Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Empire - Pax Americana

Al Jazeera - Empire looks at the dramatic changes taking place in the Arab world and their strategic implications.

The fear factor has been broken, the genie is out of the bottle. Arabs have taken to the streets demanding freedom. As the winds of change blew across the Arab world, the US, the power that has long dominated the region, has been particularly absent.

With all its allies crumbling one after another, what will the US do to maintain its influence in the region? And what can be expected of Israel, the country's closest ally in the region?

Will the spread of democracy lead to a peaceful end to decades of autocratic rule in the Middle East or will the fear of Islamist extremism galvanize Washington's resolve to reinforce Pax Americana?

Our guests today are: Rashid Khalidi, a professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University; Seymour Hersh, a Pulitzer-winning author; and Thomas Pickering, the former US under secretary of state.

Our interviewees are: Clovis Maksoud, the director of the Center for the Global South; and Rob Malley, the Middle East director of International Crisis Group.

This episode of Empire originally aired on February 7, 2011.

more info: http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/empire/2011/02/20112875931593543.html

Sunday, March 27, 2011

The Day the Klan Marched - Anti-KKK Protesters Beaten by Racist Austin Police

Original documentary footage of the day the Ku Klux Klan marched to ;the Texas State Capitol Building in Austin, Texas on February 19, 1983. Includes footage of Austin City Council meeting vote giving the KKK permission to march.

The documentary also shows the violent response of the Austin Police Department to the engaging yet peaceful counter Anti-Klan march organized by concerned

Monday, March 21, 2011

Lifting the Veil - Barack Obama and the Failure of Capitalist Democracy

Sub-headed Barack Obama and the failure of capitalist democracy, this film explores the historical role of the Democratic Party as the graveyard of social movements, the massive influence of corporate finance in elections, the absurd disparities of wealth in the United States, the continuity and escalation of neocon policies under Obama, the insufficiency of mere voting as a path to reform, and differing conceptions of democracy itself.

"Lifting the Veil is the long overdue film that powerfully, definitively, and finally exposes the deadly 21st century hypocrisy of U.S. internal and external policies, even as it imbues the viewer with a sense of urgency and an actualized hope to bring about real systemic change while there is yet time for humanity and this planet. See this film!"
-Larry Pinkney
Editorial Board Member & Columnist
The Black Commentator

Original interview footage derives from Noam Chomsky, Michael Parenti, Michael Albert, John Stauber (PR Watch), Sharon Smith (Historian), William I. Robinson (Editor, Critical Globalization Studies), Morris Berman (Author, Dark Ages America), and famed black panther Larry Pinkney.

Non-original interviews/lectures include Michael Hudson, Paul Craig Roberts, Ted Rall, Richard Wolff, Glen Ford, Lewis Black, Glenn Greenwald, George Carlin, Gerald Cliente, Chris Hedges, John Pilger, Bernie Sanders, Sheldon Wollin and Martin Luther King.

Lifting the Veil is a major contribution to political documentary. ; It teaches everyone from the uninitiated to the most sophisticated the true nature of the American government... It covers the issues clearly and succinctly, from the opening narrative through to its stirring conclusion.
-Ralph Poynter
lynne stewart defense committee
new abolitionist movement

"The best political film I've seen to date.

Minor Mishap Marching Band Plays in Honk! TX 2011

MINOR MISHAP MARCHING BAND is a 25 piece renegade circus brass band. They are an absurd expression of boisterous pandemonium Bourbon street meets Budapest.
http://minormishap.com/

Twenty of the most exciting, original, and talented community street bands from across North America will perform absolutely free in streets, parks, and neighborhoods throughout Austin for the inaugural HONK!TX festival, from March 11th to 13th, 2011.

Inspired by the success of the original HONK! Festival in Somerville, Massachusetts and HONK! Fest West in Seattle, Washington, HONK!TX is a non-profit and grassroots gathering of street bands that defy simple categorization. Bands will play unamplified and without built stages, breaking down any barriers between the crowd and performers.

The bands range in size from four to forty members, all diverse in age, ethnicity, and musical background. They represent various performance traditions, including New Orleans second line brass, European klezmer, Balkan and Romani music, and festivals such as Mardi Gras and Brazilian Carnaval.

HONK!TX is made possible by the wholehearted support of neighborhood associations, local businesses, city officials, and other community members. Volunteers will provide housing, transportation, and their time at the festival.

