Author: mopress

Group Solutions RJW presented its recommendations resulting from meetings concerning African American quality of life in Austin to the Austin City Council during its Thursday, May 26, 2005 meeting.

The report will serve as a framework for an action plan to address quality of life issues that were raised during the meetings and in the City’s “African American Community Scorecard,” which identified disparities between African Americans when compared to other ethnic groups.

Six forums were conducted in April as a follow-up to that scorecard report. More than 700 individuals attended the public forums. Group Solutions’ recommendation also are based on hundreds of written comments received from the public last month.

Link to City of Austin website.

And the Rights of Any Human Being

Citlalmina y nuestra gente Mexicana: "I covered my face
with my hands and sat still, in pure unconsciousness, neither hearing
nor feeling nor knowing, in the darkness of the dungeons of America,
like the deep of the sea. With no time and no world, in the deeps that
are timeless and worldless.
It was then that our spirituality of our ancient Mexicano ancestors
reached into the depth of my heart."– Tezcatlipoca (R. Muñiz)

By Ramsey Muniz

The entire United States of America has finally come to understand
and realize that our people, nuestros Mexicanos / Mexicanas, have
fulfilled our ancient destiny of returning to our land. It is written
in our ancient Mexican history that one day we as a people would return
to our land, which by law of God and nature was ours from the time of
its creation. At this point I’m not here to question or to share the
truth of whose land (Aztlan) is, or to prove the ownership. The latter
is and has been a question or matter of ownership from the beginning,
and by the preponderance of the evidence, we are rightful heirs.

At this point we are deeply concerned about the drastic laws and
American legislature which corrals our people like livestock.
Hispanics, Latinos, Chicanos, whatever nuestra raza decides to call
itself, it is our duty and obligation as Mexicanos to protect the human
rights of our people regarding the devastating and panicking
legislation against us throughout the United States.

Those of us Mexicanos who were born here in the United States must
provide the necessary assistance as if we were aiding our sisters and
brothers. We are not different; we are all the same. Nosotros somos
uno. Our sisters and brothers from our Holy Land of Mexico are not
criminals. In seeking a better life for our families our sisters and
brothers crossed into Aztlan
(Southwest) not only for job opportunities or careers, but fulfilling
the consciousness of reuniting once again in Aztlan.

The oppressed, regardless of race, have forever risen from their
oppression and have embraced liberation. After so many years, we, Los
Mexicanos del Sexto Sol, have become advocates of liberation, justice,
and eventually the ultimate
return of Aztlan. Regardless of how many laws and/or legislation are
passed to oppress our people, we shall overcome that oppression with
our ancient history and writings in our hands.

As a raza, as a people we cannot continue to permit the oppressor
(United States immigration laws) to violate the
God-given human rights of the masses of our people.
Mexicano organizations, Latin Americans, and others must come forward
and be advocates for our sisters and brothers who carry in their
possessions all their worldly property in one small paper sack. We must
protect the human rights of nuestra raza regardless of how they crossed
the river.

"We will collectively realize that there is more to us
as a people than the conquest. That we are not savages, and it is very
important to gaze back at our history, however much it hurts, and go
beyond that, and look at our magnificent Mexicano indigenous past. As
we decolonize our minds, we will realize that we are heirs to a
magnificent culture as well as
architects of our own future."–Oscar Benavides (Carrizo Springs, Texas)

The youth of today and tomorrow must now fully
understand our ancient Mexicano history and how within the last 500
years we have finally come into the passage of our cosmic future in all
America. We must protest against the structure of any wall or fence
(Mexicano Berlin wall) to be structured at the border.

Even if America decides to take such devastating inhumane action,
within a certain period of time we, Los Mexicanos, will be able to
overcome such actions. Scholars and those who have studied our history
as a profession, will share that history will provide the necessary
intellectual elements of arriving to the
conclusion that to begin with the entire Southwest of America (Aztlan)
was ours as a land at one time, and it was prophesized during times of
hardship and turmoil that we would rise once again.

A race who has no conception or knowledge of its ancient history or
past will be in a stage of non-existence. We are the 21st century proud
race, reclaiming that which was ours from the beginning.

"As I embrace our ancient Mexicano sacred indigenous
spirituality into the present, I’m transformed by a passion I have only
heard in our past; now I feel it in my own Mexicano soul. I have been
given access to a great and profound secret. Now I know the suffering,
sadness, sorrow and sacrifices of my Mexicano ancestors, and it has
become my own."– Tezcatlipoca (R. Muñiz)

National, state, and local Hispanic /Latino civil rights
organizations must come forward and protect the rights of our people.
We cannot continue to deny ourselves. We are all the same. We are one,
and the sooner we are able to accept that, then we will be able to
liberate all our people. It is a national/international political
disgrace to view on television the American minutemen organizations are
now patrolling the borders of America.

