Author: mopress

“One Community United Against the Wall”

To the Residents of the Borderlands,

The people of the border share and are united by a history, a language, a culture. While this land may be separated by an international boundary, the people cannot be divided. As construction begins on the proposed border wall, it stands to not only further divide the land but to divide the people.

We of the border are one community. We are all affected when our neighbors are displaced from their homes, are all affected by waves of violence, by unemployment and anti-immigrant measures. As the borderlands experience a difficult time, we cannot be passive and simply hope for change. We cannot allow our community to be parted and so it is for ourselves and our future that we must stand together in an act of solidarity.

As the border wall cuts the land, it cuts the communities of the border and tries to create differences among them. This wall, imposed upon us by those who do not live here, is said to be a form of “security” but there can be no security when division and hate are created.

It’s time that we mobilize to stop the building of the wall!

We are urging you to join the Peace and Unity March against the wall. On Wednesday evening, August 27, marchers will gather at Ft. Hancock for a cultural event to celebrate the beginning of the March. On Thursday August 28, the participants will walk to Alamo Alto. Friday, August 29, the march will stop to rest and a community event in Tornillo and end the day in Fabens. The march will continue Saturday, August 30, an will make a rest stop in San Elizario for a community action, to continue to Socorro. After a morning ceremony in Ysleta del Sur on Sunday, August 31, the march will continue to El Paso. A binational act in Anapra/Sunland Park will end the protest.

Those wishing to take part in the march can do so in a number of ways. Marchers are invited to participate for the entire five days, for any shorter amount of time or for the nightly events only. Donations of food, water, and transportation are needed along with monetary contributions. Whether or not you take part in any other way, everyone can help the march by publicizing it and discussing the issues with your friends, family, and neighbors.

Now is the time to act, now is the time to create the change we want to see. With this march, we will show the world that we are one community united against the wall: one voice speaking out for peace.

Join the march! Let us know if you are willing to participate in any way.

Carlos Marentes

On behalf of the Planning Group

For more information, please contact Javier Perez: chamucos00@hotmail.com or cell (915) 474-4930

By Peter Dana

I arrived at the Williamson County Commissioner’s Court at 9:30AM and signed up to speak on Item#61 (T. Don Hutto contracts). Mary Ellen Kersch had also signed up to speak on #61. All the others that I saw had signed up to speak on the landfill issue.

At the start of the meeting, Judge Gattis took several items off the agenda but not #61. He asked for citizen input on non-agenda items. Two people spoke. He asked if there were other non-agenda item comments.

I asked if Item #61 would be discussed outside of executive session. He said no. I asked if there would be public discussion of item #61. He said no. I said that I would speak then and went up to the podium and delivered approximately this:

I would like to make a statement about the county contract with ICE and CCA. My name is Peter Dana. We are 28-year residents and taxpayers in the County.

Because these issues are discussed in executive session, and because we cannot see the minutes, or even the redacted minutes, we have no way of knowing what action this court is considering today. If the plan is to move children out of the T. Don Hutto facility, that would be a good move but it would not stop the protests, the lawsuits, or the negative attention brought to Williamson County.

The mission of the Corrections Corporation of America is not to provide a service to the county, the state, or the country, it is to provide profits for their stockholders. CCA announced a 25% profit increase just this morning, tied specifically to the money from the T. Don Hutto detention center.

CCA is the largest owner of private prisons in the country and has a long history of mistreating detainees. You would know this if you talked with four-year old Angelina Carbajal and her mother who were detained in Hutto for six months. These were fully documented asylum-seeker, not criminals.

As county commissioners you have made the County complicit in the detention of children. You have put the county at risk in the inevitable lawsuits that will follow from the detention of children for profit.

I ask that you stop aiding in the process of funneling taxpayer money into the pockets of CCA executives and stockholders.

Mary Ellen Kersch then spoke very strongly against the detention of children on moral and ethical grounds. I left and spoke with Mary Ellen Kersch for about ten minutes after leaving my card with a KLBJ Radio reporter. I returned at 12:30 in time for the court to move into executive session at 12:37.

I left again and returned at 1:15 PM. At 3:20 or so the court came back from executive session. They moved through several items and were about to adjourn when I asked if there would be any discussion of item #61. Judge Gattis said that it had not been discussed in executive session at all and that there would be no discussion now. They adjourned at about 3:30 PM.

Three recent stories worth noting from the Texas Civil Rights
Project: First is their lawsuit reported at MySanAntonio.Com in
defense of a Muslim Texan who was allegedly abused in a Bexar
County (San Antonio) jail. According to the July 27 report by
Guillermo Contreras, the lawsuit alleges that "Moeineddin Ghavami, 47,
a U.S. citizen born in Iran . . . was denied medication and was
taunted, beaten and had his beard shaved forcibly in violation of his
religion." The article is archived at the Texas Civil Rights Project.

