Abdul Jalil, a cousin of the woman getting married, told AFP: “They surrounded the village. From 2 p.m. until 12 at night they kept the village under fire from helicopters, jet fighters and troops on the ground.”

The village cleric, Mullah Mohammad Asim, claimed that air strikes had targeted six to seven houses, including the complex where the wedding party was taking place. “They pounded and fired into the village from afternoon until midnight,” he said.

The family of the bride, who was wounded in the attack, was decimated. Her father, Roozbeen Khan, said: “I lost two sons, two grandsons, a nephew, my mother and a cousin… My wounded son was in my arms, right here, bleeding. He died last night.” While the groom was not injured, his father, mother and sister were reportedly killed.

Mullah Mohammad Asim described what took place when US ground forces finally entered the village: “At midnight the Americans came and they took the men out of the houses and handcuffed them. But when they saw the death and the destruction, they removed the handcuffs and told us to take the wounded to hospital.”

The slaughter of civilians in Afghanistan has become an almost daily occurrence. Without sufficient troops to control the country and desperate to avoid casualties of their own, US and NATO forces rely heavily on air power to combat the growing Taliban insurgency. Air strikes or helicopter gunship attacks are called in against any suspected insurgent concentration. In scores of cases, the alleged “Taliban” have turned out to be villagers attempting to go about their lives amid a foreign occupation and a resistance war. Wedding parties—which often involve celebratory gun fire into the air—have frequently been wrongly assessed as “insurgent activity”.
(see full article)

The time for Pride Parades is over. We need Stonewall 2.0. The time for Pride Protests has begun.

Even though Students For Justice didn’t and will not endorse any candidate, and some of us felt Obama wasn’t progressive enough, the stunning reality of his election should give us hope for the future of LGBT equality. Our generation in the gay community may never have the right to marry, but we will fight with every fiber of our beings every day of our lives so that maybe the next generations can grow up in a country that doesn’t value their love any less.

In the coming days, Students For Justice will be announcing our new Gay-Straight Alliance committee, geared toward moblizing the gay community for the biggest fight since Stonewall. Please join us in this fight for equality, through the good days and the bad, because it will be a long battle ahead.

• Prop 1A – High-speed Rail Bond - YES*

9.95 billion bond for high-speed rail (HSR)
•    Will connect Southern California, the Central Valley and the Bay Area. L.A. to S.F. in 2.5 hours at $50 a person.
•    It will remove 12 billion pounds of CO(2) emissions. Not only will it help the environment, it will help combat health problems related to smog and pollution.
•    Will provide 160,000 construction jobs and 450,000 permanent jobs
*We do carry concern over the HSR impact on up to 180 parks, wildlife refuges, and open space and would strongly urge to make sure the environment is protected during the
construction stages.

• Prop 2 - Standards for Confining Farm Animals - Leaning Yes

Proposition 2 is a sensible measure that prohibits farms from keeping their animals in cages that don’t allow them to turn around, lie down, stand up or move freely. However there is strong concern that small, cage-less farms would be made uncompetitive with the larger and/or out of state farms. There is also conflicting science on both sides about food safety in regards to Bird Flu and Salmonella contamination.

• Prop 3 - Children’s Hospital Bond Act - Undecided

Prop 3 allows for $980 million in bonds to be sold fund the construction, expansion, remodeling, renovation, furnishing and equipping of children’s hospitals across the state. This is a huge amount of money going many hospitals that are already well funded (including Mattel Child’s Hospital at UCLA, and children’s hospitals at UC Irvine, UC Davis, UC San Francisco, UC Davis and others funded by private foundations). Also, 80% of the money may go to any acute hospital so long as it treats children, among other patients.
equipping of children’s hospitals across the state. This is a huge amount of money going many hospitals that are already well funded (including Mattel Child’s Hospital at UCLA, and children’s hospitals at UC Irvine, UC Davis, UC San Francisco, UC Davis and others funded by private foundations). Also, 80% of the money may go to any acute hospital so long as it treats children, among other patients.

