by Anna Morrow

There is a pristine cleaniliness

that comes from digging through these mazes

This relentless naughty jungle that keeps hostages

of folks that are mightier and penniless

A purity of soul transcends them

hovers over the sticky hot cement

Posibilities rise up from the sweaty pavement

where people hold there hands out

Working hard barely moving in active

participation of grassroots tithing

Consumed by meakness and hostility

dispising and worshiping themseves -

day after dingy day

The monotony collides with hypnotize:

an unavoidable medititation

of what it is to be without

To be lifted up, to fly away

outside this body that offends some

that most everyone ignores

I might rise up above the masses

confessing the secrets of these trenches

shouting out all of the inadequacies and betrayals

into the wind into the ear of god

You could tell the story of our lineage

how our once humble hearts were belittled

and now are humbled once again

by the history of our grievances

the tale of our common sorrows

Unashamed Unadorned Unappologetic

by by Ka Ponda

My body had convinced my mind that a hot meal and a peaceful
environment would soothe the exhaustion caused by the rigor of the grueling
day. The aroma from a nearby restaurant titillated my palate as my feet
labored down the red, brick path. Suddenly, out of a recess, the sound
of a distressed voice pierced my left ear. Inhaling my cigarette, I paused
to listen to its cry. It was the impassioned plea of a man asking if someone
could help him through the maze of people on the bustling downtown San
Francisco street. Before I could reply, the thunder of a menacing voice
pierced my right ear, "Vacate the premises immediately!!"

I was perplexed as to why the men in blue had directed the glower of
their bigotry at my, for no apparent reason. I then asked, "Why must I
vacate, since I just stopped?"

"Because there is no loitering here" they yelled back to me.

The person for whom I had stopped revived his courage, grumbled some
inaudible gibberish and departed like a bandit. The wind chased the ruddy
ashes of the cigarette to the edge of my lips as the nicotine particles
slowly tumbled to claim their place amid the other debris on the street.
After a quick dialogue of barbs, I tossed the butt of the spent cigarette
and thought it wise to move along. 

"Why are you giving me a ticket?" I asked, incredulously.

Using the ticket as his dagger, the man in blue retorted with a wry
expression, "For littering, have a nice day!"

1997

The morning hinted of
a nice day.

It was the kind of magic in the air that only a crisp day in late December
could produce. I deposited my paycheck and withdrew funds from the bank
and started on my way to work. As I walked east on Golden Gate Street in
the direction of Stockton Street, I stopped to talk with a former co-worker,
Ronnie Eagles. We talked in front of the building out of which Mr. Eagles
had still been employed.

As we talked, a voice blared, "Hey John, are you still on parole?" It
sounded like the hue and cry directed toward an habitual criminal or some
low-life individual and not a civilized person attempting to communicate
with another person.

We turned to see a haggardly,
bleary-eyed person sitting in an automobile staring straight into my eyes,
seething for an answer to his question,. I calmly informed the person that
my name was not John and I had never gone to prison. He then demanded that
I come to his car and show him some identification. He had not shown me
anything representative of an official of the law, nor was he in a San Francisco
Police Department uniform. Since I had just come from the bank, I had no
intention of opening my wallet to a person inside a car behind the steering
wheel with the motor running. As Mr. Eagles and I stood, the two men stormed
out of the car in a frenzy and barreled toward me. I had never seen these
two men in my entire life and was baffled that they pretended to have known
me and wondered about their intent. Once again, I reiterated to them, "My
name is not John, and I have never in my life been in prison." 

One of the two men flashed a badge as he aggressively moved towards
me. When I saw his badge I realized that I had been arbitrarily singled
out for harassment and that my rights, guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment
to the Constitution, had been violently trampled upon by these two agents
of the law. I asked Mr. Eagles to walk inside the office building and get
the staff attorney, Judy Appel. Mr. Eagles returned with a video camera
and documented the incident. He stopped recording and went inside, again,
to get the director, Paul Boden.

The two officers handcuffed and crammed me into the front seat of their
small car while Messrs. Boden and Eagles were coming out. The car was not
designed to transport a six-foot person in handcuffs as I was in a contorted
position during the trip.

At the police station, I was asked to be seated on a metal bench while
still wearing handcuffs. I informed them that I had a bad knee due to an
operation for torn anterior cruciate ligaments and that it was aggravated
by the position in which I had been during the trip in the small car. They
forcibly shoved me onto the metal bench and then began jeering me as though
I had been brought in for some heinous crime. The sergeant, who had no
knowledge of what had happened or why I was there, chimed in with a ludicrous,
stereotypical comment that he was going to send me back to prison, as though
I had already been in prison. 

After they had checked my records, they removed the handcuffs from my
wrists and released me. I called my employer, J. Boragine & Associates,
and explained what had happened and that I was in no physical condition
to report to work. I went to the emergency room at San Francisco General
Hospital on Saturday, December 20th, and was provided with treatment.

by Joseph Bolden

Folks, if you’ve read my work you know the topics I write about run the gambit from stressed out poor families to senior citizens being kicked out of their homes to asteroids hitting Earth, our eventual evolution into Q–humanity or Quantum-like beings with near God/Goddess-like control over the cosmos.

Here’s an example off the top of my head:

When humans learn how to take apart, repair, and reconfigure the very strands {molecular strings}farther down beyond our DNA structure we may just become The Q.[Mr. John de Lancie's character on S.T.T.N.G. and the Voyager series.]

When and if we become Q’s how does one commit the unspeakable act of suicide when no toxic poison, radiation, disease, or accident can harm or kill us because our biological imperative prevents this. This would be the psychological equivalent of the Federation’s Prime Directive… Do No Harm To self, other Q’s, q like beings, Human’s, Vulcan’s, Romulin’s, Klingon’s or other lower sentient beings.

Now, I know many of us are thinking that way, right? That’s why I must constantly monitor myself so my columns don’t turn into whacked out scenarios like the one above. I’m thinking this fiction/factual bleed is telling me that something in my destiny stuff that has to be faced. I hope some of you readers snail mail me to give me suggestions on how some of you faced the same crossroads. What was your decision when your personal crisis arrived?

P.S. If any of us survive to actually become Quantum Humans and can travel back to the good old late 1970’s to 2000's era, please look me up by reading my mind and others’ minds sometimes. I wouldn’t mind learning the ways and rules of Q-life, which might take a few hundred to a thousand years to learn. But if you have the time I can at least be a persistent if slow learning student.

I may be slow but when I get it stays got. The same goes for Alchemists, Wizards, Witch’s, Time traveling mortals or Immortal’s, Alien’s, and pure mental entities with a soft spot for struggling sentient beings like myself.

I really don’t want to die[fate shmate]and do this over and over to get it right.

Until next time Live, Love, Learn, Evolve.

Please send donations to Poor Magazine C/0 Ask Joe at 255 9th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 USA

For Joe only my snail mail:
PO Box 1230
645 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Dee

BY HANDS, THE CAT. AND DEE.

During a Just Cause Eviction meeting, I, Hands, had the misfortune of
meeting a Puppy... A Shameless Puppy.

This pup felt so comfortable in his surroundings that he exposed all
his parts to anyone looking his way. Iwanted to scratch him and teach
him a lesson. For this shameless behavior, he got the most attention from
everyone in the room; way more than me, I might add.

Not only was he shameless; he was happy about his indecent behavior,
and everything else as well.

Happy to be on the couch, happy to be in the room, happy to be alive.

The night I had to see him was the first night he was in this place,
the place where they had the eviction meeting.

One of the occupants had bought him from a guy pushing a shopping cart.

Apparently the little pup had been riding around on this guy’s shopping
cart for some time, and I guess that’s why he would easily fall asleep
in odd places.

The occupant that bought him felt very proud of himself because
he had "saved this poor pup from a hellish existence riding around on
a shopping cart", he said. And everyone at the meeting was happy as well
that this happy pup was saved from such a dire existence.

Of course, I could see this pup’s future: loved and admired by all.
Hand-fed delicious morsels from the plates of the occupants. Bathed in
special soaps and perfumes.

I wasn’t envious. I had my own happy life to go back to. And I thought
maybe this pup would learn some manners from these people that saved him
from his shopping cart owner, and not have to shamelessly expose himself
all night in front of everyone again.

So, being curious as I am, I listened to the conversation the next day
of the gals I live with. I found out that the occupant who had saved this
pup from the horrible existence of a shopping cart home had taken the
pup to the pound. The occupant decided the pup would be lonely when the
occupant went to work.

