Friday, December 23, 2011

Immigration: Thankful for a little progress


In an editorial published by the Washington Post the term "illegal" immigrant was not used as much as it could have been.  There is actually a sentence where the Post describes Arizona's Sheriff Arpaio:  "In fact, his policies and tactics have gone far beyond any reasonable response to the challenges posted by undocumented immigrants."

Even using the term "undocumented" once in an article is an improvement.  I recently asked an unnamed reporter of a national newspaper why he used "illegal" instead of "undocumented."  He said that the term "illegal" was what people knew - he was using what was most familiar.

Thanks to the WAPO for helping make "undocumented" a more familiar word.

A small gift for Christmas.

MTH
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The Post’s View

Arizona’s rogue sheriff

Washington Post Editorial Board, December 21, 2011

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Immigration: Alabama Law might change - a little


Alabama is beginning to see the effects of its sordid immigration law.  The state's Attorney General is proposing some changes.  Even so, the law is still horrendous.  As the NYT notes, 12 Alabama State Senators have written to the Governor telling him "not to retreat" - what a mistake.

MTH
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Editorial - NY Times

Alabama’s Second Thoughts



...Mr. Strange [Alabama's Attorney General] is urging lawmakers to drop some major provisions, including:
¶The requirement that schools collect immigration data on children and parents, which he said would cost too much for the benefit it would provide.


¶The part making it a crime for immigrants not to carry their papers, which is illegal under federal law.
¶The part barring people from college if they do not have documents, because some people, like certain refugees, can be here legally without documents.


¶The sections that allow Alabama residents to sue officials they believe are not adequately enforcing the law, because of conflicts with the state Constitution....link to complete article




see previous dreamacttexas posts on the Alabama anti-immigraiton law:


Un-Sweet Home Alabama


Alabama's Sneaky Attack on Phyler vs. Doe

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Is the U.S. no longer a "Developed Nation?"

How can the U.S. say its a "Developed Nation" if over 49 million Americans now fall into the poverty line?  The outdated term is "First World Nation" --  so to re-ask the question:  "How can the U.S. say its a "First World Nation" if so much of its populace has fallen below the poverty line?  See the links below that explain our dire situation.

Considering this date - it is no surprise that the Occupy Movement has appeared in so many American cities.

MTH
--------------
The London Guardian has a link that show the percentage of poverty in American cities.  Click HERE  to get this information.  Note that this information is only about what the Brookings Institution called "poverty tracts" --  


Houston:  Over  840,000 people live in poverty
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Op-Ed Columnist

Inconvenient Income Inequality

By CHARLES M. BLOW - New York Times - Published: December 16, 2011    

...An Associated Press report this week on census data found that “a record number of Americans — nearly 1 in 2 — have fallen into poverty or are scraping by on earnings that classify them as low income.” The report said that the data “depict a middle class that’s shrinking.” ...link to complete NYT article      
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Nearly Half of Americans Below Poverty Line or Low-Income - Democracy Now - December 16, 2011

New figures show hunger, poverty and economic decline are increasing at record levels across the United States. The Census Bureau reports nearly half of Americans have either fallen below the poverty line or are classified under the category of "low income." The number of low-income residents is at 97.3 million, coupled with 49.1 million in poverty, for a total of 146.4 million. The figure marks an increase of four million over 2009. Meanwhile, the U.S. Conference of Mayors reports all but four of 29 major cities saw an increase in requests for emergency food assistance between September 2010 and August 2011. 
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US poverty data: 1 in 15 people among America's poorest poor - Guardian.co.uk - November 3, 2011

Associated Press -Data shows about 20.5m Americans make up the poorest poor, defined as those at 50% or less of the official poverty level

Get the data: where are America's super-poor?


Friday, December 16, 2011

Immigration: Perry likes Arpaio, the Department of Justice doesn't

It is inconceivable that Texas Gov. Rick Perry would ally himself with Sheriff Arpaio just before a damning report on how Arpaio mistreats his inmates.

Click HERE for the Department of Justice report

HERE for the Department of Justice report in Spanish

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Pattern of civil rights abuses alleged in Sheriff Joe Arpaio's Maricopa County - LA Times

The Justice Department charges that Latinos were illegally arrested and abused in jail repeatedly in the Arizona county and that hundreds of sexual assaults weren't investigated.


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Rick Perry turns to Joe Arpaio on Immigration Issue - LA Times

Texas Gov. Rick Perry had hoped to assuage concerns about his views on illegal immigration by winning the backing of tough-talking Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Ariz.

Immigration: Its poor immigrants they want to catch, not the rich ones

Lady liberty isn't accepting the poor and unwanted anymore.  That is why she is not blinking at the establishment of those inhumane laws in Arizona and Alabama.  She has been taken over by American Capitalism.

