has been about $75 whereas cost of the same supply of the new generic Prozac, now available since expiration of manufacturer’s patent, is $19.
"AIDS activists want drug makers to allow cheaper ‘knockoffs’ in underdeveloped countries where patients cannot afford patented, brand-named medications." (Source: Los Angeles Times 9 Nov. ‘01)
BIG PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES EXPOSED
Pharmaceutical companies have cried loudly about their costs for research but it is aggressive and expensive marketing, which has caused the price increases, which have overwhelmed the ability of consumers to pay.
A recent National Institute of Health study found that more than half the money needed to develop the top selling prescription drugs actually came from us, the taxpayers. This study showed that public grants have accounted for some 85% of research and development costs of the five recent "best seller" drugs -which costs the big drug companies claim as basis for their excessively high prices!
A coalition of some 51 citizens groups, including the Congress of California Seniors, intends to hold drug companies accountable for an abuse of the public trust. They will work to create leverage for the consumer through litigation and publicizing of big pharmaceutical companies’ excesses. Importantly, they intend to convince the FDA to reject last minute maneuvers on patents which are preventing competition from generic drugs, and work to convince federal and state governments to hold hearings on companies’ price manipulation.
Congress drags its feet in coming up with a Medicare -administered prescription drug benefit program, even though 56% of Americans support such a plan. The coalition does not believe in President Bush ’s approach, putting private insurance in charge, but favors instead a system guaranteeing affordable prices for everyone under a Medicare-type program.
Consumer and senior advocates are largely united in demanding honesty in their statistics, and fair prescription drug pricing (one-third higher in the US than in Canada) by the pharmaceutical industry. Ultimately medications must be subject to the same scrutiny as any other segment of health care. (Source: Because People Matter Sept./Oct.‘01)
WTO TALKS OPEN AMID DRUG CLASH
As the World Trade Organization (WTO) conference opened recently in Qatar, no issue loomed larger than Third World access to affordable drugs. The differences on drug patents between rich and poor nations, however, were profound. This lack of affordable drugs is one factor contributing to the disease (e.g., AIDS) and misery in the Third World.
Our US Trade Representative has promoted the idea that the current WTO session is another front of the war in Afghanistan, "one directed at the poverty, despair and hatred that fuel terrorist movements ". (Source: Los Angeles Times 9 Nov. 2001)
DECEMBER WILPF EVENTS CALENDAR
• No Board/General Meeting in December
• Wed 26: "Stir It Up" WILPF-style. Tune in to KFCF 88.1 FM from 3:30 to 4 p.m. with hosts Lauralee Crain Carbone and Desi Cortez and guest Camille Russell from Peace Fresno.
2001 Peace Community Holiday Crafts Faire
SAT • DEC 1, 2001 • 10 am--4 pmat the First Congregational Church corner of Yale and Van Ness.
LOOK FOR the FABULOUS PEACE T-SHIRTS, PENS, STICKERS AND NOTECARDS
Besides the wonderful E-RACISM T-shirts that our branch has for sale, we now have available for purchase some wonderful items that Carol Bequette discovered.
• American "Peace" Flag T-shirts (short and long-sleeved) with the flag on the front.
• Small stickers of the American "Peace" Flag, perfect for any window so you can display your love for both America and peace.
• Peace Symbol lapel pins that everyone in the peace community should be wearing
• Original Art Notecards by our very own member Julie Young Andrews, are the last treasure we have to offer.
All of these items are wonderful for personal use or to give as gifts. For more information call Carol Bequette or come see the items in person at the Annual Peace Community Crafts Faire.
Call Zay (227-2133) or Carol (220-9661)
2001 JANE ADDAMS
PEACE AWARD WINNERSEvery year WILPF awards author, illustrators, and translators for their exemplary work in the field of books for children K-12 whose themes center around peace and human rights issues. Your Fresno WILPF branch has a long tradition of purchasing the award winning books every year and presenting several sets to schools in the Fresno area. If you value peace, justice the written word and the visual arts, think about giving a set to someone you love. They can be ordered through WILPF or through your local bookseller.
