by Bruce Allison/PNN

While the other newspapers are talking about the city's "budget problem," this reporter will verify 10 things the city is doing that are absolutely FLUFF. The number one fluff in the city are Fire Captains that are called "Commanders". There are ten of them. Each one has three chauffeurs that drive them to fires. According to city rules and regulations, all firefighters must have a driver's license. Instead, they are using the chauffeurs at a total of $100,000 a driver. The city employs 30 of them, costing 3 million dollars. This is written into the union contract. To all writers interested, write the fire fighters union and demand that the president of the union give back the money that could be used to save the SRO collaboratives, who provide services to low-income tenants in residential hotels.The money could help feed elders and extend the hours of operation to shelters so people don't spend eight hours a day on their feet wandering the neighborhoods.

The next group I want to talk about is the department managers who are paid $100,000 a piece. There are seven of these so-called managers--each managing one (that's right...one) person. With 700,000 dollars you can have meals and housing for the poor instead of these managers who paid to get their job.

Last is the overtime in the police department. They spend this time putting up signs on telephone poles or directing traffic during parades. These jobs can be done by lower paid positions--meter maids can direct traffic and the department of public works (DPW) can hang their own signs! If these jobs were done by DPW it would cost half as much as a police officer who should be saving somebody's life. This would save $30 million dollars. That money could be used to reopen clinics, and to provide extended hours to help more people. It could be used to reopen the mental health center to give proper treatment to those in need rather than imprisonment.

If more information comes to me through my sources, Mr. Newsom, you can get a hold of me at bruce94103@gmail.com.

by RAM / Ruyata A. McGlothin

People speaking up, seemed not to matter
People speaking, I seen no one scatter
People was speaking up, when I thought we had her
I was nervous with my heart hella beating
When I said my speech, I thought were they even looking at me?
They just sat and stared
Passed back and fourth, some funny looking glares
While Alameda residents spoke about their fears
"You want our money going where?
You want our money going there?
My whole families share?"
So many of us unaware
This aint enough even for us to live
At least what is ours should be given
And what about my kids
And now you cutting off
General Assistance is all I got
That is how I must pay the rents month
And the food to cook in the kettle pots
Something left for the people~
The system is seeming not

I am a father of two children and am receiving General Assistance (GA). On June
8th and 9th, 2009, I attended a hearing on the cuts to G.A. proposed by the
Alameda County Board of Supervisors. They are planning to cut General
Assistance to only three months every year, a whooping 75% decrease
affecting thousands of unemployed workers living in poverty.

In addition to leaving recipients without aid for nine months in a year, the proposal also includes reducing all G.A. grants
by $40.00 every month for people without MediCal and further reducing grants
by up to 25% for people who share housing. These severe cuts would affect
over 7,000 Alameda County community members who are currently facing
unemployment in one of the nation's worst recessions.

In 1997, Alameda County imposed a time limit on General Assistance. The county saw an increase in hunger, crime, homelessness and housing
instability. According to a study prepared for the Alameda County Social
Services Agency on the impact of time limits on G.A., 29% of recipients
surveyed were forced to move after losing aid and 20% became homeless. 53%
reported that they went hungry for at least one day a week and only 8%
reported finding full-time employment after losing their benefits.

During the hearing on Tuesday, June 9, 2009, the council members took a
vote. Nate Miley and Keith Carson voted against; Alice Bitker, Gail Steele
and Steve Haggerty voted for this catastrophe to be placed in our system.

"In the biggest recession since World War II, it doesn't make sense to cut
people off without a dime for nine months of the year," said Ed Barnes,
attorney at the East Bay Community Law Center. "These cuts are going to cost
us a lot more in the long run, in public protection, health care, and safety
net services."

"What does employable mean when there is no employment?" said Lisa
Gray-Garcia, former Alameda County welfare recipient, executive director of
POOR Magazine, and author of Criminal of Poverty: Growing Up Homeless in
America. "In light of economic downturn when there are no jobs, the idea of employable can only mean one thing: starve-able."

How can we protect children we cannot feed
Insure a future if our youth are starving
How are we going to.......

by Mari Villaluna Coordinator Indigenous Peoples Media Project of POOR Magazine/POOR News Network

“I’m from California, She’s from Oklahoma…”

“They found him Mari,” my Auntie Patti told me. Right away I knew what had happened, Uncle Willie was gone from this world. The month before, my Auntie Patti asked if Uncle Willie was here for the Ute Bear dance. I told her I hadn’t seen him. Right then we both knew something was up.

I first met Willie LoneWolf in the San Francisco Bay Area. He was a drummer in the All Nations drum group. I would see him at the Intertribal Friendship House, or different Pow-wows. It wasn’t until I made a decision to go on the Longest Walk 2 (to learn more about the walk go to… http://www.poormagazine.org/index.cfm?L1=news&category=35&story=2061) that Willie Lonewolf became my Uncle Willie.

Uncle Willie probably knew a million songs and sang many of them on the Longest Walk 2. He would drum late into the night, around the fire, or while we were walking and praying. Many people and I would sing backup when Willie sang. Everyone always gathered around him, and always wanted to learn from him. He built sweat lodges, and ran some sweats while we were on the walk. He also was our bus driver on the Northern Route.

When we got to Colorado, Willie and I both fell in love, with different people of course. He fell in love with my Auntie Patty, who always watched over me and took care of me on that walk. I fell in love with my husband. Uncle Willie taught me many songs and always encouraged me to sing, and would teach my husband Adriano different songs. I think they both had a common bond of being both Utes and with being on that walk.

I told a fellow walker that Uncle Willie was gone, and to pray for him. That walker just simply responded, “He was still supposed to teach me so many more things. I wish this didn’t happen.” Uncle Willie taught all the youth of that walk so many things about being Native. He even got called Willie Wonka, and we were his Oompa Loompas.

I remember him talking about his A.I.M. (American Indian Movement) stories, or just singing different songs he knew or would try to remember. The funniest memory I have of him was when we were going into a state park in Colorado. He was driving the bus and saw the police. He pretended that they were the calvary and we where all on horses. Every minute he would give a play by play of what was going on. I laughed every time I thought about it.

My dearest Uncle Willie, I am sending you a digital smoke signal to let you know I hope you have a safe journey crossing into the other world. I don’t understand why you left, and if it was even your choice. You taught the youth so much about being Indigenous on that walk. Every time I sing the Warrior song I will be thinking of you. Please watch over your Oompa Loompas as we will be singing the songs you taught us.

by Staff Writer

On July 9th 1867 the San Francisco City Council approved the first known ugly law: "Any person who is diseased, maimed, mutilated, or in any way deformed so as to be an unsightly or disgusting object... shall not...expose himself to public view." These ordinances spread throughout the United States. The last known arrest was in 1974. In _The Ugly Laws_ English professor Susan Schweik, co-director of UC Berkeley's disabilities studies program, discusses the origins and consequences of these nineteenth century unsightly beggar ordinances, showing how their dynamics--harsh policing, systematized suspicion, and structural and institutional repulsion of poor disabled people-persist into the present.

Schweik will read from the book and participate on a panel with Lisa “Tiny” Garcia of Poor Magazine and Bob Offer Westort from the Civil Rights Dept. of the Coalition On Homelessness to discuss current city policies toward people who are houseless. In addition, The Po Poets will share their scholarship through political poetry around the issue of criminalizing the poor today.

"Schweik draws on a deep index of resources, from legal proceedings to out-of-print books, to tell the story of individuals long lost to history." (Publisher's Weekly)

“Schweik delivers a compelling and insightful examination of disability norms, municipal law, and American culture . . .. She gives voice to the fascinating stories of the unsightly, the alienated, and the excluded. A valuable contribution for anyone interested in disability theory, poverty law and policy, and social history." Paul Steven Miller

Susan Schweik is Associate Dean of Arts and Humanities and a recent recipient of the Chancellor's Award for Advancing Institutional Excellence. A former Presidential Chair in Undergraduate Education for Disability Studies at U.C. Berkeley, she has been involved with the development of disability studies at Berkeley for nine years. She was co-coordinator of the Ed Roberts Fellowships in Disability Studies post-doctoral program at Berkeley (coordinated by the Institute for Urban and Regional Development).

by Tony Robles

Manong Al

Born in Fillmore Street dreams

Born in a pot of a adobo

Born in a bowl of fish and rice

Born in a river of patis

Born in tomatoes and chili

Born in a plateful of jazz

Born in sweet potato pie

Born with getas on his carabao feet

Born with ghettos in his black/brown

Brown/black mind

Born sucking fingers stained

With bagoong

Born in Sorsogon dreams in

His mother’s mud fish eyes

Born in his father’s

Fighting fists

Born in mud-caked

Bulosan Shoes

Born in Santos’ broken

Exile heart

Born in Miyasawa’s sad snow

Born in Ryokan’s broken tea pot

Born with black and brown

Soy sauce rivers on his tongue

Born with carabao mud

On his skin

Born in the alley with

Sorro

Campos

Ricaw

Punzal

Delfino

Villa

Rendon

Palapas

Born in the orchards

And in the campo

And in the rivers

And in the mud

And in fish tales

Swirling around

His Pilipino mind

Born sucking

Tomato beef chow

Mein at Soo Chows

On Post Street

Born in the rain

Of 10 thousand

Rice cakes inside the

Window at Benkyodo

In J-Town

Born on Trains carrying

Issei and Nisei to

Manzanar

Poston

Heart Mountain

Tule Lake

Amache

Jerome

Topaz

Minidoka

Rohwer

Gila River

Born on Pine

Ridge with

A red Lakota

Face

Born on Tatami

Mats riddled with

Cat dung and in

Sakurai’s mind

Crawling with roaches

Born in vacant

Fillmore lots

On door steps with

Musicians, pimps,

Artists, poets and

Prostitutes who’d

Ask: How’s your mama?

Born in Fillmore

Pressing poems between

White langendorf bread

Squeezing it into a

Ball, throwing it at

Nob Hill windows

Born holding a brown

Paper bag with a tape

Recorder collecting

Manong tears and manong

Rivers and manong eyes

And manong tongues

And manong hearts and

A thousand bursting manong

Suns

Born in the hollow

Of Mary Tall Mountain’s

Whale bone poems

Sharing bowls

Of good grease

(good good grease)

Born in Waipahu lava faces

Born in banana leaf dreams

Born in the strumming ukelele heart

Born in a humming banyan tree embrace

Born in the sakada’s bolo

Born in the Kali dance

Born in the Kris knife sky

Born with hands

That cry

Pilipino Ako!

Pilipino Ako!

Pilipino Ako!

