Connections-February 1998

GregAlan Williams is much more than a fine actor. He is a messenger of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s many wise messages. This actor, community activist, writer, father, and husband does not like to be called a hero. As he sees it, when he pulled a Japanese truck driver from his cab getting the blood from the beating all over his own clothes, he was only doing what was right and doing right is not heroic; it should be what we all do.

January of 1997 ushered in a new year with raging flood waters which cut a devastating swath through our area. January 1998 found some 1,650 souls in our area, who experienced GregAlan Williams, awash in a flood of optimistic realism relating to violence, racism and negativism in the United States.

In commemorating Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, Mr. Williams spoke to students at Modesto High School and at Mark Twain Junior High School. In each instance, students sat in rapt silence for some 45-60 minutes as they were challenged to put their shoulders to the task of non-violent resistance to violence, gangs, drugs and insensitivity to others.

Mr. Williams shared with students at PACE Learning Center before speaking to a hastily arranged session at Stanislaus County Juvenile Hall. Here, some fifty young boys and men dialogued with GregAlan for a full hour in a wonderfully respectful, often humorous way. After the initial banter over the beauties in the television program "Baywatch", and his experiences as an actor, Mr. Williams related many of his experiences as a boy and man being confronted by and confronting violence. Mr. William's message of respect for one another's rights, respect for differences and for every person's right to be, was made often and with moving life episodes from his own experiences.

As a participant and observer I [Gene Palsgrove] sensed that GregAlan Williams (one of the most intellectual/inspirational speakers I have ever heard) was assigned the mantel of "Hero" by the kids who heard him. I saw it in their eyes as they walked by him as they left the meeting rooms. Many said "Thank you", some embraced him, and body language and approving smiles in his direction, sent a message: "Yes! There is still a place for heroes."

I believe most want to believe in the kind of peace and justice envisioned by Dr. King. King had the dream. Mr. Williams challenged young folks to put their shoulders to the task of moving the dream along: "America today is not the America of yesterday, but we have much yet to do."

- Gene Palsgrove

Friday afternoon Mr. Williams spoke in the Modesto Junior College Student Lounge.

He began by asking questions which he then answered as he pranced around the room, using his hands, his body, especially his face to convey his passionate messages. He often physically touched those with whom he was dialoging. "Non Violence is not waiting. It is taking your grievance to the tyrant. It requires courage. I do not know how thoroughly I could carry the non violent message. One must prepare oneself. Either fight or flee. It is a strategy, a way of life." Notice that Williams acts even though he imperfectly practices non violence.

His second question was a bomb shell. "What about King's dalliances? What about his infidelities? I was not there with him. I do not know whether the accusations are accurate. Let us assume they are. When I come face to face with a heroes' humanity, I become encouraged. It takes him off the pedestal. It says you can be flawed and committed. Embrace it. Find hopefulness in it."

Another important theme that Williams wove into both his MJC remarks and his extended speech on Saturday morning in the auditorium of the King-Kennedy Center was that "When I am in your head then I am outta mine." This wisdom was from an uneducated elder he met on the street. If one reads minds as a way of relating then people are not allowed to be fully human. "I might assert equality but I might not believe it. Racism had crippled me. I had to do want King said, 'judge people by the content of their character.'"

A third theme was that we need to feel and experience shame. "Dr. King's intent was to shame the country. Shame can be transformative."

When GregAlan Williams pulled Mr. Erata from his truck, he recalled being slugged in the mouth by a bully when he was twelve. "The pain of being exiled from the human heart. I rescued myself. It wasn't courage that I moved out of, it was suffering." In his speech delivered on Saturday, he spoke about mourning. "Perhaps we need to mourn, to cry. [There were many of us crying as he spoke.] We should read the names and tell the stories of those killed or denied their dreams."

GregAlan Williams was most inspiring. He left us with hope. He left us with phrases and pieces of wisdom that we will not soon forget. He left us with the challenge of doing what is right and not worrying about our safety, our success and our reputation. We need, he hammered home, "to go in a good, orderly direction (God)." "Cowardice is often covered in bedclothes." " How is it that the few can steal dignity and respect in the face of the many?"

"When the muzzle of the dog met the face of the protesters, people realized the unfairness."

- Jim Higgs

Henry Louis Gates on changes in Black life

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is chair of Harvard's Afro-American Studies department co-editor of the Norton Anthology of African American Literature, is on Time magazine's list of "Twenty-five Most Influential Americans." In a recent interview with Jane Slaughter in The Progressive magazine he talked about some changes in black life since the 1950s and 1960s:

Before the Civil Rights Act was passed, we were at war... Now, if you're black and in the upper-middle class, you can live like white people.

Still, could I have been Rodney King? Of course. Am I still subject to pernicious white racism? Of course I am. But can I live where I want, marry who I want, travel where I want, make as much money as my imagination? Absolutely. In contrast, there are people living out on the streets.

Forty-five percent of all black children live at or beneath the poverty line, almost identical to the figure the day [Martin Luther King, Jr.] was killed. Yet the black middle class has quadrupled. . .

My argument is that you have the black middle class and working class, and then you have this black underclass. And class is as important, often it's more important in one's daily life, than race, even within the black community....

I think the best thing that we can hope for is to change the bell curve of class, to invert a popular metaphor. Under a capitalist system there's going to be rich people, and there should be a big middle-class/working-class bulge, and then there should be a small group of poor people. That's my fantasy.

And I want enough social safety net so that nobody has to go without medicine and food and shelter. I think the state should provide for people that can't provide for themselves. I think the state should train people. I think that we owe everybody an education. I think that people who are lazy should be punished, right? I don't like that. I don't think people should be rewarded for not working, if they have a choice. But I think that we have to provide for the people that can't work. . .

I think we should have laws that keep people from being exploited. We have laws already about monopolies and anti-trust. But I don't think that you can limit what an individual can do. You work hard; if you can do it, knock yourself out. That's what this country was built upon, and I think it's good. What I didn't like, and in fact what the civil-rights movement was based upon, was that we didn't have the same access. I looked at a tape of [Martin Luther] King the other day, talking about what happened in 1865 when the Civil War ended. People in the Reconstructionist Congress were demanding forty acres and a mule for the newly freed slave, and everyone talked about how un-American that would be, to redistribute land. Yet at the same time, they were opening up the West. If you could run there and put a stake down, it was yours. But they didn't let us run. What we wanted was what everyone else had access to.

- From The Progressive magazine, 409 East Main Street, Madison, WI 53703. Excerpted by Indira Clark.

Human rights groups call for international intervention in Algeria

Amnesty International has issued the following:

Since 1992, the beginning of the current conflict in Algeria, the last year has seen the longest, most intense spell of violence in this divided nation. The violence has taken a new and terrifying turn with the rapidly escalating massacre of civilians. Thousands of people -- women and children, the poor and elderly --have been massacred with unspeakable brutality. Some of those lucky enough to have escaped having their throats cut or being burned alive in their homes have reached nearby security forces posts and called for help in vain.

Their cries have not been heard in their country, or beyond their national borders. Up to 80,000 people have been killed behind a virtual wall of silence on the part of the international community.

Amnesty International, the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH), Human Rights Watch and Reporters join together to appeal to the international community to act now to address the deteriorating human rights situation in Algeria, and are calling on members of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to convene a Special Session on the human rights situation in Algeria. As the UN body with primary responsibility for the promotion and protection of human rights, we look to the Commission on Human Rights to provide leadership in seeking solutions to this human rights tragedy.

Recent statements of the UN Secretary-General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UNICEF and the UNHCR condemning the massacres of civilians and other human rights abuses in Algeria go some way towards breaking through the barriers of silence surrounding the crisis. But words are not enough.

The UN Commission on Human Rights has so far not scrutinized the situation. It is time to take concrete action to end this spiral of violence and to ensure the protection of the civilian population.

The need to investigate and reveal the truth is the first step to finding solutions to this human rights tragedy. For this reason, we are calling for the establishment of an international investigation to ascertain the facts, examine allegations of responsibility and to make recommendations in respect to the massacres and other abuses by all sides in Algeria. Such an investigation has to be provided with broad powers, adequate staff and resources. It should collect evidence, statements, including testimony from victims, witnesses and responsible officials, to discover the truth.

Since the outbreak of the current conflict in 1992, extrajudicial executions, deliberate and arbitrary killings, torture, rape, "disappearances" and hostage-taking have become routine. The large-scale massacres of civilians over the past year have taken place against a background of increasingly widespread human rights abuses by security forces, state-armed militias and armed Islamist groups, which have increasingly targeted and terrorized civilians. Disregard for human rights has become the rule rather than the exception. This is despite the fact that Algeria has ratified important international and regional human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.

Time after time, the Algerian Government has simply failed to investigate these abuses by its own forces and by armed opposition groups, and to bring those responsible to justice. This failure has exacerbated the breakdown of law and order and left civilians feeling ever more alone and unprotected.