Besides, it would just be too much trouble to care for the pup; therefore,
he said he would do the humane thing and take the pup to the pound, and
maybe someone would adopt him; and if not, he’d be put out of his
misery by the pound.

What luck, for this shameless pup to be rescued by such a caring person
as this occupant. Just think what a terrible life it could’ve been
for this pup; to ride around, alive and cared for, in a shopping cart,
for the rest of his life.

by Joseph Bolden, staff writer,

On December 10, 1948 the
General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (U.D.H.R.) This Declaration
guarantees the rights of all people and encompasses a broad spectrum
of economic, social, cultural, political and civil rights. The Human
Rights USA Steering Committee.

That was 52 years ago, 6 months more or less. Tell that, to Mr.
Mumia Abu-Jamal Geronimo Pratt now known as Geronimo Dijaja
and other falsely accused, wrongly convicted, faulty eye witnessed
individuals in prison or anyone that has been stopped for no other
reason than "reasonable suspicion." Dust off your old books, pamphlets,
or papers; you know, your Bill of Rights. Its: The Universal
Declaration of Human Rights.

I keep hearing America's economy is breaking records, creating
more wealthy individuals while at the same time people, families,
and single adults on fixed incomes, struggle with two or three jobs
because their low wages does not keep pace up to this "miracle market"/
economic boom. People are working longer, harder without a living
wage. As science and technological innovations place more people
on the unemployment line. One of many bright spots in this bleak
picture is we're living longer, are healthier, of course no one
wants to be a healthy, lusty individual at 80 without the means
to forfill those urges.

Imagine, being retired with little or no savings and though your
65, 70, 80 or more and your brain, hormones and you act and feel
10-20 years younger and though your at an age when your not suppose
to be working you may have not saved enough money or none at all
now you must work another 15 years. This cuts down on your personal
pleasure principle drastically. The elderly should be knowledgeable
sages about banks showing life is a process in motion,we don't just
grow older but change, improve, keep on growing wiser, stronger
more independent.

 top of article 

WE ARE THE PEOPLE, ELECTING PEOPLE TO BETTER
OUR LIVES NOT LINE THEIR POCKETS, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE MORE OF US
THAN THEM - PLEASE REMEMBER THAT. Folks, take a rest, nap, walk
outside, do other life affirming things... and when you're ready
read on... Our government, Yes our government needs to change too.
It doesn't have be drastic but in incremental fundamental ways.
Now that there is a surplus of funds built up by the I-net, Dot-
Com, real estate, foreign, and domestic investments created by Global
Capitalism shouldn't all the people benefit?

What I'm proposing isn't new, it has been said, written, thought
of two or more decades ago by brilliant, creative, and thoughtful
people and if by chance some readers know what I'm writing about
and want to contribute to the discussion please go to e-boards,
e-mail, each other, Congress, both President and Vice President
and on down the line so there is a ground swell of support.

Sounds radical, could be, all I'll say for now to excite your neurons
is:

When corporations have economic downturns our government supplies
extra cash we regular working stiffs call it a subsidy or
bailout. When people are out of jobs, strapped for cash, in need
of temporary or long term assistance or being-on-the-dole- its Welfare.
Think a minute or two ECONOMIC INCENTIVE, or WELFARE, THE ONE DIFFERENCE
IS THE WORDING, yet both need cash replenishment. Next time Part
2: The N0-WORK-SOCIETY. Bye.

(back to top) 

WE ARE THE PEOPLE, ELECTING PEOPLE TO BETTER
OUR LIVES NOT LINE THEIR POCKETS, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE MORE OF US
THAN THEM - PLEASE REMEMBER THAT. Folks, take a rest, nap, walk
outside, do other life affirming things... and when you're ready
read on... Our government, Yes our government needs to change too.
It doesn't have be drastic but in incremental fundamental ways.
Now that there is a surplus of funds built up by the I-net, Dot-
Com, real estate, foreign, and domestic investments created by Global
Capitalism shouldn't all the people benefit?

What I'm proposing isn't new, it has been said, written, thought
of two or more decades ago by brilliant, creative, and thoughtful
people and if by chance some readers know what I'm writing about
and want to contribute to the discussion please go to e-boards,
e-mail, each other, Congress, both President and Vice President
and on down the line so there is a ground swell of support.

Sounds radical, could be, all I'll say for now to excite your neurons
is:

When corporations have economic downturns our government supplies
extra cash we regular working stiffs call it a subsidy or
bailout. When people are out of jobs, strapped for cash, in need
of temporary or long term assistance or being-on-the-dole- its Welfare.
Think a minute or two ECONOMIC INCENTIVE, or WELFARE, THE ONE DIFFERENCE
IS THE WORDING, yet both need cash replenishment. Next time Part
2: The N0-WORK-SOCIETY. Bye.

(back to top) 

by HOMELESS PEOPLE'S NETWORK

LONDON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Shelter, Britain's best-known charity for the
homeless, hit out on Monday at a government drive against begging.

A publicity campaign asks Good Samaritans not to hand out their spare
change to the estimated 1,600 people who sleep rough on British streets
every night.

The government's Change a Life campaign says people who want to help should
instead volunteer at their local soup kitchen, or give money to the
charities that help those forced to make their bed in a cardboard box.

Shelter said the campaign could make life worse for beggars.

``However carefully communicated, this initiative could increase the stigma
of homelessness and make life even worse for people who are already subject
to high levels of abuse and violence,'' Shelter Director Chris Holmes said
in a statement.

The government's Rough Sleepers Unit, set up to get people off the streets,
courted controversy by suggesting that giving money to beggars only fuelled
drug and alcohol addiction.

The unit's chief, Louise Casey, last year dubbed handouts to beggars as
``misplaced goodwill.''

But her unit said on Monday Change a Life was not an anti-begging campaign.

``Few human beings can walk past their fellow man in the street and not be
moved by a desire to help.

``This campaign is part of a government's responsibility to inform the
public of the best ways they can help make a real difference. It is not an
anti-begging campaign.''

Government figures show that some 1,600 people sleep on the streets every
night. Shelter says the figure is probably higher.

Social policy experts last week attacked the campaign ahead of Monday's
launch, British newspaper the Independent reported.

The experts said in an open letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair that the
advertising campaign was ``potentially harmful'' and could force people
into crime and prostitution.

Shelter said the best way to fight begging was to look at why people were
on the streets and to find alternatives.

``The priority must be to find alternatives for those on the streets,
whether homeless or not,'' Holmes said.

by Joseph Bolden, staff writer,

I am deadly serious on:
'Traditional Death In America' mainly about Black Americans
but other people's in the United States who're also seen the raw,
mean underside of America. Our people have done everything proving
we are a loyal, dedicated, and sacrificed as Americans can be, Lord
knows our blood and bodies are all over this land, we’ve bled
and died in every war, on foreign soil yet we are always told "It
ain't enough, Never Enough."

Traditional Death:
America is a Kill Zone Pt. 1)

Think about it, let it
sink in... America is in the title but it could be Japan/China/Philippine,
Great Britain/Scotland/Ireland/India, or Jewish/Catholic/Protestant/German
to Russian/Slav /Polish/ Armenian/Syria/Palestinian/Arab/Africa/South
Africa.

They all have a common
thread at one time each has had near genocidal destruction rained
down on them either because of their race, religion, country, and
perceived inferiority. Everyone of them have physical and psychological
scars handed down from generation to generation all have persevered
in spite of terror, death, tricks, and threats set apon them plus
all if people dig beyond the surface have fantastic, glorious his/herstories
of literature, music, poetry, dance, architecture, past of noble
deeds, daring, great lives of survival, lived, lost, and struggled
to surpass the darkness; all in their unique humanity becoming a
shining people on the world's stage.

If I have forgotten nations
(besides African Nations) forgive me, though ignorance is no excuse
there are simply too many great nations and people's for me to remember
but they too are included in humakinds tapestry. African's may know
more of their own genealogy, his/herstory than we hybrid African
Americans (yes, hybrid A-American's ) we're so diluted by
American slavery I cannot say I'm pure anything. We like other mixed
races are unique, we are the new people of the new world and we
breed true, sterility is not our propblem living and staying alive
is.

