News Briefs

Ismael Ileto, Bonnie Jouhari and Morris Casuto To Speak at Cal State-San Bernadino May 19th

 Ismael Ileto, whose brother Joseph Ileto, was senselessly murdered by a neo-Nazi spree killer, Bonnie Jouhari, a civil rights activist who was targeted by the KKK and white supremacists on the web, and Morris Caputo, a leading expert on hate crimes, hate groups and responses to hate violence from the Anti-Defamation League, will be keynote speakers at a Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism and Hatemonitor.org conference on May 19 at Cal State-San Bernadino.

 An Inland Empire conference on Hate Crime—Characteristics and Community Responses is co-sponsored by the Western Inland Empire Coalition Against Hate, Catholic Charities of San Bernadino/Riverside and the Diocese of San Bernadino/Riverside. 

 Ileto, whose brother was a postal worker targeted because he was non-white, has dedicated his life to ridding the world of the hate that hurt his family.  This self-proclaimed “regular guy” created an organization in his brother’s name called “Join Our Struggle, Educate to Prevent The, Instill Love, Equality, Tolerance for Others (Joseph Ileto).  His tireless advocacy has lead him to speak before numerous conferences and universities, as well as leaders from the President on down.  He is a member of the Attorney General’s Commission on Hate Crime and has appeared in the national media. 

Jouhari, who was targeted by white supremacists and the KKK, was targeted by them for intimidation for her activism.  She fought back in the Courts and won a one million dollar judgment. 

Casuto, who is the regional director for the Anti-Defamation League, San Diego, is a sponsor of the San Diego Hate Crimes Registry.  Casuto is one of the nation's leading experts on hate crime, hate groups, and responses to hate violence. As longtime director of San Diego's Anti-Defamation League he led crucial efforts to expose and monitor some of the nation's most notorious hatemongers. He was also instrumental in establishing a regional anti-hate network in San Diego that has become a national model. He is a member of the Attorney General's Commission on Hate Crime, White House Conference on Hate Crime and the recipient of numerous awards. Mr. Casuto's expertise has been featured in national and local media and he is one of the ADL's most popular speakers.  

Other speakers at the conference include Prof. Brian Levin, Criminal Justice Department, Calif. State Univ., San Bernardino, Director, Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism; Captain Michael Kinsman, San Bernardino Police Department, Co-Chair, Western Inland Empire Coalition Against Hate; David St. Pierre, Riverside Human Relations Commission, Co-Chair, Western Inland Empire Coaltion Against Hate; Dr. Robert Gill, University of California, Riverside and Board Member of the Western Inland Empire Coaltion Against Hate.

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Nebraska SC Ups Award to Teena Brandon's Family 4/29

The Nebraska Supreme Court raised the award that Sheriff Charles Laux must pay to the family of Teena Brandon.  Brandon was the inspiration for the movie, "Boys Don't Cry."

Laux, the former sheriff of Richardson county, was told by Brandon that two men had raped her after Brandon, a cross-dressing woman, after they learned of her true sex.  Approximately two weeks later, the two men killed her while two witnesses watched at a farmhouse in Humboldt, NE.  Brandon's mother sued the sheriff and a lower court said that Laux was partially responsible for Brandon's death.  The sheriff did not arrest the men after the rape report, place Brandon in protective custody and called Brandon "it."  

The lower court awarded Brandon's mother $17,361 and said that Brandon was 1% responsible for her own death.  The judgment was appealed to the Nebraska Supreme Court.  The Court rejected the finding that Brandon was responsible for her own death and ordered the lower court to award Brandon's mother $80,000 and to determine an amount to compensate her for emotional distress.  

Hillary Swank won an best actress Oscar for her portrayal of Teena Brandon in "Boys Don't Cry."

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NCAA Events Denied to Mississippi 4/29

The NCAA has cancelled championship events in Mississippi because the Confederate symbol is on the state.  

Events which teams earn, such as regionals and subregionals will not be cancelled because these are based on competitive records or seeding.  Events, like the NCAA basketball final rounds would not be awarded to the state.  

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Three Arrested in Washington Heights Synagogue Fire 4/29

Three teens were arrested in an arson fire on Friday, April 27 in Washington Heights NY.  The teens had set fire to a Sukkah, a wooden hut built for the Sukkot holiday.  No one was hurt.  

The men, Jose Ortega, 18, Christopher Nunez, 19 and a 15 year old juvenile, set the firs at Congregation K'Hal Adath Jeshurun at 8 p.m., just as the 350 congregants were beginning a silent prayer.  One person smelled smoke and raced out of the building with another congregant.  They tried to catch the teens, but they ran away.  The flames from the fire rose two stories high and burned the building's back wall.  The Torah, which was rescued from the Holocaust,  was removed from the building  congregants inside the building.   Firefighters doused the blaze within 15 minutes.  The fire broke windows and damaged the cement on an outside wall.

Although a police spokesman said this was a simple vandalism, the treasurer of the congregation said that he "suspected an anti-Jewish flavor to that kind of fire when it's set at the back of a synagogue," according to the New York Post.

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Two Arrested in 1969 Murder of Black Woman in York PA 4/28

Two members of the white supremacist Newberry Street Boys were indicted on April 26th in the shooting of Lillie Belle Allen on July 21, 1969 during York PA’s race wars.

Indicted by a grand jury were brothers Arthur Messersmith and Robert Messersmith.  They were arrested on Thursday.  The grand jury has said that at least 11 people may be charged in Allen’s murder. 

Allen, who was visiting family in York P, was shot as the car she was riding in took a wrong turn, went through a police barricade and ended up on Newberry Street.  According to an affidavit that supported the charges against the Messersmiths, Allen was in a car that went into an area populated with white males, many armed with guns.  When the people in the car saw the armed males, they panicked and made a right turn onto railroad tracks and the car stalled.  When the driver could not get the car started again, Allan said she’d take over driving, and when she exited the car, Allen was shot, struck by a bullet in the right side of her chest.  She died at York Hospital a short time later from the gunshot wound. 

The case was reopened in 1999 when law enforcement received new information and a grand jury was empanelled to hear evidence in this case and the murder of York City Police Officer Henry Schaad.   

The trigger for the York riots was the murder of Taki No Sweeney on July, 1969.  Sweeney survived the shooting.  Robert Messersmith was arrested and subsequently convicted of shooting Sweeney.  The rioting led to the shooting death of Officer Schaad during the rioting.

A white supremacist rally the day before the killing of Allen occurred in a York park, which was attended by three York gangs, including the Newberry Street Boys.  An unnamed police officer attended the rally and screamed, “White Power” at the rally, and told those present to take any weapons they had to Newberry street.  The unnamed police officer said, “If I weren’t a cop, I would be leading commando raids against niggers in the black neighborhoods.”  This same police officer is accused of providing ammunition to the Newberry Street Boys. 

