Story Archives 2000

by By William T. Hathaway, william.hathaway@ewetel.net

After the savage denouement of Election 2000 we can look back on a campaign that saw Gore sacrifice his principles and Bush sacrifice our democracy, all to the great god Winning. The final debacle agonized but didn't surprise us. With grim inevitability it stripped away the last facade of red, white and blue idealism. Five weeks of political thuggery made it clear that our votes don't count. Bush didn't win this election; he seized power through a legalistic coup d'etat.

We may mourn for Gore, but he wasn't even outraged. A true son of the system, he'd rather sink than rock the boat. Despite some positive qualities, he's not a genuine agent for change. Like Bush, he supports capital punishment, genetic engineering of foods, corporate globalization, and a military build-up. Economically, the two men differ only in the size of their trickle down.

To find the reason for this Tweedledee and Tweedledumb pairing, we just need to look at their mega donors. The soft-money moguls don't want us to have a real choice. Campaign financing shows us that the major parties are just two sides of the same gold coin, two modes of control by the corporate oligarchy.

The economic power base of both parties lies in the business establishment, and they represent two tendencies within it. The Republicans support a fiscal orientation aimed at preserving the value of capital by keeping taxes and inflation low. To them, a moderate increase in the number of poor people provides an anchor on the economy by holding wages and thus inflation down. The Democrats support a mercantile orientation aimed at expanding public buying power. To them, a moderate increase in the number of prosperous people enlarges the customer base. Each party contains more than this, but this is their economic core that keeps their leaders from acting against corporate interests. The alternation of power between them ensures that neither tendency gets carried so far as to destabilize the very profitable enterprise. Given this structure, the changes we need can't come from them.

Through ballot-access laws, matching-fund regulations, and debate policies, the major parties try to shut out other approaches. They're the only game in town, and it's now obviously a shell game with no winners except them.

They and the corporate media have also avoided an open discussion of their economic interests by riveting public attention on the emotional sideshow, the battle of winners and losers. Politics, like the news, has become garish entertainment for an increasingly ignorant populace: we, the people.

Both parties are now calling for restoring harmony, for pulling the country together, for healing the national wounds. But what they really mean is healing the wounds to the establishment.

For the first time since our defeat in Vietnam, a major crack has appeared in our two-party but one-purpose elite. As they try to patch that crack and restore the cosmetics of democracy, we can expect a media campaign to create good feelings about America. Hollywood will get into the act, as it did after the Vietnam war with films such as PRIVATE BENJAMIN, AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN, and TOP GUN, designed to restore the charisma of the military. The studio execs are probably already conceptualizing a hip, "mock the system at the same time you reinforce it" version of MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON. And George W. Bush will now play Mr. Nice Guy, dismantling only gradually and indirectly the few progressive measures that Clinton was willing or able to implement.
But the crack is there and it can be widened; a wedge can be driven into it and it can eventually be split apart, and this monolith of power can fall and something new and more humane can take its place. Otherwise the establishment wouldn't be trying so hard to patch it up and erase the memory.

Forty-five thousand ballots that antiquated voting machines couldn't read, most of them from poor districts, still remain uncounted in Florida. Paid Republican demonstrators interfered with the counting, Florida officials governed by Bush's brother refused to accept revised vote totals, and the Republican-dominated US Supreme Court insisted on enforcing a deadline that the law itself says is flexible. Due to this coup, Bush won Florida by 193 votes and assumed the presidency against the national popular vote.

We must not forget this! But most people already have because it's too painful.

If the Left can reach those who haven't and turn their alienation into radical engagement, we may yet see a ground swell of political activism that will force fundamental changes. Until that happens, we, the people, will continue to be the losers.

by Marlon Crump/PNN

When I think about the true meanings of “journey” and “destination” memories of my road to POOR Magazine/POOR News Network often race through my mind. Devotions at manual labored jobs with no future promotions. Supporting my family of four, with meager earnings, while living in Cleveland, Ohio. Going from one homeless shelter to another, until my arrival to San Francisco, California in 2004.

In between the hardships of homelessness, I found sanctity with extensive reading at the library, taking numerous G.E.D night classes for writing, and sometimes writing my poetry in the dark. There was always the need for me to feel the very words written from my own hand, created from my own mind. My passion for writing grew.

I began to feel my own words during my brief period, as a volunteer for the San Francisco Coalition on Homelessness, in 2005. On May 2nd of that year, I recited my poem that I wrote the night before, “Care Not Cash/Trash” aimed to criticize Mayor Gavin Newsom’s resentful policy to those receiving welfare aid.

For twenty nerve-wrecking minutes, I was here. Facing a relatively large crowd on San Francisco City Hall steps, with eyes gazing blankly, and news cameras glued to me. Hoping that I wouldn’t faint from the hammering of my heart, I summoned a subliminal will for a boost of adrenalin to carry me, even after I concluded my poem.

A woman in the crowd’s forefront smiled at me, as I stepped off of the steps. She had an easy smile, with the aura of a teacher and a revolutionary vision. “That was really great.” She said to me, still sporting that easy smile.

Six months later following the unlawful attack that occurred upon me, on October 7th, 2005 by twelve members of the San Francisco Police Department, I saw her again. She was “Tiny” Lisa Gray-Garcia, co-founder of POOR Magazine/POOR News Network.

Our worlds immediately collided as we both shared similar visions in literary art, media and access.

A year later, I learned from POOR what the meanings, and value of what a healing tool is with literary art through their revolutionary Digital Resistance media and journalism training program and later their POOR Press publishing program. After writing my first book, a series titled “Citizens & Civilians Over Corruption: Savagely Removed Occupant” I knew what I was going to give to the world, and much, much more.

To write about one’s painful experience through a path of healing re-introduces the fact shared by everyone at POOR that “writing is fighting.”

POOR Press Publications integrates the voices segregated from Corporate Mainstream Media, and its industry of Amerikkka affiliates, through the literary art of the POOR Press Authors, themselves. Each POOR Press Author, including myself, although experienced different issues we face and write about; all of us have one thing voiced to world:

Silenced voices are untold journeys in of, themselves.

“Taking Back the Land, Resisting Criminalization One Story at a time.”

Los Viajes: The Journeys, a bilingual (resisting linguistic language domination) POOR Press Publication that chronicles the journeys of scholars ranging from migrant, indigenous, poverty, and a revolutionary worker are detailed in this book, with their very own voices. Stories, images, art, and the sound of people crossing borders all over Pacha Mama (Mother Earth) are all featured in Los Viajes.

