Greens Call for Boycott of Georgia
Blame Deal's Failure to Veto Brown Codes
Atlanta, 5/13/2011 - (By Bruce Dixon) - In a roll call vote Thursday night by a unanimous State Committee, the Georgia Green Party called for a travel and tourism boycott of Georgia if Governor Deal should fail to veto HB-87. Friday at noon, the Governor signed the reactionary bill into law.
Georgians, and all who visit or travel through Georgia, are now subjected to a law which Greens and others have dismissed as the Brown Codes, harking back to Georgia’s history of Jim Crow, and the de-jure discrimination codified as the Black Codes.
Adam Shapiro, Co-Chair of the Party and the host of an Atlanta area radio talk show said, “We strongly urge those who wish to do business with the State of Georgia to refrain from doing so. We’re committed to working for the swift repeal of this white supremacist agenda from the Georgia Code.”
“I don’t know how we can persecute people who are economic refugees, sometimes fleeing extreme violence in their own country, and yet we treat them as people who have the potential to harm us—almost as terrorists,” said Denise Traina, a physical therapist from Augusta and former co-chair of the Georgia Green Party. “How can we deny them the same freedoms and safety that we all seek for our families?”
“Georgia has a reputation for two kinds of Southern Hospitality. There are those among us who have extended a cordial welcome to the stranger, sure that we have often entertained angels unawares. But we must own that our history also includes the hospitality of the lynching bee.
The enactment of the HB-87 Brown Codes makes that hateful hospitality the law of the land,” said Hugh Esco, Georgia Green Party Secretary, who manages a small business based in Decatur Georgia. “HB-87 hands our most fear-driven citizens to act out with their private cause of action, which I suppose is better than a noose. But why would our governor let white fear tear apart immigrant families? Deal should leave this in Arizona. Watch that example tank their economy. But now he is bringing this down on us as well.”
Intent on defending ‘our immigrant neighbors’, Thursday night’s resolution urges Greens and other justice-loving members of the public to build participation through their faith, professional and organizational affiliations. Thursday night’s resolution also directs that a compatible resolution be put before the National Committee of the Green Party of the United States. The Georgia Party’s Delegation to the National Committee is working with the Arizona Delegation on a paper being considered this Saturday by Greens in the state whose SB-1070 last year kicked off a wave of immigrant bashing in state assemblies across the country.
Shapiro, who currently serves as a Delegate from Georgia, added, “We hope with Arizona’s co-sponsorship, to file this paper as early as next week for consideration by our National Party.”
Ayman Fadel an Augusta based
business owner was arrested for misdemeanor criminal tresspass and was held pending the setting of bond by the Jenkins County Sheriff’s Department. A thirty year Georgia resident, Mr. Fadel has been active on a range of issues with the CSRA Peace Alliance.
Mr. Fadel, son of Egyptian American Dr. Hossam Fadel, was arrested while holding up a sign reading “CCA $ is not blessed”. He was part of a small picket gathered in opposition at a
ground-breaking event advertised as a ‘public ceremony’ in a paid advertisement in the Millen News taken out by the Corrections
Corporation of America. CCA, the privately owned Tennessee based company which owns and operates sixty prison facilities across the
country advertised that both Governor Perdue and DoC Commissioner Owens would be in attendance at the 10:00 am event.
Private security in the employ of CCA, with the support of deputies from the Jenkins County Sheriff’s Department, informed members of the public, wishing to participate in the picket in opposition to this new private prison that they could do so only in a designated ‘free speech’
area in the parking lot, not visible to the ceremony itself. A uniformed officer attempted to move back the picket, and shortly after when the Governor arrived, the sherrif’s deupties ordered that signs be put down. Mr. Fadel, asserting his free speech rights challenged the legality of the police order and was promptly arrested.
“Our nation’s public policy of imposing mass incarceration is destroying the liberties of all of us,” said Denice Traina, former cochair of the Georgia Green Party.
