Story Archives

by Isabel Estrada/ PoorNewsNetwork

I walk into the wide, white space that is The Lab Art Gallery at 2948 16th st. I feel the HipHop and Reggae beats coming from DJ SAke1 who is positioned at one side of the stage proliferate within me. Po' Poet Keith Savage carries in the heavy rows of chairs that begin to fill slowly as people step in out of the rain.

People are still busy getting bread and butter when Latifah Simon, the MC for the night tells everybody to take a seat. She has cafe-con-leche skin and a pile of braids on her head. "Welcome to the Po' Poets CD Release Party," she yells. Apparently the audience is still occupied with the food because we don't really respond. However by the third time Latifah repeats herself we get the message and lend our support in the form of claps and shouts.

As Tiny, co-editor of POOR Magazine and co-director of the Media Studies
Program which encompasses the Po' Poets Project, steps up to the stage she looks somewhat shy despite her high black boots, fishnet tights, and sleek black skirt. The light reflects off her bleached-blond streaks of
hair as her eyes fall to the ground. "We're all family here, it's all good,"
she assures herself and Leroy Moore, co-facilitator of the Po' Poets Project standing next to her.

An important part of POOR Magazine is attempting to eradicate the shame that comes with homelessness and poverty. The way we achieve this in what is
called Community Newsroom at POOR, a nonhierarchical approach to newsmaking,
is that when we introduce ourselves we also tell the group about whether or
not we have experienced poverty or any other form of systemic oppression.
Leroy, in matching brown jacket and boots goes directly to the mic and erases
any possible confusion by saying, "the Po' Poets are Poor Poets!! Our blood is
our community!" Tiny jumps in, "The people who are dealing with oppressive
systems are the scholars at POOR. The Po' Poets is another form of journalism, organic journalism, street journalism."

Tiny is speaking about the Scholarship of Poverty. A fundamental belief at
POOR, the Scholarship of Poverty suggests that those people living through
and resisting poverty are the experts where their own lives our concerned.
And, because they are the experts, they should be the one writing their own
news, not the biased, inexperienced, mainstream media. And through their
words they become human to the world instead of just statistics.

All the Poets gather onto the stage as they begin their slam bios
(biographies turned into poetry). Leroy begins by coming down off the stage
and getting face to face with the audience, "hahaha," he laughs ironically,
"what do you see, what do you see?, nigger with disability, revolutionary
Poet." Leroy can't stand still as he is bursting with energy. Jewnbug is
next, when she begins to speak her sweet face contorts with anger. "Mixed
heritage, workin' for change, sellin' my food stamps, frustrated with the
upper class, who wanna save my ass, sleep in an SRO," she yells phrase after
phrase with squinted, sad eyes.

Dharma, the woman with a serene and playful look in her eyes stands with her back to the audience. "I am a woman of the real world... my goals are to rise
up out of poverty.. as life changes constantly, taking back my space and
time," she says in a soft voice. Joe Bolden steps off the stage with his
usual humble yet sophisticaed air. He spreads his arms wide and begins, "I'm
Joe, in an SRO, it ain't good though, survivin', thrivin', I flow." A Faye
Hicks speaks next, "I'm a lady of the shelter, I have met a thousand people
and yet am all alone."

Mari Villaluna, one of the youth Po Poets, comes to the center of the room with energy, you can see some sparkles on her face reflecting in the light. "18-23 that's what you call me...I am a poet... I am a leader of today." As she speaks her arms are
outstretched. Viviana MArtinez comes up next, she is a small woman with wild, dark hair. She says, "I am the terror, the terror of the capitalist system, I am the terror that comes from across the sea. Keith Savage states with an all-encompassing,
deep voice, "I am the surprise, so open the surprise in the cardboard box."

Aldo Della Maggiora, who was on the congas throughout the night adds his words to the mix. "I'm a sandgrain in the desert of
economic struggle and internal despair, resisting and determining my inner
revolution," he says into the mic while still beating out rhythms on the
drums. Next is Tiny, her voice is hard as she speaks her words, "Doing
timefor crimes of poverty. That's being homeless, being on welfare and being
poor in this capitalist reality..On this earth to save the world and in the
process maybe me and mines."

A whole range of topics continued to be covered by the Po' Poets. Mari
speaks of how "I sleep, eat, and breath" in transitional housing, even if she
doesn't own it. She also speaks to how many middle and upperclass people are
also currently living in homes that aren't truly theirs. Homes that they
took from lower class families of color who were evicted simply because the
landlords wanted even more money.

Leroy sends a powerful message. When he first says, "Look into my eyes,"
many of the people in the audience laugh but when he repeats it they realize
that there is nothing funny about his words. "Look into my eyes, they will
make you cry, wind blows like a tornado through these desert eyes." He
continues, "seen everything, been everywhere." As he speaks he stretches his
arms out to the side makin g an eppeal to the whole audience.

Tiny announces that they are going to do a poverty hero project to "honor
ourselves and each other" for surviving throught the constant struggle of
poverty. The exercize is two poverty heroes stand face to face and do slam
bios of each other. Tiny adds, "This might sound touchy feely, but its not,
its survival." A Faye and Jewnbug look at each other knowingly and start to
speak. Faye says, "Young bug, lemon-flavored skin, pain ravaged eyes, golden
goddess, she is spring water held in a corse fist." Jewnbug begins, "Making
fashionable attire out of alleway clothes, African Queen, sunkissed
chocolate."

Next A. Faye Hicks recites her poem A Faye On The Judicial System. "I found out the
truth when I became entangled with the court systems. You had to have money
and the ability to twist the truth, lie that is, Being poverty-stricken I
realized I had no rights as a Human Being. No one to defend me, whether I
was right or wrong, guilty or innocent, Before the Civil Rights movement.
They didn't even pretend to have a court then. The Lynch mob poured out
justice in the dead of the night leaving me hanging on the limb of a tree,
swinging gently in the midnight breezes, All the way to 2001, three strikes
and your out!" Her rough voice spits out her words with the calloused
awareness that comes from living this harsh reality.