• Prop 4 - Parental Notification and Waiting Period for Abortions - NO

Proposed constitutional amendment requiring that the parents of girls under the age of 18 be notified that she is going to receive an abortion and then forces the teen to wait 48 hours before proceeding. While it would be ideal if all teens could go to their parents for help, not all teens live in a home where communication is possible. No law can mandate family communication. DESPERATE TEENS TAKE DESPERATE MEASURES like:
•    resorting to an unsafe, back alley, or illegal abortion
•    going across the border
•    even contemplating suicide
This initiative has already been voted down twice, once in 2005 and then again in 2006.

• Prop 5 - Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act - YES

Treatment for youth; rehab and shorter parole for nonviolent adult drug offenders
•    Would provide drug treatment as an alternative to incarceration for nonviolent drug offenders, offer common sense solutions to prison overcrowding, and save taxpayers billions of dollars.
•    Changes certain marijuana misdemeanors to infractions.

• Prop 6 - The Runner Initiative - NO

Requires $695 million a year in state money for local law enforcement and toughens laws on gang activity.
•    Deems any youth 14 years or older who is convicted of a “gang-related” felony as unfit for trial in a juvenile court, thus, prosecuting these youth as adults.
•    Require new state spending on various criminal justice programs, as well as for increased costs for prison and parole operations. This funding would come from California’s General Fund, reallocating funds currently spent on K-12 Education, Higher Education, Health and Human Services, Business, Transportation and Housing, and Environmental Protection.
•    Necessitate that all occupants who are recipients of public housing subsidies submit to annual criminal background checks. If any occupant did not pass this criminal background check, the entire family would be removed from their housing.
•    Change evidence rules to allow use of certain hearsay statements as evidence when witnesses are unavailable.

• Prop 7 - Renewable Energy - No

Prop 7 requires utilities to generate 50% of California energy needs through clean, renewable energy by 2025. This should be a fundamental goal of our energy policy, however the implementation of this in the bill is troubling. Megawatt production requirements will shut down small businesses that produce under 30 mw. Without the necessary improvement in infrastructure and technology, power companies would be forced to buy cheaper renewable energy from out of state and raise our electricity rates.

• Prop 8 - Constitutional Amendment Banning Gay Marriage  - NO

Proposition 8 is a discriminatory measure that takes away the right of gay couples to marry in California. Much of the money fueling the pro-8 campaign is coming from out of state groups including PFOX (which supports anti-gay “conversion” brainwashing programs), the LDS (Mormon) Church (whose donations equal a third of all pro-8 campaign contributions), as well as several national Evangelical organizations. Passage would signal powerful control of religious organizations over government, and would cost the state tens of millions in lost sales tax revenue. California was first in the nation to recognize interracial marriages, and ought to be at the forefront in fighting for equality and civil rights.

• Prop 9 – Marsy’s Law - NO

Prop 9 would amend the California Constitution to remove rights to prisoners, including rehabilitative programs, deny parole hearings for up to 15 years, and not allow families to visit their incarcerated loved ones; additionally Prop 9 would provide for rights to the families of crime victims. This would cost the state and county governments hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars. Rights of victims are already protected by law, and it seems like an unnecessary and expensive amendment to our state constitution. Instead of investing money to keep prisoners in jail longer, the state should be spending the money on healthcare and education programs.

• Prop 10 – California Alternative Fuels Initiative - Leaning No

Prop 10 would allow the state to sell $5 billion in alternative energy bonds. The money would be spent partially on rebates for buyers of clean alternative fuel vehicles (not hybrids), and will also partially be circulated back into the pockets of Texan oil giant, T. Boone Pickens, who is making money off of non-renewable energy sources such as oil, at that same time that he is making money off of renewable energy sources. Pickens, who is ranked by Forbes as American’s 117th-richest person, is also the sole backer of this proposition.