Born on

Fillmore Street

Ifugao Mountain

J-Town

Nihomachi

Mission Street
South of Market

The I-Hotel

Manong Al,

Born in the

Faces of 10 thousand

Children

Born in a pot

Of adobo

Child of

10 thousand

Manongs!

by Teresa Molina/PNN Voces de Inmigrantes en Resistencia

Scroll Down for English

Yo soy una mujer inmigrante trabajadora, madre de cinco hijos, luchando dia a dia viviendo la discriminación por ser pobre y inmigrante en Amérikkka.

En Mayo muchos de nosotros, l@s trabajadoras domesticas, sabios de la pobreza y migración viajamos por una semana a Nueva York, con el propósito de hacer cambios.

Fuimos apoyar la carta de derechos de trabajadoras de casa o domesticas. Éramos como cuatro organizaciones de San Francisco en ellas estuvieron, Mujeres Unidas y Activas, POWER, Filipinos Por Acción Afirmativas y la Prensa Pobre; todos con el mismo propósito—de ganar los derechos que no tenemos las trabajadoras del hogar y los trabajadores del campo. Todas estas organizaciones somos parte de la Coalición de Trabajadoras del Hogar, y muchas otras organizaciones vinieron por todas partes de los Estados Unidos. Ya ahí, como 600 personas marchamos, por las calles de Nueva York. El sol estaba muy caliente, y nuestras caras estaban bien sudadas como si nos estuviéramos bañando, pero no nos importo. El primer día que llegamos a Nueva York fuimos a una marcha caminamos como por 2 horas, el calor era terrible pero la sed por la justicia y ser escuchados nos hace sentirnos fuertes.

Por dos días estuvimos tomando talleres. En el tercer día hicimos visitas a los legisladores en Asbery, como a tres horas afuera de la cuidad de Nueva York. Tuvimos que levantarnos alas cinco de la mañana para tomar el tren y llegar al la parada del bus, que salía a las siete de la mañana para Asbery. La mayoría de legisladores eran Republicanos y no sentimos mucho apoyo porque ell@s no apoyan mucho a la gente pobre trabajadora. Yo pienso que actúan como rasistas y no nos ven con buenos ojos.

Después de las visitas, tuvimos una pequeña ceremonia en frente de una iglesia con el propósito de hacer nuestra lucha mas visible. Los cantos y la unidad nos emocionaban de la emoción, tanto que ni sentíamos el cansancio. Pero la verdad estábamos bien cansados habíamos dormido muy poco y caminado demasiado, pero la sed por la justicia nos motivaba.

Nosotros aquí en La Prensa Pobre pensamos que luchando juntos tendremos victorias y seremos escuchados porque nadie va a luchar por nosotros sino nosotros mismos.

****************

Ingles Sigue

I am a hard working immigrant woman, mother of five children, struggling with day to day living and discrimination for being poor and an immigrant in Amerikkka

In May, many of us-- domestic workers, migrant and poverty scholars-- traveled to New York for a week with the purpose of creating change. We made the journey to support The Domestic Workers Bill of Rights (A1470/S2311). The bill would provide comprehensive workers rights: paid vacation and sick time, annual cost of living adjustments, one day's rest per week, notices of termination and severance as well as health insurance coverage. The contigent from San Francisco included representatives from Mujeres Unidas y Activas, POWER, Filipinos for Affirmative Action, and POOR Magazine; all with a common goal—to win workplace rights for domestic workers. These organizations are part of the Coalition of Domestic Workers, and many others came from across the country. Once there, we took to the streets and about 600 of us Marched through the busy streets of New York. The sun was really hot, our faces were sweating, as if we were taking a shower, but this did not hold us back. This was the first day we were in New York and we marched for two hours, the heat was intense, but the thirst for justice and the need to be heard made us feel strong.

For two days we participated in workshops. On the third day we visited different state legislators in Asbery, located three hours outside of New York City. We woke at five in the morning to take the train to the bus station, which departed for Asbery at seven in morning. Many of the legislators were Republicans and we did not feel supported; many Republicans are known to not support working class people and are racist, because they do not see us with good eyes.

After the lobbying we had a small ceremony in front of a church with the purpose of making our struggle more visible. Our chants and unity brought us emotions, so much that we did not feel how tired we were feeling. We had slept very little and walked a lot, but our thirst of Justice motivated us.

Here at POOR Magazine, we believe that if we fight in unity we will have victories and will be heard; no one else but ourselves are going to fight for our own struggle.

by Lisa Gray-Garcia aka Tiny

I just wonder what part of Re-thinking he didnt understand.. . I began reading an op-ed entitled Re-Thinking philanthropy by William F. Shultz published recently in the American Forum. From a quick e-glance at the subject line I was filled with excitement, imagining a critique of the rooted in slave/master hierarchy-becoming-seeds-of the non-profit-industrial complex- crabs in a barrel -system that-non-profit organizations barely survive on and compete with each other over crumbs for. But alas, no, I would be sadly disappointed as I read on.. seeing only a vague questioning of non-profit organizations who receive public money but don't provide health care to their workers.

The lofty title and the barely challenging thoughts left me wondering what part of re-thinking didn't Schultz understand. Isnt the notion of "re" anything imply that you will be asking the hard questions like, who gets access to wealth, how wealth and the earths' resources were stolen from the original stewards of the earth only to be controlled and disseminated by folks who have nothing to do with its labor force, its gardens, its oceans, its resources. How development is never led by countries and peoples called developing . How planning, dreaming, conceptualizing and strategic planning of money is done by poor folks throughout the centuries but that knowledge, those dreams, that scholarship is never valued for the complicated work that it is but rather is seen as unimportant only because the folks doing the strategic plans, the schedules, the budgets, the work-plans are working poor mamaz and daddyz, abuelitas and aunties and uncles.

During the first 200 years of the theft of indigenous peoples land, destruction of resources, and death of peoples and communities known as European colonization in the US the missionary ideals and practices of Christian Charity were replaced by the capitalist and patriarchal pattern of philanthropy. One of the earliest examples of philanthropists were benevolent slave-owners who took care of their slaves. From that frightening template of patriarchal domination, philanthropy was implemented by corporate moguls like John D. Rockefeller, Leland Stanford and Andrew Carnegie who used the process of giving away their money to appear as though they were caring about people, rather than just making profit while they sponsored, launched well-funded studies, endowments and created fellowships, grants and entire institutions around Eugenics, a terrifying fascist and racist pseudoscience created on so-called racial purity, eventually adopted by Hitler to rationalize the Nazi beliefs and practices of murdering Jewish peoples and disabled folks.

Philanthropy is only a tool,

But of course you cant blame philanthropy, after all its rooted in Euro-centric, Western values of capitalism which promote, demand and rely on separation, ageism, individualism, and self-determination to produce an ongoing supply of consumers, isolated, separated from their families consuming new couches, new cars, a separate set of silverware and dishes, not to mention apartments and houses. These values directly impact the programming decisions and priorities of an organizations development, transforming the agendas of well-meaning and sometimes even revolutionary organizations rooted in poor communities of color into programs that perpetuate rigidity and harm on indigenous, multi-generational, care-giving communities.

The results of these values impact on organizations include the creation of youth only programming for indigenous youth whose cultures value eldership and family, even to the harming of a communities cultural deep structure or the complete separation and de-linking of naturally linked cross-movements such as an organization working for tenants rights and organizations working to advocate for homeless families and children. These values also lay the groundwork for the punitive systems of harm perpetrated by the non-profit industrial complex.

In another emulation of capitalist values driving non-profit funding the same way as market shares determine the for-profit market-driven world; non-profit organizations are forced to pursue funding led by that years sexy initiatives. On more than one occasion at what I call a step and fetch it grant interview where the grantor decides whether you, the grantee's issue or project, is important enough to fund, I have heard the word sexy actually used to describe, poverty, disability, domestic violence, homelessness and global development. This process has only worsened due to the economic downturn. Large foundations are using the excuse of the downturn to fund even less, demand even more and widen the gap between communities in poverty leadership and who drives development decision-making.

So what would it look like to re-define development and fundraising? To practice what we at POOR Magazine call Revolutionary Giving. It would begin with the recognition that just because people have money, have inherited money, or have access to money and connections that they inherently have knowledge to distribute that money. Further, to understand that people who have struggled to raise children in poverty, take care of elders, keep multiple low-wage jobs or navigate multiple systems like welfare, education, social security and/or project housing, in fact hold a deep scholarship about the use and distribution of resources. Similarly, that values of caring, interdependence and eldership as defined by indigenous folks and folk of color arent just nice ideas but actually need to drive the core values of organizational development and funding initiatives for poor communities of color. Finally, to even consider a new form of philanthropy and giving, it must be cleansed of its eugenicist, racist past and redefined as a form of reparations that centers giving within the concept of reparations and the redistribution of the wealth, resources and land that was stolen from indigenous communities and poor communities of color locally and globally. The people who in the beginning of time were the stewards of the now very sick earth, who remain invested in its thrival and growth and who survive directly on its gifts and harvests.

Lisa Gray-Garcia aka tiny is a poverty scholar, welfareQUEEN, revolutionary journalist and the author of Criminal of Poverty Growing Up Homeless in America. She co-founded POOR Magazine/PoorNewsNetwork with her mama dee. For more information about the upcoming Revolutionary Change Session: Crumbling the Myth of the Gift, Deconstructing Donor Denial and Dismantling the Non-Profit Industrial Complex .. One Outcome at a Time go on-line to RPMJ Program Seminar

by Ingrid Deleon/PNN Voces de inmigrantes en resistencia

Scroll down for English

Muchas veces en el trabajo y en otros lugares, gente pobre y inmigrantes somos tratados mal y lo peor del caso es por nuestra misma raza. Esta es mi experiencia en mi trabajo, me tratan mal y me hablan con coraje. Llevo 5 años trabajando allí antes me daban 5 o 6 días a la semana, pero cuando yo tuve a mi bebe todo cambio. Me decían, ”Tu eres pendeja y estupida, por eso tuviste a tu hijo”.

Cuando supieron que yo estaba embarazada me dijeron que lo abortara y que ellos me acompañaban al hospital, pero yo no quise y entonces ellos cambiaron conmigo y me empezaron a tratar mal.

Los domingos yo dejaba a mi hijo en la iglesia desde las 10:30am y lo recogía a las 6 de la tarde. Dejaba a mi hijo allí porque la señora es Evangélica, pensando que me lo iba a cuidar mejor, pero ella no le cambiaba el pañal todo el día y se escaldaba y asta le sangraban las nalguitas. Yo le dije a mi patrón que me cambiaran el día, para poder cuidar a mi hijo, les dije que me mandaran a su otra pues ellos tienen otra locación en el centro de San Francisco. Me lo negaron diciendo que allí solo profesionales trabajan y si no puedes venir los domingos mejor me daban tres días envés de los cuatro. Yo trate de razonar con ellos, diciendo que no era por mi si no por mi bebe, pero ellos dijeron que no les importaba.