MTH
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US immigration laws bow to the bigots and the opportunists

Laws in Arizona and Alabama have given bigots with badges a licence to go after Latinos and the poor

guardian.co.uk,
When it comes to the push against immigration in the US, two things should be made clear. First of all, it is not in truth a push against immigrants per se but against poor foreigners.

The US has no problem with wealthy outsiders. A rare example of bipartisan legislation recently was the Visit USA Act, by Democrat Charles Schumer and Republican Mike Lee, which sought to fast-track visas for foreigners spending $500,000 on property. It would allow them and their families to live in America for as long as they owned their homes, but not to work or claim federal benefits. It's unlikely to become law; but it's also unlikely to be controversial either....link to complete article

Environment: Change your car oil less often - save lots of oil for the planet

Want to save oil for the planet?  Don't change your car oil so often.  The State of California says that if people delay their oil changes (the current recommendation of 3,000 miles per change is way to low) "millions of gallons of oil annually" would be saved.

The LA Times published a link to a site that tells you how often you should really change your oil -  Click HERE for Cal Recycle.

MTH
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Los Angeles Times: 

State hopes to break car owners' habit of changing oil too often

"The long-held notion that the oil should be changed every 3,000 miles is so prevalent that California officials have launched a campaign to stop drivers from wasting millions of gallons of oil annually because they have their vehicles serviced too often."


Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Health: "Incredibly Alarming" - 24,000 in UK die every year from Diabetes

Don't think this is so different from the U.S.
MTH
Audit gives 'incredibly alarming' estimate of deaths due to inadequate healthcare or failure to manage condition properly


Up to 24,000 people with diabetes are dying avoidably each year because they do not receive the right healthcare or do not manage their condition properly, a government-commissioned report has revealed.


The "incredibly alarming" figure is the first estimate of the number of patients who die early because a failure to have health checks, take drugs at the right time and maintain a healthy lifestyle increased their risk of dangerously high or low blood sugar, heart failure or kidney problems.


While three-quarters of the 24,000 deaths are among the over-65s, younger patients are most at risk. Two young people aged 15 to 34 in England are believed to die every week as a result....link to complete article

Immigration: Alabama and Violations of the U.S. Constitution


Human Rights Watch accuses Alabama of violating constitution

Human Rights Watch says law HB56 breaches legal rights that apply to anyone regardless of their origin



  • guardian.co.uk,
  • [Human Rights Watch] ...recorded evidence of several cases of unauthorised immigrants who had wages withheld by employers and felt they were unable to take their grievance to court because of the new provision. One man, Alejandro, sought the advice of a lawyer but was told tha because of the new law he could not use the courts to retrieve the wages.

  • Tuesday, December 13, 2011

    Public Safety: Do you text while driving?

    Did you know that texting while driving is as hazardous as driving drunk?  Did you know that talking on your cell phone while driving is almost as dangerous?  

    It is amazing how many of my adult - highly educated friends and acquaintances drive and talk at the same time.  They tell me they are too busy to try and make phone calls from home or their office.  

    As for texting and driving its much much more dangerous -- 

    MTH

    ------------------------------


    No call, no text, no update behind the wheel: NTSB calls for nationwide ban on PEDs while driving


    December 13, 2011

    Following today's Board meeting on the 2010 multi-vehicle highway accident in Gray Summit, Missouri, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) called for the first-ever nationwide ban on driver use of personal electronic devices (PEDs) while operating a motor vehicle.

    The safety recommendation specifically calls for the 50 states and the District of Columbia to ban the nonemergency use of portable electronic devices (other than those designed to support the driving task) for all drivers. The safety recommendation also urges use of the NHTSA model of high-visibility enforcement to support these bans and implementation of targeted communication campaigns to inform motorists of the new law and heightened enforcement....link to complete report
    --------------------------------

    Cellphone ban while driving? The tragedies behind the issue - December 13, 2011 |  3:28 pm - Los Angeles Times

    Eleven texts in 11 minutes from behind the wheel -- then two were dead and 38 injured. A deadly Missouri incident was cited Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board as the panel urged a total ban on cellphone use while driving.

    Such a ban (exceptions would be made for emergencies) would go far beyond what states now have in place. Currently, no state has a ban on all cellphone use by all drivers, according to the Governors Highway Safety Assn., although some prohibit cellphone use by certain drivers...link to complete article

    Immigration: Part of Alabama Anti-Immigration Law Temporarily Blocked


    Alabama immigration law on mobile homes blocked by judge

    London Guardian

    Rule that requires proof of citizenship when registering mobile homes 'leaves immigrants between a rock and a hard place'

    A federal judge has temporarily blocked a part of Alabama's tough new immigration law that requires residents to show proof of citizenship when registering mobile homes with the state.


