New Hate Crimes Bill threatened with Veto by Bush

Go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/03/AR2007050302337.html

Police Out of Control at Immigration Protest in Los Angeles (MacArthur Park))

The Los Angeles Police were waiving their batons and shooting rubber bullets at protesters at the May 1st Immigration Protest this afternoon in MacArthur Park. The protest was at the stage of winding down when people were caught off guard. Watching on the news, it appeared to me that a large number of police were trying to disperse people who were at the rally with little or no warning. No bullhorns were used to warn the crowd in advance according to local news reports. A TV reporter traced the police strongarm reaction to an incident where one policeman was seen falling off his mortorcycle. Perhaps, they thought this particular officer was thrown or pushed off his riding machine. Whatever the cause, I saw a woman who had fallen to ground threatened by a baton wielding officer; I saw little children with frenzied adults being rushed away from the scene. I saw a young man with a bad looking bruise that appeared to be from a rubber bullet.

I hope Mayor Villaraigosa can straighten this mess out without capitulating to what will surely be a whitewashed police version of the report. I see no excuse for the behavior. It was an blatant example of police carelessness and overuse of force. And what I saw was only a small portion of the action. The reporters themselves said they felt in danger too as they were caught in the middle as this event escalated.

I like Dennis Kucinich

I listened to Dennis Kucinich, (U.S. Congressioanl Representative from Ohio, running for President,) at the Democratic Party Debate that was televised this past weekend and today. I also saw him interviewed by Bill Maher's Real Time Show tonight MOnday April 29th. I left Cleveland around the time that Dennis Kucinich became the Mayor of Cleveland and was sorry I missed his exciting years there. He obviously shook up the establishment then and continues to do so to this day. He is obviously a courageous man and stands up for his pacifist beliefs. I agree with most of his views. Maher pointed out that what he had to say on his show seemed quite sane, the idea that we should get out of Iraq and never should have gone there, the idea that the U.S.A. should not be starting Wars (We should be ending Wars), the idea that we should be supporting a United Nations and a more humane global point of view, that we should try to stop global warming, all good stuff, yet so many people think of Kucinich as on the fringe. I noticed Kucinich has taken Barak Obama to task for buying into the hawkish concept that Iran is now our mortal enemy using the same kind of faulty evidence that was used to launch the War in Iraq. Kucinich is definitely a man of and for the people. I am thinking I should give him my vote if his name appears on the California ballot in the primary. Well I am thinking about it. Let's say that.

this pic was taken in 05,by CBS News, to get a glimpse of Reggie go to http://cbs5.com/watercooler/watercooler_story_120233518.html

Reggie the Alligator is Back

(new pic latimes 07)

Just heard the news that Reggie the alligator in Machado Lake in Harbor City, Ca. is back. He was sighted basking in the lake Monday afternoon April 30th. Hope this doesn't mean the end for Reggie who is a year 1/2 older and it appears a ft. longer since he was last seen. Some are calling him Reginald now as he is all grown up. Actually I wonder how they know Reggie is a he. Maybe Reggie is Regina. I understand Janice Hahn, the councilperson, will be consulting with gator wranglers about her next move. She has also put those orange material fences back up and more warning signs. Wonder why they were ever taken down. Reggie's blog "Monster at Machado Lake" is back up. Reggie said he was just "lying low" all this time. Hope we can see some current pics of him soon.

to get a glimpse of current Reggie go to http://cbs5.com/watercooler/watercooler_story_120233518.html

Sharon Raphael