Next up is Coya, the full-time student, artist and organizer. She asks
whether we would like to hear a song or a poem. I scream out "song" and I
guess it worked because soon I could feel her rich voice inside my chest. It
maked my eyes water slightly. The words were: "Until our dreams are real,
still we rise." She asked us all to sing along with her and recall that
ideal world of our dreams, but I preffered just listening to her voice.

Tiny begins her next poem, Crazy, with a song. Her voice almost breaks as
she sings, "crazy, crazy for being so lonely." She speaks of her 23
evictions "the clanking of the locksmith." How her all her things that
involved memories and feelings so quickly became "shit" when it was thrown
out of windows onto the street. This was her father wanted his young
daughter to learn her lesson. He was "sexually attracted to my poverty."
And it ends, "crazy, crazy for loving you."

Rico Pabon from Prophets of Rage gives us a little musical relief. Though
his lyrics are harsh at least we can bump to the music. "Violence and
incarceration is at the very foundation of what this country is based on.
Our children walking around with battle scars." Dani Montgomery, another Po'
Poet speaks to a totally aspect of poverty in "What I Remember Most About the
Hard Time." She looks happy and grateful, if somewhat sad while at the mic.
"The neighbor who gave me five bucks when she had it and a hug when she
didn't,The folks who helped us because they knew what it was like to stand
there sifting through your pockets trying to think of explanations.

One poem that touched me was by George Tirado and was dedicated to his friend Lori
who O.D.'d. "My room is filled to overflowing with junk dreams of you, all
your angels now fall form heaven face first, no Lori, not tonight, and that
junk high, it ain't like jazz no more and it ain't gonna free your mind." he
was crying as he said these words.

The rap group Renaissance was next. The always bring intelligent and new
lyrics to whatever they do. "Technology provided, divided we die." "I see
the purity of life shining through my baby cousins eyes." The two men from
Renaissance refused to use any background music because they wanted to assure
that their words would be heard not just their beats and rhymes. One of the
young men stops for a moment and gives us a little lesson, "Don't get so
caught up in it, your path is already laid out, we're here to learn." "You
must use more than 10% of your brain to comprehend this shit!"

As the night came to a close I was reminded of Leroy and Tiny's words, "The Po Poets are POOR poets - and we are all family here..."

The Po Poets Project CD features over 30 local and national poets and is available by mail order from POOR Magazine-To buy one via mail order; Send a check or money order made out to POOR Magazine for $10.00 + 3.20 and mail to: 255 9th street, San Francisco, Ca 94103
allow two weeks for shipping- ( a great holiday gift- all profits go directly to the Po' Poets )

by Morgan W. Brown

Cambridge, Massachusetts—As darkness fell, one day late in January of this year, young and old gathered at "the pit" in Harvard
Square to call attention to homelessness and the dire need to create more affordable housing.

Huddling together, attendees attempted to light candles in the growing chill, a chill which was only made worse by the brisk winter winds, in preparation
for a candle light vigil and the street-march to come. Whether they were busy organizing or were engaged in conversation, each
person tried to stay warm, as it grew colder by the minute.

The frigid weather could helped bring to mind why each person was there
and how urgent the cause was. Many of those participating were indeed either
homeless or formerly homeless.

The evening's initial program commenced and people stood listening to
short speeches and announcements, holding signs or sharing the task of
holding banners urging the need for housing, jobs, livable wages and for other basic human needs to be met.

After a moment of silent reflection, the drums and tambourines gave out
their beat and rhythm as various chants were called out, including:
"What do we want?" "Housing!" "When do we want it?" "Now!".

From the pit, the group—numbering over fifty people—marched down the
city blocks and streets to the steps of the Old Cambridge
Baptist Church, on Massachusetts Avenue, chanting all the way.

Once the participants arrived at the steps of the church, another program
was observed, which included inspirational speeches and songs, along with
prayers and another long moment of silence.

While the air was raw and cold, it was nonetheless highly charged with
energy and excitement—not only by the moment or the cause being addressed,
but by what everyone anticipated would take place within the coming
14 hours.

This were among the community's preliminary events held in
conjunction with the fourth annual Homelessness Marathon sponsored by the
Homeless Empowerment Project, hosted at the Old Cambridge Baptist
Church.

Based at the Old Cambridge Baptist Church, the mission of the Homeless
Empowerment Project is to play a role in ending homelessness in the
community by providing income, skill development and self-advocacy
opportunities to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Along with the production, distribution and sale of their independent,
street newspaper, Spare Change, the Homeless Empowerment Project operates a
writers' workshop and a speakers' bureau.

Several of those participating in the community events that evening would
stay for either most or all of the night-long, nationwide,
radio broadcast.

In fact, some were there to take an intensely active part in the
Homelessness Marathon. This would mean they would either be among those
speaking during the open mic periods, being a panelist or being a person
at the on-site street microphone posing questions during one of the many
discussion panels. The discussion panels focused on a given topic or contributed in many
other ways to this truly democratic event.

Jeremy Weir Alderson (aqua "Nobody") founded the Homelessness Marathon in
1998, as an offshoot of his regular radio program "The Nobody Show", which was
broadcast weekly on WEOS, a National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate in
Geneva, New York.

The Homelessness Marathon—already the largest media event in America
that focused on poverty—has been widely recognized as a historic broadcast.
Tapes of the marathons have been archived by libraries at Harvard, Stanford,
Cornell, UCLA, Berkeley, the University of Chicago and many other
institutions around the country.

The mission of this acclaimed radio broadcast is to let homeless people
speak to the nation. But that is not all that happens during the annual,
overnight program that originates from a different city each year. Host
"Nobody" broadcasts from outdoors to dramatize the plight of people with
nowhere to go when it's cold. For 14 hours, he interviews experts on various
aspects of poverty in America (e.g. health care, hunger, public housing,
etc.) and takes calls from around the country in addition to talking with
homeless people.