But as African's do we
too multiply that has been American's waking nightmare seeing these
multicolor faces all over America! Except concentrating on killing
us they sometimes forgot about Mexicans, Chinese, Japanese, and
the rest of the rainbow crowd. Because we do so intimately know
America so well she/he the Bitch or Bastard does its best ignoring
our cries, warnings to others coming to shore "America can one hell
of an opportunity or simply Hell."

America's Tradition besides
using black women as breeding stock, black men to stud, sex/love/lust
was mixed, feelings of slaves didn't matter-it was all about creating
a commodity to raise, sell or one day do both. We in untold billions
died, committed suicide killing our children rather have them live-in-hell
chained forever in this New World called America.

We read of White masters
cohabiting with slave woman black sometimes white but mainly black.
white women were deemed to dainty, pure, genteel, to be handled
so roughly and because of the patriarchal power black women are
blamed for being lascivious, I wonder how many white woman revenged
themselves by taking black males as secret lover's never revealing
him and as for children, they could be sold with no one the wiser.

Scientific Racism: [Pseudo
or false-fake Science justifying racist policies, laws and/or beliefs.]

In 1851 Dr. Samuel A.
Cartwright, a respected physician created a mental illness peculiar
to Black people. "The effort of the slave to gain his freedom
by running away from the plantation, he said was a symptom of
a serious mental disease called "DRAPETOMAIA." Dr. Cartwright
maintained that this hideous condition could be cured by
recapturing the 'patient', rubbing him down with oil and
beating him into submission.

Scientific racist scholarship
has emerged to justify police against Blacks. These studies, such
as Bell Curve, argue that behavior, such as intelligence and criminality,
are genetically determined.

Blacks, they insist,
are genetically coded to commit violent crimes and are beyond the
bounds of society and civil rights. Sounds like Scientific Racism
again. African American men are 45% of those on death row, although
they are but 6% of the population.[excerpt from Antonio Monteiro,
07/28/00,We Charge Genocide!!]

by Frank Curreri

People living on the streets of Salt Lake City are not yet clamoring to get
into homeless shelters despite the week's snow and subfreezing
temperatures.

Up to 6 inches of snow fell in the Salt Lake Valley on Thursday and
temperatures reached a chilling low of 28 degrees early Friday morning,
according to the National Weather Service. But of the 2,000 to 3,000
homeless people in the Salt Lake area, only about 555 sought beds at
shelters, said Pamela Atkinson, vice president of Mission Services, a local
group that helps impoverished people.

That left at least 320 beds unclaimed at shelters in Salt Lake City and
Midvale.

Atkinson said she had expected more homeless people to flock to the
shelters, but "a lot of the men just told me they were going to continue to
camp out because they like their freedom."

Many have stayed away so they could arrive early to stand in line at a
temporary job placement agency, Atkinson said. Lines sometimes begin
forming around 5 a.m., and those in the front often stand a better chance
of getting work. Several agencies have handed out warm clothing, blankets
and sleeping bags to many homeless people who are braving the cold, she
said.

However, Atkinson said many homeless men who skipped the shelter have told
her that if it gets much colder, they may come in.

A more intense cold front and significant snowfall could engulf the Wasatch
Front by Tuesday or Wednesday, bringing temperatures in the mid-teens, the
National Weather Service reported.

by Joseph Bolden, staff writer,

Hi, guess who? Its1s Tuesday, Oct. 10. 2000. Are you folks sick
and tired of seeing my columns about voting? Too bad. Any of you
voting for ŒPrez or Vice, Senator1s Judges, Right to Life/Choice,
and Racism or Tolerance, Space, Cryonics, Life Extension, and/ or
Immortality am I right?

I did go to City Hall to find out if I1m registered to vote in
the upcoming elections. I1m registered so I1m voting... for whom?
That1s my choice as is yours not to be revealed until I1m in the
voting booth. I will give folks a hint I1d like to continue beyond
the 20th century moving ahead towards habitats in space, reproductive
rights for women, social security protections, and universal health
care, not only that but also openning the flood gates to life extension
because we1ll all need it as we get older . Is that enough of a
hint folks?

Every generation has had a crisis to face from the founding fathers,
to World Wars 1 and 2, to a socalled Police Action named ŒThe Korean
Conflict - A police action? I still think when you place boys and
men in uniform, train, em, to kill, have Œem sent to fight on foreign
soil against other young boys and men with dying on both sides I1d
tend to call it a war, undeclared or not soldiers on both sides
died in that midcentury conflict. Viet Nam, the first war ever lost
by the then undefeated United States, Then a short glorius war in
1991 called Desert Storm.

If we don1t watch out we may end up a Viet Nam like scenario again
in Korea. You know our government, when we the people are silent
that tells them to have a ball, spend money, Have A War. Uhh, I
think economically speaking making weapons to kill each other is
no longer the economic stimulus it used to be. Peacetime is a better
way less dead citizens lying around, less money to be made on dead
consummers unless you1ve read The Body Broker1s in the Orange County
Register in April off 2000. Vote Vote Vote, Stand up, learn facts,
figures, his/herstories of candidates, then chose and Vote. Is it
November yet? Oh, crap-I Œgotta write this for another month. Well,
here1s the message; whom ever you choose its up to all of us around
this great fertile land to futurize not fossilize America. Do it
early, do it late, but do it; VOTE Bye.

(back to top)

by Chris Barrett/PNN

Amnesty International made news last Friday by calling on Bill Clinton to exercise his executive power and release Leonard Peltier. The issue of clemency has been ignored by this government for years. The original clemency appeal was filed back in 1993, but Peltier supporters feel that the time is right to press the matter. The letter's timing is crucial because we all know that the next man to sit in the Oval Office will not have the courage or the inclination to pardon anyone. Pierre Sané, Amnesty International's Secretary General writes, "Since all of Leonard Peltier's legal appeals have been exhausted, it is our firm view that an act of clemency is not only timely, but a necessary step in the name of justice," Peltier has been in jail for 23 years and the next Parole hearing on his case is scheduled for 2008.

Peltier stands accused of shooting two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Reservation during a gunfight involving 150 FBI agents and 30 Native Americans. A young Indian activist was also killed in the shootout. Leonard Peltier was an activist and member of the American Indian Movement, which was being targeted by the FBI's Couner Intelligence Program. During the early 70's the Pine Ridge Reservation was under the control of a BIA backed tribal chairman, Dick Wilson. The sovereignty of the Sioux Nation was and is a murky question and FBI presence on the Reservation was a source of agitation for years. 64 people were murdered during the years of Wilson's administration and though the land was covered with FBI agents, no investigations into the violence were carried out. AIM responded to the terror through armed resistance.

The questions surrounding Leonard Peltier's case are numerous and grave. Three other men were accused. Two were acquitted by juries who saw evidence that the FBI fired first and felt that the men acted in self-defense. A third saw the charges dropped so that the government could bring its full attention to the Peltier case. Judges denied his right to produce a ballistics test proving his innocence. The FBI coerced witnesses and actively lobbied for his conviction. His appeals are spent and the Parole Board refuses to hear his case until he confesses. The urgency of his release is compounded by the fact of his deteriorating health.

There is no political currency to be gained from denying his clemency. His appeal is supported by such diverse and knowledgable sources as Bishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Winner Rigobertha Menchu, the Judge who denied his Appeal and the US Pardon Attorney Roger C. Adams. The Democratic Party of California even passed a unanimous resolution in support of Executive Clemency for Peltier. Clinton's Presidency has been marred by a continual slide to the right. Would pardoning Peltier put an asterisk on his legacy? Would it make national news and give American history a taint of social justice? It could be the most profound act of the Clinton Administration. It would surely be a leap of faith, but also a return to the progressive ideals of Clinton's past that could rejuvinate a cynical and tired electorate.

Peltier supporters are urging people to get the message out, as major news organzations ignore the story. There is a phone campaign to combat FBI efforts to deny clemency. People are encouraged to call the White House and support the appeal for clemency. To do this call the White House Comments Line at 202-456-1111 or send a letter to the White House fax number at 202-456-2461. More information and a petition can be obtained form the Leonard Peltier Defense Committe website http://www.freepeltier.org/ and Amnesty International at
http://www.amnestyusa.org/raisetheroof/action/peltierindex.shtml.