The festival has raised funds from over 230 individual donations through a kickstarter.com campaign. Wheatsville Food Co-op, Whole Foods Market, and SXSW are major sponsors along with fiscal and in-kind support from numerous other local businesses.

The HONK!TX Organizing Committee is comprised of the Minor Mishap Marching Band, Austin's own community street band, and iLoveMikeLitt, a local arts and culture group.

More information, including full band lineup, locations and hours, is available at
http://www.honktx.org/


Produced by Jeff Zavala.
A ZGraphix production.
http://zgraphix.org/

Sunday, March 20, 2011

The Real Avatar - The Nature of Things

Peru is in the midst of an unprecedented resource "rush" - 72% of the
jungle has been zoned for oil development alone. And according to
recent studies, in just 10 years nearly half the Peruvian
rainforest - one of the most biologically diverse areas on Earth - may be
past the point of no return if current rates of deforestation
continue. In The Real Avatar, David Suzuki sets off for the Amazon to
investigate the effect this rush is having on the native peoples who
call this land their home.

Under the shadow of the Cordillera del Condor mountains, and near
where the mighty Amazon river begins, live the Awajun and Wampis
peoples, a proud, warrior nation, never conquered by the Incas or the
Spanish. Today, they feel they are being invaded again: Peruvian and
Canadian mining companies aim to set up a gold mine on land these
natives say is their traditional territory. In fact, the Awajun had an
agreement for the establishment of a National Park along the
Cordillera that would protect their land. But the Awajun found their
agreement broken, quite literally in two, when Peru's President gave
half the area over to mining interests. Studies indicate that mining
here would devastate the areas water system - water that flows to the
downstream Awajun communities.

The Awajun were already part of a deadly confrontation with National
Police in 2009 over Peru's plans for "developing" the Amazon - can
more violence be avoided in the future?

In the southern province of Madre de Dios, native peoples fought
successfully for over a decade to establish a communal Reserve to
protect their lands from illegal mining and logging. The Reserve
created was so protected that not even the natives themselves were
allowed to use it. And yet today, this same Reserve finds itself
nearly totally engulfed by Oil Block 76, sold to the Hunt Oil
Corporation of Texas. As Hunts exploratory work begins, the natives
find themselves divided. Some feel oil development will bring jobs and
money, while others fear the social and environmental impacts, and
know their very way of life is at risk.

And for those nearby "Uncontacted" natives living in the forest in
voluntary isolation, in the same way they have for thousands of years,
the stakes are even higher.

In The Real Avatar, David Suzuki journeys to the Peruvian Amazon to
see first-hand the forces threatening the way of life of its
indigenous peoples, and to explore the magnificent beauty and richness
of this now-vanishing land, this "Pandora" on Earth.

A dramatic story of cultures in conflict, with the fate of the Amazon
hanging in the balance, The Real Avatar is shot in full HD and is
produced and directed by Roberto Verdecchia.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Rahul Mahajan Speaking on the Wisconsin Labor Struggle and the New Radical Right Agenda

The union-busting agenda in Wisconsin is part of a carefully planned ;national offensive by the newly ascendant radical right wing. Bills in a

Friday, March 18, 2011

Rahul Mahajan Speaks on The Libyan Revolution & the Nuclear Crisis in Japan

Rahul Mahajan, a co-founder of the Third Coast Activist ;Resource Center and original member of the Nowar Collective, is

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Honk! TX Festival 2011

Twenty of the most exciting, original, and talented community street bands from across North America will perform absolutely free in streets, parks, and neighborhoods throughout Austin for the inaugural HONK!TX festival, from March 11th to 13th, 2011.

The first HONK! festival took place in 2006 in Somerville, Massachusetts, when local community street band Second Line Social Aid & Pleasure Society set about envisioning and creating a festival to celebrate the growing nationwide community of activist marching bands and the community-rooted union of art, activism, and music. In their first year, HONK! brought in bands from as far away as Chicago and Vancouver. And, that festival continues to feature street bands from around North America and countries as far away as Italy, and it continues to draw the support of area residents, businesses, arts groups, volunteers, politicians and citizens.

Inspired by the success of the original HONK! Festival in Somerville, Massachusetts and HONK! Fest West in Seattle, Washington, HONK!TX is a non-profit and grassroots gathering of street bands that defy simple categorization. Bands will play unamplified and without built stages, breaking down any barriers between the crowd and performers.

