New Beginning.. Starting all over..

The whole world's broke and it ain't worth fixing
It's time to start all over, make a new beginning
There's too much pain, too much suffering
Let's resolve to start all over make a new beginning.

Now don't get me wrong I love life and living
But when you wake up and look around at everything that's going down
All wrong
You see we need to change it now, this world with too few happy endings
We can resolve to start all over make a new beginning. Can we?

African American, Immigrant and Refugee Forge Common Agenda.

In just three days, the lie that said that U.S. born African Americans reject humane immigration reform was utterly destroyed. In Baltimore, MD this weekend over fifty blacks from throughout the United States joined together to build the Black Immigration Network (BIN). The network will be made up of organizations and people of African descent who reside in the United States. Continue reading here:

Veterans Day.Thank you

They give so much so that we may live free. Thank you isn't enough.

And they have earned nothing less than the highest respect, praise, and thanks from our entire country.

This Veterans Day, we pause to remember the brave men and women who have sacrificed so much in the defense of our freedoms.

Again thank You isn't enough, and I think the next best thing we can do is to support them, honor them and respect them for what they do and have done. past, present and future! God Bless You All!!!! God bless America!!!!!!!! thank you to all the Veterans, we will never know what it feels like to experience what you did. but you will never know how much it meant to us and how thankfull we really are. they really did pay the supreme sacrifice. I thank you Veterans everywhere.

Hate crimes on rising levels.

Local religious leaders organized a candlelight vigil in Austin at University Baptist Church last night to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the deaths of Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr., both of whom perished at the hands of men who learned to hate others because of their sexuality and/or race. Last night's event was an attempt to bring the community together to to battle the evils of homophobia and racism. Among the speakers was Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo who said that hate crimes are something that he will not tolerate:

"It hurts me as a person that we still average 10 hate crimes a year in our city," Acevedo said. "That's 10 too many."

Another speaker, Reverend Stephen Sprinkle, spoke out against the lack of federal laws dealing with hate crimes directed at victims based on sexual orientation, gender issues, and disability.
While hate crime victims Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. led very different lives, they are "forever united in a history of hope" for an end to prejudice-motivated crimes, the Rev. Stephen Sprinkle told a group gathered in Austin to commemorate the 10th anniversary of their deaths.

Sprinkle was the keynote speaker at a candlelight vigil Sunday night at University Baptist Church on Guadalupe Street to honor Shepard, a 21-year-old gay man who was killed in Wyoming, and Byrd, a black man who was killed in the East Texas town of Jasper.

"A decade ago, they lost their lives to men who learned to hate," said Sprinkle, a theology professor at Texas Christian University.

Sunday's event was organized by local religious leaders who wanted to bring people in the community together to combat racism and homophobia.

"We wanted to bring African Americans, the GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) community, and people committed to hope and compassion," said the Rev. Karen Thompson of Metropolitan Community Church of Austin.

"Hope is always a better way, regardless of our differences."

The 1998 deaths of Shepard and Byrd brought national attention to hate killings in the United States. Shepard was robbed and tortured before being tied to a fence on Oct. 7, 1998, in Laramie, Wyo. He died in the hospital a few days later.

Four months to the day earlier, three white men attacked Byrd in Jasper, tied him to the back of a pickup and dragged him to his death.

Sprinkle was critical of the lack of federal laws dealing with hate crimes directed at victims based on sexual orientation, gender issues and disability.

He also said that not enough crimes have been prosecuted under Texas' James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act.

"The real problem is not the murders," Sprinkle said. "It is that their deaths have not been vindicated."
Addressing the vigil, Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo said hate crimes are something that he will not tolerate.

"It hurts me as a person that we still average 10 hate crimes a year in our city," Acevedo said. "That's 10 too many."

University Baptist Church member Roy Larson said he was proud of his congregation for hosting the event.

"Our continued hope is that attitudes will change and that the laws will protect all people," Larson said

Support Constructive teaching: Karen Salazar

Jordan High School students lead a protest for Jordan English Teacher, Karen Salazar, who was recently fired for allegedly espousing "extremist views" in her class room. Students for Salazar were accompanied by Jordan H.S. Teacher and Poet, Mark Gonzales, Jose Lara and other members of the Association of Raza Educators (A.R.E.), as well as members of the community and of the independent press. The protest took place Thursday, June 5, 2008, during after-school hours. Amongst many of the heartfelt words Ms. Salazar shared with people regarding her students, she expressed deep appreciation for their bold acts of self-sacrifice.