    ...Alabama requires owners of mobile homes to register those properties with the state or face three months in jail, but the new immigration law passed by the state legislature in June also bars illegal immigrants from submitting those registrations, Thompson wrote...link to complete article

    Diary: A Vehicle that Takes People Away

    Yesterday I was at the intersection of Houston's S.W. Freeway feeder (also known as U.S. 59) and Hillcroft St.  As I was waiting for the light I noticed the license plates of the vehicle in front of me.  It wasn't like the one I have - a plate with bright red letters that say University of Houston Cougars.  It said U.S. Government, DHS.  The white van was brand new - kind of sleek looking, with some black trim. It had no letters on the doors, just a small DHS seal at the left front.  The windows were tinted, even the front windshield (I thought that against the law).  Yet as I peered into the back window I could see a cage like barrier.  I realized that this van was used to transport people to detention centers.  Moving to the lane on the left so I could make a u-turn - I passed the van on its left side and unsuccessfully tried to see the face of the driver.  The window was tinted too dark to see much of anything except his/her left arm.

    A feeling of sadness came over me.  I thought of the people who have been taken away, the DREAMers who have been deported.  The hundreds of thousands that Obama has sent away since he became president.  I wondered how our country, said to be established on the basis of a Bill of Rights could allow such a thing.  For a moment I forgot that most of the Founding Fathers were slave owners.  In 1850 carts were used to haul away runaway or disruptive slaves.  Today sleek new vans are used to remove people who don't have the right type of permission to be in this country.  Never mind that the numbers of those who can legally come here is strikingly small;  never mind that if you have a few hundred thousand dollars you can immigrate easily.

    MTH




    Civil Liberties: S. 1867 will take away Due Process - a fundamental aspect of American Democracy


    Some of you may remember studying the Magna Carta while in high school.  I am not sure it is such an important document these days.  Apparently many members of Congress don't seem to know about one of its most important concepts - the Right of Due Process.

    The concern about S. 1987 the 2011 Defense Authorization Act is that Due Process for U.S. citizens will be lost.  See the definition below of Due Process.


    Click HERE for the complete text of S. 1867 as passed by the U.S. Senate on Dec. 2, 2011.

    MTH

    ------------------------------------------

    Due process is a legal concept referring to the guarantee that a government will follow fair procedures when depriving a person of life, liberty, or property. A key element of the rule of law is the idea that government must follow written guidelines that restrict the actions it can take against individuals. Due process suggests that an established set of uniform legal procedures will be used to ensure a just outcome, as opposed to arbitrary or individualized judgment. The most basic level of due process includes individuals' rights to be notified of charges against them, to speak in their own defense, and to be judged by a jury of their peers. It also includes the right to just compensation for the seizure of property and public disclosure of relevant laws.

    Due process is a long-standing concept in the Anglo-American legal tradition, originating from the British Magna Carta of 1215. Today, many nations have some form of due process protected by their constitutions. In the United States, due process is guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment, which refers to the federal government, and Fourteenth Amendment, which applies to the states and was passed after the Civil War.

    ----------------------------------------
    Op-Ed Contributors

    New York Times - Guantánamo Forever?



    IN his inaugural address, President Obama called on us to “reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.” We agree. Now, to protect both, he must veto the National Defense Authorization Act that Congress is expected to pass this week....

    ...One provision would authorize the military to indefinitely detain without charge people suspected of involvement with terrorism, including United States citizens apprehended on American soil. Due process would be a thing of the past...

    ...a second provision would mandate military custody for most terrorism suspects. It would force on the military responsibilities it hasn’t sought. This would violate not only the spirit of the post-Reconstruction act limiting the use of the armed forces for domestic law enforcement but also our trust with service members...

    ...A third provision would further extend a ban on transfers from Guantánamo, ensuring that this morally and financially expensive symbol of detainee abuse will remain open well into the future...link to complete article

    Related News

    Related in Opinion

    Monday, December 12, 2011

    Education: Why do kids fail in school?


    Speaking more than one language raises IQ and prevents Alzheimers.  Yet I still see education majors saying that bilingualism keeps kids from learning.  The truth is that its really an issue of social class.  Ladd and Fiske lay it out below.
    While I was a graduate student at Rice University a decade ago I saw a group of undergraduate students that had traveled all over the world, done study abroad, had long stays at summer camp, and had taken all sorts of music and art lessons.  These are the privileged few.  Yet that is our standard for excellence.  To open the gate to a superb college education our children need to have these numerous advantages.  The reality is that most American children - no matter what race or ethnic group - don't have these experiences - only a few families have the economic ability to send their kids to live in France for a year.
    Many more don't even have the regular advantage of having parents who have enough time to have long and rich conversations.  The kids also don't go to schools that offer the education and stimulation they need to succeed. 
    Its not immigration, or parents who refuse to speak English at home.  Its the economy and our own moral handicap that prevents us from offering what all children need.
    MTH
    -------------------------------
    Op-Ed Contributors

    Class Matters. Why Won’t We Admit It?



