Vaya con Dios dear SF Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi. Dear Ross...

... I'm not saying good bye, far from it, I'm welcoming you back to the civilian world -- Which will happen on Friday, January 8 2016 at noon -- and wishing you the best in all of your present and future endeavors. Count me in.

As a community activist, I know that we'll be meeting each other in the same circles, for, how could it be otherwise? Yes, you were what I refer to as a community activist who chose to also run for elected office to represent and serve the people from there, indeed Ross, that's my impression of you.

You were always with the people, in the good times and in the not so desirable ones, no matter the day, or the time of day, you were always there, in those moments of much need of support when we welcome the presence of humans' humane company and solidarity, especially in tragic moments, you were there.

A community's concern translated by you meant the need to do something about it, which you did so many times and sucessfully I might add. Plastic shopping bags poluting our streets, flying around in the wind tunnels that regularly are what we call 'the streets of San Francisco', chocking water fowl and fish in the bay, plugging our sewage systems? Presente! In those concerns you saw the need to do something, you did and it's been working like a charm ever since. Good job Ross.

Displacement of tenants? You were there, and are. Women's rights? You were there, and are. Gay rights? Or closer to me, Transgender issues? You were there, and are. Human and civil rights for immigrants? You were there, and are. Law enforcement and criminal prison system? You were there, and are. I could go on, and on listing all the issues whose concerned advocates can look at you and say, thank you Ross for being there for us.

And there were a few of them who called in the radio program you were on today, Jan. 4, '16. They took the opportunity to say 'thank you' on a day you went on radio, Hecho en California at La Grande, KIQI 1010AM in SF, for the last time as SF Sheriff to say good bye and thank the audience who in large part supported you, as it turns out, callers were the ones who felt they had to recognize your contributions and thank you instead. You were there for us.

Clip of his radio appearance

There is so much to do and the need to do something about it as you pointed out on the air today as you do everytime you get the chance to speak up. I know that you will continue to work in helping fix our broken justice system, even so you will no longer be an elected official, at least for the time being... (Emphasis added) but I know it will be a blessing in disguise your being out of office, sometimes people are far more effective and hence, successful working form the outside. No doubt you'll help move forward the innovative programs your predecessor, Sheriff Michael Hennessy, and you put into effect in the San Francisco City And County jail system; it is not a jail problem, but an education and training matter in preparing inmates deal once released with the vagaries that life and society present us with on a daily basis.

I'm with you that the drug problem is not a criminal matter, or an enemy that you need to declare war on it, it is a health issue and shoul be treated as such, by the same token, I'm also with you in that undocumented immigration it is not a criminal issue too, but a labor and human rights matter and the violations to immigration laws, are at best administrative violations. I'm with you in those as well because you've been there for us in these too.

So, again, welcome to the civilian world and now that you are in between jobs, join us in working from the outside for the time being!

I will be in touch...

2015: The Year in Mass Shootings

2015: The Year in Mass Shootings

So far this year there have been 353 mass shootings in the United States. Here they are.
By Tessa Stuart December 3, 2015

Mass shootings have happened almost every day in America this year — often more than once a day. They happen in backyards and at block parties, in mansions and housing projects, in quiet neighborhoods and at rowdy bars, at schools, restaurants, churches, gas stations and grocery stores. They are random, and they are premeditated. They happen during dice games, family dinners, funerals and sweet sixteens.

So far this year there have been 353 mass shootings in the United States, according the Mass Shooting Tracker, a crowd-sourced database. (The tracker defines a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are killed or wounded; the FBI uses three dead or wounded as its criteria.)

Here they all are, including Wednesday's attack in San Bernardino — the deadliest shooting in the U.S. since Sandy Hook.

January 1, 2015: Five wounded when a shooter opened fire on a party bus in Memphis, Tennessee.

January 2, 2015: One dead, four injured in a domestic dispute in Savannah, Georgia.

January 4, 2015: Three dead, one wounded in the early morning, in southeast Dallas, Texas.

Two dead, four wounded in Roanoke, Virginia.

January 6, 2015: One killed, three wounded in a drive-by shooting in Miami, Florida.

January 7, 2015: One dead, three wounded, including a one-year-old, in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

January 8, 2015: One dead, three wounded when a gunman opened fire on a car in Boston, Massachusetts.

January 9, 2015: Four dead in a San Francisco California's Hayes Valley neighborhood.

January 10, 2015: Three dead, one wounded after a shooting spree in Moscow, Idaho.

January 11, 2015: Five wounded during a party hosted by R&B singer Chris Brown in San Jose, California.                                      

Two dead, five wounded at a party in Hope Mills, North Carolina.

One dead, three wounded during a botched home invasion in Lakeland, Florida.

Five wounded at an off-campus party near Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama.

January 12, 2015: Two dead, two wounded in a fight outside a bar in Wichita, Kansas.

January 13, 2015: Five wounded in a shooting inside a bar in Portsmouth, Virginia. 

January 14, 2015: Two dead, three wounded at a house party in Rockford, Illinois.

January 19, 2015: Two dead, five wounded in a 100-person brawl at a car wash in San Antonio, Texas.

January 20, 2015: One dead, three wounded at an apartment complex in Clarksville, Tennessee.

January 23, 2015: Six wounded at a party in Boston, Massachusetts's Jamaica Plain neighborhood.

January 24, 2015: Three dead, five wounded at a party in Omaha, Nebraska.

Four dead, one wounded — three generations of women in one family — in Queens, New York.

January 26, 2015: One dead, three wounded, including a pair of cousins, in Stockton, California.

January 28, 2015: One dead, three wounded inside a home in DeKalb, Georgia. 

Donald Trump believes he was born to be king

Donald Trump believes he was born to be king



 



Op-Ed Donald Trump believes he was born to be king, By Michael D'Antonio

For months the political press has been grappling with the greased-pig problem that is Donald Trump, trying to pin down the Republican front-runner as he defies establishment expectations and rejects basic standards of decorum. Much of the time I devoted to my Trump biography was consumed with the same activity: I spent countless hours fact-checking the torrent of slippery claims he made during our interviews. Even more difficult was divining the source of his sense of entitlement.