"I feel humble that they were here because a lot of students know that it's risky to walk home after the school crowd has left....Walking home alone, things can happen to them," Salazar said.

Constructive education system is still lacking in many countries especially poor and developing countries. Our high schools, college and higher education students at present are indulged mainly in theories and books written many years back. Without Teachers, parents, educators and social involvement in the field selected, study is purposeless. Social involvement is research and highlight of problem is solution. As the time changes the needs also change, study should be in accordance. I am not suggesting; I recommended that Mrs. Salazar should be reinstated to her position and implement continuos education and constructive actions respecting educators and Students rights and responsabilities.
I want personally thanks to Professor Dawn Amber Dennis and Mr. Jeff Ecc for their involvement and cooperation on this matter.

Six times for promotion and someone else taking away from me.

Los Angeles, CA: Alice, an African-American, says she was overlooked for promotion on six occasions and believes she was discriminated against—a California Labor Law violation. "Each time I was up for promotion my employer hired young, white males," she says, "and they were much less qualified than me."

Being promised a promotion and then overlooked six times has taken its toll on Alice. Not only has she suffered from anxiety and depression, she has also suffered physically. "I’ve been living with chronic stomach pains and debilitating fatigue," she says, all of which were documented by her physician. And no wonder: for the past two years, Alice has also been harassed and humiliated by co-workers and her manager. When she complained to the HR manager, Alice was told that she might want to consider "finding someplace else to work."

In 2006 Alice was hired as a sales representative for a start up Internet company. "I was the fourth sales rep hired and we had this great, diverse team," says Alice. "It was exciting and I learned a lot; it was a very progressive company."

Fast forward one year. "My boss, who was phenomenal, finally quit. She had so much pressure because she was a lesbian: someone at work Googled her name and pulled up some background information. They found out that she was involved in a lawsuit years ago—she was suing the company for wrongful dismissal and now she was being forced to quit. She was the best boss I ever had and interestingly, the only female in a managerial position—there are about 200 or 250 employees in this company and I think that really says something…

They treated her so badly; she wasn't involved in any decisions and was given more than the cold shoulder. And they brought in a younger white male to replace her—seems like a pattern here because I was treated the same way.

Her quotas were exceeded every month; she did above and beyond what she was asked to do. At this time I was an account manager and ready to be promoted to a higher sales position. When I pursued it, the VP said I should stay in my role for a few months until the new director was acclimated.

So I waited.

The new guy promoted two younger white males ahead of me. Then a third white male was hired: all three had less experience than me and poor performance records. I excelled in my job and there was no reason not to get promoted. In retrospect I am a little naïve because I kept thinking that my turn was coming. Meanwhile, the new director and I were not getting along. I had to change my work hours to suit his schedule and he treated me like his assistant.

I guess it all came to a head when we had a meeting one day and the new director referred to me as 'Mmmhmmm girlfriend,' and snapped his fingers. He was treating me like I was from the ghetto, like a second-class citizen. He doesn't say that to white girls. I went to HR about it and filed a complaint.

A few days later the HR manager called me into his office and said if I was unhappy I should work somewhere else. 'You have a new boss now and I think you are giving him a hard time because you miss J (who quit).' I was so stressed out that I ran to the bathroom and threw up. Plus I was having anxiety attacks. My doctor advised me to leave my job but I thought my doctor didn't understand--the guys on the team still needed me and I wanted to be there for them.

Next morning at 8am, the new director made us chant, 'I am a believer.' It was humiliating, like some tacky evangelist. I'd break out in a sweat; I would freak out having to do this. Everybody else felt like me, nobody wanted to do it.

I couldn't take it anymore. I went to the CRO (corporate revenue officer) and he promised to make some changes but three months go by and no change. Instead, I was ostracized.

A position was posted on the website looking for a sales person. I told the VP I was going to apply but he told me not to—they weren't hiring for another 90 days. I applied anyway. One week later a new rep was hired: wait for it—a young, white male.