The bands range in size from four to forty members, all diverse in age, ethnicity, and musical background. They represent various performance traditions, including New Orleans second line brass, European klezmer, Balkan and Romani music, and festivals such as Mardi Gras and Brazilian Carnaval.

HONK!TX is made possible by the wholehearted support of neighborhood associations, local businesses, city officials, and other community members. Volunteers will provide housing, transportation, and their time at the festival.

The festival has raised funds from over 230 individual donations through a kickstarter.com campaign. Wheatsville Food Co-op, Whole Foods Market, and SXSW are major sponsors along with fiscal and in-kind support from numerous other local businesses.

The HONK!TX Organizing Committee is comprised of the Minor Mishap Marching Band, Austin's own community street band, and iLoveMikeLitt, a local arts and culture group.

More information, including full band lineup, locations and hours, is available at
http://www.honktx.org

MINOR MISHAP MARCHING BAND is a 25 piece renegade circus brass band. They are an absurd expression of boisterous pandemonium Bourbon street meets Budapest.
http://minormishap.com

Produced by Jeff Zavala.
A ZGraphix production.
http://zgraphix.org

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

March to Save Texas Schools 3/12/11

Well over 11,000 parents, teachers, educators and community leaders from over 300 independent school districts converged at the state capital in Austin on Saturday, March 12.

Today, Texans have come together in great numbers and have sent a very strong, clear message to our elected officials that we must do better by the children of our state by funding education to the maximum extent possible, says Allen Weeks of Save Texas Schools, the grassroots coalition organizing the rally, and director of Austin Voices for Education and Youth.

And its not over with this rally. Were going to continue our fight to keep Texas smart.

After a drum line led blocks of rally-goers on a march starting from Waterloo Park to the Capital grounds, a fantastic line-up of speakers and performers made heartfelt pleas for education.

We live in the 21st century. We have a global economy, said Julian Castro, Mayor of San Antonio, in his podium address. Here in Texas I wonder how long the fortune 500 companies will stick around if we cant produce the students who can compete,

Superintendent John-Kuhn of Perrin-Whitt, CISD, rollicked the crowds with his impassioned speech, saying: Public school teachers, you are the saviors of this society. You are the first responders standing in this rubble while they sit in their offices and scribble judgmentally on their clipboards. You are heroes and what you do isnt worth $27 billion; it is priceless.

In a unified voice, rally participants urged legislators to take three critical steps to help close state budget gaps that are threatening education:

Use the $9.3 billion Texas Rainy Day Fund to help rescue schools from the current crisis. Sign the paperwork for $830 million in federal aid for teachers. Fix school funding laws to be fair to all districts and our growing student population.

After the rally, Save Texas Schools offered a training to those who plan to continue to work for public education across the state. Topics covered included how to keep the grassroots effort growing, how the legislative process works, and how education is funded in Texas.

To learn more please visit: http://savetxschools.org

Filmed, Edited & Produced for Austin Indymedia by Jeff Zavala.
A ZGraphix production.
http://zgraphix.org
http://austin.indymedia.org

Monday, March 14, 2011

Community Training on How to Save Texas Schools

Well over 11,000 parents, teachers, educators and community leaders from over 300 independent school districts converged at the state capital in Austin on Saturday, March 12.

Today, Texans have come together in great numbers and have sent a very strong, clear message to our elected officials that we must do better by the children of our state by funding education to the maximum extent possible, says Allen Weeks of Save Texas Schools, the grassroots coalition organizing the rally, and director of Austin Voices for Education and Youth.

And its not over with this rally. Were going to continue our fight to keep Texas smart.

After a drum line led blocks of rally-goers on a march starting from Waterloo Park to the Capital grounds, a fantastic line-up of speakers and performers made heartfelt pleas for education.

We live in the 21st century. We have a global economy, said Julian Castro, Mayor of San Antonio, in his podium address. Here in Texas I wonder how long the fortune 500 companies will stick around if we cant produce the students who can compete,

Superintendent John-Kuhn of Perrin-Whitt, CISD, rollicked the crowds with his impassioned speech, saying: Public school teachers, you are the saviors of this society. You are the first responders standing in this rubble while they sit in their offices and scribble judgmentally on their clipboards. You are heroes and what you do isnt worth $27 billion; it is priceless.