Here are the 2001 JAPA winners:
Writing Category: Esperanza Rising by Pam Munez Ryen
Picture Book Cartegory: The Composition by Antonio Skarmeta, illustrated by Alfonso Ruamo, translated by Eliza Amado
Honor Book Writing Category: The Color of My Words by Lynn Joseph;
Darkness Over Denmark: The Danish Resistance and the
Rescue of the Jews by Ellen Levine;
Walking to the Bus-Rider Blues by Harriette Gillem
Robinet Book Picture Category: The Yellow Star: The Legend
of King Christian X of Denmark by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrated by Henri Sorensen.WILPF WEST GATHERING
In response to several inquiries about a WILPF get-together in the West, local Branches are being asked if they will participate and commit to a WILPF West Gathering. The suggested dates are June 27-29, 2003. Those of you who have attended Cluster meetings know how much can be gained in sharing and networking with our WILPF sisters. This event will probably be held in either San Francisco (SFSU) or Monterey (Asilomar) unless a free place with the capacity to feed and house 75-100 can be located. Lauralee Crain Carbone of the Fresno Branch will handle the funding. The cost is estimated to be $6000 to $7500 and each Branch is asked to send $1 or more per member to get the funding started. If anyone would like to help with this WILPF (wild) West Gathering, contact Carol Bequette at 229-9661.
NEW MEMBERS
TO ADD TO YOUR WILPF DIRECTORY
Maria G. Delgado: 347-0798, 4969 N. Backer Ave., #146 Fresno, CA 93726 purple80lady@hotmail.com
Ednie Garrison: 1264 North Arthur St., Fresno, CA 93728 egarrison@csufresno.edu Gabrielle Kirkland: 875-0057, 2945 N. Bethel Sanger, CA 93657 ggabriellef@netscape.net Luis Mendoza: 230-1394, 4851 N. Cedar Ave., #127, Fresno, CA 93726 lom11@csufresno.edu Stefanie Monahan: 439-6378, 363 W. Barstow Ave., Fresno, CA 93704 stefdownunder25@hotmail.com Fabiola Valdez: 292-1821 4965 N. Woodrow Ave., #220, Fresno, CA 93726 tapatia4ever@hotmail.com If you’re a WILPF member, we encourage you to submit any information you have and want to share with other members. Call or email Zay at 227-2133 / zaygb@earthlink.net And thanks to this month’s contributors for the wonderful info they provided.
Filing deadline Dec.7
Is it twiddle dum or twiddle dee for DA ¿?
By Cindy Calvert and Mike Rhodes
In March, Fresno County voters will elect a new District Attorney. After twenty years of Ed Hunt’s tenure, there will be a new DA at the helm. But how new and different will that person be?
The three candidates are all currently working at the DA’s office as prosecutors. All three are registered Republicans. (The District Attorney’s race is a nonpartisan one.) All three are white. Two are men and one is a woman. Dennis Cooper has been a prosecutor in the Fresno DA ’s office for 22 years.
Elizabeth Egan has been an attorney since 1995, and prior to starting her legal career, she was national sales manager of her family’s business.
Jeffrey Hamilton has been an attorney since 1993, and prior to the DA’s office he worked as an attorney at the Fresno law firm, McCormick, Barstow, Sheppard, Wayte, and Carruth.
So what are these candidates about?
It’s hard to tell if any of them share the concerns and values of the left/progressive community. This is a law enforcement job and the candidates all proclaim to be tough on crime. We sent a questionnaire to the candidates covering topics ranging from management of the DA’s office to areas of concern such as the death penalty, racial profiling, police crimes, three strikes, juveniles, and free speech demonstrations.
All favor the death penalty, three strikes, and aggressive prosecution of serious and violent crimes. None talk about police crimes, white collar crimes, or political corruption as needing the attention of the prosecutor ’s office.
