KetyE's blog

Another year nearly comes to a close and as I reflect on that which I am grateful for, I think once more of this community. I am thankful for your presence, for your being and for everything that you bring to the table. I am thankful that after six long years we are still here standing in community and communion as progressive Christians. And I am thankful that we have each made an impact in the way that we have over the course of the last year. For your being and for everything that you do, in whatever way that you do it, thank you. May you and yours have a very happy holiday season this year.

Calling it "an outrageous and horrifying crime," Janet Murguía, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, condemned the fatal beating of a Long Island man on Saturday night. Marcello Lucero, a 37-year-old man from Patchogue, Long Island, was the apparent victim of a hate crime by seven teenagers who were arraigned today for his murder. According to Newsday, Suffolk County police say that the defendants "simply wanted to beat up someone who looked Hispanic."

"While we are grateful that the authorities have taken swift action," Murguía said, "it is important for all Americans to understand that this is part of an alarming trend taking place nationwide." FBI hate crime statistics show that attacks against Latinos have been on the rise over the past four years. Similarly, the Southern Poverty Law Center has reported that the number of hate groups targeting Latinos and immigrants has also increased over the same period.

On November 8, 2008, Marcello Lucero was brutally stabbed to death by a group of teenagers because they thought he was Mexican. In response to the murder of Lucero, local authorities have encouraged others who have been victims of similar crimes in Long Island to come forward. Last night, WCBS-TV reported that a second Long Island resident, Carlos Orellana, alleged a similar gang attack. Orellana asserts that his assailants' attacks were coupled with racial slurs.

These race-related crimes are not anomalies in Long Island. The AP reports that "tensions" over immigration have been acute in Suffolk County for years now. A brief review of recent history reveals that:

Eight short years ago, two Mexican men were beaten in Farmingville by people who had offered them work. Farmingville is ten miles from where the stabbing of Lucero occurred.
On the Fourth of July in 2003, teens set fire to the Farmingville house of a Mexican family who barely escaped with their lives.
In 2005, four teens attacked two Mexican immigrants fishing in Long Island. Shouting racial slurs, the teens beat and stole both of the victims' money.

Bloggers,

This Thursday (11/20) at 11am EST (8am PST), the Long Island Immigrant Alliance, the Workplace Project, the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) and the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) will be holding a call for bloggers on last week's Suffolk county hate killing. A man was killed last week because a couple of teenagers were looking to do some damage to a "Mexican". The action of these teens, all under 18, however, is only the latest expression of hate happening in Long Island and the nation as a whole. The tragic death of this man must be seen as an urgent warning and call to action. We will be holding a call to talk about this horrible crime in Long Island, as well as the broader national implications this Thursday, at 11am EST. To date, there has been some media coverage of this incident but there needs to be more. We are hoping to bring more attention to this issue through this call. What happened last week is an outrage and we need to have elected officials and local communities taking note and ensuring that another death is prevented before it's too late.

Please RSVP for this important event to kesquivel@nclr.org. Send any questions you have in anticipation of this call to kesquivel@nclr.org.

What: Blogger Call on Suffolk Hate Killing
When: Thursday, 11am EST
Where: Call in #: 712-432-1620; Access code: 540585 #

In a couple of minutes, The Day After: A Feminist Town Forum will begin. You can watch it live at:

http://www.mogulus.com/cnw

I'm hoping to live blog it but I am having a bit of a technological challenge... I will keep you posted. & In any case, go to the moguls channel to watch!

Here are the specifics on the program--

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A Feminist Town Forum
Wednesday, November 5 @ 7:00PM

Lesley University Ampitheater, 1815 Mass. Ave., Cambridge

PARTICIPATE IN PERSON: Lesley University Ampitheater, 1815 Mass. Ave., Cambridge

PARTICIPATE ONLINE IN REAL TIME: Participate by logging on 11/5 at 7PM EST to any of our participating blogs, including Feministe, Feministing, Girl with Pen, CrossLeft, WIMN’s Voices, No Cookies for Me, Viva La Feminista, Writes Like She Talks, Heartfeldt Politics, TakePart, The Sanctuary, The Real Deal, or at our mogulus channel.

It’s been a long election season, and now it’s time to come together to figure out what it all means and what’s next.

At this culmination of our This Is What Women Want election project, join us, our panel of national leaders, and feminists around the country to discuss what happened on Election Day, and what we should be thinking about and doing now to fight for equality and justice for all.

This just in by way of e-mail from Tikkun. I found it very powerful. Thought you might too so I wanted to share.
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Tikkun to heal, repair and transform the world

A note from Rabbi Michael Lerner

A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE OF FORGIVING AND REPENTANCE

You Don't Have to be Jewish to Use these Next Days to Seek Forgiveness and to Forgive Others:
(The ten days of Repentance that Jews observe this year (2008 secular, 5769 Jewish calendar) from the eve of Rosh Hashanah Sept. 29thh to the end of Yom Kippur at nightfall October 9th can be used by anyone, including atheists and people from any and every religion, to focus on this spiritual practice-or any other time in the year that works best for you. Muslims may also find this of value as they complete the Ramadan season. The practices are useful for atheists and agnostics and skeptics of all sorts--you don't have to believe in God to try these practices.)

Practice 1: Repentance

We are missing pictures for:

JerseyGuy
Rev. Roger
Angelo Lopez
Frank Cocozzelli
Rich Warden

Gentlemen, can you please send in your pictures so that they can be posted. :-)

Hey there CrossLeft community!

I've created a CrossLeft.org group on Linked in.

Click here to join:

http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/934607

This just in...

PRESS RELEASE CONTACT:

FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION Estuardo Rodriguez: 202-631-2892

September 2, 2008 Peter Zamora: 202-293-2828

REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM REFLECTS ANTI-IMMIGRANT VIEWS

National Hispanic Leadership Agenda rejects platform’s hostility toward immigrants

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter today, the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA), a nonpartisan coalition of 26 major Latino organizations, rejected the 2008 Republican Party platform for its support of anti-immigrant, unworkable immigration policies. (See letter attached) Each party’s platform contains broad policy principles that are expected to guide the party’s positions for the next four years.

“The Republican platform caters to a vocal minority of anti-immigrant activists and is unacceptable to Latinos,” stated John Trasviña, MALDEF President and General Counsel and NHLA Chair. “The NHLA recently delivered the 2008 National Hispanic Public Policy Agenda to both major political parties. The Hispanic Public Policy Agenda reflects the policy demands of the Latino community and includes strong support for comprehensive immigration reform.”