York Mayor Charles Robinson has said that he was at the white supremacist rally, and that he held up a fist and said, “white power,” but denies he provided ammunition to the Newberry Street Boys or did anything to influence or incite any armed person to violence.

 Witnesses said that they saw Arthur Messersmith shoot at the car Allen was in.  In addition to his conviction for shooting Sweeney, Messersmith was also convicted of shooting a pedestrian, Charles Keener, in November, 1972.  Keener was shot in the left leg and hand.  Messersmith served nine months for that shooting.

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 Chevie Kehoe Wants New Trial for Murders of Arkansas Gun Dealer, Family 4/28 

Chevie Kehoe, who, with his brother Cheyne, was in a nationally televised shootout with police in Ohio, has asked for a new trial on his conviction for murdering a Tilly, Arkansas family.  Kehoe was convicted of the murders in 1999 in the federal court in Little Rock, Arkansas. 

Kehoe and Danny Lee were convicted of the murder and robbery of gun dealer Bill Mueller, his wife, Nancy, and her daughter, Sarah Powell.  The jury said that Kehoe and Lee murdered the family to fund their movement to destabilize the government and establish a racially pure enclave in the Northwest.   

The family’s bodies were found approximately six months after their January 11, 1996 murder in a bayou near Russellville, Arkansas in June, 1996.   

The motion for a new trial is based on an affidavit from Bufford McDonald, who said he was living along the bayou in a camper during the time the family was murdered.  McDonald said he witnessed two white men get out of their vehicle and toss three heavy bundles into the water.  McDonald said in the affidavit, “I was able to exclude Chevie Kehoe or Daniel Lee Graham as either one of the individuals” who dumped the bodies into the water.  McDonald said he saw the recovery of the family’s bodies on June 28, 1996. 

McDonald said he was in jail with Lee, and that Lee “made inferences” as to the identities of the murderers, but Lee did not implicate himself or Kehoe.  McDonald said he had been in contact with federal authorities, but did not testify before a grand jury investigating the matter.  Defense attorneys for Kehoe say they “were never made aware of McDonald’s existence prior to trial.”   

Neither Kehoe or Lee confessed to the murders.  Kehoe and Lee are serving life sentences for the murders. 

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Killer of Idaho Game Wardens Denied Parole 4/28

Claude Dallas, serving a 30 year prison sentence for the killings of Idaho Fish and Game Wardens in 1981, was denied parole after Dallas informed the parole board that he would rather stay in prison that comply with rules of parole. 

“I don’t need a babysitter or anyone holding my hand.  I can’t see the need to be placed in a county supervision program,” Dallas said in a story in the Idaho Statesman.  “I can leave prison with you people having some control over me or I can leave in four years with no strings attached, “ said Dallas.  “My god, I will not submit (to drug testing).  I’ve set my mind on this.  I see more threats on my civil rights from the damn government than all the drug lords on the face of the earth.” 

Dallas was asked if he felt any remorse for the shooting deaths of game warders Wilson Conley Elms and Bill Pogue.  Dallas said, “My feelings are my own.  They don’t belong to the state of Idaho.”  

Pogue’s brother said that Dallas “was not a hero.  He is a cold blooded killer and he will kill again.  He is a psychopath.  He is a murdering bastard.  He will do it again.  He is a rattlesnake.” 

Dallas murdered Pogue and Elms at his high desert camp in a remote area of Idaho over a poaching dispute.  Dallas was accused of taking game out of season.  Dallas shot both men, returned to his tent, retrieved a rifle, then shot both men in the head.  He left Elms’ body in a river and buried Pogue at another spot in the desert.  Dallas was charged with first degree murder, but was convicted of second degree murder, claiming he shot the officers in self-defense.  At the trial, Pogue drew supporters from Idaho and Nevada that said he was a throwback to the Wild West.   

As a prisoner, Dallas has refused 18 drug tests because he said they invaded his privacy.  Dallas also said that he should be able to possess guns after his release from prison because he was incarcerated prior to a law that bars convicted felons from possessing guns, and that the law doesn’t apply to him. 

Dallas will complete his sentence on February 6, 2005.   

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Prosecutors Rest Case in Birmingham Bombing 4/27 

Prosecutors rested their case on Saturday after jurors heard testimony from an FBI informant, Mitchell Burns.   

Burns said he agreed to become an FBI informant after agents showed him morgue pictures of the girls who were killed in the bombing.  Burns allowed FBI agents to place a tape recorder in the trunk of his car in which he and Tommy Blanton rode around and went bar hopping in 1964 and 1965. 

On one of the tapes played for the jury, Blanton was heard saying, “they ain’t gonna catch me when I bomb my next church.”  Burns asked Blanton about the Sixteenth Street bombing asking Blanton, “how did you do that, Tommy?”  Blanton replied, “It wasn’t easy, I tell you.”  The jurors heard 15 of the Blanton-Burns tapesl. 

In other tapes, Blanton refers to the Sixteenth Street bombing frequently, along with bombings in general, racial hatred and hatred of the FBI.  Blanton’s home and phone were also tapped. 

Burns said in an interview with ABC’s “20-20,” that Blanton always drove on their nights out and he frequently went by the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church.  “It was like he got a charge out of it,” said Burns.   

Burns testified he was active in two Ku Klux Klan groups, but wasn’t a racist or made racial slurs except when playing a part on the tapes with Blanton.  Burns participated in cross-burnings and did not help law enforcement solve the church bombing. 

In other testimony, the sister of Addie Mae Collins, one of the murder victims, testified.  Sarah Collins Rudolph was with her sister in the church basement with the other victims, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson and Denise McNair, when the bomb went off.  “Denise asked my sister to tie her sash….when I looked toward them all of a sudden I heard this loud explosion,” said Rudolph, who lost an eye in the bombing.  “I called out to my sister, ‘Addie, Addie, Addie.’  I didn’t see her again.” 

The father of Denise McNair, Chris McNair, said he saw the body of his daughter, his only child at the time, in the morgue on the day of the bombing.  There was a piece of mortar mashed in her head, “ McNair said.  McNair identified a piece of cement as the same piece of cement that was removed from his daughter’s head. 

On Monday, Blanton’s defense attorney will ask the judge for a directed verdict of acquittal, although these motions rarely granted.  Blanton’s attorney expects the trial to go to the jury after his defense sometime on Tuesday or Wednesday.

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Once Potent Militia Movement Fading into the Background, Experts Say 4/27 

In an article which will be published in the Summer 2001 Intelligence Report from the Southern Poverty Law Center, the militia movement, once at 858 groups in 1996, has faded to 196 groups in 2000, said experts on the militia movement.   