Two more males were hired ahead of me. It was a repetitive pattern—the same treatment as J. I filed a complaint with the equal opportunity commission (EOC) which is tied to the civil rights act and I told the VP that I was being overlooked for promotion. I sent the VP an email saying: ' I know you aren't hiring based on experience, Is it because I am a woman?

'We aren't passing you over because you are black,' she replied. I had never even mentioned the color of my skin. She wanted me to rescind the complaint.
And here is another slap in the face: I made the largest monetary deal in the company, ever. They decide to have an award ceremony every month. The guy who brought in $30,000 got a trophy and my deal was $1.7 million. I didn't even get a Timex watch.

It was time for me to go. Since leaving my health has improved, no more nightmares, no night sweats. Even though I haven't found another position yet, my self-esteem is back.
I want them to admit they were wrong. I was the only African-American female not in a subordinate position: this is LA, it's a melting pot. Obviously they had a preference for young white males."

Enforce the rule of Law. Pastor harrased by Ignorants and racists K.K.K. Members. Jessie Stensland.


A prominent Oak Harbor pastor has been targeted by hoodlums purporting to represent the Ku Klux Klan.

Fannie Dean, long-time pastor of Unity Fellowship, said the trouble started about a month ago at Oak Harbor Thrift. Dean runs the church's thrift store, located on Goldie Road.

She has received hateful, racist calls. Someone broke a window. She started finding notes scrawled on paper or cardboard. The messages said things like "Get out" or "You gotta go" and they were signed "KKK."

Dean found the most recent message Wednesday morning. It said simply: "I'm running the KKK."

Dean said she's not scared, but she's sad this still happens in the community.

"They may be running the KKK, but I know the man in charge," she said, referring to a higher power. "People are trying, but they can't stop me. I've come too far to turn around now."

Dealing with racism is nothing new for Dean, a well-known and outspoken African-American woman in Oak Harbor. She said racists came to her home and burned her family's vehicle years ago. She sometimes feels disapproving stares as she moves about the community.

"The haters are still out there. You better believe it," said Dean. Still, the well-loved pastor is anything but an angry person. She's downright cheerful and enthusiastically speaks about her love of God.

Grace Schiffman, Dean's close friend and a member of the church, said she believes Dean was targeted because of her prominence as an African-American woman. The pastor organizes the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. program. She and her church sponsored the Juneteenth celebration, which celebrates the freedom of black people from slavery. Dean and families from her current church are building Mission Ministries Outreach on Goldie Road.

"We are not going to let them stop us and they're not going to prevent us from building the church," Schiffman said.

While Dean isn't frightened, Schiffman said some members of the church are concerned for her safety.

Island County Sheriff Mark Brown said deputies are investigating the case, but they have no leads. He said the actions fit the definition of a hate crime.

"This is something we take very seriously," he said.

One year ago Dane Solomon walked through the doors of Immigration Equality asking for protection from abuse and mistreatment.



Your support will ensure that more and more stories like Dane's can become a reality.

Link here:

Aryan Members out on the street getting caught by police.

burning of racist symbols in yard of African-American family in Metairie. By Michelle Hunter.



More than four weeks after someone burned the letters KKK and the shapes of three crosses in the front yard of an African-American family's Metairie home, the grass still refuses to grow. And the family has not rushed to remove the symbols.

"We left it out there because we want people in the neighborhood to know that there are people in their own backyards that believe in this garbage," said the family's patriarch, who asked not to be named when a reporter stopped by Monday. He said he doesn't want any publicity for himself, just public awareness that "racism is still alive and it is well."

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office and the FBI are investigating the damage as a possible hate crime. The symbols appear to have been made by a chemical, not by fire. They were reported May 7. No suspects have been arrested.

The property, in a predominantly white section of northeast Metairie, is home to a 35-year-old chef and a 34-year-old cosmetologist and their three children. They had lived in the house only five days when the symbols were discovered.

"I just didn't know what to think," the man said, holding his 19-month-old son in one arm and his 5-month-old daughter in the other. "I didn't know what to say. I was just in awe."

The father said he was afraid at first, then outraged. Now he's confused and frustrated.