On July 26, two stories hit the press simultaneously. The Texas
Civil Rights project announced that it filed 15 federal cases across
Texas pertaining to the ADA or Americans with Disabilities Act.
This is an annual summer event at TCRP and this year the number of
cases coincides with its 15th anniversary as a Civil Rights watchdog
organization for Texas. See their press release.

And finally, Austin city judge Alfred D. Jenkins tossed out a city ordinance against
roadside panhandling on the grounds that it was a too sweeping
infringement of American rights under the Constitution. As reported by Andrea Ball at the Austin American-Statesman:

Of the 79 tickets issued between January 2003 and November 2004, 56, or
71 percent, went to homeless people, said Sapna Aiyer, a law clerk with
Texas RioGrande Legal Aid who argued the case for [the homeless
defendant John] Curran.

Way to go legal aid!–gm

Home page of the Texas Civil Rights Project with latest updates at:

http://www.texascivilrightsproject.org/

Ramsey Muniz writes about the origins of the Mexican
people, immigration, the Raza Unida Party, and
spirituality. Please distribute.–Irma L Muniz

5/10/05
10:30 PM

"The greatest Mexicano holy struggle is that of
spreading truth. Ancient writings state, "En verdad
os digo, "Mexikan (Mexi Kan yn nel-tihuani,neltihua –
Mexi (pronounced Meh-shi-khan in nel-ti-wa-ni,
nel-ti-wa-me’h-shi), que en esta lengua Mexicana quiere
decir el soldado (Kan) de Dios (Mexi) es la verdad
(neltihuani), la verdad de Dios (Neltihuamexi). En La
Monarquia Indiana (p. 293 del primer tomo) declara
Torquemada que "Los mismos naturales afirman que Mexi
es el Dios principal." Y en el mismo tomo (p. 79)
escrito esta, y en verdad Mexi nos dijo: "Ya estais
apartados, y segregados de los demas, y asi lo quiero,
que como escogidos mios, ya no os llameis Aztecas,
sino Mexicas." Y alli fue donde primeramente tomamos
este nombre de "Mexicanos."

University of Mexico City

(written in Nahuatl)

I dare you to ask ten Chicanos, Latinos, and/or Hispanics how it was that we were actually named Mexicanos.
Maybe one out of ten will have knowledge of who we really
are. If we do not know who we are, how can we ever free
ourselves!

Even through my dreams I’m instructed by the spirits
that our messages of cultura, politica, espiritualidad y
historia must be shared with our brothers and sisters. My
writings must be translated.

Mine has been a long, hard struggle in life, and only I
can truthfully feel the pain and agony which at the end
brings an enlightenment of love, truth, and liberation for
my people. Yet my strength, power, and desire for knowledge
and wisdom come from the love I have for la raza. It is a
destiny that I must fulfill in order for me to be at peace
in my heart with Mexi (God).

Regarding immigration, my position does not come from what is occurring at the borders of America. It comes from
our ancient writings and what we must now do in the 21st
century. We support the crossing of our people. The sad
part of this issue is that our own raza here voice their
opinions against our own Mexicano sisters and brothers. It
is so simple and clear, yet those in control will make sure
that we are confused and wrong.

Our ancient Mexika writings, codices, symbols, etc., are
similar to the Christian bible, and if there is one thing
America sets forth in one’s face, it is the bible. Well guess
what. We finally found ours, and it is also written that only
a few would be destined from the beginning.

Instead of feeling a negative attitude about the Raza
Unida Democrats, I am pleased because people can call themselves
whatever they wish. In the end it will be the same issue, the
same problem, the same injustices, and the same position of
begging for what is rightfully ours from the beginning of
creation. A couple of years ago I took a strong position
against using "Raza Unida" connected with any oppressive
political party in the United States.

Raza Unida is and will forever be Raza Unida. It was never meant for us
to sleep with the Democratic or Republican parties. People take a
position of pleasing American politics because they are afraid. It’s
that simple. Cuauhtemoc, Guerrero, Juarez, Zapata, and Villa were not
afraid of the hidden giant oppressor who waited to collect the pieces,
and at the end took our land. Tell them to address liberation and land
now!

I believed with my heart and life the original idea of El Partido. When
the American heat and pressure came, people’s hearts changed quickly.
We will be the destined, chosen ones who will fulfill our future
politically in all Aztlan. Here I am in the dungeons of America,
knowing that if I would surrender my convictions, beliefs, and
principles to the Democratic and Republican parties, I would be a free
man. But there is this strength of love for my people that I will not
abandon or compromise.

I am a Chicano of the Sixth Sun, and my heart is full of love. For that reason I can never be defeated or denied.

Liberation, justice, and equality will bring love into our hearts
like no other love in the world. If we do not love ourselves, how can
we expect for others to love us? Love is power, love is spiritual, love
is pain, and at the end, love is liberation of the hearts. If we do not
have love in our hearts, how can we ever love our people? Amor es
nuestra destino. I love love!

Be patient. The heights of heaven are upon us this very night….

In exile,
Ramsey Muniz – Tezcatlipoca

"I am a Mexicano political, cultural, and spiritual prisoner."

www.freeramsey.com