"Not One More Death, Not One More Dollar"
Please join us to mourn all the lives lost in the Iraq war and call for the troops to come home!
Where: Lloyd George Federal Building, 333 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas NV
When: Thursday, January 4, 2007 8:30 am
Map: http://tinyurl.com/y4mjg6
Why: 3,000 U.S. troops have died in Iraq. We must bear witness to this tragic milestone, even though many people are beginning their celebrations of the new year. And when we do take action on this occasion, we must remind others that hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children, women and men have also died in this outrageous war and occupation. Our call to end this war and to bring all the troops home now must be heard in every corner of the country! The killing must stop.
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=3475
Las Vegas Catholic Worker - Sacred Life Vigil
Join us as we vigil in front of the Federal building each week to to say no to the violence, and disrespect for human life our nation continues to wage in our names through war, abortion, the death penalty and the continuing growth of poverty and homelessess on our streets. Help us say yes to a culture of life. Yes to feeding the poor, yes to shelter, yes to nonviolence!
http://tinyurl.com/y8vxbh
U.S. Deaths Confirmed By The DoD: 2991
Reported U.S. Deaths Pending DoD Confirmation: 9
Total 3000
http://icasualties.org/oif/
American death toll in Iraq hits 3,000 By STEVEN R. HURST, Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD, Iraq - The U.S. military announced Sunday the deaths of two soldiers, pushing the number of Americans who have died in the Iraq war to the grim milestone of at least 3,000.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061231/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Friday, December 29, 2006
Free Lunch and Protest at City Hall
Where: Frank Wright Plaza
(the park right across from the DTC)
Dates: Wednesday Jan. 3rd, and Wednesday Jan. 17th
Time: Lunch and Encouragement Rally will be between 12pm and 2pm in Frank Wright Plaza, and then from there we will walk to the city council meeting (across the street at city hall council chambers) around 3pm and let our voice be heard!!
Why: Your rights are being taken away by the rich in power (See James 2:5-7),
and we welcome you to join us in fighting for your liberty and the liberty of
GOD's people!
Many are being harmed by:
1. extreme fines/jail times for petty crimes
2. police abuse
3. discrimination and unjust laws against the poor
4. Park closures
5. Oppression in other forms by the city of Las Vegas
(Please pray GOD gives us the victory!!)
You can view previous Televised city council meetings of
Las Vegas online at:
http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/Find/Dec2006.asp
and see activists speak out for the poor!
Go to the city council meeting for December 6th,
and December 20th, and click on Video.
(Please pray many watch these videos and join us
in fighting for the poor!)
You also will be given 3 minutes to speak at the televised meeting,
so come prepared!!!
Activists speak to the Mayor and city council members during the "Citizen's participation" portion of the meeting (which is the last part of the meeting).
You should be able to forward to it on the website. Please let me know if you
are able to view this or if you have any other questions, and also if you have
any prayer requests, and I hope to hear from you soon!
Sincerely yours in CHRIST JESUS,
Roussan Joshua Collins (So thankful JESUS saved my life!)
email Roussan Joshua Collins at: servingjesus99212@yahoo.com
or email Gail Sacco at: mom_in_las_vegas@yahoo.com
for more information and to get involved!
and we hope to see you soon!
(If you can, please also bring food, water, & hope to share-
thanks so much!)
Addendum: Just to let everyone know there is ALSO a Jan. 3rd, 9 am discussion on the status of the Committe on Homelessness.
On September 25, 2003, the Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition (SNRPC) established the Committee on Homelessness (CoH) to ensure that there are adequate resources and supportive services available to assist those most in need in Southern Nevada. The CoH is comprised of representatives from the city of Las Vegas (Orlando Sanchez), Clark County, Clark County School District, State of Nevada, law enforcement and area service providers.
http://www5.lasvegasnevada.gov/sirepub/cache/1/vl0nnu45vcyry445neidwors/15674612312006020127218.PDF
City Council Meeting: Wednesday, January 3, 2007 at 9 am
Item Description: Report on the status of the SNRPC Committe on Homelessness
regional effort - All Wards
The SNRP created the Committee on Homelessness (CoH) to address regional homeless issues. All jurisdictions are required to contribute to the CoH regional budget based on population. The city of Las Vegas contributed $244,680 for FY 2005-2006 and $276,760 for FY 2006-2007.
The CoH projects include:
-- Implementation of the region's ten point plan
[ http://www.accessclarkcounty.com/social_service/homeless_default.htm ]
-- Inclement weather shelters - provided for homeless persons during extreme hot or cold weather conditions
-- Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) - a HUD mandated system designed to track services provided to homeless individuals in an effort to avoid duplication of services and improve the coordination efforts of service providers
-- Homeless Street And Shelter Count - mandated by HUD to count the number of homeless persons at a certain point in time
-- Public Awareness Campaign - the goal is to educate the community regarding the issue of homelessness with the result being a mobilized community will around homelessness and promotion of community and corporate investment into the Homeless Trust Fund. PSAs and the website, helphopehome.org , have been developed.
-- AB580 Funds - a $4 million biennium granted by the state legislature to address homelessness in the southern region through the provisions of services. This has provided funding for several capital projects and programs (called Transition from Homeless)
http://www5.lasvegasnevada.gov/sirepub/cache/1/33d24f45nnf4xh45dgeeapy4/15674712292006093416296.PDF
NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES - DISCUSSION
57. Report on the status of the Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition (SNRPC) Committee on Homelessness (CoH) regional effort - All Wards
http://www5.lasvegasnevada.gov/sirepub/pubmtgframe.aspx?meetid=121&doctype=Agenda
Purpose/Background:
http://www5.lasvegasnevada.gov/sirepub/cache/1/csokd045u5egwv45sc13mk55/15674612302006105439484.PDF
The CoH projects include:
http://www5.lasvegasnevada.gov/sirepub/cache/1/33d24f45nnf4xh45dgeeapy4/15674712292006093416296.PDF
Monday, December 25, 2006
Rules for whites, by Saab Lofton
Rules for whites
Article By Saab Lofton - Dec 22 2006
"White folks only want to hear the good shit: life eternal, a place in God's Heaven. But as soon as they hear they're getting this good shit from a black Jesus, they freak. And that, my friends, is called hypocrisy.
A black man can steal your stereo, but he can't be your savior."
-- Kevin Smith's Dogma
The aforementioned line illustrates just how important it is for whites to constantly be exposed to positive black role models — be they a historically accurate Jesus of color or stellar fictional characters such as Captain Sisko from Star Trek, Mace Windu from Star Wars or the Green Lantern John Stewart from DC Comics. If black saviors (as opposed to the clowns or beasts blacks are usually depicted as being) are not highly visible to the masses, there will be a complete disregard for black life.
Two atrocities recently occurred that proved this to be the case: On the west coast, the concept of blacks performing on cue like the minstrels of old was revived in Tempe, Arizona when a cop told a couple of black men they could avoid getting a littering ticket if they improvised a rap song for said cop ... and on the east coast, the villainous NYPD — the same police department responsible for the rape of Abner Louima — murdered 23- year-old Sean Bell en route to his wedding.
All too many whites still fear a future in which they'll lose their strength-in-numbers due to ethnic miscegenation. Oscar winner Halle Berry is half black and half white, but since she clearly looks more black than white, more than enough whites throughout history have acted, voted and invested out of fear of being cosmetically/superficially assimilated. So with any luck, the following list of rules
for whites will save lives and spare us all some grief.
1) Horatio Alger was a child molester. The man who coined the phrase "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" was an admitted pedophile, so don't ever tell a black man to risk getting hit by a car a la Will Smith's The Pursuit of Happyness just to get a job. CREATE JOBS! A Greenpeace version of FDR's New Deal would be a good start. Professor Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States said it best, "While some multimillionaires started in poverty, most did not. A study of the origins of 303 textile, railroad and steel executives of the 1870s showed that 90 percent came from middle- or upper-class families. The Horatio Alger stories of 'rags to riches' were true for a few men, but mostly a myth, and a useful myth for control."
2) Learn to deal with double standards. Just as it's not OK for men to walk into the ladies room, it's not OK for whites to use ebonics with cavalier abandon. If you're directly quoting someone or you've been accepted into the black community the way white rapper Eminem has, fine. Otherwise, act as though you're visiting another country with a different culture. If we were all Americans, there wouldn't be any disparity between blacks and whites insofar as the statistics charting everything from employment to imprisonment ...
3) It's not about equality, it's about respect. Whites need to admit that the current institutional structure of the so-called First World amounts to what is known as white skin privilege. As a result, whites are more powerful than blacks — NOT superior, simply more powerful. A good way to look at it is to imagine whites in the role of Superman and blacks in the role of Batman. They're obviously not "equal" — one has bulletproof skin whereas one is reliant on body armor — but they RESPECT each other. Knowing that Batman is — for all his many skills — a mere mortal, Superman has enough respect for the Dark Knight not to put him in just any ol' situation ...
4) Being called a "conspiracy theorist" is far worse than being called a "nigger." It's inevitable that some blacks might "cry wolf" as it were, but people in pain usually don't protest in vain. White supremacy may be in decline, but it's still very much in power, and blacks have a lot more to worry about than an occasional lynching/cross burning. There's this great quote in the book Whiteout: The CIA, Drugs and the Press: "It is not in the least paranoid for any black person to conclude that since
the late nineteenth century prominent white intellectuals and politicians have devoted much effort to reducing the number of black people by the expedient of sterilization, or selective medical assault, often chastely described as the 'science' of eugenics."
5) The price of liberty is eternal vigilance and when you forget history it repeats itself. This means there will NEVER be a point in which whites will be let off the hook. You'd never ask a Jew to let down his/her guard when it comes to anti-Semitism, so ...
Finally, there must be some consequence to police murders like Sean Bell's, so from now on — every time there's a similar murder — I will personally burn an American flag. I'll close with the words of Brooklyn City Councilman Charles Barron: "Don't ask our people to be peaceful while they are being shot dead."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOURCES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minstrel_show
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0612/03/sm.01.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miscegenation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horatio_Alger
http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/29266/
http://www.counterpunch.org/webb12172004.html
http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/article_3113.shtml
Enjoyed the article? Check out the website www.coanews.org
COA News is a non-profit online news network featuring diverse, credible independent news and current affairs.
Article By Saab Lofton - Dec 22 2006
"White folks only want to hear the good shit: life eternal, a place in God's Heaven. But as soon as they hear they're getting this good shit from a black Jesus, they freak. And that, my friends, is called hypocrisy.
A black man can steal your stereo, but he can't be your savior."
-- Kevin Smith's Dogma
The aforementioned line illustrates just how important it is for whites to constantly be exposed to positive black role models — be they a historically accurate Jesus of color or stellar fictional characters such as Captain Sisko from Star Trek, Mace Windu from Star Wars or the Green Lantern John Stewart from DC Comics. If black saviors (as opposed to the clowns or beasts blacks are usually depicted as being) are not highly visible to the masses, there will be a complete disregard for black life.
Two atrocities recently occurred that proved this to be the case: On the west coast, the concept of blacks performing on cue like the minstrels of old was revived in Tempe, Arizona when a cop told a couple of black men they could avoid getting a littering ticket if they improvised a rap song for said cop ... and on the east coast, the villainous NYPD — the same police department responsible for the rape of Abner Louima — murdered 23- year-old Sean Bell en route to his wedding.
All too many whites still fear a future in which they'll lose their strength-in-numbers due to ethnic miscegenation. Oscar winner Halle Berry is half black and half white, but since she clearly looks more black than white, more than enough whites throughout history have acted, voted and invested out of fear of being cosmetically/superficially assimilated. So with any luck, the following list of rules
for whites will save lives and spare us all some grief.
1) Horatio Alger was a child molester. The man who coined the phrase "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" was an admitted pedophile, so don't ever tell a black man to risk getting hit by a car a la Will Smith's The Pursuit of Happyness just to get a job. CREATE JOBS! A Greenpeace version of FDR's New Deal would be a good start. Professor Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States said it best, "While some multimillionaires started in poverty, most did not. A study of the origins of 303 textile, railroad and steel executives of the 1870s showed that 90 percent came from middle- or upper-class families. The Horatio Alger stories of 'rags to riches' were true for a few men, but mostly a myth, and a useful myth for control."
2) Learn to deal with double standards. Just as it's not OK for men to walk into the ladies room, it's not OK for whites to use ebonics with cavalier abandon. If you're directly quoting someone or you've been accepted into the black community the way white rapper Eminem has, fine. Otherwise, act as though you're visiting another country with a different culture. If we were all Americans, there wouldn't be any disparity between blacks and whites insofar as the statistics charting everything from employment to imprisonment ...
3) It's not about equality, it's about respect. Whites need to admit that the current institutional structure of the so-called First World amounts to what is known as white skin privilege. As a result, whites are more powerful than blacks — NOT superior, simply more powerful. A good way to look at it is to imagine whites in the role of Superman and blacks in the role of Batman. They're obviously not "equal" — one has bulletproof skin whereas one is reliant on body armor — but they RESPECT each other. Knowing that Batman is — for all his many skills — a mere mortal, Superman has enough respect for the Dark Knight not to put him in just any ol' situation ...
4) Being called a "conspiracy theorist" is far worse than being called a "nigger." It's inevitable that some blacks might "cry wolf" as it were, but people in pain usually don't protest in vain. White supremacy may be in decline, but it's still very much in power, and blacks have a lot more to worry about than an occasional lynching/cross burning. There's this great quote in the book Whiteout: The CIA, Drugs and the Press: "It is not in the least paranoid for any black person to conclude that since
the late nineteenth century prominent white intellectuals and politicians have devoted much effort to reducing the number of black people by the expedient of sterilization, or selective medical assault, often chastely described as the 'science' of eugenics."
5) The price of liberty is eternal vigilance and when you forget history it repeats itself. This means there will NEVER be a point in which whites will be let off the hook. You'd never ask a Jew to let down his/her guard when it comes to anti-Semitism, so ...
Finally, there must be some consequence to police murders like Sean Bell's, so from now on — every time there's a similar murder — I will personally burn an American flag. I'll close with the words of Brooklyn City Councilman Charles Barron: "Don't ask our people to be peaceful while they are being shot dead."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOURCES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minstrel_show
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0612/03/sm.01.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miscegenation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horatio_Alger
http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/29266/
http://www.counterpunch.org/webb12172004.html
http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/article_3113.shtml
Enjoyed the article? Check out the website www.coanews.org
COA News is a non-profit online news network featuring diverse, credible independent news and current affairs.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Candlelight Vigil for Homeless who died this year
Today there will be a candlelight vigil for the homeless who died in 2006. The names of at least 78 homeless will be read in memoriam at this candlelight vigil.
"The annual vigil is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. today at the Center for Independent Living, 1417 Las Vegas Blvd. North, at Foremaster Lane.
Outreach workers at the event will pass out 200 "survival bags" containing food and clothing."
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Dec-20-Wed-2006/news/11525525.html
"The annual vigil is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. today at the Center for Independent Living, 1417 Las Vegas Blvd. North, at Foremaster Lane.
Outreach workers at the event will pass out 200 "survival bags" containing food and clothing."
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Dec-20-Wed-2006/news/11525525.html
Sunday, December 17, 2006
More Americans hungry,
homeless in 2006: mayors
"More Americans went homeless and hungry in 2006 than the year before and children made up almost a quarter of those in emergency shelters, said a report released on Thursday by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
...The group estimated 23 percent of requests for emergency food assistance simply went unmet."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061214/us_nm/usa_homelessness_mayors_dc
...The group estimated 23 percent of requests for emergency food assistance simply went unmet."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061214/us_nm/usa_homelessness_mayors_dc
Sunday, December 10, 2006
WE ARE HOMELESS NOT HELPLESS!
WE ARE HOMELESS NOT HELPLESS!
Written by, "Las Vegas Superbum"
For General circulation
Pass it on.