"I want to ask, 'Why?' We haven't been in the neighborhood long enough to cause a ruckus. We didn't do anything. It's 2008 and you still can't get past the racial issue?"

Perhaps the hardest part for the couple was explaining to their 9-year-old son why there were so many police cars in the yard last month, the meaning of burned crosses and the Ku Klux Klan, and why someone might not like the boy because of his skin color. It was a painful conversation the father said he never imagined having to have in this day and age.

But the family is determined to stay put, said the father, recalling that they have moved three times since Hurricane Katrina. "After my wife made me pack up all that stuff and move, I'm not going anywhere," he said with a laugh.

He called the vandalism a cowardly act born of ignorance, and a similar reaction on his part would amount to stooping to the culprit's level. As a father, he said, he must be a better model for his son.

"I still have to be a responsible adult in this house," he said. "We're trying to teach them that they should not live in fear, to speak when spoken to, keep your hands to yourself and respect others."

The family has been helped by neighbors who, one by one, came to their door and offered support as word of the incident spread. One of those neighbors was Dave Tibbetts, 52.

"It's just unbelievable that this would happen," Tibbetts said.

The family is confident that the guilty party will be caught. The father said he's not looking for a stiff jail sentence or fines, but for the perpetrator to be sentenced to community service in an African-American neighborhood.

"I want him . . . to come out of his comfort zone," the father said, "to see that black people are not animals. They are everyday people."

Anyone with information about the incident can call the FBI at (504) 816-3000 or the Sheriff's Office investigations bureau at (504) 364-5300

African Leaders shocked by Anti Immigrant Violence.




The African continent is “shocked’’ by the xenophobic attacks in South Africa, declared African Union President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, after a meeting of African heads of state examining the project for a Pan-African government.

Images of looting, burnings, destruction of shacks and beatings of defenseless immigrants from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Nigeria, Somalia, among other countries, have filled newspapers and television continent-wide. The unexpected violence has left at least 50 dead, hundreds injured and tens of thousands homeless or displaced from Johannesburg and other South African cities.

Speaking out against the attacks, Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa recalled that the freedom of South Africa was achieved as a collective effort by South Africa and its neighboring countries. He appealed to South Africans to reflect on the unity that is talked about and promoted in Africa, adding that the South African government has laws to deal with illegal immigrants.

Mozambican President Armando Guebuza Thursday called on Mozambicans not to react with hatred to the wave of mob violence.
Meanwhile, Cape Town has been on a knife-edge after anti-immigrant violence reached the port city where angry mobs attacked Somalians and Zimbabweans and looted their homes and shops.

Ironically, South Africa marked Africa Day on Sunday in Johannesburg under the banner “united in diversity.” Within sight of the stage, however, was Central Methodist Church, sheltering some 2,000 Zimbabweans, barricaded inside against the gangs who have been terrorizing refugees.

“It is almost as though the South African authorities want this to happen,” said Anderson Ingwe, 28, a car mechanic. If that is so, then they should just say peacefully: ‘You are not welcome, Zimbabweans. Now go home.’

Critics are faulting President Thabo Mbeki for failing to visit any of the trouble spots. Calls for his resignation appeared this weekend in The Sunday Times and other local papers.

Meanwhile, taking a stand against violence, some 5,000 people from non-governmental organizations, communities affected by the violence and social-movement groups joined an anti-xenophobia protest in central Johannesburg and the suburb of Hillbrow Sunday. The protesters delivered a memorandum to the provincial government demanding security for foreigners and humanitarian support.

South Africa, with a population of 48.5 million, has a shortfall of 2.4 million houses and one in four South Africans doesn’t have a job

HATE CRIME. MAN SENTENCED TO 121 MONTHS IN CROSS BURNING CASE





Kyle Milbourn of Muncie, Ind., was sentenced by a federal judge today for a hate crime stemming from a cross burning last year that was directed at a woman and her three biracial children, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Grace Chung Becker and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Timothy Morrison.

Milbourn was convicted by a jury in March 2008, of one count of interfering with the housing rights of another person; one count of conspiring to interfere with civil rights; one count of using fire during the commission of a felony; and one count of tampering with a witness. He was sentenced to 121 months on all four counts combined.