“As Timothy McVeigh goes to his death, the movement he sprang from is a shadow of its former self,” said Mark Potok, editor of the SPLC’s Intelligence Report and a respected expert on far right extremism.  McVeigh will be executed on May 16. 

Militias have shrunk to one-fifth of their former strength.  “There is an elastic pool of self-perceived politically disenfranchised conservative white males,” said Prof. Brian Levin,  Professor of Criminal Justice & Director, Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, California State University, San Bernardino.  “That pool has shrunk after the Oklahoma City bombing as the more moderate adherents to the movement were drawn back into mainstream conservatism, in part due to the revulsion from the bombing, and some notable conservative political victories,” Levin said.  

There has been no notable trigger event of government force like Ruby Ridge or Waco  to galvanize the far right; Ruby Ridge occurred in 1992.  Waco occurred in 1993.  “Furor over gun control, Waco and the Brady Bill has faded,” said Potok.  Levin said, “What is left is a much smaller number of hard-core idealogues who face increasing competition in the extremist world from other expanding movements like neo-Nazism.” 

“Hot social movements don’t have a very long shelf life,” said Potok.

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McVeigh Targeted Former AG Janet Reno, Others  4/27/01

Former Attorney General Janet Reno was under consideration as an assassination target by convicted Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh prior to bombing of the Murrah Building, according to a letter from McVeigh received by Fox News. 

McVeigh said he also considered targeting Judge Walter Smith, who was the judge in the Waco trial, and Lon Horiuchi, an FBI agent who was involved in the Ruby Ridge, Idaho shootout with Randy Weaver. 

McVeigh said he picked Reno as a “eligible” target  because he wanted Reno to “mak[e] her accept responsibility in deed, not just word” for the deaths that occurred at the federal raid at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas.   

McVeigh said he bombed the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City because “such an attack served more purposes than other options.  Foremost, the bombing was a retaliatory strike; a counter attack, for the cumulative raids (and subsequent violence and damage) that federal agents had participated in over the preceding years (including, but not limited to, Waco), Mcveigh wrote in a letter to Fox News reporter Rita Cosby.  “I decided to send a message to a government that was being increasingly hostile, by bombing a government building and the government employees within that building who represent that government.”   

McVeigh is not allowed on-camera or on-tape interviews with the media under federal prison rules announced by Attorney General John Ashcroft.  McVeigh will be executed by lethal injection on May 16, 2001. 

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Prosecution Plays 1964 Tape in Birmingham Bombing Trial 4/27/01 

Prosecutors played a tape secretly recorded of Thomas Blanton’s comments that include planning of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963.  FBI agents had placed a device in the back wall of Blanton’s kitchen.   

Prosecutors described Blanton’s response when his wife asked him if he was going to a Cahaba Bridge on a night before the September 15, 1963 bombing. 

Blanton’s wife asked Blanton if he was going to the river.  Blanton responded with words that included “plan a bomb.”  Court spectators couldn’t tell what else was on the tape with some certainty. Judge James Garrett refused to provide transcripts to the press.  Jurors were given transcripts and followed along while they heard the tapes on headphones.  Prosecutor Doug Jones, a federal prosecutor appearing specially, said the tape also includes Blanton saying that Klansman and Blanton had met under a bridge to plan the church bombing. 

Defense attorney John Robbins said that the tapes were not a smoking gun and that prosecutors took Blanton’s comments out of context.  Robbins said the comments were concerning FBI agents hounding Blanton. 

The Cahaba Bridge was the location for a spinter group of the Eastview 13 klavern.  Along with klaverns in Bessemer and Tuscaloosa, the Birmingham klavern was a main klavern of Robert Shelton’s United Klans of America, according to the Birmingham News.  The splinter group, consisting of Blanton, Robert “Dynamite Bob” Chambliss, Bobby Cherry, Troy Ingram, John Wesley Hall, Charles Cagle, Herman Cash and Jack Cash.  The barbecue joint of Jack Cash had been a favorite hangout of Birmingham police and KKK members.  The Birmingham klavern was accused of participating in the beatings of Freedom Riders in Birmingham on Mother’s Day in 1961; planned to stab Rev. Fred Shuttlesworh, a Birmingham civil rights leader after a federal judge ordered desegregation; were suspects in the December 1962 bombing of Shuttlesworth’s church, Bethel Bible Baptist Church. 

William Jackson testified that the Cahaba Bridge group met to make bombs in the weeks prior to the church bombing. 

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NJ Supreme Court Justice Will Not Be Impeached Over Racial Profiling 4/27 

New Jersey State Supreme Court Justice Peter G. Berniero won’t be impeached by the New Jersey legislature over allegations he lied about the extent of racial profiling in the state.  The matter will be referred from the state assembly to the senate, then to the state supreme court for disciplinary hearings.  The acting governor, Donald DiFrancesco, said he would ask the senate to censure Verniero.  

Verniero, while he was attorney general, is alleged to have acknowledged the extent of racial profiling among state police or take sufficient action during his term as attorney general of the state.

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 Murder or Suicide?  Texas Legislator Asks for an Investigation 4/27 

Texas state representative, Ron Wilson, has requested an investigation of the death of Clarence Otis Cole, whose body was found hanging from a tree in East Texas earlier in April.  The family said that Cole was killed because he was dating a white woman; the Cass County coroner said that Cole had committed suicide.   

Cole had been missing for several days before his body and a suicide note was found on April 2.  Cole was found hanging from a pine tree with an electrical cord in a wooded area. 

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Hearing-Impaired Child Allowed to Sign on Bus 4/27

A hearing-impaired child from Branchburg NJ who was barred from using sign language on her school bus because it was “disruptive” and told that if she used sign language aboard the bus would result in a three-day suspension, will be allowed to use sign language aboard the bus as long as she obeys safety rules.  The Branchburg school district was barraged with calls and e-mails from people who questioned the ban on sign language.

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Missouri KKK Member Challenges Hate Crime Law, April 26

KKK member Joseph Michael Callen, St. Joseph MO, is challenging Missouri's law that designates trespassing as a hate crime before the Missouri Supreme Court, who heard arguments on the case on April 26. Callen, a KKK recruiter, was arrested last May for trespassing at a plasma center managed by a black woman and was charged with a felony hate crime because he had white supremacist tattoos and racist signs on his truck.

The charges were later dismissed by a lower court judge and the state has appealed the dismissal. Callan's appellate lawyer, Cole Eason from the public defender's office, said that the law was unconstitutionally vague, overly broad and could be arbitrarily interpreted.

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Baumhammers, Alleged Racist Murderer, Goes on Trial in Pittsburgh, April 26

Richard Baumhammers, who is alleged to have killed five people: a Jewish neighbor, two Asian restaurant workers, an Indian grocery store clerk and an African American martial arts student, goes on trial tomorrow for their murders. Baumhammers, who has plead innocent by reason of mental infirmity, won a one day delay in his trial so that his defense attorney can review a prosecution report from a psychiatrist. Because the jury is sequestered, the judge ordered that the trial have a Saturday session, rather than delay the start of the trial until Monday, as Baumhammers' lawyer requested.