Courage displayed from Ingrid De Leon in her escape from domestic violence and poverty from Guatemala, and battling barriers to sustain a stable life in the U.S.A. are heard in her poem, “I am scared.” Prolific
poetry from Silencio Muteado revealing the horrors of how lavish lifestyles of America brainwash some undocumented immigrants into senseless competition in “What is the Amerikkkan Dream?”

The sorrows from a grandmother name Chispita for having to release her young grandson in order for him to be cured, while hanging on an ounce of faith they’ll be someday reunited with tears of joy in “From Oaxca, Mexico.” A poetic memoir from Tony Robles of his brief encounter with his grandfather in “Non-Returnable.”

“Should we go to San Francisco?” Told they could not have hotel room extension, labeled as “bums.” Dragging heavy bags while driving from strip mall to strip mall, gas station to mini mart, and then again. Terrified and unsure of what else they should do. Having friends, but no money and no hope for any money.

The mother and daughter team, “Mama” Dee Gray and “Tiny” Lisa Gray-Garcia, future co-founders of POOR Magazine/POOR News Network in “From Los Angeles to San Francisco.”

Other stories of the silenced peoples in Los Viajes: The Journeys shows its reader that the struggle from each testimony in this book proves that people in poverty continue to face have the opportunity of “Taking Back the Land, Resisting Criminalization................One Story At a Time.”

Filipino Building Maintenance Company
(Dedicated to his uncle, Al Robles.)

Tony Robles is a native San Franciscan, community organizer, activist, co-teacher, co-editor, and a “Revolutionary Worker Scholar” of POOR Magazine/POOR News Network. Robles ‘s book, Filipino Building Maintenance Company, drafts the reader’s eyes in this depth detailed novel, combined with poetry of his life experiences, while maintaining a father and son work/love relationship.

His father, James Robles, a janitor by trade worked for the City and County of San Francisco from 1977-1978 before deciding to become self employed, by starting what would be the “Filipino Building Maintenance Company” thus defying the workforce-apartheid of the U.S.A.

“The house of a janitor is supposed to be clean. One would assume this to be true because the janitor performs his duties with the sacred mop, broom, and toilet brush” A lecture once given to him by his father.

Robles’s poems present interesting themes when it comes to the reminiscence of their relationship, such as in "Broadway Chicken."
“Some of the best exchanges of words with my father came across the tables of Chinese restaurants. They weren’t really exchanges, my father usually did all the talking.”

Filipino Building Maintenance Company reveals to its reader of a father/son relationship, showing discipline, responsibility, the value and pride of hard work. It also shows motivation for entrepreneurship, and breaking barriers to future goals………..such as writing.

Untold Stories of Amerikkka

Silencio Muteado is a member of the Po Poets project of POOR Magazine/POOR News Network, a Race, Media, Poverty, and Migrant Scholar. A native from Michoacán, Mexico, Muteado was raised on the eastside of Oakland, CA.

Experiencing what most of the youth in poor communities of color endure, such as poverty, racism, oppression, and violence, Muteado realized where he was standing at: “The New World.”While living in a city with a high homicide rate, Muteado saw the bright side of the whole thing. He published his book through POOR Press Publications, in 2004 called Untold Stories of Amerikkka.

His book contains poetry (bilingual resistant to linguistic domination) that graphically details the indefinite immoral values of the U.S.A., such as slavery, war, poverty, violence, and the unrelenting attacks undocumented immigrants, and migrant people.

Additionally, Untold Stories of Amerikkka features graphic art and pictures expressing the impact of immorality from the U.S.A. has had on people. With the visual and vocal art instrumented by Muteado, Untold Stories of Amerikkka can be heard through his words as he sees the bright side of this country’s callous culture, “Rhythm was born inside the humankind.”

Life, Struggle, and Reflection II: Raw and Uncut

Kim Swan, a.k.a Queennandi X-Sheba, is a Race, Media, and Poverty Scholar, Po Poet, Revolutionary Rap Villain, of POOR Magazine/POOR News Network, a motivational speaker, and a “Super Baby Mama” mothering three daughters.

Raised out of the San Francisco’s Fillmore District, the “Moe” Queennandi is a formidable poetic voice for all poverty-stricken African Descent men, women, and children in general. All of them whom from which are daily chased by racism, police brutality, and Child Protective Services. (C.P.S.)

As a survivor of the streets, and the cruelties of modern day society, Queennandi’s categorizes these experiences in her second book released through POOR Press, Life, Struggle, and Reflection II: Raw and Uncut.
Her life experience is referenced to the title, itself. It is a sequel from her first Life, Struggle, and Reflection, as she puts it, “Black By Popular Demand.”

Queennandi’s book contain numerous poems, such as the need for urgent prevention of today’s ongoing problems, the oppression, disrespect of women, (Black Women in particular), angered feelings that follow as a result, and the massacre of revolutionary Black Men, past and present in her poem “Black Revelation.”

In “Have You Ever Heard of a Tale?” challenges the uncaring that Life, Struggle, and Reflection II: Raw and Uncut, would not need future sequels expressing its content, if people could change for the better.

Complicated: Moving into the light

Ruyata Akio McGlothin, a.ka “RAM” is a member of the Po Poets Project, Race, Media and Poverty Scholar of POOR Magazine/POOR News Network. He is also a “Super Baby Daddy” fathering two daughters.

A native San Franciscan, survivor of police brutality, and racial profiling, RAM has released his third book through POOR Press called, “Complicated: Moving into the light.” His book poetically envisions into the reader’s heart of what RAM’s feelings are in his world.

Into a world of internalized love, regrets from unsanctioned addictions, road to recovery, and memory lanes of pain toured through his mind.
Its very introduction is an induction of inspiration for those who are lost and unable to find their way in life:

It’s complicated
In recovery, in love
Poetically concentrated
If you pull, or if you’re shoved
Get clean, trying to stay
Shouldn’t mean to get away

Like its subtitle, RAM’s book inspires anyone who’s isolated into the dark to move into the light.

San Francisco County Jail Cookbook ‘Tu’: Attack of the Ass Clowns

Brother Y is a Race, Media, Poverty, and Disability Scholar of POOR Magazine/POOR News Network. He is also a frontline fighter on the “War on Drugs”, a formerly homeless veteran, and an advocate for medical cannabis patient’s rights.