The complex reality of violence and counter-violence has become increasingly confused with the clampdown on information and investigations.

Information defined by the authorities as "security-related" is censored and manipulated. International human rights organizations and foreign media have often been refused entry to the country. Human rights workers and journalists who have been let into the country have been subject to surveillance and restrictions. Those who have continued to work in the country have faced death threats and killings. All of these actions have contributed to building a wall of silence around the human rights crisis in Algeria.

We echo the call of the Secretary General of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) for enhanced cooperation and coordination between the UN and African institutions, and urge Member States of the OAU to support an initiative of this kind.

In the context of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership Agreement with Algeria, which contains provisions for the respect of human rights, we urge Member States of the European Union to work for the special session of the Commission on Human Rights and the investigation to become a reality.

In the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action of 1993, UN Member States reaffirmed that the promotion and protection of all human rights is a legitimate concern of the international community. We call on them now to honor their pledge.

The Algerian Government routinely accuses anyone criticizing their human rights record of deliberately lying, interfering in Algeria's internal affairs, and political bias. Human rights protection is not just an internal affair or an issue of national sovereignty. Algeria is not above international scrutiny. At a time when its citizens are being slaughtered en masse week after week, the government of Algeria should welcome -- not oppose -- international attention aimed at helping to protect lives.

Amnesty International

#1 Easton Street

London, WC1X 8DJ

United Kingdom

http://www.amnesty.org

Algeria's current conflict: background

By NANCY DIMOND

1962: Algeria is independent from colonial France.

1962-1992: Algeria was ruled by the National Liberation Front. Their rule during this period has been characterized as a one-party Marxist state, corrupt and nepotistic.

1989: The Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) was recognized as a legal party. Its ranks included the growing numbers of young, poor and jobless.

1992: The first multiparty national parliamentary elections since 1962 were to be held. Then Algerian President Chadli Benjedid favored sharing power with the Islamic Front. When it became apparent that the FIS would be able to gain a 2/3 majority control over parliament, it was feared that the constitution would be changed and an Islamic Republic would be established. President Benjedid was forced to resign and a military-backed five-man High State Council seized control of the government. The new government soon arrested the FIS leader and banned all gatherings near mosques. The elections are postponed until 1994.

1992-1994: The economic state of Algeria worsened despite its cheap labor force and rich oil and gas reserves. Its population grew rapidly and housing shortages increased. A language barrier also increased since most decent jobs required French speaking skills, yet most youths were only taught Arabic due to a national policy instituted in the early 1980's.

A splinter faction, the Armed Islamic Group, began violent attacks against officials, intellectuals, journalists and foreigners leaving thousands dead.

1995: Presidential and parliamentary elections are held including four secular parties. The incumbent leader of the military-backed government is re-elected. Shortly after the elections the outlawed FIS expressed a desire to establish an open dialogue and cooperation with the military backed government. By now the death toll has risen to more than 40,000 people.

1995-1997: The government still refuses compromise with the Islamic Salvation Front. Most of the killing is blamed on the Armed Islamic Group, however the military-backed government is suspected of condoning the attacks as a means of denying dialogue with the FIS.

The killings have now escalated to an almost nightly basis. In September 1997, 200 villagers are brutally massacred in one night.

English-only hysteria grows as anti-bilingual initiative heads for ballot

By DAVID BACON

LOS ANGELES (10/23/97) -- Octavio Sifuentes, now a librarian at Ventura College, came to the U.S. as a young teen. At St. Mary's in Los Angeles' Boyle Heights, school authorities put him in the 7th grade.

"For the first year, I just looked around," Sifuentes remembers. "In class I felt really bad, because I just couldn't understand what they were saying. All I could do was math, which I learned in school in Mexico. So they just gave me math problems to do all day. It was the 1950s, and Chicanos weren't encouraged to speak Spanish."

Sifuentes' mother had been a teacher in Mexico, and she pushed him to learn. They would read the newspaper together, struggling with the unfamiliar English. "I held the paper in one hand, and the dictionary in another," he says. "But at school, no one would or could talk to me. I was a lost and lonely kid."

This year Sifuentes is an angry man. "When I think about this anti-bilingual initiative, that's what I remember. That's where I think it wants to take us," he predicts.

The initiative which Sifuentes fears is the product of Ron Unz, a right wing Silicon Valley software magnate who ran unsuccessfully against Governor Pete Wilson in the last gubernatorial primary. His organization, "One Nation, One California," has sponsored the initiative.

Together with other right-wing Republicans Unz crafted the third effort in as many election cycles to define an issue which would draw conservative voters to the polls. In 1994, the Republicans campaigned on Proposition 187, to deny education to undocumented immigrant children and medical care to their families. In 1996, the wedge issue was Proposition 209, which sought to ban affirmative action in state programs and institutions.

If Unz' signature gatherers are successful, the June 1998 ballot will contain the "English Language Education for Immigrant Children Initiative."

Its goal sounds simple: "All children in California public schools shall be taught English by being taught in English." Contradicting the experience of Sifuentes and thousands of other immigrant children, the initiative's preamble states that "young immigrant children can easily acquire full fluency in a new language, such as English, if they are heavily exposed to that language in the classroom at an early age."

The initiative mandates that children who don't speak English are to be enrolled into a one-year "sheltered English immersion" class whose main purpose is to teach them English. The teaching of other subjects is given a secondary priority. The class is to follow "an English language acquisition process for young children in which nearly all classroom instruction is in English but with the curriculum and presentation designed for children who are learning the language."

No research supports the premise of the Unz initiative and its one-year, English-only approach. In fact, the definitive study of the comparative outcomes of various methods of bilingual instruction, by Wayne Thomas and Virginia Collier of George Mason University (September 1995) contradicts the English-only approach.

The study's key finding states that academic achievement, both in English and in core subjects, among non-English-speaking students depends on three factors:

* Academic instruction given in the student's first language for as long as possible, with English-language instruction during the second part of the day.

* A full academic curriculum taught through active, discovery, cognitively complex methods.

* English-speaking students integrated into the classroom in an affirming, supportive environment, treating bilingual education as a gifted and talented program for all students.

Students learn each others' language in these programs, the study found. They create high expectations for students, both in language and in other academic subjects. The lack of stigma against Spanish or other minority languages creates self-confidence among those students who speak them. The programs encourage parental involvement and treat the learning of English as part of the overall learning process.

But learning English takes more than a year, the study shows. It can take three years or more.

"It is clear from this and other studies that bilingual programs, properly taught, have been very successful," says Lillian Utsumi, a bilingual advocate in the Los Angeles school system and member of United Teachers Los Angeles.

The initiative's "sheltered English immersion" process, however, is mandatory. Any parent dissatisfied with it, wanting their child taught in a bilingual setting, must go in person to the school to ask for a waiver. There are only three grounds for waivers: children who already know English, children over 10 years old who the principal decides need bilingual education, and children with special needs. A school district can deny waivers for any reason.

If the parents of fewer than 20 students demand waivers, a school is not required to provide a bilingual class. Parents must find other schools and somehow get their children there. These hurdles effectively deny low-income immigrant families the right to choose the English-learning method for their children.

"The initiative actually eliminates school and parental advisory committees which now exist," explains Dolores Sanchez, legislative representative for the California Federation of Teachers. "It eliminates an important area of parent participation. Right now, parents have a choice about the programs used to teach their children, which the initiative takes away."

The initiative's final thrust is at teachers. "Any school board member or other elected official or public school teacher or administrator," it says, "who willfully and repeatedly refuses to implement the terms of this statute by providing such an English language educational option at an available public school to a California school child may be held personally liable for fees and actual damages by the child's parents or legal guardian."

A willful and repeated refusal could mean a teacher who on more than one occasion answers a child's question in Spanish, and could lead to a teacher being personally sued for damages and lawyers' fees. "This sets a dangerous precedent," Sanchez says. "Currently, parents can sue a school district, but not teachers directly. What would this mean for maintaining a relationship of trust between teachers and students?"

While questions mount about the actual impact of the initiative on schools, Unz and other backers have convinced the state's Republican Party to support the initiative. Despite opposition from Attorney General Dan Lungren, the likely Republican Gubernatorial nominee, and Republican Assembly Leader Bill Leonard, the party's state convention endorsed it in mid-October. Republican San Diego Mayor Susan Golding, set to challenge Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer, followed suit. At the convention, Governor Pete Wilson stayed neutral.

On the Republican convention's heels, Doug Lasken, an elementary school teacher in Los Angeles, turned in sufficient signatures to force an endorsement vote in United Teachers Los Angeles.

Fearing the initiative would be interpreted as another attack on California's Latino community, Unz convinced widely-known Los Angeles teacher Jaime Escalante, whose story was told in the film "Stand and Deliver," to chair its statewide campaign. Escalante's move infuriated Sifuentes. "The East Los Angeles community helped him a lot," he declared. "But instead of giving something back, he's becoming a darling of the right. He should be ashamed to lend his name to this."