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Bomb Experts Can't Determine Type of Bomb Used In Birmingham, April 26

Two bomb experts testified that they couldn't tell the type of bomb that was used nor what was used to trigger the blast at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church on Wednesday. They did testify that the bomb was placed outside the window in or near the ground and that the victims, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley and Addie Mae Collins died from a bomb blast and not a gas explosion or other accident. They also testified the bomb was made of dynamite or other high-order explosives.

The experts were retired FBI agent, Charles Killion and FBI explosives expert Mark Whitmore. During the trial of Robert "Dynamite Bob" Chambliss, who was convicted of bombing the church in 1977 and died in prison in 2985, a Birmingham police sergeant testified that Chambliss told him that someone told him how to make a bomb trigger by using a fishing bobber and a bucket of water. A fishing bobber was found near the church after the blast.

Testimony will be read today from James Lay. Poor health was citied for Lay's inability to testify in person. Lay had refused to testify at Chambliss' tiral, but he told investigators he saw a black two-door Ford parked near the church two days before the bomb blast and said that one man resembled a photo of Blanton. The jury also heard from Blanton's former girlfriend, Waylene Vaughn, who testified that Blanton took her to KKK rallies and a Klan Christmas party in the mid-1960's.

Vaughn, who said Blanton ranted about blacks in the time leading up the bomb blast, testified that Blanton said, "All I want is a chance to kill one of those black bastards" as he tried to run down a black pedestrian with his car. The man dove out the way of the car, according to the Associated Press. Vaughn also testified that Blanton said, after hearing of one bombing, "It should kill more of them." She also testified that Blanton poured acid on the automobiles of blacks parked outside a store owned by Jews who catered to blacks; that Blanton poured acid on the meat counter of the same store; and another time Blanton pulled a .45 pistol at a crowd of blacks leaving a store.

Vaughn said she never personally talked to Blanton about the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing and also testified they spend nights at an old motel and were together two nights before the bombing.

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US Terrorism Report Includes PLO, April 26

USA Today reports that the US State Department will include criticism of the mainstream Palestine Liberation Organization in an annual report on terrorism due out next week. The report includes Israeli accusations that Fatah took part in terrorist activities against Israel.

The report will say that Fatah and other PLO-affilitated groups are terrorist organization, which may pressure the US to cut ties with the PLO. Some US lawmakers sent President George W. Bush a letter last month asking him to re-evaluate the US relationship with the PLO, and blamed the PLO for the disintegration of the peace talks. The letter was signed by 209 House members and 87 Senators, and asked Bush to close the PLO office in Washington and to terminate aid to the Palestinians.

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Bomb Threat Interrupts Frankfort Stock Exchange, April 26

A bomb threat at the Frankfort Stock Exchange interrupted trading for several hours at the second largest stock exchange in Europe. The bomb threat was called in at about 11 a.m. by an unidentified caller and did not affect electronic trading. Most traders dismissed the threat, but a stock trader said that the police have to take bomb threats seriously. The caller said the bomb was set to detonate at noon, but after a search, no bomb was found and no bomb detonated.

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Lawsuit Against Ingalls Shipbuilding Amended to Class Action, April 26

A lawsuit against Ingalls Shipping, Pascagoula, Mississippi, was amended to a class action suit, said Bill McNeill, Legal Aid Society attorney and an attorney representing the plaintiffs in the suit. The lawsuit also names the parent companies of Ingalls -- Litton Industries and Northrup Grumman. The suit, filed on behalf of 11 black workers at Ingalls, alleges that hangman's nooses were hung in work areas at Ingalls, mock lynchings were conducted by white workers and supervisors and hate-oriented graffiti were left on bathroom walls, and that black workers were passed over for promotions repeatedly.

The US Attorney's office investigated the incidents and said that Ingalls painted over the graffiti-laden walls, only to have the graffiti return. The graffiti, the lawsuit alleges, contains widespread references to the KKK, to "niggers," and drawings of black people with nooses around their necks and tongues sticking out. Images are labeled with phrases such as "the only good nigger is a dead nigger." The class action suit said that a black woman had a noose placed around her neck by a white supervisor and pulled on it. When she sued, the company settled with her for an undisclosed amount.

Ingalls, located in Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott's home town, recently won a large contract for the construction of a helicopter carrier. Ingalls employs 11,000 people, with a little under half being black. In addition to numerous federal contracts, Ingalls is repairing the USS Cole, which was damaged in a terrorist bombing. The suit was filed in Federal Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, with the plaintiff's attorneys from the Mississippi Workers Center for Human Rights, the Legal Aid Society of San Francisco, Employment Law Center and Center for Constitutional Rights.

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Survey Says Chinese Americans Face Stereotyping, April 26

A national survey found that 1/4 Americans have a negative bias towards Chinese Americans and Asian Americans, and that more Americans were uncomfortable voting for an Asian American for president (24%) than a candidate who was African American (15%), a woman (14%) or Jewish (11%). Almost 1/2 (45%) said that they felt Chinese Americans were passing secrets to the Chinese (46%). Almost 1/3 (32%) said they thought Chinese Americans were more loyal to China than the US and 24% would not approve of interracial marriage with an Asian American. On a postive note, the survey showed 91% of Americans thought that Chinese Americans had strong family ties, 77% thought they were honest business people and 67% said that Chinese Americans placed a high value on education.

The survey was commissioned by the Committee of 100, a group of prominent Chinese Americans, and the Anti-Defamation League collaborated in the survey. The ADL had an accompanying focus group study.

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Suspected Mass Grave in Croatia Yields Four Bodies, April 26

Four bodies have been unearthed from a mass grave dug during Croatia's war with rebel Serbs in 1991. The remains of dozens of victims, mostly civilians, are thought to be buried at the site, and are suspected to have been killed during the siege of the city of Vukovar. The location of the suspected mass grave is in Daj, about 188 miles east of the capital of Zagreb and the bodies have been taken to Zagreb for identification.

The grave was located by tips from local Serbs who have been moving back to Croatia. The exhumations of the bodies were monitored by the war crimes tribunal in the Hague and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The excavation of the site is expected to last at least four two weeks.

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Council of Europe Wants Racism Ban in Cybercrime Treaty, April 25

Coucil of Europe deputies working in Strasbourg, France, urged the drafters of the first international cybercrime treaty to include passages making it illegal to spread racist propaganda and hate messages over the internet, said Rueters. The Council has had criticism from industry and internet groups for its positions on hacking, fraud, computer viruses and internet abuses.