Let William Jefferson Clinton know that he can still make a difference.

by Joseph Bolden, staff writer,

I do not like getting out of a warm bed where my pills, cough syrup, hot tea ‘n honey is, because going on an assignment sick is bad form for both the interviewer and interviewee. Mr. Allan Ball is around somewhere on San Francisco’s sunshiny day. I feel miserable today as people all over the city, across the Bay, and across the street from that blinding golden dome atop City Hall.

Many speakers are suffering and continue to suffer from the stigma of mental illness but since the Reagan Administration [1980 -’84-1984 to1988] when most of the hospitals, sanitariums were closed, mentally ill persons are on the streets or hidden away as if they are crimi-nals. I lay on the grass, feeling queasy and feel as if I’m about to throw up my split pea soup on those red christmasy plants. After the rally/protest on the grass all the organizations converged in an orderly if loud march to-ward the Department of Public Health on 101 Grove Street in San Fran-cisco.

Inside the building the physically challenged use the elevator while the able bodied use stairs entering a meeting of commissioners al-ready in progress. Of course it only seems like political theater but many people in the march are really pissed off and angry at how many S.F. Health Department Policies do the exact opposite in stead of help persons with mental illness, physical disabilities, elderly, or people with on-going slow debilitating diseases. Someone called the cops even as voices lessened.

After more chants, speeches, public speaking from real people suffering under these policies, and a protest version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” Everyone stayed longer than the some of the health commis-sioners, cops, or seated citizens in the meeting deemed equitable.
Translation: [Protester left when they deemed their voices were heard and not before.]

The Commission leave before the protesters only then did every-one protesting in The Department of Public Health in San Francisco. My flu broke as my nose bled profusely, and where’s Allan?
He slipped out when the police entered.
It’s satisfying seeing cops try to arrest people doing legitimate civil disobe-dience and a commissioner or two being steadfast stubborn on it not hap-pening. Has it helped, Did other commissioner get the message, will poli-cies change?

I have no answers to these questions but focused heat must re-main on the health system until the very people affected can show how po-lices and be change, improved, and become a more fluid process and not set in stone, unchanging, and blind to answers coming from the very vic-tims of this system. Bye.

by PNN

POOR Magazine will be celebrating the publication of "POOR Magazine Volume IV: The Mothers Issue". In honor of the occasion POOR will be hosting a release party/benefit on Friday December 15, at 7:00 pm. The event will feature spoken word performances by all the contributors. Dinner will be served with homeade soup and bread . $0-10.00 sliding scale.

Celebrate and support POOR Magazine’s ongoing resistance to poverty, race and class oppression through literary, visual and performance art. Celebrate Volume IV, The Mother’s issue with a poem, a drawing and/or a photograph of your mother. This issue of POOR was an act of media and multi-media resistance for all the very low income and homeless adults and youth writers and artists at POOR as they not only wrote and created all the work for the magazine, but the mothers and "sons" from POOR’s welfare to work job training program did the design and layout for this beautiful, intentionally glossy magazine about issues of poverty and the political state of motherhood.

This will also be the debut of the new super-shero-Superbabymama- a poly-lingual multi-racial mama who fights economic justice everywhere, contributors also include Mumia Abu-Jamal, Delores Huerta, Evri Kwong, Diego Rivera and many more.

Where: 255 9th St. between Folsom and Howard

When: Friday December 15, at 7:00pm

Contact: POOR @ 415-863-6306

by Joseph Bolden

I do not like getting out of a warm bed where my pills, cough syrup, hot tea ‘n honey is, because going on an assignment sick is bad form for both the interviewer and interviewee. Mr. Allan Ball is around somewhere on San Francisco’s sunshiny day. I feel miserable today as people all over the city, across the Bay, and across the street from that blinding golden dome atop City Hall.

Many speakers are suffering and continue to suffer from the stigma of mental illness but since the Reagan Administration [1980 -’84-1984 to1988] when most of the hospitals, sanitariums were closed, mentally ill persons are on the streets or hidden away as if they are crimi-nals. I lay on the grass, feeling queasy and feel as if I’m about to throw up my split pea soup on those red christmasy plants. After the rally/protest on the grass all the organizations converged in an orderly if loud march to-ward the Department of Public Health on 101 Grove Street in San Francisco.

Inside the building the physically challenged use the elevator while the able bodied use stairs entering a meeting of commissioners al-ready in progress.

Of course it only seems like political theater but many people in the march are really pissed off and angry at how many S.F. Health Department Policies do the exact opposite in stead of help persons with mental illness, physical disabilities, elderly, or people with on-going slow debilitating diseases. Someone called the cops even as voices lessened.

After more chants, speeches, public speaking from real people suffering under these policies, and a protest version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” Everyone stayed longer than the some of the health commis-sioners, cops, or seated citizens in the meeting deemed equitable.
Translation: [Protester left when they deemed their voices were heard and not before.]

The Commission leave before the protesters only then did every-one protesting in The Department of Public Health in San Francisco. My flu broke as my nose bled profusely, and where’s Allan?
He slipped out when the police entered.

It’s satisfying seeing cops try to arrest people doing legitimate civil disobe-dience and a commissioner or two being steadfast stubborn on it not hap-pening. Has it helped, Did other commissioner get the message, will poli-cies change?

I have no answers to these questions but focused heat must re-main on the health system until the very people affected can show how po-lices and be change, improved, and become a more fluid process and not set in stone, unchanging, and blind to answers coming from the very vic-tims of this system. Bye.

by PNN Staff

For the last few weeks Ted Gullickson of the San Francisco Tenants Union began staging protests in front of several open houses in San Francisco - open houses which used to belong to elder tenants, many of whom were African-American and/or low income - open houses being sold as vacant units or as tenants in common units (TIC's) -many of whom were being sold by Monarch Realty. Two weeks ago, we covered and particpated in a protest at 308 Scott street in San Francisco.

At the scene of the "housing crime" PNN staff interviewed Dan Gosset from Monarch Realty who gave his opinion of the protesters as well as the then pending ballot measure, Proposition N, which would have put a stop to evictions for TIC's or condo conversion, but was ultimately defeated in the November election.

Dan Gossett:"I’m representing the seller and I’m not having the sellers property taken over by protesters, you’re welcome to protest outside"

PoorNewsNetwork: "Are you the Realtor?"

DG: I’m the broker, owner of the company-yes."

PNN: How many units are there?"

DG:There are four units, this building was "ellised acted."

PNN: "How many units are in the property and how much are they going for?"

DG: "Well, actually there are four units in the property-we aren’t selling units we’re selling T I C interests [Tenants In Common] in the whole building.
People own the building together as a whole, that is one of the things your legislation’s (prop N) is attempting to speak to but its not being sold as exclusive occupancy rights."

PNN: "How do you feel about the protesters?"

DG: "Hey, I grew up in the 60’s everyone has a right to protest, the other thing I ask is they let people come and go as they should-and they’re welcome to continue their protest."

PNN: "Can I just ask you-do you understand the feelings behind the protest?"

DG: " Absolutely, you know I ... I am a San Francisco resident, I’m also a person very committed to working with people - such as artists who are being displaced, my company helps artists-some artists who are able to purchase... we work with sellers in putting things together such as TIC’s which alow them opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have; also I think what is unfortunate is... I think its really important that we look at this as a city wide issue and a shared responsibility... Affordable, low income housing is a problem in our city and what solutions can we come up for this... I’m very supportive of it - unfortunately this legislation I don’t think is the best route to go."

PNN "Which one is That?"

DG: "Proposition N, one its anti-gay, its anti- non traditional couple, there’s lots of things about it that just... are bad for tenants and also bad for the city at large?" But does it bring attention to a really growing problem in our city - and that is affordable housing."

PNN: "What did you think about L [Prop. L] that whole measure that’s on the ballot about what’s going on in the Mission all over?"

DG:"At this point I’m opposed to that (L) as well."

PNN: "Why do you think that N is anti-gay?"

DG: "Because it does not allow for a vehicle in which I... and my life partner can work with If ‘want to will my interest to that person - under this legislation I can’t do that, its not well thought out legislation it was attempt I think to have an impact on Ellis Acted buildings and certainly Tenant In Common interests in the city - and from that standpoint; it had an impact but its not really dealing with the major problem in the city which is affordable housing"

PNN: "Do you know how many properties that your company represents are dealing T I C’s conversions?"

DG: "We have several T I C’s and have dealt with T I C’s in the past, I’ve been a broker for years at another company - so T I C is just a form of ownership, the exclusive rights of the occupancy is the question with this not Tenants Common interests-because that’s simply a vehicle to own property."

