We Ride Bikes

Radio Silence

My first exam is a week from today (Wednesday). So I am going to be out of sight for a while. Nothing but Contracts, Civil Procedure, Torts, and Criminal Procedure for the next two weeks or so. If you have exams, good luck. If not, please, wish us luck, and I will see you in a few weeks.

News, politics and more...

BBC News - US detains 1200 [Undocumented] Migrants

Law enforcement agencies are not political bodies. Evidently, this was part of a larger investigation of a single company. However, for this administration to utilize this as a tactic to intimidate, quash or warn activists about participating in a MayDay event or from speaking out for what they believe is reprehensible. As far as I'm concerned, these raids were a direct attack on the immigrant rights' movement and its supporters.

NY Times - Democrats Hope To Divide GOP Over Stem Cells

This story annoys me because President Bush is at an all new low in approval ratings, and we're talking about an old story. Don't get me wrong, I get it. It's a toe-hold and it's one that forces an opponent to play defense and take a stand on an issue that resonates with people.

My concern is a lack of backbone.

The people of this country are disappointed, and Democrats should be out front distinguishing themselves. Now is not the time to be just a little more moderate than Bush. Now is the time to have a unified message. This is something the Democrats need to be doing, if they aren't doing it already. Establish a clear message, that is not specifically anti-Bush, but presents active alternatives. There are problems, and we need people to solve them, not talk about solving them. If Bush isn't going to do it, and the Democrats are only going to talk about it, then we need to find someone out there who will. This is something Kenneth and I have talked about from time to time, and inevitably he will say, "Where is our Contract with America?" If we learn anything from Newt Gingrich, it should be his focused plan to take back the House. Where's our plan? Where's our Contract with America? Where is the Democratic Party of Roosevelt's resolve, Truman's health care plan, Kennedy's optimism, Johnson's War on Poverty? Where is the party of the people?

I get so frustrated with the Democratic Party, because I want to vote Green, but recognize the futility within the system we've set up. So I feel I have an obligation to try to drag the party to the left every chance I get.

Enough of that...,

Meredith was in town this weekend...it's frustrating because I want to be back in Texas so badly, but I have just under 3 weeks left of school. And, of course, all of that time will be spent studying, taking exams and/or preparing to go to Texas. So it's going to be busy to say the least....3 weeks.

We did have a great time this weekend. Saturday Market was fun, and the weather was beautiful, but now it's back to the grind. 3 weeks.

3 weeks.

New Blog

I was just talking to my brother on IM, and he mentioned that he is starting a new blog. The Texas Golfer will offer news, insight, and commentary on golf in Texas. Go check it out. Add it to your Sage, Bloglines, RSS feed reader or whatever. It'll be interesting to read his commentary on what's going on.

Day of Action

I've posted before about Mayday and its significance. Suffice it to say, Mayday is the Workers' day. It is the true labor day, celebrated all over the globe, save the country of its origin. Organizations across the country are calling for a general strike on May 1st. North Texas Independent Media is reporting that a committee of activists in Dallas are calling for a general strike in solidarity with immigrant workers. Anyone, and everyone - if you work, show the powers that be that the workers will not lay down in the face of oppression. Show the world what democracy looks like. An injury to one, is an injury to all. Take part in a nationwide general strike. The power lies with the people, and we have a responsibility to show the world what we can do.

I just posted this the other day, but it seems very fitting:

Be concerned about your brother. You may not be on strike. But either we go up together, or we go down together...That's the question before you tonight. Not, "If I stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to all of the hours that I usually spend in my office every day and every week as a pastor?" The question is not, "If I stop to help this man in need, what will happen to me?" "If I do not stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?" That's the question.

News Today

Good news: Oral arguments are tonight. As such, I will soon be able to focus on my classes that are actually graded.

Better news: Meredith comes to town tomorrow.

Bad news: My torts professor has called on me at least 6 times this semester, and alternates between two pronunciations of my last name. Sometimes it's "mar-tin-EZ," other times it's "mar-TEEN-ez."