“We pretend to have overcome the race caste system of Jim Crow, only to recreate it anew by criminalizing health problems and discarding proven restorative justice strategies in favor of punitive and highly profitable tools of social control. Are the Georgia authorities so frightened by this week’s inmate strike action, that they must break ribs and lock up even more for expressing an opposing view?”
Newspapers have reported that inmates in as many as eleven Georgia Department of Corrections facilities have participated in a general
strike. As reported by BlackAgendaReport.com: “The nine specific demands made by Georgia’s striking prisoners in two press releases pointedly reflect many of the systemic failures of the U.S. regime of mass incarceration, and the utter disconnection of U.S. prisons from any notions of protecting or serving the public interest. Prisoners are demanding, in their own words, decent living conditions, adequate medical care and nutrition, educational and self-improvement opportunities, just parole decisions, an end to cruel and unusual
punishments, and better access to their families.”
DoC responded violently to the inmates non-violent sit down strike.
Prison guards reportedly broke the ribs of inmates at an Augusta facility when they physically ejected them from the cells to force them to go to work. In a Capitol steps press conference Monday, representatives from the Georgia Green Party added the Party voice to a growing coalition demanding accountability from our state government and the protection of the human rights of those inmates committed to
the ‘custody, care and control’ of the state prison apparatus.
The new CCA owned and operated Jenkins County Correctional facility is scheduled to open in 2012 and is being built on land which was
originally purchased from the county ten years ago. Subsequently, Jenkins County tried to buy it back to build a high school. But CCA
refused to relinquish the property and the county declined to use its eminent domain powers.
“This is indicative of the kind of control this private corporation has,” said Michael McCullen, a member of the Augusta Mayors Blue Ribbon
Commission on Race, who attended a rally in Millen immediately following the ground-breaking, “that they can utilize the local police to arrest people for peacefully protesting in a public space.”
And just to underscore that point, five participants in the picket, conversing on a public sidewalk in downtown Millen on their way to lunch while they waited for bail to be set were ordered to ‘disperse’ and ‘move along’ by a Jenkins County sheriff while being interviewed by cell phone for this piece.
A local Jenkins County resident posted the $500 cash bond necessary to secure Mr. Fadel’s release.
While in custody, Mr. Fadel was questioned by investigators with the Department of Corrections about what role he might have in the ongoing work stop action in the prisons and whether he knew Elaine Brown, whose communications with the leadership of the inmate strike made it known to the public.
The Georgia Green Party is identifying a slate of candidates for the 2012 election cycle who are ready to challenge mass incarceration as public policy in Georgia.
By Faviana Rodriguez
The Department of Justice sued Arizona to prevent the implementation of the state’s anti-immigrant law, SB 1070 at the end of July, 2010. The lawsuit is an important statement from the Obama Administration that Arizona has gone too far, and it deserves recognition.
It’s vital that the White House hear what we think on the issue of immigration, both good and bad. The Justice Department’s lawsuit as a first step toward the kind of leadership we are looking for.
But stopping SB 1070 -- and other laws like it -- should just be the next step. For more than a decade, the federal government has been empowering local authorities to enforce immigration law through the failed 287g program, which has created exactly the kind of racial profiling and vicious enforcement practices that would be expanded under SB 1070. In fact, the very existence of 287g is what inspired some of the supporters of SB 1070.
July 14, 2010 - Washington, DC
GALEO (the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials) filed legal papers opposing an attempt by the State of Georgia to implement new voter registration procedures that discriminate against minority voters. MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) represents GALEO in the legal effort.
The case, filed by the State of Georgia, seeks permission from the U.S. District Court in Washington DC to impose voter registration procedures that the U.S. Justice Department has concluded are flawed and discriminatory. In the alternative, Georgia asks the federal court to declare unconstitutional key provisions of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. GALEO has requested to intervene in the case to defend voting rights of Georgia Latinos and the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act.