Some who try to understand why Trump would do such things might wonder if he's a deeply wounded, insecure soul compensating with narcissistic bluster. This diagnosis doesn't fit the Trump who answered my questions for many hours, nor does it match the conclusion reached by his second wife, Marla Maples. “He's a king,” said Maples when I interviewed her. “I mean truly. He is. He's a king. He really is a ruler of the world, as he sees it.”

Maples suspects that Trump was a royal figure in some past life. More likely he acquired his reverse noblesse oblige by training from his father who, according to Trump biographer Harry Hurt III, raised young Donald to become “a killer” and told him “you are king.” His mother was so enchanted by royalty that Trump keenly remembers the hours she spent watching the TV broadcast of Queen Elizabeth's coronation.

Donald Trump attacks “low IQ” conservative Washington Post blogger for being “a real dummy”

Donald Trump attacks “low IQ” conservative Washington Post blogger for being “a real dummy”



 Donald Trump attacks “low IQ” conservative Washington Post blogger for being “a real dummy” by Scott Eric Kaufman Dec 2, 15

Jennifer Rubin criticized Trump's plan to have CNN pay him $5 million for next GOP debate, so he unloaded on her

Donald Trump attacked Washington Post “Right Turn” blogger Jennifer Rubin on Tuesday, calling her a “dummy” with a “low IQ” on Twitter after she criticized his idea that CNN pay him $5 million to appear in the next Republican presidential debate.

“In the latest bit of political insanity, Donald Trump has threatened not to show up at the next debate unless CNN agrees to give $5 million to charity,” Rubin wrote. “Why is he scared of debating his competitors?”

“The easiest explanation is that Trump has run out of one-liners,” she continued. “He cannot talk extemporaneously at length (at least not rationally) about policy issues, especially foreign policy, where he has blundered in the past[.]”

While Trump is frequently compared to “Biff Tannen” from the “Back to the Future” franchise — screenwriter Don Gale even admitted that the wealthy real estate tycoon version of “Biff” in the future featured in the second film was based on Trump — but apparently he has a little “Marty McFly” in him as well, as his ire with Rubin seems to be based on the fact that the headline of her post was “Is Donald Trump too chicken to debate?”

 

Deported for selling tamales? In California? PETITION: Governor Brown, Sign the TRUST Act

For anyone who may be insterested in continuing to be aware of these injustices or maybe get more involved, at least an opportunity to be aware that these tragedies continue unabated throughout the country and wishing that more than a few would sign the petition. Our long range hope is that in spite of the Latin-American community bitter cynicism and hurt (It can be perceived in Ruben Navarrete's piece), President Obama and progressive legislators who still have a soul, are reelected. There is much hope and fear that absent that, i.e. Romney and regressive legislators are reelected, we are left with not much else than prayers to alliviate the suffering.

Ruben Navarrette Jr. piece on this incident which goes into many details on these issue.

Don't deport the 'tamale lady'

San Diego, California (CNN) -- Juana Reyes didn't think that selling chicken, pork and chili cheese tamales would buy her a one-way ticket out of the country. But it just might.

Reyes is a Sacramento, California, woman who the media is calling "the tamale lady." A 46-year-old single mother of two and illegal immigrant, Reyes faces deportation by the Obama administration.

So what's the problem? Aren't illegal immigrants supposed to be deported?

Sure. But there are rules to the game, and the administration keeps breaking them. This case undermines the claim that the immigration crackdown is targeting hardened criminals.

Reyes' trouble started on June 28 when she was arrested outside a Walmart by Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies and charged with trespassing and interfering with a business.

What exactly was the interference? Reyes is unemployed. She was selling tamales so she could buy food and clothes for her two children -- 10-year-old Cesar and 7-year-old Montserrat, both of whom were born in the United States.

Think about it. This woman wasn't holding a handmade sign that read: "Will work for food." She was working by making food and selling it.

PETITION: Governor Brown, Sign the TRUST ActDeported for selling tamales?

Juana Reyes was arrested last month for selling tamales without a permit in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Now she’s facing deportation back to Mexico, even though she’ 

s been in the country for 20 years and she’s the sole provider for her two US citizen kids.

Sounds like something that would happen in Sheriff Joe’s Arizona, right? Wrong! This happened right in California’s capital, Sacramento.

Juana was held in jail for 13 days, and her two kids, both US citizens, were put in foster care. Who knows what will happen to them if she’s deported?

California may not have a tough anti-immigrant law like Arizona or Alabama -- but for Juana and her family, we might as well.

Last year, in California alone, 75,000 immigrants like Juana were deported after being arrested for traffic offenses, selling food without permits or other trivial violations, through a federal immigration program called “Secure Communities.”

You and I both know that California is better than this. We should not be rounding up immigrants in traffic stops or for the “crime” of trying to make a better life for their kids. That’s why we’re working to pass the TRUST Act, which would keep the so-called “Secure Communities” program in California from putting hardworking moms and dads on the fast-track to deportation.

While extremists in Arizona have passed laws that make a suspect out of anyone who looks “foreign,” California is poised to take a different approach. If the TRUST Act becomes law, California would set a new bar as a state where immigrants stopped for a broken taillight or for selling tamales on the street won’t automatically be put into deportation.

The TRUST Act would maintain immigration holds for those convicted of a serious felony, but mothers and fathers who get picked up for minor reasons wouldn’t have to worry about ending up in immigration detention or deportation. Think of all those families who won’t have to live in constant fear of the police!

The TRUST Act has already passed the California legislature. Now, all eyes are on Gov. Jerry Brown.

Ask Governor Brown to sign the TRUST Act today.

Speak up to petition the SFBOS to Reintate Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi to his elected post, with full powers, benefits and any due back pay - Tuesday July 31, 2012

http://www.facebook.com/events/270950219672507/permalink/270952529672276/
A still small group of Latin American community residents of San Francisco, friends and allies in other ethnic groups or communities, have committed to be at the meeting and during the Public Comment section speak in favor of and/or petition the Honorable Board of Supervisors To Reinstate Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi to his elected post, with full powers, benefits and all due back pay ; for anyone else that would want to also speak up, she/he will not be alone. We feel it is important to let the SFBOS know our opinion and wishes for the outcome of this matter.

