Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

July 31, 2015

Quiqui Lee Photos: Halting Shell's Arctic Ship at Portland Bridge







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Thank you to Quiqui Lee, Opata Apache photographer, for sharing these incredible photos 
with Censored News. To publish these photos, contact her at Quiquilee@hotmail.com

At St. Johns Bridge in Portland, Oregon, activists spent 40 hours suspended blocking the icebreaking ship hired by Shell to begin its Arctic drilling. Police and Coast Guard moved in to remove them.

(c)Quiqui Lee photos

Democracy Now: Police Remove Greenpeace Activists from Portland Bridge After They Forced Shell Ship Back to Port



Police Remove Greenpeace Activists from Portland Bridge After They Forced Shell Ship Back to Port


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Police Remove Greenpeace Activists from Portland Bridge ...
In Portland, Oregon, law enforcement officers have removed Greenpeace activists who spent 40 hours suspended from the St. Johns Bridge in order to block an icebr...
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In Portland, Oregon, law enforcement officers have removed Greenpeace activists who spent 40 hours suspended from the St. Johns Bridge in order to block an icebreaking ship commissioned by oil giant Shell from leaving for the Arctic. Hundreds of activists have been gathering on the bridge and in kayaks since Tuesday night in efforts to stop Shell's plans to drill in the remote Chukchi Sea. Early Thursday morning, the suspended Greenpeace activists successfully forced Shell's ship to turn back to port in a showdown that grabbed international headlines. Joining us to discuss the action is Annie Leonard, executive director of Greenpeace USA.

TRANSCRIPT

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: We begin today's show in Portland, Oregon, where law enforcement officers have removed Greenpeace activists who spent 40 hours suspended from a bridge in order to block an icebreaking ship commissioned by the oil giant Shell from leaving for the Arctic. Hundreds of activists have been gathering on the bridge and in kayaks since Tuesday night in efforts to stop Shell's plans to drill in the remote Chukchi Sea. Early Thursday morning, the suspended Greenpeace activists successfully forced Shell's ship to turn back to port in a showdown that grabbed international headlines. Greenpeace activist Kristina Flores discussed watching the ship turn around as she stood on top of St. Johns Bridge on Thursday.

Dan Bacher: Protesters sing, wave signs and blast Delta tunnels at "open house'

Photo Dan Bacher: Chief Caleen Sisk at the protest against the Delta Tunnels in front of the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento on July 28. More photos at: 
Protesters sing, wave signs and blast 

Delta tunnels at "open house' 

by Dan Bacher 
Censored News

As consultants and state and federal officials promoting the Delta tunnels plan used poster displays to tout the alleged benefits of Jerry Brown’s project, Stockton activist and performer Jonathan Michelsen stood up on a chair with his guitar in the dark ballroom of the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento and began belting out his song, “Sanctuary.” 

“The Delta is our home, we won't let you take what is ours,” he sang. “We come against darkened forces of political control, political control that comes to take our sanctuary.” 

As he continued singing the song over and over, a crowd of tunnels opponents, many of whom had come on buses from Stockton, the Delta and the Bay Area, began to gather around. They began clapping and singing along to the lyrics. 

The consultants and officials around the room at the California Water Fix “open house” in Sacramento on July 29 seemed amused by the song and didn’t stop him from singing. After he played the song for several exciting moments in the otherwise sedate and bureaucratic affair, he got down off the chair. 

“We must be bold. We have our home here in the Delta. We must stand up for what belongs to us. It is our land, our crops and our fish,” he told me in a short interview. 

“As a Christian, I am called to give witness to the persecuted around the earth,” he added. 

Michelsen is a music teacher at Delta College and had joined Restore the Delta and other tunnel opponents last year at protest against the project at the State Capitol. He performs regionally, nationally and internationally. 

Surrounded by posters around the room touting the alleged ecological and water supply benefits of the California Water Fix, Michelsen said, “The tunnels only take away from the natural ecosystem, not restore it.” 