The Homelessness Marathon is a consciousness raising, not a fundraising
event. "As a matter of policy, the marathon doesn't solicit money, because
we really want people to understand that ending homelessness isn't a matter
of charity but a matter of changing the way our society is structured,"
Alderson stated. "It's a matter of changing our national priorities. And to
do that, we've got to listen to what homeless people, themselves, have to
say."

"That first year, I was just thinking of it as a matter of conscience,"
Alderson says. "Basically, I just wanted to get on the air and say, 'This
isn't right, and I want no part of it,' and, of course, I wanted to bolster
this argument with the opinions of experts and the voices of homeless
people." He got the idea of broadcasting from outdoors in the dead of
winter, he says, because he wanted to dramatize the plight of people with
nowhere to go in the cold. And the marathon has been broadcast from outdoors
ever since, even though other things about it have changed.

Over the years, the marathon has become something more than just a
broadcast. Dozens of people, affiliated with organizations or acting on
their own, contribute their time (no one on the marathon staff gets paid) to
help get the show on the air. And each year the broadcast has been
associated with small marches and candlelight vigils around the country.

"I'm not kidding myself that just the marathon is going to change the
world," Alderson says, "But that's the goal, to create a world where the
marathon will be obsolete, because there won't be any more homeless people...I used to think I had to scold people and tell them why they ought to care,
but now I know that people really do care, and that homeless people aren't
on the streets because that's where Americans want them to be. So I've
backed off a lot, and I now mostly look at the marathon as giving people the
reasons for what they already know in their hearts."

"I've really come to believe that the American people want this problem
solved," says Nobody. "That's the good news. But there's bad news too. The
ongoing terrorist attacks and economic downturn are sure to make the numbers
on the streets spike up dramatically. I think there's going to be an urgency
to the next marathon unlike anything we've encountered before."

The fourth marathon was on at least 35 stations coast to coast, including
stations broadcasting to such major metropolitan areas as Los Angeles,
Seattle, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco. The fifth marathon will be hosted
in Portland, Oregon by community radio station KBOO and Street Roots,
Portland's homeless paper.

To learn more about the Homelessness Marathon, such as how to acquire tapes
from previous broadcasts, where to listen in your region, how a
local radio station in your area can carry the broadcast or how to
call in during the event, information is available online at:

http://www.homelessnessmarathon.org

For more information about the Homeless Empowerment Project in Cambridge,
Massachusetts or Street Roots in Portland, Oregon, go to:

Homeless Empowerment Project:

http://www.homelessempowerment.org

Street Roots:

http://www.portland.quik.com/roots/

Morgan W. Brown is a serious & persistent homeless activist, writer and poet
living in Montpelier, Vermont USA.

by Laurie McElroy/PNN

The three hundred block of Stockton Street, between Post and Sutter, is as alienatingly citylike as San Francisco ever gets; chrome and fiberglass rental cars shuttle blindly back and forth, and beneath the voracious wheels broken bits of glass glimmer, like tiny screaming nerves, trapped in the matte asphalt of road.

White-collared strangers float to and fro over the sidewalk where cracks, between the pastel-black slabs of pavement, do not go all the way down; concrete makes an uncompromising scab over the wounded earth and nothing natural can lift a blade through it. The Grand Hyatt Hotel at 345 Sutter rises like a cold monument to this illusion of urban order, a fitting place for Wade Horne and his minions to have conducted their gruesome business.

Horne is the Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services. He has been directed by HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson to facilitate a series of national “listening and discussion sessions” to help prepare policymakers for Congress’ reauthorization of welfare reform legislation next year. These so-called “listening sessions” are ostensibly being held to gauge the real effects of the much-touted welfare reform on providers and consumers around the country, but out of the 40 or so, asked to attend the October 24th session at the Grand Hyatt, there were no caseworkers at all and only one invitee was a current welfare client. Now how’s that for balanced input?

It was my pleasure as a mother and TANF recipient to attend a rally organized by local welfare rights advocacy groups such as Low Income Families’ Empowerment Through Education ( LIFETIME ), People Organised to Win Employment Rights (POWER ), Center for Third World Organizing, POOR Magazine, the Coalition for Ethical Welfare Reform, Homeless Prenatal Program and Every Mother is a Working Mother, to name a few, to protest Horne’s exclusionary tactics. Over 200 mothers, fathers, children and activists came together in an elemental show of unity and power, directly in front of Horne’s borrowed citadel, the Hyatt, to explicitly voice our disapproval of punitive “reforms” that prioritize reducing caseloads over providing struggling individuals and families a permanent exit from poverty.

The first person I spoke to at length was Leilani Luia, Board Chair of LIFETIME and mother-on-aid of three. She was competently short, dark-haired, face aglow with sweat, nearly lost in a fleecy, pajama-like teddy bear costume. “We’re out here fighting so Wade Horne hears our concerns regarding welfare reform. We don’t need low wage, dead end jobs—we need more opportunities and education for welfare families instead! Federal guidelines allow only 12 months to complete any educational-type job training, and the state allows only 18 months, but studies have shown that for a family to get out of poverty for good, they need MORE than a 2 year education. The messages they send poor women are so different from those they send women with money; we’re lazy when we want to stay home and take care of our kids. Middle and upper middle-class people get big tax breaks for their children, but most working poor families’ incomes are too low to qualify for the rebate. It’s like telling us, ‘You don’t matter’." Before she could continue, the loudspeakers came out. A rather festive picket line was forming just in front of the hotel’s gaudily emblazoned awning. “Whoops, gotta go!” She smiled fiercely, donned the costume’s bear head, and whirled away into the bristle of homemade signs.

I finished scribbling notes on Leilani, then turned to a slender young woman dressed in dark, office-casual clothes. “So what is all this about to you?” I asked. “Are you mad?”

“TANF is coming up for reauthorization,” she replied. Her name was Marisa; she was an intern at Service for Immigrants’ Rights and Education Network ( SIREN ). “They’re shutting out the community because they don’t want to hear our input or experiences. This demonstration is our attempt to force them to.” And after a short pause, “Yes, I’m mad. I can’t speak for my organization, but I agree with the basic message behind their critique, which is, ‘reduce poverty, not caseloads’!”