In the conversations amongst us, we have come to agree that the July 31st, meeting is surely The One not to miss. The outcome on hearings related to the charge of Official misconduct by the Sheriff is still wide open and anything may/can happen.

Since it was not completely clear how we could proceed to communicate our concerns related to the Official Misconduct charges against our Sheriff, Ms. Vivian Imperiale volunteered to contact the Office of the Clerk of the Board, Ms. Angela Calvillo, to get the official explanation to our questions.

She called and gave us her report on what she was informed. Our thanks to much respected and loved friend Viv.

In the Agenda for the July 31st Hearing, there will be two Public Comment sections and we feel it is important to differentiate each public comments section so we can direct our comments to specifically address in the appropriate section any concerns that we may have:

Agenda Item # 62, "Public Comment", should start around 3:30 p.m. - The Hearing itself starts at 2:00 p.m. in The Legislative Chamber, room 250, at SF City Hall, this is the regular 'General Public Comments'; It is here where any concern or interest on any given issue can be raised to the Board; including petition them to address or take action in any issue or concern that members of the public may have; 

Agenda Item # 71, [Establishing Process for Official Misconduct Hearing], has its own Public Comment section, but the comments should be to specifically (ONLY) address concerns or questions about the Process that the SFBOS will set up for the Hearing after the Board receives the Ethics Commission's recommendations. (As per City Charter, this matter should be handled by the Board within 30 days after the date that the EC's Recommendations are received by the Board.) The Ethics Commission will hold what should be their last Hearing on the matter on August 16th (We will be present at that Hearing too)

For anyone interested in a more detailed understanding of what may happen in a SFBOS meeting on Item # 71 and that in the words of its President "... But we, of course, are free to discuss it next week and amend it if we so desire" Opens all kinds of possibilities, and for anyone who may want to consider on aspects of the Process the SFBOS will set up which are in need of attention and that could be subjected to amendment and implementation, we feel that these should be raised and it is here where it can/could be done.

We include for your perusal, review or analysis, materials related to the case in the event that it can be useful to somebody, including short descriptions/arguments on some points which raise grave concerns for the ones interested in a fair and just process on a precedent-setting matter, which will have serious impact on City Government's policies, practices and any future legislation, or voters' initiative(s) that may need to be passed to address an extremely problematic section in the City Charter, primarily due to its lack of specificity in dealing with vital issues of City Life; specifically, the power granted to the Mayor to make rulings or directives over duly elected officials. The potential for abuse of the provisions in this charter are patently clear, and in the opinion of an ever-growing segment of the SF population, this is exactly what Mayor Lee is doing in this case, which is to use City Government's Agencies in pursuit of a political power grab agenda regardless of the damage it can inflict as a result, or the implications in regards to policy-making decisions it will certainly have.

(included below for anyone interested in getting just a general (partial) overview of our positions)

SF Board of Supervisors set to approve process to hear SF Sheriff R. Mirkarimi misconduct charges [1:40 min.] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prKl8EtwvqE&feature=plcp

Agenda Item # 71 http://www.sfbos.org/ftp/uploadedfiles/bdsupvrs/bosagendas/agendas/2012/BAG073112.pdf
Resolution File # 120808  http://www.sfbos.org/ftp/uploadedfiles/bdsupvrs/bosagendas/materials/bag073112_120808.pdf

The 31st is their last meeting before their Recess, August 7* ,14, 21, 28
* The Board is constrained by certain administrative deadlines in relation to the passing of the 2012-2013 budget and may decide to meet on August 7 solely to consider an override vote should the Mayor veto the annual budget.

The Ethics Commission's hearings are complete and on August 16TH, they will meet to deliberate, and if their recommendation is to sustain the Mayor's charges, they "...Shall transmit the full record of the hearings to the SFBOS" Which will have 30 days in which to handle this matter from the date it receives the full record from The Ethics Commission, which depending on such date, the hearing where the process they will set up on July 31st meeting would be followed / implemented, could be in one of these dates, September 4, 11, 18, 25 - In all likehood, the 4th and/or 11th would be chosen in order to be within the 30 days to make "... A final decision" (?)


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ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT OF OUR PETITION TO THE HONORABLE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, TO REINSTATE OUR SHERIFF ROSS MIRKARIMI WITH FULL OFFICIAL POWERS TO THE POST HE WAS OVERWHELMINGLY ELECTED, WITH ALL THE BENEFITS OF HIS POSITION, INCLUDING ANY DUE BACK PAY:

I. ALLEGATIONS OF MISCONDUCT ....................................................................9

A. Sheriff Mirkarimi Commits Domestic Violence ..........................................9
UNTRUE, Sheriff Mirkarimi was not charged with a domestic violence crime, the fact is that he was charged, tried and in a plea bargain, convicted of the minor criminal offense of "False Imprisonment". A misdemeanor, and sentenced. Case closed. To further subject Sheriff Mirkarimi to judgment and punishment on same case, gives the appearance of "double jeopardy"