The state and federal agencies organized the “open house” for the review of Delta Tunnels EIR/EIS (formerly known as the Bay Delta Conservation Plan.) The Department of Interior and California Natural Resources Agency recently divided the project into two parts - the tunnels component, the California Water Fix, and the habitat "restoration" component, California Eco Restore. 

The agencies promoting the project made no formal presentation to the public and set no time aside for the public to express their concerns in a community setting. Instead, the set up the "open house" like a science fair, with the public moving from one exhibit to the next. 

Some took advantage of a chance to give a comment to the court reporter in attendance. Others at the event handwrote their comments on forms provided by the agencies. 

As Michelsen performed and others wrote their comments on forms, other Delta advocates gathered with a variety of colorful signs and props on the sidewalk in front of the hotel to protest the tunnels plan. The protesters included Delta farmers and residents, fishermen, Winnemem Wintu Tribe leaders, local environmental activists and others concerned about the fate of the largest estuary on the West Coast of the Americas. 

Karen Cunningham, a Delta cattle rancher on Bradford Island, said, “The tunnels will destroy the ecosystem and take three-quarters of the fresh water out of it. They will be bad for fish, otters, turtles, since they need fresh water. So do the farmers and ranchers.” 

She has already been impacted by ecological changes on her property, a result of the construction of the False River Barrier. For example, she said the area where her and her family normally catch bluegill now has a current that is too strong for panfish to hold. 

In addition, she noted that if the tunnels are built, you can expect the same lack of concern for endangered species that the state has shown when it put in the False River Barrier. 

“We saw how the state acted when I found five endangered Giant Garter Snakes while the Department of Water Resources (DWR) was installing the barrier this year,” she said. “I tried to speak to a biologist on the project site, but my phone calls never resulted in a scientist coming out to the site. This is just an inkling of what will happen if the tunnels project is built.” 

In addition to driving salmon, Delta smelt and other species closer to extinction, the tunnels project also violates tribal rights, according to Caleen Sisk, Chief and Spiritual Leader of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, who showed up with her son, Michael, and her sister, Helene, at the “open house.” 

“The government has conducted no on-the-ground cultural studies, as required under Public Law 106, protecting burial sites, villages and traditional fishing areas,” said Sisk. “They are solely relying on the libraries for their information. They have not consulted with any of the Tribes. Tribes have been left out of the water process.” 

She emphasized, “Right now the existing water projects continue to damage our ecology. They have already harmed our fish and driven them to extinction. The tunnels will only complete the job. The tunnels that they want to build are large enough to divert the entire Sacramento River." 

“The tunnels are one key part of the plan that includes the Sites Reservoir, Shasta Dam Raise and Proposition 1,” she said. 

She said the water for the tunnels would be provided by Shasta Lake and Sites Reservoir – and that to fill Sites Reservoir, the Shasta Dam would be raised to hold more water from the Sacramento River. 

“This state was built for salmon, not almonds and pistachios,” Chief Sisk said. “We should base our economy on salmon. If people want to see a healthy environment and healthy watersheds, we should bring back the salmon." 

“A lot of countries are now acknowledging the rights of nature. We should allow nature to have the right to support us,” she concluded. 

During the protest outside of the hotel, a video crew organized by Restore the Delta interviewed people to share their actual public comments with the Secretary Jewell at the Department of the Interior and with President Obama 

Speaking to the video camera, Michael Frost, Restore the Delta Board Member and recreational angler, offered a four point plan. 

“First, we need to retire drainage impaired land,” he said. “Second, we need to increase freshwater flows through the Delta. Third, we must repair the levees. Fourth, we must determine the amount of water that we actually have in the system (not paper water.” 

The agencies backing the California Water Fix also held an open house the following day from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm in Walnut Grove at the Jean Harvie Senior and Community Center. A big crowd of tunnels opponents also showed up at this event to comment - and to wave signs opposing the tunnels also. 

Outside of the center, members of North Delta Cares parked a boat, outfitted with fishing rods, on a trailer. They also outfitted the boat with signs protesting the tunnels. 