Han metido a mas gente, hasta recibieron a una señora que no sabe nada sobre el trabajo. La tienen trabajando en el centro. Yo me doy cuenta que ellos le dieron mis horas y a mi solo me dejaron con 3 o 2 días.

Yo pedí un aumento de salario un día, y me dijeron, “si quieres mas esta bien pero solo te vamos a dar un día porque tu no haces nada”.

Yo veo que los que trabajan allí trabajan bien despacio y ellos están felices solo porque esta gente tienen papeles y pusieron a nombre de una señora sus carros.

Cuando yo llego 2 o 3 minutos tarde ellos me descuentan media hora y a los demás ellos los van a traer a sus casas y les pagan completa sus horas.

Por cualquier cosa ellos me dicen, “es que tu eres bien india, se te nota que eres de un nivel bajo.”

Si yo les digo, “ustedes también porque alguien que a estudiado jamás humilla a los demás”.

Luego me dicen, “cállate igualada! Si quieres tu trabajo bueno aguanta, si no vete. Total hay gente que si quiere trabajar y por menos dinero”.

Pero uno de los que trabaja allí me dijo que a todos les paga $15 la hora pero yo les dije, ”yo se que a todos les paga mas, págueme aunque sea 25 centavos mas” Y me dijeron, ”no se puede porque no hay trabajo”.

Yo me doy cuenta que en 5 minutos yo arreglo un pantalón del ruedo y ellos cobran $12 por cada uno, pero si yo digo algo luego me quieren correr. No tengo otro trabajo, so me las aguanto. Solo lloro y lloro, pero no puedo hacer nada. Me duele mas porque ellos son Latinos y si ello me tratan mal que puedo esperar de los demás.

*********Ingles Sigue..

Many times in the workplace and beyond, poor migrant peoples are treated badly and to make it worse, it comes from our own communities, our own race. This is my experience at my job, they treat me bad and talk to me with rage. I have five years working for them. Before, they used to employ me five to six days a week, but after I had my baby, everything changed.

They would tell me, “You're dumb and stupid, that’s why you had a child”.

When they found out I was pregnant they told me to abort the baby, that they would even go with me to the hospital. However, I did not want to, which is when they started treating me badly.

On Sundays, I would leave my child at church from 10:30am until 6pm when I would get off work. I left my child there because the woman was Evangelical. I thought that my son would be safe, but this woman never changed my son’s diaper; he got rashes that bled. I asked my boss to change my day, so that I would be able to care for my child. I asked them to send me to their other location in Downtown San Francisco. They denied me the request saying, "only professionals" work at that location, and if I could not come on Sundays they would keep me at three days instead of four. I tried reasoning with them, saying that it is not for me, but for my baby, but they said they did not care.

They hired more workers, even a woman who has no experience and knows nothing about the work. They have her working in the Downtown location. I realized that they gave her my hours and left me with three or two days.

I requested a raise one day. They told me, “okay if you want more money, we can give it to you, but I am just going to give you one day, because you do not do anything”.

However, those that work there do their tasks very slowly, but they do not complain because these people have documentation and have cars under the boss’ name.

When I come two or three minutes late, they take away half an hour of my pay, yet with the others, they pick them up at their doorsteps and pay them full time. For some reason they tell me, “It is because you look very indigenous, you can tell that you are from a lower class”.

I responded saying, “Yeah, well you too, because someone who is educated doesn’t humiliate someone else”.

Then they say, “Shut up! If you want a job then take it, if not then you can go, because there is always someone who needs a job and will work for less money”.

I learned that they were paying others $15/hr, so I tell them, “I know you pay others more, but at least pay me 25 cents more”.

They told me, “We can’t because there isn’t any work”

I realize that in five minutes, I hem a pair of pants, they charge $12 for the hem, and when I try to speak up, they just threaten to fire me. I have no other job, so I take it. I just cry and cry, but I cannot do anything. It hurts me more because they too are Latinos and if they are treating me wrong, what can I expect from others.

by Bruce Allison and Thorton Kimes

I arrived at the Mexican Consulate in San Francisco on Folsom and 1st Streets, at 3p.m. College students, Mexican citizens, folks from Green Action, United Native Americans, and this poverty scholar were there to focus attention on a problem (which is putting it politely) that has generated plenty of heat in this country and is now making more south of the Arizona border nuclear waste and where to put it.

Yucca Mountain nuclear waste facility is full, and long story short the U.S. government made an agreement with the Mexican government to have American nuclear waste stored under Mexican soil. Shipped through Arizona to the northern Mexican state of Sonora, the waste is sent 100 miles south of Arizona (200 miles from Yuma) to the ancestral lands of the Tohono O'odham People, which were turned into a reservation split between the U.S. and Mexico.

The Tohono O'odham voted against accepting the nuclear waste twice, but the Mexican government liked the money it was going to get for saying Yes a bit too much, so the No votes were ignored. The waste is being stored near a spring, the source of a lake, according to a member of Green Action, the people don't bathe with or drink the water�-not because of the nuclear waste but because they�ve always regarded it as holy. Very holy.

The Director of Green Action said, "The protest was in several cities, including Phoenix, AZ, where the Mexican Consulate was locked because so many people were outside because of this issue."

This poverty scholar was at the front of the march, holding a banner for United Native Americans with my friend Juana. It felt strange for me, a man so white I make a snowman look black, but I also felt honored. We marched down Folsom Street, colonizing one lane of traffic. It was a bit nerve-wracking to be holding the banner with cars approaching.

We turned down one of SOMA's (South of Market Street neighborhood) many alleys, called Hawthorne Street, in front of the EPA, Homeland Security guarding the place, and had a rally there too. A woman from PODER spoke, saying that the Tohono O'odham have lived on their lands since before Europeans arrived on the continent.

This poverty scholar spoke when the mic was passed around. I apologized for my people�-as one who does not believe in the carpenter from Nazareth, saying that the dumping of nuclear waste near the holy waters is like peeing on the pews in a church.

We promised to return to pester the Mexican consulate and the EPA if this matter is not resolved and the desires of the Tohono O'odham are not respected.

by Marlon Crump/PNN

"Jailhouse Lawyers, we are learning, are often people of extraordinary firmness who fight for a law that rarely fights for them."

" Unity is feared...........isolation is favored."

--Politically-condemned, death row prisoner, journalist, and former Black Panther, Mumia Abu-Jamal in his new book, "Jailhouse Lawyers."

"This landmark legislation (Prison Litigation Reform Act) will help bring relief to a civil justice system, overburdened by frivolous prisoner lawsuits. Jailhouse Lawyers, with nothing else to do are tying our courts in knots, with an endless flood of frivolous litigation."

--Senator Orrin Hatch, former chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee in his support of the Prison Litigation Reform Act, in his opposition against Jailhouse Lawyers.

On April 24th, 2009 I had the honor of attending an event in Oakland, California honoring an extraordinary revolutionary,writer/journalist, author and former Black Panther. Today was his birthday. This event honored a man, who soundly needed no introduction from his peers and supporters, locally and globally:

Mumia Abu-Jamal!

This event honored not only his birthday, but his latest book titled, "Jailhouse Lawyers." Me and my family of POOR Magazine/POOR News Network attended this event, alongside many Mumia supporters. My family of POOR also purchased a copy of his book for POOR's library, while I purchased a copy for myself.

POOR Magazine has launched the REvolutionary Legal Advocacy project that in many ways is a jailhouse lawyer project outside of jail, working to bring accessible justice to folks caught in the Prison Industrial Complex and the non-profit industrial complex.

After singing "Happy Birthday" to Mumia, a candle-sticked cake was brought out for him. Tragically, Mumia wouldn't be here to blow them out.

Since 1981, Mumia has been wrongfully incarcerated for his alleged killing of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania police Officer, Daniel Faulkner. Despite his innocence vs. a racist prosecution, jury, and judge; Mumia was sentenced to death. The only thing that has (and continues) to keep him alive on death row is his voice, the voice of the people, and Almighty God that refuses to let him die.

Though many continue to fight to have him freed on the OUTSIDE, we at least got to hear him on a speaker. On the speaker, Mumia expressed his love for everyone in attendance to this event.........................FROM THE INSIDE!

"As Mumia has repeatedly pointed out, those of us who live in the 'free world' are not unaffected by the system of state violence, that relies on imprisonment, and capital punishment as pivotal strategies for ordering society. While those behind bars suffer the most direct effects of this system, its raced, gendered, and sexualized modes of violence bolster the institutions and ideologies that inform our lives on the outside."

Former Black Panther, Angela Davis in her foreword review of Jailhouse Lawyers.

"The law, as we have seen, is an elusive thing. Yet how can we say what the law is without looking at the people who wear the title "judge"? Whether one wins or loses in the wheel of fortune that is law, a definitive factor is often the judge on the case." Mumia says in Jailhouse Lawyers.

Jailhouse Lawyers reference those sentiments from above. It details how prisoners seldom receive competent, effective, or even adequate representation from lawyers in criminal trials.

Alternatively, they have to seek aid from inmates of self-acquired legal skills via jailhouse lawyer(or their own selves) who boldly challenge the U.S "Legal System" in spite of their incarceration, or retaliation from prison officials for their efforts.

The court system is allegedly aimed for the "equal rights and justice for all." However, the only voices often heard in courtrooms are the beneficiary-to-the judiciary.

Translation: The wealthy class.

"It is the will of one class made into a rule for all"
Karl Marx, quoted in Jailhouse Lawyers.

Many jailhouse lawyers, (many of whom do not have a high school diploma), are able to articulate facts relating to their own cases to combat the corrupt activities within court system.

Mumia chronicles numerous stories surrounding the experiences of those who faced incarceration, but narrowly escaped with the power of the pen, and the tongue of one (or more) like-minded individuals possessing self-invented legal minds. Like-minded individuals who were immensely unafraid, to divinely deter the injustices they faced in prison.

"Saving someone's life via pen and paper is a rewarding and unforgettable experience." stated jailhouse lawyer, nicknamed "Running Bear."

Mumia deconstructs the entire corruptive constructs rooted in the contradictive, confusing force that is historically known as American Law. Its callous vulture-culture continues to clash its claws upon the working poor, and the poor in general.

