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End the War Protests Continue
Even as Operation Enduring Disaster
in Afghanistan continues into its 9th year and
the war in Iraq into its 7th, peace activists
and antiwar protesters continue to demonstrate
against the war and call for peaceful solutions.
On March 20, there will be a Million
Musicians for Peace march in Austin
from the Capitol to City Hall. In Houston, a
National
Day of Protest rally at Mason Park.
In the Valley (McAllen) a Special Protest Against
the War 11am-noon, McAllen, right in front of
Bentsen Tower at Bus. 83 & Bicentennial.
In Arlington, on the 19th, an "I
Stand for Peace" gathering. There
will also planned large demonstrations in San
Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington,
DC. and other towns and cities around
the world. Denton will have a "Funk
the War" march on March 28.
Celebrate César Chávez
Texans everywhere will be celebrating
the legacy of civil rights activist and founder
of the United
Farm Workers, César Chávez,
on March 26-27. There's a special reason for
those in the Metroplex to celebrate after Dallas
renamed a major street to honor Chavez.
In San Antonio, the
state's largest march will be held on
the 27th.
The Willacy County Processing
Center is the largest immigrant detention center
in the U.S. and harkens back to the days during
WWII when Japanese-Americans were locked up
in South Texas. Owned by the Utah-based Management
and Training Corporation (MTC), Tent City is
one of many detention centers run for profit
and with little federal oversight.
Close Texas prison camps April
10
A broad coaltion of organizations
is calling for the closure of the Texas prison
camp in Raymondville and
planing an April 10th demonstration at the site.
The Willacy County Processing
Center is the largest immigrant detention center
in the U.S. and harkens back to the days during
WWII when Japanese-Americans were locked up
in South Texas. Owned by the Utah-based Management
and Training Corporation (MTC), Tent City is
one of many detention centers run for profit
and with little federal oversight.
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Neocons on their way out of SBOE?
Conservative and Liberal Texans
alike have had their fill of know-nothing members
of the State Board of Education who have been
trying water down the curriculum and textbooks
by watering down evolution and other scientific
principles.
From Amarillo
to Houston,
concerned parents have been urging that "sanity"
be returned to the SBOE. These elected officeholders
don't generally receive much review at election
time, but this year, might be near the top of
the "issues" that will bring voters
to the polls as they say "don't mess with
Texas education".
Border violence growing
There are concerns that recent
battles between rival drug cartels in Mexico
will spill over into Texas. There have been
recent increases in border violence in towns
from Juarez to Matamoros.
The most recent escalation in drug wars appears
to be around Nuevo Laredo and Reynosa. In
some cases, Mexican parents have had to keep
their children out of school for fear of almost-daily
shootings.
The Texas Department of Public
Safety (DPS) provided an unusual warning to
college students to stay away from the border
during Spring Break. Hildalgo's
Border Festival has been shortened. Tourism,
already down because of the economy and H1N1
flu, is expected to suffer
from the ongoing threat of violence
as the U.S. State Department issues travel warnings.
Journalists have been targeted, creating
some news blackouts.
However, citizens in those same
border communities are standing up to the violence.
Some are turning
to online activism, others are taking
to the streets to
protest both the violence and the militarization
of their cities.
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