PNN: "Did you say what company your from?"

DG"I’m from the Monarch group."

PNN "Thanks."

We then interviewed Ted Gulickson from the San Francisco Tenants Union-

PNN: "Ted, can I get you to say a couple of things? what is the T I C legislation about?

TG: "... what is says in a nut- shell if you sell a unit individually it can only be sold persuant to the condo conversion law - what that means is that senior cannot be evicted for condo conversions, it means, that there can only be 200 conversions a year, and right now what we’re seeing... Tenancy’s In Common being used to get around the condo conversion law so evictions and conversions are unlimited and senior and disabled tenants can be evicted; so what prop. N means is that whenever you sell a unit individually it can only be done persuent to the condo law. The sale of these particular units is illegal under prop N. and so we want to stop the sale of these units."

PNN: "Where are we today and what are we doing here today?"

TG:This building at 308 Scott Street is a building which all of the tenants were evicted under the Ellis Act including some senior tenants - they were evicted the day after Christmas last year. [1999] The realtor who had bought the building this Monarch Group evicted the people the day after Christmas because there were ammendments to the Ellis Act which took affect on January 1st. which would have required that the seniors here get a one year’s notice; instead they rushed the evictions to make sure they only had to give ‘em 60 day notice-subsequence to that when all the tenants moved out they began advertising the units as vacant because prop. M has a retroactive effect the date of July we’ve been pretty much able to chill the T I C market over the summer and they’ve only been able to sell one of these units and they’re making a final push to try to sell the units before prop.M comes into affect."

PNN: "Can you tell us how many other units of the Monarch Group have done T I Cs?"

TG "They are a fairly small company but they have three other T I C’s that they’ve done recently - one on Noe Street, I forget the address of other one but pretty much everything they do is T I C’s."

PNN "What do you think of prop. L?"

TG: "Prop. L is also the important measure on the ballot to stop gentrification and evictions. Where prop. N will stop evictions such as these, prop. L will have a great impact of reducing the gentrifiying effect in San Francisco which is ‘kinda a lot of the fuel for these because-here we have half a million dollar condo’s and its the Dotcom’s workers, its the people coming into San Francisco with a lot of stock market wealth, very wealthy people who are buying up these units so we need to stop the demand for half a million dollar condo’s for one thing and the real estate speculators the Monarch Group are making a killing evicting tenants then selling all the units as condominiums."

PNN: "Your process of protesting open houses we think is brilliant , could you comment on your strategy?"

TG: "We actually want to stop the sales of the units, we want this building returned back to the rental market, if we can stop the sale of the units via these actions, and prop. N then the owners of these buildings will have no other choice but to rent the units. Our goals... this is basic direct action-we ‘wanna stop the sale of the units and we’ve been successful at doing that."

PNN:, Thank you."

PNN interviewed a former tenant, Mrs. E, that was evicted from the building.

PNN: "Say your name and tell when you got evicted?"

E: "We got evicted... I lived right up at 116 Lion Street, we right between these two streets, its been about a year and a half last November; not only were we evicted I had only ten days to be out and the guy went into the house and took my stuff out the house and set it on the sidewalk - everybody had a big free sale by taking my furniture and stuff; and I been ‘livin there 20 years."

PNN "And is this your daughter, what’s her name?"

E: "Jennifer"

PM: "Are you now living with your mom?"

E: "No, We’re trying to find her a place to live that she can get in and out of... where they relocated her to she has to go up four steep flights of steps that she can’t walk, you see her knees are swollen up!

PNN "Sounds familiar."

J: … and we’re still trying to find her a place, and the rent is so high over here... [San Francisco] The rent is so high you can’t move back in."

PNN: "The same thing with Oakland, I just came from over there, same thing over there." They just want to put everybody...they ‘wanna push us all out."

E: "We can’t move anywhere, the poor and seniors can’t move anywhere.I’m 48, we’ve livin been here all my life."

PNN: "That’s why we can’t stop fighting this"

PNN interviews Iris Biblowitz, one of the protestors,

PNN: Do you think Proposition is M is anti-gay ?"

IB" "Not at all, its pro-gay I’m gay, I’m a lesbian, its anti-gay landlords maybe anti-gay rich people who want to evict people from their homes and sell condominiums for five hundred thousand; maybe its anti-gay realtors. But its not anti-gay poor folks, working poor, poor middle class folks who are tenants who are just trying to make a decent living be honest and not lose their home."

PNN: "What’s your name?"

IB: "Iris Biblowitz, its a class thing to say its anti-gay is absolutely a lie and a distortion."

Prop N did not pass but in a follow-up interview with the SF Tenants Union, Ted explained that they will proceed with the legislation on a statewide level as well as locally with The newly appointed board of supervisors so they can prevent real estate speculators like Monarch Realty from using the Ellis act to illegally evict tenants in San FRanciasco or to use the words of one of the chants; "Realtor.. Realtor.. bad bad bad!!….

To get involved with the continuing efforts to protest illegal open houses call the San Francisco Tenents Union at (415) 282-5525

by Kaponda

Vibrations from raging thumps on the cold, smooth, glassy surface of the anterior of the Rose Hotel rattled in my ears. Expressive vibrations sent in earnest to rail against the refusal by the international community to recognize and respond to a growing phenomenon -- mental illness. I craned my neck to see the grim face and blustery mouth of a woman the hands of whom were strewing the entrance of the building with litter.

As another tenant of the recently renovated Rose, a tenderloin district Single Room Occupancy Hotel, used his card to access the building, the woman wriggled through the crevice like an escapee slithering through the portals of the gulag. The antics of the woman intensified in the waiting area of the building. A shrill zoomed through every keyhole in the building, unlocking the emotional vaults of the hearts and minds of its tenants. Before the woman had completely taken her hand off the fire alarm, it seemed as if every firefighter in San Francisco were in front of the Rose building. The police fastened the wrists of the woman with handcuffs and herded her to jail, where she was incarcerated for two days. While the members of the Fire Department displayed the confidence at the scene, the police were completely unprepared to handle a person displaying severe signs of mental illness.

The inexperience of police officers in recognizing people such as the woman at the Rose, whom I later interviewed and discovered goes by the name Staarr, arises in large part, out of a failure by the San Francisco Police Department to implement the Police Crisis Intervention, a carefully planned training program for police on how to respond to people with mental illnesses. In a telephone interview with the Director of Training for the San Francisco Police Department, Captain Daniel Lawson, I posed the obvious question, in asking why has the San Francisco Police Department neglected to use the Police Intervention Crisis, a project that had had the blessings of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in the amount of $180,000? "It is difficult to get officers off the street for 40 hours," stated Captain Lawson, referring to the curriculum developed by community members which would train one police officer on every shift at every precinct on how to respond to calls which were coded as "individuals acting bizarrely."

The sky above the Department of Public Health was garbed with two strati clouds, which gave not a scintilla of a threat of spoiling the action, "Hundreds 'Die-In' Protest Over Criminalization of Mental Illness," in which scores of health care providers, advocates and consumers gathered came to participate. Across the street on the grounds of Civic Center Plaza, between the Christmas tree on the thick green lawn and the single row of poinsettias in 10 cement encasements near City Hall, the crowd watched as a cast of people from the Coalition on Homelessness illustrated the fatal consequences which follow from a law enforcement community that is not able to determine the symptoms of mental illness at the scene of an incident. Training that would probably have determined that Staarr had been diagnosed with a bipolar affective disorder, according to information that she provided me, and people like Staarr whose mental illnesses are varied. They would have diverted Staarr, and others like her, from jails and prisons to treatment centers where they would have a reasonable chance to get help.

I caught up with one of the key players and intricate components of the rearguard action against the health care status-quo in San Francisco, Jennifer Friedenbach of the Coalition on Homelessness. I asked Jennifer, who heads the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Workgroup (SAMH), to speak to the response by Captain Lawson regarding the difficulty to get police officers off the streets for 40 hours, and the counterproposal by the Police Department of 20 hours. "Twenty hours are not enough. Other police departments around the country have been able to do it. This department is no different than the five or six other police departments around the country whose trainings are over 40 hours," stated Jennifer.