Pressure in Europe over racist materials online has arisen after a French court ordered Yahoo to remove Nazi memorabilia from its auction pages. Deputies of the Council of Europe said that the US First Amendment free speech doctrine made it difficult to apply European restrictions on US websites, and internet service providers have generally stated that they would oppose any attempt to add hate crime restrictions in the treaty because of the problems with enforcement.

At a Paris hearing last month a Swiss expert estimated that there were about 4000 openly racist websites around the world with 2500 based in the US.

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Louis Sullivan, Creator of Anti-Apartheid Principles, Dies in Phoenix, April 25

Rev, Louis Sullivan, a crusader for civil rights, died of leukemia in Phoenix AZ. Sullivan, "The Lion of Zion," a former Baptist minister from Philadelphia, was the creator of the Sullivan Principles, which helped lead to the end of Apartheid in South Africa.

His doctrine, drafted in 1977, which he described as "a code that companies of America and the world came to follow to end apartheid peacefully, starting with the workplace." Companies which did business in South Africa were encouraged extend equal rights and opportunities to all workers, regardless of race. As the companies adopted these principles, sometimes breaking apartheid laws, pressure mounted on the South African government.

Apartheid collapsed in 1993. Sullivan, who was the inspiration for "Operation Breadbasket," founded the Opportunities Industrialization Center, a national job training program that has trained about 1 1/2 million people in 142 centers nationwide. After Sullivan retired and moved to Phoenix, he founded the International Foundation for Education and Self-Help, which has aided hundreds of thousands of people in Africa and the US.

Sullivan, who was an advisor General Motors Board of Directors, was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992. In 1999, UN Secretary General Koffi Annan announced that the Sullivan Principles would be updated to encourage fair employment worldwide. At his death, Sullivan was preparing to discuss African political, educational, economic and social development at a summit conference for African and American leaders in Nigeria. The 2001 conference was to be held in May; his daughter Rose will lead the conference on her father's behalf at a later date, perhaps this fall.

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Malvasi, Accused of Helping Kopp, Held Without Bond, April 25

Dennis J. Malvasi, who is accused of assisting James C. Kopp elude capture in the killing of Dr. Bernard Slepian in Buffalo NY, was denied bail by a federal magistrate. A prosecutor told of Malvasi's past use of fake identification and used Malvasi's speech before the Army of God's White Rose Banquet in January in which Malvasi outlined his assistance in helping others avoid prosecution. Malvasi's wife, Loretta C. Mara, is also being held without bond in the same case. Malvasi and Mara were arrested in Brooklyn NY on the same day as Kopp was arrested in France. Their e-mails and phone calls to Kopp ended a two year manhunt, and Kopp awaits extradition from France to the US to face murder charges in the killing of Dr. Slepian.

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Judy Shepard Speaks at URC on State of Hate, April 25

Judy Shepard, mother of murdered Matthew Shepard, spoke at UC-Riverside on 4/24 about the culture of hate in the US. She said that a change in the culture allowed her son to be murdered because "two men believe[d] it was okay" to kill him because he was gay, according to the Riverside CA Press Enterprise. Matthew Shepard was murdered by two men in Wyoming who are now serving life sentences.

Shepard, who spoke for an hour before a full house, said that "we have to take a stand" against silence, indifference and complacency. We have to acknowledge that "everyone is born differently and everyone has the right to live that life. Judy Shepard said she has tried to change attitudes and testified before Congress to pass hate crimes legislation named after James Byrd, who was dragged to his death in Texas.

Brian Levin, director of the Center for Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernadino, said that Matthew Shepard's murder struck a chord because "he seemed like the kind, gentle person we all know. He humanized the face of homophobic hate crime, " said Levin. Levin said that homophobia remains a somewhat acceptable form of bigotry and studies show that more people have become accepting of gays and lesbians over the past decade. Levin credits Shepard's murder as one of the reasons for the change in attitudes.

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"Matthew's Legacy: Judy Shepard Speaks Out Against Hate Crimes"

Tuesday, April 24, 8pm, UCR Theatre

This was a FREE event for UCR students, faculty, staff.


In October 1998, gay college student Matthew Shepard was beaten with a .357 Magnum and tied to a fence to die in the Wyoming country-side. He died five days later of his wounds.

On Tuesday, April 24, 8pm at the UC-Riverside Theatre, Judy Shepard spoke about her son's death and what our communities can do to respond to hate crimes.

For more info: Nancy Tubbs, 909-787-2267, lgbtrc@ucr.edu.
http://lgbtrc.ucr.edu/judyshepard.html

Sponsors:
Associated Students Program Board, Associated Students UCR, Chancellor's Advisory Committee on the Status of HIV/AIDS, Center for Ideas & Society, Chancellor's Advisory Committee on the Status of LGBT's, Student Life & Leadership Center, Golden A.R.C.H.E.S. Peer Educators, Queer Alliance, Western Inland Empire Coalition Against Hate, Residence Life, Women's Studies, Diversity Advocates, and Cultural Events, Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism

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Birmingham Bombing Trial Begins, April 24

A jury began listening to the murder trial of Thomas Blanton in Birmingham, Alabama today. After Judge James Garrett denied defense motions for a change of venue and a mistrial, opening arguments began with US Attorney Doug Jones, appearing specially in state court, said, “He (Blanton) giggled about going to the river to plan a bomb that killed Denise, Addie, Carole and Cynthia.” Jones said that Blanton was among some whites who “were angry about civil rights demonstrations,” and “Blanton was one of those people.”

Defense attorney John Robbins said that Blanton will come across as a loud-mouthed racist in the secretly recorded FBI tapes, but “that doesn’t make him responsible” for the 1963 bombings. According to the Washington Post, the trial was delayed for decades by obstruction from local, state and federal law enforcement authorities, including FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, and by reluctance of some witnesses to testify. Blanton, along with three other KKK members, were suspects in the killing for decades.

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Mississippi Desegration Suit Settled for $500 Million, April 24

A class-action lawsuit filed in 1975 to desegregate Mississippi’s public colleges and universities was settled on April 23 after years of legal battles. The state of Mississippi, the US Justice Department and a group of black Mississippians, filed an agreement in federal court in Oxford MS that calls for Mississippi spending $246 million to be spent over 17 years on academic programs at Jackson State, Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State; $75 million for capital improvements at the colleges; $70 million in public endowments and a pledge to raise $35 million in private endowments for the schools; increased funding for a summer program; and $6.5 for student aid. The US Supreme Court ruled in 1992 that he state’s higher education system was separate and unequal. The state tried to close the historically black colleges and merge them with predominately white institutions, a move that was bitterly opposed by some blacks, said the Washington Post.

Similar agreements have been reached in Tennessee, Alabama and Louisiana.