Cooper’s campaign proclaims that he has put more people on death row than any other prosecutor in Fresno County. Hamilton mentions the usefulness of alternative punishments and rehabilitation options, as well as the success of the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) at Juvenile Court.
Egan says she would expand prevention and intervention programs, including community outreach.
Cooper did not respond to the questions we sent, but rather sent a letter describing himself and his qualifications. In the letter he wrote at length about his working class background and his hard work.
He promotes his long tenure as a working prosecutor, as compared to the lesser experience of his opponents, as his strongest asset. Egan emphasizes her business experience which will allow her to "smoothly take over the reins of ... a 600 employee department with a $40 million budget."
Hamilton refers to the DA as the "People ’s Lawyer," lists his community activities, and emphasizes his good working relationships.
There are differences among these three, but the differences are mainly in style, personality, and experience. None shares the progressive view of the world we would want. None mentions the root causes of crime. None acknowledges the invidiousness of racism and poverty in the criminal "justice" system..
None addresses the horror of a developing prison based economy. We would all benefit from a DA candidate whose vision and whose dialogue with constituents encompassed these broader issues of race, economics, and class.
The filing deadline for this race is December 7.
The Community Alliance encourages anyone with a progressive position on criminal justice issues to enter the District Attorney’s race and create a debate about issues like the death penalty, three strikes you’re out, and how to prioritize what cases to prosecute.
With all three declared candidates taking a conservative position on the issues -could a progressive/left candidate split the vote and win ¿? It would be interesting to find out. At the very least it would be an opportunity to broaden the discussion about criminal justice issues in this community.
Join Jan. "Living the Dream"
"Living the Dream - let freedom ring for economic and social justice" is the theme for the MLK celebrations running from January 18 through January 21. The highlight is a freedom march on the 21st. Community groups, churches, unions, schools, and individuals are invited to participate, enter floats, bring their banners and sing and chant.
Long time labor leaders Dolores Huerta of the United Farm Workers union and Eliseo Medina, Western Vice President for the Service Employees International Union are the invited speakers at the march.
Groups are being encouraged to enter floats that will highlight the struggles past and present for economic and social justice.
Entry requests should be sent to Gail Gaston at gdemvote@aol.com or the MLK organizing committee at City Hall in Fresno on or before January 1, 2002. The committee is also accepting nominations for the MLK awards for individuals who have worked for social justice and civil and human rights on a sustained basis. For a nomination form contact John Rouse at (559) 445-4166. Nominations must be submitted by December 14, 2001.
Community Alliance
The Community Alliance newsletter is an independent voice for workers and progressive groups in Fresno and the Central San Joaquin Valley. We support the struggle for social and economic justice and believe that all workers should be paid a living wage. The Community Alliance is affiliated nationally with Jobs with Justice. Meetings are held on the last Monday of each month at The Fresno Center for Nonviolence, 985 N Van Ness at 6:30 PM. This newsletter is published monthly.
Editor: Mike Rhodes
Editorial Board Members:
Nancy Marsh, Ed Perez, Leonel Flores
Jeffrey Paris, Diane Scott, Greg Fletcher
Richard Stone, Pam WhalenCommunity Alliance
P.O. Box 5077
Fresno, CA 93755(559) 233-3978 / 226-3962 (fax)
E-mail: AllianceEditor@comcast.net
http://www.fresnoalliance.com/home/For advertising rates see:
http://www.fresnoalliance.com/home/ad%20rates.htm
This project is funded in part by the Unitarian Universalist Fund For a Just Society
[ Up ] [ January 2001 ] [ February 2001 ] [ March 2001 ] [ April 2001 ] [ June2001 ] [ July 2001 ] [ August 2001 ] [ September 2001 ] [ October 2001 ] [ November 2001 ] [ December 2001 ] Designed and maintained by:
Hume Printing and The Community Alliance ©2003
Contact webmaster@fresnoalliance.com