Mumia exposes the origins of these constructs from three men, who the U.S monumentalizes as its proud "Founding Fathers." One was wealthy, the other was a lawyer who despised the "common people" (the poor) and last but not least, was another man who was wealthy, yet complex.

Their names: George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, the nation's first three U.S Presidents, who stood in the forefront of America's revolt against the British.

He defines and explains the true goal of the "Prison Litigation Reform Act". "Like a thief in the night, the Prison Reform Litigation Act was attached as a rider (a usually minor clause attached to a bill) to an omnibus appropriations bill, and signed into a law................without a committee markup (a report from the Senate Judiciary Committee explaining its provisions) drastically changing the law and legal procedure."

This "act" was "snuck in" by former President, Bill Clinton in 1996. Because of this "law" it led to a destructive effect on the lives and liberties of millions of people.

Mumia provides a link regarding the "Welfare Reform Act" that severely impacted poor people (also enacted by Bill Clinton) and thus far beforehand, the U.S enactment of the "Slave Codes" during the slave era. Today, those very same "codes" are now "Prison Codes." Its true mission, in its fatiguely-facist form is quite apparent, given today's slavery/incarceration-industrial profitable complex.

Ironically, the roots of self-representation occurred during the American Revolution, where most English colonists despised lawyers.

In 1776, over a decade before the introduction of the "U.S Constitution, the State of Pennsylvania's "freemen"adopted a "Declaration of Rights" alongside of the U.S Constitution. In the words of the Ninth Article, 'In all prosecutions for criminal offenses, a man hath a right to be heard by himself and his counsel."

But the extreme crucial question from Mumia, as he said it best was, "What does it mean when you hath a right to be heard, when no one wants to hear you?"

John Africa, founder of revolutionary organization based out of Philadelphia called MOVE, rejects the system, and representation of lawyers. On May 13th, 1981 Africa and other Move members were arrested on May 13th, 1981 for allegedly implementing terrorist acts, by the means of bombs and explosives.

Over a month later during the trial, Africa had this to say to the court:

"Bombs backfire on the people that create them and all those that believe in them, because bombs are explosive, destructive, and corruptive. But wisdom is informing, and when you put what is right to a person, you ain't in danger of getting wrong back! That is the difference between what I use as my defense (my bomb) and what the government use as their so-called defense......their bomb."

This, among his many arguments led to the freedom of John Africa, and a few others of MOVE that were facing trumped up charges that would've led to a decade conviction of federal prison time.

In a tragically-ironic, twisted chain of events, Africa and eleven other MOVE members were brutally murdered, by the very terroristic means that he was charged with........... four years earlier: May 13th, 1985! Philadelphia Police illegally obtained explosives (including C-4) from federal law enforcement that killed the eleven members, which included women and children.

"Jailhouse Lawyers" talks about the overcrowding of incarcerated women. Central California Women's Facility (C.C.W.F) in Chowchilla, alongside Valley State Prison for Women (V.S.P.W) is the largest prison complex in the world. "And it is overcrowded." Mumia explains.

"With the growing imprisonment of women comes the need for more jailhouse lawyers to assist them." says jailhouse lawyer, David Resendez Ruiz. Ruiz helped reform the entire prison system that began in 1971, with a 30 pg. complaint and a courageous heart; despite prison official retaliation against him, as he exposed the plantation-equivalent corrupt prisons, within the State of Texas.

Mumia's book not only talks about self-representtion on the inside, but on the outside as well, In chapter four, titled "What about Street Lawyers?" He talks about a lawyer, by the name of Clarence Darrow, who in his 1902 speech, "Address to the Prisoners in Cook County Jail," sparked a wave of self-empowerment to the many in attenance of his address.

Darrow's colleagues, although in agreement with his speech, criticized him for saying his own words to "those people."(prisoners)

"Some of these so-called criminals are in jail for their first offense, but the nine-tenths of you are in jail because you did not have a good lawyer, because you did not have enough money to PAY a GOOD LAWYER." Darrow said in his address. "There is no greater danger of a rich man going to jail."

As I concluded reading Jailhouse Lawyers , I realized in some metaphorical way I personally identified with Mumia. As my mentor "Tiny" Lisa Gray-Garcia, and my family of POOR often refer to me as a "Revolutionary Legal Scholar" and a "Lawyer without a Degree; I often think back to terrible past events that earned me those titles.

Though I've never been incarcerated or arrested a day in my young life, a certain dozen members of the San Francisco Police Department nearly put an end to that accomplishment, as well as an end to my very life.

Exploring an alternate reality, when those police officers illegally stormed my hotel room, unannounced (in a "mistaken identity scenario") with their guns ready to open fire, many what if's come to my mind regarding the night that it occurred.

What if I had a gun (for protection purposes) and I mistook them as burglars? I could've shot and killed one or more of those officers, and they surely would've killed me. Even worse, what if by the grace of Almighty God's hand I survived those barrage of bullets? Who would've believed me innocent, that I was defending myself and my property?

Those of you who read this know the answer. I would surely be in the same political predicament as Mumia Abu-Jamal, himself. In the aftermath of my unsuccessful civil suit against the City and County of San Francisco (as a self-represented party) I became self-fulfilled with the knowledge of how the law, its "system" and the process "really works."

What was additionally-inspiring is at the end of the book in the appendix section; handwritten photo-copied petitions and documents, by the jailhouse lawyers themselves.

This shows the tenacity and willpower of one so driven to receive their justice so badly, they'll do things themselves. Skill vs will, and/or the incorporation of both. As a living testimony of crafting legal pleading papers, citing proper legal authorities, and complying with the paper filing processes, I can second those sentiments.

Reading Jailhouse Lawyers proved many things to me, and to the world of one's remarkable ability of self-representation, and self-empowerment for those that seek justice, un-misguided by fraudulent lawyer representation.

Whether people are incarcerated or not, the following empowering words could be heard:

.THERE IS ONE FORM OF ACTION, BUT WE ARE THE TRUE CIVIL ACTION!

.THEY DECREE THE LAW, BUT WE ARE THE TRUE MOTION TO THAT LAW!

.IN PRO PER POWER.....................TO ALL PEOPLE!

And at the end of the day, they can tell themselves that NO ONE is really a fool for their own lawyer....................NO ONE!

"Men and women, often self-taught, have developed a tradition of self-less service and in some cases excellence, to serve the needs of society's dispossessed. To be one of that number has been a challenge and an honor to this writer, who offers this reportage to illustrate what transpires in the depths of America, the Prison house of Nations."

Mumia Abu-Jamal
Death Row, January 2009.

by Marlon Crump/PNN

"It means breaking out of the silence of crying alone!"

As I awoke, I quickly rubbed the sleep from my eyes, cobwebs from my head, and weariness from my body. I then checked the time on my cell phone:

It was 10:35 a.m.

I hastily ironed my clothes, and then I dashed for the nearest shower down the hall. After I determined that I was fairly cleaned and clothed, I grabbed my notebook and pen. I then headed towards 16th/Mission St, just four blocks away from my home at the AllStar Hotel. Upon opening the gate, I was quickly confronted by a chilly wind cold front that caused water to leak from my eyes, slightly affecting my frequent fast walking pace.

I didn't care. Today, I was running very late to walk a very important march that started at 10:00 a.m. Catching the bus or even the subway today would've further delayed me. Fortunately, a cab strolled in my direction. As it began to race the red light, I hailed for it to stop on the corner of the 16th/Mission.

"Take me to Justin Herman Plaza, please!"

Today was Saturday April 25th, 2009. This particular walk-then-rally towards resistance began to emerge on certain streets, here in San Francisco, CA. Aside from the many marches that occur here S.F, this was a soulfully-sensitive one. For me, it was spiritually vital that I attended this march to re-port and su-pport for the victims, survivors/thrivers.

For me and every around me in the universe, it was spiritually-incumbent that I walked this very walk towards my own path of healing.................... speaking as a two-time victim, survivor/thriver, myself.

(From a severe psychological perspective.)

Walking this walk meant not even having to have my own nightmares spare me on occasion. Regardless of race, creed, religion, poverty, privilege, etc, etc, we are all races and faces from many places to combat a destructive foe, at fast paces. We were all walks of life here for one mission, one goal, for one thing in mind:

Walk Against Rape!

Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful on finding the marchers. Despite my instructions for the cab driver to head towards Embarcadero St, and even instructing him to backtrack, by going over a block to Mission St, I couldn't locate the march. I sadly asked the cab driver to take me to Mission Dolores Park, which was going to be the destination for the marchers.

This was where a festival of healing in a sacred, solidarity sanctuary circle for all survivors, sympathizers, supporters and even for the pedestrians that would possibly participate.

After paying the fare, I headed towards the park, carrying my notebook in hand, passing the slightly increasing chilly winds, and pedestrians to find the organizers of today's event. I didn't have to walk very far in the park because they were setting up their stations inside the entrance of the park.

It wouldn't have mattered to me. I would've walked around the entire park if I had to, in spite of the gigantic perimeter of this park. This event was that important to me.

RAPE is one of the ugliest subjects of all time. Its definition often explains when someone forces another to have a sexual encounter with them, against their will. The victim is usually beaten, threatened, and even killed if they don't submit to their attacker's wishes.

Whether it occurs at home, schools, rest care facilities, foster care homes for children, hospitals, jails, places of poverty, places of privilege or even in public, the psychological trauma of the grotesque images of their attacker shamefully defiling their body forever torments the minds of the victims.

Such horrors can internally affect a human being's ability to function in their life. Even worse, a sexual assault victim can unwillingly become a rapist themselves if there is no intervention of effective counseling, treatment, or even support.

The most vulnerable victims are typically women and children. When you turn on your T.V, radio, read the newspaper, or even an internet online publication you almost always hear about such cases of women and children violated, nationwide and worldwide.

"Everyday, one in three women are raped all around the world," were the words of a woman on a late night television ad a long time ago. I doubt if that statistic has decreased since then. The children are the most seriously vulnerable, especially if there are no adults there to protect them.

Suffice to say, men can be victims too, although men are often known to be the most aggressive ones, of such an inhumane crime. No gender is immune from sexual assault, regardless of the gender of their attacker.

"Raising awareness of rape is vital to men and women," said a woman to me, as I asked her what today's event meant for her. She was helping her fellow band members set up instruments on a large stage. She was the drummer for "Pamela Parker" a rock music band who combines rock, funk, and soul with operatic interludes.

After I spoke briefly to the band leader herself, Pamela Parker, I walked around to speak to the supporters that would be participating in today's festivities. The park space for today's festival was circled with booths, and tables of many organizations that were in support for today's event.

