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Show 12 VENCEREMOS SPRING Violence From the What's Affirmative Action? Top ofthe World LL Editors Note: This unsigned editorial was originally printed in 1997 in Venceremos, after two vicous raids sponsored by the powers that be. In one instance rebels were killed fighting for freedom and in the other the reputation ofa legittmate local Salt Lake City bustness was dessimated. The Peruvian Government of -—Fujimori showed its true colors in the raid on the Japanese embassy this spring. On one hand they claimed to be seeking a peaceful solution to the crisis with the MRTA, but all the while they were preparing - for the raid. There is evidence A 3 | Í k > y pi that the rebels didn't put up a fight, that Peruvian security forces murdered the rebels execution style in a central location. As well, the one hostage killed,a judge, was critical of Fujimori and the governmernt. How convinient he happened to be shot by Peruvian commandos. The U.S. corporate media had nothing but praise for Fujimori. Now multinational business interests can reign as usual over Peru, sucking the resources from the earth and leaving the people destitute. Here in Salt Lake City, on April 25 1997, 75 state, local and federal agents (SLPD, SL Sheriff's Office, Utah State General Attorneys Office, FBI, DEA, INS and IRS) raided the La Diana tortilla factory under the pretense of drug dealing. Agents abused patrons physically and discharged weapons inside the building. The agents were dressed in black battle fatigues and armed with automatic weapons. They must have looked very similar to the “ftommandos that raided the Japanese embassy. They pointed a weaponat the head of the 6 year old son of the owner and pulled an employee to the ground by her hair. The INS was at hand to deport anyone Women?s found without documents. The owner Rafael Gomez had complained to to the SLPD about the drug dealers that hung out in his parking lot, so they responded by fucking up his business and his life. Gomez immigrated here from Mexico with nothing, and has spent years building his unique business, and this is how the USA treats him. The local media didn't even report the raid in any noticable form until a week later. This raid was inspired by nothing more than outright racism, and the agencies involved have refused to be apologetic, still believing that La Diana is a major drug distribution setup. So the minute La Raza starts to get a piece of the Amerikkkan pie, the stake crushes them, and uses the same old excuse, the drug war. Let us not forget that our corporatemedia also links the MRTA to narco-terrorism (but they never mention the CIA dumping crack cocaine and guns in South-Central Los Angeles). Is this what we have to look forward to? They continue to imprison our people and cut services to the poor at the same time. Businesses like Star-bucks and Eddie Bauer, both with horrible labor abuses in their third world production facilities, buy whole sections of our city and displace small locally owned businesses like the Coffee Garden and the Wooden Dog and replace them with their bland yuppie crap. They don't care about our community , only about sucking the dollars out of it. We can't sit back and not be outraged by. this. We must resist in every form we have. Here in Venceremos you will find words of resistance and the spirit of liberty that beckons for all to join. ¡TIERRA Y LIBERTAD! Resource Center A. Ray Oplin University Union Room 293 Monday-Friday 8:00-5:00 200 S Central Campus DR, Rm 293 Salt Lake City UT 84112 581-8030 Services: Counseling: Sliding scale for student,staff, faculty Affirmative Action in Employment: Affirmative action programs in Employment can consist of posting and publicizing job notices in locations that are likely to be seen by a wide rangeof people; recruitment; eliminating discriminatory hiring and promotion practices; setting goals toward increasing opportunities for those that were previously discriminated against; the targeting dates by which to accomplish the goals. It is important to note that many affirmative action programs in employment take affirmative steps for many groups beyond women and minorities including the disabled, veterans, economially disadvantaged and others. These programs do not reach out to unqualified individuals but instead are designed to increase the number of qualified applicants for employment. tracting are highly regulated by government agencies and by guidance from the courts. Affirmative action programs in contracting often are targeted for women-owned firms, minorityowned firms, or firms that can show a disadvantage. Such programs can consist of requiring government to set aside a smal percentage of contracts for the targeted firms, or requiring that the bidding be open to include firms that are traditionally excluded. Affirmative Action in Education: Most institutions of higher education have variuos programs that may be considered “affimative actions an behalf of different groups of students including diabled students, women, minorities, economically disadvantaged students, vetrans, Affirmative Action in Contracting: ete Affirmative Affirmative action programs in the area of con- early outreach programs, recruitment and retention programs. INJUSTICE continued from page 10 numbers. - Among the findings: *Youth of color are nine times more likely to be arrested for crimes against persons and five times more likely to be arrested for property offenses. *Youth of color are certified as adults at a younger age than Caucasians and with fewer offenses. *The lifetime offending records of youth referred to juvenile court do not differ significantly by race, despite the fact that youth of color are twice as likely to be placed in Division of Youth Corrections custody following a conviction. *Racial disproportionality begins at the point of arrest and continues through the entire juvenile justice system. The report doesn't reach any conclusions about the causes of the disproportionalities, however, and notes that other cities around the country are experiencing the same problems. “Nationwide, after hundreds of thousands of dollars being spent, no one has come up with a reason why the situation exists,” says Willard Malstrom, juvenile justice specialist for the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice for whom the report was compiled. “There is not one thing,” he says. “There are a number of things that are occurring as a whole.” The commission has formed a committee to develop a strategy for dealing with the situation. After returning from a convention in Phoenix last month, the five chairs on that Who Gets Certified As an Adult in Utah? Average age minorities: 16.8 Average age Caucasians: Number of felonies minorities: 11.1 : Number of felonies Caucasians: 19.2 Conviction points minorities: 32.4 Conviction points Caucasians: committee are now entering the planning process. Part of the strategy is to intervene before youth become a part of the justice system, says Malstrom. “Unfortunately, we receive the youth downstream and we are not the ones who are throwing them into the stream,” he says. The researchers who compiled the report gave some recommendations of their own, including an increase of minority employees in the juvenile justice system and sensitivity action in education can Workshops S Seminars: Cost Varies It wasn't the first time he has been stopped for no reason, he says, and it happens to his friends too. “I thought the police were here to protect us, not harass us.” Protecting our planet is a test we must pass. To get informed, enthused, and active on environmental/social issues that affect and connect us all; JOIN Power Lunch Tuesdays: 12:00-1:00 Library: Books on various women's issues Scholarships: Non-Traditional Students E Website: www.saff.utah.edu/women/ - Mectnos Monday's O 2:00pm 319 Union Newsletter: Listing semester workshops, groups, etc... Al Workshops, seminars, Power Lunches open to the community! consist of training for police officers, judges, attorneys, and all others associated with the juvenile court system. The report interviewed a number of juvenile corrections professionals and found that three quarters of them believed that if there was actual bias in the process, it would most likely occur at the point of arrest. Some of those interviewed expressed the opinion that minorities are simply more likely to be caught for the offenses that they actually commit. In the words of one respondent: “It (disparity) all starts at arrest. If a policeman sees a car full of minorities, they will find something to stop them for. . He assumes that they are out for trouble.” : That is exactly what happened to Eddie Curiel III, an honor role student who was stopped by the police in the Glendale area early January. Curiel and a friend were searched twice and accused by. the officers of being in a gang. Curiel doesn't believe the reason he was given for being stopped - they said his car had a bald tire. “Maybe because they saw two Hispanics in the car,” he Says. Support Groups: - sliding scale $15-$75 o 2000 Contact Sander. LazarOom.ccutah.odu or Shauna.DavisOm.cc.utah.odu |