“This lawsuit seeks to strip away vital protections for minority voters,” explained Nina Perales, MALDEF Southwest Regional Counsel and lead lawyer for GALEO in the intervention. “MALDEF will continue to oppose discriminatory voter registration procedures, and also defend the Voting Rights Act, a law that has provided the Latino community with greater access to the political process.”
“The purpose of today’s action is to defend access to the polls for all voters,” stated Jerry Gonzalez, Executive Director of GALEO. “The State of Georgia has had a historical pattern of discriminatory practices against minorities, which has blocked access to the voting booths. As such, Georgia is subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. In this particular case, the State of Georgia has failed to demonstrate that the proposed voter verification procedures do not discriminate against minority communities,” added Gonzalez.
“We do not believe Georgia has lived up to its legal obligations to protect and to ensure equitable access to all voters, including minority voters. In addition, we believe these proposed changes demonstrate the need to uphold the constitutionality of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act in order to protect access to the polls. GALEO intends to work in a bi-partisan fashion to ensure Georgia can look at best-practices policy alternatives to protect voter access,” continued Gonzalez.
The case, State of Georgia v. Eric H. Holder, Jr., Attorney General of the United States, is pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. It seeks judicial preclearance of new voter registration procedures adopted by Georgia and in the alternative challenges Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act - the law that requires certain states and local governments that have a history of racial discrimination in voting to secure approval of changes in their election laws by the federal government.
Georgians are paying for the increase in monthly power bills even though the reactors will not produce a single kilowatt of energy until, at least, 2017...
Georgia Power has claimed monthly increases will not surpass $9.10 per household, per month, but these projections are based on the company’s low ball estimates. Similar projects in Florida and Alabama have seen projected costs rise three times as much once construction was underway.
During the 2009 legislative session, Georgia Watch, along with other advocacy groups, fought to have SB 31 voted down by lawmakers. At the end of the day, many did cast their vote in support of their constituents, but unfortunately too many were swayed by Georgia Power’s 70 lobbyists. SB 31 passed swiftly through both chambers.
Senator Robert Brown introduced Repeal of Georgia Power Tax in April 2009 but never passed.
The Public Service Commission rubber-stamped Georgia Power’s request.
Federal mandates are being challenged, such as the "Obamacare" or Affordable Care Act of 2010. Democrats and republicans are not willing to sponsor the Single Payer System. There are just laws and unjust pieces of legislations, such as Georgia SB 31. Many rather want to pay for healthcare than for a nuclear plant that might kill us all. CLICK TO READ THE BILL
LAWRENCEVILLE, GA 3-3-10– (Natali Fani) Today, four immigrant students who are walking 1,500 miles from Miami, FL to Washington, D.C. heroically faced Gwinnett County Sheriff R.L. “Butch” Conway, a vocal proponent of “287(G)” and other enforcement policies that have resulted in the deportation of hundreds of immigrants, to share their views about the need to fix the country’s failed immigration system. Representatives of various groups, including the GLAHR, SPLC lawyers, Amnesty International and the U.S. Human Rights Network accompanied the young walkers in their brave action to confront Sheriff Conway.
“We tried to meet with the Sheriff so that we could tell our stories, the story of immigrants who work hard,” expressed one of the immigrant walkers Gaby Pacheco, 25, to a Representative of Sheriff Conway. “We are undocumented ourselves. 287g agreements criminalize people like us. I wanted to show Sheriff Conway that I was not afraid to be arrested and possibly deported under 287g simply because I had a broken light on the car I was driving. We wanted to show how Sheriffs like Conway and unjust laws like 287(G) cause our community to be afraid to call the police. You swore on the bible to uphold the law and protect the people and for you to do this hurts us,” continued Pacheco.
Wearing a shirt that read “We are undocumented,” the 23 year old walker Felipe Matos stated, “Sometimes we see numbers and we forget the faces. In this country...people are scared of their sheriffs. Our message is...all of us should take charge of our own lives. Each one of us- documented and undocumented - has an obligation to ourselves to talk about those unjust laws that criminalize us and make us feel like less than a human being.”