Among them were San Francisco City College: Project Survive, Larkin Street Youth Services, Woman Inc, La Casa De Las Madres, Radical Women, Asian Women's Shelter, Hope and Beyond, S.F Women's Film Festival, Farm Fresh to You, Impact Bay Area, Free Battered Women, About Face, and numerous others.

I sat in a chair set up by one of the organizers and drank a cup of coffee. I ignored the icy nipping winds that continued to hit my face and the water that continued to leak from my eyes from those winds as I waited the arrival of the marching survivors/thrivers.

Though I didn't yet feel it quite yet, the spirits of all rape survivors across the world, the seen, unseen, heard, unheard, blind, deaf, alive and even the dead began to sanction the spiritual sanctuary of this vast portion of the park, as it awaited the arrival of the survivors and thrivers of rape.

The spirit of all the living survivors/thrivers on this planet, my very own mother, Victoria Crump, and the survivors/thrivers that were above in the sky with Almighty God himself, my grandmother, Elizabeth Crump, and the late great "Mama" Dee Gray (co-founder of POOR Magazine/POOR News Network) blessed the space as an ethereal inspiration of triumph over tragedy by blanketing the space with peace and love towards healing from...................high above.

After nearly a half hour of waiting, I heard the marchers approach:

"Walk Against Rape!"

"Walk Against Rape!"

"Walk Against Rape!"

I jumped from my seat to meet them. They appeared in what seemed to be the thousands. Men, women, children, a truck that provided entertainment of young drummers, and the San Francisco Police Department providing traffic/crowd control for the march, were moving rapidly in my direction.

"Hey Hey!"

"Ho Ho!"

"Rape has got to go!"

I smiled and kindly stepped aside to allow the stampeding marchers to take refuge from a long march as they descended into the park to unleash their demons by bringing forth self-solidarity, and unity for healing a traumatized community. As they began to conclude their journey of resistance, a truck carrying a youth group called LOCO BLOCO vitalized the survivors/thrivers with art of drumbeating.

A couple of youngsters from the Boy's and Girls Club also appeared, walking with the means of "stilts."

"Congratulations, you guys just walked three miles!" boomed a speaker's voice to the massive crowd that had now engulfed a vast portion of the entrance to the park. Those words by the speaker were met by our joyous cheers, yells, and clapping.

After moments of everyone interacting and communicating with one another, we all sat down to watch a performance by "Imani's Dream." I was joined by Evelyn Garcia of SFWAR (San Francisco Women Against Rape) as we began to watch the performance. Imani's Dream is a youth performance group that combines their styles of dancing with ballet, jazz, African and street dances. They're known to create their own world of hip hop dance culture within the world around them.

"When I dance, I feel like I am leaning on two shoulders instead of one" were the lyrics recorded of a one young man in one of their songs. Everyone and myself were in awe of amazement with Imani's Dream's unique abilities to blend their bodies with each song they performed.

Songs by Kirk Franklin, Erykah Badu, and the late great legendary rapper, Tupac Shakur spiced the flavor in their body movement flow.

The rape of people's cultures, rape of communities of color at the hands of governmental oppression, rape of indigenous people's lands at the hands of governmental tyranny, rape of the oblivious when they're stalked, rape of a person's rights to privacy when they're being watched, rape of people when they're wiretapped on their phone conversations, rape of a person's very own soul, and last (surely not least) the rape of people in poverty, is the Achilles Heel for my family of POOR Magazine/POOR News Network to do the work that we ultimately do.

We need to make some Changes
We need to change the way we eat, the way we live and the way we treat
each other
See, the old way wasn't workin, so its on us to do what we gotta do
to survive
Still I see no Changes, can't a brother a little peace
There's war on the streets and the war on the Middle East
Instead of a war on poverty
They got a war on drugs so the police can bother me
I ain't never did no crime I ain't have to do
But now I'm back on the track givin' it back to you................................

(Excerpt from the lyrics of Tupac Shakur's "That's just the way it is!")

"They are passing a law in Afghanistan that will allow husbands to rape their own wives," Nayla Raad, a volunteer of SFWAR informed to the crowd. A wave whispering of outrage regarding this hideous decree struck absolute disgust in our hearts.

Unfortunately for those women in Afghanistan, this is not an uncommon parallel of perverse practices by men towards women in foreign countries. In Haiti, women are raped daily on its very streets by its own police. For generations, many women have been subjected into sexual slavery, even by their own spouses.

Rape is not only about the attacker forcefully fulfilling their sexual desires at the expense of their victims, but it is also about their attempts towards dominance and sheer control.

"I want to thank everyone here for attending this rally," I said to everyone. "I too, am a rape survivor, twice in my life from a psychological perspective. I am very glad to be here. You all deserve to pat yourselves on the back, for walking all the way from Justin Herman Plaza to be here at Dolores Park! That, in of itself, is very revolutionary towards healing from internal pain and trauma."

I also mentioned to the many attendees that we are raped every single day of our lives, and most of us don't even know it. Rape can come in vast variations towards domination. Physically, mentally, socially, politically, and economically; many of us Walk Against Rape are raped every single day of our lives, consciously and subconsciously.

I see life from the outside.

You see life from your side.

And our souls meet somewhere in the middle of the fire.

I know love and I feel it.

You know love when you see it.

And our hearts meet somewhere in the middle of our eyes.

Soul Stretch, sooouuuullll brother...........

(Excerpt from the lyrics of "Soul Stretch" by Pamela Parker.

I sat on the park's grass with both of my legs cradled as I continued to enjoy the performances by numerous artists on stage. In addition, I heard many testimonies by survivors/thrivers regarding the ugliness of their experiences.

The arctic-like air continued to rip through the atmosphere as we all sat in soulful of solidarity. Suddenly, a poet performer's poetry exploded into the crowd unlike I've ever seen to date.

Staceyann Chin, a highly recognized poet, political activist, and the author of "The Other side of Paradise" literally took the attention of all of us, like an electrical thunderstorm. Miss Chin's performance of world-moving words and humor, contained enough mass and volcano velocity to potentially-penetrate Mt. Everest. Her words were loud enough to give sound to the hearing-impaired.

Nearly every single line of Miss Chin's poetry that flew from the her lips, seemed like an unleash of every single demon that tormented her since childhood. The flap of her arms, were as if she was Superman or Batman flashing a cape behind her in the wind, hovering over a villain.

The spirit of her performance captivated a delightfully-stunned audience, as she performed:

I am undressing in your vestibules
dancing
without your robes
you can no longer probe
the fleshy parts of my assumed purity
Look at me, Father
look at the veins pulsing solid at my neck
And tell me
Am I not beautiful?

(Excerpt from Staceyann Chin’s poem "The Prodigal.")

My final thoughts to myself as the festival drew to a close were, "Today's event was a monumental one for every single rape survivor/thriver, victim, dead or alive. Though we've all walked this walk since this horrible experience occurred in our lives, we will continue this war to Walk Against Rape."

San Francisco Women Against Rape provides free peer counseling, support groups, and advocacy to survivors of sexual assault and their loved ones. Volunteers are available 24 hours a day to provide crisis line support and respond to requests for medical advocacy. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted and you need support, please call (415) 647-RAPE.

SFWAR also provides presentations and technical support to schools, businesses and community organizations on how to support survivors, sexual assault prevention, sexual harassment, healthy dating for youth, self-defense and other related topics.

They provide 80 hours of training to hotline, peer counseling and medical advocate volunteers three times a year. SFWAR is currently accepting applications for their fall training. Women of color, bilingual/bi-cultural, youth, transgender, immigrant, elderly, queer, working class and differently-abled individuals are encouraged to apply. Stipends available for services provided in languages other than English. For more information, please call the business line at (415) 861-2024 or visit www.sfwar.org.

African proverb: "The ax forgets...........the tree remembers."

Maya Angelou, Even The Stars Look Lonesome., 1997.

by Queenandi and Thornton Kimes/PNN

Its hard to trust the sssystem. Its a doubled-edged sword. Me and my kids have reached out for help and we just get criminalized. It all started when I left the sperm donor and abuser of the relationship in October of 2007.

He thought he was Mister on The Color Purple.

He was perversely violent, promiscuous, and unfortunately not shy about having sex in front of the kids, with or without my consent.

Thinking about the girls, I had to go. I didnt want them thinking it was normal to be abused.

The sperm donor promised to make my life hell if I left, and that promise has been kept. Manipulating the system, especially the family court system, has been his M.O. (modus operandi, method of operation), and the judge has been more than willing to play his game.

My youngest daughter was in therapy and has been forced to visit him; she tolerates him, and it is plain to see her anger.

Her therapy has relapsed. I have to deal with her anger when taking her home after the visits, which used to be supervised. She gets dropped off and picked up from the Tenderloin Precinct Police Station because I wont go anywhere else to meet him.

Isis, my oldest daughter, gets into fights because other kids taunt her about being bi-racial. She had her unfair share of wounds to lick when she bumped her head on the juvenile injustice system.

Getting closer to completing the program, my daughter reported that one staff member in particular was acting like she wanted to keep her there longer, testing her limits and taking points and privileges away from her.

Isis called one day, upset, feeling like she would rather be in juvenile hall.

Why would she work so hard to get so close to freedom from these people only to screw up? No one on staff would admit that any of them were provoking her. Why do this? Their job is to be a support system, to help kids learn to cope with their reality, not to make it harder.

Every time I talk to a staff member on the phone, they are polite and everything is all right. But it isn't.

Im not the kind of parent who acts like the kid is out of sight, out of mind when she isn't home.

I am interested in her day-to-day life, I am interested in how she is being treated, Im interested in why the state wants more money from my poor family when I know that this institution already gets a check for her.

Im interested in getting her home and out of the sssystem.

by Joseph Bolden

Poli Econo Panic Patch
My appologies folks, I’ve been ill, well, sick again, followed by wellness.

I pray if I were infected by swine flu and recovered have had enough anti bodies against the virus to remain healthy. (if not I don’t want to know what I’ve survived so far!)

Anybody else miss the May 12th deadline for voting by mail as I have?

The Special Elections on shoring up the National Economic Budget Cricis.

Voting on 1A to 1D. Like most people it may be inconvient but better inconvienced than go though this again every few decades.

Luckily its not the 19th of May and I can still drop off my vote at City Hall this Saturday.

Before the yammering about 1A through D I must loudly proclaim writing on political stuff is painful as peircing sirens waking you up from a sound sleep at 4 am in the morning.

Let me prepare for this struggle.

Its Special Election time… again Ballots Propositions 1A to 1E.

1A is Change Cali’s budget process limiting state spending increases
“Rainy Day” Budget Stabilization Fund.