    Durham, N.C.

    NO one seriously disputes the fact that students from disadvantaged households perform less well in school, on average, than their peers from more advantaged backgrounds. But rather than confront this fact of life head-on, our policy makers mistakenly continue to reason that, since they cannot change the backgrounds of students, they should focus on things they can control...      

    International research tells the same story. Results of the 2009 reading tests conducted by the Program for International Student Assessment show that, among 15-year-olds in the United States and the 13 countries whose students outperformed ours, students with lower economic and social status had far lower test scores than their more advantaged counterparts within every country. Can anyone credibly believe that the mediocre overall performance of American students on international tests is unrelated to the fact that one-fifth of American children live in poverty?..
          
    Large bodies of research have shown how poor health and nutrition inhibit child development and learning and, conversely, how high-quality early childhood and preschool education programs can enhance them. We understand the importance of early exposure to rich language on future cognitive development. We know that low-income students experience greater learning loss during the summer when their more privileged peers are enjoying travel and other enriching activities.      


     Yes, we need to make sure that all children, and particularly disadvantaged children, have access to good schools, as defined by the quality of teachers and principals and of internal policies and practices.

    But let’s not pretend that family background does not matter and can be overlooked. Let’s agree that we know a lot about how to address the ways in which poverty undermines student learning. Whether we choose to face up to that reality is ultimately a moral question...for complete article  

    Immigration: Facts on Immigration from the NYT Bill Keller

    While I don't agree with everything Keller says in todays article in the NYT - he is clear about the impact of immigration on the U.S.  He says that Newt Gingrich's ideas on immigration are actually the best he has seen recently.  We do agree on the terrifying idea of a Gingrich presidential candidacy.

    As he rightly says - immigration brings out the nasty side of many who are already here -

    MTH
    -------------------------


    Op-Ed Columnist

    The Good Newt



    Immigration is a subject that brings out the best and the worst in Americans...

    As it is practiced in our politics, the subject often dredges up darker feelings: tribalism, xenophobia, envy, a pull-up-the-ladder stinginess. This is not new. The English and Dutch colonists resented the immigrant waves of Irish and Germans, who resented the later waves of Italians and Poles and Jews. Polls show that Americans only halfheartedly support immigration, and less than halfheartedly in hard times...

    ...immigration is a rejuvenation of our economy, a source of invention and investment at the high end and of tax-paying, productive labor at the low end. So the foundation of a new policy should be the opening of more, and more-efficient, legal channels for the newcomers who will refresh our ingenuity and replenish our aging work force (and, by the way, pay to keep the Social Security funds filled for boomers like me)...

    The most scrupulous study I’ve seen of the economic impact of illegal immigration — by Gordon Hanson, an economist at the University of California, San Diego — weighed the costs to society (schools, health care, etc.) against the benefits (tax revenues, labor productivity, etc.) and concluded that the difference was “close enough to zero to be essentially a wash.” The idea that illegal immigrants are dragging down the economy is just wrong...for complete article    
      

    Saturday, December 10, 2011

    U.S. Military's Closed Eyes to Rape


    Rape in the US military: America's dirty little secret -London Guardian

    A female soldier in Iraq is more likely to be attacked by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire

    ...Rape within the US military has become so widespread that it is estimated that a female soldier in Iraq is more likely to be attacked by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire. So great is the issue that a group of veterans are suing the Pentagon to force reform. The lawsuit, which includes three men and 25 women (the suit initially involved 17 plaintiffs but grew to 28) who claim to have been subjected to sexual assaults while serving in the armed forces...

    Last year 3,158 sexual crimes were reported within the US military. Of those cases, only 529 reached a court room, and only 104 convictions were made, according to a 2010 report from SAPRO (sexual assault prevention and response office, a division of the department of defence). But these figures are only a fraction of the reality. Sexual assaults are notoriously under-reported. The same report estimated that there were a further 19,000 unreported cases of sexual assault last year. The department of veterans affairs, meanwhile, released an independent study estimating that one in three women had experience of military sexual trauma while on active service. That is double the rate for civilians, which is one in six, according to the US department of justice...MORE
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    click HERE for link to Democracy Now on rapes in the U.S. Military from October 27, 2009


    Health: Sweet Cereals - Your Sugary Breakfast

    please read if you or your children eat these sugary cereals - nutritionists say they should not be in your cupboard.

    1.  The high sugar content of the cereals is absorbed very quickly which causes wide fluctuations in your blood sugar levels.
    2.  Wide fluctuations in your blood sugar levels contribute to fatty liver disease and elevated cholesterol.
    3.  Fatty liver disease is a high risk factor for Type 2 diabetes.
    4.  Elevated cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease.

    High sugar diets put children at risk for developing insulin resistance - If your child eats this cereal the consequences will come sooner than you think.  Pre-diabetic children show symtoms as early as 1st grade.