In a unified voice, rally participants urged legislators to take three critical steps to help close state budget gaps that are threatening education:

Use the $9.3 billion Texas Rainy Day Fund to help rescue schools from the current crisis. Sign the paperwork for $830 million in federal aid for teachers. Fix school funding laws to be fair to all districts and our growing student population.

After the rally, Save Texas Schools offered a training to those who plan to continue to work for public education across the state. Topics covered included how to keep the grassroots effort growing, how the legislative process works, and how education is funded in Texas.

To learn more please visit: http://savetxschools.org

Filmed, Edited & Produced for Austin Indymedia by Jeff Zavala.
A ZGraphix production.
http://zgraphix.org

Rally to Save Texas Schools 3/12/11

Well over 11,000 parents, teachers, educators and community leaders from over 300 independent school districts converged at the state capital in Austin on Saturday, March 12.

Today, Texans have come together in great numbers and have sent a very strong, clear message to our elected officials that we must do better by the children of our state by funding education to the maximum extent possible, says Allen Weeks of Save Texas Schools, the grassroots coalition organizing the rally, and director of Austin Voices for Education and Youth.

And its not over with this rally. Were going to continue our fight to keep Texas smart.

After a drum line led blocks of rally-goers on a march starting from Waterloo Park to the Capital grounds, a fantastic line-up of speakers and performers made heartfelt pleas for education.

We live in the 21st century. We have a global economy, said Julian Castro, Mayor of San Antonio, in his podium address. Here in Texas I wonder how long the fortune 500 companies will stick around if we cant produce the students who can compete,

Superintendent John-Kuhn of Perrin-Whitt, CISD, rollicked the crowds with his impassioned speech, saying: Public school teachers, you are the saviors of this society. You are the first responders standing in this rubble while they sit in their offices and scribble judgmentally on their clipboards. You are heroes and what you do isnt worth $27 billion; it is priceless.

In a unified voice, rally participants urged legislators to take three critical steps to help close state budget gaps that are threatening education:

Use the $9.3 billion Texas Rainy Day Fund to help rescue schools from the current crisis. Sign the paperwork for $830 million in federal aid for teachers. Fix school funding laws to be fair to all districts and our growing student population.

After the rally, Save Texas Schools offered a training to those who plan to continue to work for public education across the state. Topics covered included how to keep the grassroots effort growing, how the legislative process works, and how education is funded in Texas.

To learn more please visit: http://savetxschools.org

Filmed, Edited & Produced for Austin Indymedia by Jeff Zavala.
A ZGraphix production.
http://zgraphix.org

The Cipher Live at Rally to Save Texas Schools

The Cipher performs live at the Rally to Save Texas Schools on March 12th, 2011.

An even bigger crowd than expected at the "Save Texas Schools" rally in Austin. More than 11,000 people marched their way to the steps of the state capitol.

A stamped of students parents and educators lined the streets of Austin Saturday afternoon, they had one lesson they wanted to teach lawmakers, and that's "Save Texas Schools." Their songs and their signs said it all.

"I do feel that our government is stealing our children's education and I will not have it," said Kevin Wulff.

"A money sign, right there but I marked it out because they're taking away money," said 3rd grader, Halle Dillard, third grader.

People of every age, and from every corner of the state gathered to protest proposed cuts of nearly 10 billion dollars to public education. Cuts that have already hit home for former teacher of the year Tracy Milligan.

"I currently do not have a contract for the following year, and no guaranteed position in my school district," said Milligan.

A handful of lawmakers came out in support. as for the governor, he got a message from famous motivational speaker and Texas student, Dalton Sherman.

"Governor, It may look like sunshine outside today, but I got to tell you, from where I am in the classrooms it's raining," said Dalton Sherman. A request to use the 9 million dollars in the rainy day fund. Lawmakers in favor of using some of the funds caution what could lie ahead for other members of the legislature.

"They're gonna pay a price in the next election from what I see here," said Rep. Mark Strama.

Ralliers returning home hoped their message left a lasting impression with lawmakers. Organizers also want the governor to sign the paperwork to free up $830 million dollars in federal aid for education.

By the way, Monday marks another big day at the Capitol for education. The American Federation of Teachers expects record turnout for AFT lobby day.

Filmed, Edited & Produced for Austin Indymedia by Jeff Zavala. A ZGraphix production. http://zgraphix.org

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Grupo Pakal Performance at Noche de Cultural - Indigenous Cultures Institute

Grupo Pakal gave a remarkable performance at 'Noche de Cultural' held Friday Feb. 25, 2011 at Centro Cultural Hispano de San Marcos. Grupo Pakal, Mayan Performing Arts, proudly celebrates Mayan culture through ancient ceremonial dance ritutals to traditional native music.