Greetings from Poverty Flats where we remain strong of spirit and hopeful of a better tomorrow as we lay shivering on the street.
I am writing today in response to the article Out In The Cold which appeared on page 14 [of the Las Vegas City Life] in the 12-7-06 issue.
http://lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2006/12/07/news/local_news/iq_11242615.txt
As usual it was a fairly good article. My specific concern which may be minor is when Phillip Hollon director of Catholic Charities' residential services division states "Lack of awareness of the shelters, their capacities and their programs may also be a factor" for many not being in winter shelter. Tsk Tsk. We are very aware of what is involved and some refuse to play the game because the rules do not even slightly resemble fairness. This point has been emphasized by many brohers who were quoted in this article.
What needs to be clearly understood is that Sisters are not allowed in the shelter and there is nowhere for them to go except the sidewalk when other shelters like Shade Tree are full.
Mr. Hollon conveniently forgets that many of us (myself included) work. Yes, I have a job from 3pm to 9 pm. Since I can't be in two places at once I'm stuck on the sidewalk. If I don't work I don't eat. Mr Hollon and his little army of shelter thugs refuse to make exceptions for us the working poor. If Mr. Hollon is trying to help us; then why does he maintain an obstacle where we have to choose either working or sleeping in his fine flophouse?
Mr. Hollon would like for you the reader and billpayer to believe we are all little children who can't make decisions for ourselves or are addicted to drugs and alcohol. Mr. Hollon, me and mine are not coming into your shelter because you have not made us welcome to do so. Secondly: Since opening I have heard that there are no beds available. Night after night numerous brothers are sleeping on the floor. Third: Since opening I have heard numerous stories about minor incidents of abuse both verbal and physical.
In conclusion, I agree that me and mine choose to sleep on the street. It is
not a choice of free will but one of circumstance. Circumstances created by those who would have you believe that the moon is made of green cheese and that homeless people are helpless.
Our Day Will Come;
Michael "Las Vegas Superbum" Lee
Written by, "Las Vegas Superbum"
For General circulation
Pass it on.
Greetings from Poverty Flats where we remain strong of spirit and hopeful of a better tomorrow as we lay shivering on the street.
I am writing today in response to the article Out In The Cold which appeared on page 14 [of the Las Vegas City Life] in the 12-7-06 issue.
http://lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2006/12/07/news/local_news/iq_11242615.txt
As usual it was a fairly good article. My specific concern which may be minor is when Phillip Hollon director of Catholic Charities' residential services division states "Lack of awareness of the shelters, their capacities and their programs may also be a factor" for many not being in winter shelter. Tsk Tsk. We are very aware of what is involved and some refuse to play the game because the rules do not even slightly resemble fairness. This point has been emphasized by many brohers who were quoted in this article.
What needs to be clearly understood is that Sisters are not allowed in the shelter and there is nowhere for them to go except the sidewalk when other shelters like Shade Tree are full.
Mr. Hollon conveniently forgets that many of us (myself included) work. Yes, I have a job from 3pm to 9 pm. Since I can't be in two places at once I'm stuck on the sidewalk. If I don't work I don't eat. Mr Hollon and his little army of shelter thugs refuse to make exceptions for us the working poor. If Mr. Hollon is trying to help us; then why does he maintain an obstacle where we have to choose either working or sleeping in his fine flophouse?
Mr. Hollon would like for you the reader and billpayer to believe we are all little children who can't make decisions for ourselves or are addicted to drugs and alcohol. Mr. Hollon, me and mine are not coming into your shelter because you have not made us welcome to do so. Secondly: Since opening I have heard that there are no beds available. Night after night numerous brothers are sleeping on the floor. Third: Since opening I have heard numerous stories about minor incidents of abuse both verbal and physical.
In conclusion, I agree that me and mine choose to sleep on the street. It is
not a choice of free will but one of circumstance. Circumstances created by those who would have you believe that the moon is made of green cheese and that homeless people are helpless.
Our Day Will Come;
Michael "Las Vegas Superbum" Lee
Women deserve better than abortion,
Feminists for Life
PRO-WOMAN ANSWERS TO PRO-CHOICE QUESTIONS
Continued...
PRO-WOMAN ANSWERS TO PRO-CHOICE QUESTIONS™
From: "Serrin M. Foster"
Question #9
What about all those kids in foster care that nobody wants?
Many of the children waiting to be adopted are waiting because of legal processes, not a lack of loving homes. There are two million pre-approved American couples awaiting adoption. Two million women want to be mothers right now, and many of them want more than one child, as well as wanting children with special needs.
On a personal note, my father was a foster child. (No pun intended on my last name!)
His father died when he was just a year old, during the Great Depression. My grandmother could not care for him, and so he grew up in an orphanage and later in foster care.
As a little boy he lived through unspeakable horrors until he was rescued by a loving couple.
But you can never tell me that my father's life wasn't worth living. He wasn't the problem. Lack of emotional support and practical resources were the real enemies.
My father was a parenting student. I was born and my sister was on the way. My parents also took care of the childless elderly couple who had taken in my father as a little boy, until those two lovely people passed away.
My father had a powerful presence. Intense, smart, articulate, persuasive. He had a contagious laugh. He was a professor who got standing ovations from his peers as well as students, and was loved by his family and friends.
He put his unique stamp on life. It was “a wonderful life” and, like the movie, many stories would have had different endings (or no beginning) if he had never lived at all.
I am honored to work for Feminists for Life, helping to create a better world, one that welcomes and nurtures children like my dad, who some would label “better off if they had never been born.” A world where parenting students don’t have to choose between their children and their educations. A world where life is championed at its weakest, most vulnerable moments. A world where mothers—and fathers—are honored and supported.
Because women deserve better,
Serrin M. Foster
President
Feminists for Life
www.feministsforlife.org
P.S. Next week's question: What if the fetus would be born disabled?
"Abortion is a reflection that we have not met the needs of women. Women deserve better than abortion."
REFUSE TO CHOOSE® WOMEN DESERVE BETTER®
............................................
Help us systematically eliminate the root causes that drive women to abortion. Join our free e-list. Become a member. Support our work. Thank you!
Feminists for Life is a 501(c)3 organization.
All donations and membership contributions are tax deductible to the extent according to law.
Refuse to Choose and Women Deserve Better are registered trademarks of Feminists for Life of America.
___________________________________________________
This is the information list for Feminists for Life.
Are you a member and is your membership current?
Go to http://www.feministsforlife.org/support/index.htm and join online or donate today!
Feminists for Life - PO Box 20685 - Alexandria, VA 22320
From: "Serrin M. Foster"
Question #9
What about all those kids in foster care that nobody wants?
Many of the children waiting to be adopted are waiting because of legal processes, not a lack of loving homes. There are two million pre-approved American couples awaiting adoption. Two million women want to be mothers right now, and many of them want more than one child, as well as wanting children with special needs.
On a personal note, my father was a foster child. (No pun intended on my last name!)
His father died when he was just a year old, during the Great Depression. My grandmother could not care for him, and so he grew up in an orphanage and later in foster care.
As a little boy he lived through unspeakable horrors until he was rescued by a loving couple.
But you can never tell me that my father's life wasn't worth living. He wasn't the problem. Lack of emotional support and practical resources were the real enemies.
My father was a parenting student. I was born and my sister was on the way. My parents also took care of the childless elderly couple who had taken in my father as a little boy, until those two lovely people passed away.
My father had a powerful presence. Intense, smart, articulate, persuasive. He had a contagious laugh. He was a professor who got standing ovations from his peers as well as students, and was loved by his family and friends.
He put his unique stamp on life. It was “a wonderful life” and, like the movie, many stories would have had different endings (or no beginning) if he had never lived at all.
I am honored to work for Feminists for Life, helping to create a better world, one that welcomes and nurtures children like my dad, who some would label “better off if they had never been born.” A world where parenting students don’t have to choose between their children and their educations. A world where life is championed at its weakest, most vulnerable moments. A world where mothers—and fathers—are honored and supported.
Because women deserve better,
Serrin M. Foster
President
Feminists for Life
www.feministsforlife.org
P.S. Next week's question: What if the fetus would be born disabled?
"Abortion is a reflection that we have not met the needs of women. Women deserve better than abortion."
REFUSE TO CHOOSE® WOMEN DESERVE BETTER®
............................................
Help us systematically eliminate the root causes that drive women to abortion. Join our free e-list. Become a member. Support our work. Thank you!
Feminists for Life is a 501(c)3 organization.
All donations and membership contributions are tax deductible to the extent according to law.
Refuse to Choose and Women Deserve Better are registered trademarks of Feminists for Life of America.
___________________________________________________
This is the information list for Feminists for Life.
Are you a member and is your membership current?
Go to http://www.feministsforlife.org/support/index.htm and join online or donate today!
Feminists for Life - PO Box 20685 - Alexandria, VA 22320
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Women deserve better than abortion,
Feminists for Life
PRO-WOMAN ANSWERS TO PRO-CHOICE QUESTIONS
Continued...
PRO-WOMAN ANSWERS TO PRO-CHOICE QUESTIONS™
From: "Serrin M. Foster"
Question #5
What if she just doesn’t want it?
It’s more complicated than that. We can address each of her concerns working together for peaceful solutions.
Guttmacher Institute statistics show that there are reasons, often financial or emotional, why a woman feels she must have an abortion. We must work toward the systematic elimination of the reasons that coerce women into an abortion.
We oppose abortion in all cases because violence is a violation of basic feminist principles.
Adoption is one way to affirm the early feminists' position on voluntary motherhood. If a woman chooses not to parent, there are a variety of adoption options that she can explore (open or closed, direct or indirect updates with photos). She should know, for example, that agencies in some states offer more comprehensive benefits (for example, compensation for lost scholarships, housing and other living expenses, health care, moving expenses, etc.) to birth mothers.
What if she has every resource and all the support and still doesn't want it?
We don't always know at the beginning how things will turn out. Many women report that their feelings change throughout the pregnancy.
Two-time Emmy award winner and FFL's Honorary Chair Patricia Heaton said, “Women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy also deserve unplanned joy.”
Feminism demands justice for all, especially those most vulnerable.
Women are capable of overcoming the unexpected, and making nonviolent choices. We need to support their life-affirming choices—including adoption options as well as marital or single parenthood.
Because women deserve better,
Serrin M. Foster
President
Feminists for Life
www.feministsforlife.org
P.S. Next week's question: If you don’t trust me with a choice, how can you trust me with a child?
"Abortion is a reflection that we have not met the needs of women. Women deserve better than abortion."
REFUSE TO CHOOSE® WOMEN DESERVE BETTER®
............................................
Remember to Vote: One man, Henry Burn, cast the critical vote in the Tennessee legislature that ratified the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote. The statesman had walked into the Tennessee legislature that day prepared to vote against women’s suffrage, but changed his mind after reading a pro-suffrage letter sent by his most important constituent—his mother.
Feminists for Life is a 501(c)3 organization.
All donations and membership contributions are tax deductible to the extent according to law.
Refuse to Choose and Women Deserve Better are registered trademarks of Feminists for Life of America.
___________________________________________________
This is the information list for Feminists for Life.
Are you a member and is your membership current?
Go to http://www.feministsforlife.org/support/index.htm and join online or donate today!
Feminists for Life - PO Box 20685 - Alexandria, VA 22320
Questions #6
Don't you respect women enough to allow them to make a choice?
Most women do not have abortions as a matter of "choice," but because they feel they have no resources to support a different choice. A coerced decision is not a free choice—it's a last resort.
We support nonviolent choices—single motherhood, fatherhood, grandparenthood, marriage and various adoption options—along with practical resources and support.
A society that promotes abortion as a “necessity” or “necessary evil” underestimates women and the violence of abortion and disregards what women really want.
If you don't trust me with a choice, how can you trust me with a child?
If by “choice” you mean abortion, say it.
All choices aren't equal, but all people are. We reject violence against women and children through abortion, and promote peaceful alternatives that benefit both woman and child.
Feminism has long championed the strength and dignity of women and equality. Women are capable of making the decision to parent or place a baby for adoption.
It's not about trust—it's about condemning violence.
Don't women need to control their own lives?
No one has complete control over his or her life. Once a woman is pregnant, the question is, “What is the best possible nonviolent outcome for her?”
Because women deserve better,
Serrin M. Foster
President
Feminists for Life
www.feministsforlife.org
Question #7
So you believe that a tiny speck—a zygote, blastocyst, embryo or fetus—has rights over a woman?
Women aren’t stupid. We know it’s a baby that is growing just like we did in our mother’s wombs. That is why most women who feel they have emotional and financial support don’t have abortions.
I don’t believe in discrimination based on size, age or location. Do you believe that a child has less of a right to exist because he or she is small? Are large or tall people more valuable than small or short people? By that logic, most women would have fewer rights than men!
For years, abortion advocates have been pitting women against their unborn children, dehumanizing the growing child with misleading phrases like “blobs of cells” and “products of conception.”
Fetus is a Latin word meaning “young child” or “young one.” But in practice, fetus has become a clinical, dehumanized term for an unborn child.
Imagine if some group tried to deny medical care for gravidas. Once someone figured out that was the Latin word for pregnant women, the bewilderment would quickly shift to outrage.
Because women deserve better,
Serrin M. Foster
President
Feminists for Life
www.feministsforlife.org
Question #8
Isn't feminism about a woman having rights equal to those of a man?
Feminism is much more than that.
As a teen, I remember the electrifying call for equality during the '70's women's movement, and how it challenged and changed the nation. The idea was so compelling it still circles the world.
By definition, equality is a principle extended to all. When one group of people gets their rights at the expense of another, there is nothing equal about it.
The foundation of feminism is built on the basic tenets of nonviolence, nondiscrimination, and justice for all. Abortion is discrimination based on age, size, location, and sometimes gender, disability, or parentage. And it is often the result of a more insidious form of discrimination: the lack of resources and support that pregnant women need and deserve.
As I entered college, the women's movement continued to gain momentum. Cries for equality in the workplace were muffled by the even louder call for "abortion rights" and "pro-choice." You were either pro-woman or pro-baby. As a pro-life feminist, I felt very much alone.
When I found Feminists for Life I knew that I was "home." Then I learned that during the past two centuries, visionary women like Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Alice Paul had worked for justice and women’s rights—without choosing between women and children.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton is perhaps the best example of the in-your-face, you-will accept-women-on-our-terms-and-we-are-not-accepting-less suffrage leaders. Stanton, the first champion of women’s suffrage and a mother of seven, said, "When you consider that women have been treated as property, it is degrading to women that we should treat our children as property to be disposed of as we see fit." [Click here for more early American feminist wisdom.]
http://www.feministsforlife.org/history/index.htm
The early American feminists did not work to replace a patriarchy with a matriarchy. Women have a right to be women in the workplace and in school. Women shouldn't have to pass as men.
When women think they have to lay their bodies down or swallow a bitter pill for an abortion in order to compete in the workplace or make their way in the world—that is not feminism. In addition, abortion has hurt women by diverting feminist attention from other issues, particularly those that help mothers, such as affordable child care, comprehensive health care, and a living wage.
Finally, once a woman is pregnant, she is forever changed, no matter what the outcome—marital, partnered or single parenthood, adoption, abortion, miscarriage or stillbirth.
At Feminists for Life, we refuse to choose between women and children. We refuse to choose between our education and career plans and our families.
As pro-life feminists, our values are woman-centered and inclusive of both parents and children. And like the early American feminists, we are not accepting less.
We say "no" to the status quo. Let's aim for the best by advocating resources and support for women, and protecting both mothers and children from violence. Women deserve better.
Because women deserve better,
Serrin M. Foster
President
Feminists for Life
www.feministsforlife.org
P.S. Next week's question: What about all those kids in foster care that nobody wants?
Help us systematically eliminate the root causes that drive women to abortion. Join our free e-list. Become a member. Support our work. Thank you!