Living in a Single Room Occupancy (S.R.O.) Hotel for a number of years, Brother Y experienced many encounters of harassment. From property management to police regarding his legitimate use of marijuana, Brother Y details these events in his second book released through POOR Press titled, “San Francisco County Jail Cookbook ‘Tu’: Attack of the Ass Clowns”.

A sequel to the first (released in 2008) he summarizes his resistance to the criminalization of marijuana, denied medication (while incarcerated), grievances made to uncaring property management and public officials.
Brother Y returns informing the reader that although the “War on Drugs” charges against him were dropped, most recently, his struggle continues.

He defines the “Ass Clowns” as being a landlord, a security guard, a police officer, a prosecutor or district attorney who targets people in poverty.

Brother Y shows the reader that the San Francisco County Jail Cookbook series he wastes no time exposing a recipe for disaster, as he concurs, “Time to get down to the meat of the matter.”

Non-Profit Industrial Complex: A Love Story and Other Poems

Thornton Kimes is a Race, Media, Poverty Scholar and staff writer for POOR Magazine/POOR News Network. He has also written poetry (some in haiku) for The “Street Sheet” a publication of the San Francisco Coalition on Homelessness. Before he joined POOR in 2008, Kimes worked at Goodwill Industries.

The release of his very first book, Non-Profit Industrial Complex: A Love Story and Other Poems, Kimes categorizes the elements in his experience of working such industry: “Nature, politics, love, weirdness, working for a Non-Profit organization, and Wizard of Oz imagery"

Kimes expresses his fascination for haiku and short poetry, in his book. He enjoys trying to say the most with the fewest words: "I’m not comfortable with longer poems, but that is changing. Non-Profit Industrial Complex: A Love Story is one of the longest poems I’ve written."

"We all live in Oz. Sometimes spectacularly strange, America/Oz feels like the Yellow Brick Road’s traffic signals are broken and we’re in a giant parking lot. Finding the way is a quest for more brain, more heart, more courage...”

A first and foremost informative piece by, Thornton Kimes, not foretold by many.

Ray’s Day

Marlon Crump is a Race, Media, Poverty Scholar and journalist for POOR Magazine/POOR News Network. He is also a Revolutionary Legal Scholar.

A survivor of police brutality and racial profiling, Crump earned the title “Revolutionary Legal Scholar” by representing himself in a civil suit against the City of San Francisco.

A prolific and talented writer in his own right, Crump has released his second book released through POOR Press titled, “Ray’s Day.” He reluctantly wrote this book to finally subside the demons (trauma) that plagued him and his family for many years.

Ray’s Day is a novel that brings its reader into a deep, dark fantasy world of Crump and his callous confrontation against an individual, who committed unforgivable crimes upon his family. Creative graphic details, in fictitious form by Crump, the reader sees the true objective of Ray’s Day when they hear his voice:

“I am ultimately hopeful that “Ray’s Day” will equal a new day for all sexual assault victims to cope with their pain with self-healing………...by the potent antidote means of creativity, arts, and literacy.”

To purchase any of these books on-line by mail order you can click on POOR Press on the left-hand side of this column.

POOR will also be hosting Mercado de Cambio/The Po'Sto' Holiday Art Market and Knowledge Exchange on Wednesday, December 16th 12-9pm at their offices at
2940 16th street 1 blk below 16th street BART in the Mission /SF- Books, Po'kies and Art from POOR Press, Po Poets, neighborhood DJ's, musicians and many micro-business people and artists in the Bay will be
available for sale and exchange!.

To register for the next POOR press/Digital Resistance media and publishing training beginning in January email deeandtiny@poormagazine.org or call (415-863-6306) and leave a message.

by Leroy Moore/PNN

Krip-Hop: Tell us about Heavy Load.

Heavy Load: We're a five piece punk band from Brighton, England. We've been together for 12 years. Three of us have learning disabilities (Learning disabilities in the UK means people with developmental disabilities like Down Syndrome)¦Jimmy started everything by telling his support worker he'd like to be in a band. They sent out an advertisement and a week later the band had formed.

Krip-Hop: What kind of music you play?

Heavy Load: It's loud garage/punk rock.

Krip-Hop: Name the members of Heavy Load

Heavy Load: Heavy Load is Simon Barker (vocals), Jimmy Nicholls (guitar and vocals), Mick Williams (guitar and vocals), Michael White (drums) and Paul Richards (bass)

Krip-Hop: Name some titles of your songs?

Heavy Load: Stay Up Late, When will We Get Paid, Farty Animals, We love George Michael

Krip-Hop: Tells us about your documentary.

Heavy Load: The film follows us for 2 1⁄2 years as we try and take our music to a more mainstream audience playing at music festivals etc and particular challenges that face each member of the band in their lives. It's going to be broadcast on IFC on 23rd June and then at cinemas in the UK later in the year as well as being shown on the BBC.

Krip-Hop: How long will you be in the US?

Heavy Load: We're only in the US for five days and for all except Mick…it's our first trip to New York City.

Krip-Hop: Have you ever played with an all disabled Hip-Hop group like 4Wheel City?

Heavy Load: Last year we played with a young hip-hop group from London who had learning disabilities and we hear great things about 4Wheel City. We're really looking forward to it.

Krip-Hop: Tells us Heavy Load's experience in the music industry.

Heavy Load: I don't know what the US is like but it's difficult in the UK. It seems to be a lot about money. We've had a couple of meetings with record companies but no success. But with the Internet we can do our own thing, release what we want, and there's no shortage of gigs so we're happy do everything our own way. It seems to work for us.

Krip-Hop: Name some other disabled musicians in London/UK

Heavy Load: We're just about to release a compilation album called Wild Things “ songs of the disabled underground' which is a project we've undertaken to gather together learning disabled musicians from the UK together on one CD for the first time. There are some really great acts on it. Ones to look out for are Beat Express (also from Brighton), Vanessa and Kick Me Ugly, Dele Fakoya, Dean Rawat and The Coasters. It's a really varied album and we're really excited to be releasing it. We'd love to do a US version if people want to send us their recordings.

Krip-Hop: Tell us your Stay Up Late campaign

Heavy Load: For years we'd been playing gigs at disabled club nights and got frustrated at how early everyone was going home.
We soon realized that it was because support workers were
only scheduled to work until 10pm at night so would want
to leave by 9pm so they could get the person they were
supporting back home . We thought this was wrong so we recorded a single 'Stay Up Late', got some money from the
National Lottery and set about raising awareness and
getting disabled people to tell their staff that from time to time they wanted to Stay Up Late â“ and that this should be their right. After all most live music nights don't normally end at 9pm

Krip-Hop: What is your next project?

