Inside the Checkpoints: Border Walls, Texas Shame

Inside the Checkpoints
July 30, 2008
Jay J. Johnson-Castro, Sr.

Photos at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/Border.Ambassadors/BorderWallTXFirstWallFirstProtest

Border Walls…Texas Shame
A congressionally backed dictator has begun to violate Texas soil.
Shame on the dictator! Shame on the Congress! Shame on Texas! Shame on all of us!
How is it possible that a hurricane can come into the Rio Grande Valley…providing a “Wake Up Call” to the region, the State of Texas and the Federal Government…and all the above do nothing to wake the hell up?
After nearly two years of public protest and outcry, border wall construction on the levies in Granjeno, south of Mission, Texas, quietly got under way a couple of weeks ago. And, during hurricane season at that. An alarmingly quiet local media. There was no outrage on the part of any of our elected officials.
With the exception of the Texas Border Coalition, there are still no organized attempts on the part of elected officials, from county Commissioners to Congressmen, to halt the heinous invasive construction of the border wall during this hurricane season. As a result, Border Ambassadors announced on July 18 that a group of grassroots citizens would hold an all-faiths prayer vigil in Granjeno on July 27.
The thinking, conviction and discussion of this diversified group of American citizens was simple. It was spawned by Dinah Bear, a leading environmental attorney from the Washington Beltway, who has dedicated her time, energy and resources to stop the border wall construction. If there is no political force on the planet to stop the congressionally backed dictatorial powers of DHS and Chertoff from building the border wall, maybe “a miracle”, a “wake up call”, like an “Act of God”…like a hurricane coming up the Rio Grande Valley…would catch the attention of Commissioners to Congressmen to stop the insanity of building a border wall on levies during hurricane season.
Within the five days of the Prayer Vigil announcement, and four days before the planned prayer vigil itself, an unexpected tropical storm hit the news, came unexpectedly across the Yucatan and the rest is undeniable history. Hurricane Dolly slammed the Rio Grande Valley. “The Monitor” headlined the impact of Dolly as “A Wake Up Call”. Yeah, well…who the hell did it wake up? It didn’t even wake up the Monitor!
Despite the devastation, about 50 border residents from Brownsville to Del Rio met in Granjeno Sunday afternoon on July 27th. Driving into Granjeno, to the shock of all present, cranes and heavy equipment were building the border wall on the Granjeno levy! Did anyone in position of authority learn from the “wake up call”?
Evidently, a couple of days before Dolly’s landfall, IBWC Commissioner, Carlos Marin ordered a halt to the border wall construction of the levy in Granjeno. Yet, only two days after Dolly slammed into the Rio Grande Valley, construction on the border wall levy in Granjeno was again under way. Does that sound like the IBWC paid attention to the “wake up call”? How about the Army Corps of Engineers?
After the prayer vigil by a buffet of religious diversity, those present felt that something urgent needed to be done. “Faith without works is dead”. So a caravan of several dozen automobiles drove a quarter mile east to the border wall construction site. There, the citizens that participated in the prayer vigil, walked up to the levy, observed the beginnings of the border wall and then respectfully listened to a special prayer presented by Father Roy Snipes of Mission, TX.
It was a small peaceful protest, and it was the consensus that it was not the right time to commit any acts of civil disobedience. That trump card will be played at the right time…on another day.