Feminists for Life is a 501(c)3 organization.
All donations and membership contributions are tax deductible to the extent according to law.
Refuse to Choose and Women Deserve Better are registered trademarks of Feminists for Life of America.
___________________________________________________
This is the information list for Feminists for Life.
Are you a member and is your membership current?
Go to http://www.feministsforlife.org/support/index.htm and join online or donate today!
Feminists for Life - PO Box 20685 - Alexandria, VA 22320
From: "Serrin M. Foster"
Question #5
What if she just doesn’t want it?
It’s more complicated than that. We can address each of her concerns working together for peaceful solutions.
Guttmacher Institute statistics show that there are reasons, often financial or emotional, why a woman feels she must have an abortion. We must work toward the systematic elimination of the reasons that coerce women into an abortion.
We oppose abortion in all cases because violence is a violation of basic feminist principles.
Adoption is one way to affirm the early feminists' position on voluntary motherhood. If a woman chooses not to parent, there are a variety of adoption options that she can explore (open or closed, direct or indirect updates with photos). She should know, for example, that agencies in some states offer more comprehensive benefits (for example, compensation for lost scholarships, housing and other living expenses, health care, moving expenses, etc.) to birth mothers.
What if she has every resource and all the support and still doesn't want it?
We don't always know at the beginning how things will turn out. Many women report that their feelings change throughout the pregnancy.
Two-time Emmy award winner and FFL's Honorary Chair Patricia Heaton said, “Women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy also deserve unplanned joy.”
Feminism demands justice for all, especially those most vulnerable.
Women are capable of overcoming the unexpected, and making nonviolent choices. We need to support their life-affirming choices—including adoption options as well as marital or single parenthood.
Because women deserve better,
Serrin M. Foster
President
Feminists for Life
www.feministsforlife.org
P.S. Next week's question: If you don’t trust me with a choice, how can you trust me with a child?
"Abortion is a reflection that we have not met the needs of women. Women deserve better than abortion."
REFUSE TO CHOOSE® WOMEN DESERVE BETTER®
............................................
Remember to Vote: One man, Henry Burn, cast the critical vote in the Tennessee legislature that ratified the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote. The statesman had walked into the Tennessee legislature that day prepared to vote against women’s suffrage, but changed his mind after reading a pro-suffrage letter sent by his most important constituent—his mother.
Feminists for Life is a 501(c)3 organization.
All donations and membership contributions are tax deductible to the extent according to law.
Refuse to Choose and Women Deserve Better are registered trademarks of Feminists for Life of America.
___________________________________________________
This is the information list for Feminists for Life.
Are you a member and is your membership current?
Go to http://www.feministsforlife.org/support/index.htm and join online or donate today!
Feminists for Life - PO Box 20685 - Alexandria, VA 22320
Questions #6
Don't you respect women enough to allow them to make a choice?
Most women do not have abortions as a matter of "choice," but because they feel they have no resources to support a different choice. A coerced decision is not a free choice—it's a last resort.
We support nonviolent choices—single motherhood, fatherhood, grandparenthood, marriage and various adoption options—along with practical resources and support.
A society that promotes abortion as a “necessity” or “necessary evil” underestimates women and the violence of abortion and disregards what women really want.
If you don't trust me with a choice, how can you trust me with a child?
If by “choice” you mean abortion, say it.
All choices aren't equal, but all people are. We reject violence against women and children through abortion, and promote peaceful alternatives that benefit both woman and child.
Feminism has long championed the strength and dignity of women and equality. Women are capable of making the decision to parent or place a baby for adoption.
It's not about trust—it's about condemning violence.
Don't women need to control their own lives?
No one has complete control over his or her life. Once a woman is pregnant, the question is, “What is the best possible nonviolent outcome for her?”
Because women deserve better,
Serrin M. Foster
President
Feminists for Life
www.feministsforlife.org
Question #7
So you believe that a tiny speck—a zygote, blastocyst, embryo or fetus—has rights over a woman?
Women aren’t stupid. We know it’s a baby that is growing just like we did in our mother’s wombs. That is why most women who feel they have emotional and financial support don’t have abortions.
I don’t believe in discrimination based on size, age or location. Do you believe that a child has less of a right to exist because he or she is small? Are large or tall people more valuable than small or short people? By that logic, most women would have fewer rights than men!
For years, abortion advocates have been pitting women against their unborn children, dehumanizing the growing child with misleading phrases like “blobs of cells” and “products of conception.”
Fetus is a Latin word meaning “young child” or “young one.” But in practice, fetus has become a clinical, dehumanized term for an unborn child.
Imagine if some group tried to deny medical care for gravidas. Once someone figured out that was the Latin word for pregnant women, the bewilderment would quickly shift to outrage.
Because women deserve better,
Serrin M. Foster
President
Feminists for Life
www.feministsforlife.org
Question #8
Isn't feminism about a woman having rights equal to those of a man?
Feminism is much more than that.
As a teen, I remember the electrifying call for equality during the '70's women's movement, and how it challenged and changed the nation. The idea was so compelling it still circles the world.
By definition, equality is a principle extended to all. When one group of people gets their rights at the expense of another, there is nothing equal about it.
The foundation of feminism is built on the basic tenets of nonviolence, nondiscrimination, and justice for all. Abortion is discrimination based on age, size, location, and sometimes gender, disability, or parentage. And it is often the result of a more insidious form of discrimination: the lack of resources and support that pregnant women need and deserve.
As I entered college, the women's movement continued to gain momentum. Cries for equality in the workplace were muffled by the even louder call for "abortion rights" and "pro-choice." You were either pro-woman or pro-baby. As a pro-life feminist, I felt very much alone.
When I found Feminists for Life I knew that I was "home." Then I learned that during the past two centuries, visionary women like Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Alice Paul had worked for justice and women’s rights—without choosing between women and children.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton is perhaps the best example of the in-your-face, you-will accept-women-on-our-terms-and-we-are-not-accepting-less suffrage leaders. Stanton, the first champion of women’s suffrage and a mother of seven, said, "When you consider that women have been treated as property, it is degrading to women that we should treat our children as property to be disposed of as we see fit." [Click here for more early American feminist wisdom.]
http://www.feministsforlife.org/history/index.htm
The early American feminists did not work to replace a patriarchy with a matriarchy. Women have a right to be women in the workplace and in school. Women shouldn't have to pass as men.
When women think they have to lay their bodies down or swallow a bitter pill for an abortion in order to compete in the workplace or make their way in the world—that is not feminism. In addition, abortion has hurt women by diverting feminist attention from other issues, particularly those that help mothers, such as affordable child care, comprehensive health care, and a living wage.
Finally, once a woman is pregnant, she is forever changed, no matter what the outcome—marital, partnered or single parenthood, adoption, abortion, miscarriage or stillbirth.
At Feminists for Life, we refuse to choose between women and children. We refuse to choose between our education and career plans and our families.
As pro-life feminists, our values are woman-centered and inclusive of both parents and children. And like the early American feminists, we are not accepting less.
We say "no" to the status quo. Let's aim for the best by advocating resources and support for women, and protecting both mothers and children from violence. Women deserve better.
Because women deserve better,
Serrin M. Foster
President
Feminists for Life
www.feministsforlife.org
P.S. Next week's question: What about all those kids in foster care that nobody wants?
Help us systematically eliminate the root causes that drive women to abortion. Join our free e-list. Become a member. Support our work. Thank you!
Feminists for Life is a 501(c)3 organization.
All donations and membership contributions are tax deductible to the extent according to law.
Refuse to Choose and Women Deserve Better are registered trademarks of Feminists for Life of America.
___________________________________________________
This is the information list for Feminists for Life.
Are you a member and is your membership current?
Go to http://www.feministsforlife.org/support/index.htm and join online or donate today!
Feminists for Life - PO Box 20685 - Alexandria, VA 22320
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Day & Night Centers or Closing Parks?
December 4, 2006
Rather than debating the character of all homeless people or what they deserve and what they don't deserve, I think (for this article) it would be in the best interest of all to stay focused on the issue of Huntridge Circle Park.
I'm sure that it is possible to come up with a compromise that would be suitable for the homeowners and, the homeless and poor people.
We know from statistics that Huntridge Circle Park and the neighborhood around it has no more crime than any other area of town. We also know that it is unconstitutional to discriminate against a whole group of people because of their financial standing. Thus, you cannot tell homeless people or poor people they cannot use the park.
If someone is commiting a crime, the police should be called and that person should be arrested whether they are homeless or non-homeless.
Homeless and crime is not synonymous. Much of the crime in a one mile radius of Circle Park is against the homeless. And the crime is not committed by the homeless. And most of this violence against the homeless is not even reported.
All homeless people are not dangerous. Most homeless people are not dangerous. In fact, most who I know would be the first to protect your child from danger.
Having said that, I do understand the concern that if there are people sleeping all through the park, you can't have a soccer game. So, how much room do you need to play soccer? I mean, this park wasn't built for soccer games but I'm sure we could designate part of the park for soccer, and the rest of the park for the general public.
One of the biggest problems we have is that homeless people are not allowed on private property and they are not allowed on public property. They are arrested for trespassing while walking through a store parking lot. They are arrested for sitting on a bus bench. They are arrested while sleeping on the grass in the park. How do we expect them to "get a job" when they are continuously being arrested for non-violent offenses? If they are not allowed on private or public property, where do you want them to go? No, they are not going to Utah. And if they don't want to go to the shelters, they do not have to. And they are not going to just disappear.
The neighbors of Circle Park say they do not want the public park to be solely used for social services. I agree. Parks should not be used solely for social services. However, that is where poor people go. And that is where we can find them to offer them a helping hand. The more outreach, the more chance of minimizing homelessness.
Giving someone a sandwich and a drink does not make someone want to be homeless. It gives us a chance to get to know each other, and possibly give them one step up off the street.
If you don't want them in our neighborhood then we have to give them a "somewhat" appealing place to go. More appealing than the park. A place where they can get social services, mental health care, medical care, identifications, job training, affordable housing, food, water, laundry facilities, and a shower. One area of town for social services is not enough for 18,000 homeless people.
It does not matter whether you think they deserve this or not. Out of 18,000 people, if they have access to daily outreach, daily social services, it is quite possible that we might be able to get a good percentage of them off the streets and better their quality of life.
So even though they have a Constitutional right to be in the public parks, if you don't want them in our neighborhood, they must have a suitable, alternative place to go.
For years and even to this day, the City and Metro are conducting homeless sweeps in the Owens and Main Street area. These daily and weekly sweeps are dispersing the homeless throughout the valley and into our neighborhoods. The City says they want the homeless to go to this area of town to obtain social services. The neighbors of Circle Park say they want the homeless to go to the shelters in this part of town.
Well then, if you all want to get them to stay in that part of town, the homeless sweeps must stop. The police harassment must stop. If you expect them to stay in that area of town then the City, County, and State and the shelters need to make that part of town safer for the homeless and poor.
Which brings us to the closing of Circle Park. If the homeless are not allowed to frequent Circle Park, they will be walking through our neighborhoods more often trying to find a warm place to get out of the wind, and a safe place to lay their head.
Closing Circle Park will not get the homeless out of our neighborhood. Only by working together to obtain multiple, safe Day and Night Centers (with trees and grass) with all social services available at each location will we begin to minimize homelessness. These Day and Night Centers need to be located in different parts of the valley: North Las Vegas, Henderson, Green Valley, Summerlin, and the Downtown area of Las Vegas.
If we are to minimize homelessness, we need to break down barriers rather than build more barriers. And continuously passing unconstitutional laws is just making it more difficult for homeless and poor people to get out of poverty.
Rather than debating the character of all homeless people or what they deserve and what they don't deserve, I think (for this article) it would be in the best interest of all to stay focused on the issue of Huntridge Circle Park.
I'm sure that it is possible to come up with a compromise that would be suitable for the homeowners and, the homeless and poor people.
We know from statistics that Huntridge Circle Park and the neighborhood around it has no more crime than any other area of town. We also know that it is unconstitutional to discriminate against a whole group of people because of their financial standing. Thus, you cannot tell homeless people or poor people they cannot use the park.
If someone is commiting a crime, the police should be called and that person should be arrested whether they are homeless or non-homeless.
Homeless and crime is not synonymous. Much of the crime in a one mile radius of Circle Park is against the homeless. And the crime is not committed by the homeless. And most of this violence against the homeless is not even reported.
All homeless people are not dangerous. Most homeless people are not dangerous. In fact, most who I know would be the first to protect your child from danger.
Having said that, I do understand the concern that if there are people sleeping all through the park, you can't have a soccer game. So, how much room do you need to play soccer? I mean, this park wasn't built for soccer games but I'm sure we could designate part of the park for soccer, and the rest of the park for the general public.
One of the biggest problems we have is that homeless people are not allowed on private property and they are not allowed on public property. They are arrested for trespassing while walking through a store parking lot. They are arrested for sitting on a bus bench. They are arrested while sleeping on the grass in the park. How do we expect them to "get a job" when they are continuously being arrested for non-violent offenses? If they are not allowed on private or public property, where do you want them to go? No, they are not going to Utah. And if they don't want to go to the shelters, they do not have to. And they are not going to just disappear.
The neighbors of Circle Park say they do not want the public park to be solely used for social services. I agree. Parks should not be used solely for social services. However, that is where poor people go. And that is where we can find them to offer them a helping hand. The more outreach, the more chance of minimizing homelessness.
Giving someone a sandwich and a drink does not make someone want to be homeless. It gives us a chance to get to know each other, and possibly give them one step up off the street.
If you don't want them in our neighborhood then we have to give them a "somewhat" appealing place to go. More appealing than the park. A place where they can get social services, mental health care, medical care, identifications, job training, affordable housing, food, water, laundry facilities, and a shower. One area of town for social services is not enough for 18,000 homeless people.
It does not matter whether you think they deserve this or not. Out of 18,000 people, if they have access to daily outreach, daily social services, it is quite possible that we might be able to get a good percentage of them off the streets and better their quality of life.
So even though they have a Constitutional right to be in the public parks, if you don't want them in our neighborhood, they must have a suitable, alternative place to go.
For years and even to this day, the City and Metro are conducting homeless sweeps in the Owens and Main Street area. These daily and weekly sweeps are dispersing the homeless throughout the valley and into our neighborhoods. The City says they want the homeless to go to this area of town to obtain social services. The neighbors of Circle Park say they want the homeless to go to the shelters in this part of town.
Well then, if you all want to get them to stay in that part of town, the homeless sweeps must stop. The police harassment must stop. If you expect them to stay in that area of town then the City, County, and State and the shelters need to make that part of town safer for the homeless and poor.
Which brings us to the closing of Circle Park. If the homeless are not allowed to frequent Circle Park, they will be walking through our neighborhoods more often trying to find a warm place to get out of the wind, and a safe place to lay their head.
Closing Circle Park will not get the homeless out of our neighborhood. Only by working together to obtain multiple, safe Day and Night Centers (with trees and grass) with all social services available at each location will we begin to minimize homelessness. These Day and Night Centers need to be located in different parts of the valley: North Las Vegas, Henderson, Green Valley, Summerlin, and the Downtown area of Las Vegas.
If we are to minimize homelessness, we need to break down barriers rather than build more barriers. And continuously passing unconstitutional laws is just making it more difficult for homeless and poor people to get out of poverty.
Nonexistent law used to bust homeless
Now the city has to explain why city marshals are arresting homeless people for breaking NON-existent laws!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Arrests prompt activists' outcry
Nonexistent law used to bust homeless
By LYNNETTE CURTIS, REVIEW-JOURNAL
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Dec-05-Tue-2006/news/11227014.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Arrests prompt activists' outcry
Nonexistent law used to bust homeless
By LYNNETTE CURTIS, REVIEW-JOURNAL
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Dec-05-Tue-2006/news/11227014.html
Latest Media, Nov. 2006
Sorry for not posting sooner. Been busy with the usual daily schedule as well as media and legal issues. Also, my internet has been off for about 5 days.