Heavy Load: We're currently getting the Wild Things album out there and then we'll be releasing our second album 'Shut It' at the end of June. After that we've got various gigs lined up across the UK either to promote the film or the Stay Up Late campaign. We also organizing 'mixed' nights that involve bands with and without disabilities as it creates a great vibe with the audience and introduces the public to music they might not have heard before so we'll be doing more of that later in the year. We've had a lot of requests to play gigs so the film will probably keep us busy for a good while – we hope.

Krip-Hop: Tell us about the disabled rights movement in UK compared to USA

Heavy Load: There's some great and challenging stuff going on with websites like www.bbc.co.uk/ouch which has got correspondents discussing all sorts of issues. There's also a healthy self-advocacy movement making sure that people are able to have a voice and know what their rights are. There's still a fair bit of work to be done though.

Krip-Hop: How can people get in touch with you?

Heavy Load: They can check out our myspace which is www.myspace.com/heavyloaduk or go to our website
www.heavyload.org and you can email us from there.

by Queennandi Xsheba/PoorNewzNetwork

"Yes, I called em' (cps) and reported abuse and neglect, because I didn't like her!" The voice of new SF resident Sherie Lewis still echos in my ears as she confessed to me her part in the separation of Christana Martel's family. As we further spoke, she also admitted that she called the calworks department (Alameda county) and falsely reported that Christana sold all of her food stamp benefits on her EBT card for in exchange for marijuana, (that accusation resulted in Christana paying a HEFTY price) which according to (then) neighbors Mertis Bowden and Michelle Howell was a "f-ed up lie!", and that Christana kept "plenty of food"- Michelle explained to me that she was a guest over for dinner often. Ms. Lewis boasted on with her vengeance against Ms. Martel, attacks ranging from "manipulating" Christana's family members just to cause dissent, and too in one case, to win a frivilous lawsuit against a former landlord.

I stood there in awe as I literally watch this sista take sadistic pleasure in tearing down another sista. When I asked Ms. Lewis why, the sad and simple answer was that Christana was a poor mama. Far as CPS goes, people like Ms.Lewis whom in this case overstepped her boundaries and abused it (the Sssystem) tend to do this to "get back" at someone who was either an adversary to them, or out of plain jealousy. Either way, what is more than always overlooked is the children and their feelings towards being torn apart from their families, for no ligitamate reason other than their mama wasn't very well liked, or "crossed" by a certain individual. CPS "stands" for Child Protective Services, indicating that if a child is in immediate danger, or if the child is being abused, there is a hotline number to call and report such actions- granted. However, there are mamaz like myself, tiny, vivian and jewnbug who strongly believe in "Tribal Intervention" and the "It takes us to heal us" theory, which is unfortunately not practiced amongst all of the members of our tribes (communities), thus the results are tribal dissent, and definitely reasonable (understatement) mistrust for the outside Sssystem.

The impact of being removed from the home affected baby girl Destiny a bit more than her brothers, Dalevon and Deshawn. She was depressed, withdrawn and suffered from massive hair loss, but has been improving since Christana was given more time to spend with the children, and to see about Destiny's mental well-being. Why is this type of CPS abuse allowed to continue? The question remains in the "smokeblower", while mamaz such as Christana and myself ponder on non-exsistent penalties for folks like Ms. Lewis who abuse the law and walk away laughing, taking high stride pride in helping to break up fellow black families.
"Looking back at the Hassani case, in my opinion, placing the children in foster care isn't always the best option." Ms. Martel said. "If a mother is able- bodied, mind and willing, she should be given more access to resources that would enable us to become indpendent caretakers, rather than just snatch our children away from us."

Christana Martel is a single mother of four now, who loves her beautiful, talented children dearly. Fighting and overcoming a heartbreaking situation like hers took alot of strenght, and we @poormag call for others to press on, at the same time we commend Christana on her perserverance.

Ms. Martel is currently a supervisor at a popular eatery and keeps in close contact with her children regularly, since the children are with family members, Christana should have all the love and support from the family to help her and children repair the temporarily broken bond.

by Joseph Bolden

A Death, a town, one Play.

Last week at the end of May on Berkeley’s K P F A’s
Dee and Tiny radio show I finally did a commercial for
Ask Joe, He Don’t Know.

It is thrilling and nerve racking simultaneously.
I’ve always said I’m available for commercials be it televised, radio, or possibly internet.

But the first time blowing my own horn or
website it’s a near flop-sweat incident.

Here’s my second commercial [money can be made by doing this, right?]

Umm, a large part of it is from an email addressed
to me by the Laramie Project.

The Laramie Project WRITTEN BY MOISES KAUFMAN AND THE TECTONIC THEATER COMPANY.

Moises and company traveled to Laramie to interview the townspeople and see if there was a deeper story there.

After more than 200 interviews they came up a truly in-depth look at a town and their reactions to Shepard's death.

This is not the story of the killing, nor of Shepard - although clearly he is there throughout the story.

It is a look at a small t
own rocked by tragedy and their reactions to it.

This part of the email I received near the end of May. Date:Sun, 27 May 2001.

To:(Help Bay Area LGBT Families)
Subject:Laramie Project 6/9 Benefit for LGBT Families.

Hi Friends,
Dateline Berkeley-From: Our Family ourfamily@ourfamily.
org>Save Address.

OUR FAMILY STILL HAS MORE TICKETS TO THE BENEFIT PERFORMANCES OF THE LARAMIE PROJECT AT BERKELEY REP'S LOVELY NEW THEATER.
CALL 510-540-7784 to order tickets now.

We will have to return unsold tickets to Berkeley Rep soon, so please help us sell out the shows and raise badly needed funding to help keep Our Family's programs
and events alive and available to everyone.

THE LARAMIE PROJECT, HAS PLAYED TO SOLD-OUT AUDIENCES IN NEW. YORK, LARAMIE AND DENVER, MAKES IT WEST COAST DEBUT HERE. A few weeks after the murder of Matthew Shepard, Moises and

PLEASE JOIN OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR THIS EVENT
WHICH IS A BENEFIT FOR OUR FAMILY-THE LGBT FAMILY GROUP.