    Insulin resistance means your pancreas has to make a lot more insulin to get the blood sugar into the cells - which is a tremendous risk factor for diabetes because your pancreas wears out and you can't make enough insulin to get the blood sugar into your cells, which is a necessity for nutrition.  If your pancreas wears out you get Type 2 Diabetes.

    MTH
    ----------------------------------------
    click HERE for link to CBS News video on sugary cereals



    Friday, December 9, 2011

    Diary: Children of the Undocumented


    I am the daughter of an undocumented immigrant.  My father was brought to the U.S. at the age of six months, crossing the border in Laredo Texas in 1923 with his parents.  His mother had actually been a U.S. citizen, which normally would have allowed my Dad to claim citizenship also.  But a law passed a few years before that said women who married foreign born men lost their American citizenship (it was called the U.S. Expatriation Act of March 2, 1907, click HERE to see document explaining the Act).
    My grandmother was a teenager when she met my Mexican born grandfather, a very handsome trumpet player at the local silent movie theater.  Her parents were against the marriage, but eventually supported her in the decision, knowing that she would have to move to Mexico.
    My Dad remained undocumented until 1943 when he was drafted in to the U.S. Army.  He became a citizen on a boat that took his company to the Philippines (also know as the Pacific Theater).  The U.S. sent a letter a few years before to his mother, saying she could become a citizen again. 
    Today the NYTimes profiled the President of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, saying his father was an undocumented immigrant.  Perhaps Dr. DePinho would consider using some of his formidable influence to advocate the passage of the DREAM Act.  
    P.S.  Why does the New York Times continue to insist on using the term "Illegal?"
    MTH
    ----------------
    Leader in the Cancer Fight, and Son of an 
    Illegal

    [Undocumented] Immigrant

    Ronald DePinho, President of the M.D. Anderson
     Cancer Center in Houston


    A few minutes before Ronald DePinho was to give a speech to his graduating class at Fordham College in the Bronx, he sat with his father in a student lounge. It was May 1977. His father had been in the United States for nearly 40 years. The son was on his way to a career in medicine and research that would bring him to the presidency of the biggest cancer center in the country. It was a time for the father, Alvaro DePinho, to pass along some history.

    In 1939, it turned out, the elder Mr. DePinho had made his first home in America in the basement of one of the creaky three-story apartment buildings just outside the gates of the Fordham campus. He had settled in the Bronx after coming to New York as a stowaway, spending 13 days at sea in a cargo container: an illegal immigrant.  

    ...The third of the five children of Alvaro and Celeste DePinho, Dr. DePinho, 56, has been visiting New York this week from Houston, where in September he became president of the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, part of the University of Texas. He is raising money and hiring people to study five cancers in depth, using tools developed only in the last few years...MORE      

    Thursday, December 8, 2011

    Español: Caravan for Peace Leader Asasinnated in Mexico


    Asesinan a otro de Caravana por la Paz

    Exigen esclarecer crimen de “Trino”; desaparecen otros dos activistas

    Jueves 08 de diciembre de 2011 Silvia Otero, Adriana Covarrubias Reportera y corresponsales | El Universal
    El líder comunero Trinidad de la Cruz Crisóstomo, Trino, fue hallado muerto ayer, luego de que el pasado martes cuatro hombres armados interceptaron la caravana del Movimiento por la Paz con Justicia y Dignidad (MPJD), en Ostula, Michoacán, y se lo llevaron.


    Además, se encuentran desaparecidos Eva Alarcón y Marcial Bautista de Valle, defensores de derechos ambientales y miembros del MPJD, plagiados el pasado martes cuando viajaban de Guerrero al Distrito Federal. MAS

    ---------------------


    Mexico violence claims another member of peace movement - Los Angeles Times




    REPORTING FROM MEXICO CITY — Another member of a Mexican peace movement has been slain, the second such incident in less than two weeks (link in Spanish to El Universal).

    Trinidad de la Cruz, a peasant activist, was kidnapped Tuesday by armed attackers in the state of Michoacan, his associates said (link in Spanish). His body, with four bullet wounds and an ear sliced off, was discovered about 24 hours later, the Milenio newspaper reported (link in Spanish).

    De la Cruz, 73, was abducted as he rode with about 18 other activists in a caravan sponsored by the Movement for Peace With Justice and Dignity, an anti-violence organization led by poet Javier Sicilia. Members of the group said the attackers, whom they described as paramilitary forces, stole their cellular telephones, gaining access to data on scores of activists.

    "We are not only worried about this, we are alarmed and indignant," Sicilia told reporters. "People who raise their voices for justice are in terrible security conditions."  MORE

    More on S. 1867 - National Defense Authorization Act


    Guantánamo for US citizens? Senate bill raises questions - Christian Science Monitor

    The National Defense Authorization Act passed by the Senate this week could allow the US military to detain American citizens indefinitely. Civil libertarians are alarmed, and President Obama says he might veto it.

