tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-368557102012-02-16T11:00:35.381-08:00“For women, then, poetry is not a luxury. It is a vital necessity of our existence. It forms the quality of the light within which we predicate our hopes and dreams toward survival and change . . . . The farthest horizons of our hopes and fears are cobbled by our poems, carved from the rock experiences of our daily lives.”<br /> ~Audre LordeLaurennoreply@blogger.comBlogger1051100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-80422369744628195292009-01-09T15:47:00.000-08:002009-01-09T15:48:10.756-08:00

I doubt that anyone is still checking up on this, but I have decided not to continue this blog. I may start another political/art blog somewhere else. Thanks for reading.

Laurennoreply@blogger.com73tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-68596696717988189642008-06-04T12:36:00.000-07:002008-06-04T13:04:32.370-07:00

The day after Bush won the 2004 election, I fell apart. I cried and screamed and harbored slightly homicidal thoughts against him and his followers.Not so much because I deeply wanted John Kerry to be President.Not so much because I thought anything would *really* change with a Democratic White House.Not so much because I thought that a Kerry win would end the war.I was upset because enormous

Laurennoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-49372507073491088162008-06-01T19:56:00.000-07:002008-06-02T07:44:08.959-07:00

Let's take a moment to honor the passing of great writer and activist Paula Gunn Allen, who died at her home in California on May 29, 2008. She was the author of dozens of books of prose and poetry, a Lannan Foundation Fellow, National Endowment for the Arts Fellow, and a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writer's Circle of the Americas.And as a dedicated professor,

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-36009281862400423642008-05-13T21:54:00.001-07:002008-05-13T22:06:30.413-07:00

The O'odham Solidarity Project was formed to provide solidarity to the O'odham of South Western Arizona and Northern Sonora in their efforts to maintain their traditional culture and ancestral land in areas currently under colonization by the United States and Mexico.Specifically, this project will seek to raise awareness about a proposed project of the Department of Homeland Security / Border

Laurennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-59650402108391365982008-04-23T09:14:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:17:25.949-07:00

From Border Action Network: Tell the Governor to Veto HB2807 and HB2359 –Today! State Legislative Action Wednesday, 23 April 2008 On Monday, April 21 the Arizona Senate gave the final stamp of approval to HB2807. The bill is now on its way to Governor Napolitano’s desk where she has the

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-12510054950053636952008-04-23T07:43:00.000-07:002008-04-23T07:50:02.188-07:00

Hey Anti-Racist activists. Do you ever wonder what to say to people when they counter your arguments about privilege and white supremacy with the old "but racism goes both ways!" defense?Well MissCripChick has pointed me to a badass response by FruitFemme:After leaving a workshop where the speakers claimed racism "goes both ways":No it does not actually go both ways. NO it is not all about mean

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-27900962690766304902008-04-22T10:18:00.000-07:002008-04-22T10:44:36.423-07:00

From Democracy Now!:The New York Times has revealed new details on how the Pentagon recruited more than seventy-five retired military officers to appear on TV outlets as so-called military analysts ahead of the Iraq war to portray Iraq as an urgent threat. The Times reported the Pentagon continues to use the analysts in a propaganda campaign to generate favorable news coverage of the

Laurennoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-90125758576796533002008-04-20T11:37:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:45:51.358-07:00

one part spineone part bloomSehba Sarwar tagged me for this:I tag Erica, Ammie, MissCripChick, Nez, MichelleThe six word memoir rules are:write your own six word memoir.post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.link to the person that tagged you in your post.tag five more blogs with links.leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!

Laurennoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-49597218559988973992008-04-20T11:31:00.000-07:002008-04-20T11:36:22.886-07:00

I can't imagine that this will pass - but then again, AZ did pass Prop 300 in 2006 and several "English only" and "don't hire immigrant" bills so . . . . .Funny how often the word "anti-American" is used by the architects of this bill. I wonder if schools could bypass the fascist demands to confiscate anti-American books by pointing out that MEXICO is part of THE AMERICAS. "See, Mr. Whitey? Viva

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-1115109537646075962008-04-06T21:24:00.000-07:002008-04-06T22:07:48.019-07:00

Since John McCain's going to be the Republican nominee, we're very likely to hear lots of assurances that the "surge" is making things "safer" in Iraq, that U.S. troops are doing nothing but securing the country and obviously we have to stay there. Possibly forevz. Or maybe only 100 years.That McCain (and all those who think the actual "war" is over) should pick up a fucking copy of "The Wretched

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-40337563382207947442008-03-24T22:53:00.000-07:002008-03-24T22:58:20.966-07:00

Tomorrow four extremely reactionary anti-immigrant bills are scheduled to be heard by the "Committee of the Whole" House in the Arizona state legislature. They are:"HB2625 Illegal Aliens; Commercial TransactionsSponsor: Representative Russell Pearce This bill would require landlords to ask renters about their immigration status and deny housing to anyone they believe is undocumented. The bill

Laurennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-77765791394148261772008-03-19T09:05:00.000-07:002008-03-19T09:09:39.505-07:00

From Democracy Now!'s coverage of the Winter Soldier Testimony:"I remember we were out on a patrol one day, a dismounted patrol, and we were walking by a woman’s house. She was outside in her garden doing some work. We had our interpreter with us, and our interpreter threw up his hand and said “Salaam aleikum,” which is their greeting in Iraq. It means “Peace of God be with you.” And he

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-1770311908256099802008-03-12T21:16:00.000-07:002008-03-12T21:17:58.228-07:00

Judge Makes Landmark Decision in Border Fence CaseBROWNSVILLE - After a one-month deliberation, U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has issued the most significant decision in the border fence's short judicial history. In a case against Eloisa Tamez, who owns property along the barrier's proposed path in El Calaboz, Hanen found that the federal government is authorized by the federal Declaration

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-54174009997093596872008-02-04T08:39:00.000-08:002008-03-12T21:13:57.126-07:00

Hi all:My mom has been ordered to appear on February 7, 2008, 10:00 a.m., Court #6, Federal Court, Brownsville Texas, Judge Hanen presiding.At this time, I'm calling upon our allies, our relatives, our spiritual and medicine people, from all directions to put out a call to their relatives in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, that we openly invite folks to organize and coordinate with local Nde'

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-90980949277619299522008-02-04T00:16:00.000-08:002008-02-04T00:19:32.616-08:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about how I think about elections. As someone from the Left, who hates the Dems as much as the GOPs, I'm in the process of shifting my perspective on electoral politics. In the absence of a broader leftist strategy for dealing with elections, what do we do every four years when the time comes and we realize that once again, none of the dudes (or dudettes, as it

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-78756565108384544602008-01-23T15:27:00.000-08:002008-04-23T09:46:19.550-07:00

Palestinians say, "We've had enough of the wall, thank you very much."

Laurennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-68991230566415186972008-01-10T21:05:00.000-08:002008-04-23T09:44:36.102-07:00

Apaches Defend Homeland from Homeland Security By BRENDA NORRELL 1/8/08 RIO GRANDE, Texas. Apache land owners on the Rio Grande told Homeland Security to halt the seizure of their lands for the US/Mexico border wall on January 7, 2008. It was the same day that a 30-day notice from Homeland Security expired with the threat of land seizures by eminent domain to build the US/Mexico

Laurennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-52113918688685664712008-01-06T17:12:00.001-08:002008-04-23T09:25:56.055-07:00

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-76597429142340866642008-01-04T07:49:00.000-08:002008-04-23T09:23:24.823-07:00

Via Nezua:TO: The United States of America; The States of: Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska; The County and Municipal Governments Operating within the Republic of Lakotah; and All Private Owners of Real Estate within the Republic of Lakotah Lakotah, through its government, have appointed representatives to withdraw from all the treaties with the United States of America.

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-67112552934419147792008-01-04T07:47:00.000-08:002008-01-04T07:49:29.781-08:00

From Derechos Humanos:JUSTICE FOR MIRIAM AVILES!OUR COMMUNITY DEMANDS RESPECTAND JUSTICE The Coalicion de Derechos Humanos and concerned community members will hold a press conference on Monday, December 31, 2007, to denounce the actions of the Tucson Police Department and the U. S. Border Patrol in its treatment of Miram Aviles, a young mother of three U. S. citizen children. On December 9,

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-65704013070391454542007-12-27T11:38:00.000-08:002007-12-27T12:04:18.261-08:00

Y'all have waited long enough to read the 20th Erase Racism Carnival! I'm sorry I took so long - the holidays snagged me. Here is the roundup of the fine posts we had this month:Does Love See No Color? - Joseph Orosco of the blog Engage, asks how progressive it really is for white folks to call themselves colorblind.It's only Racism when I say it is - Joseph also wrote a post about Sony's racist

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-77443862515922183592007-12-23T08:01:00.000-08:002007-12-23T08:02:53.459-08:00

My apologies, folks. I was really sick on the 20th, the day the carnival was supposed to go up, and the next day I got on a plane and flew 3,000 miles to Pennsylvania. I'll have the carnival up as soon as possible. In the meantime, follow what's going on with the Lakotah Nation seceding from the U.S.