According to testimony at trial, on or about March 6, 2006, Milbourn and another individual, who previously pleaded guilty, built an eight-foot wooden cross, erected it in front of the victims’ home, doused it with gasoline and set it on fire. Milbourn did this with the intent to interfere with the victims’ rights under the Fair Housing Act. In an attempt to thwart the FBI’s investigation into the cross burning, Milbourn, in November 2007, tried to prevent a witness from speaking to FBI agents.

“It is deeply disturbing that, in this day and age, circumstances still require us to prosecute cases that involve burning an eight-foot wooden cross in front of the home of a bi-racial family,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Becker. “The Justice Department will vigorously prosecute anyone who engages in cross-burning.”

“No one should have to suffer the terror and intimidation of a cross-burning,” said U.S. Attorney Morrison. “Civil rights enforcement remains a top priority of the Department of Justice.”

The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Betsy Biffl from the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and resulted from an investigation conducted by FBI Special Agent Charlie Rownd of the Muncie Field Office.

California Man Convicted of Federal Civil Rights
Crime For Race-Motivated Threats



WASHINGTON - A federal jury in Fresno, Calif., yesterday found Bradley Smith guilty of a felony federal civil rights offense for a series of race-motivated threats against an African-American member of his community. Smith, a resident of Modesto, Calif., was convicted of race-based interference with the victim's federally protected housing rights. Smith also was convicted of a second felony offense for providing a false statement to an agent of the FBI. Smith faces a maximum punishment of 15 years imprisonment, criminal fines and restitution for the victim. Sentencing is scheduled for July 25, 2008.

The evidence at trial showed that between June 2005 and May 2007, shortly after the victim moved to the Central Valley city of Modesto, the defendant engaged in a campaign of racial intimidation that was intended to drive the victim from the Modesto area. Smith and the victim were avid citizens-band (CB) radio enthusiasts and many of Smith's threats were made via CB broadcasts that were overheard by other Modesto-area CB participants. The defendant's threats were laced with racial slurs and included threats to burn a cross on the victim's lawn, firebomb the victim's house, and hang the victim from a tree while sexually assaulting the victim's wife.
In addition, local police had to intervene on at least one occasion in which the defendant followed up on his threats by going to the victim's home with a group of approximately six people in at least three vehicles. As a result of the defendant's conduct, the victim eventually moved from the Modesto area to another community in California's Central Valley.

"Threatening to attack someone in their home because of their race or color is offensive to our nation's fundamental values," said Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "The Justice Department is committed to vigorously prosecuting the federal laws that prohibit such violent threats."

"There is no place for the reprehensible speech perpetuated by the defendant, whether on citizens band radio or on the streets of our communities," said McGregor Scott, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California. "The jury is to be commended for drawing a very distinct line between free speech and racial epithets and criminal threats."

Prosecuting the perpetrators of bias-motivated crimes is a top priority of the Justice Department. Since 2001, the Civil Rights Division has charged 184 defendants in 123 cases of bias-motivated crimes.

This case was investigated by agents from the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California, and Trial Attorneys C. Douglas Kern and Karen Ruckert from the Civil Rights Division.

Trail of a Terrorist and How they use fake Passport to enter the United States thru Any International Port of entry!!!!!!!!!!!




Over and over again, investigators examining the Al Qaeda terrorist network point to a common thread -- the ease with which many in the network travel the world using fake passports or illegally obtained immigration documents.

Ahmed Ressam, the focus of this FRONTLINE report, was somewhat of an expert in fake passports. He used a counterfeit French passport to enter Canada and apply for political asylum. While living there, he supplied fake Canadian passports to other Algerians. And he used a fake Canadian passport under the alias of Benni Noris in his failed attempt to enter the United States and bomb Los Angeles International Airport.

Ressam recently testified that he was trained in these and other "security" techniques at one of Osama bin Laden's training camps in Afghanistan. He also testified that an Al Qaeda representative had recruited him to supply the group with false Canadian passports.