Mildly amusing news: I was asked a question today in Torts as "mar-tin-EZ," and didn't say a word. Professor Torts essentially answered the question himself, and lucky for me, I got credit for nodding.

Law & (Dis)Order?

Looks like I will be interning for the DAs office this summer. It doesn't pay of course, but I am excited nonetheless. Hopefully it will be better than some of the other jobs I could've had this summer.

I still don't know how I made it through the background check...I guess my Significant Other pulled a few strings...

It really is all about who you know...

And for the first time in (almost) 29 years, I will be on the other side of a criminal procedure...

Just kidding.

Sort of.

Opens May 24th (in Dallas June 2nd)

Really quick...

My brief is done, and oral arguments aren't for another week.

This weekend is my weekend to start catching up and getting ahead. Should be fun. I'm not going to make plans. I'm not going to do anything but get work done, and laundry and the like.

For some reason, I've been feeling so tired lately. I think it's the random sleep schedule that I've been keeping.

Catch up again soon.

Oh, I remember what I wanted to talk about.

This article should remind everyone of the power the people wield. I don't know that it will, but I hope it does. Ditto for this one. It's inspiring to see that people will demand change when the time comes.

My concern is the timing of the immigration issue. Where did it come from? Why now? Why all of a sudden did this pop up now? The House resolution making undocumented immigration a felony was passed in December. It just seems to me, that this issue came about 1) to distract the people from other issues (Libby's testimony, the War, etc etc etc), or 2) to force Senators and Representatives to take a stand on a volatile issue going into the 2006 elections.

Regardless, surely there is something going on when thousands of people are taking to the streets in scores of cities. It's exciting to watch. And it's exciting to be a part of it.

Today in Labor History:

On this date in 1919, Eugene Debs is imprisoned for opposing US entry into World War I. He later runs for President, from his prison cell, and recieves 1 million votes.

The greatest sin of our time is not the few who have destroyed but the vast majority who sat idly by.

April 4, 1968
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee where he was supporting striking sanitation workers. If you watch the movie that I linked to a few posts back, you'll hear a speech talking about how we as a country have sugar coated Dr. King, transforming him into a Hallmark card. Whereas he should be remembered as the non-violent peace activist who recognized the importance of the intersections of different movements. He did not separate workers' rights from human rights from civil rights. It was one struggle, one fight.

So often what he hear of his final speech the night before his death is only the prophetic,

And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land.

What we don't hear is Dr. King's demand for action. Dr. King told his audience that if one set of workers suffer, we all suffer.

Be concerned about your brother. You may not be on strike. But either we go up together, or we go down together...That's the question before you tonight. Not, "If I stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to all of the hours that I usually spend in my office every day and every week as a pastor?" The question is not, "If I stop to help this man in need, what will happen to me?" "If I do not stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?" That's the question.

He went on to tell his audience not to buy certain products out of solidarity with the sanitation workers. When we omit this call to action from the history, we do ourselves and Dr. King a great disservice. History has taught us that he was nothing more than a wonderful speaker and a martyr. We cannot lose sight of his action. He was an agitator, a leader, a force to be reckoned with.

Tuesday - back to school

So because I'm afraid of becoming Judith, I'm gonna post.

Texas was awesome. Spending time with Meredith was great. I got to see my brother and sister-in-law and their new house. The good news is I will be able to work this summer. I'm still trying to find a legal-related job, but for now a job is a job.

Not a lot going on, just trying to play catch up with school work. I will be sure to give everyone a run down of all the happenings around here. For now, its just school.

Believe it or not, today someone actually said to me: "Why don't you be a real man and order some real meat?" I've not eaten meat for a long time, but rarely has it ever been equated to my masculinity. I tried to find out where the connection was between my manliness and my food choice but I was told I was thinking too much.

Is it possible to think too much?

Where are we, as a society, going if thinking too much is a problem? And why are we going there in this handbasket?