(You can see pictures that were taken on Sunday, July 27, 2008 here: http://picasaweb.google.com/Border.Ambassadors/BorderWallTXFirstWallFirstProtest )
Imagine! While there was no federal funding to shore up the levies before hurricane season, there seems to be surplus money to build a border wall on the very same levies. While there was not enough help to drain areas flooded by Dolly, construction commenced on the levy in Granjeno.
It is shocking that even an “Act of God” is not enough of a “wake up call” to teach County Commissioners, Congressmen, IBWC, the Army Corps of Engineers, DHS, Chertoff, Governor Perry or even the President of the United States, that you should not be cutting into levies in the Rio Grande Valley during hurricane season.
America does not need a dictator. Yet Congress abnegated its power and ceded it to the Secretary of Homeland Security. Shame on Chertoff, an arrogant and callous liar, for accepting that dictatorial power and for his complicity of violating the Constitution.
Shame on Congress for abnegating and ceding its Constitutional powers to a dictator…and for not having the courage to take it back.
Shame on the Supreme Court for not hearing the Defenders of Wildlife and Sierra Club lawsuit challenging the unconstitutionality of the waiver power given to Chertoff. Certain dedicated Americans are going to continue to push forward to the Supreme Court over such a violation of the Constitution.
Shame on the Texas Legislature and the Governor for not defending and protecting our borders. They would rather protect their right to execute foreign prisoners than to defend millions of hardworking Texans who live on the border.
In the mean time…shame on our dishonest Senators…Cornyn and Bailey-Hutchison…who said they wouldn’t vote for the border wall…and then did.
Shame on our Texas Congressmen for not putting up a solid fight to protect our border community in Congress and for letting the racist supremacists hold serve.
Shame on us…too! We have not done even 1% of what “We the People of the United States” should be doing to stop the totalitarian tyranny and protect our beloved borderlands.
A grotesque border wall was built in California. A grotesque border wall was built in Arizona. A grotesque border wall has been built in New Mexico. Yet, those three states only represent 35% of the entire US-Mexico border. Texas constitutes 65% of the border. We are a community of solidaridad y amistad. We have had every chance to stop this border wall. Yet, a grotesque border wall is now being constructed in Granjeno. As folks went to the prayer vigil in Granjeno, Highway 83 Expressway, it was noticed that the shopping centers and restaurants were quite busy. Shame on us!
Shame on us, if we who are adults allow this border wall to be built on Texas soil. Shame on us if we leave our children and grandchildren with the $100,000,000,000 of borrowed money that it is taking to build this symbol of cruelty and inhumanity.
Shame on us if we leave a border wall “from Sea to Shining Sea”…from the Pacific coast to the Gulf coast…to have to be torn down by some future generation…perhaps that of our grandchildren. What will they think of us…knowing we could have stopped this travesty in the first place…if we but had the moral fiber…and the courage to stand up against oppressive tyranny? Will our children and grandchildren be like the German people of today as they look back at the cowardice shown in the face of a dictatorship and the culture of fear and cruelty towards fellow humans of the fascist era?
While this is an American shame…this is especially a Texas Shame. Texas could have stopped this from happening.
Ahhh! But we still can!!!