The Homeless Shuffle, "Face to Face with Jon Ralston" , 4 Segments, Nov. 29, 2006 Face to Face videos only stay online for a few days.
http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=1560638
Homeless Ruling, KNPR's State of Nevada with Dave Burns
http://www.knpr.org/audio2006/mp3/061121_homeless.mp3
Homeless Politics, KNPR's State of Nevada with Dave Burns
http://www.knpr.org/audio2006/mp3/061129_homeless-politics.mp3
The Homeless Shuffle, "Face to Face with Jon Ralston" , 4 Segments, Nov. 29, 2006 Face to Face videos only stay online for a few days.
http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=1560638
Homeless Ruling, KNPR's State of Nevada with Dave Burns
http://www.knpr.org/audio2006/mp3/061121_homeless.mp3
Homeless Politics, KNPR's State of Nevada with Dave Burns
http://www.knpr.org/audio2006/mp3/061129_homeless-politics.mp3
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Rally- Homeless People Are Not Criminals!
Picket / Rally
Las Vegas City Hall,
Las Vegas Blvd. and Stewart Ave.
Friday, Dec. 1, 2006 12:00 noon
In response to the continuing sweeps
of homeless people in Poverty Flats
(the area from Washington to Owens, and,
from Las Vegas Blvd. to A Street)
and the closure of Huntridge Circle Park.
Please join us to demand that the
criminalization of homelessness end.
Free Food will be shared
Signs will be available
Drumming circle, art, music, open microphone
Please bring sign-making material- markers,
scrap cardboard, music,
and, food & water to share.
Money for the Homeless & Poor,
NOT FOR WAR !!
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Homeless man held in stabbing of another after argument
The fight started Thursday after the suspect broke several of the park's sprinklers, which had soaked him
that afternoon, according to homeless people at the park and homeless advocate Gail Sacco.
The destruction of the sprinklers angered other homeless people, who feared it would fuel anti-homeless sentiment, they said.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Nov-25-Sat-2006/news/11047351.html
Mom's Comments:
Side note: On Thursday, the park sprinklers were on all day and night.
Eating food does not cause violence. On the contrary, coming to the table together helps build community. It gives us a chance to meet, talk, and learn from one another. This builds a common respect for one another. It also gives us a chance to work on solutions to getting off the streets.
[No one factor by itself causes violence. We do know that Poverty and Oppression can contribute to aggression and violence.]
However, most homeless people are not criminals. In fact, homeless people are one of our most vulnerable populations. This vulnerable population includes men, women, and children.
The prevalence of hate crimes and violence against homeless people has risen, as well as negative stereotyping reinforced by the general media and intolerant people.
http://www.nationalhomeless.org/hatecrimes/pressrelease.html
When a homeless person gets assaulted or killed, there is usually not too many people interested. But when a homeless person gets killed by another homeless person then it's used to stereotype all homeless people.
The crime statistics being reported for the Huntridge Circle Park area is for a one-mile radius. This area is from north of Stewart Ave., down to Karen Ave. which is south of Sahara, to the east past 21st Street which has always been a heavy gang area, and a half-mile to the west of the Las Vegas Strip.
This area does not accurately describe the area of Huntridge Circle Park.
According to the article in the Las Vegas Review Journal on Saturday, November 25th, "In the past two months, there have been 74 burglaries within a one-mile radius of Circle Park and 63 robberies, according to Las Vegas police statistics."
However, the statistics within a quarter-mile radius would more accurately describe the area of Huntridge Circle Park. In which case, there has been 4 burglaries and 1 robbery.
The one mile radius includes over 2000 incidents compared to the quarter mile radius of 118 incidents.
Even within the quarter-mile radius, much of the crime is on E. Charleston between 11th Street and Maryland Pkwy. And, many of the crimes are against homeless individuals and not committed by the homeless.
In addition, the 118 incidents include 17 traffic accidents, 12 family disturbances, and 5 recovered motor vehicles.
Yesterday while I was at the park, a gentleman who described himself as a neighbor of Circle Park informed me that the neighbors of Circle Park are getting ready to "take matters into their own hands" regarding the homeless problem. They want the homeless out of the Circle Park. He told me that there is going to be violence. I can see it now, "Neighbors take up arms against the Poor."
What part don't "you" understand? Non-violent homeless or poor people have as much right as non-violent, non-homeless people to use public parks for talking, eating, or napping. This includes Huntridge Circle Park. Anyone committing a crime, ie, drug use, public urination or defecation, violence against another human being, prostitution, etc. should be arrested.
We have an epidemic across the country of hate crimes and violence and intolerance against those living on the streets. Because of ignorance and stereotyping, some people are scared of anyone who looks different from them.
We, in the homeless community intend to participate in crime prevention, and to continue to do the best we can with what we have to take care of one another. We invite the City, County, State, and Community to work with us.
Friday, November 24, 2006
Victory against Las Vegas Discrimination, continued
continued from previous post
In addition, the city also admitted that the plaintiffs’ citation under the ordinance was due to them not having a permit and stated that the city would never grant a permit for such a use. Jerbic said that the city would ask for the intended use of the permit prior to granting it, and that permits would be given to other groups. Despite this assertion, a quick search of the official City of Las Vegas website finds Huntridge Circle Park to be “non-reservable” (see screenshot at http://lasvegas.staughton.indypgh.org/news/2006/11/5852.php ).
Judge Jones was quick to rebut many points of the defense, stating
in response to the city’s inquiry into the intended use of permits,
“I don’t think you can ask that question.”
At one point, the city tried to make a case for their discrimination on the basis that the indigent have difficulty traveling - they come to the park for food and away from government programs and get stuck, though the city failed to indicate how the indigent were initially able to make their way to the park. The argument was quickly deemed weak by the judge.
Judge Jones went on to ask the defense if they had prohibitions in place specifically targeting the problematic actions - drunkenness, clothes washing in the park, etc. - that would be universally applicable and not specifically targeted at the underprivileged.
In a spectacular flub, the city not only admitted to not targeting the specific actions of concern, but showed regret for the one specific ordinance that was in effect - closing hours for the parks.
The city argued that because there was a park curfew, people leave the park and go onto private property. Left unanswered by the city, however, is just where exactly they expect people to go.
The city also admitted to ordering officers to target the indigent and look for clues to identify those who might aid them - specifically food and food preparation equipment.
Judge Jones’ preliminary decision is to issue an injunction and solicit findings and conclusions from both sides within ten days. Jones stated that he expected the injunction to solve this issue. In addition, he stated that he is inclined to prohibit a statute that limits the distribution of food, in addition to any that specifically target the indigent.
Continuing, the judge also indicated that a statute which limited the number of times foodsharing could occur, or the number of people being fed could withstand scrutiny, when based on sufficient reason.
The hearing took place in the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse, which earlier this year was the scene of one of the largest political actions ever in Las Vegas, the April 10 immigration solidarity action, as well as World Can’t Wait actions, among others.
In addition, the city also admitted that the plaintiffs’ citation under the ordinance was due to them not having a permit and stated that the city would never grant a permit for such a use. Jerbic said that the city would ask for the intended use of the permit prior to granting it, and that permits would be given to other groups. Despite this assertion, a quick search of the official City of Las Vegas website finds Huntridge Circle Park to be “non-reservable” (see screenshot at http://lasvegas.staughton.indypgh.org/news/2006/11/5852.php ).
Judge Jones was quick to rebut many points of the defense, stating
in response to the city’s inquiry into the intended use of permits,
“I don’t think you can ask that question.”
At one point, the city tried to make a case for their discrimination on the basis that the indigent have difficulty traveling - they come to the park for food and away from government programs and get stuck, though the city failed to indicate how the indigent were initially able to make their way to the park. The argument was quickly deemed weak by the judge.
Judge Jones went on to ask the defense if they had prohibitions in place specifically targeting the problematic actions - drunkenness, clothes washing in the park, etc. - that would be universally applicable and not specifically targeted at the underprivileged.
In a spectacular flub, the city not only admitted to not targeting the specific actions of concern, but showed regret for the one specific ordinance that was in effect - closing hours for the parks.
The city argued that because there was a park curfew, people leave the park and go onto private property. Left unanswered by the city, however, is just where exactly they expect people to go.
The city also admitted to ordering officers to target the indigent and look for clues to identify those who might aid them - specifically food and food preparation equipment.
Judge Jones’ preliminary decision is to issue an injunction and solicit findings and conclusions from both sides within ten days. Jones stated that he expected the injunction to solve this issue. In addition, he stated that he is inclined to prohibit a statute that limits the distribution of food, in addition to any that specifically target the indigent.
Continuing, the judge also indicated that a statute which limited the number of times foodsharing could occur, or the number of people being fed could withstand scrutiny, when based on sufficient reason.
The hearing took place in the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse, which earlier this year was the scene of one of the largest political actions ever in Las Vegas, the April 10 immigration solidarity action, as well as World Can’t Wait actions, among others.
Victory against Las Vegas Discrimination
Victory against Las Vegas Discrimination
by Potemkin
Posted: Monday November 20, 2006 at 11:13 PM
mailto:PMpotemkin@thenuclearsummer.com
An injunction is expected to be handed down against the law prohibiting the sharing of food in public parks with the underprivileged.
In a move that can only be seen as a victory over the violent and repressive City of Las Vegas – led by Mayor Oscar Goodman and overseen by his shill Bradford Jerbic – Federal Judge Robert C. Jones is expected to hand down an injunction against a statute passed by the Las Vegas City Council which prohibits sharing food with whom a “reasonable person” could perceive as eligible for, or receiving government assistance.
During oral arguments today, Lee Rowland of the ACLU articulately and aggressively argued that the law violates the first and fourteenth amendments by limiting expressive action (sharing food with the homeless or indigent) and specifically targeting the underprivileged.
In an incompetent display, Bradford Jerbic, defending the City of Las Vegas, admitted to discriminatory and dishonest practices. Though initially claiming that the indigent are not a “suspect class,” the council for the City of Las Vegas dug themselves a hole early on, accusing “Ms. Sacco” (plaintiff Gail Sacco) of “luring” the indigent into the park with what he admitted was a “tastier meal” than what city services offer. He also accused her and the other plaintiffs of turning the park into a soup kitchen.
continued...
by Potemkin
Posted: Monday November 20, 2006 at 11:13 PM
mailto:PMpotemkin@thenuclearsummer.com
An injunction is expected to be handed down against the law prohibiting the sharing of food in public parks with the underprivileged.
In a move that can only be seen as a victory over the violent and repressive City of Las Vegas – led by Mayor Oscar Goodman and overseen by his shill Bradford Jerbic – Federal Judge Robert C. Jones is expected to hand down an injunction against a statute passed by the Las Vegas City Council which prohibits sharing food with whom a “reasonable person” could perceive as eligible for, or receiving government assistance.
During oral arguments today, Lee Rowland of the ACLU articulately and aggressively argued that the law violates the first and fourteenth amendments by limiting expressive action (sharing food with the homeless or indigent) and specifically targeting the underprivileged.
In an incompetent display, Bradford Jerbic, defending the City of Las Vegas, admitted to discriminatory and dishonest practices. Though initially claiming that the indigent are not a “suspect class,” the council for the City of Las Vegas dug themselves a hole early on, accusing “Ms. Sacco” (plaintiff Gail Sacco) of “luring” the indigent into the park with what he admitted was a “tastier meal” than what city services offer. He also accused her and the other plaintiffs of turning the park into a soup kitchen.
continued...
Monday, November 20, 2006
Homeless law unconstitutional- Federal Court
News Flash
Homeless law unconstitutional
A federal court judge ruled this morning that the city of Las Vegas' ordinance prohibiting the feeding of homeless people is unconstitutional because it targets a particular segment of the population.
Judge Robert Jones directed city attorneys to redraft a law that limits the number of people at a park gathering and sets restrictions on how frequently a particular group can gather. In the meantime, community activists can resume feeding the homeless.
Posted: Monday, 20-Nov-2006 1:33 p.m.
Las Vegas Review Journal
http://www.reviewjournal.com/index.html
Mom's Comments: This was quite a surprise that a conservative judge granted us an injunction. Thank you Judge Jones!
Unfortunately, just like the Fremont Street Experience Freedom of Speech and Expression issue, the mayor and city attorney have promised to draft up another law. Pitiful that they don't use their energy to work on solutions. They would prefer to use their energy and taxpayer time to continue to fight to WIN just for the sake of winning??
What good does it do to have over 3500 homeless youth in Las Vegas? What good does it do to have over 4000 homeless veterans in Las Vegas? Don't they realize that the WHOLE community wins if we work on positive solutions to end or minimize homelessness and poverty?
Sharing food with hungry people in a Public Park should not be a crime. A criminal activity! Even IF we had adequate social services, "indigent" people should not be forced to eat in a "designated" location.
Reminder to City Attorney Brad Jerbic: you keep telling the public (and even the Judge) that "Ms. Sacco lures the homeless" to the public park with food and then deserts them. And then they have no way of getting back home. Please, Mr. Jerbic, where is their home? And Mr. Jerbic, if they have no transportation to get back home, how do they get to Circle Park in the first place?
You fail to tell the public that the homeless were already in Circle Park before Ms. Sacco started going there. Circle Park area IS their home. You fail to tell the public that years back (and it continues today) the City of Las Vegas performs homeless sweeps in the northwest part of the city which is called the Homeless Corridor WHERE THE SOCIAL SERVICES ARE LOCATED. These sweeps disperse the homeless throughout the valley, not Ms. Sacco's food.
And then the mayor and city attorney say that they defend "the ordinance as part of the effort to steer the homeless to social service groups." (New York Times)
Shannon West, regional homeless services coordinator for the Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition also states, "Offering food at the park separates the people from the social services they could be getting... And feeding them at the park draws the homeless to the area."
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Jun-22-Thu-2006/news/8102842.html
Does any of this make any sense to anyone?
And last but not least, "Residents voiced complaints and frustration with a park littered by broken beer bottles, condoms and syringes..." (same source as above)
The mayor and city attorney keep repeating this accusation over and over. In addition, I keep hearing the same ONE story about a naked man in the park. Chris Guinchigliani has also made the comment about the broken beer bottles, condoms and syringes.
And my comment is this: no matter how many times you say this, it will not make it true. The above accusations are not the norm at Circle Park. Anyone committing a crime, ie, drug use, public urination or defecation, violence against another human being, prostitution, etc., etc. should be arrested whether they are homeless or non-homeless. If homeless people are cited or arrested for being in the public park before opening hours (7 am) or after closing hours (10 pm) then NON-homeless folks should be cited and arrested when they take their daily jog through the park at 5 am.
Obviously, I don't support arresting anyone for being in the park before or after hours. I believe the public parks and the restrooms should be open 24 hours a day.
These ordinances are blatantly aimed at homeless and poor people. And these ordinances are selectively enforced.
On a positive note, I want to commend the people and the casinos for putting together the new upcoming program Three Squares. I thank you for contributing in a positive way.
Food is a Right, not a privilege!
Homeless law unconstitutional
A federal court judge ruled this morning that the city of Las Vegas' ordinance prohibiting the feeding of homeless people is unconstitutional because it targets a particular segment of the population.
Judge Robert Jones directed city attorneys to redraft a law that limits the number of people at a park gathering and sets restrictions on how frequently a particular group can gather. In the meantime, community activists can resume feeding the homeless.
Posted: Monday, 20-Nov-2006 1:33 p.m.
Las Vegas Review Journal
http://www.reviewjournal.com/index.html
Mom's Comments: This was quite a surprise that a conservative judge granted us an injunction. Thank you Judge Jones!
Unfortunately, just like the Fremont Street Experience Freedom of Speech and Expression issue, the mayor and city attorney have promised to draft up another law. Pitiful that they don't use their energy to work on solutions. They would prefer to use their energy and taxpayer time to continue to fight to WIN just for the sake of winning??