Singly and in groups, representatives of the organizations in attendance gave their cheerily belligerent pep talks. The picket line moved like a wedding samba. Hours flew by on militant wings. Finally, two o’clock arrived and the protesters began to disperse. Not surprisingly it was then, when everyone had apparently almost gone, that Horne and a few of the politicos from the closed session came down from their $195-a-night tower.

Horne approached me first. He was a tall, bland man, with the balding pallor and well-cut clothes of beaurocratic aristocracy. He had a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, just like all politicians.

“Did you want to speak to me?”

Playing the nervous intern to the hilt, I grimaced, shook his soft, outstretched hand, pointed him toward one of my editor’s, Tiny, and dashed off to catch the last of the comrades before they crossed Post Street, shouting, “Come back! The evil men in suits are here! Come back!”

The straggling crowd resurged. As she emerged from the building, I asked Kristin Deichert, a consultant who works for Berkeley Assemblywoman Dion Aroner, about the lack of testimony from the clients and frontline workers of local Human Services agencies. “I have no idea,” she shrugged. “All the counties were asked to bring consumers...”

“We notified the American Association of Public Service Workers,” said Sheri Stiesel of the National Conference of State Legislators, who stood beside Deichert. “We asked them to tell the agencies to bring caseworkers and consumers, but nobody showed. We don’t know what happened.”

Deichert, who had wandered away, returned and touched my arm. “There’s the one person in the meeting who is on aid. I think she’s from Nevada. She’s over there...”

When I spoke to Michelle Kramer she seemed somewhat reluctant to talk to me, although she agreed readily enough. She told me that her hearing about and being invited to the listening session was really a coincidence, that her worker had gotten an office memo, while Kramer was visiting on an unrelated matter, two days before the session. Her flight and accommodations were hastily arranged, and no offer was made to provide payment for childcare expenses or any compensation for her time. “I wish more people had been able to come,” she sighed.

So do I, I thought wryly, smiling without a hint of bitterness and thanking her for her time. So do I.

by PNN Staff

I remember standing in line at Safeway. An ashamed ten-year-old, wearing jelly shoes and mom's old Levis. We had just picked up our "check" and it was like Christmas, a cherished holiday that comes along only so often. But it was just grocery shopping day, generic and tainted with shame cause we didn't pay with "real" money. The cashier ALWAYS belittled us when presenting food stamps, we ALWAYS went over by five dollars and had to return an item, and a classmate ALWAYS seemed to be in the next line; watching, waiting to laugh at me, waiting to point and remind me that I somehow did not measure up because we paid for our food differently. I hated Safe-Way.

Here I am, years later, re-visiting this humiliation with anonymous peers. Anonymous, for people on welfare usually do not come with a name; they are lazy AFDC moms, crazy, disabled Vets, or the happily unemployed. That welfare recipients still struggle for their own name brought tears to my eyes as I sat in the Glad Tidings Church Sanctuary in Hayward last Saturday, October 27. On this emotional day parents on welfare testified to a "listening panel" of state and local officials, or more accurately, assistants to our state and local officials. Speakers discussed their experiences on welfare during the past five years, and opened the debate on welfare reform.

The morning started with a bus ride across the Bay Bridge. GROWL arranged this free transport for all the low-income folks who wanted to go. They also provided headphones and interpreters for non-English speakers so they could fully participate in the discussion, they set up lunch and snacks for all attendees, and provided childcare at no cost to the mothers. As a result, the panel of elected officials could not hide their responses behind language barriers or noisy children. One of the first ladies to hit the stage kicked it off saying: "I WILL NOT BE VOICELESS!" Applause vibrated through the church and the community pulse thumped through beating hearts.

I continued to listen as stories flowed in three different languages. I felt the pain of old bruises, for I am the adult version of the children these women are fighting to raise. Welfare reform is intended for the child I once was, right? I could almost see the ladies in my family on this Hayward stage, demanding respect, recounting the traumatic and dehumanizing experience of going to the welfare office, demanding the right to raise their own children. I saw the golden power of motherhood in the eyes of each speaker, and I glowed as I envisioned the mothers in my own family.

Speakers talked about marriage fanatics and their quest to "save" poor families. "They want to turn single parent families into criminals," said Rebecca Gordon, panel speaker and author of Cruel and Usual Punishment. This "Fathership Clause", promoted by Secretary Tommy Thompson, reminds me of Charles Murray's famous Bell Curve. Cut off aid, and single moms will cease to be; Cut off single moms, and aid will cease to be? Does Secretary Thompson think no one is paying attention? If aid had been cut off to my family, the only thing to cease would have been body mass. My father, as he existed in my family, would not have changed this grim reality.

On the Health and Human Services website they quote an article by Wade Horn that says: "Studies show that children who grow up without responsible fathers are significantly more likely to experience poverty, perform poorly in school, engage in criminal activity, and abuse drugs and alcohol." I find this personally offensive, for my father's absence in no way hindered my mother's ability to be my mom. My broken home did not break me, and the deep structure of my family carried me (US!) through the hard times. My grandmother spoiled me, my mother bathed and clothed me, my aunties looked after me, and my sister looked up to me. My father's occasional presence neither hindered nor enhanced this system. It worked, as my grandma always said, "with butter and love." I imagine that something similar to Grandma's wisdom brought Saturday's event together. A smooth, sweet rhythm carried each speaker through tears and their own versions of "butter and love."

I sat there with fellow POOR intern, Laurie. We talked about how complicated poverty is. How it has many different languages, wears so many different faces, and comes from many different backgrounds. Laurie is a single mom; she is also disabled and beautiful. I wondered what she could say to the panel, what voice she could give other single moms. When it came time for the audience to ask questions, she bravely stood up and glided to the front of the church. Laughter echoed back to me, as Laurie became an instant friend with the ladies on stage. But, alas, their good nature and smiles didn't make it to the microphone, for several panel members had slowly filtered out. Our hour was up.