US Dept Justice asked to investigate Sheriff Arpaio for willful 'civil rights violations'

By Brenda Norrell

PHOENIX -- Recently, on an Amtrak ride across America, an elderly man bragged about purchasing a pair of panties signed by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. First, I thought he was joking. Then I just wanted to throw up.
This same sheriff, glorified as a romantic hero and cowboy-style sheriff, is actually a criminal. This is the ultimate in what the U.S. fantasy-news media produces; making heroes of villains, bullies and racists.
Attorney Michael C. Manning, on behalf of his clients, asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Sheriff Arpaio for abuse, cruelty, willful civil rights violations and other crimes.
Here is an excerpt:
" ...in 2001, MCSO guards in the same jail killed another young man in the same Restraint Chair. This time it was a 125lb retarded man who lived with his Mom and Dad. We took that case on and tried it before a jury. The jury unanimously awarded our clients $9,000,009.
Eight MCSO jailers were found liable for taking this man's life; none were ever disciplined and most were actually given MCSO promotions! "----
A Censored News blog reader writes:
Sheriff Joe is getting more attention, and perhaps he likes this kind also.
In late April, Phoenix-area attorney Michael Manning sent to U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey a 10-page letter requesting that the U.S. Dept of Justice investigate Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio for violations of law.
That is to say, this popularly elected champion of tough-guy law and order is himself accused of the most serious law-breaking.
Sheriff Arpaio is accused of repeated -- for more than 10 years (and by his own admission) -- practices which are constitutional violations and have resulted in more than $40 million in legal costs and settlements paid by the taxpayers, PLUS deaths and injuries to inmates, and unlawful demands on, and encouragement of illegal behavior by, guards and other Sheriffs Dept employees.
All without any indications that harsh and cruel treatment of persons held before trial - or above incarceration times imposed by the courts, - has reduced crime.
But Sheriff Joe says "NO ONE" will tell him how to run his jails.
Here are some highlights from the request for Federal intervention:
Sheriff Joe has participated in or encouraged:
Use of excessive force resulting in at least 7 deaths
Willful disregard for the advice of penal consultants (including his own) to correct violations of law and poor management of his jails
Destruction and alteration of evidence
And recently the Sheriff had the publisher and editor of a local newspaper arrested after publicizing the Sheriff's activities and editorializing against them. The County Attorney approved the arrests -- until public outrage at both local and national levels forced him to drop the charges and dismiss the special prosecutor (a very highly paid business associate).
Manning is representing the owners of the Phoenix New Times in another Federal court action claiming violations of civil rights. The lawsuit against Sheriff Arpaio is almost certain to result in another large settlement - they ask for $15 million - paid for by the taxpayers who fail to vote Arpaio out of office.
The majority of voter-taxpayers may think they are not really affected but, if so, they don't care about how their money is spent nor how the Constitution is protected. In violating a "few" persons' rights this representative of the government - a man with a big gun and bigger ego - jeopardizes the rights of all citizens. ------
Local law enforcement officials - and Cochise County, AZ is no different - often exceed the statutory and constitutional limitations on their powers. Rarely does any one challenge them, and, in our part of the world even more rarely do such excesses and challenges get reported in the very limited local media. DMM
How much have lawsuits and claims against the Cochise County Sheriffs Dept and the Sierra Vista Police Department (and other local PDs) cost taxpayers in cash so far?
It's not an insignificant amount (that is, it's in the millions), but it's hard to say exactly because local officials aren't keen on actively providing such public information, and ....
Did you read about it in the Sierra Vista Herald?
-----PS. I invite you again to consider the value of an "alternative press".

editor.svdr@gmail.com

Also see: Arpaio's racist media targets Isabell Garcia, cochair of Derechos Humanos in Tucson

http://censored-news.blogspot.com/2008/07/call-to-action-arpaios-racist-media.html

For a e-copy of the 10 page letter contact: brendanorrell@gmail.com

Photo: Arpaio protest in Tucson. Photo Brenda Norrell

Censored News, readers respond

Thanks to all of you for your comments. Since the article on censorship and hush words was published in the UN OBSERVER & International Report, CounterPunch and the Narcosphere, the comments are pouring in. The following comments are published with permission:

Support from Italy: Opposing Canadian border guards attack on Mohawk grandmothers and publishers

This letter expresses support from Italy, through the italian Blog "Nativi Americani.it", after the violent and unjustified attack of June 14, 2008 by the guards directed by Canada Border Security Agency against grandmothers Mohawk, Kahentinetha Horn and Katenies (alias Janet Davis).The colonial border crosses the center of the Mohawk territory, this people is not American or Canadian, but are "Kanion'ke", this Native People have always crossed freely this land, The treaties and international law confirm that right.The complaint to the United Nations sent to 'Office of High Commission for Human Rights and to Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples of United Nation warns that many lives of these peoples' lives are in danger. " In particular young people, women with children and the elderly, especially if these people are known because speak in favor of their rights, including genocide of PEOPLES OF FIRST NATIONS IN CANADA, including genocide in the mines of uranium, murder of innocent children in residential schools, the kidnapping and rape of indigenous peoples and the excavation of land (for housing, industrial development of NAFTA) where there are the tombs of ancestors.These women were violently attacked by causing one of them a heart attack, suffer intimidation by blocking access to the internet, telephone and electronic mail.The other woman, Katenies, was attacked and was kept in isolation in prison for three days. There is the probability that they are trying to kill them. This attempt seems by the public security of Canada, by police and security officers and all agencies of the Government of Canada.In 2003 Katenies was falsely accused of crossing the border. His question is:"What authorities and what jurisdiction you have on me and my land?" But the judge refuses to answer. This People have the right to ask that there is an answer to this question. In 2006 a complaint was filed with the Canadian Commission for Human Rights, without any reply.Canada Government has defined these people as "terrorists", "rebels" and as a "global risk". But this people have no army or weapons. In fact, are a peaceful people who want to live with their families. The International Relations between Canada and these people are seriously in crisis.. There is an urgent and desperate need to initiate an investigation by an independent and neutral court. The courts of Canada are not neutral. We ask your immediate intervention. These people are in danger of life. Please help these people so that nobody is killed or threatened.Respectfully,
Giuseppe Fappiano Cerretyo Sannita (Benevento) - Italy supporters of Italian Blog "Nativi Americani.it",
http://www.nativiamericani.it/