Eugene Phillips, an artist, builder and photographer who restored the historic Miyasaki Bath House in Walnut Grove, set up in front of the center a big model of the tunnels project that he is working on. The model he brought depicts a family standing in the bottom of the tunnels, with a father and daughter in one tunnel and a mother and daughter in the other. 

"I placed a family standing in the tunnels to give a clear perspective of how really large the tunnels will be," he stated. "This model gives a human scale to the tunnels project." 

He plans to build a full scale tunnels model - and is encouraging people to help build their own sections of the tunnels, based on his pattern, so they can be interlocked. 

"I live on the river and often sit on the river and watch the water flow by in the evening," he noted. "The tunnels will have a clearly detrimental impact on the Sacramento River by pulling more water out of it." 

Background: The Revised BDCP EIR/EIS at 48,000 pages of appendices, footnotes, tables, and renumbered alternatives is now open for public comment. The original 45-day comment period was met with outrage by community groups and agencies. The comment period has now been extended until October 30, 2015

Written comments are due by close of business Friday, Oct. 30. Comments should be mailed to BDCP/WaterFix Comments, P.O. Box 1919, Sacramento, CA 95812 or emailed to BDCPComments [at] icfi.com 

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Helen Sisk
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More photos at: 

July 29, 2015

Nihigaal bee lina Dine' Walkers: Cortez Block Party



(Photo above) "We're hiding from the sun, it's really hot today. Please feel free to contact us if you'd like to donate a canopy!

By Nihigaal bee lina
Censored News
CORTEZ, Colo. -- Today in Cortez! Please come out if you are in the area. We will be discussing border town violence, environmental racism, economic development, capitalism, and being Diné.

As we approach Dibé Nitsaa, the elevation climbs, leading to cooler climes, and colder nights. Two of our walkers don't have a sleeping bag, so anyone who can donate a sleeping bag, please do. We are in the Cortez, Colorado area! 'Áshóódí!

Call the Dine' walkers at 928-221-7292 for more information, and to offer support!

Cortez Block Party! July, 29, 2015 at 6 pm.

Cortez City Park, Cortez, Colorado, 405-534-4620.
****
Journey for Existence is now walking to Dibé Ntsáá (Hesperus, Colorado.) The walkers began in January with their walk to Dził Nahodiłii (Huerfano, NM). They recently walked to Doo'o'k'osliid (San Francisco Peak, Flagstaff, Arizona.) The walkers said, "In the fall we will go all the way to Sisnajiní (Blanca Peak, Alamosa, Colorado). All combined, we will be walking over 1000 miles in 2015."




Subcomandante Moises: Second Grade of the Zapatista Little School

Second Grade of the Zapatista Little School

English Espanol
ZAPATISTA ARMY FOR NATIONAL LIBERATION
MEXICO
July 27, 2015
To the National and International Sixth:
To the former students of the Zapatista Little School:
Compas:
The date for the second grade (only for those who passed the first) of the Zapatista Little School is approaching.
As we had previously announced, the dates are July 31 and August 1 and 2 of 2015.
No, don’t rush. This time it isn’t about coming to Zapatista territory. Rather, this time it is about not coming here, at least not for the Little School. The second grade will be everywhere, outside of Zapatista territories.
Let us explain:
As we have already said, we see that the economic situation is really difficult. Well, not just the economic situation. The government repression against the originary peoples, including the Yaquis (in Sonora) and Nahuas (in Santa María Ostula, Michoacán, and in Ayotitlán, Jalisco), and against the democratic teachers union (first in Oaxaca, later it will come in other states) reminds us all that those above do not honor their word and betrayal is part of the way they do politics.
With respect to the economic situation, we know that it is not easy to get together the money for daily things, much less for frequent travel to spend a few days here.
We Zapatistas know very well that if we say come to the Little School to continue learning how to really see us, well there will be people who can.

Frontera NorteSur ceases publication due to lack of funding

Ayotzinapa: The Missing 43

Censored News regrets that Frontera NorteSur will cease publishing due to a lack of funding. Journalist Kent Paterson and FNS have been a voice for human rights and justice, and for the voiceless, dying, and disappeared. This voice will be missed on the border. -- Brenda Norrell

Dear FNS News Readers:

It is with great regret that I write to inform you of the closing of FNS News that will take place by September 1 of this year.