Meanwhile, in the midst of growing English-only hysteria, Federal District Judge William B. Shubb moved to allow the city of Orange to end bilingual classes entirely in favor of the English immersion approach mandated by the initiative. A state court injunction had blocked the city's move, which Shubb lifted, effectively ending bilingual education for 29,000 students.

From: National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights: http://www.nnirr.org Reprinted with permission. Edited.

Winning Peace Essay: "China's Human Rights Violations"

The 1997 Peace Essay Contest invited Stanislaus County students to write a letter to the then President-elect sharing their hopes, dreams, and concrete ideas about action he might initiate or support in order to bring about a more peaceful world.

Second Place, Division II (Grades 11 and 12)

"China's Human Rights Violations"

By NICHOLAS ENERO

Walden Meadow School

For many years the government of China has violated the most basic human rights. People are sentenced without trial and "population quotas" are strictly enforced. Government officials abuse their authority with impunity, and people of opposing views are often arbitrarily jailed. Such occurrences are ethically and morally unacceptable and the U.S. government should do all it can within its power to stop the abuses.

Reports from Amnesty International (AI) offer many examples that when a Chinese citizen is accused of a crime, the laws are often overlooked for the convenience of the official involved.

"Shelter and investigation" policies allow the police, on their own authority, to detain anyone without a charge being filed up to three months. The citizen may be held merely on the suspicion of being involved in a crime.

Moreover, the stated time limits on this procedure are often violated. Wej Jingsheng, an outspoken critic of the government, was arrested in early April 1994 and held for 29 months without having charges filed against him. In fact, hundreds of thousands of people have been routinely detained every year for "shelter and investigation" since the early 1980s. The latest available figures from AI reported 930,000 in 1989 and 902,000 in 1990. Detainees and prisoners are often grossly mistreated. Horror stories abound with detainees being spit on, kicked, beaten with shock batons, getting boiling water poured on them, being burned with cigarettes and having an electric prod used on their genitals.

To illustrate the injustice to citizens, the following is a true story.

A man riding a bus was ordered by the driver to get off the bus so he could give someone else his seat. The rider refused. An argument ensued between the rider and the bus driver. The bus driver complained to the police and the bus passenger was promptly arrested and jailed. No explanation for the arrest was given and no criminal charges were filed. While in jail, the officers proceeded to hit the prisoner with hock batons, kick him, spit on him, and beat him with their fists. After the beating, the man was released. The man later attempted to press charges against the police officers who had beat him. Ironically, the court's response was to offer him monetary compensation. if he agreed to drop the charges. He refused. The police confronted him and ordered him to drop the charges. When he refused, the officers again beat him. The court then dropped his case.

The Chinese government strictly enforces "population quotas" which define who is allowed to have children, and how many children a couple can have. The current limit is one child per family if the family lives in the city and two if the family lives in the country. If a woman gets pregnant without the written consent of the government, the government can order her to have an abortion. If she refuses, the government may harass her, heavily fine her, cut the family income, and threaten the family until she agrees to comply with their demands. In some instances she is simply dragged away and forced to have an abortion.

The story of one woman's experience shows how cruelly such laws are applied. The wife of a couple which had been denied permission to have a second child found that she was pregnant. The couple fled to their relatives in another village to hide. The authorities came to the village and surrounded it. All the pregnant women were arrested and taken to the hospital. The woman gave birth on the way to the hospital and the child was reportedly killed. All the other women had forced abortions.

An effective, yet peaceful, solution would be to sever all trade connections with China until the government agrees to human rights reforms. The United States would not trade with China until the basic human rights of its citizens were restored. This would require the Chinese government to sign an agreement to create and properly enforce laws that help and protect its citizens, instead of laws that exploit and control them. The agreement would be enforced by a yearly or monthly inspection and evaluation of China's human rights situation. The inspection would be conducted by an unimpeded , impartial, multi-national committee. The level of trade privileges would be defined by their human rights situation. If their human rights situation is excellent, then their trade privileges will increase to reflect that. If the opposite is true then a decrease or revoking of trade privileges would be in order.

During election campaigns, important issues are often used for political advantage and then discarded. MTV news reported that President-elect Clinton attacked President Bush during the '92 election campaign when he said that "China has nuclear weapons and the world's largest standing army, and it would harm, not advance, our interests to isolate China, rather than engage it." President Bush seemed to argue for China to have Most Favored Nation status on the basis that it's big and powerful. Human rights issues did not find their way into the equation. Clinton condemned Bush for advocating that China should have Most Favored Nation status. However, Clinton later supported that exact position.

Mr. President-elect, we cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the human rights violations in China. According to Milarepa "Boycott China", about 40% of China's exports are to the United States. Only 2% of the United States' exports go to China. We are responsible for a significant portion of their total economy. It is our duty to do our part in assisting the Chinese citizens to achieve basic human rights.

Violence and allegations continue in Chiapas

By INDIRA CLARK

On January 1, 1994 the Zapatistas began an indigenous resistance movement against deep-seated injustice in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. Low intensity conflict between and among the armies of government and various paramilitary groups has been continuous since then, marked by complex negotiations and the deep polarization of the communities throughout the region. Violence escalated recently in the county of Chenalho resulting in dozens of deaths, numerous wounded, and at least 2,000 internal refugees.

On December 22, 60-70 paramilitary supporters of Mexico's ruling PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party), armed with AK-47's, attacked people attending Mass in the Acteal Catholic Church (Chenalho), Chiapas. The Mexican Red Cross reported 45 dead and 19 wounded, mostly women and children. Witnesses reported the attack came from several sides so the victims could not escape. The massacred were indigenous people, refugees from the Chiapas highlands where a PRI paramilitary group had recently burned houses and stolen food. Some were Zapatista supporters or members of the peasant organization "the Bees" (Sociedad Civil Las Abejas, a group with politics similar to the Zapatistas but which does not support armed struggle).

Since the beginning of December, the PRI supporters had threatened to attack the refugees. "Public servants in the political affairs office of the state, as well as the state attorney general, and therefore the governor, had been informed" about the threat, Mexico's official National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) report on the massacre stated. "Had they taken action, they could have avoided the tragedy."

Government soldiers stationed 1.5 miles away did not investigate the gunshots or otherwise intervene, though the CNDH report stated that forensic tests have shown that the soldiers should have heard the firing. It took local police over 5 hours to respond. (According to a number of reports from displaced persons, the majority of the acts of violence in Chenalho during recent weeks have been undertaken with the backing of the police.)

Under pressure following public outrage over the massacre, several high-ranking offices were forced to resign, including Interior Minister Emilio Chuayfett, Mexico's number two political post, and Chiapas Governor Julio Cesar Ruiz Ferro. Local officials are the focus of a federal government probe into the killings, according to Attorney General Jorge Madrazo, and 46 people have been charged in the case as Connections goes to press.

While these killings shocked Mexico, the violence continues. Soldiers have stepped up patrols in communities that support the Zapatistas since the December 22 massacre. In mid-January Mexican human rights groups accused the army of beating 16 women and injuring several of their children. The women attempted to bar the soldiers from their village. The soldiers searched homes, breaking valuables and taking money.

Talks between the Zapatistas and the federal government have been suspended for more than a year. The San Andrs Accords on Indigenous Rights and Culture signed in February, 1996, have not been fulfilled. The government has also signed international agreements committing it to respect the rights of indigenous peoples. A December attempt on the life of the bishop of San Cristobal de las Casa, Chiapas, has gone unpunished. Bishop Samuel Ruiz Garcia, head of the Diocese of San Cristobal de las Casa, known as a defender of indigenous rights, has presided as a mediator between opposing groups.

Bishop Ruiz also invited international participation in the dialogue by encouraging the organization of SIPAZ (International Service for Peace). "International public opinion has already played a key role in limiting the scope of violence at the most explosive moments of the conflict," according to SIPAZ which has member groups around the world. "An international presence can raise up the voices of the peasants who are not with one army or the other. They are an often unheeded voice for peace."

ACTION: Send faxes or letters as soon as possible to Mexican officials:

* to give immediate attention to the victims of this tragedy and to repair damages

* to ensure free access to the area by communications media and human rights groups

* to investigate this attack, including the role of the state police (Seguridad Pblica) and to apply appropriate sanctions

* to disarm the paramilitary groups that operate in the area

* to fulfill the San Andrs Accords regarding Indigenous Rights and Culture as well as international agreements the government has signed that commit it to respect the right of indigenous peoples.

Addresses:

Lic. Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Le--n

Presidente de la Repblica

Palacio Nacional:

06067, Mxico, D.F.

Fax: int-52-5-516-5762/515-4783

email:webad-mon@op.presidencia.gob.m

Jorge Madrazo

Cuellar Procuradur'a General de la Repblica

Paseo de la Reforma No.75

Col. Guerrero

06300 Mxico, D.F.

Fax: int-52-5-626-4419

Also contact your own members of Congress informing them of the escalating violence in Chiapas and asking them to communicate their concern about the situation to the Mexican government.