The proceeds from this afternoon and evening will go toward hiring some permanent staff coordinators to make sure OF can keep up it's programming and continue to provide quality
services to LGBT Families throughout the Bay Area.

**THIS IS OUR FIRST ATTEMPT AT RAISING MONEY AND WE NEED YOUR HELP. Please call some friends and colleagues and encourage them to come.

We have arranged ticket prices the best we could so that this should be affordable for many folks. It is a theater event, however, and good theater is not cheap.

We did the best we could to provide pricing at all
levels and hope that you will give at the level that is comfortable for you.

REMEMBER ALSO, THAT THE AMOUNT YOU PAY OVER THE MARKET PRICES OF THE TICKETS IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

Our sister organization and main collaborator, All Our Families Coalition,
is a non-profit org and is acting as our fiscal agent.

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE THIS A SUCCESS!

CALL 510-540-7784 to buy tickets. Call 510-540-7774 for more information.

SATURDAY JUNE, 9, 2001 FOR 2 SHOWS

Performance Times/Ticket Prices:

Matinee at 2PM:$50, $75*, $125* and $250**Evening at 8PM:$75, $125and $250

* Wine and hors d'oeuvres reception after matinee performance and before evening performance at 6:30PM, both held in the
beautiful courtyard.

** Reception PLUS Dinner (which begins at 6PM and will be a Berkeley culinary masterpiece!) and donor recognition in our newsletter and web page.

Dinner will be catered in the new major donor room at the new theater. It's a beautiful location and our caterer is the best in town.

If you can afford it, this is a great way to enjoy a relaxed evening of culinary artistry and first-rate theater! And I forgot to mention, it's a great way to support Our Family!

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS NOW BY CALLING OR EMAILING:

510-540-7784 or laramie@ourfamily.org. Leave the following information:

1) Name as it appears on your credit card (VISA or Mastercard)
2) Address that the card is billed to
3) Phone numbers, day and evening
4) Number of tickets AND for which show time
5) Ticket price you wish to buy
6) Specify VISA or MC and the NUMBER
7) Expiration date of your card Tickets will be held at the door and can be picked up 1.5 hours before each performance.

Your credit card will be neededfor id and your signature will be required.

If you need any further info, please emailLARAMIE@OURFAMILY.ORG.

Thanks to everyone who has worked so hard and to all of you who have helped by buying tickets.

We look forward to seeing you and your friends on June 9th.

That's it.. Now my column’s a commercial space.
this is a freebee, because killing of any human being
for not thinking, looking, being, like ourselves means.

We as a society, culture, global, racial, species have not matured.

As long as we make alien's out of our own human species we will not reach the zenith of our human potential.

SEE THE PLAY, DONATE, AND ENJOY THE FOOD FOLKS.

Hi, Laramien(s) I'm the Ask Joe guy again. I might be able to afford the one ticket maybe two.

However as to the rest, all I can do is pass on some kind words. OH, I may forget
the exact date writting the wrong one I appologise for that not cause I know I'll get so busy at work it'll happen.

I've heard the town of Laramie is slighly ill-at-ease... Their town will be in a spotlight and would rather all the fuss go away.

But Mr. M.Shepard, a young citizen's who's life is taken from him for his
Sexual Orientation is a problem for some of its citizens.

As long as certain 'Hetero's have psychological problems with it. To kill is no solution but a symptom of a killer,(s) heterosexual's extreme insecure unease of their own orientation.

Berkelely use to me my home years ago, I'd be nice to visit for this controversial play about an American's Town's private
reaction to something so public and tragic.

P.S. Money Orders is how I pay then cash in evelope or donation bucket, jars, or baskets (Its a church-give thing)

Hope this gets to you in time, I'm not good at email; I do pray you get this letter in time so I can learn from the play and with limited funds, give more than a buck or two.

Thank You for sending me an email. May the people of Laramie Heal quickly.

Joseph Bolden/Staff Writer. for Poor Magazine.

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

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

by Alex Cuff/ PoorNewsNetwork Community Journalist

Room 551 at 850 Bryant Street was filling up when I arrived for the Police Commission meeting this past Tuesday,
January 8th. Before it began we all stood to go through the motion of pledging allegiance to the amerikan flag. (I
was amused later on to look at the official meeting agenda and see that the Pledge of Allegiance was actually the
first item.) The reason I was there was to cover the scheduled hearing regarding the banning of SFPD practice of
consent searches. I was ready for a comprehensive report from those who are advocating the ban and accounts of folk
who have been victims of racial profiling. What I got was almost 2 hours of police-affiliated speeches on the
necessity and constitutionality of consent searches and less than an hour of personal accounts where folks have been
victims of consent searches.

A consent search is when police officers ask permission to search an individual, or the belongings of an individual, in the
absence of probable cause. Although people have the absolute right to refuse, most of us don’t know we have that right. Data
collected by the SFPD shows that the practice of consent search is used twice as often against African Americans as whites and
that the searches usually don’t find anything. According to an ACLU report on stops and searches of motorists titled "A
Department in Denial - The San Francisco Police Department’s Failure to Address Racial Profiling" the SFPD is failing to take
the issue of racial profiling seriously. The author of the report Mark Schlosberg, who was present at Tuesday’s meeting, states
"The department’s consistent failure shows the need for a clear policy prohibiting racial profiling and an independent auditor to
oversee the data collection program."

The first speaker to address this report claims "we didn’t see racial profiling as an issue until we saw a report. The data we
have is clearly flawed...We need to work to change the perception because racial profiling isn’t a part of the SFPD." He assured
us that by June 2004, all SFPD officers would have received racial profiling training. He said that the proof of racial profiling in
the report is flawed due to "statistical problems" or a problem of "technology."

Although it’s nothing new, I am always terribly dumbfounded that individuals and organizations that devote their entirety
to a specific topic such as police brutality, homelessness or mental health issues are not paid any mind by the state when it
comes to a remedy for the proposed problem. A great example is the Care Not Cash campaign victory over folks who knew the
"care" wasn’t there and who are veterans of poverty and homeless advocacy such as the Coalition on Homelessness and Poor
Magazine. So there we all sat for almost 2 hours while the SFPD took up our time and the Police Commission’s time defending
consent searches and the US Constitution while those who had experienced the intimidation and injustice of these unwarranted
searches, were given 3 minutes each to speak sometime around 7:30pm.