Ajamu Baraka, Executive Director of the U.S. Human Rights Network, stated “more than 55 years ago Rosa Parks stood up for justice. Young people were the backbone of that movement. We see the opening chapter of a new struggle, a struggle led by young people. These young people went inside the Sheriff’s office and said they will not live in fear.”
The young immigrant walkers are inspiring thousands of young people across the nation, and will continue to inspire thousands more as they continue their journey to Washington, DC, crossing into North Carolina in the coming days.
For more information: www.trail2010.org
(APN) ATLANTA (2-20-2010) -- Atlanta Progressive News's News Editor, Matthew Cardinale, received a death threat by way of email from an anonymous sender after publishing a controversial Editorial, "Notes on Objectivity and News."
The article elaborated on APN's Editorial Policy, specifically that there is no such thing as objectivity in news reporting or otherwise.
The writer, with the email address mr1955@comcast.net, was apparently very offended by the Editorial.
"If I shoot you in the head with a .45 caliber pistol, you -- with or without a witness to 'create' reality -- will be dead, and I (with or without a witness) will be the shooter," the person wrote.
"That's reality. There are objective facts in the world," the email said.
The email was sent to APN's News Editor on Thursday afternoon, February 18, 2010. The news agency immediately notified police by calling 911.
The 911 operator took down basic information and said a detective would call back within 24 to 48 hours. Officer Oliver called back later that evening, advising APN's News Editor to bring in a copy of the email.
APN consulted with many senior activists and elected officials in the community for advice on how to respond.
Former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), an avid APN reader who has also received death threats, advised the news agency to take the threat seriously and contact police, particularly because no one knows yet who the sender is and because "there are crazy people in the world."
Earlier today, Atlanta Police Department Officers Stricklin and Wagaman of Zone 6 responded with concern and professionalism, obtaining a copy of the threatening email and notifying the Editor's residential zone, Zone 5, of the incident.
One APD officer noted that the sender of the email had some detailed familiarity of firearms.
A police report is currently being prepared with the case number 10-051-1136. The report should be ready in 7-10 days, APD said.
APD also said an investigator from Zone 5 would be following up shortly.
It is unclear whether the person's email can be traced, but they did use a Comcast email address which should make it easy for Comcast if they are willing to provide the inform
APN also received an email from a reader in New Zealand who noted that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler also did not believe in objectivity.
Also, APN received an email from a member of the US military, Mike Williamson, which, while not threatening murderer, requests of APN Editor to "Please die."
"And this is what a socialist c****sucker loo
"You can tell he's incapable of a real job, which is why he supports douchism. Anyone else want to chip in and buy him a one way ticket to France?"
"FYI, Matty, I left the UK to get away from socialist c***suckers, and their national health care and other phaggotry. Your 'vision' is incompatible with America, human decency, or manliness. Please die," Williamson concluded.
APN will not be deterred from its crucial mission by death threats nor by profane insults.
APN Contributor Bob Goodman, formerly of the Great Speckled Bird newspaper, argued that to be deterred would be to let the sender of the email win. "That's what they want is for you to be scared," he said.
Goodman recalled that the leftist Atlanta 'zine of the 1960's, 1970's, and 1980's once had its office firebombed, but that they did not miss a week of publication. Apparently, progressive journalism in Atlanta is a hazardous occupation.
"True American Hero"
AUSTIN, Texas (CBS/AP) - Some would call Joseph Andrew Stack, the software engineer who crashed his small plane into an IRS office building in Austin, a domestic terrorist.
But there are fans on Facebook and Twitter who are claiming he's a "true American hero."
Before flying his single engine Piper PA-28 into the hulking black-glass office building Thursday morning (2-18-2010), the 53-year-old apparently posted a rambling screed on a Web site in which he railed against "big brother," the Catholic Church, the "unthinkable atrocities" committed by big business and the government bailouts that followed.
And some people on Facebook couldn't agree more. "Finally an American man took a stand against our tyrannical government that no longer follows the Constitution," wrote Emily Walte
