At an ANSWER LA meeting last night on Immigration Rights, Ban Al-Wardi (American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee-LA/OC) detailed the Orwellian moves the FBI is making into the Arab/Muslim communities.

The FBI, she explained, is pretending to be a “member of the community”, holding meetings with the Arab and Muslim leaders explaining how the PATRIOT Act is their friend. Yessiree, the FBI tells them, with the PATRIOT Act, we protect you! Then they lovingly detail all the noxious parts of it. Are there, you ask, any Arab or Muslim FBI agents present at the meeting? Don’t be silly. Ban said at the meetings she was at there was one token Latina and the rest were Aryan/Anglo crew-cutted males. (Crew-cuts in 2004 in LA? I hope they aren’t trying to go undercover.)

After heaping praise on the PATRIOT Act, the FBI then attacks pamphlets that Arab groups have distributed. As an example,, one pamphlet said “If an FBI agent wants to question you, you have the right to have a lawyer present.” Well, this got the FBI’s panties in a twist. No no no they said, this is wrong. We need to get information fast, so if someone wants to have a lawyer present, this might slow us. So even if what you are saying is true, don’t say it. We can move faster without all that bothersome lawyer stuff - so this helps us help you! Aw, how thoughtful of them.

But wait, there’s more. Do you fear your mosque might be attacked, they asked. Then give us blueprints to the buildings, including home residences of staff, locations of alarms, and the unlock codes. Are they requesting the same information from synagogues, much less from churches? What do you think?

Ban did skip the 6 hour mock training sessions where you pretend to be an FBI agent breaking into immigrant homes. This is so you can feel their pain (The FBI’s pain, not the immigrant’s pain.) Sometimes we accidentally shoot someone and this makes us feel bad, the FBI said. No, I am not making this up.

Of course, while FBI holds these Happy Face meetings, their attacks on immigrants, especially against Arab and Muslims, continue unabated.

No Comments »

The ANSWER Coalition has called for antiwar protests in DC, SF, and LA on Inauguration Day, regardless of who is elected. While Bush and Kerry have differences on some domestic issues, they have none on Iraq. Both favor the war. Both will continue the war. Both will re-institute the draft.

On the first day that the next president takes the oath of office - January 20, 2005 - there will be thousands of people all along the inaugural route in Washington DC demanding “End the occupation of Iraq - Bring the troops home now.” Whether it is Bush or Kerry riding in the limousine, they and the world will hear this message loud and clear from the people of the U.S

ANSWER already has the permit for the DC march and rally. Permits are in the works for San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The L.A. march and rally will be on Thursday Jan 20 6 pm, at the Westwood Federal Building. This will be on the lawn, not just the sidewalk, and will include a march through Westwood.

No Comments »

Working people frequently ask retired people  what they do to make their days interesting. So here’s a story.

I went to the supermarket the other day. I was  only in there for about 5 minutes. When I came  out there was a city cop writing out a parking  ticket.

I went up to him and said, “come on, buddy, how  about giving a senior a break?” He ignored me and  continued writing the ticket.    I called him a  worthless municipal employee. He glared at me  and started writing another ticket for worn  tires.

I called him a blue suited imbecile. He finished the second ticket and put it on the windshield with the first, then he started writing a third ticket.

This went on for about 20 minutes. The more I abused him the more tickets he wrote. I didn’t  care. My car was parked around the corner and this one had a  “Bush-Cheney” bumper sticker on it. I try to have a little fun each day now that I’m  retired. It’s important at our age.

No Comments »