I was sitting next to Gregg Lowder, the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. The entire time before he went up
to speak, he was pouring over a document filled with so many red marks and scribbled out sentences that it looked like
anyone’s
worst nightmare of a graded paper. At the podium, he claimed that a consent search is a sound strategy for criminal
investigations because it is a psychological strategy that catches those who are guilty. He pointed out that a guilty person
thinks differently than someone who is not guilty so they consent to a proposed search. According to Mr. Lowder, a guilty
person will a) think they are too clever to be caught and consent or b) figure they are already caught and will win favor with the
police for cooperating.

Lowder apparently believes that in most cases of consent searches, the police are not using intimidation, threats (verbal
or with drawn guns) or other forms of coerciveness such as telling a victim that a warrant is on its way. He did though relate
that "the mayor is aware of this problem – nobody tolerates racial profiling, racism, certainly not in the police department." He
went on to say that the stats are wrong since the police didn’t collect the data they were supposed to and that "the mayor is
concerned about inaccurate numbers." We were told that a leading authority in this area, from Harvard…I’ll stop right there and
say, Who gives a shit what an academic from Harvard has to say about the relationship between the SFPD and the men,
women and children who are being targeted by them, in their own neighborhoods, as criminals? Stay in Cambridge with your
analysis – we are trying to address local topics such as the military-esque intervention of a fight in a Bayview Hunter’s Point
high school or the epidemic of youth who are sleeping in their cars due to HUD’s One Strike policy. These
issues are not quantifiable especially by ivy league numbers - they have to do with accountability of police practices
in SF and of oppressive policy effecting the poor, people of color, and disabled persons and youth.

Another SFPD affiliate remarked that consent searches are embedded in our law and social systems – we learn from our
parents that if we want something, we ask politely for it - which is what the police are doing when they seek compliance for a
consent search. When it was finally time for those who are trying to get consent searches banned to speak (the same persons
who actually asked for this hearing to take place) it was 2 hours since the meeting had begun.

Mark Schlosberg was given 5 minutes and it was said that each additional citizen that wanted to make a public comment,
would be given 3 minutes! Schlosberg began by pointing out that after an hour and a half, he probably wouldn’t be able to
respond to the pro-consent search rally in 5 minutes. He responded to SFPD’s "wrong stats" excuse by admitting that the
"unreporting" doesn’t invalidate the ACLU report but that it could be worse! He pointed out that we don’t have the data from
those officers who didn’t do what they were supposed to do. He also talked to the fact that among the persons who spoke
earlier about consent searches, some said they are used a lot; others said they are hardly used. He proposed that both of
those claims couldn’t be right…who could argue that?

"Plug the biggest loophole in the 4th Amendment – consent searches." These words came from our own Public Defender,
Jeff Adachi, who went on to say that if he had a dollar for every police report which said that the accused consented when the
accused denied the consent, he would be a very rich man. He said the 3 problems with consent searches are 1) most people
don’t know their rights 2) it’s a coercive environment (being stopped by the police) 3) it is ineffective – less than 10% of
consent searches result in finding anything.

Now the line of citizens waiting to speak their mind about consent searches filled the room and poured into the brightly lit
hallway. Ishmael Tarik of the Bay Area Police Watch, a project of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, took part of his 3
minutes to tell the overcrowded hearing room a story: The story was about Mr. Lies who was naked, and Mr. Truth who was
clothed. Mr. Lies steals Mr. Truth’s clothes while Mr. Truth is asleep. Mr. Truth who is now naked chases Mr. Lies around town.
The moral of the story is: When you see Lies, you’ll soon see the Naked Truth. After the amusing and palpable anecdote,
Ishmael’s clear voice of reason related that consent searches are inherently coercive – to everyday citizens who unfortunately
don’t know their rights (as I surely didn’t when the cops busted into my apartment and scared the shit out of me), a search is
clearly an affront.

Quentin Adams, an African American network engineer and SF resident, told his story of being stopped by 2 officers for
stepping off of the sidewalk and then back onto the sidewalk when the light was red. I can’t even count how many times I’ve
"jayed" all over town in the presence of passing police vehicles. I’ve never been confronted like Quentin was: he was asked if
he was on parole, if he had any sharp objects on him, he was patted down, asked for ID. They found nothing on him but he
was given a citation.

When he asked how much the ticket would be, one of the officers replied that the fine for running a red light is $170. The
only other interaction Quentin has had in the past with the police is through the check he sends each year in support of the
Police Activities League. Before he stepped away from the podium he commented that he doesn’t want to vilify the SFPD but
there seems to be a problem with racial profiling when a "computer geek gets stopped and frisked on the street."

A white woman came up and testified that while driving home she saw several police cars pulled over and they had 5 or 6
youth cuffed against a wall near 3rd Street. She pulled over to see what the problem was and learned that the cops found
nothing on the kids. Another time while at home, she heard sirens and saw lights outside of her house. Someone had been
pulled over. The cars were blocking another woman’s car who was yelling that she had to get around because her children were
home with a babysitter who was due to leave. The cops pulled her out of her car too. After the officers released both of the
victims she heard one say "It’s not even worth writing up but I don’t feel like getting yelled at." She commented that the
police actions are demoralizing for the youth in the city and although the police have no problem harassing the kids, she
knows of actual shootings that aren’t even investigated.

Although a ban on consent searches won’t eradicate the racism and classism that infects our criminal justice system and
fills our prisons, it is a start to prohibit racial profiling by law enforcement. I didn’t know that we have the right to say no to
police. If you are asked for consent to be searched, remember you have the right to say no! If you do consent, keep the
following in mind: the request for consent must be uncontaminated with duress or coerced stress; once consent is given, it can
be withdrawn; you can consent to only certain areas of a house or car – for example, you can search the car but not the trunk,
etc.

by Kaponda

The zephyr bored through the thin layer of protective
shelter and pelted the young lad as his eyes opened to
the dawn of another school day. It carried the noxious
elements of the naval shipyard to woo the uncorrupt
lungs of the middle school senior. Yet, Jimmy has
known for quite awhile that his generation has had to
endure the brunt of unfulfilled commitments by
virtually every institution of America.

The sparse surroundings of Jimmy's bedroom
bounced off his eyes through the mirror, as he
prepared to encounter another struggle at Luther
Burbank Middle School. In an effort not to frustrate
his schoolmaster, Jimmy had begun his journey at the
customary time. Looking at the abutting structures
from the window, Jimmy watched as his house
drowned in the distance, as the bus accelerated past
the density of drab houses. He mused over whether
anyone within that enclave of southern migrants --
from which he, too, is a proud product ñ- has ever
enjoyed anything other than substandard living
conditions since their arrival to the Bayview-Hunters
Point District at the height of World War II.