    By Brad KnickerbockerStaff writer / December 3, 2011

    Legislation passed by the Senate this week and headed for the House – and a possible presidential veto – could allow the US military to detain American citizens indefinitely.

    The National Defense Authorization Act covering $662 billion in defense spending for the next fiscal year includes a provision requiring military custody of a terror suspect believed to be a member of Al Qaeda or its affiliates and involved in attacks on the United States.
     
     A last minute amendment allows the president to waive the authority based on national security and to hold a terror suspect in civilian rather than military custody. But the bill would deny US citizens suspected of being terrorists the right to trial, subjecting them to indefinite detention, and civil libertarians say the amendment essentially is meaningless...MORE   

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    National Defense Authorization Act spurs uprising from left and right on detainee provisions

    By Alex Leary, Times Staff Writer
    In Print: Thursday, December 8, 2011   - St. Petersburg Times

    WASHINGTON — In Florida, Sen. Marco Rubio has been attacked as a "traitor." In Arizona, tea party members protested against Sen. John McCain. In Utah, Occupy demonstrators donned black hoods to stand against "radical and uncalled for constraints on our constitutional rights."


    The uprising is directed at provisions of the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, approved by the Senate last week, that would require the military to arrest terrorist suspects in the United States and detain them indefinitely without trial.


    ...President Barack Obama has threatened a veto, arguing the measures would complicate civilian intelligence gathering. FBI director Robert Mueller and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta have objected as well. The bill includes a waiver to keep people in the civilian system, but administration officials say that too is cumbersome and would devour critical time in an investigation. Despite White House objections, the Senate approved the defense bill by a 93-7 vote Dec. 1.The approval has triggered fears across the Internet, from concern about innocent Americans being snared to more extreme views of a military state.

    "Sen. Rubio, you might want to sit down with your older relatives who fled Cuba and ask them why they left," Erica Cirillo wrote on Facebook, one of several comments. "Could it be that they saw friends and family being detained indefinitely without trials? That innocent people were being grabbed in the street and labeled 'enemies of the state' for no reason? Shame on you, senator."...MORE



    Wednesday, December 7, 2011

    Senate Bill S. 1867 and the Indefinite Detention of American Citizens


    I would not have known anything about this but Anonymous posted a video on YouTube about the danger to American civil liberties should the bill be passed (S. 1867 was voted in by the Senate ).  Not just believing what Anonymous posts, I looked up the ACLU website which warns about the dangers of S. 1867


    MTH
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    From the ACLU Blog of Rights:  The worldwide indefinite detention without charge or trial provision is in S. 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act bill, which will be on the Senate floor on Monday. The bill was drafted in secret by Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) and passed in a closed-door committee meeting, without even a single hearing....Sen. Lindsey Graham said about it on the Senate floor: “1031, the statement of authority to detain, does apply to American citizens and it designates the world as the battlefield, including the homeland.


    From The Daily Kos:  "There have been some alarming claims about this, specifically as it relateds to Americans and indefinite detention."

    ------

    November 23, 2011

    Senators Demand the Military Lock Up of American Citizens in a “Battlefield” They Define as Being Right Outside Your Window

    UPDATE III: The Senate rejected the Udall amendment 38-60.
    While nearly all Americans head to family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving, the Senate is gearing up for a vote on Monday or Tuesday that goes to the very heart of who we are as Americans. The Senate will be voting on a bill that will direct American military resources not at an enemy shooting at our military in a war zone, but at American citizens and other civilians far from any battlefield — even people in the United States itself....


    ...The worldwide indefinite detention without charge or trial provision is in S. 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act bill, which will be on the Senate floor on Monday. The bill was drafted in secret by Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) and passed in a closed-door committee meeting, without even a single hearing.


    I know it sounds incredible. New powers to use the military worldwide, even within the United States? Hasn’t anyone told the Senate that Osama bin Laden is dead, that the president is pulling all of the combat troops out of Iraq and trying to figure out how to get combat troops out of Afghanistan too? And American citizens and people picked up on American or Canadian or British streets being sent to military prisons indefinitely without even being charged with a crime. Really? Does anyone think this is a good idea? And why now?


    The answer on why now is nothing more than election season politics. The White House, the Secretary of Defense, and the Attorney General have all said that the indefinite detention provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act are harmful and counterproductive. The White House has even threatened a veto. But Senate politics has propelled this bad legislation to the Senate floor.


    But there is a way to stop this dangerous legislation. Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) is offering the Udall Amendment that will delete the harmful provisions and replace them with a requirement for an orderly Congressional review of detention power. The Udall Amendment will make sure that the bill matches up with American values.


