In ruling that Proposition 8 violates the U.S. Constitution, a federal judge made it clear that Proposition 8 was motivated by a fear and hatred of same-sex couples. Proposition 8 was indeed [...] Continue Reading
Social Justice
Credo: Gloria Hernandez
Ally or opponent, everyone knows that Gloria Hernandez means business. For decades now, since walking the UFW picket lines as a child with her parents, Gloria has been out front demanding justice and [...] Continue Reading
Fresno/Clovis CROP Hunger Walk
I had the privilege of meeting with Paul Pierce and Gary Greenberg to discuss the Fresno/Clovis CROP Hunger Walk, which will take place on Sunday, October 24, at Temple Beth Israel (TBI) at 2:30 p.m. [...] Continue Reading
Opinion and Analysis from the Grassroots
Silence is betrayal! - A GREEN Outlook By Richard Gomez Green Party Gubernatorial candidate Laura Wells is expected to be in Fresno on October 1st and 2nd. To help or for more information call me at [...] Continue Reading
Time to Make Fresno the Renters’ Rights Capital of the Central Valley
Fresno tenants put up with a lot-abusive landlords, poor living conditions, retaliation threats, arbitrary evictions and unaffordable rents. Bad landlords operate with impunity, and tenants are afraid [...] Continue Reading
From ‘Student Movement’ to People’s Movement
On June 18, the California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees voted to raise student fees another 5% for the fall semester, which translates into a $204 increase and brings the semester total to [...] Continue Reading
Another World Is Possible
It was sometime early in June. I was attending a Brown Berets meeting. It was barely the second or third meeting I had attended. Debbie Reyes, an organizer for the Prison Moratorium Project was also [...] Continue Reading
Grassroots Profile
I forgot to ask this month's subject, Ernesto Saavedra, if he was named after Che. Even if his parents didn't think of it, it would have been appropriate. For this Ernesto is a 24/7 organizer of [...] Continue Reading
ACLU’s Request for Department of Justice (DOJ) Investigation
On February 9, 2009, Fresnans watched a video of the beating of a homeless man by two police officers on the television news. People were shocked and outraged. On February 11, representatives of 13 [...] Continue Reading
Municipality of San Juan Copala under Siege
The village of San Juan Copala is a small dot located within the huge Low Mixtec region, in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. The village is inhabited by the Triqui people, with their own culture, customs, [...] Continue Reading
Oscar Grant and the Role of Militant Action
"MY SON WAS MURDERED. HE WAS MURDERED. HE WAS MURDERED. HE WAS MURDERED, and the law has not held the officer accountable the way that he should have been held accountable." These are the words of [...] Continue Reading
The Battle for Kaiser: SEIU Calls for World War III
California Healthcare Workers Showdown The new National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) has won another stunning victory in its campaign to decertify and defeat the Service Employees International [...] Continue Reading