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"Mark from Michigan" Koernke Sentenced to Three Years, April 24

Militia leader Mark Koernke was sentence to at least three years in Michigan prisons following his March conviction on assault with a dangerous weapon, resisting and obstructing an officer and fleeing an officer. Koernke is in the Washtenaw County jail after filing a notice of appeal on the convictions.

Security was tight in the courtroom when Koernke was sentenced by Judge Melinda Morris. Koernke’s lawyer, Daniel Hunter, asked that the judge follow the sentencing recommendation of six months in jail and three years probation. The judge, citing Koernke’s prior conviction for bail jumping.

Koernke was arrested after a police chase in Dexter, Michigan on March 7, 2000. Koernke was driving by a bank after it was robbed by another person. Police thought that Koernke was the bank robber and attempted to pull Koernke over. Koernke never stopped for police, even though six police cars were chasing him at one point. The chase went 40 miles, and ended when Koernke’s car ran into a tree and he got out and swam across a channel. Koernke’s prior conviction stemmed from Koernke failing to show up for his trial; he was arrested after he tried to elude police, at one point swimming across a lake.

Koernke was sentenced to 2 to 6 years in prison on two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon; 21 months to 3 years for resisting and obstructing an officer; and 3 to 7 ½ years for fleeing a police officer. The sentences will be concurrent. Judge Morris said that she believed prison would be adequate punishment to deter” him from committing a similar crime in the future. Because Koernke has appealed, he will have a bond set and if he makes bond, he will be released pending the appeal.

Although in jail, Koernke was able to appear on his “Intelligence Report” on shortwave Monday night, 4/23, stating that he wanted everyone not to panic, stay the course, to remain focused and follow in his footsteps. Koernke urged his listeners to stand by him, as well as the Gray family in Texas and Steve Anderson, who was recently expelled from the Kentucky State Militia. Koernke also urged that voices needed to be heard regarding Timothy McVeigh and that the government was trying to “bury the evidence” concerning McVeigh.

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FTC Releases Follow-Up Report on Marketing Violent Entertainment to Children, April 24

The Federal Trade Commission released a follow-up report to their September 2000 report on the marketing of violent entertainment to children. The report was requested by members of the Senate Commerce Committee and is available at http://www.ftc.gov/2001/04/youthviol.htmq

The report says that the motion picture and electronic game industries have "made some progress both in limiting advertising in popular teen media and in providing rating information in advertising." However, the report says that the music industry has not visibly responded to the Commision's report, nor has it implemented reforms its trade association announced just before the report was issued. The report recommends "vigilant self-regulation is the best approach to ensuring that parents are provided with adequate information to guide their children's exposure....."

The report makes key findings about the marketing of violent entertainment by the industry:

* Movies: Virtually no advertisements for R rated movies in popular teen magazines and general compliance with the commitment not to run trailers for R rated movies with G and PG rated movies. Ads for R rated movies still appear during TV shows popular with teens.

* Music Ads for explicit-content music routinely appeared in teen magazines, and the industry placed ads for this music on TV shows with substantial under-17 audiences. Parental advisory labels were unreadable or non-existent in advertising.

* Games: No ads for M-rated video games appeared on popular teen TV shows.

The Senate Commerce Committee has asked for a second follow-up report from the commission.

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Two Arrested in Possible Bomb Plot in Burbank CA, April 24

Following a parent's tip, two 18 year olds were arrest by Burbank police for an alleged plan to bomb Burbank High School. Christopher Mannino, 18, and Patrick Latimore, 18, who is a junior at Burbank High School, both of Van Nuys, admitted to Burbank police that they planned to detonate a bomb at the high school. Latimore said classmates picked on him. Revenge for bullying has been cited as the motive in some recent school shootings.

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Earth Liberation Front Responsible for Arson Attack in Portland OR, April 24

Earth Liberation Front (ELF) has taken responsiblity for the Easter arson of three cement trucks at Ross Sand & Gravel in Portland, Oregon. This is the first time ELF has attacked targets in Portland. The fire, which caused $210,000 damage, was reported by a passerby in the early morning hours of April 15. Three truck drivers are out of work until the trucks are repaired, according to the general manager of the cement company.

ELF's communique accused the company of exploiting the earth's natural resources by stealing soil and mishandling toxic wastes on Ross Island. ELF also warned that they'd take action of Ross Island mines in the Columbia River gorge. The group said they left four containers of gasoline and time-delay fuses under two of the trucks.

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Phoenix AZ Man in Arson Inquiry, April 24

The Phoenix Fire Department officials declined to call a Phoenix area man a suspect in arson fires that have been set in homes under construction near a mountain preserve. Court documents say that Mark Sands, 49, was arrested as he wrote on a construction sign the initials "C. S. P. " Those initials have been used by an arsonist who has set fires in luxury homes in the Phoenix area. Sands had a red permanent marker in his possession; a similar marker has been used by the arsonist who left messages at construction sites.

According to court documents, Sands defaced a construction sign on his street with "C. S.P.,P" as well as the words, "Thnx," "O. K." and P.M.P.U.," which may be a reference to the Phoenix Mountain Reserves Unit, a reference included in a letter from the arsonist to the Arizona Republic, according to the paper. The sign Sands is accused of defacing pledged to incorporate national materials and "live here in harmony with all the wildlife, plants and you." Sands was spotted by a survelliance team and was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and is free on supervised release.

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Demonstrators Peacefully March In Pensacola Against Police Shootings, April 24

About 150 demonstrators in Penscacola, Florida, protested the shooting of an unarmed black woman and others shot by law enforcement on Monday, April 23.

The protest was peaceful. The protestors lit candles and had a moment of silence in the memory of Andrena Kitt, 21, who was shot by police February 26. It was the 14th fatal shooting in Escambia County in the past 10 years. Law enforcement said they have also shot at 15 other suspects during that time period. The shootings have angered the black community.

Prior to the march, police said they did not expect the violence experienced in Cincinnati.

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Cincinnati man charged with racial attack during recent rioting, April 24

Craig Carr, 20, was charged in Hamilton County, Ohio with a racially-motivated attack during the Cincinnati riots. Carr was charged with ethnic intimidation and two misdemeanor counts. Carr is alleged to have made a racial slur at an African-American motorist while a passenger in another vehicle. Carr then threw a brick through the motorist’s window. The same grand jury than indicted Carr also indicted 63 other people last week on felony charges during the rioting.

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White Supremacists Use Cincinnati to Spread Hate Messages, April 24

A report from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said there was a significant increase in postings, e-mails and discussion lists from racist Websites since the riots in Cincinnati.