1)Pro = Fundamental changes economically to the way things are done now.
2)Con = Do nothing and work with the system now in place.

Folks more into this know more than I. No matter what we must decide.

1B Education Funding Plan.
1)The Legislature and Governor can overide Tests suspending Prop. 98 which requires a two thirds vote of each house of the Legislature.
(Its already sounds more complex than it has to be to me)
2 Pay teactures more, less testing on them or students.

I’ve no Idea how I’ll vote on this but our future depends on an educated populace both young; yes our children need a grade A education they are our future but life long education for every citizen wanting and needing it should be our ultimate goal along with nationalized health care for all.
(But that’s just me).

1C Lottery Modernization Act.
1)Pro = Change and improve or keep it as is, our choice.
2)Con= Keep lottery the system as is; again our choice again.

1D Protects Children’s Services Funding Helps Balance State Budget.

1)Pro = Don’t know what to say except its up to leaders and us to close all loopholes to really protect our children until they can protect themselves.

2)Con = Vote no and hope children learn to protect themselves.

1E Mental Health Services Funding.

Temporary Reallocation. Helps Balance State Budget.

1)Pro = It is needed and must be changed, improved.

2)Con = Mental Health Service Funding is fine no change needed.

1F Elected Officials Salaries. Prevent Pay Increases During Deficit Years.

1)Pro = Money from deflated official salaries goes to working people who’s hourly wages go up to 23 to 40+ and hour along with benefits.

2)Con = Let capitalism work its wonders without changes to official salaries.

Well that’s the (1A to 1E) Ballot Voting in a Nutshell.

It’s more complex than the above but why hassle all this manure?

I’m going to be up early do my civic duty then leave the city for a day or two.

Because after this special election it time to relax, make love, and forget the pol crud for a few days.

Send comments to telljoe@poormagazine.com or poormagazine.org.

by Staff Writer

"If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with."

Michael Jackson.

I thought Thursday June 25th, 2009, would be a typical day............or so I (and the rest of the world) thought.

I went to the San Francisco Main Public Library, at approximately 3:00p.m to check my email. Before my arrival, I noticed that wherever I went, a certain artist's songs were blasting on anything that had a radio broadcast. The stunning reason became apparent when I highlighted the internet site publication of Yahoo News.

Then I saw it, the headline that solar eclipsed the world:

MICHAEL JACKSON DEAD AT 50!

"Jackson was taken to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where doctors said he was non-responsive."

I quickly got up from the computer and walked around. That very headline would've put me in a great state of shock, had I known him personally. For the rest of the week, his music continued to blast everywhere. Everything, his life, success, music, controversies, and the legacy he would leave immediately came out, like an overstuffed closet.

Like the deaths of J.F.K, Dr. King, Bruce Lee, Elvis Presley, and Tupac Shakur, before him, Michael Jackson's death left a stampede of shockwaves that still have yet to be removed, from people's minds. Though death is an assured reality for all human beings, he was always viewed by millions across the globe as an angelic being, for inventing heart-grasping music, and presenting his dazzling performances, far beyond the human anatomy.

For everyone that followed his career since he was eight years old, Michael Joseph Jackson was just that!

"I was a veteran before I was a teenager, "he once said.

After Jackson pursued his own musical solo career away from his older brothers, the legendary "Jackson 5" he earned the non self-proclaimed title: "The King of Pop." His incomparable dancing, moves, singing, gimmicks, clothing, and world wide performances would forever earn him that uncontested title.

The King of Pop had weathered the entire music industry with a thunderstorm that continues to rage, even with his now dearly- departure from earth. During the 1980s, his greatest (and the greatest) album of all time, Thriller, along with many of his other past and present albums and songs had universally-transcended Jackson far above his very own success.

He single-handedly ruled the entire pop music industry during that era. "There's nothing that can't be done if we raise our voice as one." This was an infamous quote by him that was stated at his memorial tribute. My family of POOR Magazine/POOR News Network can identify with those words based on the work that we continue to do, with our own slogan:

"The Revolution begins with I and ends with WE!"

An icon's icon, a performer's performer, and a pop culture folk hero legend's legend earned him the spotlight among many, forever. I told everyone that came around me that he would possibly have the BIGGEST memorial tribute that anyone in the world has ever seen.

I was right.

July 7th, 2009, 18,000 plus fans attended Michael Jackson's memorial tribute, at the Los Angeles Staples Center. An un estimated thousands more fans paid tribute to him outside, while millions more watched the memorial (including myself) on T.V.

Wearing the crystal white glove, his red leather and black Thriller outfit, t-shirts bearing his face or name, posters, and everything associated with Jackson's gimmick were what his fans carried with them, in honor of him.

Myself, among many fans and loved ones knew that he had touched the world to such an unfathomable degree, that this memorial tribute could be held every single day, and no one would still believe that Michael Jackson was really gone.

Among the many speaking participants, celebrities, performers, and highly recognized activists were:

.Singer Lionel Richie

.Singer Mariah Carey

.Singer Stevie Wonder

.Singer Usher Raymond

.Berry Gordy, founder of Motown Records

.Kobe Bryant, basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers

.Earvin Magic Johnson, former basketball player, and humanitarian

.Rev Al Sharpton, civil rights activist

.Singer Jennifer Hudson

.Actress Brooke Shields

.Actress Queen Latifah

.Rev Martin Luther King III

And as well Michael's entire family were there to say goodbye to him.

Queen Latifah recited a poem by famed poet, Maya Angelou, "We had him:"

He came to us from the creator, trailing creativity in abundance.

Despite the anguish, his life was sheathed in mother love, family love, and survived and did more than that.

He thrived with passion and compassion, humor and style. We had him whether we know who he was or did not know, he was ours and we were his.

We had him, beautiful, delighting our eyes.

His hat, aslant over his brow, and took a pose on his toes for all of us.

And we laughed and stomped our feet for him.

We were enchanted with his passion because he held nothing. He gave us all he had been given.

Guitarist John Mayer, performed one of Jackson's greatest hits, "Human Nature" by the means of his electric guitar. "I’ll be there" (One of Jackson’s hit songs) was sung by Mariah Carey, "Gone too Soon" was tearfully sung by Usher Raymond, " Will you be there" (One of Jackson’s other hit songs) was sung by Jennifer Hudson, "Never Dreamed you’d leave in Summer” and “They won’t go when I go” was sung by Stevie Wonder.

At the O2 Arena, in London, England the "Queen of Pop" Madonna paid tribute to the "King of Pop." Ironically, this is where he was scheduled to perform his next concert dates.

Smokey Robinson spoke the words of legendary singer, Diana Ross, and former South African president, Nelson Mandela, in their shared grief with the world on losing Michael Jackson.

Brooke Shields, a long time friend of Jackson seconded those statements, in her emotional address of Michael. "To the outside world, he had unchallenged ability."

While the "King of Pop" was beloved by millions, there were always the negatives that attacked his career. Being subjected to scandals, allegations, public ridicule for his numerous skin transformations, and being a constant survivor of childhood abuse; only motivated Jackson to work even harder towards penetrating negative public opinions about him.....................by the means of his very own voice and art.

"People write negative things cause they feel that's what sells." Jackson once said. "Good news to them doesn't sell."

"There was nothing strange about your daddy!" exclaimed Rev. Al Sharpton to Michael Jackson's children, as they sat in the audience "What was strange was what he had to deal with!"

Two of Jackson's hit songs, "We are the World" and "Heal the World" were sung, which concluded the ceremony. Those two very songs by Jackson closed out the ceremonial memorial tribute; sung in unison by a community that quickly crowded the stage to be living testimonies, of what message these two songs by Jackson really meant.

"Ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. I just want to say that I love him so much."

These were the words of his daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson. Millions, (including myself) that watched this tribute had tears in their eyes. Hearing this little girl speak about how much she missed her father, in front of the whole wide world, could've melted the hardest of hearts to trickle a tear.

A flowered, golden casket of Michael Jackson lie below the stage, as he was prepared to be driven out and be laid to rest after the memorial tribute. Days following his death, a picture of him was placed on POOR's memorial alter in honor of all our comrades, elders, and brethren struck down in their struggle for survival.

"Maybe now, Michael, they will leave you alone." Marlon Jackson said softly, as he stood alongside on the stage with Jermaine Jackson.

A summer's disregard

A broken bottle top

And a one man's soul

They follow each other

On the wind ya' know

Cause they got nowhere to go

That's why I want you to know

I'm starting with the man in the mirror

I'm asking him to change his ways

And no message could have been any clearer

If you wanna make the world a better place

Take a look at yourself and then make a change,

yey

Na na na, na na na, na na na na oh ho

Lyrics from Michael Jackson’s 1988 hit song, “Man in the Mirror” from his album, “Bad.”

by Tiny aka Lisa Gray-Garcia

"They called security to escort me off of school grounds," Margareta P., a mama and abuelita to Russell P, was relating her experience of advocating for her 9 year old grandson at his Richmond elementary school when he was being wrongly labeled as a special education student when he only needed ESL services. She related further that she gave up in her attempt to be a school volunteer at his school as she was required to go through so many system-based hoops just to apply. Margareta's experience is common to many mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, aunties and uncles when they try to step onto elementary, middle or high school grounds in districts across the country in support or as co-teachers of their children.

WHEREAS, R.E.A.L. (Reclaiming Education Access and Learning) Schools Now! is a family-led campaign to create district policy that revolutionizes the learning experience of young people of color, liberates teacher creativity, and re-imagines the role of community as critical to the learning process. - Excerpt from the Real Education Policy proposal May 2009

As Margareta spoke, my mind traveled to a different school environment where her words, ideas, culture, language and powerful voice of eldership would not only be heard but would be a part of shaping policies and curriculum for her son's elementary school. A policy like the Real Education Policy being proposed by R.E.A.L. (Reclaiming Education Access and Learning) Schools Now! family leaders with the support of School Board member Audrey Miles to the WCCUSD school board Academic subcommittee and then on to the full board.

After launching the REAL schools NOW campaign in December of 2005, families of children in schools in Richmond, San Pablo, El Cerrito and Pinole have been working together to re-envision schools and school district policies to actively work towards inclusion of family voice, family knowledge, culture and community support.

WHEREAS, young people thrive when teachers, staff, parents and students are supported in building strong partnerships in education with one another; and
WHEREAS, young people thrive when parents are welcomed into schools as educators and change makers.

In 2007 the REAL Schools Now campaign completed a study of teachers in collaboration with United Teachers of Richmond. The findings from this study uncovered the need for less emphasis on testing and scripted curriculums mandated by standardized testing models of teaching the more professional development for teachers and prep time to support teachers in their efforts to work with parents and family members, to value cultures different from theirs, knowledge gained through lived experience and even to understand education rooted in community vision.