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B. Sheriff Mirkarimi Threatens To Use His Power As A Public Official Against His Wife In Family Court  http://www.sfethics.org/files/mayors_opening_brief_4.30.12.pdf.............................................................10
-- Charge made without 'facts in evidence' with which to support it, but which instead was made on "The most reasonable 'interpretation' of Sheriff Mirkarimi’s statement to Ms. Lopez is that Sheriff Mirkarimi was threatening to use the powers and stature conferred by his official positions as Supervisor and incoming Sheriff to obtain advantage."
-- An absolute and gross misinterpretation and apparent criminal (Related to inflicted damage) ignorance of the facts on the part of Mayor Lee, which are:
-- Ms. Eliana Lopez as an Latin American immigrant and recently granted the immigrant status of Legal Alien, was consciously aware than in divorce cases where a USA citizen father and an immigrant mother are involved, the odds on the father being granted legal custody of USA-born children, are overwhelmingly lopsided in favor of a USA citizen. As an immigrant mother, her fears were more than justified. (Ms. Lopez testified under oath in front of the Ethics Commission on July 19th 2012 in regards to these very issues)
-- Due to his Latin American family ties and his position as Supervisor, Ross Mirkarimi was regularly confronted with the inhuman injustices being committed under the power that Ms. Lopez was referring to, he was made aware also via small delegations of Latin American activists who would petition him, and to the other supervisors whom they did perceive as receptive to these very issues, or known for supporting them, as Supervisor Mirkarimi was always ready and prepared to help us stop the inhuman treatment that immigrants mothers were subjected to, such as taking their children away. Sheriff Mirkarimi admitted he was in agreement with his wife in the power advantage that he, as a USA Citizen had, when compared to the relatively recent arrival as immigrant of the mother of his son. A fact of life in the Latin American Community.
-- As further evidence which absolutes refutes the erroneous Mayor's claims on "The most reasonable interpretation of...", within a reasonable amount of time, and if it pleases the Honorable Board of Supervisors, we could present to the Full Board, documents, first-hand witnesses accounts and, pending the wishes and concerns of immigrant women who are survivors of domestic violence and of the mistreatment inflicted on them when victimized and/or neglected by authorities and anti-domestic violence organizations, we could be honored with the presence of two or three survivors who come forward to testify before the Board.There are many more of this type of cases and by far more horrendous which are happening today in the USA. Both Ms. Eliana Lopez and her husband Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, are, and have been, keenly aware of the fact that his USA Citizen status, gave Sheriff Mirkarimi a built-in unfair advantage in power in regards to child custody issues.

We submit that this is, by far, a more reasonable interpretation supported by actual evidence offered as explanation to the alleged threat the Mayor erroneously claims the Sheriff made to his wife.

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C. Sheriff Mirkarimi Participates In Attempts To Persuade A Witness To Lie And Destroy Evidence During The Ensuing Police Investigation ......10 http://www.sfethics.org/files/mayors_opening_brief_4.30.12.pdf
-- The main witness, Ms. Ivory Madison, refused to testify under oath and the Ethics Commission ruled not to compel her testimony.
-- Ethics Commissioner Paul Renne, a career litigator, did chastise the Mayor's lawyer, Mr. Keith, for introducing Ms. Madison's affidavit "as prejudicial and unsupported hearsay evidence that should have never been introduced, something that even the city's attorneys admitted and apologized for"  http://www.sfbg.com/politics/2012/06/20/ethics-commission-undercuts-main-witness-against-mirkarimi
-- Both Ms. Eliana Lopez and Ms. Linetta Peralta Haynes have categorically refuted Ms. Ivory Madison's hearsay allegations in her affidavit.

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D. On January 8, 2012, Sheriff Mirkarimi Makes Public Statements That Conflict With The Sheriff’s Duty To Enforce Domestic Violence
Laws ..........................................................................10
-- Another gross misrepresentation of the facts in evidence, to wit:
-- In all honesty, the Sheriff spoke on what he understood to be an agreement between he and his wife, Ms. Eliana Lopez, of seeking counseling to resolve their marital difficulties. This is the genesis of the Sheriff's public statement, to corroborate that this is in fact the case, we offer Mayor Ed Lee's exhibit # 50, where in an email/text exchange between Ms. Eliana Lopez and Ms. Ivory Madison which took place on January 2nd, 2012, irrefutably corroborates the Sheriff's public statement, and also absolutely refutes the Mayor's claims.  http://www.sfethics.org/files/mayors_exhibit_50.pdf
-- Furthermore, the District Attorney did not bring domestic violence charges against the Sheriff, a domestic violence crime was not committed, hence, there are no facts in evidence which support the Mayor's allegations which led us to find them without merit.

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E. On March 12, 2012, Sheriff Mirkarimi Agrees To A Plea Deal
Admitting Criminal Wrongdoing And A Criminal Sentence
Incompatible With His Duties ...................................................................11
-- Sheriff Mirkarimi pleaded guilty to a minor criminal offense. A misdemeanor.
-- In regards to the Mayor's conclussion of incompatibility with the Sheriff's duties, we submit that the Mayor's subjective interpretation of extremelly vague language, when added to his growing lack of credibility due to factual lies on record, and two concrete allegations of Usurpation of Legislative Power (Perjury), madates that the San Francisco Board of Supervisors review and evaluate the charges against the language in the City Charter's description of this subject found on this section.

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F. Sheriff Mirkarimi’s Conduct From December 31, 2011 Through
March 19, 2012 Falls Below The Standard Expected Of A Holder Of
Public Office .............................................................12
-- Same as in E.
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California Lawyers Guild Statement on the Suspension of SF Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi and Ethics Commission Proceedings http://www.nlgsf.org/news/statement-suspension-sf-sheriff-ross-mirkarimi-and-ethics-commission-proceedings

The Mirkarimi case the in the criterion of leaders of The United Parents Committee http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/07/02/1105495/-The-Mirkarimi-case-the-in-the-criterion-of-leaders-of-The-Parents-United-Committee

Resolution in Support of Justice for Eliana Lopez, Ross Mirkarimi, and Theo Mirkarimi by the Harvey Milk Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Democratic Club http://www.facebook.com/groups/307075602713658/permalink/329127453841806/

El Comité de Padres Unidos Calls on Public to Support Sheriff Mirkarimi and His Wife http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/07/16/1110690/-El-Comit-de-Padres-Unidos-Calls-on-Public-to-Support-Sheriff-Mirkarimi-and-His-Wife

Massive detentions & deportations "low-priority" in one FL center

As much as 55 families are affected by massive detentions & deportations of "low-priority" immigrants, in one Florida detention center "Broward"


On 7/27/2012 10:58 AM, DREAM ACTIVIST ORG

http://action.dreamactivist.org/


  Why Won’t Senators Rubio and Nelson Support Immigrant Families? July 26, 2012
  10 Things You May Not Know About Deferred Action July 23, 2012
  10 Urgent Deportation Cases That Need Your Help – Detained for 8+ Months at Broward July 23, 2012
  Max, 9 years old, Needs Your Help to Stop His Dad’s Deportation July 11, 2012

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A MESSAGE FROM DREAM ACTIVIST

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 Hi Hispanic/Latinos A-D  Over the course of the last month we've had organizers from across the country come together here in Florida to find the stories behind the statistics. And so far we've been able to find 55 of these families, all suffering family separation and deportation, despite not being a priority. You've already heard about a few of them, remember Enrique? the detainee who was urinating blood. Well, good news, because of your work we were able to secure Enrique's release yesterday! The other 54 cases we have are just like his case, all low-priority and eligible for the same discretion he was given.


