Archive for the ‘Texas’ Category
Nearly 400 people are missing two weeks after Hurricane Ike hit parts of Texas.
“There are a lot of elderly folks, just looking at the age column,”Many of them are from the hardest hit areas of the county, including Boliver, Crystal Beach and Gilchrist.
About 75% of homes in the Galveston area are uninhabitable.
For the first time since Hurricane Ike blew away much of the city, residents of Galveston began streaming home today.But the city is in such bad shape, those hurrying back home were given an ominous warning: Bring tetanus shots, rat poisoning and don’t bring children.
If that’s not enough, planes are spraying the city with insecticide to prevent a boom in the mosquito population, the water isn’t drinkable and people are urged to wear face masks to guard against inhaling toxic mold that is proliferating in the sweltering city.
One way you can help is through giving to the Greater Houston Community Foundation.
Via / ABC Local, ABC National, y Para Justicia y Libertad
Struggling through Hurricane Ike
11:20 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Environment| Texas · Comments Off
17 Sep 2008
So it seems that Hurricane Katrina wasn’t enough practice for the government. Latest news on Hurricane Ike clean up is that FEMA is “struggling” with distribution issues. In other words, folks who are in desperate need of help, simply aren’t getting it:
“Where’s FEMA?” some evacuees have asked. Houston Mayor Bill White complained FEMA wasn’t bringing ice, water and meals fast enough, while the county administrator personally took over the coordination of efforts to hand out relief supplies.
According to (total jackass) Michael Chertoff (who runs FEMA), getting mad at FEMA now is just scapegoating FEMA for what is overall a difficult situation. I say, hand to the face Mr. Chertoff. Those who watched CNN for even ten minutes knew that there was a major storm brewing a week before it actually touched ground, in my humble non-official opinion, there should have been beds, warm soup etc set up within *hours* of the storm not days.
But who am I but some innocent blogger?
As Texas Struggles, O.J. Simpson Trail Begins
12:30 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Celebrities| Justice| Media| Texas · 1 Comment
15 Sep 2008
If there’s one thing you can count on from mainstream media, it’s that it is really are incapable of covering anything remotely newsworthy or of immediate concern. Even as Mala points out that the media and public are being kept away from certain parts of Hurricane ravaged Texas and nobody seems to know what happened to the prisoners that were left to deal with the storm in prison–our trustworthy CNN is headlining O.J. Simpson’s trail. And the really sad thing is that even CNN admits Simpson’s trail may not be quite newsworthy, the headline of the story: O.J. Simpson arrives for ‘bad sequel’ robbery trial.
CNN, a question for you–if it’s a bad sequel, why are you showing it?? Most stations *cancel* those bad sequels rather than continually rebroadcasting them!
While we have been focusing on how readers can help Caribbean victims of the hurricanes, close to home, in Texas specifically, the impact on areas like Bolivar and Galveston, is being hidden from the public eye, with more questions than answers, and with a community and country on edge fearing another Katrina like scenario.
XicanoPower, who faced the storm in Texas, is telling us that no one is being allowed in. What happened to the over 1000 prisoners that were left stranded in jail? While reports say that all is well inside, no one has actually been inside.
We are seeking information as to the demographics of these areas as well? Who are these most affected populations?
Hurricane Season : Porque no Se Van?
8:04 pm By Maegan La Mala · Immigration| New Orleans| Texas · Comments Off
11 Sep 2008As Hurricanes move from their devastation in the Caribbean and into the United States, images of people boarding up homes, gathering personal belongings and evacuating, but what of those not evacuating, out of fear, out of having to place to evacuate to? Porque no se van?
It is clearly about more than just getting people out, as la Macha wrote, it is also about how people are taken care of. This includes the messages being sent out, like ICE saying that they were not going to be checking evacuees legal status while ICE raids occur in other parts of the country. So is it any wonder that immigrants are not evacuating?
XP, our once guest editor here, is in the hurricane’s path as I write this. He has some good insight and stats as to the evacuation situation as it pertains to immigrants so read it and keep him and all awaiting the storm in your thoughts.
The specific needs of immigrants in crisis situations, like hurricanes, is important now and taking care of those needs requires a community response.
The South Texas Civil Rights Project is a non-profit public interest
organization which provides free legal services to those in the
Valley’s low-income community whose civil rights have been violated.
Over thirty years ago the South Texas Civil Rights Project (STCRP) was
formed to offer free education, advocacy, and legal services for
low-income and under-served persons of the Valley. The Project makes
one of its priorities assistance to survivors of domestic violence by
helping them qualify for protection under the Violence Against Women
Act. We also work with other organizations and individuals to help
raise awareness of the laws pertaining to persons with disabilities.
We recently worked with Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid in filing a petition
in federal court, seeking answers to the Border Patrol’s announcement
that they would conduct immigration ID checks in the event of a
hurricane in the Rio Grande Valley. We also work with several
organizations that are opposed to building the wall along the
Mexico/U.S border.