GROWL members suddenly jumped out of their seats with petitions for the disappearing panel members to sign. It touched on three main issues: end racial profiling, value family regardless of marital status and recognize education as work. Only two people were willing to sign, Gustavo Vargas, a CalWorks liaison from Santa Clara and Betty Fong, a CalWorks child coordinator from Alameda. The panel member POOR Magazine most wanted to hear from, Congressman Pete Stark, did not sign. His assistant, Jo Casanave, appeared in his place on the "listening panel" and quickly led the charge off the stage and out a secret back door.

One week after the event, after the petition had been faxed to his Fremont office, Stark had no comment. After calling three times, I was asked to call his Washington office. If I had had enough quarters at press time, I would have. Consequently, I have no comment from Mr. Stark.

After searching the premises for the elusive Casanave, Laurie and I gathered our belongings and headed for the free food. Over Safeway-brand cola and generic cookies, we discussed the fatherhood initiative and what it means to us and our children and our children's children. We wondered if Tommy Thompson had ever asked himself these questions. Has Tommy Thompson ever paid differently than other people? Does Tommy Thompson know ANYTHING about the people he wants to "reform"? What will happen to the "Deep Structure" of our family if the government continues to meddle?

We then recalled one speaker's accusation that the government "is trying to get into our bedroom." Laurie sarcastically responded with her poetic voice, "Well, they're not going to like what they see."

by Mitch Jeserich

Here is a small compilation of information concerning the effects of war on the global disabled population. The information is still incomplete, but I think it is evident that war and violent conflict violate Articles 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 16, 21, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. Furthermore, war and violent conflict also create conditions to violate Articles 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 13 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons.

The following information is grim, but it is worth noting that Dr. Nawaf Kabbara, from the Arab Organization of Disabled People, said that disabled people galvanized the peace movement in Lebanon's civil war from 1975-90. Furthermore, Lucy Wong-Hernandez, E.D. Disabled People International, said, "We are committed to make sure that children are protected and that children who become disabled from these situations are not left ignored, un-served, and marginalized from society. DPI will be actively present advocating for and raising awareness about war affected children with disabilities and all children during the Children's Summit at the United Nations in New York 2001." I hope as an international policy institute, WID will also take notice of war and disability.

The effects of war on people who previously had a disability:

-"Disabled children have greater difficulty escaping during attacks, especially those with a moving, learning, or visual difficulty. Parents may have to make difficult decisions about who to leave behind when fleeing. In 1993 a Lebanese man admitted that he fled his home taking a cow rather than his disabled daughter, because the cow was of more use." (CBR News)

-"Most conflicts today are civil wars—the victims are civilians rather than soldiers. Targeting civilians means that women and children are increasingly vulnerable, and yet rehabilitation services (for the disabled) often focus on men." (CBR News)

-"Other disabilities in conflict situations are linked to the breakdown in infrastructure and the economy. Disabling diseases such as polio and measles become more common because drugs and vaccines are not available. The nutritional status of children will probably worsen as food supplies decline, leading to an increase in nutritional disabilities. Warfare can be hidden, for example the trade sanctions against Iraq. The lack of food, medical equipment, drugs and fuel leads to more disability." (CBR News)

-"Most medical clinics in East Timor were burned down during the violence after the referendum. Many disabled persons were provided with health care from these clinics." (Disabled People International)

-"In a conflict situation, attitudes towards disabled persons may be worse because poverty is more widespread and disabled people are seen as more of a burden." (CBR News)

-"In refugee settlements, disabled people may not have access to relief services because of difficulties moving around, carrying, and queuing." (CBR News)

"The government pays more attention to the veterans than to the civilian even if the civilian was injured by a military weapon." (Son Song Hak, Cambodia)

The increase of disability during times of war and violent conflict:

-Since the last Intifada began in Palestine this past year, there are 2,500 new disabled persons. (Dr. Nawaf Kabbara, The Arab Organization of Disabled People)

-"Afghanistan has experienced 20 years of war that has left 15 to 20 percent of the population disabled. There are about 10 million land mines laying around the country." (CBR News)

-In the past ten years six million children have been injured in armed conflict and many more have witnessed or taken in part in acts of violence, leading to emotional disturbances." (CBR)

-"Many wars today are low intensity conflicts—they aim to wound and disable people rather than to kill them, for example, land mines. Leaving people disabled puts a greater economic burden on families and nations rather than killing them." (CBR News)

-"There are about 110 million landmines planted in the world. Over one million people have been killed or injured by mines since 1975. About 70 people are injured or killed by land mines daily. Mines are being laid 25 times faster than they are being cleared. In Angola, one person in 470 has had a limb amputated." (Mines Advisory Group)

-Children in many regions all over the world are caught in the cross-fire, and are left parentless, homeless, with serious health problems, disabled and traumatized, permanently by war." (Disabled People International)

-"Many children's bodies have been mutilated and made permanently disabled from the conflict in Sierra Leone." (Disabled People International)

"It is estimated that about 37 percent of people involved in war lose their hearing. It is estimated that 35 percent of land mine survivors in Cambodia are women." (Disabled People International).

-"Disruption of health services increases the prevalence of disabling diseases like polio and can lead to more disabilities resulting from birth difficulties." (CBR News)

-"The 1994 massacre in Rwanda left more than half a million people dead in a space of three months. Of those who survived, many had seen family members murdered and others became disabled du to machete wounds. Emotional trauma were therefore widespread among children. Some were in a state of shock while others lost the power of speech." (CBR News)

by Joe. B.

On a grey, near sunless Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2001 a few fledgling reporters from Poor Magazine are invited to observe, participate, and report on a: San Francisco Housing Reality Tour.

First problem - the small mauve or purple-red paper invitation for the march said Civic Center Plaza better known as the United Nations Plaza. All is quiet in the United Nations Plaza.

By 4:45 pm. the crowd of merchants, customers, homeless people, and low income working folk are less as the bright white tents pack up to drive away in trucks, cars, or walk away gaps are left in their wake as bits of vegetable matter, plastic, paperbags, and foods are left on red brick walkways.