For more information, visit SIPAZ's English edition on The Nonviolent Web: http://www.nonviolence.org/sipaz/ or email:sipaz@igc.org, write Box 2415, Santa Cruz, CA 95063, or phone 408-425-1257.

The San Jose Peace Center has an email early warning network for alerts on human rights developments in Mexico: sjpc@sjpeace.org.

Political prisoners held in Dublin, California

By MARY TOMITA

I was completely unaware of the Puerto Rican prisoners in the Dublin federal prison until Julie, my church friend, began visiting and supporting them nearly eight years ago. Another friend who is the pastor of a Hawaiian church, Ron Fujiyoshi, visits them when he comes to California. I first met him in Japan and over the years have found him dedicated to peace and justice.

The political prisoners were convicted as members of organizations involved in armed actions against the colonial situation in Puerto Rico. None were ever charged with any action resulting in bloodshed. They have been imprisoned over l5 years and are serving extremely long sentences.

On November 6, 1996 I went with three church friends to visit, and it was an unforgettable experience. We were allowed only twenty minutes each. Four of them are political prisoners and three are prisoners of conscience who were supporting minority causes. They include:

Dylan Pagan was born and raised in New York City. She was a community organizer working in housing, health, and educational projects. This led to her involvement in electoral politics and in the movement for Puerto Rican independence. She was captured and imprisoned in 1980 charged with "seditious conspiracy."

Carmen Valentin was born in Puerto Rico and immigrated to Chicago with her parents in 1951. She was captured in 1980 and sentenced to 98 years for being a member of the Armed Forces of National Liberation (FALN). She says, "Wherever I may be, I will always be happy and honored to serve our people as a fighter and as an example for our oppressed masses."

Alicia Rodriguez was born in Chicago in 1953, the first child in her family to be born in the US. She was captured, along with her sister Lucy, in 1980. Her goals of obtaining independence for Puerto Rico have helped her to "surpass the solitude, sadness, rancor and the insult of our jailers."

Marilyn Buck was born in Texas and became involved in revolutionary struggles. In 1973 she was convicted of buying two boxes of handgun ammunition and sentenced to 10 years. In 1977 she was granted a furlough and didn't return. She was captured and in 1987 tried for conspiracy to free political prisoners, receiving a total sentence of 80 years.

Laura Whitehorn was involved in struggles for human rights and self-determination of Third World struggles. She was arrested in Baltimore in 1985. In prison she has educated prisoners about HIV and AIDS.

Most of the women have written poetry and done art work. They are helping other prisoners and are very distressed that conditions are getting worse. Among other restrictions, prisoners are no longer allowed to take educational courses.

Our New Fellowship Church (United Church of Christ) has been giving a little support to the prisoners so that they will at least have change to make phone calls. They welcome letters and support. You will be impressed with their profound moral character and spiritual depth.

President Clinton is trying to leave a lasting legacy. Our hope is to persuade him to make history by granting amnesty to political prisoners. How can we condemn other governments for their political prisoners when we have so many in our own country? Letters from concerned citizens might point that out to him.

ACTION: To visit the prisoners, write on church or organization stationery to chaplain, Rev. Ron Richter, FCI Dublin, 570l 8th St., Camp Parks, Dublin, CA 94568.

(Mary Tomita of Oakland, CA, attended Ceres High School and Modesto Jr. College. She is the author of Dear Miye, the story of her years in Japan, available at The Bookstore, McHenry Village. She can be contacted at: 3275 Kempton Ave., Oakland, CA, 94611; 510/836-0733.)

Mis Amigos de Merced: Sister City Report

By BETTY STEWART

A decade ago Mercedians began building a "friendship" relationship with the Nicaraguan city of Somoto. Since 1992 Somoto has been Merced's official Sister City. Capital of Madriz with 40,000 inhabitants, it lies in an agricultural community in the hills of northern Nicaragua, 14 miles from the Honduran border.

It's time to report on 1997 activities and the future plans of our Merced-Somoto Sister City Committee.

The biggest event of 1997 was sending ten delegates to Somoto in late July. Members of the group, interested in special needs children had the opportunity to visit programs and dialogue with Somoto-area teachers, parents, and students. The delegates carried fourteen suitcases of educational, sports, and medical supplies for distribution to local schools and community organizations. (See Shelly Scribner's article in the October, 1997, Stanislaus Connections.)

For the past three years the committee has provided scholarships of $50 monthly for six Somoto students attending universities in Nicaragua and $5 monthly to seven high school students. So far we have contributed a total of $10,800; an achievement that speaks well of our group's dedication and commitment. In February, one of our scholarship recipients, Norland Tercero Bucardo, expressed his thanks to "mis amigos de Merced, California" as part of his thesis in biology from the University of Le--n. While on an "unofficial visit" to Somoto in December Mark Kamiya and Greg Rinzo met another scholarship recipient who had just graduated from medical school. Two other recipients have completed computer training. Their scholarships have now been assigned to new students. These and other bright, dedicated youth could not continue their education without our aid.

The City of Somoto has proposed a water project to bring much needed clean water to the outlying communities of Santa Isabel, San Esteban, and Apatule. The total costs will be almost $17,000. Greg and Mark documented the need for this pipeline through interviews and photographs and we are writing several grant proposals as well as planning to solicit donations from individuals and organizations.

For fundraising this year we held three yard sales and sold Nicaraguan crafts at Earth Day at the zoo and the "Threads" cultural festival. We marched in the Martin Luther King, Jr. brotherhood parade in January and the "Threads" parade in October. A booth at Disability Awareness Day at the Mall and a Christmas tree featuring photos of Somoto's children at the Courthouse Museum helped publicize our activities.

ACTION: All are welcome to attend the Merced-Somoto Sister Cities Committee meetings on the third Sunday of the month at 2 pm in the Scout Hut at Applegate Park, Merced.

Please consider making a monthly pledge, a one time contribution or donating in the name of a friend to celebrate a special occasion. Your donation can make an important difference. Donations may be made to "City of Merced - Somoto," 1279 Kensington Drive, Merced, 95340. For more information, Betty 722-0401.

A great start to 1998: Stockton's inaugural First Night celebration

By TINA ARNOPOLE DRISKILL

Just as promised, there was "a taste of Cajun, a jam of jazz, a bite of blues, a cache of country, a nibble of classical, a dash of dance, a peppering of puppets, with a touch of glitter and a dazzling fireworks display for dessert."

It was like being at an arts and entertainment "candy counter" for Stockton's inaugural First Night celebration, where my husband and I joined relatives to see out 1997 and welcome 1998. First Night is the wintertime entertainment festival which started in Boston in 1976 where it is now enjoyed by more than 1 million people, and nearly 200 cities worldwide have initiated First Nights.

We chose the Seaport Woodwind Quintet for an appetizer and were treated to an unexpected, but fun, version of "Sweet Georgia Brown," along with lovely renditions from Fiddler on the Roof and some Russian dance melodies. Our soup and salad course was Gordy the Banjo-ologist, who also played "Sweet Georgia Brown" in the traditional banjo format and took us on a musical tour of his many fascinating banjos and their history.

Our main course buffet featured Five Guys Named Moe, actually two guys and two gals and No Moe, who performed a-cappella pop to classical, jazz to reggae and ballad to rock with humor as a side dish. We also dined with Sourdough Slim the Yodeling Cowboy, Stockton's own Joni Morris' Tribute to Patsy Cline and the Tower Brass Quintet. My husband and I chose dessert at the evening-long poetry marathon, where we enjoyed the fine poetry of S. Preston Chase followed by Paula Sheil, marathon coordinator, whose poetry was accompanied by gracefully expressive modern dance. The evening also afforded us samplers of big band, dance revues, cowboy and western music, Japanese Taiko drumming and hip hop jazz. Despite the desire and enthusiasm to see and hear it all, we sadly had to forgo many of the other offerings. Although we ate before we went, so we would have more time to enjoy the entertainment, festival goers could enjoy a variety of down home barbecues and other food venders. Sidewalk coffee was a popular warm-me-up.

The ambiance was low key and people of all ages, including families with babies and children, were on hand to enjoy the alcohol free fun-filled evening. All twenty indoor and outdoor venues were within a comfortable six-block walking area and shuttle buses transported badge holders from several security enforced free parking lots. Stockton's finest were at every street entrance, as well as on foot, in patrol cars and on horseback. The Stockton Record reported that only two drunk revelers had to be barred from the festivities.

As we returned home from what we all agreed to be a wonderful evening, plans were made to attend the 1998-99 Stockton First Night and we talked of strategies whereby we could take in and enjoy even more.