The moisture around her eyes was consumed by the warm rays from the bright sun that had scattered the two clouds above, as Tiny, co-editor of PNN, delivered a gut-wrenching piece written by the late Johnny Martinez, a victim of a lack of mental health treatment in San Francisco. In addition to her piece, poverty scholar and POOR staff writer Ken Moshesh, and the author of a newly released book titled, Black Disabled Man With a Big Mouth and a High IQ, Leroy Moore, Jr., illuminated the crowd with their spoken words of brilliance on that Tuesday, December 12, 2000.

The San Francisco Public Health Strategic Plan, "Leading the Way to a Healthier Community 2000," that was being heard by the San Francisco Health Commission on the third floor of the Department of Public Health, was abruptly preempted as the action moved from the Civic Center Plaza into the presence of the commissioners. A large delegation of community health care advocates, with Jennifer Friedenbach leading the way, marched into the room accompanied by a chant, entitled, "The Twelve Days of Christmas." After the 12th Day of Christmas was done, the quiet in the room on the third floor of the Department of Public Health was like the contentment produced by the salve of tranquillity.

"We demand Police Crisis Intervention, No Expansion of Forced Treatment, Protection of Human and Civil Rights of those Living on the Streets, and Consumer Directed Mental Health Treatment on Demand...." These demands were rattled off by a member of the Coalition on Homelessness as several members of the protestors abruptly fell to the floor of the commission.

I asked Jennifer Friedenbach what was the purpose of the intrusion? "We brought to them in a very forceful way a critical issue that they would hear, as they have previously refused to do. I think they did listen to us. I think we brought an issue that has been ignored about a community that is disenfranchised."

There is no doubt on my mind that each commissioner heard each word in the Four-Point Plan brought by the community on that day. I attempted to get a comment from Roma Guy, the President of the Commission, during the reading of the demands. She told me that she could not comment because "I am trying to listen to what they are saying."

. As the Project Coordinator of the Civil Rights Division of the Coalition on Homelessness, Mara Radar knew from extensive research that the claim; "Hundreds 'Die-In' Protest Over Criminalization of Mental Illness" was right. Therefore, she and her comrades sat defiantly on the floor before the commissioners in solidarity for cause. After the police had waited them out, a representative from the police asked Mara if they would leave or face the alternative? The response of Mara Raider was analogous to the grand finale of any venue of combat. "The reason that we are here is to lock them out of the [strategic planning] process."

Everyone in the room, including the commissioners, exited to the chant of "Shut It Down, Shut It Down, Shut It Down, Shut It Down, Shut It Down."

I asked Mara how she felt during those tense moments before the commissioners decided to acquiesce and table the process, especially faced with the possibility of being incarcerated? "We had a purpose there," stated Mara as she continued. "It was to stop them from meeting the way they had previously stopped us from being a part of their meetings. Our purpose was to make sure that this health department really is `responding to the needs of poor people. We were going to stay there as long as we needed to in order to get our message across."

by Mario Osava

courtesy of Homeless Peoples Network,

RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov 18 (IPS) - Groups leading the struggle for housing in Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest city, have begun to occupy abandoned buildings and set up living quarters in downtown streets to press the government to respond to their demands.

The tactic is similar to that which has brought results for the Movimento dos Sem Terra (MST - Landless Movement), which has garnered widespread support both at home and abroad for its fight for faster and broader agrarian reform, through well-organised occupations of land left idle by large landowners.

Around 30 buildings, most of which belong to the government and have stood empty for years, have been ''invaded'' by squatters in the past few months.

And when they are evicted on court order, some families set up living quarters with their scant belongings, in the street next to the building, in a glaring protest against the lack of affordable housing.

Some 2,000 homeless gathered outside the seat of the government of the state Wednesday, demanding that announced low- cost housing projects be implemented, and that their voices be heard when it comes to setting priorities for the state housing budget.

The housing problem in Sao Paulo, a city of 10 million, has been getting worse and worse. ''Every day there are more people living in the streets,'' said Maria Inés Volpato, legal adviser to the Housing Pastoral, a local Catholic organisation that has assisted the homeless for decades.

With the high unemployment rate, families cannot even afford to rent space in what are known locally as ''beehives'' - old houses packed with dozens of families living in ''terrible conditions, unimaginable for a human being,'' said Volpato.

The city Secretariat of Housing estimates that some 400,000 Sao Paulo families lack even minimally decent housing. But experts in the matter and grassroots movements put the number of people living in the city's ''favelas'' (shanty-towns) at around two million, with 600,000 crammed into ''beehives''.

Given that outlook, taking part in organised occupations of buildings, even if illegal, becomes an attractive alternative as a free of cost and sometimes lasting situation, said Volpato.

The occupations are headed by organised groups, like the Union of Movements for Housing (UMM), founded 12 years ago by residents of ''beehives.''

Recognised by local authorities as the informal mouthpiece of the homeless, the UMM launched an offensive on Oct 25, urging families to move into six buildings simultaneously.

Such actions are aimed at forcing the municipal or state government to seek solutions to the housing problem, whether by providing low-cost housing with long-term financing or land on which to build apartment buildings or small houses.

Once plots of land are obtained, the UMM organises joint projects, mobilising families to work together in solidarity to build their homes, in what is known locally as the ''mutirao''.

Besides building a sense of community, the shared projects pull down construction costs, thus maximising the scarce resources available for assistance to the poor, says the UMM, which adds that it builds each unit at a cost 35 percent below the price tag quoted by the city government.

But the group also fights for all of the rights to which citizens are entitled, such as sewerage services,
low-cost childcare, recreational spaces and, especially, schools.

Everyone has to study, in order to achieve effective political participation, said Donizeti de Oliveira, one of the group's three coordinators.

Official statistics put the housing shortage in Brazil at 5.4 million units nationwide.

The movement for affordable housing in Sao Paulo has become more radical lately, as new organisations, like the Movement of Homeless Workers, have cropped up.

The success of occupations staged early this year, when 277 families set themselves up as squatters in two buildings, allowed Hamilton de Souza, the leader of the group seen as sort of an ''urban MST,'' to conquer new followers.

An occupation, even if it does not successfully obtain housing for the families involved, is a political act that helps the movement grow, said De Souza.

The increasingly combative movement for housing is also attracting street vendors, who have been at the centre of violent demonstrations in recent years after being banned from doing business in certain neighbourhoods or streets.

We decided to react this way to the city government's repression of our activity,'' because if not allowed to work, people cannot pay their rent, said José Ricardo Teixeira, director of the Union of Informal Economy Workers, which claims 12,000 members.

by Lyn Daniels

I wonder where the poor and the homeless plan to dine today. Seeing as I am currently in that situation myself - I’ll take you on a tour of some of the more popular eating establishments for this Thanksgiving; Chez St. Anthony's, A la Glide Memorial, and finally, Martin ( de Lah') Pouresse. These three selections, are well known on the less than fortunate circuit. I know that the whole idea behind this story is feeding the underprivileged on Thanksgiving so as I said before: I went,witnessed,and ate.

I chose to visit the more upscale Martin (de Lah') Pouresse to start things off. I made thi choice not because of the food, but because I thought it would be more convenient, knowing that the lines at the other eateries would be off the hook.
Or around the corner. So by following my instincts, I hoped time would play on my side.

As things turned out, it did.

There was a woman at the front door handing out tickets with a number that I assumed corresponded with your place in line. This wasn’t the case, because there was no line. I mean there were a lot of people there, but everyone was already seated and enjoying their meal. I stepped a little further in. This other woman came up to me and asked if I would like to be seated. I said yes and she asked for my ticket. I willingly gave her the ticket and she escorted me to the next available seat where I sat down.

All of a sudden, a nice looking young lady came up to me and asked if I wanted a glass of water or cider. I chose the cider. At this point I was feeling very welcomed by the atmosphere and the service being provided.

The they brought on the food. The same young lady brought my meal to me. It was the traditional bird, dressing and gravy with a roll and sweet potatoes along with a serving of cranberry sauce. The part of the meal that stood out for me was the dessert: pumpkin pie. This pie was so good I forgot about all the other pie that was to come later.

Now, I will give a rating to the food and the experience of this first meal. I would have to rate it as very good. Two thighs up. And that bird wasn’t the only one that was stuffed.

By now the line at Chez St. Anthony’s should be somewhat shorter. You have to give consideration to the fact that it is Thanksgiving. Remember that the first meal took a lot out of me or ,should I say, put a lot in to me. Which now makes it a task to take on another meal.