What good does it do to have over 3500 homeless youth in Las Vegas? What good does it do to have over 4000 homeless veterans in Las Vegas? Don't they realize that the WHOLE community wins if we work on positive solutions to end or minimize homelessness and poverty?
Sharing food with hungry people in a Public Park should not be a crime. A criminal activity! Even IF we had adequate social services, "indigent" people should not be forced to eat in a "designated" location.
Reminder to City Attorney Brad Jerbic: you keep telling the public (and even the Judge) that "Ms. Sacco lures the homeless" to the public park with food and then deserts them. And then they have no way of getting back home. Please, Mr. Jerbic, where is their home? And Mr. Jerbic, if they have no transportation to get back home, how do they get to Circle Park in the first place?
You fail to tell the public that the homeless were already in Circle Park before Ms. Sacco started going there. Circle Park area IS their home. You fail to tell the public that years back (and it continues today) the City of Las Vegas performs homeless sweeps in the northwest part of the city which is called the Homeless Corridor WHERE THE SOCIAL SERVICES ARE LOCATED. These sweeps disperse the homeless throughout the valley, not Ms. Sacco's food.
And then the mayor and city attorney say that they defend "the ordinance as part of the effort to steer the homeless to social service groups." (New York Times)
Shannon West, regional homeless services coordinator for the Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition also states, "Offering food at the park separates the people from the social services they could be getting... And feeding them at the park draws the homeless to the area."
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Jun-22-Thu-2006/news/8102842.html
Does any of this make any sense to anyone?
And last but not least, "Residents voiced complaints and frustration with a park littered by broken beer bottles, condoms and syringes..." (same source as above)
The mayor and city attorney keep repeating this accusation over and over. In addition, I keep hearing the same ONE story about a naked man in the park. Chris Guinchigliani has also made the comment about the broken beer bottles, condoms and syringes.
And my comment is this: no matter how many times you say this, it will not make it true. The above accusations are not the norm at Circle Park. Anyone committing a crime, ie, drug use, public urination or defecation, violence against another human being, prostitution, etc., etc. should be arrested whether they are homeless or non-homeless. If homeless people are cited or arrested for being in the public park before opening hours (7 am) or after closing hours (10 pm) then NON-homeless folks should be cited and arrested when they take their daily jog through the park at 5 am.
Obviously, I don't support arresting anyone for being in the park before or after hours. I believe the public parks and the restrooms should be open 24 hours a day.
These ordinances are blatantly aimed at homeless and poor people. And these ordinances are selectively enforced.
On a positive note, I want to commend the people and the casinos for putting together the new upcoming program Three Squares. I thank you for contributing in a positive way.
Food is a Right, not a privilege!
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Metro's Finest
Nov. 8, 2006 (LVRJ) "This is a great police department, and the men and women of Metro are the finest," Gillespie said.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Nov-08-Wed-2006/news/10689180.html
Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2006 at approx. 2:30 pm Metro police car with two officers pull into the yard of a house that is vacant. They walked around to the back of the house. And about 20 minutes later got back into their car. As they were slowly driving south on South Maryland Parkway, they directed their bullhorn toward the City of Las Vegas public park, Huntridge Circle Park.
"Hey, you crackheads and prostitutes, stay off of the property across from the park."
They turned left at the first traffic light, and drove north on South Maryland Parkway, and then directed their bullhorn toward the park again, "Hey, you crackheads and prostitutes, stay off of the property across from the park."
Just what I wanted my almost four year old grandson to hear!
Many people, including myself, were very upset with this disturbance of our peace. All conversations came to a halt. And we were all wondering (nervously) what they were going to do next.
I wonder if this is normal procedure for Metro. I wonder if they use their bullhorn like this in the politicians' neighborhoods or on the Las Vegas Strip at a time when no crime is being committed.
"Hey, you crackheads, prostitutes, and gangbangers, no more shooting anyone on the Strip!"
ya right
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Nov-08-Wed-2006/news/10689180.html
Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2006 at approx. 2:30 pm Metro police car with two officers pull into the yard of a house that is vacant. They walked around to the back of the house. And about 20 minutes later got back into their car. As they were slowly driving south on South Maryland Parkway, they directed their bullhorn toward the City of Las Vegas public park, Huntridge Circle Park.
"Hey, you crackheads and prostitutes, stay off of the property across from the park."
They turned left at the first traffic light, and drove north on South Maryland Parkway, and then directed their bullhorn toward the park again, "Hey, you crackheads and prostitutes, stay off of the property across from the park."
Just what I wanted my almost four year old grandson to hear!
Many people, including myself, were very upset with this disturbance of our peace. All conversations came to a halt. And we were all wondering (nervously) what they were going to do next.
I wonder if this is normal procedure for Metro. I wonder if they use their bullhorn like this in the politicians' neighborhoods or on the Las Vegas Strip at a time when no crime is being committed.
"Hey, you crackheads, prostitutes, and gangbangers, no more shooting anyone on the Strip!"
ya right
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Dear Las Vegas Superbum
Dear Las Vegas Superbum,
I am posting this note to you on my blog in hope that it might make some positive difference in our struggle.
Saw the article in City Life and also saw your letter. And right now,
I am in the middle of reading your blog. Tears come to my eyes to see you posting like it is. There are not too many who have the guts to speak out in this city. I'm talking about you. Bravo! And you and your friends will always be in my prayers that you may stay safe.
I have been banging my head up against the wall wondering what
I should be doing. I feel that I am not doing enough. I know that food and hydration is most important to stay alive. And I am so anxious about the cold weather being here, and wondering where the heck I'm going to get blankets and coats.
Dream Center will be giving out blankets and coats and Thanksgiving Dinner on November 18th at 1:00 pm. And then there is the Stand Down coming to Cashman Field on November 8th. But we need these things NOW !
Mostly I have been working with folks one on one. Trying to send them in the right direction to Social Services, etc. to obtain whatever they can- like rent vouchers. Then the hard part is finding a landlord who takes them.
For some folks who have absolutely no paperwork, it is pretty much impossible to get identification. No identification means no shelter, no job, no public assistance.
About a week ago, I went over to St. Vincent's with a homeless friend who was ready to take the plunge. However, he could not get in because he did not have a state issued photo identification.
I am also very upset that the DMV will not honor jail release papers as a way to obtain a Nevada State Photo ID. Many homeless are arrested at one time or another for all sorts of non-violent offenses. They are finger-printed and when released they are given a release form with their picture on it. So, why can't this document be used for identification?
Yesterday I was reading an old newspaper article about a protest on the Strip in 2001. I'm trying to find it but can't at the moment. But basically what it said was Brother David was part of a protest that was asking the MGM to finance a winter shelter. I'm going by memory here so I may get some of the facts wrong. But anyway, hopefully you'll get the gist of the article. MGM was saying that the cost of the shelter (or tent city or whatever) was too expensive for them to finance. The cost was something like $50,000 per month.
Call me naive, but don't you think we can put together something for less than that? ANY kind of shelter from the cold winter or from the summer sun would be better than NO shelter at all.
Okay, so after doing more reading today, I am reminded that this struggle in Las Vegas (the war on the homeless) has been going on for years. With all the efforts of homeless advocates, has anything gotten better? This is a serious question and I invite you (beg you) to reply. What has worked? And what has not worked?
I was interviewed the other day by Teresa Yuan from FOX 5 Local News. She asked me, "If you could, what would you tell the neighbors?"
I told her that this is not just a city issue. This is a city, county, and state issue. If neighbors don't want a bunch of homeless and poor people hanging out in city parks (even though they have a RIGHT to be there) then they should be calling the city, county, and state demanding more resources for the poor.
Speaking about the city only here:
"The City Council unanimously decided to sell Cox Communications 7.69 acres of land for use as a parking lot for $1.
Officials called it an economic incentive to retain jobs and have the company's regional headquarters in West Las Vegas."
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Jul-20-Thu-2006/news/8597271.html
If the City Council can UNANIMOUSLY decide on selling SEVEN plus acres to a corporation for ONE DOLLAR for parking as an economic incentive then don't you think that the City of Las Vegas can RENT us some buildings and property for say Five Dollars a year for safe, affordable permanent housing for the homeless? Aside from being moral and humane, this would also be an economic plus for our community!
Well, have to end this rant here. I don't have anymore time today to post. So, to all of the advocates who have done this for years, and to the newcomers, and to the community which includes the homeless and poor, please post or e-mail me your ideas.
www.activistsinlasvegas.blogspot.com
I am posting this note to you on my blog in hope that it might make some positive difference in our struggle.
Saw the article in City Life and also saw your letter. And right now,
I am in the middle of reading your blog. Tears come to my eyes to see you posting like it is. There are not too many who have the guts to speak out in this city. I'm talking about you. Bravo! And you and your friends will always be in my prayers that you may stay safe.
I have been banging my head up against the wall wondering what
I should be doing. I feel that I am not doing enough. I know that food and hydration is most important to stay alive. And I am so anxious about the cold weather being here, and wondering where the heck I'm going to get blankets and coats.
Dream Center will be giving out blankets and coats and Thanksgiving Dinner on November 18th at 1:00 pm. And then there is the Stand Down coming to Cashman Field on November 8th. But we need these things NOW !
Mostly I have been working with folks one on one. Trying to send them in the right direction to Social Services, etc. to obtain whatever they can- like rent vouchers. Then the hard part is finding a landlord who takes them.
For some folks who have absolutely no paperwork, it is pretty much impossible to get identification. No identification means no shelter, no job, no public assistance.
About a week ago, I went over to St. Vincent's with a homeless friend who was ready to take the plunge. However, he could not get in because he did not have a state issued photo identification.
I am also very upset that the DMV will not honor jail release papers as a way to obtain a Nevada State Photo ID. Many homeless are arrested at one time or another for all sorts of non-violent offenses. They are finger-printed and when released they are given a release form with their picture on it. So, why can't this document be used for identification?
Yesterday I was reading an old newspaper article about a protest on the Strip in 2001. I'm trying to find it but can't at the moment. But basically what it said was Brother David was part of a protest that was asking the MGM to finance a winter shelter. I'm going by memory here so I may get some of the facts wrong. But anyway, hopefully you'll get the gist of the article. MGM was saying that the cost of the shelter (or tent city or whatever) was too expensive for them to finance. The cost was something like $50,000 per month.
Call me naive, but don't you think we can put together something for less than that? ANY kind of shelter from the cold winter or from the summer sun would be better than NO shelter at all.
Okay, so after doing more reading today, I am reminded that this struggle in Las Vegas (the war on the homeless) has been going on for years. With all the efforts of homeless advocates, has anything gotten better? This is a serious question and I invite you (beg you) to reply. What has worked? And what has not worked?
I was interviewed the other day by Teresa Yuan from FOX 5 Local News. She asked me, "If you could, what would you tell the neighbors?"
I told her that this is not just a city issue. This is a city, county, and state issue. If neighbors don't want a bunch of homeless and poor people hanging out in city parks (even though they have a RIGHT to be there) then they should be calling the city, county, and state demanding more resources for the poor.
Speaking about the city only here:
"The City Council unanimously decided to sell Cox Communications 7.69 acres of land for use as a parking lot for $1.
Officials called it an economic incentive to retain jobs and have the company's regional headquarters in West Las Vegas."
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Jul-20-Thu-2006/news/8597271.html
If the City Council can UNANIMOUSLY decide on selling SEVEN plus acres to a corporation for ONE DOLLAR for parking as an economic incentive then don't you think that the City of Las Vegas can RENT us some buildings and property for say Five Dollars a year for safe, affordable permanent housing for the homeless? Aside from being moral and humane, this would also be an economic plus for our community!
Well, have to end this rant here. I don't have anymore time today to post. So, to all of the advocates who have done this for years, and to the newcomers, and to the community which includes the homeless and poor, please post or e-mail me your ideas.
www.activistsinlasvegas.blogspot.com
Friday, October 27, 2006
Homeless feeding ordinance UNconstitutional
UNCONSTITUTIONAL ORDINANCE: Homeless feeding ban rejected
Judge throws out case against California man
By LYNNETTE CURTIS, REVIEW-JOURNAL
A Las Vegas Municipal Court judge on Wednesday threw out a case against a California man who was cited in August under a new ordinance that bars the public from feeding homeless people in city parks.
In dismissing the misdemeanor case against Patrick Band, Judge George Assad said the ordinance was unconstitutional because it was vague and denied equal protection of the law.
The city attorney's office said it filed an appeal of the decision Thursday morning.
To read the full article:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Oct-27-Fri-2006/news/10470992.html
Mom's Comment: Wouldn't you think that the taxpayers would be really upset that the City of Las Vegas is spending all their money fighting to criminalize poverty and homelessness.
It would cost the taxpayers a whole lot less if the city put that money toward solutions.
Taxpayers should be calling the city council, the mayor, the county, and the state to demand more resources and sensible solutions to homelessness. Remember, this is not just a city responsibility. It is the responsibility of ALL of us to find solutions.
And it's important to remember that at one time or another, we ALL pay taxes- even the homeless and the poor. So we all have the right to complain to our government if we feel our taxes are being foolishly spent.
Judge throws out case against California man
By LYNNETTE CURTIS, REVIEW-JOURNAL
A Las Vegas Municipal Court judge on Wednesday threw out a case against a California man who was cited in August under a new ordinance that bars the public from feeding homeless people in city parks.
In dismissing the misdemeanor case against Patrick Band, Judge George Assad said the ordinance was unconstitutional because it was vague and denied equal protection of the law.
The city attorney's office said it filed an appeal of the decision Thursday morning.
To read the full article:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Oct-27-Fri-2006/news/10470992.html
Mom's Comment: Wouldn't you think that the taxpayers would be really upset that the City of Las Vegas is spending all their money fighting to criminalize poverty and homelessness.
It would cost the taxpayers a whole lot less if the city put that money toward solutions.
Taxpayers should be calling the city council, the mayor, the county, and the state to demand more resources and sensible solutions to homelessness. Remember, this is not just a city responsibility. It is the responsibility of ALL of us to find solutions.
And it's important to remember that at one time or another, we ALL pay taxes- even the homeless and the poor. So we all have the right to complain to our government if we feel our taxes are being foolishly spent.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Law Enforcement Abuses on the Poor
Due to the most recent SHOOTING of a homeless person because he was throwing rocks at a female city marshal and a Nevada Highway Patrol person, I thought I would like to post something that I witnessed. Seems only right. I don't think that I should keep it to myself anymore.
Tues., July 3, 2006 I had a planned meeting with a wonderful woman (who shall remain nameless in this blog) for 3:45 pm. She was concerned about a homeless man that she had met. She made arrangements to meet with him at McDonald's on S. Las Vegas Blvd. to see if we could offer him any assistance.
This day, I decided to drop off some food at the two parks before my meeting. Out of convenience for myself, I dropped off some food at Circle Park first and then headed over to Baker Park. As I was driving east on E. Saint Louis, I saw a marshal's car drive into the Baker Park parking lot. Even though there are usually under 20 people at this park at one time, I didn't want any unnecessary confrontation with the marshal. I figured the marshal was just doing his/her usual check in on the park. So I drove past the park and then turned around and headed back to the park.
When I pulled into the parking lot, I saw the marshal under the canopy talking with a couple of homeless folks. I decided to go over (without the food) to legally observe.
Woman marshal's license plate number: 45997
Male marshal's license plate number: 46855
At one table there were two white homeless (or needy) men. At the next table was a Hispanic man with a young girl about 7-8 years old. Standing away from the tables was another white homeless (or needy) man.
The white, female marshal (with blond hair tied back and up) was talking with "Hessie" and "Salinas" and at the same time she was writing notes in her little notebook.