The waterfall still flows, grey-white seagulls sit, walk, eating near or flying about looking for food left by transients, homeless people, and tourists strolling the area. Its less crowded because in the daytime a thriving Fresh Food Market.

Though bland, uniformed white tent housed merchants selling all kinds of fruits, vegetables, jars of natural bee honey and other types of food in the plaza square.

At 4:55 pm. I've gone through Civic Center's United Nations Plaza all the way to the end of the Simon Buliva, Man-on-horseback statue whether made from bronze, steel, or an amalgamation of other metals I do not know.

"He killed Native American's" is Mari's angry answer knowing the dead guy's history.

She's one the 18 to 23 year old Youth Commissioner's in City Hall. Its the Mayor's input on youth involvement in government.

Anyway I'm thinking "What happened, where's everybody. There's a police car on the sidewalk going through the plaza, lots of police cars, cops on foot, cycles, station wagon, van, lots of cops are converging I have no idea where - I'm not sure I 'wanna know.

Right-To-A-Roof with Mr. James Tracy is using a mini bullhorn to gather and inspire the crowd for a legal police escorted march through areas affected or being affected by the honorable Mayor W. Brown.

In support of the National Day Of Housing Action. It begins at 5:00 pm.

Is it too late for drugs as an alternative way to deal with real life?

'Yep, too late, have to see this through - its called 'paying your dues so when one gets to their good life [while alive and breathing] no one can say she/he had it cushy all their lives.

Unknown to me and Mari the S.F. Housing Reality Tour's last minute change from U.N. Plaza in Civic Center has moved to the steps outside City Hall.

"Its a last minute change" was James Tracy casual reply.

I'm thinking [this is no way to garner popular support if stability is a stumbling block, at least the organizers should be 'um... organized.]

Many other organizations have joined plus fourteen cities are having similar demonstrations - Don't 'cha love globalizing the masses to participate in a great and noble cause like housing for low income working poor, homeless and people in shelters?

Some of the signs I read were: Housing's a human right, San Francisco needs more housing now! Families need housing not shelter.

There are many sighs in Spanish or Spanglish [Spanish and English combined, Filipino, Chinese, and other languages.

La Raza Community,
Housing Network,
Organized Labor,
Tenderloin Housing Clinic,

Housing America,
Homes Not Jails,
National Coalition On Homelessness,
National Low-Income Housing Coalition Right To A Roof/Coalition On Homelessness Religious Witness With Homeless People,
Street Spirit (Project Of American Friends Service Committee),
Food Not Bombs,
Homeless Prenatal Program,
P.O.W.E.R. [People Organized To Win Employment Rights]
and many others on this roster of people oriented orgs well know and some not.

For those unnamed my apologies there are so many of you and only one of me to write all of you down, 'sheesh.

After more inspired speeches from many organizer's and regular working folk the organized march and protest rally began from the steps of City Hall growing as many struggling, folks joined in our march.

Escorted by police on cycles, walking along side us as a protecting or arresting arm probably a little of both if things turn sour.

We must be really dangerous for all these blues watching over us.

Our first of many stops is at 450 Golden Gate Avenue outside The Philip Burton Federal Building and United States Court House the State building is across the street.

There are two police guards inside, some workers, and regular folks wandering about.

We surge on to the Page Hotel a concerned citizen tells me.

At the Page, as people walk carry in sighs, in their hands, children on shoulders I believe it's Ms. Gretchen another Poor Magazine student/contributor who informs me of other cities doing what we're doing now.

New York, Baltimore, Seattle, and others.

I'd sure like the other 10 cities and more to hook up, maybe we can help each other. All Of Our Cities!, not needing our help could help us so the shit now rolling on us from on high can be backed up and lots of dirt or worse lands on those folks in Washingtoon Deplorable Compost, OOP's I mean Washington DC

Hey, you other cities? Going through similar cow chip housing crisis with possible solutions not looked or listened to because the fire hasn't reached their flushed-with-cash comfy asses yet.

Who knows after 6 or more of most of the citizens in every city, small town, or hamlet protest everyday maybe the powers that be will finally get a clue to why everything is slowly grinding to a halt they still may not care but by The Eternal they'll have to start earning their keep instead of sitting on their rumps like updated high tech robber barons.

Lets light 'em up-laser those tender poop buts until, the trapped methane gas blows heated flame from all their stuffed up holes or is it orifice's. Join up, brain storm, lets stop leaking green blood and heal or housing problems once and for all.

From the Burton Fed Building, The Page, across the street at 146 at Golden Gate is the Hospitality House besides shelter it serves lunches and has instructors in the arts of painting, sculpture, drawing, and pottery all free. Item: Painted American Flag on the window is realistically done I like the stripes.

Then to the former Empress that was vacant for 20 years as its tenants and working folk looked for housing and slept or died in the streets then it reopened as The West Cort, where a finger salute was clearly given by either a manger or owner but he seemed a bit peeved at the crowd milling around the building this night.

Passing the Tenderloin Police Station with its many cars, station wagon, empty.

I don't like that they are empty-it does not make me feel all that good because they're here ready and waiting to be filled and as I said before lots of cops.

On to the Family owned Fang Building where the San Francisco Chronicle now resides sold to the Fang Family by the Hearst Family.

Its nice to know some family traditions still hold true, there are a few traditional family values we must get rid of like the corporate monopolies.

Its 6:30pm, really dark, I'm tired, losing my voice from chanting, my feet are on automatic, but I'm in the march because its a good thing to do, and somewhere down this road generations of young adults, single, married, and working poor with better pay, and children, yet unborn will benefit.

On 7th Street, around the corner, I'm still tired..." Oh-Joe, stop"
Didn't Mari have some 'kinda meeting in chambers at City Hall as a member of the Youth Commission?"

Mari does not understand my reporting style thinking every I say on tape will be reported as dictated. She thinks I'm a rotten reporter.

She's half right I am not a reporter, but I am rotten as a reporter.

Where was I... "I'm tired, the protesters are heading in my direction. I'm going home."

Last stop for me is the Warfield Building owned by the Fang Family at 988 on Market and Taylor Streets.