On August 6th we are hosting a large gathering of youth, families and allies from across the region to call for a facility wide review of the Broward Detention Center, and to ask that all low-priority deportations there be deferred just like that of Enrique. In order to make a big impact though we need your donations to get people out; a $35 donation will sponsor 1 rider, 2 riders for $70 and 10 riders for $350! [ http://action.dreamactivist.org/r/B/MTg1OTk/MTQxNjYx/0/0/aHR0cDovL2FjdGlvbi5kcmVhbWFjdGl2aXN0Lm9yZy9mbGJ1cy8jISMh ] 


We already have students confirmed from Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina and even Indiana! With your support we can have an even larger impact. This action is going to be crucial because, staring this week, many of the families we are working with are going to start a hunger-strike and so we need to show our support on the outside. Can you sponsor a rider for $35 and help us reach our goal of 100 riders, that's $3,500?! [ http://action.dreamactivist.org/r/B/MTg2MDA/MTQxNjYx/0/0/aHR0cDovL2FjdGlvbi5kcmVhbWFjdGl2aXN0Lm9yZy9mbGJ1cy8jISMh ]


Ending low-priority deportations at Broward would help detainees like Luis Villanueva. Luis, a day laborer was detained on November 14th for no reason. He was standing outside of a Home Depot looking for work when a police officer showed up and told him to 'get in the car before I hit you with my stick.' Despite being a low-priority deportation not only has Luis been detained for 9 months but he's also set to be deported any day now! Sponsor a rider to the August 6th rally so we can fight for others just like Luis, we need just 100 donations of $35 or more to reach our goal. Will you help us? [ http://action.dreamactivist.org/r/B/MTg2MDI/MTQxNjYx/0/0/aHR0cDovL2FjdGlvbi5kcmVhbWFjdGl2aXN0Lm9yZy9mbGJ1cy8jISMh ] 


Each story from this detention center is just like the previous one, detained for no reason or really basic racial profiling and held for a long-period of time. We know we can stop these deportations, but we need your help to do it. If you can't sponsor a rider maybe you know someone who can? [ http://action.dreamactivist.org/r/B/MTg2MDk/MTQxNjYx/0/0/aHR0cDovL2FjdGlvbi5kcmVhbWFjdGl2aXN0Lm9yZy9mbGJ1cy8jISMh ]
 
Thanks for your support, 


Mohammad DreamActivist.org 

P.S. Be sure to also check-out our organizing shop [ http://action.dreamactivist.org/r/B/MTg2MjA/MTQxNjYx/0/0/aHR0cDovL2FjdGlvbi5kcmVhbWFjdGl2aXN0Lm9yZy9zaG9wLyMhIyE ] , all sales go towards making this action possible!


All the work we do is volunteer run, consider making a donation [ http://action.dreamactivist.org/r/B/MTg2MzI/MTQxNjYx/0/0/aHR0cDovL2FjdGlvbi5kcmVhbWFjdGl2aXN0Lm9yZy9kb25hdGUvIyEjIQ ]  to support us. 

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RE Mikarimi case: What I request of my SF Supervisor David Campos

San Francisco California, July 23, 2012

To: David Campos
From: Aurora Grajeda
Cc: Eric Mar, David Chiu, Christina Oleague, John Avalos, Mark Farrell, Carmen Chu, Jane Kim, Sean Elsbernd, Scott Wiener, Malia Cohen, Office of the City Attorney.

Good morning Supervisor Campos,

This email is a follow up to my approaching you to share my deep and urgent concerns on aspects of the Sheriff Mirkarimi's case, when you informed me of your inability to speak about it, but in terms of sharing my concerns to you, you also informed me that not only you'd listen to me, but urged me to do so, and that this goes for anyone else. Thank you.

As you may have noticed, a Cc of this email goes to each one of all of the other members of the Board of Supervisors and City Attorney Dennis Herrera's Office, there are many reasons for my doing so, but the most relevant are that in the event that you choose to honor my request and for it to be effective, it needs the support from the other Supervisors. It is intended to be Board's business and instead of repeating it to each one of them, I think we all will agree that it is better to do it all at once, in the open and be open about it to all. To that effect, this email will be made public.

Immediately below, please find two propositions that I expose for you review. Hoping that if you find some merit on what I propose, you'll seek a legal opinion from City Attorney for you and the SFBOS to proceed accordingly:

I do propose that the items of the Sheriff Mirkarimi's salary and his back pay, are irrelevant to the case heard in the San Francisco Ethics Commission's hearings in that matter, due to that these items were not before them and thus, are outside the scope of their considerations for their recommendation to the Board, ergo, do not fall under the Supervisors' restrictions on the Sheriff Mirkarimi's case and accordingly, any Supervisor is free to initiate, discuss and pass legislation regarding these two items, and consequently right a wrong, and it is under these grounds that I do hereby respectfully and formally ask of my Supervisor, David Campos, that to at his earliest, introduce and pass, a motion or a resolution to the effect of overriding and reversing Mayor Ed Lee standing directive to withhold salary from Sheriff Mirkarimi, and to instruct that he be awarded back pay hence,

I do further propose, that in view of the fact that it is longstanding practice and tradition to reassign any city officer to administrative duties with full pay while under investigation of official wrong doing and, in view of the fact that the we in the City and County of San Francisco do not treat our employees the way Sheriff Mirkarimi - in an exceptional departure from past and present norms - has been treated and, in view of the fact that the breaking of this longstanding practice and tradition has irrefutably - but hopefully not irreparably - caused great harm and pain to the family of an elected official whose marriage was going through difficult times and, in view of the fact that the couple's wishes and intentions were, and are, to seek marriage counseling to work out their problems and start their healing as a family and, in view of the fact that the lack of family income or other financial resources have curtailed essentially to zero the number of options they could afford to adopt and start their healing and, in view of the fact that neither city agencies, nor the anti-domestic violence organizations involved in the case, even offered material support much less provide it to the - in their understanding - victim, Eliana Lopez and, in view of the fact that as result, Eliana Lopez became a de facto single mother without any financial support whatsoever and thus, had to leave the country to her native Venezuela where there was family support circles and the possibilities of gainful employment to support herself and her 3 year old son and in her opinion, conditions for positive results were better in Venezuela than in San Francisco and, when viewing all of the just enunciated facts, it obscenely offends every sensibility that I have as a human being and as an immigrant to San Francisco, because this city of immigrants that I so much love and cherish, does not treat its immigrants the shameful way in which Eliana Lopez was treated and, in view of the fact that Family Court on July 20, 2012 lifted the stay away order on Sheriff Mirkarimi and thus, the family is in a better position to reunite and have a chance to heal; just as any other family.

