Saturday, June 7, 2014

Over-Charging



Power has greatly abused its authority in New Mexico and some of us are trying to do something about that in various arenas, but particularly in the struggle to end police violence in Albuquerque. We're confronting power, we're directly challenging the people who lay exclusive claim to it, and we're rebalancing the power relations between us. 

Our efforts must be working quite well, because the city administration's tactics are gaining in repugnance what they lack in credibility—witch-hunts of one stripe or another, patently obvious perversions of our own institutions to punish us for defiance in the face of lawlessness. For what is Unconstitutional Policing if not the zenith of lawlessness?

The results of a new KRQE poll are telling. As is this remarkable video footage of what is being purported to be the basis of a felony charge ludicrously pending against David Correia, one of the Burque 13.

More Dirty Dancing than the Dirty Dozen, I'd say.

In grossly over-charging  David (as the video plainly shows and the New Mexico Mercury reports) Power's lackeys do our job for us--eyes are opening to injustice; people, and not just White people, are shaking off their stupor.


According to the autopsy report, Mary Hawkes,19, took three kill shots. Bullets at a downward angle entered her ear, neck and shoulder. APD Officer Jeremy Dear, her acknowledged shooter, is still at large.
The sheer fact of the over-charge, however, the show of force it represents, is presumably intended to have a chilling effect on our ever-growing coalition. But with a pile of five dead bodies this Spring of Sorrows, Mary Hawkes' among them, the over-charge is having the opposite effect—it's warming us up, instead. And in case you were wondering how low some alleged journalists can go...?

 

In threatening the mother of the boy in the video with "child endangerment charges,” a boy whose father was killed by the APD (they forgot to mention that in their story), they have succeeded in pissing off just about everybody else not already outraged by the killings. 

COA Rick Perry wants the boy's mother to sink to her knees in fear and despair, but before that happens he'll have to get past:

Nora Anaya


 Dinah Vargas


Frances Madeson

and a few other uppity women we know.

Further attacking our friend's family is a non-starter. Ditto to not-so-subtly threatening parents who bring their kids to marches and rallies. Somehow I don't see that message going over so well with the Respect Albuquerque Women coalition. Not at all. In trying to terrorize a single mama of three with the state-sanctioned kidnapping of her children, they've probably quadrupled our attendance at Roosevelt Park. And damn if Dinah didn't see them coming when she created this!

More information at www.apdprotest.org

Plus, I hear we've successfully booked Mala MaƱa! So whatever else happens on Summer Solstice at Coal and Sycamore, it's going to be a spirited day of beautiful music, dancing and community.



Speaking of the human community, I just sent this lady a letter. It only takes a minute. 



Chair-Elect Mary Lynn Roper - NM Broadcaster's Foundation
President/General Manager KOAT-TV
Albuquerque, NM 87125-5982
mroper@hearst.com

Charlie gave me the idea. My letter reads:

Dear Ms. Roper:

I don't know whether you were sabotaged, blindsided or undermined by staff, but this propaganda parading as journalism is on you. With so much at stake, we're all watching you very closely to see how quickly and well you handle it. Good luck.

I am also posting this letter online as part of the "Over-Charging" blogpost on Written Word, Spoken Word. Please feel free to respond in the comments so everyone may have the benefit of your answer.

With every good wish for a thorough Spring cleaning,

Frances Madeson

Sent to Roper via email on 6/7/14

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

June 12th Fundraiser to Support June 21st March/Rally

Every chance I get I take the opportunity to tell the activists who are doing the heavy lifting with respect to police violence in Albuquerque how very much I admire them. But I thought it would be lovely for them--especially the "Burque 13"--to hear it from some other Santa Feans. So here are 13 images of random folks I approached yesterday afternoon who welcomed the opportunity to express support.

At the shop where the sign was printed!:

All images with the "Burque 13" sign by Frances Madeson


At Santa Fe Community College:
 



At the Chavez Community Center:






At the Southside Public Library:



In the parking lot at Natural Grocers:



 At the Paisano Market on Cerrillos:


At Trader Joe's on St. Francis:



At the Santa Fe Railyard:



At the Sambusco Center:


At The Cowgirl:



At the skatepark:



At the Santa Fe River: 


 
At the Plaza:




The movement is in the coalition-building phase and we will be showing our strength (exponential growth) at a historic March/Rally at Roosevelt Park in Albuquerque (Coal and Sycamore) at 11a.m. The March/Rally will be held on Saturday, June 21st and it's conceived as a family-friendly, non-violent event. The park is a beautiful setting for a summer solstice experience, and all are welcome.



More information at www.apdprotest.org

For Santa Feans who understand that this is a viable movement for social change in New Mexico, and who wish to learn  more--unmediated, in an intimate setting  with the affected parties--about how we can help nurture the growing movement in Albuquerque, a fund raising event has been organized for Thursday, June 12th, from 6-8pm at a private home in Eldorado (more details below). Our modest goal is to raise $500 to help defray march expenses.

  

Speakers at the benefit:

David Correia, one of the Burque 13, UNM Professor of American Studies, editor of La Jicarita, An Online Magazine of Environmental Politics, and author of Properties of Violence: Law and Land Grant Struggle in Northern New Mexico.





Mike Gomez, whose 22 year old son, Alan, was unarmed when he was shot and killed by APD. Mike and his family successfully sued the city of Albuquerque. Mike has emerged as a prominent activist confronting the brutality of the APD. (And we're all grateful to Mike for bailing out our friend Nora Anaya, another of the Burque 13.)

Entertainment for the evening will be provided by:

Regina Ress, award winning storyteller, writer, and educator has performed and taught in schools, homeless shelters, prisons, international Storytelling Festivals, Lincoln Center and The White House. She has a deep interest in social justice and prison reform. She teaches “applied storytelling” at NYU. Here in Santa Fe, she volunteers weekly at the Santa Fe County Jail.

Karma Lama will also be performing on bamboo flute. His music has been described as inducing tranquility, peace and contemplation.



More musical entertainment to be announced!
Refreshments will be served.


When you RSVP to Carmen at ctstone313@aol.com or 505-699-8563, or Frances Madeson at francesmadeson@gmail.com or 505-466-1048, we'll provide the location and directions.