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-7496226164375909852007-12-04T09:14:00.000-08:002007-12-04T09:23:10.470-08:00

Well, the referendum didn't pass. This is a bit disappointing, but from some of the analyses I've read, not *that* surprising. The loss margin was as narrow as 2% - and can be chalked up to a number of factors including the swift timeline of the campaign, the supposedly complicated language in the reforms, having the reforms all blocked together, and an aggressive campaign by the opposition that

Laurennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-85461881233900844332007-12-01T10:58:00.000-08:002007-12-01T11:51:08.166-08:00

Well I suppose nothing will get me out of a blog hiatus like Venezuela. I've been listening to media reports in the past few days about the upcoming referendum. As to be expected from the corporate media, the same talking points are rehashed in each piece: Chavez is making himself president for life. Chavez is curbing freedoms and accruing power. There are large student protests. Chavez said some

Laurennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-44295309697855421302007-11-24T22:09:00.000-08:002007-11-24T22:11:10.507-08:00

I'll be hosting the December Blog Against Racism Carnival! Head on over to Ally Work for more details!

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-20881777447012019022007-11-01T22:15:00.001-07:002007-11-01T22:16:51.588-07:00

Two hot disabled communist artists!

Laurennoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-52598924013361565202007-10-30T15:54:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:44:36.104-07:00

Because it's 'zine/Halloween/All Souls season, I only have time to post links:From Indigenous Border Summit Blog:Indigenous Peoples' Border Summit of the Americas II, Nov. 7 -- 10, focuses on human rights and right of mobilitySAN XAVIER, TOHONO O'ODHAM NATION -- A human rights crisis for Indigenous Peoples living along borders in the Americas threatens their survival, with rapidly expanding

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-89808468714239908492007-10-20T08:22:00.000-07:002007-10-20T08:25:42.507-07:00

If I were still in Tucson I would totally go to this.From Derechos Humanos:The Southwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice presents:Border MobilizationSaturday, October 20, 2007Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, SonoraJoin us in a mass demonstration at the U.S.-México border to demand justice in our communities!We demand:· The removal of failed border enforcement policies known as

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-52760180677781441772007-10-19T08:05:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:44:56.229-07:00

I wrote this poem about the first day of the war, which happened to fall on the spring equinox of 2003. I remember, as I watched the night-vision footage of aerial bombing, a small bird flew across the screen. It was just a quick shadow with wings. You'd miss it with one blink. It was one of the few unrehearsed moments we would see in that early coverage of the invasion.--------------------------

Laurennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-32104100443639385892007-10-18T20:44:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:46:19.551-07:00

Lt. Ehren Watada, the first officer to refuse to serve in Iraq, has a hearing tomorrow where it will be decided whether or not he can be tried again. (His first court martial trial ended in a mistrial). There are some demonstrations happening in San Francisco (where the hearing will take place), also in conjunction with the Iraq Moratorium. Let's send some supportive words to this truly brave

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-49612594948283721842007-10-17T23:05:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:46:19.552-07:00

Student Walkout and protests plan for October 22ndStand up against Police Brutality!From October22.org:The October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation has been mobilizing every year since 1996 for a National Day of Protest on October 22nd, bringing together those under the gun and those not under the gun as a powerful voice to expose the

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-89124899417572145062007-10-15T19:32:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:33:54.860-07:00

Chertoff May Void Judge's Order to Halt Border Fence By Howard Fischer The Arizona Daily Star Sunday 14 October 2007 Phoenix -The nation's top security official may use his power to unilaterally trump a federal court order halting construction of a fence on a stretch of the Arizona-Mexico border.Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is weighing whether to invoke a section of federal

Laurennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-11902745061282768262007-10-14T22:51:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:41:26.326-07:00

Seattle Police Officer shoots thirteen-year-old boyStory from the Post Intelligencer here.Now, if you were a thirteen-year-old boy, and a cop car came out of nowhere at you, wouldn't you run? If the car caught up with you and froze you in its spotlight, wouldn't you also seem a little "agitated," maybe take off your jacket to show you don't have weapons? Or hell, maybe you take off your jacket

Laurennoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-38863400214618375552007-10-12T08:33:00.001-07:002007-10-12T08:38:23.302-07:00

This is from Democracy Now: “Jena 6” Teen Mychal Bell Sent Back to PrisonIn Jena, Louisiana, the ‘Jena 6’ teen Mychal Bell has been sent back to jail. The seventeen-year old Bell has already served ten months in prison for a schoolyard fight in which Bell and five others beat up a white student. The fight occurred after white students hung three nooses from a tree where the black students had sat

Laurennoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-57633979888071785312007-10-11T20:31:00.000-07:002007-10-11T20:40:55.938-07:00

Derechos Humanos has just released its final count of people who have died crossing the Arizona/Sonora border this past year.237.Full story and list here.

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-22197888598868929182007-10-09T16:42:00.000-07:002007-10-09T16:43:58.328-07:00

Did you know? Voter ID requirements discriminate against white people!Or, at least, that's what the department of justice says.