As he expectorated the noxious residuals from the
wind that had earlier swirled around his residential
community, Jimmy peered at a rodent, which bolted
off into a separate entrance of the Luther Burbank
Middle School. His eyes made a futile search of the
halls for anything that had not been riddled by decay.
The first battle for Jimmy will be to find a seat after
he enters his classroom, as there are not enough to
accommodate each student. There will not be a need
for him to check his coat because it will help insulate
him from the extremely cold classroom due to the
broken heating system. Jimmy has always focused on
completing his studies and passing his advanced
placement examination to continue his education at a
competitive university.

The substandard learning and living conditions to
which Jimmy is exposed may pose a threat to his
plans to further his education. For example, the
curricula offered at schools such as Luther Burbank
do not adequately prepare Jimmy for advanced
placement examinations. In addition, his problems are
compounded by a sense of inferiority, which affects
the motivation of a child to learn. These wretched
conditions were not hatched over night. Rather, they
are the result of years of Federal and State neglect.
Furthermore, these substandard learning conditions --
in which Jimmy must struggle to realize his hopes ñ
violate the laws of California, which require the State
to ensure the delivery of basic educational
opportunities for every child in California and vest the
State with ultimate responsibility for the Stateís public
elementary and secondary school system.

Neglect by the State of California to improve substandard
learning conditions in schools for people of color can be
traced as far back as the early 1950ís, when the majority of
schools for people of color were far inferior to the schools
of their white counterparts. The neglect of the State of
California to provide equal access to public education
regardless of race, color or national origin is rooted in the
May 17, 1954, Brown v. Board of Education, unanimous
decision, read by Chief Justice Earl Warren of the Supreme
Court.

In California, schools in economically disadvantaged
communities were underserved so severely that on May
17, 2000, the 46th anniversary of Brown vs. Board of
Education, civil rights groups and attorneys in California,
coordinated by the American Civil Liberties Union, lodged
a historic class-action lawsuit on behalf of students in 18
schools. The lawsuit charges that California has failed to
provide the "bare minimum necessities" required for an
education. According to the Complaint, the state of
California has allegedly "...reneged on its constitutional
guarantee to provide all students with at least the bare
essentials necessary for an education...."

The indictment of gross negligence underscores the reason
that supports the probability that Jimmy will never achieve
an education comparable to that of his white counterpart.
Furthermore, people of color in schools throughout
California have been subjected to the following conditions
as part of their everyday educational experience, according
to the Complaint:

• Lack of Materials and Basic Resources;
• Inadequate Instruction; and
• Massive Overcrowding.

California has recently adopted a system of statewide
educational standards. It entails a criterion that must be
satisfied by each student before being promoted to the next
rung of learning. However, ìofficials of the state of
California charged with carrying out educational
obligations have failed to develop or implement appropriate
procedures to identify and correct the substandard
conditions at the schools attended by Plaintiffs,î according
to the Complaint.

Furthermore, according to the class-action lawsuit lodged
by the ACLU, ìAlthough the State has established
academic standards that students must meet, the State has
failed to meet its responsibility to ensure that schools
provide teachers who are adequately trained to prepare
students to satisfy those standards, has failed to provide
sufficient materials to enable students to have a reasonable
chance to pass tests that measure their performance, and
has failed to provide facilities in which students can safely
learn the materials they need to meet the State-mandated
standards. In other words, the State has established a
system for education but has abdicated its responsibility to
oversee and superintend that system to ensure it functions.

Jimmy was not born during the decision of Brown v.
Board of Education by the Supreme Court. However, the
Board of Education of California continues to preclude him
from any hope of attaining to the same educational level of
equality and justice as his white counterpart. Through
sheer determination, Jimmy may be one of the few among
people of color who succeed in passing the Advanced
Placement examination by rising beyond the seemingly
insurmountable obstacles of inadequate instructions,
massive school overcrowding, too few textbooks, no
access to libraries, as few as 13 percent of teachers with
full teaching credentials, chronically unfilled teacher
vacancies, and substandard living conditions.

by Marlon Crump, QUeennandi, RAM /PNN

I am tired of being a slave. A slave that has to work with a broken body that’s sacrificed

Just to put food on the table.

A slave who had to lay to rest a demised family, disrespected by tha world

Gone forever without justice.

I am tired of being a slave to the kourt Sssystem, where my terrible cries for help falls upon deaf ears

Life tampered with and tortured before leaving out, laughed at and ridiculed.

As my rights are stripped from me easily, like a loose fitting garment.

If I can’t protect myself and my family, WHAT AM I? WHO AM I? Nothing but a empty shell existing for profit, robbed of something that takes a LIFETIME to restore-


MY WOMANHOOD!


Don’t I sound like a female slave, captured centuries ago??? And they said HERSTORY doesn’t repeat itself…

I am tired of being a slave, who at 7 months pregnant was beaten by officers Miller and Shea…

If there were no witnesses, I’d be dead in my grave.

IS THIS THE LAND THAT THE LORD HAVE MADE?

Shot dead was my unarmed neighbor just the other day. Now Oscar Grant lies beside him in a King’s marked grave…

But… ALL THE UNJUST SPIRITS SHALL RISE!!! To tell their stories through US!

POSSESS MY VESSEL!!! I am tired of being a slave… I just want to be!!!


QUEENNANDI09- ALL POWER!!!

by Nube FC

Scroll down for English

Sobre el sonido de differentes voces, realize mi identidad, soy raza, queer, indigena, y migrante pero estoy muy conectado con todas otras luchas. Fue un domingo en la tarde y hubo una llamada para la unidad de gente queer y gente que es assosiada con nosotros. La junta fue acerca de la muerte de un joven Puerto Riqueno que fue asesinado y brutalizado por un crimen de odio en Puerto Rico; discussiones, enojo, coraje, tristesa, fuerza, y fe estuvieron presente cuando nos juntamos y conmemoramos la lucha de gente queer de color en el cuarto pequeno para planear una vigilia el domingo.