I go home weary, sleepy meanwhile the protest heads across the street to the building with art hanging off the building but the ploy is waring thin as its a building that can be renovated for low income people, not suddenly turned into another high priced tourist hotel.

Some pasta 'n potatoes, bread and water and my night is over.

by Joe. B.

Yeah, yeah, rotten metaphor but 'ya can't ignore the visuual.

Except for minor logistics, in time and human errors everything went without a hitch, an expensive lesson is learned in that contracts will be signed so that 20% does not suddenly inflate to 30%.

A rainy Saturday night, November, 10, 2001 6pm. to llpm. POOR's first CD (Audio-Compact Disk) Party for the 'PO Poets.

The Lab had their own scultures glossy and bright color arts-on-alunmium canvas show installation Our Long Awaited and for me slighly fearful CD Release Party: that's [Conpact Disk to Off Worlders, Persons in Cryogenic Cold Sleep, Suspended Animation or otherwise frozen in time.]CD's are made, tested, listened to.

Some people didn't make the cut to be on and could be on a next one if possible.

I personally carefully with sterile fingertips placed the silver "grade A" quality circular audio disks in their square covers unwrapped in clear cellophane. They're naked, in their clear plastic covers as the square slick expensive paper that shows in multiple 6 to 14 or more fonts or points for picky typeset readers.

'Po Poets, and many guests are on hand that rainy night to cheer each other on, eat food, drink, and just plain have a good time without all the madness of September 11th.

Sometimes a brake is needed before going on or our human physical, psychological systems will brake down from fatigue and mental stress and I personally know about job burn-out on low wage jobs - higher paid upwardly bound job/career must be way worse because everything is intensified to the 'max.

This night is for sitting back, breathing, no-thinking, and listening to folks celebrate surviving, thriving, on the low rungs of life... those everyday hero and heroine's, single father's, mother's, children, and regular folks waking up and not giving up as the many struggle through constent economic turmoil.

Some of the food arrived late but there was enough brought by in case problems happened across the bay.

I have a hasty made escape plan as soon as I am finished with my own babbling.

Lateefa Simon(not the big boned healthy one with the talk show) she's petite, lythe, wiry sprite MC
(Mistress of Ceremonies) keeping the people energized with her rapid fire - hyper energy presence and words.

Rap Artists from Hip Hop's Prophets of Rage, Renaissance, Munaf, Keith Savage, Tiger, Pecoya, and singer Ananda.

It was an elevating, electrifying night of music, song, poetic verse, jokes and a break for working folks to just sit in their seats and relax not thinking of overdue bills, balloon mortgages, rent, food, or war.

There are serious talk about our changed America to be sure but for a little it is set aside for one night of celebrating a small victory by and for poor folks.

Soon my turn came to mumble words of deathless prose and after the escape.

I speak of escape because being at many a rally/protest with ubiqutous black, brown, green, yellow, or clear plastic bags some hapless few must do clean-up of tables and floors and using said plastic bags there is always a chance of spillage.
Any small to large hole from one object or many causing a puncture that spills, sprays, or gets dumped on the floor creating a mess where moments past it was clean.

Not this time! Oh, no - an escape is planned to the second after my spoken word is over I'd listen one maybe two more people then gracefully say good by so I can visit my family for a few day and be away from The City.

Now to realities, we're selling the CD's for $10 maybe when or if they go into well known big name stores they'll be sold for more is in the air for now but I believe deals have been made to ensure this.

You know below after most of my columns you see the:
Send this or that and Blah, blah, blah.

Well, have something to sell. Anyway maybe like rappers of old who sold their tapes from trunks of cars or on the street when rap was deemed a fad, 'pol's feeling threatened as it grew beyond its confinds of inner city neighborhoods.

I say my words trying to memorized 9 lines of verbage and failing then creatively adding and subtracting until my time off stage has ended.

Dharma spoke in her musical haronic voice and I whisper "Missed some, good cover up."

Then quietly announce to Lisa and Dee that of my rapid departure from the City, head out the glass door, around the corner to my families car fade into the night.

Escape is right, someone will take my place cleaning up tables, floors, chairs, and putting out the garbage but I'm glad it won't be me.

As the car glides across the superstructure of the Golden Gate Bridge a sigh of relief escapes from me, a long comfortable ride with loved ones and zzzzz's begin a siren call and I'm lulled to sleep.

Well stay well folks. I'll be resting up for a while... Bye.

Please donate what can to
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by Joe B.

Is the Anti-Cosby thing a backward or backlash comment saying this is a good a show as the Cosby Show was? Or is it a way of saying the show is slightly different from Cosby? Just read on folks.

I was watching a new show on the Fox Channel Sunday called the Bernie Mack show.

Its about a successful Comic who becomes saddled with three children and how he has to deal with a new situation he's thrown into.

The 3 back to back shows is a good idea I wish that had done the same with "24" a riviting drama where time is counted in seconds and the same scenes are literaly in real time from different angles as different situations are constantly unfolding.

One really has to keep eyes-on-the show to see its twists, turns.

Back to "Bernin Mack" The guy is his rough gruff exterior and tender when it called for works and as the Anti Cosby thing, well Mr. Cosby is one type of comedian and Mr. Mack is another his tough urban "got the money, don't touch - don't even look at my stuff." demeaner from the start of the show is refreshing and will not go stale because the man has range slipping from harried new-father/uncle figure, macho among friends, and loving husband/boy- friend (forgot which?) Is a stand out show and packs a lot into a half hour.

The last one about the Las Vagas trip and he trying not to catch the flu, just as computer generated floating green germs permeate a children's birthday party with signs written on-screem or camera points to those being infected by casual contact is subtly funny as well.

Mr. Bernie Mack bragging to his freinds of being healthy waring masks, rubber gloves, using extension reach tools and donning protective near radiation gear and getting cake deciding not to eat healthy and when eats the germ infested cake Mr. Mack is down for the count blaming the kids when actually it was his choice of food that did his health in Was worth watching all three shows.

I hope this show gains popularity because it shows black folk as normal everyday people, Bernie Mack is a successful comedian, actor.