Hispanic/Latino leaders cannot avoid this racist issue of having
American citizens, without duly authorized jurisdiction, hunting down
our people like animals. Latino and Hispanic leaders cannot continue to
turn their faces as if our people were
in the wrong to begin with. We as Mexicanos cannot permit for American
minutemen or any other vigilante group to hunt our people in the
wilderness. Latino/Hispanic organizations should
also protest to our Holy Land of Mexico in order that they respond to
the illegal actions of policing forces at the borders. It is late into
the night, but for the last couple of days my heart has
searched for words to share with my people.

In conclusion, I urge all newcomers and those who seek to relocate
in the Southwest to move to the state of Arizona. It is a strong
Republican, ultra conservative community. We must move into that state
before they structure walls all around us. Arizona should be our future!

There is no question in my mind that all our destinies as a race
will be fulfilled. The future shall be ours and we must prepare for it
not only intellectually, but most importantly
spiritually. We must not be impatient with ourselves during times of
conflict and differences. The time has come for us to step forward as a
proud race and let the world know that finally we will be a free raza
in this universe.

In exile,
Tezcatlipoca (R. Muñiz)

"We want only to show you something we have seen and
tell you something we have heard….that here and there in the world and
now and then in ourselves is a new spiritual Mexicano."–Tezcatlipoca

Note: Received via emai from Irma L. Muniz on May 25, 2005. Ramsey’s message is dated May 2.–gm

Note: Sunday evening in the second-to-last episode of Pioneer House
on PBS a tiny colonial enclave was visited by native peoples who
presented themselves as living witness to history made whole. For the
second time in the show’s season, modern-day colonists discarded an
opportunity to radically re-evaluate their re-enactment. The first
opportunity was the early morning departure of an African American
freeman who became deeply disturbed at the experience of colonial
economy. He could feel the natural birth of slavenomics coming, so he
left. In both cases, neither the departure of an African American nor
the arrival of Native Americans posed anything more than a brief
distraction from the main game. Soon enough colonists get back to work
for the company. Every night the colonists return to their beds. We
know they sleep, but do they ever dream?—gm

* * *

The following letter from Ramsey Muniz was received via email from Irma L. Muniz on May 19.

Please distribute the enclosed message regarding our ancient past and spirituality.

"As I embrace our ancient sacred indigenous spirituality, I’m
transformed by a passion I have only heard in our past; confined in
these prisons now I feel it in my own Mexika soul. I have been given
access to a great and universal profound secret. Now I know the
suffering, sadness, sorrow, and sacrifices of my ancestors, and now it
has become my own."–Tezcatlipoca (Ramsey Muñiz)

It gives me great honor and pride to share with nuestra gente the
second part of what I wrote late into the night, after awakening from
an ancient Mexika dream. These are the exact words I wrote: "It is
evident from our ancient Mexika writings, symbols, and manuscripts that
eventually the primary principle of our cultural realization was the
power of spirituality of the hearts of the masses of our people –
spirituality in the sense of its liberation, teachings of justice, and
the universal philosophy of a free humanity."

Our most profound and challenging ancient history is like no other
history on this earth. The vision, the intelligence and cosmic power
within the creation of our existence, is like no other in the past
present, and/or future. Even before the invasion of our Mexika Empire,
our wise council of elders was preparing for this disaster.

Our ancient history reveals and teaches us our creation, our
foundation, philosophy of life, cultural structures, constantly
demonstrating the power of our spirituality. It is this hidden
spirituality that has provided the power and pride of resistance
against oppression and atrocities. It doesn’t matter what policies
and/or criminal penalties America brings upon the lives of our sisters
and brothers who came to join us here in Aztlan. It is done! We are
only following the direction and teachings of our ancient Mexika past
into our present world of today. We are not just anybody. We are a
universal cosmic people who lay claim to our spiritual culture from our
past to rehabilitate ourselves, and to begin justifying the
presentation of our national cultural existence.

Perhaps we have not sufficiently demonstrated that present American
colonialism is simply not content to impose its rule upon the present
and futures of a dominated country. American 21st century colonialism
is not satisfied merely with holding a people in its grip, and emptying
the Mexicano/Mexicana brain of all form and content. By a kind of
perverted logic, it turns to the past of the oppressed people and
distorts, disfigures, and destroys it. This work of devaluating our
pre-colonial history takes on a dialectic significance today. When we
consider the efforts of the colonial epoch to carry out our spiritual
cultural estrangement, we realize that nothing was left to chance, and
that the total result looked for by colonial domination was indeed to
convince Mexicanos that colonialism came to lighten their darkness.