Grupo Pakal showcases the rich history of the Maya through Ceremonial Dance Performances and Mayan Ballgame Exhibitions & Interactive Workshops. Ancestral ties to Maya civilization inspire Grupo Pakals commitment to authentically recreate ceremonial headdresses and wardrobe, native props & instruments, dance rituals, and the sacred Mayan Ballgame. As a dedicated leader in Mayan cultural conservation, Grupo Pakal initiated the Mayan Ball Rescue Project in 2008 to produce and supply the solid rubber ball need to revive historys original team sport.

For more information about our presentations or to reserve Grupo Pakal, please e-mail to: grupopakal@yahoo.com

To learn more visit: http://www.grupopakal.com

Produced by Jeff Zavala.
A ZGraphix production.
http://zgraphix.org

Photography by Rene Renteria
http://renerenteria.com

Grupo Pakal photos:
http://rrenteriaphotography.photoshelter.com/gallery/Grupo-Pakal-Mayan-Performing-Arts/G0000g6D7a1s1p_4

Rene Renteria Photography on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rene-Renteria-Photography/151861401534372

Indigenous Cultures Institute Noche de Cultural
http://www.indigenouscultures.org/

Centro Cultural Hispano de San Marcos
http://www.sanmarcoscentro.org/

Minor Mishap Marching Band Plays in Honk! TX on 3/12/11

MINOR MISHAP MARCHING BAND is a 25 piece renegade circus brass band. They are an absurd expression of boisterous pandemonium Bourbon street meets Budapest.
http://minormishap.com

Twenty of the most exciting, original, and talented community street bands from across North America will perform absolutely free in streets, parks, and neighborhoods throughout Austin for the inaugural HONK!TX festival, from March 11th to 13th, 2011.

Inspired by the success of the original HONK! Festival in Somerville, Massachusetts and HONK! Fest West in Seattle, Washington, HONK!TX is a non-profit and grassroots gathering of street bands that defy simple categorization. Bands will play unamplified and without built stages, breaking down any barriers between the crowd and performers.

The bands range in size from four to forty members, all diverse in age, ethnicity, and musical background. They represent various performance traditions, including New Orleans second line brass, European klezmer, Balkan and Romani music, and festivals such as Mardi Gras and Brazilian Carnaval.

HONK!TX is made possible by the wholehearted support of neighborhood associations, local businesses, city officials, and other community members. Volunteers will provide housing, transportation, and their time at the festival.

The festival has raised funds from over 230 individual donations through a kickstarter.com campaign. Wheatsville Food Co-op, Whole Foods Market, and SXSW are major sponsors along with fiscal and in-kind support from numerous other local businesses.

The HONK!TX Organizing Committee is comprised of the Minor Mishap Marching Band, Austin's own community street band, and iLoveMikeLitt, a local arts and culture group.

More information, including full band lineup, locations and hours, is available at
http://www.honktx.org

Produced by Jeff Zavala.
A ZGraphix production.
http://zgraphix.org

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Egypt - A View from the Revolution

Sherief Gaber, an Egyptian-American grad student at UT Austin has spent
the last several weeks in Egypt. He has given several interviews to
national news organizations and recently returned to Austin. He'll share
his experience and give an analysis of the events leading up to the
ousting of Mubarak.

An introduction by Snehal Shingavi will provide a background of Egypt's
political history. Snehal Shingavi received his Ph.D. in English
Literature from the University of California at Berkeley. He won the
Mellon Fellowship in Humanistic Studies, has published articles in several
journals including the International Socialist Review, and has appeared as
a commentator on programs such as Hardball on CNN. The talk will be
followed by a Q&A.

This is a Austin Indymedia & ZGraphix production.
Filmed, Edited & Produced for Austin Indymedia by Jeff Zavala.
http://austin.indymedia.org
http://zgraphix.org

Speeches from Day of the Fallen - Austin, Texas 3.2.11

Cardboard coffins lined Congress Avenue until all 138 of them filled the front lawn of the Texas Capitol on Wednesday afternoon.

The coffins were painted black and represented the 138 Texas construction workers and laborers who lost their lives on the job in 2009. Their memories served as the rallying cry for the roughly 600 people who gathered at the Capitol in support of new legislation on workers rights and safety. The Workers Defense Project organized the rally and gathered lawmakers, clergy members and activists with the families of those who had died.