I nodded hello to the marshal and said, "Marshal" and then I asked her what time the park opens now with school not in session. (I was trying to find out why she was there.) She told me 7 am but some days it might be later because a daycare uses the school. She said I would have to call and ask the city. I thanked her.
Both Hessie and Salinas look like they are "of color". I stood about 4-5 feet away from Hessie and the same distance from the marshal. I asked Hessie, "what did you do?" Hessie said, "I didn't do anything."
The marshal screamed, "Just shut your big fucking mouth or you are going to jail! Two city employees said they saw you chasing a man with a shopping cart."
As soon as the marshal started using the F word, the two white men got up from the table and walked away about 20 feet and sat down on the ground.
The marshal then said, "See, even they do not want to be around you!"
Hessie asked her, "Does that make you feel good talking that way?" She responded, "You've got a big fucking mouth."
She then got on her radio and called for "back-up".
Then she asked him for his social security number. He got through the first five numbers and had a hard time with the rest. He said to her, "You have it right there in your hand." She yelled again, "You've given me four fucking different numbers. What's your social security number?" So Hessie pulled out his wallet and took out a piece of paper with his social security number on it and told her the number.
Then the marshal asked if he had been drinking. Hessie said he didn't drink. There were two open beer cans on the bench. The marshal said, "Well, I don't really know if there is any law against drinking in this park so I won't cite you for that. But I am going to tell you that you must leave the park now."
Then she asked, "What are you doing in this park anyway?" Hessie said, "Im just here waiting for my mama to bring me some food. I have no warrants or felonies. I am an officer and was in Afghanistan for 10 years." She told him, "Just leave the park now."
I walked with Hessie and Salinas to the parking lot. And then a second male marshal pulled in. The other homeless/needy came to my car and took the food and water from me to take to the picnic tables. Hessie and Salinas left. I stayed a few minutes longer, and then left.
Here are my questions and comments. I was very disturbed by the marshal's verbal abuse. Her language and yelling was definitely, in my opinion, a "crime against the public peace." NRS 203.010 The whole time I observed, Hessy was more respectful than the marshal. I do not know if this is the usual and accepted behavior for on duty city marshals. But, in my humble opinion, this marshal's conduct was very unprofessional.
Does she have the right to freedom of speech? Yes, I feel that she does. But, ya know, my friend (who shall remain nameless in this blog) did NOT have that same right to freedom of speech when she was arrested for disturbing the peace for cussing at a law enforcement officer.
AND she was found guilty after a trial with Judge Toy Gregory. The officer who focused in on her and arrested her for disturbing the peace was not even in the court room during trial. And his partner officer answered the majority of the questions by the defendant's lawyer with: "I don't recall" and "I don't know."
Guilty by intimidation. And unfair, in my humble opinion.
Tues., July 3, 2006 I had a planned meeting with a wonderful woman (who shall remain nameless in this blog) for 3:45 pm. She was concerned about a homeless man that she had met. She made arrangements to meet with him at McDonald's on S. Las Vegas Blvd. to see if we could offer him any assistance.
This day, I decided to drop off some food at the two parks before my meeting. Out of convenience for myself, I dropped off some food at Circle Park first and then headed over to Baker Park. As I was driving east on E. Saint Louis, I saw a marshal's car drive into the Baker Park parking lot. Even though there are usually under 20 people at this park at one time, I didn't want any unnecessary confrontation with the marshal. I figured the marshal was just doing his/her usual check in on the park. So I drove past the park and then turned around and headed back to the park.
When I pulled into the parking lot, I saw the marshal under the canopy talking with a couple of homeless folks. I decided to go over (without the food) to legally observe.
Woman marshal's license plate number: 45997
Male marshal's license plate number: 46855
At one table there were two white homeless (or needy) men. At the next table was a Hispanic man with a young girl about 7-8 years old. Standing away from the tables was another white homeless (or needy) man.
The white, female marshal (with blond hair tied back and up) was talking with "Hessie" and "Salinas" and at the same time she was writing notes in her little notebook.
I nodded hello to the marshal and said, "Marshal" and then I asked her what time the park opens now with school not in session. (I was trying to find out why she was there.) She told me 7 am but some days it might be later because a daycare uses the school. She said I would have to call and ask the city. I thanked her.
Both Hessie and Salinas look like they are "of color". I stood about 4-5 feet away from Hessie and the same distance from the marshal. I asked Hessie, "what did you do?" Hessie said, "I didn't do anything."
The marshal screamed, "Just shut your big fucking mouth or you are going to jail! Two city employees said they saw you chasing a man with a shopping cart."
As soon as the marshal started using the F word, the two white men got up from the table and walked away about 20 feet and sat down on the ground.
The marshal then said, "See, even they do not want to be around you!"
Hessie asked her, "Does that make you feel good talking that way?" She responded, "You've got a big fucking mouth."
She then got on her radio and called for "back-up".
Then she asked him for his social security number. He got through the first five numbers and had a hard time with the rest. He said to her, "You have it right there in your hand." She yelled again, "You've given me four fucking different numbers. What's your social security number?" So Hessie pulled out his wallet and took out a piece of paper with his social security number on it and told her the number.
Then the marshal asked if he had been drinking. Hessie said he didn't drink. There were two open beer cans on the bench. The marshal said, "Well, I don't really know if there is any law against drinking in this park so I won't cite you for that. But I am going to tell you that you must leave the park now."
Then she asked, "What are you doing in this park anyway?" Hessie said, "Im just here waiting for my mama to bring me some food. I have no warrants or felonies. I am an officer and was in Afghanistan for 10 years." She told him, "Just leave the park now."
I walked with Hessie and Salinas to the parking lot. And then a second male marshal pulled in. The other homeless/needy came to my car and took the food and water from me to take to the picnic tables. Hessie and Salinas left. I stayed a few minutes longer, and then left.
Here are my questions and comments. I was very disturbed by the marshal's verbal abuse. Her language and yelling was definitely, in my opinion, a "crime against the public peace." NRS 203.010 The whole time I observed, Hessy was more respectful than the marshal. I do not know if this is the usual and accepted behavior for on duty city marshals. But, in my humble opinion, this marshal's conduct was very unprofessional.
Does she have the right to freedom of speech? Yes, I feel that she does. But, ya know, my friend (who shall remain nameless in this blog) did NOT have that same right to freedom of speech when she was arrested for disturbing the peace for cussing at a law enforcement officer.
AND she was found guilty after a trial with Judge Toy Gregory. The officer who focused in on her and arrested her for disturbing the peace was not even in the court room during trial. And his partner officer answered the majority of the questions by the defendant's lawyer with: "I don't recall" and "I don't know."
Guilty by intimidation. And unfair, in my humble opinion.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Citation for feeding the indigent- Suzie
Wed., October 11, 2006 Went to court to support Suzie in case of feeding the homeless. Went to the fifth floor because that is where it usually is. No one was there. Robert's name was on the docket but Patrick and Suzie's names were not on the docket. Called Lee and she told me that Allen had Robert's case postponed until October 25th. I called Suzie's cell to find out where she was. She was on the sixth floor, Dept. 4.
On the fifth floor a young woman asked me if I was there for the homeless advocates' case. I said yes and asked her who she was with. She told me that she was working for the judge handling the case but the judge didn't tell her what court room. So I told her the sixth floor and we headed up there. Suzie was there waiting outside the locked court room doors as were others. We talked.
Deputy City Attorney Jonathon?? told Suzie her options. Then Officer Latham handed out papers to everyone to sign. One paper had the complaint. The other paper had to be signed and state whether you are pleading not guilty, no contest, or guilty. The Deputy City Attorney also gave Suzie another option, verbally. The option is a submittal. With a submittal, there is no plea at all but agree to "stay out of trouble for six months" and not break the law "like" feeding the homeless. If you stay out of trouble for six months, the charges are dropped. We could not get Jonathon to explain thoroughly what happens if you DO get into trouble within the six months.
Judge Bert M. Brown was very nice to Suzie and explained all the options. He also took the time to explain to her that this was a matter that was going to Federal Court, and if the law is deemed unconstitutional, her charges would be dismissed.
No public defender because the city is not looking for jail time. Judge said he found no reason to dismiss the charges at this time. With a submittal, if you get into trouble "like this" within six months, the first conviction stays on the record. I asked Jonathan, what do you mean a conviction? You are automatically guilty if you take a submittal and get into trouble again? He said, well it's not really a conviction...
Judge said that if you get into trouble again within the six months, the city will still not ask for any punishment for "this" case. Jonathan half-assed agreed with the Judge.
So, Suzie took the submittal and the judge said that if she stays out of trouble that she does not have to reappear in court.
For the record, I was and am very upset that no one was at court except for me to
support Suzie. So much for solidarity. :<
On the fifth floor a young woman asked me if I was there for the homeless advocates' case. I said yes and asked her who she was with. She told me that she was working for the judge handling the case but the judge didn't tell her what court room. So I told her the sixth floor and we headed up there. Suzie was there waiting outside the locked court room doors as were others. We talked.
Deputy City Attorney Jonathon?? told Suzie her options. Then Officer Latham handed out papers to everyone to sign. One paper had the complaint. The other paper had to be signed and state whether you are pleading not guilty, no contest, or guilty. The Deputy City Attorney also gave Suzie another option, verbally. The option is a submittal. With a submittal, there is no plea at all but agree to "stay out of trouble for six months" and not break the law "like" feeding the homeless. If you stay out of trouble for six months, the charges are dropped. We could not get Jonathon to explain thoroughly what happens if you DO get into trouble within the six months.
Judge Bert M. Brown was very nice to Suzie and explained all the options. He also took the time to explain to her that this was a matter that was going to Federal Court, and if the law is deemed unconstitutional, her charges would be dismissed.
No public defender because the city is not looking for jail time. Judge said he found no reason to dismiss the charges at this time. With a submittal, if you get into trouble "like this" within six months, the first conviction stays on the record. I asked Jonathan, what do you mean a conviction? You are automatically guilty if you take a submittal and get into trouble again? He said, well it's not really a conviction...
Judge said that if you get into trouble again within the six months, the city will still not ask for any punishment for "this" case. Jonathan half-assed agreed with the Judge.
So, Suzie took the submittal and the judge said that if she stays out of trouble that she does not have to reappear in court.
For the record, I was and am very upset that no one was at court except for me to
support Suzie. So much for solidarity. :<
Women deserve better than abortion,
Feminists for Life
PRO-WOMAN ANSWERS TO PRO-CHOICE QUESTIONS
PRO-WOMAN ANSWERS TO PRO-CHOICE QUESTIONS™
From: "Serrin M. Foster"
For over a decade, I have been fielding hard questions. Even before I joined Feminists for Life, people couldn't accept that I was both pro-woman and pro-life.
It is so easy to get caught up in unproductive arguments that pit women against children. This week at the University of Delaware I was asked how we can work with people who disagree with us about abortion. How can we not?
We must see the humanity of every person who challenges us. Look at the question from the perspective of a person who embraces “choice.” See the pain of the woman who was abandoned by those she counted on the most and was driven to abortion. Understand the well-meaning friend who offers a quick fix, not realizing that pain cannot be diminished through abortion. Grasp the embarrassment of a parent who wants to protect a daughter from a grandchild who might “ruin her life.” Feel the fear of a young man who is suddenly faced with fatherhood, and realizes that he is totally unprepared. Recognize the betrayal behind questions from those under age 33 who have never known a day without legalized abortion.
Acknowledge them while offering unwavering hope that we can work together for better outcomes for women and children.
Let's begin
Pro-Woman Answers to Pro-Choice Questions.™
Question #1
“Can you really be a feminist and pro-life?”
Yes. Feminists for Life of America continues the tradition of Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and other early American feminists who opposed abortion. Our efforts are shaped by the core feminist values of nondiscrimination, nonviolence and justice for all. Established in 1972, Feminists for Life is a nonsectarian, nonpartisan, grassroots organization that seeks real solutions to the challenges women face.
Abortion is a reflection that we have failed women—and women have settled for less.
"When a man steals to satisfy hunger, we may safely conclude that there is something wrong in society—so when a woman destroys the life of her unborn child, it is an evidence that either by education or circumstances she has been greatly wronged."
—Mattie Brinkerhoff, The Revolution, 4(9):138-9 September 2, 1869
We insist on a world in which women have access to all nonviolent options. Think about the consequences of such a world for the workplace, schools, and society. We encourage woman-centered and parenting-friendly policies including distance learning, which allows a new mom to be with her child while continuing her education and saving on child-care costs; affordable family housing near campus; campus and workplace child care; health care plans for students and employees that include maternity coverage; telecommuting and job sharing; a living wage; and child support when one parent is absent. We have to approach this holistically.
Pro-life feminists demand that society support the unique life-giving capacity of women, so that no woman feels driven to abortion. Women deserve better.
Next week's question: What about rape?
Check out what we've done for women lately.
Help us systematically eliminate the root causes that drive women to abortion. Join our free e-list. Become a member. Support our work. Thank you!
Feminists for Life is a 501(c)3 organization.
All donations and membership contributions are tax deductible to the extent according to law.
Refuse to Choose and Women Deserve Better are registered trademarks of Feminists
for Life of America
___________________________________________________
This is the information list for Feminists for Life.
Are you a member and is your membership current?
Go to http://www.feministsforlife.org/support/index.htm and join online or donate today!
Feminists for Life - PO Box 20685 - Alexandria, VA 22320
Women deserve better than abortion,
Feminists for Life
PRO-WOMAN ANSWERS TO PRO-CHOICE QUESTIONS™
Questions #2
What about rape? What if it was your daughter who was raped?
I would love her and my grandchild unconditionally, and I would do everything in my power to prosecute the perpetrator to the fullest extent of the law.
Out of our desire to save someone from suffering, it is normal to wish we could erase a painful memory such as rape. Unfortunately, the hard truth is that as much as we want to, we can't.
Abortion doesn't erase a memory. Think about it. Could anything ever erase your memory of September 11, 2001?
At my lecture at Vanderbilt University, a medical student told other students that abortion is a second act of violence against a woman who is raped, and said her “abortion was worse than the rape.”
Both victims—the woman and her child—deserve our unconditional support.
Pregnancy can be punishing, but a child is not a punishment. When Julie Makimaa was reunited with her birthmother, Lee Ezell ("Victory Over Violence,"
http://www.feministsforlife.org/taf/1998/fall/Fall98.pdf
The American Feminist, vol. 5, no. 3), Julie asked her if it would have been better for Lee if Julie was never born at all.
Lee told Julie that she was the “only good thing to come out of the rape.”
When someone asks about exceptions for rape and incest, we must also consider how that makes those feel who were conceived through sexual assault.
Well-meaning statements can hurt. As one UC-Berkeley grad student said to her pro-choice peers, “I have a right to be here.”
They responded, “We didn't mean you!” She asked, “Who did you think you meant?”
My mother told this story to a coworker who agreed and said, "People never think they are talking to an exception—like me.”
Could you look at someone conceived in violence and tell her that she never should have been born? What if it turned out to be your best friend—or a relative? Would that change the way you felt about her? Would you think less of her mother?
Rebecca Kiessling, http://www.feministsforlife.org/taf/2001/winter/Winter00-01.pdf a
young attorney and mother who was conceived through sexual assault, asks “Did I deserve the death penalty?”
Can you imagine if we ranked the value of people based on the circumstances of their conception?
We don't discriminate based on parentage—that's not equality! You are valuable no matter who your parents are, no matter the circumstances of your conception.
People used to value a woman based on who her father or husband was. It is similarly medieval to value a child by the actions of her father. That way of thinking is patriarchal and antifeminist and it should have gone out with the Dark Ages.
Abortion after rape is misdirected anger. It doesn't punish the perpetrator of the crime, or prevent further assaults against other women.
FFL's priority is keeping women safe. Incarcerated sexual offenders should not be allowed pornography, barbells, and early release. We need harsh sentences for sexual assault without possibility of parole.