Keeping FNS News funded had become an increasingly uphill battle, and during this year of severe budget cuts, university funding for FNS News has ceased altogether for the academic year 2015-16.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of the readers and in particular those of you who made financial contributions that have been essential to keeping this news-service running.

I would also like to thank Kent Paterson for the quality and consistency of his journalism.  He has brought decades of expertise on Mexico and the Border Region to FNS News.  Over the years his articles have covered a huge variety of issues crucial to the region.  They have been read widely both nationally and internationally by educators, researchers, government agencies, people working in both private and non-profit sector, as well as citizens interested in the Border Region.

The Center for Latin American and Border Studies keeps a physical archive of all past issues that is open for consultation. We also plan to maintain an electronic archive of past issues of FNS News for consultation. Readers can go back and check articles dating from the 1990s through the summer of 2015 on immigration, the drug war, violence against women, New Mexico history, Mexican politics, border economy, and many more topics. The address is:

http://fnsnews.nmsu.edu/

Please be assured that we will not release your e-mail address to third parties. We will maintain the list to occasionally notify the public of events of interest sponsored by the Center for Latin American and Border Studies at New Mexico State University.

Thank you once again for your constant support and readership.

Sincerely,


Iñigo García-Bryce
Director
CLABS

igarciab@nmsu.edu

VIDEO Leonard Peltier 'I Will' Clemency Campaign Part 4 'The Land From Which He Came'

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Anonymous rattles Canada with release of spy files



The police murder of an Anonymous member in Dawson Creek B.C., James McIntyre, who was supporting the Treaty 8 battle against Site C dam, and now the unfolding secrets involving the Keystone XL pipeline, reveal the importance of the ongoing Native battles to protect the land, water and air for future generations. 
-- Censored News

Read today's news articles:

Toronto Star: Anonynmous opens door on secrets

The Anonymous leak, Canada spying on Obama, and the Keystone pipeline: 
"... The group also released a video claiming that the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) tried to spy on President Barack Obama on Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s orders — and that the espionage, when it was discovered, put the Keystone pipeline project in jeopardy."

Ipolitics: Anonymous starts slow leaking of cabinet confidences
http://ipolitics.ca/2015/07/27/anonymous-start-slow-leaking-of-cabinet-confidences-cse-spy-attempts

Metronews: Anonymous reveals CSIS secrets Ottawa scrambles to sove breach
http://metronews.ca/news/canada/1440920/anonymous-reveals-csis-secrets-ottawa-scrambles-to-solve-breach/

National Post: Anonymous says it hacked Canada's security secrets in retaliation for police shooting
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/anonymous-says-it-hacked-canadas-security-secrets-in-retaliation-for-police-shooting-of-b-c-activist

ANONYMOUS VIDEO
#AnonDown: Canadian Cabinet Leaks (#CCLeaks) Document 1 Press Release