The cause were here for today is not just a good one, but a sacred one, one member of the church said at the beginning of the rally.
Political commentator Jim Hightower spoke at the rally to state the activists demands.

Were not just here to honor the memory of the workers, Hightower said. Were here for just a little bit of justice. Were not asking for the whole thing. If we were, wed be asking for Wall Street salaries and benefits now that would be justice.

This justice comes primarily in the form of mandatory workers compensation, which would require every employer to provide wage replacement and medical benefits to any employee injured while on the job, said Billy Yates, an intern at the Workers Defense Project. As it stands, Texas is the only state that does not require such compensation, he said. He also cites simple things, such as required breaks, as important preventive measures.

A construction worker dies every two-and-a-half days in Texas, he said. If Texas is 112 degrees during the summertime and workers dont get a single break, you cant really wonder why there are so many deaths in the construction industry.

This lack of mandatory workers compensation, rest breaks in the work day and proper safety education all contribute to Texas reputation as the most dangerous state in the union for construction workers, a phrase that was repeated throughout the rally, Yates said.

Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, and Rep. Armando Walle, D-Houston, hope to change this. They are currently putting forth bills that would make workers compensation required for not only those injured on the job, but for the families who lost relatives in work-related incidents.

Its a simple bill in that it mandates that all businesses provide what every other business in every other state already provides, and that is compensation for workers, Lucio said. It is whats just and it is whats right.

The event also included live music, prayers and stories of the hardships incurred by those injured on the job.

When we are helping to build this state, we are wanted, said one man, who is now confined to a wheelchair after falling 30 feet while working at a construction site. But when we are injured, we are tossed aside.

We have two new bills that have recently been filed and need the support of your local legislator. Please, use this link to find your state senator and representative: (http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us) and ask your legislators to support...

HB 2196 / SB 1024 to prevent wage theft
Authors: Rep. Eddie Rodriguez & Sen. Jose Rodriguez
This bill will clarify the language in Texas Penal Code 31.04 (Theft of Service) which will enable local law enforcement to enforce the law against employers ; who do not pay their workers.

HB 1739 / SB 938 to provide workers compensation for all construction employees
Authors: Rep. Armando Walle & Sen. Eddie Lucio
This bill will require that workers compensation be provided for any and all construction employees in Texas; thus, reducing Texas' uncompensated care costs in hospitals, lowering property taxes, and lifting the burden off of taxpayers.

This is an Austin Indymedia & ZGraphix production.
Produced by Jeff Zavala.
Edited by Jeff Zavala & Matt Gossage.
http://austin.indymedia.org
http://zgraphix.org

Friday, March 4, 2011

Day of the Fallen - Austin, Texas 3.2.11

The Workers Defense Project (http://workersdefense.org) organized a march and rally called "Day of the Fallen" to commemorate the deaths of construction workers in the state of Texas. We began the march at the Federal Building Plaza and carried 138 black coffin replicas to the steps of the Texas Capitol.

Although the coffins were built lightly of foam core board and contained only air, I felt the heaviness of the sadness we were conveying.

People had come for the march from as far away as El Paso, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. We numbered about 300, I think. Included were union members and family members of construction workers who had died on the job.

Jim Hightower spoke, and Eliza Gilkyson sang. Rev. Jim Rigby emceed. There were prayers in English and in Espanol, gospel music and a singalong of "If I had a hammer," led by a young trio.

On my way home, I looked out the bus window at the beautiful buildings in our downtown, the new lofts and storefronts. Most of the people who built them can not afford to live in them. Some of the people who built them were injured on the job. Some were not paid for their work. When I pass the spot on Rio Grande where three immigrant men fell to their deaths because of faulty equipment, I sense their spirits are present, asking me why. The chic little shop that opened a few feet from where the men hit the earth is called, "Bodega on Rio."

Sign the petition asking our legislators to Build a Better Texas: http://buildtexas.org/pettition.html

This is an Austin Indymedia & ZGraphix production.
Produced by Jeff Zavala.
Edited by Jeff Zavala & Matt Gossage.
http://austin.indymedia.org
http://zgraphix.org

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Lawrence Lessig speaks on "Money in Politics"

Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig will speak on the corrosive ;effects of money in politics and potential remedies to the problem. For