ACTION: I attended Stockton's First Night with the hope of helping to bring the idea to Modesto. So...if you're interested in entering the new millennium with Modesto First Night 2000, write or call the Modesto Downtown Improvement District at 529-9303 or Mayor Richard Lang at 577-5230 or members of the Modesto City Council at P.O. Box 642, Modesto, 95353 or the Modesto Chamber of Commerce at 577-5757 or the Arts Council-Stanislaus at 558-8628 or the Modesto City Culture Commission at 577-5230 or all of the above.

Into the Wild: a book review

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

Anchor Books/Doubleday, ISBN 0-385-4860-4, 1996

By JIM HIGGS

I am drained. I just finished a book I could not put down. Into the Wild, is the re-creation of the life and death of Christopher Johnson McCandless. From a well-to-do family of self-made people and one close relationship with his sister Carine, Christopher had been an excellent student at Emory University in Atlanta. Upon graduation, he gave $25,000 in savings to OXFAM America and drove to Alaska to live off the land, eating only what he could hunt or pick.

But what is so amazing about Into the Wild is that the writing of Jon Krakauer is so immediate that you feel whether it be hitch-hiking with Christopher or scaling Devil's Thumb with Jon, you are there. The passages of narration are precise and gripping. As readers, we are faced with our own philosophies and our own mortality.

Some of the people interviewed for this non-fiction gem knew McCandless for just a few hours or a few days. Yet, every interviewee was enamored with his youth. Except for his sister, Carine, he did not communicate with his family for the last two years of his short life. Ironically, McCandless a freedom-seeking loner wrote letters and especially postcards to people he had met on his sojourns. Whether the occasion was getting a ride from an interviewee or meeting them in a campground, McCandless had an educated passion about literature, nature, ideas and his family that won over all who encountered him.

Into the Wild has detailed maps of the travels and sojourns, and photographs of the abandoned bus McCandless lived and died in. An eerie feature of the book is that each chapter begins with quotations from books that either McCandless had marked and which were found beside his decomposing body in the bus or passages that author Krakauer had selected. All the passages are nature writings, sometimes by John Muir, Henry David Thoreau or less famous but poignant passages that set a mood that always fits the chapter's content.

The climax of the book is the way that Jon Krakauer so strongly identifies with McCandless that he interrupts his fastidious research and tells his own harrowing tale and therefore conveys his understanding of McCandless. In point of metaphor, Krakauer becomes McCandless.

If you are tired of those sappy pop psychology books but love a good, enigmatic tale (all the details are true in this non-fiction,) get your hands on Into the Wild and find yourself becoming both Krakauer and McCandless. It will move you like few books can.

Earthwords: How I found the gold in the African-American

By JIM HIGGS

In high school, I was the student director and drum major for the marching band. I remember fellow student Jim Gray, a talented drummer and an African-American as a clown, a cut up, a talented troublemaker. Today, Jim Gray is a full professor at California State University at Sonoma. During my college years, I was involved with the Community Involvement Project, a student tutoring program started by Gerald Haslam. I vividly recall Larry, the eight year old African-American I tutored one night a week. Like Jim Gray during his high school years, Larry was a cut up. He would wiggle, giggle and dart around his family's threadbare and sparsely furnished living room while I tried to teach him to read. Over the weeks and then months, Larry was able to sit still for longer periods of time. He was not comfortable having whites in his home. He was not comfortable allowing me to learn he could not read. He was not comfortable concentrating because it had not been a value he had been taught. I often wonder what Larry is doing. Is he alive? Is he a married man, a father, a man with a career and a family like Jim Gray? Or, quite possibly, is he living on the edge, struggling to survive and living on low self-esteem?

During the late 1960's, Black Power burst upon the landscape. The Black Panthers were constantly in the news. I wanted to learn more about blackness but there were no classes so I asked Gerald Haslam for advice. He volunteered to teach a course in Black Literature, vowing to do the necessary reading. It is important to know that Haslam is not only a honkie but the son of parents who migrated to Oildale, California from Oklahoma. I wrote a petition requesting/demanding the creation of a Black Literature course. Within two hours, I had acquired over 200 signatures. My then wife, Edi and I took Haslam's course, the first course I had taken in which the majority of the students were black. Haslam was, as he has continued to be ever since, spellbinding. I will never forget his lecture/poetry reading where he introduced us to the work of Gwendolyn Brooks. The Blacks in the course were noisy, often angry and often unprepared. What was their reading ability? How did they feel about having a white teach "their" literature? Some Black professors were hired in future years and more opportunities for Black students were created when Project Hidden Talent was established.

Green Farmer, a former Harlem Globetrotter, was hired as Hidden Talent coordinator. He was fiercely independent and loyal to his constituents. Yet, when I agreed to be a substitute student representative to a college committee that was recruiting for Project Hidden Talent, I found, much to my horror, that, as of early May, little had been done to process and screen applicants for the fall term in spite of the efforts of Green Farmer. I bellowed my indignation and was rewarded with a, at the time, very well paying summer job with two secretaries, to interview, screen and select fifty some Hidden Talent students for admittance into Sonoma State College. To the college's credit, when I purposefully selected sixty some for admittance, money was found to admit them. Years later, at a Bob Dylan concert, one of the students I had admitted recognized me, beamed an unforgettable smile my way and profusely thanked me for admitting her into the program. She proudly informed me that now she was a practicing lawyer.

My college days were a time of learning, not just from books and professors, but from my exclamations about justice and fairness. Little did I realize that my college then was more willing and able to change and welcome African-Americans into the intellectual world than educational institutions I have since experienced. Part of the reason for the difference is that the students were vocal, empowered and committed to advocating an end to the Vietnam War and an end to the racism that continues to divide our society.

I continue to be enriched by African-Americans and African-American culture. I love the energy and the style of Black people. The history of the African-American is dramatic, tragic, inspiring and instructional. I feel lucky to have been alive when and where I am. I will continue to study, learn and teach about my experiences because the world is round and full of many beautiful colors.

The HPI Learning and Livestock Center: a well-kept secret?

By BLYTHE OSNER

For over 50 years Heifer Project has provided food-or fiber- producing animals for hungry families around the world. Offspring are passed along to other families.

The Heifer Project Learning and Livestock Center in Ceres may be one of the valley's best kept secrets. It may be a little off the beaten path, but is certainly worth the trip. A six and a half acre working farm, the Learning and Livestock Center has livestock including goats, sheep, rabbits, chickens, ducks, geese, a llama and of course, a heifer! We also grow about 2,000 square feet of vegetable gardens and donate the harvest to Interfaith Ministries to help feed the hungry in our own community.

One of our most important tasks is educating this community about world hunger and some of the possible solutions. We accomplish this in several ways, but one of the most important is the classroom program.

During the fall and spring we host many area elementary school children who come to the farm to learn about how our animals can help alleviate hunger. The kids tour our development area and see several types of structures including a Latin American house, a chicken tiller, a zero-grazing goat pen and an African house. They visit a "dirt making factory" and learn how composting helps sustain the environment and watch many animals at work. In the barn the kids can visit with some larger animals and check out some of their offerings, such as wool and manure. Just for fun, kids also get to take a donkey cart ride before they leave.

This year, we have begun a new "visiting farm" program in which Heifer Project staff and volunteers bring animals to schools and give children the opportunity to engage with farm animals and dialogue about the ways the animals will help feed hungry families. This is accompanied by a presentation on Heifer Project's work.

Another new offering is the Heifer day camp, in which children ages 8-12 will have an opportunity to spend a week this summer at the Learning and Livestock Center. They will handle the animals, work in the garden, play games from around the world, cook in a solar oven and learn how to use various animal products to make everyday items. This camp will run July 6-10, 1998, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. every day. Tuition is $60 and scholarships are available, based on need. Enrollment is limited, so call now for your enrollment form!

For older youth and adults, we host service projects throughout the year, ranging from one day to one week. Groups have an intensive experience of doing farm work and maintenance work while learning about Heifer Project and world hunger.

ACTION: Volunteers are always needed to help in the garden, with school tours and day camp, and as counselors or resource people. To help, to schedule a tour, or get more information about any of these opportunities, contact Blythe at 537-8996.

Mud Pies and Purple Onions

By DAN and BARBARA POLLOCK

Dear friends and fellow gardeners,

While winter and the rain it brings to this valley are essential to the survival of native and commercial plants, I am, nonetheless, ready for the cold and foggy days to come to an end. As forecasts of rain slowly disappear into the longer days of a new spring, I look forward with anticipation to warmer weather, and the planting of our garden.

While the garden may be a bit barren and bleak at the moment, as the season changes and the soil starts to dry out, there will be plenty to do. It is during this time that you will want to think about preparing the soil with amendments and nutrients that will benefit the flowers, fruits, and vegetables of the coming season.

For some, all organic and inorganic materials added to the soil are considered amendments. From my perspective there is a difference between nutrients that feed the plants, and soil amendments which change the soil in such a way as to allow plants to take in nutrients.