Watch video: Anonymous video press release https://vimeo.com/134671981

Anons: PLEASE MIRROR AND SEND US A YOUTUBE LINK ASAP IN COMMENTS HERE OR TO @OpAnonDown
Public Domain: use, reuse, mash up as you wish.
**PR TEXT**
We begin with a moment of silence for our fallen friend, James McIntyre.
Stephen Harper, Canadian security forces, and their corporate overlords have now determined that anyone opposing their fossil fuel agenda is a terrorist.
This is the immediate and most important context of the murder of JayMack at the hands of RCMP officers in Dawson Creek, British Columbia.
Beginning with:
-covert, warrantless surveillance
-outright police state dystopia at the G-20
-full court pressure against Idle No More
-a series of monstrous crime legislation
-and, finally, Bill C-51,
Canada has made opposing fossil fuel mania with action, words or thoughts into a summary criminal offense of the highest order.
Anonymous has been collecting bits of evidence and making plans for many months. Beginning in June, we launched an all out assault on Canada's Internet infrastructure in opposition to C-51, Canada's secret police bill.
We are also concerned that Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada will once again use widespread cheating in the upcoming federal elections.
Meanwhile, Canadian security forces and their Five Eyes partners in New Zealand, the UK, Australia, and the U.S. have been extremely pro-active in developing and purchasing offensive hacking capabilities.
Fortunately for us, Canada has been far more lax in defending its own systems. We have just released a secret document from the Canadian cabinet. We are excluding certain document security features, and, accordingly, some heading material. This is a painstaking process. We simply cannot release a document for every story we will be reporting over the coming months.
This first document, though, combined with remarks from Tony Clement after our DDoS attacks last month, show that Harper's cabinet made direct decisions domestically, as well as for foreign spy stations, to update security systems at a leisurely pace over at least a four year period.
Congratulations! You left many doors open for us!
We are now privy to many of Stephen Harper's most cherished secrets.
For instance, shortly after winning a majority in 2011, the NSA discovered that Stephen Harper had grown a bit to big for his Christian britches. He and the Canadian Security Establishment were attempting to spy on their Five Eyes partnes in the U.S. Obama's top intelligence officials were furious when they caught CSE in the act. They vowed to kill off Harper's number one priority, the KXL pipeline.
By the way, Mr. Stephen Blaney, there is nothing more undemocratic than repeatedly cheating at elections then cutting the budget for the elections watchdog. All the while, your government has continued with unprecedented secrecy, antipathy to legitimate media inquiry, and outright contempt independent scientific inquiry.
We repeat our insistence upon the immediate arrest of the RCMP killers of James McIntyre. Unless and until that happens, we will be releasing stunning secrets at irregular intervals. Of course, even if such arrests take place, we will still maintain access to information highly damaging to Stephen Harper and other supporters of Bill-C51.
Enjoy the summer, everyone. Fall will be Wild.
Until then:
We Are Anonymous.
Expect Us.
All your secrets are belong to the mask.

....................

Also see: 
Google Blogger bullying the little people: Take down order and more for Censored News
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2015/07/google-blogger-bullying-little-people.html




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Google Blogger bullying the little people: Take down order and more for Censored News







Censored News photos through the years.

Google Blogger bullying the little people: 

Take down order and more for Censored News

By Brenda Norrell

Censored News

Censored News is a small operation, a labor of love. It is a service to Indigenous Peoples and human rights advocates.

So why the bullying from Google Blogger, where I have been posting for the last nine years?

First, Google Blogger yanked off an article last week with a take down order (Canadian police kill Anonymous member defending Treaty 8 land from dam.) 

After I published the facts about the take down, perhaps in retaliation, Google Blogger posted an ugly sign on my blog for European readers, warning them about cookies. The ugly sign isn't even correct. Censored News does not use Adsense or any form of advertising. 

Further, Google never gave me a copy of the so-called complaint which led to the take down order. So, there is no way to know what the offending content was. The post has multiple links and screenshots on it.

Here's the Censored News WordPress site, which is up and running again. It will serve as a backup in case Google Blogger follows through on its threats and yanks the whole nine years of Censored News work off the Internet. www.censorednews.wordpress.com

For now, we will keep posting on Google Blogger as well. We will let you know if there's more bullying.

Here's Google Blogger's notices:


Above: Google Blogger notice to Censored News for ugly sign for European readers

Above: Google Blogger notice of take down order, but there is no copy of the complaint so the post, which has multiple links and screenshots, can be fixed.

Above: Ugly sign posted on Censored News yesterday for European readers.
It is incorrect. Censored News does not use Adsense or any form of advertising.
 Below: Censored News now again at WordPress.
Up and running again, Censored News at WordPress.
www.censorednews.wordpress.com

July 28, 2015

Anonymous release: Keystone Pipeline and Canada spying on Obama




By Brenda Norrell
Censored News

Anonymous in Canada is now releasing documents following the police shooting of James McIntyre,  jaymack9. The Anonymous member had posted on Twitter that he would be at the Dawson Creek meeting that night to support the Treaty 8 battle against Site C dam. He was shot by police when he arrived.
Now Anonymous is releasing spy documents. Read the news involving Keystone Pipeline and Canada's spying on Obama. Anonymous says it is prepared to expose more secrets of Canada and Harper.
https://news.vice.com/article/anonymous-vows-to-keep-leaking-canadian-spy-secrets-over-police-shooting?utm_source=vicenewstwitter


July 27, 2015

Nihigaal bee lina Walking the Good Road to Cortez

Journey for Existence, Dine' youths walking to the Four Sacred Mountains, speaking out for protection of the land, water, air and all living things.