The posts are used as a recruiting tool, said Joe Roy of the Southern Poverty Law Center. The web sites of the Aryan Nations, World Church of the Creator, NAAWP (Naitonal Association for the Advancement of White People, founded by David Duke) and NOFEAR (National Organization for European American Rights, another Duke organization) have all issued racist statements about the riots. The leader of NAAWP, Reno Wolfe, has threatened to go to Cincinnati to ask those charged in the riots be charged with hate crimes and to ask for the recall of Mayor Charlie Luken, claiming Luken incited the riots

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Paul Weyrich Makes Anti-Semitic comment on Easter, April 24

Paul Weyrich, a powerful figure in American right-wing circles, said in an essay on Easter that “Christ was crucified by the Jews who wanted a temporal ruler to rescue them from the oppressive Roman authorities….He was not what the Jews expected so they considered him a threat. Thus he was put to death,” according to Joe Conason in a column in Salon.com.

Evan Gahr, a conservative who wrote that Weyrich’s essay was “a classical anti-Semitic lie,” was barred from posting his response to Weyrich on David Horowitz’s website and has since been barred from Horowitz’s web site. The response was published on the American Spectator’s website.

Weyrich, a Horowitz ally, according to Conason, has “flirted with racists and anti-Semites dating back to his early involvement with George Wallace’s American Independent Party.” Conason said Weyrich affliliated with Lazlo Pastor, who was convicted of Nazi collaboration during WWII; Paster was thrown out of the Bush-Quayle campaign when they learned about his background. Weyrich has served on the editorial board of Ukranian Quarterly an “ethnic rightist” publication, “strongly influenced by former Nazi collaborators.” Pastor, Weyrich and Pat Buchanan “encouraged the same émigré extremists to lobby the Justice Department’s ongoing pursuit of suspected Nazi war criminals,” according to Conason.

One of Weyrich’s associates during the Reagan administration was nominated for a government postion and was found to have been an official in Willis Carto’s Liberty Lobby, the nation’s largest anti-Semitic propaganda outlet. Carto is the publisher of “Spotlight” and a Holocaust denier. For more information about Holocaust deniers and Willis Carto, The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism has more information at this link:Holocaust Deniers

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US Orders Smallpox Vaccines from the UK , April 24

The US has ordered 40 million doses of smallpox vaccine, a sign the UK’s Independent paper said was “a sign of growing alarm that terrorists could unleash lethal viruses in future battles against Western states.” The UK warned hospitals last year to prepare for a criminal or terrorist attack involving biological weapons. In the US, fear of biological terrorism has been given a high priority by the government, and in 2000, the US set aside $1.4 billion for protection against chemical and biological attacks.

Infectious Diseases, a journal of Lancet, quotes Donald Henderson from Johns Hopkins. Henderson said, “a large stockpile of vaccine is a very high priority because smallpox has a 30 percent fatality rate. There is no vaccine production capacity anywhere in the world and we now have a very susceptible population.”

Smallpox was eradicated from the planet in 1980 and one two research institutions, one in the USA and one in Russia, still retain stocks of the virus.

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Former SS Officer Goes on Trial for Murder in Munich, April 23

A former Nazi SS officer went on trial for murder in Munich after his case was reopened when new evidence surfaced. Anton Malloth, 89, is charged with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder for deaths of inmates in Theresienstadt concentration camp in what is now the Czech Republic.

Almost blind and suffering from cancer of the espophogus, Malloth was living a in a nursing home when he was charged with the murders. Hearings are being held at the prison, and the hearings will focus on whether Malloth is fit for trial. Malloth is described as one of the most brutal guards at Theresienstadt.

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Eminem Pleads No Contest on Weapons Charge, April 23

Rapper Eminim, known for his bigoted and violent lyrics, pleaded no contest to weapons charges stemming from an argument with a rival group, the Insane Clown Posse. The judge said she was not now considering jail time, but would review the charges first before Judge Denise Langford Morris, Oakland County (Michigan) Circuit Judge, made a decision.

Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers II, plead no contest to carryiing a concealed weapon, a felony, and to brandishing a firearm, a misdemeanor. Mathers plead guilty on April 10 to a weapons charge in Macomb County, Michigan, and was placed on probation for two years.

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Supreme Court Rules Isolated Sexual Remark Not Sexual Harassment, April 23

In an unsigned, unanimous decision, the US Supreme Court said that an isolated sexual remark doesn't constitute sexual harassment. In the case of Clark County (NV) School District v. Breededn, 00-866, the court said that "No reasonable person could have believed that the single incident recounted...violated Title VII's standard", referring to the Civil Rights act.

Shirley Breeden filed a harassment claim against the school district after a co-worker admitted he said to someone at a previous job, "Making love to you is like making love to the Grand Canyon." Breeden's supervisor read the statement outloud, looked at her, shrugged his shoulders and said he didn't know what it meant. Her subordinate said, "Well, I'll tell you later," and both men laughed.

Breeden told her supervisor she was offended; later she claimed she was treated harshly by her supervisor, and a month later transferred to a job with substantially less supervisory authority. A federal judge dismissed her claim, but the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated the claim.

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"Marching Lillie" Brown, Civil Rights Veteran, dies in Birmingham AL, April 23

Miss Lillie Brown, a civil rights veteran, died Friday, April, 20, in Birmingham AL. Brown was 70.

Brown left her job in the early '60's to travel with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. She was with him when he was assassinated in Memphis in 1968. She was beaten in Selma on "Bloody Sunday," and marched in the "Poor People's March" in Chicago. At a St. Augustine FL protest to integrate public beaches, she was severely beaten and placed in solitary confinement in jail for six weeks. Brown inspired others to get involved in politics and activism.

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Midwest Remains Stronghold for Militias, April 23

Although the number of militias has gone down in membership since 1985,. militias in the Indiana-Kentucky-Ohio-Michigan area still remain strong, according to an article in the Indianapolis Star. Militia membership jumped after the Murrah Building bombing in Oklahoma City, but has since declined, according to Devin Burghart of the Center for New Community in Chicago. Burghart said the highest levels of activity are from Michigan down to Kentucky, then over to Ohio.

The groups, many of which offer paramilitary training to their members, to rebuff expected government attacks, first arose as a reaction to fears that the government was about to confiscate firearms. The Militia Watchdog website cautions that "Even though most military groups claim they only operate defensively, the extremely high level of paranoia such groups process means they often think they are acting justifiably when they are not."

Militias fall under the umbrella of the so-called Patriot movement which includes a collection of groups, some of which are more extreme than militias, including sovereign citizens, common-law courts, Christian patriots, Christian Identity groups and white supremacists.

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James "Whitey" Bulger Firebombed JFK Birthplace, School; Against Desegregation, April 23

James "Whitey" Bulger, on the FBI's Top 10 Most Wanted, is accused of firebombing President John F. Kennedy's birthplace, committing arson on a school in the neighborhood of the judge who ordered school busing to end segregation, and shot into the Boston Globe's front door, according to the Boston Globe.