I go back out to wait on the 9 bus which takes all of two to three minutes to arrive, even on a holiday! As I got on the bus, the driver proceeded to drive like his foot was on fire, so he had to step on the gas to put it out. Which helped me to reach my next destination in about 3 to 4 minutes flat.

I proceeded with courage to Chez St Anthony‘s. Now this is what an experienced diner caught between the two eateries is known to do. First, you get in line at St Anthony's and get your ticket to eat. Then you go up to Glide Church, weave and bob your way up to the front, or as near to the front of the line as you can get. It’s not recommended that someone without experience try this maneuver. This is also a way of letting time pass by so that you are right on time to get back to St Anthony’s to enjoy your meal.

The meal at A la Glide was good, especially the apple cider that it seems everyone was serving. Sometimes that’s the common bond that exists with all free meal establishments; there will always be something similar on the menu. The only thing that I hate to say which is so consistant at Glide, is the attitude of the regulars. They are there to monitor the activity of the client’s who eat there. It doesn't matter what the meal is, the time of year, the fesivity, whatever. Their attitudes are always the same: very pushy, very inconsiderate. Really, there is no need to be this way with the poor folk who are just in need of a meal .

Just because the poor are there to service the poor, it should still be done with respect for one another as human beings. It doesn't matter how good the meal is; people should be treated with respect. I give Glide a rating of two drumsticks up with one broken wing.

At this point I needed to be wheeled around in a shopping cart like you see a lot of the homeless here in the city do after a little too much to drink. I finally reach St. Anthonys. My number was going through the door. I easily slip right in line, like us veterans of the game do. I approached the ticket taker. There is a woman; their patron of the cause of goodwill on Thanksgiving. She hands me a "glad to see you" card as a token of welcome. Then I was told to be seated and my meal would be brought to me. So I sat.

And it was. How pleasant. But like Christmas, this only happens once a year. Then comes tommorrow and things are back to normal. Now to get down to the meal. Not Surprisingly, it was the same as all the rest. Turkey with all the trimmings. I wonder if today is a one-menu day? Of course; it's Thankgiving. The meal was very good. The parts of it I could put down. My rating is: "Oh St. Heavens". But by this time all the meals tasted the same.

Overall, I give my Golden Turkey Award or as the poor would have it, The Silver Turkey Award, to Martin Pouresse. It wins on the merits of service, attitude, atmosphere and that outta sight pumpkin pie.

I hope you all enjoyed your holiday; rich or poor. What is more important is even though you may be considered poor, you can be rich in heart. With that I say, good day, but never goodbye .

by Joseph Bolden

On a sun drenched, near cloudless day the weather is crispy cold, the air if not freezing has the possibility of turning dry ice-like with a cutting wind chill. The sun shines bright yellow-white but soon as you step into supposedly warm rays the illusion is gone. San Francisco’s wonderful weather has fooled me again-the sun’s radiant sheen isn’t what it appears.

Protesters, photographers, newspeople recording, curious onloookers at ground level and above in a nearby hotel look on are all dwarfed by the 50 Fremont Center building, next to a huge skyscraper that dominates the now graying skies.

Younger Asian female voices say loudly “Apologize.” Guess their Gov-ernment is just as stealthy, secretive, and cold as ours. [U.S.A.]

Asians of differing nationalities walk in solidarity with two for-mer comfort women protecting them for the rush of press and audience outside the orange barriers, I now believe the barriers were not for stop-ping cars as much as protect the few brave elderly Asian women willing to speak about such a personal time in their lives.
One woman Soon Duk Kim, age 80. Born in 1921, in Uiryong, South Kyonsang Province, Korea. In 1937 at the age of 17, she signed up to be-come a factory worker, and instead, found herself a comfort woman [ prostitute of Japanese soldiers during world war II.]
stationed in Shanghai and Nanking, China. After becoming seriously ill, she begged an officer for release, and returned to Korea in 1940. In 1992, Kim moved into the House of Sharing after giving her testimony. She works from dawn to dusk, keeping very busy to block out her memories of her past. Her nostalgia for childhood, experience of being taken away from home, and hard life are captured in her paintings.

Ms. Kim must have related this part of past in full because on Fremont and Market Streets while standing was speaking about it but could not go on afraid, of the bullhorn that amplifies her voice may have fright-ened her, or her ordeal is still too fresh. even now to her.

There are times I am truly glad not to be too professional concentrating only on the story if re-cording her or other survivors is all I get so be it; just being out here in public, to reveal her governments hidden, shameful secrets to America and in other countries takes more cour-age, determination, will, and soul than most of us ever care to admit or have.

Protesters block off some traffic with bright orange barriers.
Its about the Japanese Government in World War II and what was done to 200,000 women of Chinese, Korean, Filipino, and other Asian nationalities in time of war. Comfort WomenThey and young Asians both demand the Japanese Government to public apology for their treat-ment, make corrections to text books History for the atrocities during World War II.

[Confort Women is a euphemism for prostitute ] Many young girls are from the country, a few from cities all are turned into whores for the Japanese army hence the name Comfort Women. It is a disgraceful, horrendous story the Japanese Government does not want to reveal. Can they argue [“It was wartime, we had no choice, or other countries have no right to question are culture or customs - soldiers-men have needs or their military would be in chaos.” Could be some of the multiple replies or reasons the Japanese Government. Over fifty years! Were the Japanese Government waiting... Are they still waiting for every former Comfort Woman and their heirs or adopted children to die thereby keeping that shameful history secret forever? Its a good thing at this point in time that women nation wide live longer than men, maybe this is one the reasons why. So at some point as anger, wisdom, sensitivity outweighs fear the survivors come forward while most of the male perpetrator’s die off.

How could this happen? Ms. Yuri Kochiyama, 79 years old in
frail health says A young Korean woman is translating Ms. Yuri’s
perfect English into Korean - That’s an unexpected switch
“As children of Japanese ancestry, I thank you for giving me this opportu-nity to give a solidarity message to Korean Women and other Asian Women victims in world war two.”

“It was a time - slavery in which some 200,000 women mostly Korean were cruelly victimized and abused must be told to the world, the Japanese Government must condemned and forced to pay reparations, an apology is meaningless decades and most of the victims are gone. Again young voices “THAT’S RIGHT REPARATIONS.”

“Perhaps never in the history of war, [Yuri continues] has a na-tion so blatantly and massively organized a means of deceiving and kid- napping woman for the sole purpose of sexual abuse; imagine 200,000 women who knows how many were killed”?

He few must be alive today, and many of Japan’s young generation is ignorant of the horrendous truth because its educational system have cov-ered up real history; the Japanese Government don’t want to admit what happened-I do not know why these war crimes were not brought up in the tribunal just after the war; the use of the terminology ‘COMFORT WOMEN’ is also insulting and misleading...” The Korean Women in Seoul? [Korea]
vigilantly demonstrate every Wednesday demanding reparations I think is a message to all of us to support their efforts.
I understand there’s a woman named Soon Duk Kim, I commend and thank her for speaking out - on this important issue, for it is important to know the truth.”

“What Japan’s Imperial Army did through out Asia was devas-tating and despicable. We must all unite, assert our outrage at Japan human rights violations and in whatever way possible so such war time atrocities will never happen again.”
Ms. Yuri’s speech is heart wrenching being true yet not heard for many years hidden. Isn’t good to know that all soldiers-in-arms are truly broth-ers, these acts by human against fellow humans are universal, that inhu-manity against woman as well as men is a given if governments can find ways to motivate men under their command?

Daisil Kim, an independent filmmaker and writer since 1988, Korea born Dai Sil Kim-Gibson came to the United States in 1962 to per-
sue graduate studies in religion. She received her Ph.D in Religion from Boston University and taught at Mount Holyoke College, followed by her career as a federal and state government employee: senior program officer at the National Endowment for the Humanities and director of the media program of the New York State Council on the Arts. Her films include America Becoming, a feature documentary exploring the changing faces

of America by new immigrants; Sa-l-Gu, literally April 29, a film about the 1992 Los Angeles crisis from the perspective of Korean woman shop- keepers; A Forgotten People: The Sakhalin Koreans, an hour documentary about the forced Korean laborers on Sakhalin island, initially indentured by Japan, then fell into the hands of the Soviet Union in 1945 and were for- gotten for half a century; and Olivia’s Story, a 14 minute drama, which is currently being cablecast on the Sundance Channel. All three documentaries were nationally broadcast on PBS and were distributed world wide.