The picture of Al Qaeda that is emerging through Ressam's case and ongoing investigations is of a sophisticated terrorist network, able to send "sleeper" agents like Ressam anywhere in the world. Al Qaeda depends on the ability to travel internationally in order to raise funds, recruit operatives, train the operatives in Afghanistan and send them out to plan and conduct terrorist attacks. Key to their international mobility is being able to circumvent immigration laws and law enforcement "watch lists."

Passports

Investigators believe that there may be specialized Al Qaeda terrorist cells in the U.S., Canada, and Europe whose only job is to supply Al Qaeda with passports and other documents that can be used by its operatives. There are various ways they obtain and use passports:

The terrorist can physically alter a valid passport -- stolen or purchased from an accomplice -- by changing the picture or biographical data. "The terrorists are smart about which passports they use," says David Simcox, director of migration demographics and chairman of the board of the Center for Immigration Studies. "At least two of the Sept. 11 attackers used stolen Saudi Arabian passports. Saudi Arabia is a friend of the United States and so using their passport makes it easier to get in at the border."

In some countries, terrorists may be able to purchase an official passport in their own name, or an alias, by bribing a corrupt official or obtaining one in the black market. Stolen passports are readily available for sale in most countries. The most popular ones on the international black market are those from countries that enjoy visa-free relationships with the United States, such as Japan or Sweden.

The terrorist can make a counterfeit passport, hoping that the border agent wouldn't be able to identify the forgery. "The INS has a forensic document laboratory to train agents to detect these false passports," Simcox says. "But there are so many countries, that it is difficult to track. And some will get through because the quality is getting so good. The technology of counterfeiting is constantly improving." Moreover, according to Simcox, internet sales of fraudulent documents has blossomed in recent years, despite efforts by law enforcement to stop the practice.

There's another angle on the trafficking in fake passports. Congressional hearings on Oct. 17, 2001 revealed relationships between the terrorists and organized criminal syndicates who smuggle humans across borders. It is a huge international business, with brokers in China, India, Africa, and Central and South America and other poor countries demanding up to $50,000 per person in order to smuggle people into the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

To avoid detection, the smugglers are constantly changing their routes and methods. Some also rely on huge numbers of fake passports, routing people through as many as two other countries to hide the country of origin. "The terrorists have made common cause with 'people smugglers' who are very good at supplying false documentation," says Simcox. "It gives the terrorists a ready source of altered counterfeit passports and, if needed, the smugglers may assist them in being smuggled into the United States."

Another aspect of passport fraud is falsifying documents, such as birth certificates, which are needed to acquire a passport. This practice, used by Ahmed Ressam, allows terrorists to get legitimate passports, using an alias, which will be basically foolproof at border crossings. "The American and Canadian passport system has a major problem because its 'breeder' document -- the birth certificate -- is such a weak document for certifying identity," says Simcox. "Despite U.S. State Department procedures for verifying birth certificates, every state is different. And the process is not computerized or centralized in any way."

The birth certificate is a "weak" document because it is relatively easy to forge and has no photo or fingerprint requirement. In the U.S. and Canada, birth certificates can be provided by a number of sources, such as state authorities, churches, and hospitals. Each state has different rules about supplying birth certificates, and acquiring copies of them. Once you have a valid birth certificate, it is relatively easy to get a driver's license, passport, and other fake identification.

Visas

As was clearly evident in the Sept. 11 attacks, many terrorists simply enter the U.S. using their own passports and a student or business visa.

INS officials say there are so many visas given out around the world that it is impossible to check the backgrounds of every person. Two of the Sept. 11 suicide hijackers entered the U.S. by applying to take classes at a university or technical school, acquiring a student visa, and then never showing up for class. Three of the terrorists entered on business or tourism visas and simply overstayed their visa.

(The INS says the number of foreigners in the U.S. who have overstayed their visas currently stands at more than 2 million.) Finally, two of the Sept. 11 hijackers who had been put on an FBI "watch list" while they were in the U.S. on visas were not located.

The INS has little or no capacity to track visa holders once they are in the United States. The issue of entry-exit tracking of visa holders is now being given new priority. INS officials argue that at present, it is impossible to track all foreigners in the U.S., and the agency doesn't have the manpower to physically put people on planes

Darfur the silence genocide.