I believe we will be in agreement that a precarious state of affairs in domestic finances, is one of the stressors that factors very high in marriages falling apart, this is the current state of affairs for the Mirkarimi family, while at the same time separated by thousands of miles and still working to continue their healing. And since love between the couple is not an issue and neither is lack of desire to heal as a family; an infusion of monetary resources would go a long way in helping them achieve their goals. Funds which should have been available to them from the very beginning by virtue of the City and County of San Francisco's long standing practices which are applied without exceptions, except this time where they have been withheld; should be made immediately available to them. I can not identify any valid reason on why these funds should not be awarded, there is nothing to gain in withholding them, unless, the objective is to impose stress, pain, suffering and curtail the couples' options for healing, all for reasons that I can't even begin to imagine other than to harm the marriage and family; I totally reject that notion.

As I informed you, I'll be present at the July 24, 2012 Board Meetingto lend support. Though last minute, I'll be asking my friends if anyone can and would also like to attend as support, or to make requests to their own Supervisor for passage of a motion or a resolution, either at the July 24, 2012 Board Meeting, or the week after that, or the one after. At their discretion.

Dear Supervisor Campos, it is not only a good thing to do, but the correct thing to do. The mirkarimi family can surely put to good use a helping hand.

Thank you for your attention and consideration to this matter.
 
Loving regards,


Aurora Grajeda
Mission District
SFCA 072312

BREAKING ALERT: Family Court lifts restrictions on Ross & Eliana Mirkarimi

BREAKING NEWS ON THE ROSS MIRKARIMI CASE --
ALERT: Ross & Eliana are together again, they are on their way to Hecho en California with Marcos Gutierrez, they are on the way to the station, you can listen to them (Spa&Eng) with Marcos at 1010AM in about 10 minutes.
If you are too far away to listen on radio, you can stream it by phone by calling at 832.551.5087 or you can stream it by going to http:hladc-sf.blogspot.com (Left column)

Resolution in Support of Justice for Eliana Lopez, Ross Mirkarimi, and Theo Mirkarimi by the Harvey Milk LGBT Dem Club

Resolution in Support of Justice for Eliana Lopez, Ross Mirkarimi, and Theo Mirkarimi by the Harvey Milk Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Democratic Club

Passed 7/17/12

Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi’s removal from office has triggered a serious discussion on issues ranging from a political figure’s legal accountability for his or her transgressions, to unscrupulous dismissals, political opportunism, and female disempowerment. We at the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club are committed to justice for Eliana Lopez, Ross Mirkarimi, and their son Theo Mirkarimi. The current process as it stands now gives us no confidence that this will take place: Over the past several months, Eliana Lopez’s wishes have been blatantly disregarded, and opportunities for Ross Mirkarimi to come to terms with his behavior and the after-effects of his actions have been compromised at the altar of political spectacle.

The legal process governing domestic violence aims to hold the abuser accountable for his or her acts of violence, requiring, among other things, classes in violence reduction and anger management. We believe that this process has been deliberately misused in the case of Ross Mirkarimi and Eliana Lopez. District Attorney George Gascón has piled on inappropriate charges, evidence was made public against the will and without the consent of Eliana Lopez in a wide variety of media outlets, and Sheriff Mirkarimi was wrongfully suspended from his job without pay.

Eliana Lopez may have had marital problems in her life, but this does not give the Mayor, the courts, prosecutors, the media, or a handful of anti-domestic violence advocates the power to erase her agency as a human being. What started out as a domestic dispute has devolved into a raw attempt to unseat an independent political figure, resulting in a sustained campaign to humiliate Eliana and her family.

The Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club strongly opposes domestic violence of any kind and firmly believes in honoring women’s rights and voices. We believe the circumstances surrounding Sherriff Mirkarimi and his family were appropriately addressed in the courts. And Mayor Lee’s egregious politicization and fiscal irresponsibility on this issue diminishes the seriousness of domestic violence and disrespects the expressed wishes of Eliana.

Ross Mirkarimi has consistently advocated for funding domestic violence response programs, programs protecting the rights of women, services for the homeless and other vulnerable populations, and demonstrated a commitment to serving his community. In this light, we feel he has been unjustly targeted. We also believe it is critical that he be given the opportunity to serve as Sheriff, per the will of the voters who elected him in November of 2011.

Therefore, the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club strongly supports the opportunity for Ross Mirkarimi to demonstrate accountability for his actions and for his family to receive restorative justice, something which they have been denied up to this point.

Furthermore, Mayor Lee and all associated parties must offer a public apology to Eliana Lopez for her systematic disempowerment and for nullifying her rights as an individual.

We call on the members of the Ethics Commission and the Board of Supervisors to oppose the removal of the duly-elected Sheriff of San Francisco.

We demand that Mayor Lee reinstate Sheriff Mirkarimi and restore his full back pay. And in order for Eliana to once again regain her voice, the Mayor’s Office must reimburse her travel back to San Francisco so that she can testify in her own right before the Ethics Commission.

We demand that the District Attorney rigorously investigate the possibility that Mayor Lee has committed perjury in this matter, with the same amount of vigor shown in his investigation of Sheriff Mirkarimi.

