Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow is a brilliant history and assemblage of legal decisions, statutes, rules and practices that have incrementally grown since the 1970s to form a system of mass [...] Continue Reading
Archives
On Hold at the Housing Authority
My husband, Tom, and I are reluctant landlords. We have just been told by Preston Prince, the new director of the Fresno Housing Authority, that we have a “small portfolio” of rental properties. What [...] Continue Reading
The Ben Lomond Four (Muslims Targeted During Ramadan)
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) houses prisoners of every faith imaginable: Islam, Catholic, Protestant, Episcopalian, Baptist, Jewish, Mormon, Buddhism, Hinduism, [...] Continue Reading
Grassroots Profile
I remember when I first met Camille Russell. A group of us peaceniks was picketing against the bombing of Kosovo on what we now call “Peace Corner” at Shaw and Blackstone, and there was a newcomer [...] Continue Reading
Meeting Energizes Peace Community
On the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the New York World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the peace movement in our politically conservative San Joaquin Valley got a big boost. One hundred [...] Continue Reading
Reefer Madness: Fresno Moves to Ban Outdoors Growing of Pot
In reference to the use of cannabis as medicine, one member of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors recently proclaimed in a public hearing, “I know it’s the law, but…I don’t like it!” The Board of [...] Continue Reading
2010 Election Preview
The national narrative for the 2010 elections has been defined by the mainstream media as an impending success, perhaps even landslide, for Republicans, with the strong likelihood that the Republicans [...] Continue Reading
Diagnosing diabetes: Pee queen Helen M. Free garners landmark status
The American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific organization, recently honored Helen M. Free and her late husband at a National Historic Chemical Landmark. Helen, who deserves to be [...] Continue Reading
Zen Women and Social Action for Peace
For an interesting slant on nonviolent social engagement, I recommend studying the historical example of Buddhist women. The 2,300-year history of Buddhist women, back to the time of the Buddha, [...] Continue Reading
The ACLU Goes Back to School
The Golden Westside Planning Committee and others in southwest Fresno asked the Fresno Area American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Board to support community efforts to build a new neighborhood middle [...] Continue Reading
Opinion and Analysis From the Grassroots
The Conflict in Palestine/Israel Cries Out for Justice By Meghan Walsh When people ask me about my interest and slight obsession with the Middle East, I always fumble with a response. The [...] Continue Reading
Fresno LGBTQ Community under Siege?
While blogging, former Fresno City Council member Brian Calhoun recently commended fellow Fresnans for their tolerance and not reacting negatively to the Islamic Cultural Center in northeast Fresno [...] Continue Reading