The UN security council is being criticised for "shameful silence" over the crisis in Darfur, which is now in its sixth year. The denouncement comes after attacks in Sudan's Darfur region went overlooked by the security council. HRW wants a probe into the killings and penalties for those committing them.

"HRW said that in western Darfur 'hundreds of civilians' have been killed, tens of thousands have been displaced and provision of 'life-saving humanitarian assistance' has been prevented from reaching the worst affected areas by government attacks on villages since February 8. 'The council's inaction has given Sudan a green light to continue attacking civilian targets, flouting international law and security council resolutions' and obstructing the deployment of a UN-mandated peacekeeping force.

The conflict in Darfur has raged since 2003 when anti-government forces attempted to gain a greater regional share of power.

Fighting has claimed 200,000 lives and displaced 2.2 million people, according to UN estimates."

African American do not have a room for bigotry. They do not want the Minuteman closed to their Communitty.

As a Brothers and Sisters we have differences but always remained together.. Let's embrace humane Values, tolerance to others. We all are Immigrants.

Senator Obama image damaged by connection of pastor controversy but lifted by Hispanic Man Bill Richardson.

They're calling it the pastor disaster. Once again this week, drama inside the Democratic party dominated the attention of US voters.

A black clergyman who isn't running for anything. Reverend Jeremiah Wright is a fiery and influential churchman who used to lead the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, where Obama and his family worship.

The Rev. Wright performed the senator's wedding and the baptism of both of his children. He served as a spiritual adviser to the Obama campaign. Then excerpts of Wright's videotaped sermons found their way onto TV.

They displayed deep anger about the long history of racism against African-Americans and the role the US plays in the world. Wright urged his followers to abandon the familiar phrase "God Bless America" and say "God Damn America" instead.

Just days after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, he blamed the US. "We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon and we never batted an eye. We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost."

But today his image was lifted by the endorsement of the N.M. gov, Bill Richardson.
Declaring that Sen. Barack Obama is an "extraordinary American," Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico endorsed Obama for the Democratic nominee for president on Friday.

Barack Obama will make a great and historic president," Richardson said, Obama standing at his side. "[It] is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our nation and you are a once-in-a-lifetime leader."

"He's done the kind of work that you want from your public servants, somebody who's driven not just by raw ambition, not just by an interest in personal aggrandizement," Obama added. "He's been somebody who's been motivated by the desire to make the lives of his constituents and working people a little bit better.

As a Hispanic-American, I was particularly touched by his words," Richardson said, putting his arm around Obama and declaring in Spanish that he is "a man who understands us."

Whoever tied the noose and hung it on his door knob was not ignorant of the symbol's meaning.




Unadilla Valley Central School officials have identified two students they believe are responsible for hanging a noose on a counselor's door last week.

School Superintendent Robert Mackey said Wednesday the students are being disciplined, but he would not release any specific information about who the students are or what disciplinary actions were being taken.

"I can tell you that the consequences will match the offensiveness of the act," Mackey said.

The students have not been attending school since they were identified, he said.

The noose tied from clothesline-type rope was found the morning of Feb. 6 on the door of the Liberty Partnership Program counselor's room while school was in session, troopers previously said.

The counselor was identified by the school as Mark Montgomery, who is black. He has been at the school for 11/2 years.

The incident remains under investigation by Norwich state police. Troopers on Wednesday said they were hoping to have closure in the case by Friday, but they would not indicate if that closure would involve criminal charges.

There are no other students involved, Mackey said.

"We are sure that this is it," Mackey said.

Mackey said school staff had heard from other students that the two suspected of hanging the noose may have learned how to tie it by watching a video on YouTube, the popular Internet video-sharing website.

Mackey said he couldn't speculate on a motive.

"We can't answer specifically what was going through the minds of the kids," Mackey said. "Many teenagers really act without ever thinking about the end result.

The school resource officer _ a state trooper _ was a huge help in bringing the incident to a quick resolution, Mackey said.

State police Bureau of Criminal Investigation officers were in the school within a few hours of the noose being found, he said.

Students began coming forward Sunday with information about who hung the noose, and by Tuesday, both students who participated were identified, Mackey said.

School officials are treating this as an isolated incident, he said, but as the school deals with the incident's aftermath, staff will be trying to gauge the depth of any racist sentiment that might exist at the school.