    In support of this harmful bill, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) explained that the bill will “basically say in law for the first time that the homeland is part of the battlefield” and people can be imprisoned without charge or trial “American citizen or not.” Another supporter, Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) also declared that the bill is needed because “America is part of the battlefield.”...MORE




    Immigration: Luna Death Provokes more debate on DREAM Act


    Immigrant teen's death touches off a charged debate

    Joaquin Luna Jr. left a note saying he knew he'd never achieve his life's ambition. Relatives say his example shows why lawmakers must pass the DREAM Act. Some groups cry exploitation.





    The night after Thanksgiving, 18-year-old Joaquin Luna Jr. helped his diabetic mother to bed at their home among the Rio Grande Valley orange groves, and whispered beneath the decorative ceilings he had designed in drafting class that he loved her and needed her forgiveness.

    As she later told another of her sons, Luna said: "I'm never going to be the person I wanted to be. I'm never going to fulfill my dreams."...

    ...Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (D-Texas), in a speech to Congress on Thursday, said Luna "took his life because he believed that he would never be able to fulfill his dream of becoming an engineer, earning his citizenship and leading a full and prosperous life in America."...MORE






    Congressman Hinojosa spoke today on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives urging support for the American Dream Act and to honor a Dream Act student who took his own life. Here is his speech in its entirety.
    “MR. CHAIRMAN, IT IS WITH GREAT SADNESS THAT I RISE TO URGE MY COLLEAGUES, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE, TO PASS THE AMERICAN DREAM ACT.

    THIS PAST WEEKEND, I LEARNED OF THE TRAGIC DEATH OF JOAQUIN LUNA, A SENIOR AT JUAREZ LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL IN MISSION, TEXAS WHO TOOK HIS LIFE BECAUSE HE BELIEVED THAT HE WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO FULFILL HIS DREAM OF BECOMING AN ENGINEER, EARNING HIS CITIZENSHIP, AND LEADING A FULL AND PROSPEROUS LIFE IN AMERICA.

    BROUGHT TO THE UNITED STATES AS AN INFANT, JOAQUIN ATTENDED OUR NATION'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PLAYED THE GUITAR AT HIS CHURCH, AND HOPED TO GO TO COLLEGE AND ACHIEVE THE AMERICAN DREAM.

    I CANNOT EXPRESS THE SORROW I FEEL ON THE LOSS OF SUCH A TALENTED YOUNG MAN. I WANT TO EXTEND MY HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES TO JOAQUIN'S FAMILY AND FRIENDS; I CANNOT IMAGINE THE PAIN THEY ARE SUFFERING. IT IS ESPECIALLY HEARTBREAKING TO KNOW THAT MANY OF US IN THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PASSED THE DREAM ACT AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR, ONLY TO SEE THE LEGISLATION HELD UP IN THE U.S. SENATE BY A VOTE OF 55 TO 41.

    TODAY, AS JOAQUIN LUNA'S BODY IS LAID TO REST, I BELIEVE IT'S IMPERATIVE TO UNDERSCORE THE URGENCY OF PASSING THE DREAM ACT IN THE 112TH CONGRESS AND RENEWING HOPE FOR DREAM STUDENTS.

    AS A PROUD COSPONSOR OF H.R. 1842, "THE DEVELOPMENT, RELIEF, AND EDUCATION FOR ALIEN MINORS ACT OF 2011" (THE DREAM ACT), I URGE PRESIDENT OBAMA AND MY COLLEAGUES IN THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE TO PUT THEIR IDEOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES ASIDE AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT.

    NOW MORE THAN EVER, WE MUST GIVE THESE YOUNG PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PURSUE THEIR COLLEGE AND CAREER GOALS, RESOLVE THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS, AND EARN THEIR CITIZENSHIP.


    THE DREAM ACT WOULD ALLOW THESE STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EARN LEGAL STATUS IF THEY: WERE 15 YEARS OLD OR YOUNGER WHEN THEY WERE BROUGHT TO AMERICA; ARE LONG-TERM U.S. RESIDENTS AND HAVE LIVED IN THE UNITED STATES FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS BEFORE THE ENACTMENT OF THE LAW; HAVE GOOD MORAL CHARACTER; GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL OR OBTAIN A GED; AND COMPLETE TWO YEARS OF COLLEGE OR MILITARY SERVICE IN GOOD STANDING.

    HAVING BEEN BROUGHT BY THEIR PARENTS TO THE UNITED STATES AS CHILDREN, THESE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN KNOW AMERICA AS THEIR HOME.

    WITHOUT QUESTION, DREAM STUDENTS EXEMPLIFY THE BEST OF AMERICAN IDEALS: SUCH AS HARD WORK, PERSEVERANCE, AND THE DESIRE TO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR NATION'S WORKFORCE, ECONOMY AND CIVIC LIFE.