It also shows the struggle goes on and his "ghetto survival skills" are still needed but not for the great white world but three little kids seemingly out to ruin a life he has grown to love; namely buying and doing things on himself and not worried about to many people. How he ajusts to his new situation varied situation as father/uncle figure in "these strange kids" lives is an interesting though not new premise Mr. Mack adds his special blend to the mix.

I wish him the best. I hope it runs for years so the 'bro can sit on his can get those royalty checks from sindication, animation, and movie, rights.

Oops, my bad-hope the show has a long run and others with Bernie Macks refreshingly normal every black guy sensibilites like the "Steve Harvey Show" on the WB network can shine also on Fox -2, 20, 44, 36, or other high and low channels along the remote. But that's just me... Bye.

by Gretchen Hildebran/PoorNewsNetwork

The crowd shouted wildly as it approached the corner
of 6th and Howard in the early evening darkness.
Laughs, songs and cheers washed over the frustrated
honks of the nearby commuters like a fresh and
exuberant wind. As we approached the intersection, a
cluster of waving people appeared in the second story
rooms of the giant empty building on the corner
that used to house hundreds of people and families.
Two Banners unfurled from the windows welcoming us and
echoing our cheers, they read: "Aqui estamos y no nos vamos! and
Everyone has a right to a roof!"

Last Wednesday's march and Housing Reality Tour was
organized by the National Affordable Housing Trust
Fund Campaign, a coalition of local and national housing rights
groups, tenants, poor people, homeless folks and
families. While the US spends approximately one
billion dollars a day to fight a war in Afghanistan,
poor people and activists are organizing this campaign
to make the government put its resources into fighting
poverty at home. The Affordable Housing Trust, which
could be funded for one year by the last week of
government military spending alone, would build 1.5
million affordable homes in the United States over the
next ten years.

The protest began with a group of several hundred people
gathering in the late afternoon shadow of City Hall.
Families, SRO tenants and homeless folks held up
placards reading Housing for All! and Housing for
the Homeless! to passing cars as local gospel group
Bay City Love sang Down By the Riverside. Krea
Gomez of the Homeless Prenatal Program, one of the
campaign organizers, started things up by
reminding the crowd that we all struggle with the need
for affordable housing, and that this everyday reality
cannot be ignored anymore.

James Tracy from Right 2 A Roof explained next that
this day was designated as the National Day of
Housing Action. This protest was a national one,
happening simultaneously in 20 cities across the US,
and advocating to Congress the importance of the bill,
to be voted on early next year. Maria Orsonio and Cindy Weisner
from POWER (People Organized to Win
Employment Rights) added that economic justice must also
be part of any affordable housing program. Living
wage jobs are just as important as affordable
housing, so that people can keep and care for their
homes.

The crowd had swelled to over a hundred as night fell
and I picked up a sign as the march began. ìHousing
is Hope. Hope did pick up momentum, even as we made
our way to various sites in the Tenderloin and South
of Market that represented the greed, ignorance and
misrepresentation that perpetuate the current lack of
housing for so many. With the revving engines of
police motorcycles surrounding us, we walked to the
offices of Housing and Urban Development. There
speakers addressed the government policy which has
pulled back financing of subsidized housing over the
last 20 years. Someone in the crowd yelled, We need
a NEW new deal! and cheering erupted.

At the Page Hotel, our next stop, a SRO resident spoke
in Cantonese about how SROs are often the only
available housing to the most vulnerable people ñ
especially families and recent immigrants. Tenants at
this SRO have organized against the managementís
racist and illegal eviction procedures. Miguel Barrera
of Hogares Sin Barreras then made the point, ìWe all
should be able to demand housing no matter our
culture!

Next was the former Empress Hotel, an SRO that was
shut down by the city for health reasons in 1981. The
owners of the building recently invested millions in
the hotel in order to illegally reopen it as the now
tourist-only West Cork Hotel. Meanwhile these same
landlords have left their other SRO hotels (most
notoriously the Alder Hotel on 6th St.) in disrepair.
An SRO resident spoke about the need of owners and
government to respect peopleís needs and the laws,
reminding them, don't forget about the people who
were here before you.

By the time we made it to the Examiner building to
protest that newspaper's smear campaigns against the
poor and homeless of the city, we were informed that
local housing activists were already occupying a
nearby vacant building and needed our support.
In a phone interview from inside the infamous
"defenestration" building at 6th and Howard, Ted
Gullickson of the San Francisco Tenant's Union
explained why the activists had chosen to occupy this
building. "Notorious landlord, David Patel evicted the
building's tenants about twelve years ago, and now is
asking the city to pay an inflated $2 million to buy
it. While this building's 75 apartments would be an
important first step towards addressing the need for
low-income housing in the city, real estate
speculation and government inaction have left it
vacant"

Alison Lum of Homes Not Jails, also occupying the
building, said that the group planned to not only.
house over a hundred people at this location but to
also employ them in fixing up their future homes.
Local activists are determined to not just campaign
for the government to recognize the housing needs of
our communities, but to also take an immediate stand
against the city's unwillingness to create low-income
housing. As Alison stated, We will not let
people suffer while buildings stand vacant!

The following day after the police forcibly removed the protestors only the voices of resistance remained, whistling through the now-empty building, "Aqui Estamos Y no Nos Vamos, Everyone has a Right to a Roof"

by Phil Goldvarg

The eagle is not down,

he's in a different sky,

wings still moving

against the currents of injustice,

there is no death for this peaceful warrior,

he looks down on us,

his quiet fire eyes say,

tu eres mi otro yo,

you are me,

I am you,

somos juntos

en la tristeza de la noche,

en la felicidad

del dia,

the eagle is not down,

he's in a different sky

y los chuecos,

the greedy growers,

the legislators

who legislatre los farmworkers

and their ninos to death

are shaking in fear,

they know there's going to be

some serious huelgas

in heaven and hell,

sabes que, hermano,

the eagle is not down,

he's in a different sky,

there is no death

for this peaceful warrior.

Para Cesar 4/26/93

C/S