Organic amendments are fibrous materials containing humus and a host of other properties that, when applied and worked into the soil, aid in moisture retention, aeration, drainage and sources of food for many soil microorganisms vital to plant health and growth. This is not to say that there are no nutrients in soil materials used to create the amendment. There may be trace amounts of macro and micro-nutrients. Examples of organic amendments are compost, manures, peat moss, lawn clippings and other green plant material plowed back into the soil.

Inorganic amendments such as perlite, sand, gypsum, and vermiculite all work to help the structure of the soil become a more hospitable place for plant roots to grow, but do not contain any nutrient value.

Adding nutrients to the soil means putting in a fertilizer that contains measurable amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous, potash and traces of metals such as iron, zinc and manganese. These important chemical elements are taken up into the plant and used to sustain growth and reproduction. For soils that are rich in organic matter or treated with compost or manures high in nitrogen, additional nutrients may not be necessary. Examples of organic nutrients are bone, blood, kelp, or fish meals, fish emulsion, and sewage sludges.

So if you begin to notice a reduction in the quality and quantity of fruits or vegetables, a lack of color and growth in plant leaves over time, it could be your soil. Depending on the conditions of your soil, you may need to add a soil amendment, a fertilizer, or both.

As a side note, I thought I'd mention some new research being done on wild radishes and flower color/herbivore relationships. Sharon Strauss, working out of UC Davis, Section of Evolution and Ecology, believes that the wild radish plants are responding to damage by producing chemicals that may play a part in determining flower color. So it appears that the many shades of flower color of the wild radish, from white to purple, may be effected by a messaging system brought on as a result of a balance between pollination and selectivity by plant herbivores. I am intrigued by this research and should it come to be proven, wonder if this is exclusive to just wild radish plants, or whether there are a host of other flowering species out there that are affected in the same manner.

Until next month, peace and good gardening.

"Thank you" KAZV-TV: a valuable local resource for activists

By JAMES COSTELLO

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Committee gratefully thanks Frank Azevedo of AZVideo Media of Modesto for hosting committee members, Tim Daniels and Jim Costello, on his show, "Our Part of the Valley" which is broadcast several times a week on KAZV-TV, Channel 14. The show provided a forum for informing the community about this year's Fourth Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration which featured GregAlan Williams.

In addition to showing movies, sports updates and local news, KAZV-TV strives, according to Mr. Azevedo, "to focus on locally produced programming featuring community people, places, and things."

KAZV-TV's emphasis on targeting local events and people can be a valuable community service especially for activist organizations like the Modesto Peace/Life Center. This kind of attention is available to any local group. There are also possibilities for groups to produce their own shows and have them broadcast. KAZV-TV can help get a local group's message out to the public in a very economical way.

Mr. Azevedo stated that he wants to enlarge KAZV-TV's broadcast area by hooking up with local cable companies but so far has only been able to get partial broadcast time with Marcus Cable Channel 2. Azevedo urges viewers to write Congressman Gary Condit suggesting he become active in limited power television legislation so stations like KAZV can become "must-carries" requiring local cable systems to provide access.

ACTION: Call or write Modesto's Cable One asking them to carry complete KAZV-TV local programming. And contact Frank Azevedo, (209) 577-0743, for your organizational promotions and program needs. Utilize this valuable, local, family-owned resource.

International delegation to Puerto Rico, Feb. 8-15, 1998

1998 marks the centennial of the US military occupation of the island of Puerto Rico. At the same time, the United States is installing in Puerto Rico a powerful military radar that is widely opposed and also moving the headquarters of US Army South from Panama to Puerto Rico. The Congress has chosen 1998 to celebrate a plebiscite on the island's status as a commonwealth (i.e., colony). These actions constitute a military re-colonization of Puerto Rican society.

An international delegation will explore the impact of militarism and colonialism on Puerto Rican society and environment, through meetings with community, governmental and non-governmental groups. The delegation will also express support for grassroots, environmental and peace movements seeking an end to military occupation.

Cost: Chiefly for travel to Puerto Rico. Expenses on the island are estimated at $325 per person. Translation will be provided for English-only speakers. Sponsored by the Caribbean Project for Justice and Peace and the Fellowship of Reconciliation.

Contact for info. and application:

John Lindsay-Poland

Fellowship of Reconciliation

995 Market St., #80l

San Francisco, CA 94l08

Tel: (4l5) 495-6334.

E-mail: forlatam@igc.org

Holistic Life Center Offers Classes

By MYRTLE OSNER

If you are looking for a career in holistic health, you may wish to check the Holistic Life Center's course catalog. They are Stanislaus Connections' newest advertiser.

The foundation of the school is based on the work of Bernard Jensen, author of The Chemistry of Man. "Holistic health", according to Jan Noble, the Center's director, "is designed to create balance and harmony within mind, body and spirit".

Students learn several therapies, especially emphasizing nutrition and herbal medicine. There is a strong emphasis on business skills. The school has applied to the State for certification as a licensed vocational training and continuing education center.

In addition to classes, Holistic Life Center offers a wide variety of natural health services. A staff of practitioners is available for treatment in body chemistry analysis, certified massage, shiatsu therapy, reiki therapeutic touch, herbs and aromatherapy, women's hormonal health support, iridology, yoga, and day spas. Appointments: call 544-8272.

Open houses at the Center, 626 l5th St., Modesto, are every Friday at 7 pm. An open house for the school is every Wednesday at 7 pm.

Come out for laughs

By TINA ARNOPOLE DRISKILL

Out For Laughs IV, a lesbian/gay comedy night, featuring lesbian comics Vicki Shaw from Texas and long-time favorite Bay area comedienne Karen Ripley, will be held Saturday, March 7 at 8 p.m. at the State Theatre, 1307 J St., Modesto. Sponsored by the Central Valley Chapter of the Bay Area Career Women, the benefit show will help raise funds for such programs as the AIDS/HIV Women and Children Support Group, local college scholarships and the Haven Women's Center.

Central Valley BACW invites all interested lesbian, gay and gay-friendly individuals 18 and older to attend. Advanced tickets are $10 for BACW members, $15 for non-members, and may be ordered by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope with your check to BACW, P.O. Box 578241, Modesto, CA 95357-8241. Tickets also are available at the door for $20. Questions? Call 577-0277 evenings and weekends.

Legislative alerts: landmines, School of the Americas

By PHYLLIS HARVEY

Landmines

Every 22 minutes someone is maimed or killed by a landmine somewhere in the world. In December,122 countries signed an international treaty that banned the use, manufacture, deployment and transfer of anti-personnel landmines.

The United states has refused to stop using its landmines, arguing that they are needed to protect U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula.

Landmines remain active for decades after the hostilities have ceased. They cost only $3.00 to purchase and install, but hundreds of dollars to remove. A portion of the Landmine Treaty process calls for a coordinated strategy to remove deployed landmines.

ACTION: Write your senators, representatives, and President Clinton, urging total support of the International Landmine Treaty.

School of the Americas (SOA)

SOA Watch and other like-minded groups are rallying support to close the School of the Americas. The primary vehicles for closing the SOA are H.R. 611 sponsored by Representative Durbin (D-IL) and S. 980 sponsored by Senator Kennedy (D-MA). President Clinton also could use executive power to close the school whose graduates have been linked to the worst human rights violations in Latin America. The movement to close the SOA is gaining momentum.

ACTION: Write to your senators and representatives now to urge its closure. For more information, borrow the School of the America's video from the Peace/Life Center: 529-5750.

A heavenly cake

By NANCY DIMOND

Over the holidays my aunt visited and we were biting at the bit to try some of the recipes in the new cookbook I'd gotten for Christmas. She asked if I'd make the Lemon Angel Cake. "Sure," I replied, assuming that "angel" referred to it's heavenly quality. It never entered my mind that this was an angelfood cake; and just a few weeks earlier I'd been thinking to myself, "I'd never try to make an angelfood cake from scratch." One look at the ingredient list filled my heart with anxiety; this is obviously an angelfood cake. But I'd already promised to make the cake... Thus, I feel that I was inadvertently tricked into making an angelfood cake. To my delight, it was the moistest, most mouth-watering angelfood cake I've ever had; truly heavenly. Even if I was "tricked" into making it, it is well worth the effort and, hey, not an ounce of fat!

Lemon Angel Cake

1 1/2 cups superfine sugar

3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons cake flour

2 cups egg whites (about 16), room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons lemon zest

1. Put rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375¡.

2. Sift half the sugar three times. Sift the other half of the sugar with the flour three times.

3. Beat egg whites in a 4-quart grease-free bowl until frothy. Add cream of tartar and salt. Increase the speed to medium and slowly add the lemon juice. Beat until the whites are thick and hold their shape, about 3 minutes.

4. Add the plain sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Increase the speed to high and beat until the whites have increased in volume about fivefold, are very thick, shiny and smooth.

5. Gently but thoroughly, in 3 batches, fold in the sugar/flour mixture and lemon zest. Transfer batter to a 10-inch tube pan and cut with knife to remove air pockets.