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-6037684466113793582007-10-09T11:07:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:35:28.532-07:00

Support California Nurses Association, going on strike tomorrow.From the CNA website:Safe care for patients, health security for RNs. Among the key issues in Sutter are:Patient careRN-to-patient ratios. CNA wants all the Sutter hospitals to include the state mandated RN staffing ratios, in their contracts to add the legal clout of their contract to enforce safe staffing at all times. Different

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-27362203866117151002007-10-09T10:16:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:35:28.534-07:00

Checked out the SF Chronicle this morning. Found this:San Francisco - the liberal, left-coast city conservatives love to mock - could be undergoing a transformation when it comes to homeless people. Although the city would still be a poor choice for a pep rally for the war in Iraq, indications are that residents have had it with aggressive panhandlers, street squatters and drug users. Re-read the

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-63041714207681469562007-10-08T20:20:00.000-07:002007-10-09T11:00:22.848-07:00

Cuban doctors restore the sight of Che's executionerby Salim LamraniTaken from ZnetMario Terán, a retired former non-commissioned officer sadly famous for having executed the legendary guerrilla, Ernesto Che Guevara, on October 9, 1967, in the tiny school of La Higuera in Bolivia, lives in complete anonymity in Santa Cruz. Mired in poverty, he lives only on his miserable pension of a former

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-18620389812713419452007-10-03T12:49:00.001-07:002007-10-03T12:50:13.021-07:00

. . . .does anyone actually read this blog?if you do, comment. i want to get a sense of what the readership is like.thanks

Laurennoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-36365691066799935602007-10-01T22:24:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:41:26.327-07:00

Prof Black Woman has more info on how to contact the school administration about the guard's attack on Pleajhai Mervin:mailing address: Knight High School 37423 70th Street East Palmdale, CA 93552 Phone: (661) 533-9000Fax: (661) 533-0111 School District’s Office: Antelope Valley Union High School District Office44811 Sierra Highway Lancaster, CA 93534Phone: (661)948-7655 Fax: (661)

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-80054750056761133162007-10-01T22:10:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:19:38.430-07:00

Text above the towers: 2,863 deadText by the man: 40 million infected"The world is united against terrorism. It should also unite against AIDS."Text above the towers: 2,863 deadText by the child: 824 million starving"The world is united against terrorism. It should also unite against hunger."Text above towers: 2,863 deadText by man: 630 million homeless in the world"The world is united against

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-32191932577902311672007-09-29T22:44:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:41:26.328-07:00

A 16-year old Black student drops a piece of cake at a school birthday party. The guard tells her to clean it up. She does. But the guard is not impressed with her cleanliness and orders Cinderella to pick up every single crumb. Attempting to leave the area out of embarrassment, the student finds herself thrown face down against a table and handcuffed, with such force that her wrist breaks. The

Laurennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-57833589376038211402007-09-28T14:46:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:34:50.773-07:00

Here I am, finally settled in California, though still jobless. I hope to fully return to the blogging world now, with more regular updates. We'll see how well I do with that, but there's so much going on now that I have to weigh in on, or at least help spread the word about.First, the situation in Burma. This has made it into the mainstream news so most people probably know about it.

Laurennoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-59338998519714194792007-09-12T10:28:00.001-07:002007-09-12T10:33:29.820-07:00

Talk about your bad choice of headline!Got this from Racialicious.

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-23644120022763186512007-09-11T09:31:00.001-07:002008-04-23T09:20:13.256-07:00

Suheir Hammad reading "Revision of First Writing Since" at Def Poetry Jam.

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-79270185739932843772007-09-11T09:05:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:35:48.859-07:00

A MOMENT OF SILENCE BEFORE I START THIS POEM Before I start this poem, I'd like to ask you to join me In a moment of silenceIn honour of those who died in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon last September 11th. I would also like to ask you To offer up a moment of silence For all of those who have been harassed, imprisoned, disappeared, tortured,

Laurennoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-44885898706196812932007-09-11T08:55:00.000-07:002007-09-11T09:04:33.232-07:00

On September 11, 1977, South African anti-Apartheid activist Steve Biko was captured by the police loaded him into the back of a van and brutally beat him. He died in the early hours of September 12th."Apartheid — both petty and grand — is obviously evil. Nothing can justify the arrogant assumption that a clique of foreigners has the right to decide on the lives of a majority"

Laurennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-24083638853172514452007-09-10T11:15:00.000-07:002007-09-10T11:45:27.628-07:00

"that’s what I’ve been looking for, the bridge from then to now,just watching BET like what the fuck son? this is foulBut that square box don't represent the sphere that we live in,the earth is not a flat screen I ain’t trying to fit in." -Saul WilliamsI got this from Slant Truth.So, BET just put out this new cartoon video that supposedly satirizes hip-hop culture. What

Laurennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-18818811819656782992007-09-09T05:57:00.001-07:002008-04-23T09:47:45.200-07:00

This video is so amazing and screwy.

Laurennoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-498953075795343582007-09-06T13:19:00.000-07:002007-09-06T13:20:59.063-07:00

From Derechos Humanos: PRIORITY COMMUNITY ALERTNATIONAL CALL-IN DAYSAmerican Friends Service Committee and Partners*Invite Your ParticipationThursday September 6 & Friday September 7, 2007Stop Immigration Enforcement-Only PoliciesTake Action Now: The recently introduced Immigration Enforcement and Border Security Act of 2007 (S. 1984) focuses on punishing immigrant families, adding border fences,

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-75792695999061678322007-08-27T20:32:00.000-07:002007-08-27T20:34:40.282-07:00

Too tired to write anything cohesive.But go look at the Erase Racism Carnival

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-24289094105668586952007-08-22T12:50:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:47:45.201-07:00

All schools, all colleges, have two great functions: to confer, and to conceal, valuable knowledge. The theological knowledge which they conceal cannot justly be regarded as less valuable than that which they reveal. That is, when a man is buying a basket of strawberries it can profit him to know that the bottom half of it is rotten.- Mark TwainWelcome to the Blog Carnival of Radical Action - the

Laurennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-21306597128985821302007-08-17T14:18:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:45:51.360-07:00

Shuttling quickly to the near-top of my reading list, an anthology of poems by Guantanamo detainees, collected by a law professor who has represented 17 Yemeni detaineees.Many detainees have suffered the psychological wounds of torture, sensory deprivation and solitary confinement. Some have committed suicide. Faced with such a staggering measure of cruelty, what can they do to beat back the tide

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-44973475902382164952007-08-15T05:15:00.001-07:002008-04-23T09:47:45.202-07:00

The other night my family and I watched Disturbia, your more-or-less typical horror/suspense movie. Basic premise: A teenage boy under house arrest gets bored and starts spying on his neighbors, one of whom he suspects of being a serial killer. (Hint: He actually is.) The boy and his friends conduct all sorts of wacky rock-music-soundtracked surveillance efforts and eventually (after a final

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-91736902943692993812007-07-30T22:32:00.000-07:002007-07-30T22:33:07.293-07:00

Trying to explain to a guy why I don't like the word "bitch." Not getting through, just getting apologist male arguments. A situation I find myself in all the time. Being assumed complicit in all sorts of sexism or homophobia, or a willing participant in the "safe circle of white solidarity." And if I speak up? I'm the militant feminist, I'm the scary annoying "political" one. I'm the one who

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-75113665572723792752007-07-27T21:39:00.000-07:002007-07-27T21:50:02.130-07:00

So . . . in this class that I'm teaching, we're reading several young adult books. One is a collection of short stories called Baseball in April. It's by Gary Soto, who is Latino and also gay. The stories center on Latino kids (I don't know if any of them are queer; I have not read the book yet), but I was reading the blurb on the back today, and found this sentence:"The smart, tough, vulnerable

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-66318047582642814442007-07-27T07:41:00.001-07:002008-04-23T09:22:29.771-07:00

The Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) was founded in March 2005 at a summit of the Heads of State of Canada, the US, and Mexico. SPP is not an official treaty; therefore it has been able to escape any public scrutiny. The major drive behind the SPP is a CEO-based organization, which is the only official advisory group to governments on the SPP. The SPP is a

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-54092757941960631812007-07-25T07:24:00.001-07:002007-07-25T07:25:01.502-07:00

The end text says, "Latin Americans don't hate your people. We hate the Pentagon that makes war for profit."

Laurennoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-70718850203431796652007-07-22T22:15:00.000-07:002007-07-22T22:25:42.589-07:00

The Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO) has issued aninternational call for ?mobilizations in your own places of origin, tointegrate yourselves into a human wall to stop the massacre against thepeople of Oaxaca.?This call comes in the wake of the violent repression suffered by thepeoples of Oaxaca on July 16, 2007, at the hands of police, military andparamilitary forces as they

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-6806321608694942852007-07-22T22:09:00.001-07:002007-07-22T22:09:56.404-07:00

The people of Oaxaca resist the police once again.For the whole story, check out the article on The Unapologetic MexicanPictures from indymedia here, here, and here."As one of the anonymous women in an APPO artisans’ collective put it, the night after the repression, “'The government can rob everything, but it can’t rob your dignity, your culture, your customs and traditions. In Oaxaca, because

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-28173903947320195612007-07-18T22:15:00.001-07:002007-07-18T23:29:42.657-07:00

My boyfriend has downloaded a high-security, precious piece of information. It's a hefty file that quite a few wealthy powerful people don't want him to see. Part contraband, part secret document, it's possible you may possess this file as well. Or you, like several million other people, may be waiting until this Saturday to legally and legitimately obtain the prize.I'm speaking, of course, of

Laurennoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-65316611105687616952007-07-17T06:05:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:45:51.361-07:00

I started teaching a new class at the supersmart camp. We're focusing on poetry this week, and yesterday my instructor asked the students what poets they knew of. They answered William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, etc."What's something all of those poets have in common?" the instructor asked. "They're all dead. Do we know of any poets who are alive?"That got me thinking. Often,

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-58283118555166921512007-07-16T16:46:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:21:50.205-07:00

Tomorrow night at 7 p.m., the state of Georgia will execute its fortieth prisoner: A thirty-eight year old black man named Troy Davis. Davis was arrested in 1991 for killing a white cop, after he stepped in to defend a homeless man who was being pistol-whipped. Seven of the nine non-police witnesses said they were coerced by police and recanted their statements, while nine witnesses have

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-57364544160027265572007-07-13T06:38:00.001-07:002007-07-13T06:43:39.551-07:00

--Army SPC. Garrett ReppenhagenExcellent Democracy Now! coverage on U.S. war crimes against Iraqi civilians70% of Americans now want to see troops leave by next year. 62% believe that invading Iraq was a bad idea. But according to the White House, and with little meaningful protest from Congress, the troops aren't gonna budge. Not after we just started the "surge!" This is no real democracy.

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-70783163644797112822007-07-11T20:51:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:47:45.203-07:00

Sorry again, folks, for the hiatus! If you have given up on Present Progressive Mood by now, I sorrowfully understand. Not only am I in the process of moving, (and teaching creative writing at a highly intense summer camp), I am carefully thinking out what exactly I want to do with this blog, what its aim should be, how to get it more visibility, and how to focus better. Should you have any

Laurennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-27027206060975180172007-06-19T19:30:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:27:53.125-07:00

NJ makes it illegal to discriminate against someone for being transgenderedWhy a law like that is needed:

Laurennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-36194979179616231552007-06-15T08:05:00.000-07:002007-10-15T19:54:43.494-07:00

A woman tells her experience of the New Bedford raid.Portland ICE raid two days ago

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-30179760254787980292007-06-13T14:40:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:34:50.775-07:00

Pentagon confirms it sought to build a "gay bomb."It looks like a headline from The Onion at first. The Air Force's Wright Laboratory in Dayton, OH asked for a whopping $7.5 million to build a "gay bomb," which, when deployed, would make enemy soldiers so irresistably attracted to each other that they'd forsake fighting for screwing.Whenever the ruling structures of the United States unveil one

Laurennoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-64629929660325785302007-06-12T07:33:00.001-07:002007-06-12T07:37:05.127-07:00

I'm working out how to do expandable post summaries on this blog. For my really long ones, I finally figured out how to hide most of the post behind a cut. The only problem is, the "Continue Reading" link is now at the bottom of every post, whether or not there is more to continue reading. If anybody has any suggestions for how to fix this, I would be most appreciative.In the meantime, . . .

Laurennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-83863038426819160672007-06-10T19:51:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:40:57.797-07:00

See previous post about how adding more police doesn't necessary stop crime.I got this from Women of Color Blog, who got it from UBUNTU.dear friends,I am writing to ask you to support work that I’m doing with the Justice 4 Erika campaign here in Philly. Erika Keels was murdered on March 22, 2007 on North Broad Street in Philadelphia. Witnesses saw an assailant eject Erika, a 20-year-old black

Laurennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-20097324082168844652007-06-10T19:43:00.000-07:002007-06-13T18:28:30.538-07:00

For your absolute geeky enjoyment:(Forgive me if you've already seen me post this before)

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-46690736984862647772007-06-10T19:26:00.000-07:002007-06-11T14:45:44.052-07:00

By Bill Van AukenWorld Socialist WebsiteThe weekend’s news in the US was dominated by screaming headlines and sensationalist broadcast coverage of an alleged plot in New York to blow up John F. Kennedy International Airport’s jet fuel tanks and supply lines. The attack would have been, according to many accounts, “more devastating than September 11.”Four men were charged in an indictment unveiled

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-54830144642863543902007-06-08T10:57:00.000-07:002007-06-11T14:46:49.482-07:00

Okay. The various misinformation spreading and propaganda regarding Venezuela's decision not to renew RCTV's broadcasting license has angered me enough that I have to just come clean here.Here's a hypothetical story for you. Think of NBC. A national TV network, broadcast all across America. NBC has to follow rules set down by the FCC and the federal government. Like, certain curse words can't be

Laurennoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-32533727321522748902007-05-22T20:56:00.000-07:002007-05-22T20:57:23.206-07:00

Just wanted to give a shoutout to Women of Color Blog, who keeps doing incredible posts. This one about La Familia in Latin@/Chican@ communities, is particularly dynamite.