We urge all parties involved in this situation to reflect on the current state of advocacy for the victims of domestic violence and to improve the system so that meaningful justice can be sought by all survivors (regardless of immigration status, economic disadvantages, gender, or political affiliation) without fear that political opportunism, media exploitation, or a hijacked legal process will jeopardize their rights.

This resolution is put forth by longtime LGBT activists, feminists, social justice advocates, survivors of domestic violence, and members of the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club of San Francisco.

Posted by:
Of FaceBook Group: LGBT Against Stop & Frisk and Racial Profiling

El Comité de Padres Unidos Calls on Public to Support Sheriff Mirkarimi and His Wife

This is the second stinging Press Release by the United Parents Committee. It follows their first on Mon. Jul. 02, 2012 which was also very critical on how an 'alleged' instance of domestic violence is being used in another instance of SF's Power Broker, former Mayor Willie Brown, unduly influencing the Democratic Party 'Conservative' forces allied with the Local GOP Leaders, to consolidate political power by placing 'yes' officials, such as what Mayor Ed Lee is and what the overwhelmingly elected Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, will never be.

The reason why those of us who know, respect and support the Padres Unidos organization and the work it does, are not taken aback on their position in the case of Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi and should think of it as incongruent and possibly also contradictory to their pro-victims of domestic violence advocacy, is because we also know that their primary concern and focus is to assist the victim. By 'assist', it is meant to mean that they do preach and practice respect for the victims' basic civil rights as a person, namely, self-determination, to name the one in top of the list.

Among Padres Unidos' members and leadership are victims of domestic violence themselves and as a result of their one-on-one interactions with victims and in their trainings on how to deal with these issues, they discovered that there are large numbers of incidents that they experienced themselves, or heard first person accounts from clients, where they are essentially rendered powerless and without a saying in the matter. First, by the good intentions of community organizations, who in general assume they know best what is good for the victim, and second, by the authorities and the Judicial System which deal with these cases in an consistently inconsistent manner. Understanding that this may be due to nuances on a) the merits of the case, b) personal or first hand knowledge on such cases, or c) prevailing politically correct conventions or presuppositions on how to deal with victims of domestic violence. The last seems to not make any differentiation on each case, but tends to treat all in a kind of default mode. though this is not intrinsically negative, in general this is the case without exceptions; such as in Eliana Lopez' case, where all the evidence seems to point out that this was a case where there was incidental physical contact, which all of us properly condemned, but it is at least an arguable fact that it doesn't amount to the level of a domestic violence classification. The sad part is, that their good intentions are causing, albeit unintended, a lot of collateral damage to innocents, such as their 3 yr. old son Theo in the case of the Mirkarimi Family. 

We feel that the main questions we, Eliana's supporters, pose are: At what point what the victims of domestic violence says does have any merits or Value?, we strongly believe that automatic dismissal is tantamount to a total lack of respect and empathy for the victim, as is the case in how Eliana Lopez' declarations were taken from the very beginning. 

Immediately below please find Comité de Padres Unidos' Press Release: 

UNITED WE STAND

COMITÉ DE  PADRES UNIDOS

__________________________ __________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

SilviaRamírez  (650) 716-7746

Guadalupe Siordia  (415) 494-1869  

lupitasiordia@aol.com

 COMITE DE PADRES UNIDOS (United Parents Committee) JOINS SUPPORTERS OF SHERIFF ROSS MIRKARIMI AND HIS FAMILY TO DEMAND THE SHERIFF?S REINSTATEMENT AND TO RAISE FUNDS TO PAY FOR ELIANA?S AIR FARE AND OTHER TRAVEL EXPENSES, AND TO ATTEND THE SAN FRANCISCO ETHICS COMMISSION MEETING ON JULY 18 WHEN ELIANA WILL BE TESTIFYING.

July 12, 2012, San Francisco. Comité de Padres Unidos is inviting the general public to join efforts to reinstate Sheriff Mirkarimi to post to which the people of San Francisco elected him.  Mayor Lee has denied payment for travel expenses to Eliana López, Sheriff Mirkarimi's wife, despite the requirement for her to testify before the Ethics Commission.  The unfairness is that the County of San Francisco has paid for the expenses of the Mayor's witnesses to testify before the same Commission. 

The most detestable of the Mayor's action is he has suspended Sheriff Mirkarimi without wages while under investigation.

The shameless perpetration of injustices against our chosen candidate to be the County's Sheriff continues.  The Sheriff has demonstrated he is interested in working with and for our communities as he did when he was City's Supervisor for District 5 for two consecutive terms. (Please see the Sheriff's brief biography attached).

We want justice for the Sheriff and his young family, and we need him to come back to work for the people of San Francisco.

We invite you to attend the meetings on July 18 and 19 to show our support for Sheriff Mirkarimi and to show our repudiation to the cruel and unjust political tactics of Mayor Ed Lee and his associates.  Comité de Padres Unidos is available to speak to the press now and at the hearings.

SAN FRANCISCO ETHICS COMMISSION

NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING

July 18, 2012 5:00 P.M. (Room 416),
July 19, 2012 5:00 P.M. (Room 416),
August 16, 2012 9:00 A.M. (Room 263)
Room 263 or 416 City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco

Information above about the Special Meeting provided by the San Francisco Ethics Commission Website

UNITED WE STAND

COMITÉ DE  PADRES UNIDOS

__________________________ __________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

SilviaRamírez  (650) 716-7746

Guadalupe Siordia  (415) 494-1869  

lupitasiordia@aol.com

EL COMITÉ DE PADRES UNIDOS SE UNE A PATROCINADORES DEL SHERIFF ROSS MIRKARIMI Y SU FAMILIA EN RECAUDAR FONDOS PARA EL PAGO DEL PASAJE DE AVION Y OTROS GASTOS DE VIAJE DE ELIANA PARA QUE TESTIFIQUE EL 18 DE JULIO ANTE LA COMISION DE ÉTICA DE S. F.