We are pleased to announce our 3rd annual Noche de Fiesta -
Celebrating Commitment to the Community on Wednesday September 3,
2008, at the McAllen Chamber of Commerce. This event celebrates and
honors individuals striving for human rights in our community.
Proceeds from the evening will enable us to continue providing
advocacy in a variety of areas and free legal assistance to low-income
Valley residents. This event celebrates and honors individuals
striving for human rights in our community. Proceeds from the evening
will enable us to continue providing free legal assistance to
low-income Valley residents and continue our advocacy for racial,
social, and economic justice. One very successful aspect of these
evenings has been our raffle and silent auction.
Please consider donating to our raffle or silent auction and support
the very important work that we do. All donations will be
acknowledged in the evening’s program booklet. In previous years,
donations came in the forms of gift certificates, art pieces, books,
zines/magazines, furniture. Monetary donations are always welcome.
The South Texas Civil Rights Project cannot afford to do this work
without your support. Thanks to community support, we have helped many
people achieve a quality of life in the community that would not
otherwise have been possible. Your support will allow us to continue
to protect civil rights and will be greatly appreciated by the people
we assist.
For further information, get in touch with Noemi Martinez, legal
assitant, at noemi.stcrp@gmail.com or Corinna Spencer-Scheurich, Equal
Justice Works Attorney at corinna.ss@gmail.com. Both can be reached at
(956)787-8171.
Jose Can You See? Border Patrol Abusing Migrants
10:02 am By Maegan La Mala · Immigration| Texas| crime · Comments Off
21 Aug 2008
Color us shocked. The idea that a law enforcement agency would abuse people, especially migrants just astounds us. Ok, so sadly it doesn’t really but it adds another layer of anger. On Tuesday, a former Border Patrol agent pleaded guilty to assaulting an immigrant.
Santiago Perez, of Edinburg, admitted Tuesday in federal court in Houston to both cases of violating the civil rights of the two immigrants while working as a South Texas Border Patrol agent in 2006 and 2007.
One immigrant,from Guatemala, was hit in the face with a pistol, and the other was interrogated with a gun pointed at his head.
And yes, the Border Patrol agent was Latino, which is an example of how it is the culture of law enforcement that is racist, not just a matter of a few individuals.
Via / Citizen Orange
Texas Teachers Pack Heat
5:38 pm By Maegan La Mala · Education| Texas| children| society · 2 Comments
19 Aug 2008
At least one school district in the great state of Texas is letting its faculty carry concealed firearms into their classrooms:
Harrold ISD Superintendent David Thweatt said his school board unanimously passed the concealed weapon policy in October to protect employees and students in the case of an armed intruder or hostage situation.The school sits near a major highway and is a 30-minute drive from the Sheriff’s Office.
While Harrold is currently the only district we know about allowing teachers to carry guns, Texas governor Rick Perry says that he supports anyone with a permit being able to carry a concealed weapon wherever they like:
Gov. Rick Perry said Monday that local school districts should be able to decide whether to allow concealed weapons on their campuses.“I’m pretty much a fan that if you’ve been trained, if you are registered, then you ought to be able to carry a weapon,” Perry said.
Back to School : Is Your Child’s Teacher Packing Heat?
11:26 am By Maegan La Mala · Controversia| Education| Texas| children · Comments Off
18 Aug 2008
In one rural Texas school district, teachers are adding one extra thing to their back to school shopping lists. Concealed weapons.
A local school board, Harrold Independent School District, in rural North Texas unanimously passed the policy to allow its teachers and staff to carry concealed hand guns to school. According to Fort Worth Star-Telegram, since the tiny 110-student school district was just off a heavily trafficked freeway, US 287, they felt the police was too far to respond quickly if there ever was an emergency. Therefore, the school board passed CKC (LOCAL), Safety Program/Risk Management Emergency Plans, which states:Recognizing that District schools are located in a somewhat isolated area and that response from emergency first responders, including law enforcement personnel, takes a minimum of approximately 30 minutes, the Board adopts the following policy to address concerns about effective and timely response to emergency situations at schools, including invasion of the schools by an armed outsider, hostage situations, students who are armed and posing a direct threat of physical harm to themselves or others, and similar circumstances.
For a teacher to carry a conceal handgun, they are required to have a Texas concealed handgun license, undergoing training in crisis management, and hostile situations and must use ammunition designed to minimize the risk of ricocheting bullets.
Chupcabra Chilling in Cuero , Texas
14 Aug 2008Where’s my chupacabra tee shirt when I need it? The town of Cuero, Texas says they are the current home of the legendary goat sucker. No se. I think it looks like a dog. A friend of mine says it looks like a guy she once kissed. What does it look like to you?
Hola!
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- Transgender Day of Remembrance and Latin@s
- Dear Troll(s):
- Puerto Rican, Latino Clergy, Theology Professors, Community Members To Condemn Brutal Hate Killing of Gay Puerto Rican Man
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