We need comprehensive support for rape victims who become pregnant. A convicted rapist should never have paternal rights or be able to demand visitation from “his” children while in prison. But if he has the means, he should contribute child support. If a woman is poor and cannot prove the paternity, she could have problems collecting welfare. Small employers could fire her. We need to listen to those who have had children conceived through sexual assault and work for short- and long term solutions that benefit both.
Feminists for Life is a proud supporter of the Violence Against Women Act. In fact, we were the only pro-life group active in the National Task Force on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence.
After a lecture at a midwestern university where I shared the story of Lee and Julie, a student pulled me aside. She told me that she was raped by her third cousin as a mere thirteen-year-old and had became pregnant. Her parents had helped her have the privacy she wanted during her pregnancy, and then she placed her son with two loving parents.
I asked her, why did she make the decision to have the child—when she was just a girl who had lived through what was arguably the worst of circumstances? She said she would never pass on the violence that was perpetrated against her to her own unborn child. Now that is the strength of a woman!
Because women deserve better,
Serrin M. Foster
President
Feminists for Life
www.feministsforlife.org
P.S. Next week's question: What about the life of the mother?
"Abortion is a reflection that we have not met the needs of women. Women deserve better than abortion."
REFUSE TO CHOOSE® WOMEN DESERVE BETTER®
............................................
Help us systematically eliminate the root causes that drive women to abortion. Join our free e-list. http://www.feministsforlife.org/taf/register.htm
Become a member. http://www.feministsforlife.org/support/index.htm
Support our work. http://www.feministsforlife.org/support/index.htm
Thank you!
Feminists for Life is a 501(c)3 organization.
All donations and membership contributions are tax deductible to the extent according to law.
Refuse to Choose and Women Deserve Better are registered trademarks of Feminists
for Life of America
___________________________________________________
This is the information list for Feminists for Life.
Are you a member and is your membership current?
Go to http://www.feministsforlife.org/support/index.htm and join online or donate today!
Feminists for Life - PO Box 20685 - Alexandria, VA 22320
PRO-WOMAN ANSWERS TO PRO-CHOICE QUESTIONS™
What you are about to read is part of a groundbreaking e-tutorial focused on the hard questions related to abortion.
Feminists for Life is a nonsectarian, nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to systematically eliminate the root causes that drive women to abortion—primarily lack of practical resources and support—through holistic, woman-centered solutions.
FFL’s president, Serrin Foster, speaks at colleges and other institutions across the U.S.
These are some of the questions she answers again and again.
For those who are just joining the e-tutorial, you may read the questions and answers from previous weeks.
This week, Serrin answers the question:
Questions #3
What about “the life of the mother”?
Since we are both pro-woman and pro-life, we refuse to choose between women and children.
Sometimes doctors advise abortion because they are unaware of other options or because they are pressured by fear of malpractice suits. We believe that physicians and other medical personnel should treat both patients and do what they can to save both lives.
This is what was done before the Roe decision was handed down.
Thankfully, medical advancements continue to save more lives. Situations in which the pregnancy threatens the life of the mother are extremely rare. Late-term abortions are never medically necessary. Emergency C-sections are often the medically appropriate response to save both mother and child. Viability at this stage of the child’s development is generally very good, especially with advances in neonatal care. Babies who weigh just under a pound are surviving!
As for first-trimester scenarios, most are to save the mother from ectopic (“out of place”) pregnancies, which typically occur in the Fallopian tube. Surgeries for ectopic pregnancies are not medically classified as abortions. Since the child has no chance of survival, and the mother can survive if the pregnancy is ended, we must do what we can to save her. To let both die would not be pro-life. At this time uterine transplants to re-implant the baby into the womb are not possible. (But if this becomes a viable option, it would have enormous ramifications for the entire abortion debate, since becoming un-pregnant would not be the same as having an abortion!)
Finally, there are issues related to mental health. While pregnancy can be a stressful experience and sometimes bring on or exacerbate depression, psychological stress should not be “treated” by abortion. Psychiatrists and psychologists need to treat mental health issues directly.
A two-year study on abortion revealed that out of 400 women who had an abortion at a Buffalo, New York, clinic, women who suffered from clinical depression were twice as likely to regret their abortion (30% versus 15%). This surprised doctors who assumed that pregnancy and motherhood would exacerbate their depression. In addition, several large studies (in Finland, Great Britain, Canada and the U.S.) indicate a link between abortion and suicide and psychiatric admissions.
Pro-life feminists are committed to protecting the lives of both women and unborn children. We call for honesty, accuracy and compassion in considering “the life of the mother”—with a focus, always, on life-affirming solutions.
Because women deserve better,
Serrin M. Foster
President
Feminists for Life
www.feministsforlife.org
P.S. Next week's question: What if she is poor and/or abandoned?
"Abortion is a reflection that we have not met the needs of women. Women deserve better than abortion."
REFUSE TO CHOOSE® WOMEN DESERVE BETTER®
............................................
NEW! Peace greeting cards just in time for the holiday season.
Help us systematically eliminate the root causes that drive women to abortion. Join our free e-list. Become a member. Support our work. Thank you!
Feminists for Life is a 501(c)3 organization. All donations and membership contributions are tax deductible to the extent according to law.
Refuse to Choose and Women Deserve Better are registered trademarks of Feminists for Life of America.
___________________________________________________
This is the information list for Feminists for Life.
Are you a member and is your membership current?
Go to http://www.feministsforlife.org/support/index.htm and join online or donate today!
Feminists for Life - PO Box 20685 - Alexandria, VA 22320
PRO-WOMAN ANSWERS TO PRO-CHOICE QUESTIONS™
What you are about to read is part of a groundbreaking e-tutorial focused on the hard questions related to abortion.
Feminists for Life is a nonsectarian, nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to systematically eliminate the root causes that drive women to abortion—primarily lack of practical resources and support—through holistic, woman-centered solutions.
FFL’s president, Serrin Foster, speaks at colleges and other institutions across the U.S.
These are some of the questions she answers again and again.
For those who are just joining the e-tutorial, you may read the questions and answers from previous weeks.
This week, Serrin answers
Question #4
What if her partner, friends or family have abandoned her?
Or what if she is poor?
Lack of support often coerces women into abortion. As pro-life feminists, we choose to support and empower women rather than abandon women.
A woman who is pregnant needs to know that there are perfect strangers who will care for her even if the people she counts on the most have let her down. She needs information about child support laws that prohibit coercion by the father either by physical force or by threats to withhold child support.
Universities should support marital and single parenting choices as well as adoption options.
Feminists for Life’s College Outreach Program focuses on resources—housing, child care, maternity coverage in student health care, telecommuting options, financial aid, etc.—so women aren't forced to choose between sacrificing their education or career and sacrificing their children.
We do not eliminate poverty by eliminating poor women’s children. It is degrading to poor women to expect or imply that their children aren't welcome. We believe that poor women deserve the same support and life-affirming alternatives as wealthy women.
A woman who is pregnant needs to know that there are pregnancy care centers listed in the “abortion alternatives” section of the yellow pages that provide direct assistance and coordinate public and private assistance.
Abortion is not an enriching experience. An abortion won't get a woman a better job or get her out of a bad (for example, abusive) situation.
And what has Feminists for Life done?
Feminists for Life has worked to prevent the coercion of women into unwanted abortions. FFL consulted on the groundbreaking Coercive Abortion Prevention Act introduced by Michigan women legislators in 2006. The five-bill package identifies very specific forms of coercion, from financial threats to physical violence, which could result in jail time and/or fines.
FFL has done other work to prevent coerced abortions due to threats to withhold child support, instead encouraging the active support of fathers in the lives of their children.
FFL has sought to educate women and men regarding the rights and responsibilities of fathers. And FFL was the only pro-life group to successfully advocate for the Enhanced Child Support Enforcement Act of 1996, which will help streamline the collection and distribution of child support, establish uniform laws governing interstate child support cases, and expand penalties for child support delinquency.
Since 1994, Feminists for Life has led the revolution on campus to meet the needs of college-age women, who have the highest rate of abortion, and redirect the debate towards action for women.
FFL hosted the first-ever FFL Pregnancy Resource Forum in 1997 and developed creative tools to evaluate and spark discussion about the lack of services for pregnant and parenting students, including FFL's Pregnancy Resource Survey,SM resulting in concrete improvements on top campuses across the country.
FFL has also helped to introduce legislation to put into hyper-drive pro-woman solutions on campus. FFL worked to introduce the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Pregnant and Parenting Student Services Act (2005-06), which, if passed, would provide $10 million in grants to 200 colleges and universities for annual pregnancy and parenting resource forums and a central office to coordinate and promote ongoing resources and support on and off campus.
And on the anniversary of Susan B. Anthony’s birth in 2006, FFL held the first-ever Capitol Hill briefing on the needs of 4.5 million parenting students, and millions of students who become pregnant and need resources and support for marital and single parenting choices and various adoption options.
Feminists for Life also works for low-income women. FFL was the only pro-life group active in a unique coalition of women's groups to successfully fight child exclusion provisions in welfare reform. (The “family cap” was later tested on poor women and teens in New Jersey and proven to significantly increase abortions.) And FFL was the only pro-life and women's group to actively champion the New York state model program to help working poor pregnant women receive prenatal care through the State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
Because women deserve better,
Serrin M. Foster
President
Feminists for Life
www.feministsforlife.org
P.S. Next week's question: What if she just doesn’t want it?
"Abortion is a reflection that we have not met the needs of women. Women deserve better than abortion."
REFUSE TO CHOOSE® WOMEN DESERVE BETTER®
............................................
NEW! Peace greeting cards just in time for the holiday season.
Help us systematically eliminate the root causes that drive women to abortion. Join our free e-list. Become a member. Support our work. Thank you!
Feminists for Life is a 501(c)3 organization.
All donations and membership contributions are tax deductible to the extent according to law.
Refuse to Choose and Women Deserve Better are registered trademarks of Feminists for Life of America.
___________________________________________________
This is the information list for Feminists for Life.
Are you a member and is your membership current?
Go to http://www.feministsforlife.org/support/index.htm and join online or donate today!
Feminists for Life - PO Box 20685 - Alexandria, VA 22320
From: "Serrin M. Foster"
For over a decade, I have been fielding hard questions. Even before I joined Feminists for Life, people couldn't accept that I was both pro-woman and pro-life.
It is so easy to get caught up in unproductive arguments that pit women against children. This week at the University of Delaware I was asked how we can work with people who disagree with us about abortion. How can we not?
We must see the humanity of every person who challenges us. Look at the question from the perspective of a person who embraces “choice.” See the pain of the woman who was abandoned by those she counted on the most and was driven to abortion. Understand the well-meaning friend who offers a quick fix, not realizing that pain cannot be diminished through abortion. Grasp the embarrassment of a parent who wants to protect a daughter from a grandchild who might “ruin her life.” Feel the fear of a young man who is suddenly faced with fatherhood, and realizes that he is totally unprepared. Recognize the betrayal behind questions from those under age 33 who have never known a day without legalized abortion.
Acknowledge them while offering unwavering hope that we can work together for better outcomes for women and children.
Let's begin
Pro-Woman Answers to Pro-Choice Questions.™
Question #1
“Can you really be a feminist and pro-life?”
Yes. Feminists for Life of America continues the tradition of Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and other early American feminists who opposed abortion. Our efforts are shaped by the core feminist values of nondiscrimination, nonviolence and justice for all. Established in 1972, Feminists for Life is a nonsectarian, nonpartisan, grassroots organization that seeks real solutions to the challenges women face.
Abortion is a reflection that we have failed women—and women have settled for less.
"When a man steals to satisfy hunger, we may safely conclude that there is something wrong in society—so when a woman destroys the life of her unborn child, it is an evidence that either by education or circumstances she has been greatly wronged."
—Mattie Brinkerhoff, The Revolution, 4(9):138-9 September 2, 1869
We insist on a world in which women have access to all nonviolent options. Think about the consequences of such a world for the workplace, schools, and society. We encourage woman-centered and parenting-friendly policies including distance learning, which allows a new mom to be with her child while continuing her education and saving on child-care costs; affordable family housing near campus; campus and workplace child care; health care plans for students and employees that include maternity coverage; telecommuting and job sharing; a living wage; and child support when one parent is absent. We have to approach this holistically.
Pro-life feminists demand that society support the unique life-giving capacity of women, so that no woman feels driven to abortion. Women deserve better.
Next week's question: What about rape?
Check out what we've done for women lately.
Help us systematically eliminate the root causes that drive women to abortion. Join our free e-list. Become a member. Support our work. Thank you!
Feminists for Life is a 501(c)3 organization.
All donations and membership contributions are tax deductible to the extent according to law.
Refuse to Choose and Women Deserve Better are registered trademarks of Feminists
for Life of America
___________________________________________________
This is the information list for Feminists for Life.
Are you a member and is your membership current?
Go to http://www.feministsforlife.org/support/index.htm and join online or donate today!
Feminists for Life - PO Box 20685 - Alexandria, VA 22320
Women deserve better than abortion,
Feminists for Life
PRO-WOMAN ANSWERS TO PRO-CHOICE QUESTIONS™
Questions #2
What about rape? What if it was your daughter who was raped?
I would love her and my grandchild unconditionally, and I would do everything in my power to prosecute the perpetrator to the fullest extent of the law.
Out of our desire to save someone from suffering, it is normal to wish we could erase a painful memory such as rape. Unfortunately, the hard truth is that as much as we want to, we can't.
Abortion doesn't erase a memory. Think about it. Could anything ever erase your memory of September 11, 2001?
At my lecture at Vanderbilt University, a medical student told other students that abortion is a second act of violence against a woman who is raped, and said her “abortion was worse than the rape.”
Both victims—the woman and her child—deserve our unconditional support.
Pregnancy can be punishing, but a child is not a punishment. When Julie Makimaa was reunited with her birthmother, Lee Ezell ("Victory Over Violence,"
http://www.feministsforlife.org/taf/1998/fall/Fall98.pdf
The American Feminist, vol. 5, no. 3), Julie asked her if it would have been better for Lee if Julie was never born at all.
Lee told Julie that she was the “only good thing to come out of the rape.”
When someone asks about exceptions for rape and incest, we must also consider how that makes those feel who were conceived through sexual assault.
Well-meaning statements can hurt. As one UC-Berkeley grad student said to her pro-choice peers, “I have a right to be here.”
They responded, “We didn't mean you!” She asked, “Who did you think you meant?”
My mother told this story to a coworker who agreed and said, "People never think they are talking to an exception—like me.”
Could you look at someone conceived in violence and tell her that she never should have been born? What if it turned out to be your best friend—or a relative? Would that change the way you felt about her? Would you think less of her mother?
Rebecca Kiessling, http://www.feministsforlife.org/taf/2001/winter/Winter00-01.pdf a
young attorney and mother who was conceived through sexual assault, asks “Did I deserve the death penalty?”
Can you imagine if we ranked the value of people based on the circumstances of their conception?
We don't discriminate based on parentage—that's not equality! You are valuable no matter who your parents are, no matter the circumstances of your conception.
People used to value a woman based on who her father or husband was. It is similarly medieval to value a child by the actions of her father. That way of thinking is patriarchal and antifeminist and it should have gone out with the Dark Ages.
Abortion after rape is misdirected anger. It doesn't punish the perpetrator of the crime, or prevent further assaults against other women.
FFL's priority is keeping women safe. Incarcerated sexual offenders should not be allowed pornography, barbells, and early release. We need harsh sentences for sexual assault without possibility of parole.
We need comprehensive support for rape victims who become pregnant. A convicted rapist should never have paternal rights or be able to demand visitation from “his” children while in prison. But if he has the means, he should contribute child support. If a woman is poor and cannot prove the paternity, she could have problems collecting welfare. Small employers could fire her. We need to listen to those who have had children conceived through sexual assault and work for short- and long term solutions that benefit both.