6. Bake about 35 minutes, until top is brown and toothpick comes out clean. Cool upside down on a bottle. Serve with raspberries or make a thin lemon glaze with 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons yogurt, 2 teaspoons lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest.

From: "Celebrating the Midwestern Table," by Abby Mandel, 1996, Doubleday.

POETRY

Accolade of Morning Glory

Slinking morning glory's sagitate leaves

Doom to shadows posies round which they've wrapped.

From thyme's essence you cropped some crouched like thieves.

Lacking a pail, you coiled the strands you'd snapped

Into a garland that my temples craved.

Untoward wish! yet glad you heard. Did you hear,

Too, the chorus inside: poesy engraved

With lines mourning glories strangled this year

Times five of love? Whether you heard, your wreath

Round my rank memoirs' plot bared to your glow

Living poesy whose leaves had choked beneath

What mourning shadows love's lost glories throw.

May I, in your gleaming, plant my story?

Mourning, grubbed out, concedes your noon's glory.

- Don McMillan

Love Poem

I just love you.

The fact sits there

like a long-haired cat

looking silently out

of the window

on winter.

When I was in love with you

and with the illusion

of you loving back,

I'd lie awake dreaming,

wide-eyed with desire,

but that wasn't love.

It wasn't the love that now

drapes loose 'round

my shoulders like

a well-worn wool blanket,

like songs of my childhood,

like dust in the sun.

Now I just love you

and the fact simply sits there

with the breadth

of the night sky

and the weight of a feather

tied up in my hair.

- Sheila Landre

Contest features poetry of sports

By TINA ARNOPOLE DRISKILL

Stanislaus County poets are being encouraged to "Take me out to the ball game..." in honor of the renovation of Modesto's John Thurman Field for the annual Modesto Poet's Corner Poetry Contest. The special category can include entries about any sport or athletics from baseball and the Modesto A's to soccer, water sports, golf, horseshoes, rollerblading, skateboarding, martial arts, parks' leagues, playground games and more. Contest participants also may choose to enter in a general category with poetry on any subject, whether it be rhymed, unrhymed, free verse, sonnet, group of at least three haiku, ballad, or any other poetry style.

Entries must be hand delivered to the Modesto City Parks and Recreation Department, 801 11th St., or postmarked by February 27. Winners will be notified by mail, and their poems will be read Sunday, April 5 at 2 p.m. during a poetry reading program in the McHenry Museum.

Contest rules allow no more than two entries per person (either two in one category or one in each) of up to 32 lines. Three titled copies of each entry typed on standard 8 1/2 x 11 paper, double spaced, one side only, are required and must include name, address, telephone number and category in upper right hand corner of each copy. Young poets up to 18 years of age also may submit poems. They must include grade and name of school in addition to the other identifying information.

Interested poets may submit entries to or obtain a full listing of contest rules from: City of Modesto Parks & Recreation Dept., 801 11th St., P.O. Box 642, Modesto, CA 95353, c/o Poets' Corner. Questions? Call 577-5344.

The Bookstore Ltd. accepting poetry submissions

The Bookstore Ltd. in McHenry Village is now accepting submissions for our 2nd Annual Poetry Anthology.

Poetry must meet the following guidelines: 32 lines or less, typed & proofread carefully, original work only, any subject and style, 1-3 poems.

Only 25 poems will be chosen from all submissions.

Please send two copies of each poem. One copy should have your name, address, and phone number. The other copy should contain just the poem. Please include a brief bio (25 words or less) on a separate sheet of paper.

Only those accepted will be notified. Poems not chosen will be destroyed, unless a SASE is enclosed with submission.

Drop off your submissions at The Bookstore Ltd., which will have a box located by the front counter or mail to:

Poetry Anthology

c/o The Newsletter Ltd.

1700 McHenry Avenue

Suite D-59

Modesto, CA 95350

New and unpublished writers are encouraged, but all are welcome to submit.

Deadline for submissions is Wednesday, April 1, 1998 at 9pm. If you have questions, please contact Angelique Arnold at 521-0535.

Around the Modesto Peace/Life Center

--The 1998 Peace Essay Contest received 617 entries which are now in the final stages of judging. The awards reception will be held March 20th.( See details and list of winners in next month's Connections .)

--The l5th annual Peace Camp is June 26-8, a weekend in the High Sierra for people of all ages. For next planning meeting: 529-5750.

To prey or not to prey

By DEREK MADDEN

(Note from author: "I gave this idea a shot since I get asked a lot of questions about what humans are designed to eat.")

Mounting medical evidence linking excessive red meat consumption to various human health problems has many people wondering what foods our bodies are naturally designed to process.

Plants, as a group, can provide sufficient amino acids for the complete formation of necessary proteins for the human body. Other vital dietary nutrients such as lipids, carbohydrates and nucleic acids can also be obtained from plants. The multicusped, box-like human molars occlude in a grinding fashion that breaks apart plant material, and the elongated human intestine is typical of the long gut of herbivores. Even so, the bulk of a plant is comprised of indigestible polysaccharides such as cellulose, pectin and lignin that do little more than provide fecal motility.

The dentition of humans is far more complicated than that of herbivores such as rabbits (the skull shown with many tiny holes) that possess only frontal incisors for clipping plants and molars for grinding. Our dentition more closely resembles that of the Raccoon (the skull is shown above,) complete with meat shearing premolars and meat-stabbing canines.

Raccoons, dogs and a great many other opportunistic foragers have an omnivore diet which includes a variety of tasty plant, animal and fungal material. There is a great deal more evidence that humans are omnivores, and that meat fits into their normal diet. Many of the robust people on earth, including the American Plains Indians, the Maasai, and the Samburu of Africa were great eaters of meat.

The human immune system and a large part of the cardiovascular system and enzymatic systems are comprised of various proteins. What we are naturally designed to eat is a broad spectrum of foods, many of which change seasonally. Although plants can provide what we need, and thousands of kilocalories from plant sources can be generated per hectare of land, some nutritional qualities of meat are without parallel in the plant kingdom. In cases where a vegetarian diet is falling short of supplying necessary proteins, it is prudent for the strict vegetarian to get back to nature and unleash those meat rending teeth on a hapless Thanksgiving turkey.

Dance benefits baby animals

The Stanislaus Wildlife Care Center invites all adults to a Cajun-style Valentine dinner-dance February 14th, Turlock Senior Center, 1141 Cahill, 6-10 pm. The funds raised will help to feed baby animals for the coming year. Tickets are tax-deductible and may be purchased through SCWC at 883-9414.

At the Movies: Scholarship Fund-Raiser

While enjoying a good movie, you can also help the American Association of University Women (AAUW) raise money to give scholarships. "The Wings of the Dove" will be shown at 3 pm at the State Theatre in Modesto on Sunday, Feb. 8. The movie is based on a turn of the century Henry James' novel. All proceeds benefit the AAUW local scholarship/ Grants Fund, which awards scholarships annually to MJC graduates continuing their education at a four year college or university. Donations ($10, or $5 for students with ID) are tax deductible. Tickets: Julie Reuben, 523-5763 evenings.

Calendar:February Events

1/31 SAT: Kaleidoscope Family Series, "The Princess and the Pea," fairytale, live performance. 2 pm at State Theatre, Modesto, and 7:30 pm at Turlock Jr. Hi 3951 N. Walnut Rd. Turlock. Pre-show parties at 1 pm in Modesto and 6:30 pm in Turlock. Tickets: 571-5119 or 558-8628. See article p. 4.

2 MON: PFLAG. Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays support group. 7 pm. 527-0776.

FEMALE: Formerly Employed Mothers at the Leading Edge support group. 6:30 pm, YMCA, 2700 McHenry Modesto. Info: 549-9441. Free.

3. TUES.; Heifer Project Annual Dinner, First Methodist Church, Modesto, 6:30 pm. Reservations 537-8996

4 WED: Ecology Action meets at the Modesto Peace/Life Center at 7 p.m. 526-4256

5 THURS.: Dianne Ferlette, stories for Black History month., Dinner Theatre at Children's Library, Modesto, for ages 6 and up, 6:30 pm. Free Tickets necessary (limited space). Call 558-78l0

8 SUN: "Sunday Afternoon at CBS" Grace Lieberman sings selections from popular musicals. 3 pm, at Congregation Beth Shalom, Sherwood Ave., Modesto. Info & tickets: 571-6060.

Green Party meeting, 2 pm. Call Don for info. and location, 523-8871.

Movie: "The Wings of the Dove," State Theatre, Modesto, 3 pm. Benefits AAVW Scholarship fund. Tickets: Julie 523-5763 eve. See article p. 5.

10 TUES: Peace Essay Contest meeting, Sample home, 7:05 pm. 529-5750.

12 THURS: Coalition of Parent Support (COPS). Non-custodial parents support group. 847-4227.

La Leche/Modesto. 10 am. 538-3862 or 545-8444.

13 FRI: Song Circle, a Peace Life Center Activity. All ages and voices welcome. 7 pm. Call 529-5750 for info on location.