La semana de la vigilia, Domingo 22, siguio con un dia fuerte en el east bay que seria capturada y recordada por la collectiv@ y fuerza de gente increible y companer@s en solidaridad retomando el dia con amor y lucha. La apertura fue presentada por un Abuel@ Apache (Mescalero) y Huichol llamado Benny, un residente, organizador de la communidad, y una persona indigena en la area de la Bahia. La apertura de la ceremonia abrio lo que fuera un dia increible de lecciones de defensa personal, experiensas, y memoriales para differente gente de la communidad que habian muerto por acciones de odio contra gente queer (lgbtiqq).

Cultivando estas experiensias y reflecionando estas battallas llamo a mucha gente queer en la area de la bahia, para discutir los temas. Un problema que fue presentado fue la criminalizacion y que encarselar a la gente no es sufficiente para parar las acciones de odio. Nuestra combinacion de identidad como gente queer, gente trans, gente pobre, gente de color, y otras cosas fueron causas por la que el joven Jorge fue assesinado por homofobia. Todas estas cosas que pasan en nuestra sociedad desde la musica hasta el medio es causa por la cual vivimos en estas condiciones, que hace que la identidad de un hombre blanco que es gay sea la unica forma de identificar a gente queer en esta sociedad. Por esta razon no podemos contar en el sistema judicio para terminar y resolver estos hechos de odio y muertes. Necesitamos cambiar con entendimiento de esto y presentarlos a nuestr@s communidades. Es acaso que traer mas policia, legislasion y encarlamiento es suficiente?

Esta demonstracion de solidaridad trajo muchas propuestas de resistencia. Una de ellas fue que porque vivimos en un systema transfobico y misonogista, la justicia criminal solo es una parte y forma que crea oppression. Este pasado Domingo 22 trajo solidaridad y resistensia con gente de la East Bay y con mucha gente de los estados unidos, atrallendo communidades y movimientos juntos.

Este evento represento la lucha que ha formado por cientos de anos entre gente queer, gente de color, gente pobre, y otr@s. Nuestra liberacion esta basada en solidaridad, fuerza, esperanza, y inspiracion atraves de fronteras y luchas. Y esta vigilia represento el principio de unidad y accion con la gente que apoyo la vigilia.

Ingles sigue

Through the sounds of different voices, I realized I am brown, queer, indigenous, and a migrant, but I am united among struggles. It was late afternoon and there was a call for unity amongst queer folks and allies. The meeting dealt with the direct action as a response of the death of a young Puerto Rican kid who was brutally mutilated and killed because of a transphobic hate crime in Puerto Rico; discussion, anger, rage, sadness, strength, and faith resided while we gathered and commemorated the struggle of queers of color and queers in general in the small room in order to bring forth a vigil that would lead to rememberance and resistencia.

The week of the vigil, Sunday the 22nd, took forth as a day when the east bay would remember and capture the collective force of amazing queer folk and allies taking back the day with love and “lucha” (fighting back). The opening was presented by an Apache (Mescalero) and Huichol Elder named Benny, long time resident, community organizer, and indigenous ceremonial person in the Bay Area. The beginning of the ceremony opened what would be an amazing day of self defense lessons, experiences, memorials for different community folk who have past away from this battle, and unity amongst the east bay.

Cultivating these experiences, and reflecting on the struggles presented to queers in the bay brought many discussions to be talked on. One of them is the problem that incarceration and criminalization are not good enough. Our combinations of identity as queer people, trans people, poor people, people of color, and other things that have singled out Jorge as targets of homophobia are presented to us in everyday matter, from mainstream music to a socialized, “white male” gay identity; because of this we can not rely on the judicial system to be an end to these hate crimes and murders. We need a real change strating with awareness of these hate crimes that present themselves to our communities. Does increased policing, legislation, and imprisonment feel like justice?

This demonstration of solidarity brought many statements of resistance. One of them being that because of this transphobic misogynistic system we live in, criminal justice is just one of the tools that creates systems of oppression. That is why Sunday the 22nd brought a day of solidarity and resistance amongst east bay people and around the united states, bridging communities and movements alike.

This event represented struggle that has taken part for hundreds of years amongst queers, people of color, poor folks, and others. Our self determination is based on solidarity, strength, hope, and inspiration across borders and struggles. This vigil represented the beginning of unity and action amongst those presented.

by Staff Writer

FCC’S 1 VOICE RADIO

Almost got away but a rare assignment is given to me.
Cover FCC’s [Federal Communication Commission]

On Thursday, Sept. 4,2003.

Folks, roving around media giants isn’t my cup ‘o Java however a Ms. Tejel a new intern was also to be there learn the who, what, when, why, and how at this "STOP MEDIA MONOPOLY – 9/4 NAT’L DAY OF ACTIONS.

After going in the wrong direction by bus, correcting it making it to 855 Battery Street at Broadway located Down town where KPIX-TV(5), KGO-TV, Fox News, and Alice 97.3.

With my wrong way mind-map corrected I quickly walked down side by side with a woman wearing black slacks and a black T shirt and pink lettering its peace/women’s symbol mix I hadn’t noticed.

Independent media’s Network Against Dis-information, CodePink, Media Alliance, Poor Magazine, Global Exchange, along with other Organizations in this joint effort.

I’m wondering if I could figure out ways to leave the Americas visit Cuba, The Amazon, The Yucatan, Egypt, Ireland, Cancun, or other places I have never been before.
Those are dreams for another lets resume to media.

Its only a few minutes later. An energy being in young women’s clothes showed up minutes after I arrived ready for things to start.

Where is everyone?" Ms. Tajel asked me looking around her up, down, and across the street.

"There surrounded, I say to her talking about all the alternative media compared to mainstream media who’s vans and people are about with mikes, camera, and satellite hookups.

Angela Boffa,(?) a man named Jeff had some chants after Tajel took some photo’s and began furiously jotting down notes.

"Half A Story, half a lie, Fox ignores the People Die."
"Disney, You Don’t speak for me deregulation…" I forget the rest, and Fox News, should feel shame, War Is Not A Video Game." There's more but I don’t write fast and walking slows me down more but Ms. Angela B’s voice is breaking.

We walked to ABC, you know the one owned by a 3 foot rat which is what I tell Tajel which really scares children when confronted with the sight.

We leave, I’m slightly lost that’s ok except Tajel, this energized mite threatens me with bodily harm if I cannot find BART for her. Did I hear Klingon in her voice?

Finding Battery Street bart is found at Montgomery. Entering the train station her ridges recedes back to a normal forehead on second thought I didn’t see that is all in my tired enfeebled brain.

Taking a bus towards 7 & 6th streets my jobs done, I’m
home.

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