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-41420890253917122372007-05-17T09:27:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:40:57.799-07:00

Today is an important day in the City of Brotherly Love. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals is hearing the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was convicted of killing police officer Daniel Faulkner in 1982.Mumia Abu-Jamal, a radio journalist, cab driver and Black Panther, has been on Death Row for the past 25 years. His initial trial was egregiously racist, presided over by Fraternal Order of Police

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-79671790336249709502007-05-14T09:19:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:47:45.204-07:00

The grave situation for women in Iraq and Afghanistan:Interview on Democracy Now!"The so-called liberation of Iraq has turned women into refugees inside their country . . . . By constitution, we have lost our rights."-Yanar Mohammed

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-44989534329650335972007-05-13T16:05:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:24:17.527-07:00

Also, damn! I want to be there for this:But my flight is leaving on the 15th and it's 200$ to change it to the 17th or 18th. Damn damn damn damn.

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-81288058136115374702007-05-13T14:31:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:42:53.007-07:00

The University of Delaware Phi Sigma Pi students decide to throw a Cinco De Mayo party, complete with costumes:The U of D is treating this as a free speech issue, and I suppose since this was an off-campus party, there isn't much they can do. But the problem here goes far beyond free speech.Why is white people's free speech protected during racist parties, but Latinos and other people of color

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-84936496951968484602007-05-08T10:00:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:41:26.329-07:00

Video from Democracy Now!LA Copwatch Statement

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-25992651268526179232007-05-08T09:03:00.000-07:002007-06-13T18:27:16.342-07:00

From Democracy Now!:Survey: More than 1/3 of U.S. Soldiers in Iraq Approve of TortureA new Army survey has found that more than one-third of U.S. soldiers in Iraq said they believe torture should be allowed in some cases. In addition, about two-thirds of Marines and half the Army troops surveyed said they would not report a team member for mistreating a civilian or for destroying civilian

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-39512478179752199092007-05-01T20:34:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:25:03.180-07:00

After a dry spell, three posts in one day, with a promise to keep this up more from now on:Millions of Cubans marching in the May Day parade, which drew delegations from 242 organizations and 74 countries.Cubans demand extradition of Luis Posada Carriles, who has just been released from jail in the U.S. Posada's release has been widely condemned by most countries in Latin America. (Of course, the

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-16514144677585729452007-05-01T20:22:00.000-07:002007-05-17T22:15:53.644-07:00

On April 30th, at 5pm, sympathizers of the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO) and students from the Benito Juarez Autonomous University occupied Radio Universidad in preparation for the May 1st general strike in Mexico. The Section 22 Teachers' Union will participate in a march to the main square, the Zocalo, that will take place on May 1st in Oaxaca City.The radio hosts are asking

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-3227749666735857652007-05-01T20:19:00.000-07:002008-04-23T09:28:29.954-07:00

Today I marched with 2,500 other people in the May Day Justice for Immigrants march in Tucson, which was more passionate, inspiring and meaningful than any anti-war march I've been to since that first one in January 2003. People were out in full force to say no to the ICE raids, the STRIVE act, NAFTA, the militarization of the border, the deportations, Prop. 300, and the vigilantes, yes to jobs

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-35490957479775682442007-04-11T22:05:00.000-07:002007-04-11T22:06:39.080-07:00

I'm sorry I've been terrible at keeping this blog updated. What good is a political blog if it barely keeps up to date? I will try to add something here more often. I've just been so busy with everything else. But the world don't stop.

Laurennoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-71870663356300257782007-03-28T09:46:00.000-07:002007-03-28T09:49:39.714-07:00

Me: You know, you really are perfect for me. I mean, there are tons of hot musicians out there but it's like, 'Sorry, if you're not a leftist, you're not for me."Jesse: So, that's a no to everyone but Jon K. Samson?Me: Yeah. . . .And Steve Earle, I guess.Jesse: Yeah.Me: And Paul Robeson, if he were still alive . . . And the guy from the Coup . .Speaking of Boots Riley, check this out:

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-47956208340652939702007-03-17T21:35:00.000-07:002007-06-13T18:27:16.342-07:00

Since the U.S. can't get enough actual troops to kill people in Iraq, and lowering recruiting standards hasn't helped, they've hired private security mercenaries called Blackwater. Sort of like mall cops with more dangerous guns. This is a recent report written by Blackwater about "Understanding the Arab Mind." I'm guessing people who read this blog are not doubting that this war is racist, but

Laurennoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-72340782459595743042007-03-13T22:22:00.000-07:002007-05-17T22:17:13.844-07:00

Awesome speech by Cornel West at the World Left Forum!Taken from Democracy Now!What does it really mean to be a leftist in the early part of the 21st century? What are we really talking about? And I can just be very candid with you. It means to have a certain kind of temperament, to make certain kinds of political and ethical choices, and to exercise certain analytical focuses in targeting on the

Laurennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-58259212985367132732007-03-09T08:15:00.000-08:002007-05-17T22:23:58.764-07:00

Women of the Via Campesina movement in Brazil protest Bush's arrival.

