Not bloodthirsty?--In South Central Los Angeles, a mainly Latino and Black community, a reported 150 high schoolers marched on the district school board last month. There they demanded an end to the scarcity of college preparatory classes in their schools. An apparently relieved Los Angeles Times reported that the protesters were "loud but peaceful."

Wrong diagnosis--Frederick Moore spent four days in a Maryland hospital after sheriff's deputies used clubs and a police dog to "subdue" him at a traffic stop. Moore is suing. The cops say they mistook diabetic shock for "drunken belligerence."

Read it and rebel--"DNA Clears Florida Man Who Died of Cancer on Death Row."--News headline.

See how nice they can be?--In the Syracuse, New York, area la migra asserted that before Thanksgiving it had proof that 16 Mexican workers at a turkey processing plant were undocumented and would be scooped up for deportation. The company asked them to wait until after the holiday rush. Agreeably, la migra waited. Explained the top cop: "We're not insensitive. We don't want to ruin their business."

Sure, administrators don't sweep and mop--"Iowa's three public universities and two specialty schools are hiring more minorities, but most of the gains are among janitors rather than administrators."--News item

Welcome--The menu at Poncho's Cantina, in Auburn, Maine, included items like enchiladas and burritos. It sounded inviting to three Mexican immigrant workers. But chatting at the bar in their native Spanish, they were sharply rebuked by the owner, Patricia Varium. Victor Estrada told a reporter, "She slapped the bar with her hand and said, 'If you're going to be here you have to speak English because this is my place!''' A civil rights suit is being weighed.

Sheer coincidence--In Delaware, the Artesian Water Co. shut down four wells supplying some 5,000 customers because of "low but rising" contamination by the chemical, ether. Officials said the solvent may be leaking from a closed toxic dump nearby. The chemical is deemed a "possible" carcinogen.  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home