    IN THE RÍO GRANDE VALLEY OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY, DREAM STUDENTS HAVE EXCELLED IN SCHOOL, AND BECOME VALEDICTORIANS, AND ADVANCED PLACEMENT SCHOLARS, AND STUDENT LEADERS, DESPITE FACING DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES.

    AS RANKING MEMBER FOR THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE TRAINING, I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT DREAM STUDENTS CAN HELP AMERICA ACHIEVE PRESIDENT OBAMA'S AMBITIOUS HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE COMPLETION GOALS BY THE YEAR 2020.
    MANY OF THESE STUDENTS ARE WORKING TIRELESSLY TO EARN THEIR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE DIPLOMAS AND ASPIRE TO BECOME PROFESSIONALS IN THE SECTORS OF OUR WORKFORCE WHICH NEED THEIR TALENT, SKILLS, AND INGENUITY.
    IN THE AREAS OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM), FOR EXAMPLE, OUR COUNTRY MUST TRAIN A NEW GENERATION OF HIGH-SKILLED SCIENTISTS, ENGINEERS, AND MATHEMATICIANS -- TO BOLSTER SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY AND SPUR TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. SIMPLY STATED, THESE TALENTED YOUTH CAN HELP OUR NATION INCREASE ITS GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS AND BE THE INNOVATORS OF TOMORROW.

    FINALLY, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE DREAM ACT HAS ENJOYED BROAD, BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FROM MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE. THEY INCLUDE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION ARNE DUNCAN, FORMER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ROBERT GATES, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL, AND CARLOS GUTIERREZ, FORMER SECRETARY OF COMMERCE UNDER PRESIDENT BUSH.

    CHANCELLORS AND UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS AND THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS, CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS, AND PROMINENT EDUCATION, BUSINESS, RELIGIOUS LEADERS, AND ELECTED OFFICIALS SUPPORT THE DREAM ACT BECAUSE IT IS HUMANE AND SENSIBLE. IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO!

    I ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK REPRESENTATIVE HOWARD BERMAN AND REP. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD (ORIGINAL SPONSOR) AND SENATOR RICHARD DURBIN FOR THEIR EXTRAORDINARY LEADERSHIP ON THIS ISSUE.

    IN CLOSING, I URGE MY COLLEAGUES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE TO JOIN ME IN HONORING THE LIFE OF JOAQUIN LUNA BY COSPONSORING H.R. 1842, "THE DREAM ACT" AND GIVING THESE DESERVING STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTIONS AS A PART OF OUR NATION'S WORKFORCE, IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF ALL AMERICANS.” link

    Tuesday, December 6, 2011

    Kermit the Communist (Frog)

    My students told me about this last week - it was hard to believe, until I saw it in the London Guardian today.

    The truth is that many films and novels are produced as vehicles to promote a particular ideology - not necessarily a bad thing.  It is a more subtle way to promote an idea - Sometimes more truth can be told in a movie or a book than in a newscast or government report.

    The muppet movie is supposed to be against big oil - and non-stop drilling - according to the students.
    Perhaps the Muppets will be more persuasive than our current protesters.

    Maybe the Muppets should make a movie about the Occupy Wall Street movement.

    By the way, I could be a little offended by the way the Texas Oilman was portrayed- being that I live in Texas.  But then, I don't live in Rich Tex's  part of town.  Click here for link to the Fox report on the Communist Muppets.


    *Disclosure - my kids and I saw all the Muppet Movies several times.  We constantly played the soundtrack to the first movie - and watched every episode of the Muppet TV Show.  Kermit and Beeker live in my office at the university.  In fact, my office is painted Kermit Green.

    MTH
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    From the London Guardian Short Cuts Blog
    Fox anchor Eric Bolling says the new Muppets movie pushes a dangerous liberal agenda – but what about Kermit's previous films?

    ...If you haven't heard the story yet let me take you – with a heavy heart – back to Friday, when Fox Business Network anchor Eric Bolling announced that the new Muppet movie featured a character named Tex Richman, a greedy oil executive who wants to drill under the Muppets' theatre. The discussion that followed didn't just typify the Fox News mission to recast the outside world as leftwing propaganda; it threatened to usher in a whole new paradigm of stupid.

    "Liberal Hollywood depicting a successful businessman as evil – that's not new," said Bolling. He asked his guest, media-bias alarmist Dan Gainor, if Hollywood was deliberately trying to brainwash kids.

    "Absolutely," said Gainor. "And they've been doing it for decades." He pointed out that oil could be used to "light a hospital" or "fuel an ambulance". "They don't want to tell that story," he said.

    Bolling's Fox News colleague Andrea Tantaros chimed in, saying: "I just wish liberals could leave little kids alone." Bolling wondered aloud why the Muppets couldn't, for once, "have the evil person be the Obama administration". It only remained for him to throw up his hands and cry: "Where are we? Communist China?"...MORE
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    Huffington Post:  
    The Muppets are Communist, Fox Business Network Says