WHEREAS, young people of color thrive when teachers are given the time, resources and support to create classrooms that work in partnership with families, connect learning back to lived experiences and cultures, and prepare students to become critical thinkers and leaders.

The REAL education proposal is a template for educational equity, racial justice and real systemic change as it begins the process to change the fundamentally harmful school and school district policies that inform Western, Euro-centric systems of education which have their roots in white supremacy and structural racism.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that District staff shall provide teacher training, supported by time for aligning curriculum, in the areas of equity, socio-political realities, honoring youth, youth leadership, use of facilitation and popular education as well as inter-discipline, cross-discipline and feeder pattern sharing of best practices.

Margareta finished her story to tell me that she hopes for change and sees a time when it will be different and that if the REAL education policy goes through she will try again to be a volunteer at her grandson's school. A school that is informed by REAL Education.

For more information on this resolution and the REAL Schools Now campaign call Justice Matters (510) 235-1578 or go on-line to www.justicematters.org

by Leroy Moore/Illin n chillin

Krip-Hop Nation: When and where is the festival?

Anna Pötzsch: – The World Music Expo – takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark from Wednesday, 28 October – Sunday, 1 November.

Krip-Hop Nation: How old is the festival?

Anna Pötzsch: The first edition of WOMEX took place in Berlin in 1994 – this year's edition is our fifteenth!

Krip-Hop Nation: How many countries are represented?

Anna Pötzsch: Last year we had over 2800 delegates from around 90 countries.

Krip-Hop Nation: World music encompasses everything from traditional to avant-garde and from acoustic to electronic. What kinds of music are represented?

Anna Pötzsch: The term "world music" is not a musical definition. It was introduced in the late eighties to help market "music from 'outside' Western pop culture" (frootsmag.com).

Krip-Hop Nation: When and how do you look for artists?

Anna Pötzsch: We send out a call for proposals at the beginning of every year. This year we received over 760 proposals submitted online via Sonicbids. A jury of 7 people then works on the selection for the WOMEX Showcase Festival. More on www.womex.com/realwomex/how-to-propose#showcase
And on www.womex.com/realwomex/jury

Krip-Hop Nation: Describe the award ceremony and the award.

Anna Pötzsch of : Last year for the first time we decided to present not only one but two WOMEX Awards, one to an artist, and the other to honour an educational institution. The award ceremony on Sunday 1 Nov 12:00 will consist of honorific speeches, congratulating the winners on stage as well as presentations of their work either through a film (> institution) or through a 45-minute showcase (> artist). The WOMEX Award statuette was created at a time when there was no such thing as Asia or Europe, black or white, First World or Third. The Award figurine is an ancient mother goddess statue dating back about 6000 years to the Neolithic age. It was found in Haçilar in modern-day Turkey and bears witness to the existence of a matriarchal society. Such a female goddess appears in many ancient mythologies as an initial primal figure, representing fertility and procreation either as the earth itself or as a mother giving birth to the world and all the creatures in it.
Supporting musical creativity and fertility, it is only fitting that the mother of all and everything serves as the symbol for our tributes in the name of the WOMEX Award.

Krip-Hop Nation

Anna Pötzsch: WOMEX seeks to recognize those who set the highest standards in world culture, who articulate not only in their music, but in their very lives, the richest values of our community," says WOMEX General Director Gerald Seligman. "Our yearly Award is neither lifetime achievement nor, necessarily, recognition of popularity. It is our chance to try to echo the motivations, the dedication, the principles and priorities of the artists and professionals who dedicate their lives to world music. In every way, Staff Benda Bilili sets the standard for such an objective. And there is an added value to awarding them for, in many ways, it is also the resilience of the Congo itself that we honour in recognizing SBB. The Congo has always been a musical powerhouse of Africa, supplying us with so many of that vast continent's greatest artists. It's so good to see the Congo back. And it's so wonderful that it should be back in the form of Staff Benda Bilili."

Krip-Hop Nation: Is this your first time having disabled musicians at the festival?

Anna Pötzsch: It is the first time that WOMEX presents a group with several wheelchairs on stage.

Krip-Hop Nation: By awarding Staff Benda Bilili, did you have to work on accessibility issues?

Anna Pötzsch: We always do our best to give disabled delegates access to our event. We have never had a band on stage though whose majority is disabled and uses wheelchairs – this is a new challenge for us. We will certainly have to work on the backstage facilities, stage access, etc, but are optimistic to get that solved.

Krip-Hop Nation: Do you think that the music industry have a lot to learn from Staff Benda Bilili?

Anna Pötzsch: What strikes most about Staff Benda Bilili is their immense creativity and courage. Out of a very challenging situation, being homeless and disabled in Kinshasa in "one of the largest and most dysfunctional cities in Africa" (Andy Morgan in Songlines April/May 2009), they have managed to launch a promising international career in music. The music industry itself is and has been in a very difficult situation with the old business model breaking down and the new ones still being figured out and/or their affectivity tested. What many companies need to survive this crisis is exactly what Staff Benda Bilili is so brilliant at: being creative and courageous in all respects.

by Joseph Bolden

50+

OK folks,its been a long while since I’ve been writing a regular column in Poor Magazine.

I left the organization for a bit,dj-ed radio for a time then it close down due to theft.

Recently I returned from Colorado, a friend I know there invited me and a few close friends to spend a few days their during Memorial Day weekend.

It was worth going and I’ll go again.

Saturday,June,6,2009 will be a milestone of sorts for me.

I’ll be 55.

Its currious that what I’ve missed out in youth; that is drinking,drugs, bar fights,marriage,fathering children,sex wasn’t as important as living/surviving through this hectic,warp speed decades.

So I missed lots of high school reunions, college,university,or undergraduate experiences and being in porn films…

(the latter still possible if a few lovely women invited me for a tryout,even if it didn’t pan out at least I'd have evidence of my go-for- gusto on a compact disk.)

Speaking of adult themes while at work I admit to looking at porn sites but also more important adult dating sites.

The four sites I’ve decided to go online and pay is a woman run website

Bangmatch.com,

Hornymatch.com,

Friend finder for
Adult.com,
and Senior Friend Finder.com

My problem: having avoided the HIV/AIDS quick–to-slow die disease.

I still want my dirty, raunchy,sex but with women clean as I am.

I'd show my sex-med card/paper they show me theirs.

Iffy or questionable clean bill of health= no shagging,snogging,muff diving,tongue lashing to be had.Horny,Yes but not worth dying!

I wanna live to be 56 and beyond.

Besides,I’ve got to prove to those believing in the sanctity and safety of marriage that single men can live long, vigorous, productive lives without the aid of a church and state.

I believe single males no longer need worry about being unmarried,without issue or with issue–just live,enjoy,and pace ourselves just as women naturally do.

Guys,you know they don’t know what they want because when we ask them to define it,nail it down, they get ambiguous and yes they’re more fluid sexually so what,the Gayells,straying into male land for a while to return to fem land again only shows never really doesn’t mean never just for now.

So guys especially straight guys who aren’t all twisty,bendy,and fluid relax be happy we know are limitations.

I know I like women whatever size,shape,A cup to ample triple H, XXX boulder holders.

I don’t care about men haters, basher's.
The-we-don’t-need-you-have-our-own-stash-flash ladies.

Let 'em join the The-No-WOMB-Men’s-club its probably a lonely group to have to gripe all the time anyway.

I have new endeavors like working on a Cruise Ship, visiting ports of call not possible at this time.

Learning Massage, Acupressure/Acupuncture so when I’m on board ship I have a good skill all sexes may enjoy though only with one sex to me is worth while enjoying

Learning to fix PC’s, stockroom, or data entry.

As a member of A.A.R.P. Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons.

Also as the middle member in the babyboom generation I see what’s ahead of me also those coming up.

Well, I messed up educationally, economically, but not in health so what to do?

Make money real fast, self invest, and or have other help me too and

lastly set up an annuity and with excess amount of cash

have 5 to 10 million or so in the bank, get a brilliant accountant and or economist

to get as high a percentage of money doled out to me monthly if I can and touch the principle living on a fixed budget.

Might as well buy an RV if I cannot afford a home.

The main thing is get/be stable and live the rest of my life traveling, fornicating with women that like that sort of thing and keep an eye out on life extension technologies.

One last thing, to all the women who’ve written me over the years and I couldn’t answer –

I live in a danger part of San Francisco I wouldn’t want any of you visit me in such a crazed place.

I’ll visit you where you feel safe in your own place or a hotel sometimes I pay sometimes you thing where all grown folk.

No state, gov, county, or nosey people have a right comment on it.

That’s what I really love about being 55 I can do what I want with whom I want and they with me its all completely our choice.

Although I’d still like to be in porn films like that blessed 79 year old Asian guy.

Now he is living his life his way!
Unless he's the oldest sex slave forced to bed women!

That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do live my life my way and for as long and I want not because of constantly changing rules.

Live, learn, love long, post death, chose life again.

For comments go to

telljoe@poormagazine.org or email me at

jsph_bldn@yahoo.com plus

deeandtiny@poormagazine.org

by Marlon Crump/PNN

Dear President Barack Obama,

I am writing this message to you and your administration in regards to a matter of National Security, where bizarre incidental events are occurring upon ordinary American Citizens.

These incidents involve unknown subjects who target their victims, by the following terroristic tactics in a perverse attempt towards unrelenting intimidation of implementing fear:

.covert harassment

.electronic harassment

.directed energy weapons (DEWs)

.organized stalking

Such acts have been executed by these perpetrators for quite sometime. These acts are though covert, they are not immune from exposure, for these cases are featured on numerous websites.

Through extensive research and testimonies from the victims, I've discovered very disturbing factors regarding this situation. This covert terror involves members of various organizations that practice hate, members who are possibly prone to insecurities of settling disputes, and even members of law enforcement agencies, nationwide.

To my knowledge, there is a class action suit pending to represent members of Freedom From Covert Harassment and Surveillance (FFCHS) an organization consisting of members who've been deeply impacted due to these acts.

In addition, there are support groups and counseling for victims who've been subsequently stalked and harassed.

I wrote an article online titled "Electronic Harassment" just two months ago. (www.poormagazine.org) I intend to write a follow up article regarding covert actions in the very near future.

My objective for this message, Mr. President, is to raise absolute awareness to you and your administration regarding these acts of terror that should be swiftly prohibited, from occurring and/or disrupting ordinary people's lives.