On Censorship, from a dog soldier
hello brenda from italy.
i am an enrolled southern cheyenne living in europe, a prof, who cannot work in my own homeland .. i want to applaud your efforts on behalf of our people ... as a dog soldier headman i couldn't agree more with your work ... thank you .... lance henson
Bio in Native Wiki:
http://www.nativewiki.org/Lance_Henson

Censorship of Leonard Peltier
Great article!!! I have been a Peltier supporter for many years and have found that far too often it's a bit like pounding my head against a wall. Far too many people just simply do not give a damn about him, his farce of a trial, and his 30+ years of illegal and immoral incarceration. It is blatantly obvious that many people have been paid off and/or threatened by the feds if they were to disclose the truth. For the government to withhold thousands of pages of information regarding Leonard under the guise of "national security" is absolutely insane!!! Too many souls have been sold ... too many asses have been covered. I have written my congressmen, senators, etc. many times asking them to look into the case of Leonard Peltier, but have yet to even garner a response from any of them. I enjoy your writing and check out your Censored sight frequently. Keep up the good work!!!
In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,
Dave Murray
North Mankato, MN

Cops in Canada: Mob attacks on Shawn Brant and the Mohawks

OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino uses “mob tactics” on Shawn Brant and the Mohawks

Mohawk Nation News
July 20, 2008. The death penalty has been abolished in Canada. Julian Fantino has been trying to do an end run around this. Last June 29th 2007 Fantino pronounced an extra judicial death sentence on Mohawk Shawn Brant of Tyendinaga. He has used the police forces to threaten Indigenous people. He is trying to provoke us to commit violent acts in self-defense to give him the excuse he wants to kill us.
According to the CBC News [7/19/08 7:00PM] the OPP Commissioner should be investigated for the comments he made under oath at the preliminary inquiry. Peter Rosenthal, who represents Mohawk demonstrator Shawn Brant, said on Saturday July 19th that he is calling for the government to investigate Commissioner Fantino’s comments to Brant on the phone during the aboriginal day of action.
Newly released court documents show the OPP were just minutes away from moving in to forcibly remove Indigenous demonstrators who did not block the road or close Highway 401 at protest sites in eastern Ontario. In wiretap transcripts Fantino threatened Brant, "Your whole world's going to come crashing down". Fantino also said he was going to “do everything I can within your community and everywhere to destroy your reputation".
The tap on Brant's cell phone was made without obtaining a court order. The Criminal Code allows for wiretaps without a court order in extreme situations. There was plenty of advance notice given about the day of action last year.Gangster-like Commissioner Fantino admitted that ... there were snipers ready at this time and he was close to moving in.
Fantino’s “Mafioso” tactics could lead to another Ipperwash given the high number of colonial violations against Indigenous rights. We will continue to protect our people, our land and our possessions. Fantino is dangerous. He will not let the law stop him from trying to incriminate us.
Fantino’s actions contradicts the OPP's guidelines for dealing with Indigenous people as recommended in the wake of the OPP killing of Dudley George at Ipperwash Provincial Park in 1995.
Fantino quickly headed out of town. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty stands by his “mobster” commissioner.MNN calls for the immediate resignation of Fantino.