A recipient of many awards and grants, most recently she was awarded a Rockefeller Fellowship for Silence Broken, her most recent film. She also received an Asian American Media Award and the Kodak Film- maker’s Award for this film. An Author of many articles, Silence Broken: Korean Comfort Women is her first book.

Hyejin seunim [pronounced Heh-Jeen, seunim is Korean for Bud-dhist monk.]

Hyejin is the Executive Director of the House of Sharing in Ko-rea. Established in 1992 with support from Buddhist and social organi- za-tions, the House of Sharing offers residence, community and support for these elderly women, or “grandmothers.” The History Museum of the Japanese Military Comfort Women was built in 1998 on the grounds of the House of Sharing which serves as a clearinghouse of information and learn- ing about comfort women history. Hyejin has played an active role in raising international awareness to the movement for justice for former com
-fort women in Korea, as well as throughout Asia.

A 50+ year old war still killing, silencing its victims long after the conflict has ended. Mrs. or Ms. Kim, Yuri, and others are right.
Educate young and old to the past, how it still affects the present, Japan’s shame lasted this long because they [government and indivisual soldiers] chose to ignore, lie, let time pass hoping the women will be dust ending this horror - most have, it’s up to those former soldiers at reveal more of the truth ending their countries dishonor-noHari Kari it would be more dishonor than the courage, helping their countries gaping wounds finally heal clean with less open scabs and more closed, sealed, scar tissue. “Soldier”, you’ve not much time left, tell your part, settle your soul’s journey. JAPAN will continue suffering moral-psychic trauma passed on to generations if this festering past evil remains hidden in gov-ernment legalisms. The whole world is watching America - it also see’s Ja-pan. What will you do? If not collectively then soldiers on their own...

by Leroy Moore

We have an emergency on our hands
Do you understand
Sisters and mothers
Aunts and Grandmothers
Are crying, shouting and yelling

Help! Please help!
Ignored, oppressed and abused
Disabled women of color
Needs you

On the streets
Can you believe
The state has sterilized me
Divorce from my husband, family and community

Beaten on
Kicked out
Shot up
No sirens, no ambulance, nobody gives a fuck

Emergency, HELP, emergency
98% unemployment rate
Sisters don’t want to relate
Very hard to live in this society

Grown up with violence
Father in my bed
|Billie-club upside my head
The only way to make money is to give head

My father was my first
My cell-mate was my second and

My x was my last
Still waiting for my first love
Caught between two worlds
Limping and pushing to the boarder
Disabled woman an easy target for the INS
Disabled immigrant woman can’t be a citizen of the US

Social promotion
Another year in special education
Can’t read the job application
Race, sex and disability discrimination

Margarett L. Mitchell shot by LAPD
Vijai Rajan rejected by the INS
Ya Fang Li roughed up by SFPD
Can’t you see there is an emergency in our society

Disabled women of color
Living under pressure
We need some answers
Time is ticking and we are sick of waiting

It’s time to take a stand
No more lines in the sand
We need a bulletproof plan
Sisters’ our blood is on your hands

Disabled women of color
It’s time to speak our anger
We need to educate our sisters, brothers and leaders
We can only get stronger if we come together

Living under a state of emergency
Disabled women of color tell your story
We belong to three communities
Listen to our history

Harriet Tubman led slaves to freedom
Fredia Kahlo painted her pain
Alicia Alonso danced through the light and darkness
Wilma Mankiller taught her people community organizing

Disabled women of color
It’s time to plan for our future
Break the silence
We have no time for this nonsense

by David Rosenzweig, Erika Hayasaki

A federal judge said Friday that she plans to issue a temporary
restraining order barring police from harassing the homeless on Los
Angeles' skid row.

Officers would be prohibited from stopping homeless people at random,
demanding their identification and threatening them with arrest,
according to a draft of U.S. District Judge Lourdes G. Baird's pending
order.

Police would also be prevented from seizing homeless people's
belongings, which are sometimes left unattended on sidewalks, and
discarding their possessions.

Baird circulated a copy of her proposed order during a court hearing
Friday attended by lawyers from the city attorney's office and the
American Civil Liberties Union.

In remarks from the bench, the judge also indicated that she would bar
the police from forcing the homeless to keep moving from place to place.

After soliciting comments from both sides, Baird said would consider
their arguments and issue a final ruling on Monday.

The ACLU filed a civil rights suit last month on behalf of 26 homeless
residents and social service workers who complained that a recently
launched crime-fighting drive in the 50-block skid row area had turned
into a campaign of harassment against the homeless.

Police officials deny those allegations.

"I don't think the homeless won today," said Lt. Paul Geggie of the
LAPD Central Division, which patrols skid row. "What's going to happen
is, it's going to be more dangerous and dirtier."

Joann Barnes, 46, who has lived on the streets of skid row for two
years, said Friday night that she didn't believe police were harassing
the homeless in the first place. "I think they are concerned about the
welfare of the people," said Barnes.

But Dominique Cholon, 41, said he was glad police would be prevented
from giving him and other homeless people tickets for blocking the
sidewalks, or from confiscating their possessions.

"They've been . . . harassing folks for little things. They might be
doing their job but they overdo it," said Cholon, who has been homeless
for four years.

In her 23-page draft, Baird wrote that she was obliged to weigh the
city's needs against the rights of the homeless.

The injunction, she said, may slow down the Police Department's
initiative to reduce crime and clean up the streets and sidewalks in skid
row. But she added that the homeless face a greater harm: loss of their
constitutional rights.

She said the police actions, unless checked, "are likely to displace
homeless individuals and threaten their ability to access charities for
food, shelter and assistance in skid row."

Douglas E. Mirell, a plaintiffs' attorney, said he was gratified by
Baird's tentative ruling. "The decision to grant a [temporary restraining
order] is particularly important at this time of the year because the
weather is getting colder and the conditions that the homeless have to
live will become much more extreme." Deputy City Atty. Deborah L.
Sanchez, who represented the police at Friday's hearing, said afterward
that Baird's tentative order would cause no substantial changes in
official department policies.

In her 23-page draft, Baird wrote that she was obliged to weigh the
city's needs against the rights of the homeless.

The injunction, she said, may slow down the Police Department's
initiative to reduce crime and clean up the streets and sidewalks in skid
row. But she added that the homeless face a greater harm: loss of their
constitutional rights.

She said the police actions, unless checked, "are likely to displace
homeless individuals and threaten their ability to access charities for
food, shelter and assistance in skid row."

Douglas E. Mirell, a plaintiffs' attorney, said he was gratified by
Baird's tentative ruling. "The decision to grant a [temporary restraining
order] is particularly important at this time of the year because the
weather is getting colder and the conditions that the homeless have to
live will become much more extreme." Deputy City Atty. Deborah L.
Sanchez, who represented the police at Friday's hearing, said afterward
that Baird's tentative order would cause no substantial changes in
official department policies.

"Stopping people without reasonable suspicion or searching their
possessions without probable cause are things they're not supposed to be
doing in the first place," Sanchez said. "The only issue I would have
with the court is that the [restraining order] is unnecessary."

At the hearing, however, attorney Carol A. Sobel, representing the
ACLU, told Baird that police have been seizing homeless people's
belongings, which they must leave on the street before entering feeding
halls.

;She said the items are thrown into city trucks and discarded in
violation of a state law requiring authorities to hold on to abandoned
property for at least 90 days.

The ACLU has also asked Baird to certify the suit as a class action on
behalf of Los Angeles' entire homeless population, a move the city
attorney opposed.

Although the judge did not rule on that issue in her tentative order,
she indicated that class certification was likely.

Officials estimate about 11,000 people are living in transient hotels
and on the streets along skid row.

So far this year, at least four homeless people have been killed in
the Central Division area and 32 others were victims of rape or sex
crimes, said Geggie. About 40 homeless people are robbed, assaulted or
victimized each month, he added.

Since September, Capt. Stuart Maislin of the Central Division has
ordered his officers to cite the homeless for occupying sidewalks and
other public nuisances. Arrests, citations and drug arrests have gone up
while crime has decreased, police said.

As of 5 p.m. Friday, however, Central Division officers said they
would temporarily stop citing or warning people for blocking the
sidewalks; they also suspended the confiscation of abandoned personal
property.

"So a community that is 50% mentally ill, a community that can only
marginally care for itself is going to be forced into the traffic because
we can no longer issue tickets for blocking sidewalks," said Geggie.