El Comité de Padres Unidos invita al público en general a unirse a los esfuerzos para reinstalar al Sheriff Mirkarimi a su puesto.  El Alcalde Ed Lee le ha negado el pago de sus gastos de viaje a Eliana López a pesar de ser requerida para testificar ante la Comisión de Ética, lo injusto es que la Alcaldía sí ha pagado por los gastos de los testigos del Alcalde, para testificar ante la misma Comisión.  Lo más detestable de la acción del Alcalde es que él mismo ha suspendido sin goce de sueldo al Sheriff mientras se lleva a cabo ésta investigación.

Con el mayor descaro se siguen perpetrando injusticias contra el candidato que escogimos para ser el Alguacil de nuestra ciudad.  El Sheriff ha demostrado que le interesa trabajar por y con nuestras comunidades, como lo hizo cuando fue Supervisor del Distrito 5 por dos términos consecutivos. (Favor de ver documento adjunto con una breve biografía del Sheriff).

Queremos que se le haga justicia al Sheriff y a su joven familia, necesitamos que regrese a trabajar por nuestra ciudad y nuestra gente.

Les invitamos a asistir a las reuniones del 18 y 19 de julio en para demostrar nuestro apoyo al Sheriff Mirkarimi y nuestro repudio a las tácticas políticas crueles e injustas del Alcalde Ed Lee y sus asociados.

COMISION DE ETICA DE SAN FRANCISCO

AVISO DE REUNION ESPECIAL

Julio 18, 2012 5:00 P.M. (Room 416),
Julio 19, 2012 5:00 P.M. (Room 416),
Agosto 16, 2012 9:00 A.M. (Room 263)
Room 263 o 416 City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco

 Information above about the Special Meeting provided by the San Francisco Ethics Commission Website

Former Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi    

District 5   (Biography)

Ross Mirkarimi (pronounced Meehr-kah-reem-e), was elected San Francisco District 5 Supervisor in 2004, and reelected in 2008.

In 2009, he was appointed by the State Senate to the California Coastal Commission, one of the most powerful land-use bodies in the United States. Ross has lived in San Francisco for 25 years.

Supervisor Mirkarimi has authored more than 80 ordinances that have had both citywide and national impact. Apart from his reputation for sponsoring cutting-edge laws, he is also well known for his 24/7 focus on issues that chronically challenge his district and the City.

 Highlights of Ross's legislative accomplishments:

• Plastic Bag Ban: First-in-the-Nation ban on plastic bags in chain grocery stores and drug stores, which sparked similar legislation around the world from Oakland to Canada to Paris to Beijing.
• Commuter Benefits: First-in-the-Nation commuter benefits law, requiring private-sector businesses to allow employees to pay for public transit expenses with pre-tax dollars.
• Climate Change Protocols: First-in-the-Nation mandatory protocols for both public and private sectors.
• Medical Cannabis Dispensary Regulations: First-in-the-Nation public health, land-use and public safety regulations of medicinal marijuana dispensaries.
• Reentry for Ex-Offenders: Formation of the Safe Communities Reentry Council to help reintegrate the formerly incarcerated -- recognizing the reentry process as a critical opportunity to break the cycle of crime and violence and reduce California?s worst-in-the-nation recidivism rate.
• Police Foot Patrols: Required the San Francisco Police Department to institutionalize community policing practices such as foot patrols.
• Workforce Reform: Overhaul of the City's workforce training and placement programs to expand the scope of the First Source Hiring Program and establish private sector incentives to employ residents from disadvantaged communities and those who served time in prison or county jail.
• Tenant Protection: Successful ballot measure (Prop H, 2007) to increase relocation assistance payments to tenants who are evicted through no fault of their own, including increased payments for seniors, children, and the disabled.
• Chain Store Restrictions: Neighborhood-backed legislation to restrict chain stores while protecting small business and neighborhood integrity.

Ross was born in Chicago to an Iranian father and mother of Russian descent.

Ross spent most of his youth in Rhode Island, obtained his undergraduate degree from St. Louis University (Political Science and Russian Literature), and earned Master?s degrees from Golden Gate University (Economics) and the University of San Francisco (Environmental Science/Management). He is also a graduate of the San Francisco Police Academy, where he was class president.

Prior to being elected Supervisor, Ross served as an investigator with the San Francisco District Attorney's Office for almost nine years, specializing in economic and environmental crimes.

Community organizing and activism have always been a significant part of Ross's life, as student body president of St. Louis University, president of the Missouri Public Interest Research Group (MOPIRG), and co-founder of the California Green Party.

• Elected November 2004 for term January 2005 to January 2009
• Elected November 2008 for term January 2009 to January 2013

Committee and Board Assignments:

• Board of Supervisors
• Budget and Finance Committee 
• Budget and Finance Sub-Committee
• City and School District Select Committee
• Government Audit and Oversight/LAFCo Joint Meeting
• Joint Meeting-Public Safety Committee, Police Commission
• Public Safety Committee
• Rules Committee

THIS INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED FROM THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS  WEBSITE.

Guadalupe Siordia-Ortiz, Coordinator
COMITE DE PADRES UNIDOS

(415) 861-6958

(415) 494-1869
lupitasiordia@aol.com

---

 

Extras:

Other efforts:

Sign the Petition to the Mayor & Board of Supervisors in Support of Ross,
Related info:
"The Power Broker" By Elizabeth Lesly Stevens, Washington Montly, City Report, Fog City Journal, Daily Kos, Google Search
To write letters to The Editor:
SF Chronicle, letters@sfchronicle.com, SF Examiner, letters@sfexaminer.com, SF Bay Guardian, tredmond@sfbg.com, SF Weekly, http://www.sfweekly.com/feedback/EmailAnEmployee?department=letters, Bay Area Reporter, letters@ebar.com,
For your neighborhood publication (El Reportero, Westside Observer, Sunset Beacon, El Tecolote, etc.) check their letters page and/or website for contact information. Almost all newspapers (and radio and television stations) also accept comments on their web site. Join those discussions as well.

"Obamacare IS, because Obama Cares"
--  Dr. Marcos (Eusebio) Gutierrez 

"When you were born, the world rejoiced... And you cried; Let the rest of your life be such that, when you die, the world will cry... And you will rejoice!"

-- "Winner's Creed" (Anonymous, found in a 12 steps room)

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
 -- Margaret Mead
US anthropologist & popularizer of anthropology (1901 - 1978) 

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