MNN Staff
Shawn Brant's lawyer, Peter Rosenthal, speaks to the media on Saturday.(CBC)http://news.aol.ca/article/lawyer-brant/286930/
PLEASE NOTE : As can be seen, it’s becoming critical for legal actions to be taken soon to protect our rights. We have no funds. Canada is hiring costly law firms to defend their illegal actions and suppress our rights. If you can donate anything to our cause, it will be greatly appreciated. Donate to: PayPal, www.mohawknationnews.com, or “MNN Mohawk Nation News”, Box 991, Kahnawake [Quebec, Canada] J0L 1B0. Nia:en/Thank you very much. Contact: katenies20@yahoo.com

Mohawk Nation News: 'Beware of Cops in Sheep's Clothing'

INDIGENOUS AND SUPPORTERS, BEWARE OF COPS IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING –

Mohawk Nation News
July 20, 2008. Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Julian Fantino’s fascist actions against Indigenous people are not new. His illegal dirty tricks to trap Mohawks and Shawn Brant in particular may have been developed and practiced in cop training school. It’s an old pattern. Cops are basically well-paid thugs. Looking at the police training videos, we see police being trained to instigate violence.
Way back in the Winnipeg Workers Strike in 1917 the police were found to be responsible for the violence. In relations with the Ongwehonwe, it is once again armed state forces, police or military that have caused violence and deaths time and time again. Remember the Mohawk Oka Crisis in Kanehsatake in 1990, Gustafsen Lake in B.C. in 1995, the killing of Dudley George at Ipperwash, and all of the recent confrontations at Six Nations and Tyendinaga! The violence on all occasions was started by the cops and their instigators.
We’re not the only ones targeted for abuse. The 1970 Quebec nationalist movement that wanted to create an independent socialist state was almost completely taken over by the RCMP. A lot of the people in the movement were young idealistic students and professors. The police turned their movement into a violent crisis. British Trade Commissioner James Cross was kidnapped and Quebec Labor Minister Pierre Laporte was kidnapped and murdered.
Bombings were threatened. The FLQ was used to provide all the justification that war mongering individuals in the Canadian government needed to launch an All-out offensive. Pierre Trudeau, that sneaky “rat fink” who sold out integrity, instituted the War Measures Act authorizing extraordinary actions by the RCMP. Rule of law was suspended. The armed forces were deployed. Thousands of innocent youth and students were arrested and held without charges for weeks and months. The same kind of tactics are being used against Indigenous today.
Trudeau claimed this use of state force was necessary to protect Canada from the “scourge of terrorism”. There was no terrorism except the terrorism from within that was planned and orchestrated by the RCMP.
The MacDonald Commission of Inquiry into Certain Acts of the RCMP revealed that the FLQ was completely infiltrated by police agents from the very beginning. The 1981 report found police agents were responsible for planning and carrying out terrorist activities within the FLQ. The RCMP used paid agents and other Canadian and Quebec groups to spy on and discredit the youth and student movement. It is very likely that they are doing the same again.
The students who support the Ongwehonwe and human rights, freedom of speech, decency and fair play, are all extremely vulnerable. The so-called forces of law and order have a long history of infiltrating student and popular movements in order to create violence that will enhance the power of the police and military forces.
During the October Crisis the Commission described 11 different types of dubious or outright illegal operations that were carried out by the RCMP. These included:
RCMP agents made secret allegations against tens of thousands of Canadians and shared them with police in other countries including the U.S., India, Pakistan, Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Britain and Ireland. They’re still doing that. Remember Arar who was sent on an “extraordinary rendition” flight to be tortured.
RCMP stole membership lists from the Parti Quebecois and looked for people who could be recruited to be their agents.
RCMP burned barns in Quebec as part of training sessions for terrorist activities; they gave weapons, explosives and cash to members of the FLQ and trained them to use them. www.modern-communism.ca
Did the public learn anything? The cops have become more secretive. That’s when the Canadian Security Intelligence Service CSIS was formed. They have an “Indigenous sector” and they have classed Mohawks as terrorists and insurgents. This means that our rights have been taken away from us without trial or due process or even notice. Or maybe they have secretly declared war on us without the knowledge or consent of the Canadian people. We must always keep in mind how far these state funded “power freaks” will go to achieve their nefarious ends.
MNN Staff
.
PLEASE NOTE : As can be seen, it’s becoming critical for legal actions to be taken soon to protect our rights. We have no funds. Canada is hiring costly law firms to defend their illegal actions and suppress our rights. If you can donate anything to our cause, it will be greatly appreciated. Donate to: PayPal, www.mohawknationnews.com, or “MNN Mohawk Nation News”, Box 991, Kahnawake [Quebec, Canada] J0L 1B0. Nia:en/Thank you very much.