The school is planning an assembly for older elementary, middle and high school students after winter break next week, Mackey said.

Teachers will then "circle the desks" and talk with the students in a classroom setting about issues surrounding race and the noose incident.

"We're working on that phase now," Mackey said.

If there appears to be a need for a longer-term approach to any race or discrimination issues at the school, the district my opt to start an Alternatives to Violence program or participate in a course of study through Project Reach, which focuses on respecting ethnic and cultural heritage, Mackey said.

Ultimately, the noose incident could be an opportunity to educate students, he said.

"Our main goal is to facilitate learning every day," Mackey said.

Montgomery, a resident of Clayville in Oneida County, said Monday night he works with at-risk youth in his role with the Liberty Partnership program, which has a goal of reducing drop-out rates.

"I have sadly been exposed to racism my entire life," Montgomery said, but the hanging of a noose brought it to a new level.

Noose displays have garnered national media attention in recent months.

In late January, a federal grand jury indicted an 18-year-old Louisiana man on hate crime and conspiracy charges for allegedly fashioning nooses with a 16-year-old that were then displayed toward marchers traveling from a civil-rights rally in September.

Earlier in January, the editor of Golfweek magazine was fired for using a noose on the magazine's cover to illustrate coverage of controversy over comments regarding lynching and Tiger Woods made by a Golf Channel broadcaster.

President Bush spoke about the symbolism of the noose during an event Tuesday marking African-American History Month.

"The noose is not a symbol of prairie justice, but of gross injustice," Bush said. "Displaying one is not a harmless prank. Lynching is not a word to be mentioned in jest."

Montgomery said that whoever tied the noose and hung it on his door knob was not ignorant of the symbol's meaning

Some Americans do not understand why the sight of a noose causes such a visceral reaction among so many people. Bush condemns racial provocations.




Honoring African American History Month, he says noose displays and lynching jokes 'have no place in America today.'

WASHINGTON -- Responding to a rash of racial incidents in the last year, President Bush on Tuesday denounced displays of nooses and jokes about lynching, and said that as past racial injustice fades in memory, the nation risked forgetting the suffering it brought.
The president's remarks, at a White House program marking African American History Month, were among his most pointed in recent years on the subject of racial tensions.

They grew out of concern, his spokeswoman said, that even as the nation made progress toward overcoming racial inequality, symbols of past injustice still flared up.

The president's focus on race coincides with the attention being devoted to the role of race in politics, with Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in contention to be the first African American candidate to receive a major political party's presidential nomination. He is drawing the support of a cross section of voters and is finding a deep well of votes in states with large white populations.

"The era of rampant lynching is a shameful chapter in American history. The noose is not a symbol of prairie justice, but of gross injustice. Displaying one is not a harmless prank. And lynching is not a word to be mentioned in jest," Bush said.

"As a civil society, we must understand that noose displays and lynching jokes are deeply offensive," the president added. "They are wrong. And they have no place in America today."

Bush, who leaves on Friday for his second trip as president to sub-Saharan Africa, saluted four African Americans: Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), who was a leader of the civil rights movement in the 1960s; former Transportation Secretary William T. Coleman Jr., the first black to clerk on the Supreme Court and the first to hold a Cabinet post in a Republican administration; Ernest Green, who with eight other African American students integrated Little Rock, Ark.'s Central High School in 1957; and Otis Williams of The Temptations, the singers who drew fans across racial lines.

White House Press Secretary Dana Perino, citing news accounts, said there had been more than 70 reports of nooses being displayed since December 2006.

The Justice Department said that the agency, along with state and local officials, had investigated "dozens" of noose displays and other racially motivated threats.

In perhaps the most infamous recent incident, the town of Jena, La., was roiled after three nooses were hung from a tree that had long been a gathering point of white students.

Bush said the reports of such activities had heightened racial tensions and "revealed that some Americans do not understand why the sight of a noose causes such a visceral reaction among so many people."

He noted that for decades it had been a tool of murder and intimidation directed at African Americans, when "summary executions were held by torchlight in front of hateful crowds," with law enforcement officers who were responsible for protecting the victims instead being "complicit in . . . their deaths