The effect consciously sought by America was to drive into
Mexicanos’ minds the idea that if the settlers were to leave, they
would at once fall back into barbarism, degradation, and bestiality. On
the unconscious plane, colonialism, therefore, was considered by the
Mexicanos as a mother who restrained her fundamentally perverse
offspring from its evil instincts. She protected her child from itself
– its ego – its physiology – its biology, and its own unhappiness,
which became its very essence.

We must teach and share with the youth of today the importance of
our ancient Mexika history. How sad to be poor, sad to be chained and
shackled by the injustices of the oppressor. But nothing is sadder than
to witness the fact that our raza does not even know who we truly are.
Our history teaches that we would pass through these periods of
cultural/spiritual uncertainties. It also reveals that certain destined
Mexicanos/Mexicanas would rise within the era of our Sixth Sun. It is
written and destined that our raza will return to its creation and
construct the means of once more becoming a free race, a free land, a
free nation, a free spiritual/cultural Aztlan of today.

Our sisters and brothers from Mexico who had the heart and courage
to cross the borders into the United States will also one day return to
Mexico and share the truth of the fact that we are one. That the
Mexicanos living in the United States have the same roots as the Holy
Land of Mexico. We are finally learning and accepting the truth of our
ancient spirituality. We must have the courage, pride, and honor to
free ourselves and provide the assistance to free our people as well.
We must be a proud and respectful race once again. We must begin in our
preschools, teaching our history, cultura, and spirituality. We must
reunite once again! Our children, our youth, and the masses of our
people must feel proud once again.

We will soon be the majority of the population throughout the entire
southwest of the United States. If we have been able to accomplish
this, then the time has come for us to rise again, to reach out, and
share with the masses of nuestra raza how we will fulfill the great
destiny of our race.

We of our Sixth Sun will continue to strongly advocate the
implementation and existence of our own political party in Aztlan. It
will happen! Our Holy Land of Mexico is also experiencing political and
cultural changes among the masses. The time has come and many of us
continue to suffer, but destiny will eventually remove the sacrifice,
suffering, and imprisonment. No one can change what history brings to
our lives and creation. We are a people who constantly live in the life
of history.

"We are Indian, blood and soul; the language and civilization are Spanish."–Jose Vasconcelos

In exile,
Tezcatlipoca
freeramsey.com

By Sonia Santana

The Texas Senate was presented a trojan horse bill in HB2465 last night, and they accepted it. Section 8 barely concealed in the belly of the bill would kill the open public process for vendor certification at the Sectretary of State.

The bill passes the Senate last night on a recorded vote of 31-0. HB2465, authored by Elections Committee Chairwoman Mary Denny (R-Flower Mound), had a carefully worded caption promoting public hearings conducted by the SOS, when in fact the bill does exactly the opposite in closing a process that should be open to the public.

Initially the House bill, was in fact only a requirement for a public hearing, after the examination process, to be conducted by the SOS. Public hearings are great; who would be opposed to a public hearing, right? That was exactly the point of Denny’s strategy. Write a nice little innocuously captioned bill and get all kinds of support for it including the ACLU-TX.

Why was it important for ACLU-TX to be on board supporting the bill? Well because the ACLU-TX and The Electronic Freedom Frontier Foundation (EFF) had sued the Secretary of State last year to open those secret vendor certification meetings, and they had won a temporary injunction in district court.

The Secretary of State and the Texas Attorney General contend that this appointed board of examiners is not subject to the Open Meetings Act because they aren’t a governmental body. District Court Judge Stephen Yelenosky reviewed
the documentation and recorded tapes of those secret meetings and disagreed with the Attorney General. Yelenosky ruled that these meetings were subject to the Texas Open Meetings Act.

When a substitute HB2465 was voted out of the Elections committee, it contained a poisoned pill in Section 8 that reads “An examination conducted or determination made under Chapter 122, Election Code, before or after the amendments made by this Act, was and continues to be not subject to Chapter 551, Government Code.”

That single word “not” in that section has now created a very bad law for Texas voters. Texas voters now do not have the right to substantive review and input into the examination process of our voting systems. You just have to trust the Secretary of State to do the right thing, a sort of “faith based” public policy.

I do encourage Texas voters to come to the next examination hearing. It will be the last time they get to view the examination meeting in an open and transparent process, the way it was supposed to be.

Texas voters may get an interim study for a verified paper ballot trail. That amendment was successfully added to the Senate version of the bill. Hopefully that will be acceptable to the author Mary Denny. [Stay tuned for the date.]

As a footnote Representative Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin), authored House bill HB3383 that specifically wrote into our election code the right of the public to view this examination process. That bill was killed in committee by Representative Mary Denny.