14 SAT: Cajun Dinner Dance to benefit Stanislaus Wildlife Care Center. 6-10 pm, Turlock Senior Center, 114l Cahill, Tickets: 883-9414.

14 SAT: Central Valley Inventors (encourages innovation) 10 am, Manteca Library, Info: Sharon 599-6328; Greg 645-2576

15 SUN: Selected readings from The Gold Rush Anthology will be presented. 1:00 pm, The Bookstore in McHenry Village. Free.

16 MON: La Leche Turlock 7:30 pm, 537-1243 or 669-9274.

FEMALE: Formerly Employed Mothers at the Leading Edge- support group, 6:30 to 8:30 pm at YMCA, 2700 McHenry Ave., Modesto. Info: 549-9441. Free.

17 TUES: PFLAG, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays support group. 7 pm. 527-0776.

19 THURS: PFLAG: Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays Sonora/Mother Lode group, Sonora Unity Church, 326 W. Stockton, Sonora. Info: 533-1665.

NAACP. King-Kennedy Center, 601 N. Martin L. King Jr. Dr., Modesto. 7:30 pm. 577-5355.

Domestic Violence Coordinating Council. County Administration Building, lower level training room, 11th & H St., Modesto. 4-5:30 pm. 525-6348.

20 FRI: Sierra Club, "Manatees in the Mist", by Lynn Hansen, at Modesto Jr. College, 7 pm. Info: 545-3568

20 - 22: "Protecting Rivers for the Next Generation"; River Festival, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco;. Sponsored by Friends of the River. (916)442-3l55. River restoration, dance fest, Kayak race around Alcatraz, more.

21 SAT: Peace Life Center Annual Meeting at 720 13th St. office.

22 SUN: The Great Valley Museum's TULE FOG FETE. A celebration of the famous valley fog! Family event in lovely oak woodland-riparian park. Guided Nature Walks, obstacle course, kids activities, pea soup contest, live animals. 11 am- 3 pm, Caswell State Park, Ripon. $4/person or $12/carload(8 maximum).

23 MON: Epilepsy Support Group. Memorial Medical Bldg, 1800 Coffee Road, Modesto (north of the hospital). Info: Mary Harris, 521-9737. 7 pm.

Peace/Life Center Board. 720 13th St., Modesto. 7 pm. 529-5750

24 TUES: Mujeres Latinas de Stanislaus, Doctors Medical Center meeting room, 6:30 pm, Info: Maggie Mejia, 527-l9l4.

27 FRI: MAPS Seminar Lecture- Women of the Gold Rush by Joann Levy, author and lecturer. 7:30 pm, MJC Forum 110. Info: 575-6287 Free.

Poetry Reading at The Bookstore, McHenry Village, by Angela Morales Salinas, 7:30pm. Public welcome, free.

28: SAT: Black History Month, Poetry and music at Haggin Museum, Victory park, 1201 N. Pershing, Stockton. 3 pm, Free. 462-4116.

28 SAT: Workshop for Poets, 2pm. Info: 575-4299.

MAR. 1, SUN: Choir Concert to benefit Habitat for Humanity: Church choirs en masse. 4 pm, First United Methodist Church, Modesto, Free will offering.

Looking Ahead

February: Poetry and Calligraphy display, Modesto-Stanislaus County Library.

Thru MAY 31: Great Valley Museum GOLD RUSH! Exhibit. Tuesday-Friday, 12 noon-4:30 pm. Saturday, 10 am- 4 pm. Exhibit at Great Valley Museum, 1100 Stoddard Avenue. Museum fee-$1/person, $3/family, children 6 and under free.

MAR 20 FRI: Peace Essay Contest Awards Reception, Forum Building 110, MJC East, 7 pm

MAR 7 SAT: Meditation Retreat directed by Vicki Austin of San Francisco Zen Center, 9 am. Info: Stan 549-7770 or Dorothy 549-9155 Donation.

7 Out for Laughs IV Comedy Show, State Theatre. See article. Tickets: 468-3922 days, 577-0277-eves.See article p. 10.

JUNE 26-28: Peace Camp for all ages, Camp Peaceful Pines, Strawberry area.

Ongoing

PEACE/LIFE CENTER

Weekdays or by appt. 720 13th St. Open 2-4:30 pm 529-5750.

CHILDREN'S STORY HOURS

Stanislaus County Library. Modesto: Tuesday & Wednesdays, 10 and 11 am. Family Story Time, Tuesdays, 7 pm. All 12 library branches have morning story hours. Call for info.

LATINO COMMUNITY ROUND TABLE, La Fonda restaurant, every Monday, Noon. Info: Maggie Mejia, 527-1914.

STORY TIME AT THE BOOKSTORE

Saturdays, 11 am, ages 2 to 8 accompanied by adult, some bi-lingual, English-Spanish. McHenry Village

STORY TIME AT BARNES AND NOBLE

Tuesdays, 11 am. Thursdays, 4:30 pm. McHenry Avenue

THE BOOKSTORE POETRY READINGS second & fourth Fridays 7:30 pm

featuring Central Valley poets, listeners invited. Info: 521-0535. McHenry Village

HISPANIC LEADERSHIP COUNCIL, Every Friday, Acapulco Restaurant, 7 am. Info: Maggie Mejia, 527-1914.

DIVERSITY; Support group for gay-lesbian and other youth questioning their sexuality. 3:30-5 pm, Thursdays, 526-1440, Center for Human Services

THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS, Gay men's HIV support group. Every Wednesday at 1 pm and Thursday, 11 am. Free. Info: 529-5279

SENIOR CITIZENS POTLUCK LUNCH AND ACTIVITIES, King-Kennedy Center, Wednesdays. Noon. Free.

SERRV, Fridays and Saturdays. International gifts from developing countries, 10 am-3 pm. Church of the Brethren, 2301 Woodland, Rm #4, Modesto. 523-5178.

STANISLAUS WRITERS AND FRIENDS

All people interested in writing encouraged to attend. Call Gerry 529-6021 for time and place of meeting.

STANISLAUS INTERNATIONAL FOLK DANCERS, Every Friday 7:30 to 10 pm Sylvan School Auditorium 2908 Coffee, Modesto. Fee $2.00 per night. Children welcome. Info: Kropps, 847-4439.

YOGA WITH NEVA AND JOCELYN, Mondays, 7 pm, First United Methodist Church, 16th & I, Modesto. 523-0155 or 524-3246.

MODESTO FOR RACE UNITY, Uniting humanity through social activities, constructive dialog and community participation. Call Gerry, 529-6021 or Renaldo, 544-6797 for times and events location.

BROWN BAG GROCERIES for low income senior citizens. Salvation Army and King-Kennedy Center on Martin Luther King Drive, first and 3rd Fridays monthly.

SENIOR CITIZEN DROP-IN PROGRAM, Mon, Wed, Thurs 9 am to 5 pm at Senior Citizens Center, Scenic & Bodem Ave., Modesto.

CHILD HEALTH MOBILE SERVICES, At Maddux Youth Center, Third and Sierra Drive Modesto, fourth Fridays, noon to 4:30 pm. Call for appointment, 525-6282.

ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS, First Christian Church Modesto. 14th and L St. 7 pm. Info: 527-2469 or 537-6571.

ACTIVITIES FOR DISABLED YOUTH, Saturday night gym program, Tuesdays: Adaptive Wheel Chair Basketball, 6:30 pm.

CITY OF MODESTO PARKS & RECREATION Dept. has a wealth of activities for adults and children. Catalogues and info: 577-5344, 801 11th St. Modesto.

MJC ART GALLERY, Open noon to 8 pm Mon-Thurs, and 1 to 5 pm Friday. Free.

GREAT VALLEY MUSEUM, College & Stoddard Ave., Modesto. Open Tues-Fri 12-4:30 pm. Sat 10 am-4 pm. Many special programs for children. 575-6196.

HOLISTIC LIFE CENTER, 626 15th St. Open House for school, Weds. 7 pm. Open House for center every Fri. 7 pm. 544-8272.

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT ARTICLES TO CONNECTIONS.

Tenth of each month. Submit peace, justice and environmentally friendly event notices to P.O. Box 134, Modesto, CA, 95353, or call 522-4967 or 575-4299, or email to costello@ainet.com. Free listings subject to space, availability and editing.

THANKS TO OUR ADVERTISERS:

American Infometrics
Harvest Moon
Family Mediation Center
Holistic Life Institute of Learning
Peter H. Smith
The Carrot
Annamary Peck, RNP, CNM
Colorcoat Powder Coating
CopyKing Printers
E.F. Cash-Dudley
Tresetti's World Cafe
Gypsy Boutique
Syrinx Balloon
The Bookstore, Ltd.
Body Work
Women to Women: Ob/Gyn
Froba, Frailing, and Rockwell

A Modesto Peace/Life Center Publication

CONTENTS

Calendar:February Events