• Prop 11 - Redistricting - NO

Prop 11 requires a commission be set up to establish boundaries for California Assembly, Senate and Board of Equalization districts. This takes the job of establishing district boundaries away from elected representatives, and puts the job in hands of people selected in a complicated process that hampers public oversight. By law, there would have to be five Democrats, five Republicans, and four members of neither party which minimizes the power of third parties and independents in the state. These people would have the power to split minority communities from one district to several and limit their voting power. This is a fundamentally undemocratic measure.

• Prop 12 – Bonds for Veteran’s Home Loans - YES

Prop 12 would allow the state to sell $900 million in bonds, which would provide 3,600 veterans with enough money for home loans, through the Cal-Vet Program. Since the federal government has repeatedly cut funding to veterans’ programs during the course of this war, it is necessary for the states to act on their own to provide proper benefits for our veterans

We are attaching below some links to Oct. 31 photos & articles, and a urgent release concerning the youth who were arrested.

Great photo of the protest:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/sssTISipdUE8D3v72hBWwA

Indybay articles and photos:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/10/30/18547466.php

Excellent photos by Nia MacKnight:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/niamacknight/sets/72157608578324759/

BART service interrupted over large protest crowds heading to S.F.: http://www.mercurynews.com/crime/ci_10866230

Desiree Angelo
Socialist Organizer
408-998-7233
—

URGENT RELEASE:

Police Arrest Youth at Richmond BART Station;

Youth were going to protest ICE raids & deportations in San Francisco

Contact: Andrea Cristina Mercado, Mujeres Unidas y Activas: (510) 205-3684

NNIRR just received a report that police arrested youth en masse at the Richmond BART Station. They were on their way to San Francisco to join a protest against ICE raids and deportations.

This is a blatant attack on immigrant communities to silence and intimidate communities who are demanding justice and human rights and end to all raids, detentions and deportations.

Police harassment and arrest is a violation of our right to freedom of assembly and speech. Richmond police or BART police must be held accountable and all youth who were arrested must be immediately released without charges.

Please contact Andrea Cristina Mercado at (510) 205-3684 for more information on the youth-led community protest against ICE in San Francisco and the reported arrests of youth in Richmond .

Roll Back the ICE Raids!
End the Detentions & Deportations!
Justice & Human Rights for All!

These three state propositions, if passed, will directly violate several basic rights of all human beings.

Remember, on Tuesdays our meetings are at 12:30-1:30 in the SANTA CRUZ Room (that’s right next to Confrence Rooms A & B in the Hinson Campus Center/Cafeteria)! On Thursdays our meetings are are in the Student Council Chambers downstairs in the Hinson Campus Center.

What’s on schedule for right now:

Monday-Thursday, 11-1:30 tabling out near Le Cafe on the propositions and volunteer recruitment.

October 20th is the last day to register to vote! You gotta get that in the mail that day, or you will NOT be able to vote!!!!! We will NOT have ANY forms on the 21st.

On October 31st there will be a protest against the I.C.E. raids in San Francisco (during the day, so you can go party all night long). We will discuss more at our Tuesday meeting and post flyers up on the website soon.

We’re all students, we’re all working (or trying to) and we know how hard it is to fit being active into a schedule, but any amount of time that you can put in DOES make a difference. If you can’t make our meetings, we’ve got a forum up and running. Just look up at the top of the page there, click forum, and register! Send me (Matt Bradley) a private message explaining who you are and I will try to add you after our Tuesday meeting.

After a bit, he offered one of the students his business card, and the student refused it saying he wasn’t really interested. The recruiter started to talk to me again, and asked me if I wanted more information. I said “No, but I have a question for you.”

I asked him the question “Is it true that in the Military Enlistment/Reenlistment Document, there is a phrase that allows the government to take away all of your allowances, benefits, and relocate you without even telling you?”

He didn’t believe me and insisted I was making shit up and “Where’d you hear that- CNN?!”

I told the recruiter, “No, it’s on Page 2 of the Enlistment/Reenlistment Document.”

He asked me for hard evidence and kept insisting I was making it up. So I opened my laptop and showed him. I read out loud the phrase:

“b. Laws and regulations that govern military personnel may

change without notice to me. Such changes may affect my status,

pay, allowances, benefits, and responsibilities as a member of the

Armed Forces REGARDLESS of the provisions of this enlistment/

reenlistment document.”