Death by US police accelerates as media and ethical attorneys fail the people

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News

The US attempted to cover up the US police murders while testifying before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in May. The countries of the world made it clear that they knew the facts. 
Now, these police murders, and deaths in jail, are increasing -- at least the reporting of these is increasing. 
A judge has now ordered migrant children released from jail, which violated international law. The US attempted to cover up the fact that migrant children were imprisoned in the US, before the UN Human Rights Council. 
Also during the cover-up, the US representatives claimed that the atrocities of homelessness of US veterans, and failed services to veterans, particularly in Phoenix, had all been resolved. 
On the issues of drone assassinations, torture and spying, the US had few words to offer in the attempted cover-up.
It was disturbing to see that Keith Harper, Cherokee, led this cover-up testimony before the UN. His law firm received millions, a large portion, of the Cobell settlement. 
As for those receiving Cobell checks, many Native Americans still do not know if when they cashed those checks if they were being paid for royalties owed for their land, or if by signing the checks they were giving up their Native ancestral lands. 
Both the news media, and ethical attorneys, are failing the people in these battles for justice. Particularly in Indian country, the national news media has collapsed into plagiarism and fraud, with reporters at Native news websites deceiving their readers into believing that they are out covering the news, when they are actually staying home and plagiarizing and rewriting others hard work. 
Where are the ethical attorneys who can expose the facts of the Cobell settlement? 
Where are the ethical attorneys who will bring justice for those who are victims of police racism and violence?

July 25, 2015

Google enforces takedown order on Censored News: Anonymous member killed


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By Brenda Norrell
Censored News

Google has enforced a takedown order on Censored News and removed this article from Censored News: 'Canadian police kill Anonymous member defending Native land from dam.'  
Google has not provided the specifics as to why it was removed. 
Meanwhile, there are many articles on the web with the same information. 
The important point is that there are conflicting reports on the reasons police shot the Anonymous member James Daniel McIntyre, known as jaymack9, and there should be a real investigation. 
There is also a need for more news coverage on Treaty 8 land and water rights, and the battle of First Nations Treaty 8 to halt the Site C dam in BC. 
Among the many threats is the flooding of lands of medicinal plants. 

Update: 
Google Blogger bullying the little people: Take down order and more for Censored News
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2015/07/google-blogger-bullying-little-people.html

A Yahoo search will take you to the same information that Google has censored: (Search words: 'Anonymous Treaty 8 dam Dawson Creek' ) https://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=AtLcXo9z6d.91RHOBmsLKsKbvZx4?p=Anonymous+Dawson+Creek+dam+Treaty+8&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-314&fp=1


Arizona Rep Gosar sinks to new lows in paternalism and white supremacy

Apache Stronghold grandmothers terrified Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar
this week when they came to his office door at the US Captiol.
Gosar called the cops on them.
By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
English/French
French translation by Christine Prat

Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar -- who called the cops on Apache Stronghold grandmothers who came to his US Capitol office -- sank to many new lows this week, even for Arizona politicians.

In a statement reeking of paternalism and white supremacy, Gosar claims Apache can't think for themselves and are controlled by outside interests. Gosar said, "Anti-mining opponents have sunk to a new low by using members of the Apache Tribe to further their misguided effort ..." 

Gosar's statement is too ridiculous and self-serving to post and give publicity to. This is how they spin, Arizona racist politicians harnessed by corporate interests and racist underbellies.

Read more: Arizona Rep Gosar calls the cops on Apache grandmothers
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2015/07/ariz-rep-gosar-calls-cops-on-apache.html