Notwithstanding, all the victims who are constantly covertly harassed and intimidated are urgently pleading for those who are responsible of such acts must be held accountable to the very extent of the law.

I thank you for your time, in your acknowledgment(s) of this letter, Mr. President.

Sincerely,

Marlon Crump

POOR Magazine/POOR News Network.

by Joseph Bolden

Living A Life

Recently my birthday had passed double five still alive.

It occurs to me that some missed opportunities, may have saved my life in various crossroads in time.

Nearly drowned in the Orchard Beach as five or six year old I think a woman saved me.

I didn’t see bright lights but didn’t feel pain just calm about it.

Volunteering for Viet Nam in 1972 or 3 at the age of 18 or 19 for the usual reasons of no jobs, didn’t, get away from home, to do something with my life.

Anyway volunteered at four branches of the military was turned down because of a lazy eye (told to drink plenty of carrot juice).

Being asked, “What if you are ordered to shoot a man?”

My first answer was a question “Why, what reason to do that?”

I guess that was the wrong way of answering a direct question because in the circumstances when given an order one’s duty is to obey without question any, most orders given by a superior or higher ranking officer.

From Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force to Air National Guard the latter is a given because of my eyesight.

I am gently turned down.
The exercise that involved jumping up and down.

I may have been too enthusiastic jumping too high and across the floor.

Oh well I know I volunteered so it’s one of those fate full choices that for anyone could change their lives.

Before that bad times in summer camp sponsored by Our Lady Of Mercy. Bright yellow shirt blue-green writing stenciled on.

My memory has pain connected because I was about to fight some kid.

My belly churns as I back up in fear and room then I’m stuck!

I had backed right into a rusty nail! Impaled, not knowing it while I fought.
Move from the place as girls screamed as red seeps out of me.

I though it was rain feeling wet and pain in my back.

A nurse at the infirmary said it wasn’t serious but gave me a preventive shot.

I still have small jagged scar on my back.
That wasn’t the only time

I was impaled.

Also speared in the throat after giving two quick,
hard rabbit punches to some guy who thought if funny to take my gym shorts down in public while outside on a grassy field as everyone was in gym class?

That’s why I rabbit punched him bloodied his nose.

The next day was his revenge as I’m speared in the throat.

Some blood looked worse than it was.

I always felt my voice had been changed because of that incident.

Girls, women, confounding mysteries always drawn to ‘em but not they to me so missed out on dances, social stuff, graduated but didn’t dance.

Traveled, bummed around Los Angeles just when a psychopath who road the rails and hunted houseless folk.

Safe in Joe’s working for room and board and later in the L.A.’s West End Skid row I would hear men mostly scream for help and wonder was it the
railway killer or some guy getting beaten up or worse because they got caught by a gang or someone just wanting beat a hobo or bum up for the fun of it knowing they get away clean.

Eventually while learning a skill I did find a woman or two taking a chance on me but as for the four letters word of love only three seemed to call on me.

As an old movie line says, “What’s sex without love?

“It's Just Sex, it's just sex.”

Better deal with the latter if the other isn’t meant for me.

So now I’m 55, there are still places to go, visit, people to know, and so what If I missed some things
I as a single healthy black male count myself as lucky in the extreme to still be alive at this stage of the game.

San Francisco is where I reside for now but that may change and its all right change is constant and I’ve tended to go-with-flow and not let too many things up set me.

I just pray to live a long vigorous, adventurous, live many good fem friends and guy buds as well avoiding old grim reaper, faking out Mother Nature for as long as science and technology will allow.

Any comments sent to

telljoe@poormagazine.org or email me at

jsph_bldn@yahoo.com

by Lisa Gray-Garcia aka tiny and Rhonda Patterson/PNN

"I was born here,". Mrs. Patterson didn't look up as she spoke. Her voice inaudible, lost in the cement, concrete, doorways, truck exhaust, honking horns, brick walls and glass storefronts of Downtown San Francisco. Her body, the color of earth and wind, land and nature, was camouflaged in long ago lost clothing, shredded blankets and plastic ware.

"Ms Patterson," I whispered to her as she crouched in a tiny closed liquor store doorway, "we are going to win this case, I promise," Rhonda Patterson, a landless African Descendent elder who has resided on the street at 605 Market street for over 20 years after being red-lined out of and evicted from her home in San Francisco, barely looked up.

It had been one week since Michael Hall, an attorney whose office was located on the 9th floor of an office building at 605 Market street had begun harassing Ms Patterson culminating in the filing of a stay away order against her. A stay away order that accused her of threatening him with violence.

For years Ms. Patterson had tucked her shopping cart tightly against the side of the building near the 2nd street wall of 605 Market street , until the Men's Wearhouse, the store that occupies the storefront there, with help from Mr. Hall, got an injunction against Ms Patterson, requiring her to move.

The morning she appeared in front of the 605 Market St building, sitting close to the curb, so as not to block the sidewalk, I witnessed Mr Hall yelling at Ms Patterson. "You need to move, you are blocking the sidewalk, you are a bum and just cause trash," First he took pictures, then he began shouting at her. Then he filed false charges. Pleading paper with lines on it. Lines and numbers and legal language erasing, eradicating, and butchering all humans in their path. .

"I'm not going to do anything about Ms. Paterson, I have known her for many years and she has never hurt anybody," Officer. Chiu, a San Francisco Police Officer told me while shaking his head after he was called out to arrest Ms Patterson based on requirements of the stay away order.

I first found out about the false claims filed by Mr. Hall, because I received a call from the hard-working maintenance staff at 605 Market St (who knew I was worried about Ms. Patterson's safety) They told me the police were called to take action on the stay away order. What then took place was perhaps even more jarring and confusing for me as a Prison Industrial Complex survivor and police terror victim. The first officer who was called out, Officer Chiu, refused to do anything and knew the charges were false based on his knowledge of Ms Patterson. He was followed by yet another SFPD officer who noted that the stay away order which demanded that Ms Hall stay 50 yards away was based on Mr. Hall's office which as the SFPD officer clarified, was on the 9th floor of the building and therefore Ms Patterson, was in fact, 50 yards away from Mr Hall.

In the end Mr. Hall, who owned the access to paper, land, phone-lines, Amerikkka Just-US, rental leases, time, organization, linguistic domination skills, etc, won. The 3rd and final police call generated four officers in addition to the original ones and Ms. Patterson was removed from her constitutionally protected location based on completely false charges that she threatened Mr. Hall with a weapon on the day he took pictures of her.

As soon as I heard about the false charges on the stay-away order I called several people in the community who work to ensure that unprotected peoples are taken care of, unheard heroes of the revolution who realize that we must work interdependently at all times to keep our injured brothers and sisters safe. One of these unsung heroes is Bob Offer-Westort who works tirelessly in support of criminalized, landless peoples at the The Coalition on Homelessness.

After my plea to the community that Ms Patterson needed a lawyer by any means necessary, Bob made several calls and secured the help of Sarah Barnes with the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights.

One week later Sarah and I found Ms Patterson in the darkened doorway of the liquor store several blocks away from 2nd and Market. I had told Sarah that we would have to meet Ms. Patterson outside as she was living with Poverty Trauma Stress Syndrome (my version of the Western Euro-centric Psychiatric Diagnosis of PTSD) and she would not be able to go anywhere, much-less a lawyers office. Sarah understood. She's got skills like that.

On July 1, Sarah Barnes, myself, co-editor of POOR Magazine and fellow revolutionary for the people, Tony Robles, and POOR Magazine staff writer and poverty scholar Ruyata Akio McGlothlin went to court to re-port and sup-port on the fake stay away order.

The court room was packed. Every seat filled. Every human silenced by the implied power of that space. The laws of Amerikkka Just-US built , promoted and adjudicated. While the fake solemnity of the courtroom purred along, there was an odd metaphor taking place outside the one plate glass window to the left of the judges bench. A large concrete crane moved dirt and steel and the remnants of a vacant building into a pile of rubble.

"She has been there with a large shopping cart for many years". Mr. Hall spoke first, presenting a series of photographs of Ms Patterson as she sat quietly on 2nd Street, of course Mr. hall never asked Ms Patterson if he could take her picture. Fleshing out the racist fetishized stereotype of the large and dangerous homeless Black woman. Mr. Hall painted a picture of a woman standing over 5 foot 8 inches tall weighing over 260 pounds with a loud, booming voice He proceeded with a laundry list of Ms. Patterson's crimes of poverty.

"She has a tendency to take recyclables and use them as sleeping material and leave them after she uses them"

"This graffiti appeared after she stood there. I'm not saying she caused the graffiti, but she has a tendency to attract this kind of behavior".

The crane moved up and down outside the window as he spoke. Biting the edges of the earth with every lunge. The earth, tired, quiet, forlorn, had nothing to say. No energy left to fight. Its strength long ago crushed

And then he concluded, with the saddest statement of all which he attributed to Ms Patterson, "She said there was no place for her to go and if she went she would take me with her".

It was at this point that the judge exclaimed with a certain amount of frustration, "Can we hear from Ms Patterson's attorney".

Sarah began by asking me as witness to the "incident"to describe Ms Patterson. I told the court how she was actually shorter than me, barely audible at any given time, had never hurt anyone, and like most people who are landless/houseless appeared large because she was covered in many layers of clothing, She then asked me to recount my recollection of the day of the alleged "threat". I described how Ms Patterson had never uttered any threats to anyone, much-less brandishing weapons at folks and the only "crime" she could be accused of is the crime of living without a home in San Francisco, that Mr. Hall had actually taken pictures of Ms. Patterson and harassed her without reason and that Mr. Hall had a history of doing that since he launched his law office there.

Outside the window the crane stopped pumping in and out of the earth. It seemed to be taking a break from its tireless destruction. And then the judge spoke, "I understand how this situation can be frustrating for you Mr. Hall, but I am going to decline this stay away order as I find there is no credible threat of violence".

There is no credible threat of violence. In those simple words, the fabric of Amerikkka Just-US, weighted by how much money you have, how white your skin is, how much credit you have access to, and degrees you hold from formal institutions of learning,, tore ever so slightly, and Ms Patterson, me, Tony, Ruyata and Sarah jumped through. We won. Ms Patterson didn't win land, reparations, a roof, proper care, love or respect. She just won the truth. The truth that she was a landless African Descendent elder who had the right, albeit not much of a right, but a right nonetheless, to reside houselessly on public land in one of the richest cities in the world

Postscript.. When I told Ms. Patterson about what happened in court she smiled, one of the only times I have ever seen her smile. And then very quietly she added, "thank-you". I asked if she would be willing to have me write her story and take a picture of her. And she said, "Yes," granting me one more smile. I felt truly blessed.