( See here for full Document )

The group of students still sitting on the ledge were listening. The recruiter started to get mad and was asking me if I was “a liberal,” and “anti-war” – I replied that I am anti-illegal-war and illegal occupation, but that I believed in self-defense.

The recruiter was obviously frustrated, so I got my backpack to walk away.
Right when I turned to walk, I heard the recruiter call out a strong, homophobic word at me.

I turned around in surprise and asked him “What’d you just call me?”

The recruiter was laughing with his 2 friends and replied “I didn’t say nothin’.”

A few of the kids who were sitting next to us had heard what he said.

I notified the President’s Office in the Administration building about what had just happened.

The point I am getting to is that De Anza College should really not be letting these recruiters roam around the campus as they please. Recruiters are unchecked, and their actions are left unaccounted for.

At most college campuses, military recruiters are required to sign in and out with the campus, and are required to remain at, or around a table – Not free to wander the school.

I really do believe that if this recruiter had been sitting at a table, in a more public area in the first place, he would not have verbally assaulted a student.

Thanks for reading.

This type of behavior exhibited by military recruiters is not unusual. Here’s a few links about reported recruiter abuses:

http://quakerhouse.org/Recruiter-Abuses-09.htm

http://quakerhouse.org/Recruiter-Abuses-10.htm

We’re pretty friendly, right? Yeah! So why don’t you take the time right now to REGISTER to our Forum (just look to the top of the page), it doesn’t take all that long. Send either Gilbert or myself a message and we’ll be happy to add you so you can post to the other threads.

 You’ve heard about some of those shady propositions going around right? Props 4, 6, 8, 9, and 11 are all about TAKING AWAY our rights and will have a horrible impact on California. Now I know you’re down with protecting equal representation, and making sure no groups in society are being unfairly targeted for discrimination. So we’re asking you to come on by, even if only for an hour, to volunteer at our tabling/voter registration campaign.

 Let me repeat this:

WE NEED YOUR HELP.

You can make a HUGE change in this election, even with just a little bit of time. The deadline to register to vote is OCTOBER 20th! Students For Justice and Democracy Matters will be out by Le Cafe on the De Anza campus from 11:30-2:00, Monday through Thursday up until Election Day. Stop on by, say hi, and ask “How can I help?” We have plenty of tasks to accomplish so you can be a part of this regardless of how outgoing or shy you are.

On May 15th, 2008, the California Supreme Court took a monumental step for civil rights by ruling that previous laws blocking gay couples from marrying violates equal protection clauses within the California State Constitution. On June 16th, California became the second state in the union to allow same-sex couples the right to wed. Ever since the Supreme Court ruling, far-right groups such as the American “Family” Association, The “Family” Research Council, and P-FOX have funneled MILLIONS of dollars to fund Proposition 8. This ballot measure is designed to harm lesbian and gay families by eliminating their right to marry. Government recognition of marriage rights is very important, and impacts how couples live their daily lives. Recognition from the state of California only goes so far, as there are over 1,100 rights NOT recognised by the Federal Government. For a comprehensive look at how gay couples are discriminated against by current marriage laws, please check out the General Accounting Office report (.PDF file!) of 2004 on the so-called “Defense of Marriage” Act.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered (LGBT) community has been under assault over the last eight years by bigots and politicians looking to frighten people and shore up votes: now in 2008 Students For Justice is committed to ending the chain of discrimination and fight for the full equality of the LGBT community.

We encourage you to join us this quarter in fighting Prop.8. We are coordinating with various groups to get out the vote and educate the public. If you are interested in participating, please attend our meetings (Tuesdays @ 12:30 in the Santa Cruz Room, Sunday T.B.D!) and/or join the forum. Remember to look back at StudentsForJustice.com for updates, news, and events…its going to be a BUSY election season!

The Santa Cruz room is located in the Campus Center. Here is a map of the campus: http://deanza.edu/map/