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-1173378416794795292007-03-08T09:50:00.000-08:002007-05-17T22:17:46.411-07:00

President Bush will be visiting South America this week to convince all the people there living on $2 a day how much the United States cares about them and wants to bring democracy to the region.Bush visits Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia and Guatemala on his journey, staying safe with the pro-business leaders. He'll negotiate trade deals and will be kept far, far away from any of the

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-1173335072041297652007-03-07T22:20:00.000-08:002008-04-23T09:45:51.363-07:00

This weekend I went to the Associated Writing Programs Conference (AWP) in Atlanta, Georgia. The weekend consists of poetry readings, prose readings, panels about all sorts of topics in writing – pedagogy, lyrical poetry, writing about “place,” what to do with your MFA, etc. The panels are hit or miss. This year I made it a point, in choosing panels to attend, to choose those made up of people of

Laurennoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-1172119835138809672007-02-21T20:48:00.000-08:002007-05-17T22:18:45.703-07:00

May 19 1925 - February, 21, 1965"It is impossible for capitalism to survive, primarily because the system of capitalism needs some blood to suck. Capitalism used to be like an eagle, but now it's more like a vulture. It used to be strong enough to go and suck anybody's blood whether they were strong or not. But now it has become more cowardly, like the vulture, and it can only suck the blood of

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-1171467678842332602007-02-14T07:37:00.000-08:002007-05-17T22:19:06.826-07:00

Ever wonder where Valentine's Day flowers come from? Check out this Boston Globe article.Or go to the International Labor Rights Fund to view their report on cut flowers and worker abuse in Colombia.When buying flowers this Valentine's Day, ask your florist these 5 key questions: 1) In what country were your flowers produced? 2) Are you aware of the working conditions on the plantations in

Laurennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-1171165522926177842007-02-10T19:37:00.000-08:002007-05-17T22:20:34.854-07:00

Here's an apt pairing of two billboards downtown: Congress is busy squabbling over whether to tell Bush nicely or very nicely that they think sending more troops is a bad idea. At least someone is taking a risk and doing something substantial. Three cheers to you, Lieutenant. -----------I've been thinking about that "friendly fire" tape that was released, showing American soldiers accidentally

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-1170572955483314292007-02-03T22:25:00.000-08:002007-05-17T22:21:07.400-07:00

Tom Joad and his family are kicked out of yet another orchard, penniless, and a latch clicks open in my mind. At age fifteen, The Grapes of Wrath introduced me to fleeting moments of class consciousness. The door to a materialist understanding of America would remain shut to me for several years, but the book's scenes of Hoovervilles, dustbowl families and overripe orchards run by slick-pocketed

Laurennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-1168918074063971172007-01-15T19:18:00.000-08:002008-04-23T09:45:51.364-07:00

There have already been some great posts today in the blogoverse, dealing with white supremacy and privilege - in particular, check out Levine and His Flying Machine.I'd like to use poetry to mark MLK day. Specifically, a poem by Audre Lorde. As a writer, I view the concept of language and its forms is integral to any discussion of oppression. We aren't taught to question how often the word "

Laurennoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-1168708593382606662007-01-13T08:48:00.000-08:002008-04-23T09:47:45.204-07:00

What is it about the right-wing media that makes them come out in full force whenever one of their own is even just slightly grilled or insulted? What is it about them that makes them suddenly acquire glamour cloaks of righteous indignation about "racism" and "sexism"? FOX News, Rush Limbaugh, and all the three-ring circus pundits of the mainstream media are spinning their heads over Barbara

Laurennoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-1166827752701181252006-12-22T14:37:00.000-08:002008-04-23T09:29:55.097-07:00

Today is the International Day of Solidarity with the People of Oaxaca. Many progressive bloggers are writing in solidarity with the people and their struggle. I'm copying a letter to the Tucson Citizen that was published about a month ago:I caution readers to be skeptical of the Citizen's reporting of the situation in Oaxaca, Mexico. The demonstrations in Oaxaca since May have been largely

Laurennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-1166419552617526952006-12-17T20:52:00.000-08:002007-06-13T18:28:02.491-07:00

Today my friend told me that we're against the war, not against the troops. She told me this after explaining how in many airports, when soldiers disembark the plane, they are met with cheers and applause from passengers waiting at the gate.I think of this scene, and I think of the activities of my college anti-war group, Indiana Voices for Peace, three years ago. The group decided to dedicate a

Laurennoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36855710.post-1165133039264478162006-12-03T00:03:00.000-08:002007-05-17T22:23:11.081-07:00

Venezuelans marching in the street in support of Chavez

Laurennoreply@blogger.com1