Feminists for Life is a proud supporter of the Violence Against Women Act. In fact, we were the only pro-life group active in the National Task Force on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence.
After a lecture at a midwestern university where I shared the story of Lee and Julie, a student pulled me aside. She told me that she was raped by her third cousin as a mere thirteen-year-old and had became pregnant. Her parents had helped her have the privacy she wanted during her pregnancy, and then she placed her son with two loving parents.
I asked her, why did she make the decision to have the child—when she was just a girl who had lived through what was arguably the worst of circumstances? She said she would never pass on the violence that was perpetrated against her to her own unborn child. Now that is the strength of a woman!
Because women deserve better,
Serrin M. Foster
President
Feminists for Life
www.feministsforlife.org
P.S. Next week's question: What about the life of the mother?
"Abortion is a reflection that we have not met the needs of women. Women deserve better than abortion."
REFUSE TO CHOOSE® WOMEN DESERVE BETTER®
............................................
Help us systematically eliminate the root causes that drive women to abortion. Join our free e-list. http://www.feministsforlife.org/taf/register.htm
Become a member. http://www.feministsforlife.org/support/index.htm
Support our work. http://www.feministsforlife.org/support/index.htm
Thank you!
Feminists for Life is a 501(c)3 organization.
All donations and membership contributions are tax deductible to the extent according to law.
Refuse to Choose and Women Deserve Better are registered trademarks of Feminists
for Life of America
___________________________________________________
This is the information list for Feminists for Life.
Are you a member and is your membership current?
Go to http://www.feministsforlife.org/support/index.htm and join online or donate today!
Feminists for Life - PO Box 20685 - Alexandria, VA 22320
PRO-WOMAN ANSWERS TO PRO-CHOICE QUESTIONS™
What you are about to read is part of a groundbreaking e-tutorial focused on the hard questions related to abortion.
Feminists for Life is a nonsectarian, nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to systematically eliminate the root causes that drive women to abortion—primarily lack of practical resources and support—through holistic, woman-centered solutions.
FFL’s president, Serrin Foster, speaks at colleges and other institutions across the U.S.
These are some of the questions she answers again and again.
For those who are just joining the e-tutorial, you may read the questions and answers from previous weeks.
This week, Serrin answers the question:
Questions #3
What about “the life of the mother”?
Since we are both pro-woman and pro-life, we refuse to choose between women and children.
Sometimes doctors advise abortion because they are unaware of other options or because they are pressured by fear of malpractice suits. We believe that physicians and other medical personnel should treat both patients and do what they can to save both lives.
This is what was done before the Roe decision was handed down.
Thankfully, medical advancements continue to save more lives. Situations in which the pregnancy threatens the life of the mother are extremely rare. Late-term abortions are never medically necessary. Emergency C-sections are often the medically appropriate response to save both mother and child. Viability at this stage of the child’s development is generally very good, especially with advances in neonatal care. Babies who weigh just under a pound are surviving!
As for first-trimester scenarios, most are to save the mother from ectopic (“out of place”) pregnancies, which typically occur in the Fallopian tube. Surgeries for ectopic pregnancies are not medically classified as abortions. Since the child has no chance of survival, and the mother can survive if the pregnancy is ended, we must do what we can to save her. To let both die would not be pro-life. At this time uterine transplants to re-implant the baby into the womb are not possible. (But if this becomes a viable option, it would have enormous ramifications for the entire abortion debate, since becoming un-pregnant would not be the same as having an abortion!)
Finally, there are issues related to mental health. While pregnancy can be a stressful experience and sometimes bring on or exacerbate depression, psychological stress should not be “treated” by abortion. Psychiatrists and psychologists need to treat mental health issues directly.
A two-year study on abortion revealed that out of 400 women who had an abortion at a Buffalo, New York, clinic, women who suffered from clinical depression were twice as likely to regret their abortion (30% versus 15%). This surprised doctors who assumed that pregnancy and motherhood would exacerbate their depression. In addition, several large studies (in Finland, Great Britain, Canada and the U.S.) indicate a link between abortion and suicide and psychiatric admissions.
Pro-life feminists are committed to protecting the lives of both women and unborn children. We call for honesty, accuracy and compassion in considering “the life of the mother”—with a focus, always, on life-affirming solutions.
Because women deserve better,
Serrin M. Foster
President
Feminists for Life
www.feministsforlife.org
P.S. Next week's question: What if she is poor and/or abandoned?
"Abortion is a reflection that we have not met the needs of women. Women deserve better than abortion."
REFUSE TO CHOOSE® WOMEN DESERVE BETTER®
............................................
NEW! Peace greeting cards just in time for the holiday season.
Help us systematically eliminate the root causes that drive women to abortion. Join our free e-list. Become a member. Support our work. Thank you!
Feminists for Life is a 501(c)3 organization. All donations and membership contributions are tax deductible to the extent according to law.
Refuse to Choose and Women Deserve Better are registered trademarks of Feminists for Life of America.
___________________________________________________
This is the information list for Feminists for Life.
Are you a member and is your membership current?
Go to http://www.feministsforlife.org/support/index.htm and join online or donate today!
Feminists for Life - PO Box 20685 - Alexandria, VA 22320
PRO-WOMAN ANSWERS TO PRO-CHOICE QUESTIONS™
What you are about to read is part of a groundbreaking e-tutorial focused on the hard questions related to abortion.
Feminists for Life is a nonsectarian, nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to systematically eliminate the root causes that drive women to abortion—primarily lack of practical resources and support—through holistic, woman-centered solutions.
FFL’s president, Serrin Foster, speaks at colleges and other institutions across the U.S.
These are some of the questions she answers again and again.
For those who are just joining the e-tutorial, you may read the questions and answers from previous weeks.
This week, Serrin answers
Question #4
What if her partner, friends or family have abandoned her?
Or what if she is poor?
Lack of support often coerces women into abortion. As pro-life feminists, we choose to support and empower women rather than abandon women.
A woman who is pregnant needs to know that there are perfect strangers who will care for her even if the people she counts on the most have let her down. She needs information about child support laws that prohibit coercion by the father either by physical force or by threats to withhold child support.
Universities should support marital and single parenting choices as well as adoption options.
Feminists for Life’s College Outreach Program focuses on resources—housing, child care, maternity coverage in student health care, telecommuting options, financial aid, etc.—so women aren't forced to choose between sacrificing their education or career and sacrificing their children.
We do not eliminate poverty by eliminating poor women’s children. It is degrading to poor women to expect or imply that their children aren't welcome. We believe that poor women deserve the same support and life-affirming alternatives as wealthy women.
A woman who is pregnant needs to know that there are pregnancy care centers listed in the “abortion alternatives” section of the yellow pages that provide direct assistance and coordinate public and private assistance.
Abortion is not an enriching experience. An abortion won't get a woman a better job or get her out of a bad (for example, abusive) situation.
And what has Feminists for Life done?
Feminists for Life has worked to prevent the coercion of women into unwanted abortions. FFL consulted on the groundbreaking Coercive Abortion Prevention Act introduced by Michigan women legislators in 2006. The five-bill package identifies very specific forms of coercion, from financial threats to physical violence, which could result in jail time and/or fines.
FFL has done other work to prevent coerced abortions due to threats to withhold child support, instead encouraging the active support of fathers in the lives of their children.
FFL has sought to educate women and men regarding the rights and responsibilities of fathers. And FFL was the only pro-life group to successfully advocate for the Enhanced Child Support Enforcement Act of 1996, which will help streamline the collection and distribution of child support, establish uniform laws governing interstate child support cases, and expand penalties for child support delinquency.
Since 1994, Feminists for Life has led the revolution on campus to meet the needs of college-age women, who have the highest rate of abortion, and redirect the debate towards action for women.
FFL hosted the first-ever FFL Pregnancy Resource Forum in 1997 and developed creative tools to evaluate and spark discussion about the lack of services for pregnant and parenting students, including FFL's Pregnancy Resource Survey,SM resulting in concrete improvements on top campuses across the country.
FFL has also helped to introduce legislation to put into hyper-drive pro-woman solutions on campus. FFL worked to introduce the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Pregnant and Parenting Student Services Act (2005-06), which, if passed, would provide $10 million in grants to 200 colleges and universities for annual pregnancy and parenting resource forums and a central office to coordinate and promote ongoing resources and support on and off campus.
And on the anniversary of Susan B. Anthony’s birth in 2006, FFL held the first-ever Capitol Hill briefing on the needs of 4.5 million parenting students, and millions of students who become pregnant and need resources and support for marital and single parenting choices and various adoption options.
Feminists for Life also works for low-income women. FFL was the only pro-life group active in a unique coalition of women's groups to successfully fight child exclusion provisions in welfare reform. (The “family cap” was later tested on poor women and teens in New Jersey and proven to significantly increase abortions.) And FFL was the only pro-life and women's group to actively champion the New York state model program to help working poor pregnant women receive prenatal care through the State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
Because women deserve better,
Serrin M. Foster
President
Feminists for Life
www.feministsforlife.org
P.S. Next week's question: What if she just doesn’t want it?
"Abortion is a reflection that we have not met the needs of women. Women deserve better than abortion."
REFUSE TO CHOOSE® WOMEN DESERVE BETTER®
............................................
NEW! Peace greeting cards just in time for the holiday season.
Help us systematically eliminate the root causes that drive women to abortion. Join our free e-list. Become a member. Support our work. Thank you!
Feminists for Life is a 501(c)3 organization.
All donations and membership contributions are tax deductible to the extent according to law.
Refuse to Choose and Women Deserve Better are registered trademarks of Feminists for Life of America.
___________________________________________________
This is the information list for Feminists for Life.
Are you a member and is your membership current?
Go to http://www.feministsforlife.org/support/index.htm and join online or donate today!
Feminists for Life - PO Box 20685 - Alexandria, VA 22320
Valley homeless speak about life on the streets,
The Rebel Yell
From their own words
Valley homeless speak about life on the streets
By: J. Kaff
Issue 10/12/2006
The best way to discover how humane a society acts is through viewing its treatment of the helpless: the mentally ill, the elderly and the homeless.
After the amendment and passage of city ordinance 13.36.055 that prohibits "the providing of food or meals to the indigent for free or for a nominal fee …" those that have been forgotten, the homeless, have begun to speak out about their conditions.
http://www.unlvrebelyell.com/article.php?ID=9654
Valley homeless speak about life on the streets
By: J. Kaff
Issue 10/12/2006
The best way to discover how humane a society acts is through viewing its treatment of the helpless: the mentally ill, the elderly and the homeless.
After the amendment and passage of city ordinance 13.36.055 that prohibits "the providing of food or meals to the indigent for free or for a nominal fee …" those that have been forgotten, the homeless, have begun to speak out about their conditions.
http://www.unlvrebelyell.com/article.php?ID=9654
Helping Las Vegas Food Not Bombs
To all of who are inquiring about helping with Las Vegas Food Not Bombs: I don't think anyone regularly takes care of the Las Vegas Food Not Bombs website. The FNB website is not "my" website but I still apologize that I haven't seen your messages until now.
We are still sharing food at Circle Park on Maryland Parkway five days a week. (No food on Wedsnesdays and Saturdays as there are 2 local churches that share food on those days.) Time used to be at 2 pm but now it's anytime between 1 pm and 4 pm. When we have left over food, we go to Jaycee Park on Eastern at the southwest corner of the park.
Sometimes we share in Circle Park. Sometimes we park on a side street across from the park. Depends on who doesn't care about getting cited or going to jail on that particular day.
Anyone who wants to help out can just show up or e-mail me at mom_in_las_vegas@yahoo.com
or visit my blog at activistsinlasvegas.blogspot.com and post a comment.
All donations appreciated: beans, rice, pasta, vegetable oil, paper plates, spoons, forks, paper cups, blankets, coats, socks, bottled water, etc.
We are still sharing food at Circle Park on Maryland Parkway five days a week. (No food on Wedsnesdays and Saturdays as there are 2 local churches that share food on those days.) Time used to be at 2 pm but now it's anytime between 1 pm and 4 pm. When we have left over food, we go to Jaycee Park on Eastern at the southwest corner of the park.
Sometimes we share in Circle Park. Sometimes we park on a side street across from the park. Depends on who doesn't care about getting cited or going to jail on that particular day.
Anyone who wants to help out can just show up or e-mail me at mom_in_las_vegas@yahoo.com
or visit my blog at activistsinlasvegas.blogspot.com and post a comment.
All donations appreciated: beans, rice, pasta, vegetable oil, paper plates, spoons, forks, paper cups, blankets, coats, socks, bottled water, etc.
Monday, September 25, 2006
March for Social Justice
Join Southern Nevada Advocates for Homeless People (SNAHP) for a
March to Promote Social Justice for Homeless People in Southern Nevada!
We will gather in front of the Fashion Show Mall's main entrance
on the Strip at 6:00 PM, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2006.
Signs are already made so please join us.
__________________
Build community. Get locally involved.
There are so many issues "within" the issue of homelessness that no one can educate or explain in one note or a few notes.
It is true that there are some homeless people who cannot be helped off the streets, or have decided that that is where they would prefer to be. BUT that number is FAR less than what the majority of non-homeless people think.
The main problem we have is that we have very little or NO affordable housing. This is not just a Las Vegas problem. This is a national problem. Most advocates are in agreement that "housing first" is the best solution to ending homelessness. However, as I just stated, we have no affordable housing. That's where the government and community have to help out.
MY concern is to help folks with their basic survival needs to keep them alive until state, city, county governments can help these people off the streets. After their basic survival needs are met: food, water, medicine, coats and blankets for the COLD winter, then we help out with identification, jobs, and housing.
Individual people cannot do this alone. We need help from the private and business sectors.
Financially, many people don't realize that if the city, county, state and federal government focused more on the solutions to ending homelessness, taxpayers would be paying LESS. Right now, taxpayers are paying for the symptoms of homelessness.
Please join us. The focus of this non-violent march is to bring about awareness to our huge homeless and poverty problem in the Las Vegas valley. More and more senior citizens and victims of eminent domain and evictions to make room for more condos are very susceptible to homelessness right now.
We are reaching out to the private and business sectors to help us END homelessness in Southern Nevada.
Any donations (food, bottled water, etc.) will be greatly appreciated. Reach out to the business people you know. Please join us.
Signs will be available.
March to Promote Social Justice for Homeless People in Southern Nevada!
We will gather in front of the Fashion Show Mall's main entrance
on the Strip at 6:00 PM, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2006.
Signs are already made so please join us.
__________________
Build community. Get locally involved.
There are so many issues "within" the issue of homelessness that no one can educate or explain in one note or a few notes.
It is true that there are some homeless people who cannot be helped off the streets, or have decided that that is where they would prefer to be. BUT that number is FAR less than what the majority of non-homeless people think.
The main problem we have is that we have very little or NO affordable housing. This is not just a Las Vegas problem. This is a national problem. Most advocates are in agreement that "housing first" is the best solution to ending homelessness. However, as I just stated, we have no affordable housing. That's where the government and community have to help out.
MY concern is to help folks with their basic survival needs to keep them alive until state, city, county governments can help these people off the streets. After their basic survival needs are met: food, water, medicine, coats and blankets for the COLD winter, then we help out with identification, jobs, and housing.
Individual people cannot do this alone. We need help from the private and business sectors.
Financially, many people don't realize that if the city, county, state and federal government focused more on the solutions to ending homelessness, taxpayers would be paying LESS. Right now, taxpayers are paying for the symptoms of homelessness.
Please join us. The focus of this non-violent march is to bring about awareness to our huge homeless and poverty problem in the Las Vegas valley. More and more senior citizens and victims of eminent domain and evictions to make room for more condos are very susceptible to homelessness right now.
We are reaching out to the private and business sectors to help us END homelessness in Southern Nevada.
Any donations (food, bottled water, etc.) will be greatly appreciated. Reach out to the business people you know. Please join us.
Signs will be available.
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