Bulger, who is charged with killing 19 people, extortion, drug trafficking and money laundering, was never a suspect in the JFK fire or the school fire. According to Joseph Koegh, a firefighter who took a call at his fire station from an anonymous caller, "If the kids in Southie had to be bused, then kids in Wellesley were going to have to be bused, because there would be no school for them," Koegh said. The man who called said he vowed to burn down every school in town for over 30 years.

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Protests Greet Hammerskin Concertgoers in Springfield MO, April 22

Protests greeted skinhead concertgoers in Springfield MO. The concert, which featured six white power bands, was held at an undisclosed site. Ticketholders were directed to a private residence on East Linwood Street in Springfield. On the street leading to the house were signs that said, "Hate is not a neighborhood value."

One of the protestors, who protested in front of the house for three hours, held her hand out to a skinhead concertgoer and said, "I would like to shake your hand in friendship." When the skinhead shook her hand and said, "How are you doing," the protester said, "Hi, I'm Cindy and I'm a Jew." The man muttered an obscenity and walked into the house.

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Two May Be Charged with Hate Crimes After Beating of Off-Duty Officer, April 22

Two Michigan men, one in the US Army stationed in Georgia, have been charged with using racial slurs and attacking a police officer. Jason Barker, 22, Howell MI, and Travis Sales, who is in the US Army, had their bond set at $300,000 apiece. They are accused of beating Trooper Arthur Williams, who was not in uniform, with a beer bottle and using racial slurs. Williams was treated and released at a local hospital. He has damage to an eye socket and it is not known whether surgery is required.

Howell, according to Brighton Police Chief Michael Kinaschuck, had been a hotbed of KKK activity. Howell had been the home of Robert Miles, leader of the KKK. Kinaschuck said Howell has worked hard to dispel that image since Miles passed away.

During the attack, Williams tried to identify himself as a police officer as he was being attacked. Barker and Sales were arrested in the parking lot of the nightclub after the attack. They have refused to talk with law enforcement. Nightclub owner Gus Brikhl declined comment.

Police are investigating a hate-group affiliation for the alleged attackers.

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WCOTC Hale Speaks in Wallingford CT, April 22

Matthew Hale of the Peoria IL-based World Church of the Creator spoke at Comunity Lake Park in Wallingford, Connecticut for approximately 90 minutes. Pro-Hale and anti-Hale groups were separated by law enforcement.

Members of the World Church of the Creator, Hammeskins and the Ku Klux Klan attended Hale's speech. A member of the KKK, known only as Lou, identified as a Grand Dragon of the KKK, said, "There are a lot of alliances with the groups. If you come right down to it, we all have the same belief. We're all Christian. We're all here for the same thing." Hale's web site specifically rejects Christianity

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Rabbi Denied Right to Baccalaureate Speech at Methodist Church in Georgia, April 21

Rabbi Steven Lebow was to give a baccalaureate speech to the east Cobb County, Georgia graduating seniors, but the pastor of Mount Bethel United Methodist Church denied Rabbi Lebow the right to speak, because, "to have a person who is a nonbeliever of Christ is, in a sense, dishonoring Christ," according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Lebow was denied the right to speak because of his Jewish beliefs. Mickler said, "he can speak, he just cannot be the sermon giver." Mickler withdrew the church's invitation to Walton High School and Lebow. Rabbi Lebow said, "I am honestly flabbergasted." Lebow, rabbi of Temple Kol Emeth, said, "My experience here has been the exact opposite. People have always been open and loving."

The ceremony was being held at the church because it would hold the approximate 1500 attendees. The May 22 ceremony has been moved to the Cobb Civic Center.

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Comments by Knicks Players Ward and Houston Called Anti-Semitic, April 21

Knicks players Charlie Ward and Allan Houston, have been chastised by the Anti-Defamation League for anti-semitic comments made to a New York Times writer in an article about the basketball team in the April 22 New York Times Magazine.

The reporter, Eric Konigsberg, said that Ward said, "Jews are stubborn, E. But tell me, why did they persecute Jesus unless he knew something they didn't want to accept?" Ward also stated, "They had his blood on their hands." The ADL learned of the article and contacted the Knicks. The Knicks gave Ward a copy of the article and said that his comments could be construed as offensively and inflammatory. Ward's explained to the press, "I didn't mean to offend any one group because that's not what I'm about. I have friends that are Jewish. Actually, my best friend is a Jewish guy, and his name is Jesus Christ. So therefore I have no reason to offend any religion or person of a religion because my best friend is Jewish." Ward went on to say, "But my job as a Christian is to let people know what Jesus did and how he lived his life. The context of the article is taken out as if Jews persecuted Christians, which biblically is what happened during that time. But if people want to be offended by what happened biblically, that's on them. But I'm not attacking any one group."

The ADL said that it thought "these destructive historic myths, which have been a source of anti-semitism for centuries, was a thing of the past....It's clear that Mr. Ward doesn't get it."

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Horowitz Ad, and Racist/Anti-Semitic Graffiti at UConn,, April 20

Relatives of students at the University of Connecticut pleaded with the children to come home after students found graffiti that said, "Blacks and Jews will be killed in remembrance of Columbine" scrawled on a men's room wall on April 19th. The graffiti also included the date, April 20th, Hitler's birthday and the anniversary of the shooting at Columbine High School, according to the New Haven Register.

School officials were adamant that the graffiti was unrelated to the publication of a controversial ad from David Horowitz. Horowitz' ad denounces reparations for slavery.

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Sandpoint ID White Separatist Vincent Bertollini Bound Over on DUI Charges,, April 20

White separatist Vincent Bertollini represented himself in a preliminary hearing on January 12th drunk driving charges. Bertollini, co-founder of the 11th House Remnant and supporter of Richard Butler of the former Aryan Nations, was bound over for trial. Bertollini was convicted of two previous drunk driving charges in 1998.

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League of the South protests Alabama Capitol Changes, April 19

Led by League of the South president Michael Hill, approximately 150 "Confederate patriots" protested a proposed $5.8 million landscaping plan at the state capitol in Montgomery, Alabama that they claim would desecrate Southern history.

League members directed their protests at Gov. Don Siegelman and the Alabama Historical Commission. The League of the South has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

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Blanton's Attorney Seeks Mistrial in Birmingham Bombing Trial, April 19

John Robbins, attorney for former KKK member Thomas Blanton, is seeking a mistrial in the upcoming Birmingham bombing trial, claiming news reports about secret FBI tapes have tainted the jury pool.

Robbins cited a story Tuesday by The Associated Press and an ABC news report Wednesday night on the tapes secretly recorded by an informant, former Klansman Mitchell Burns, in the mid-1960s. Robbins has not filed a motion with the court for a mistrial. Jury selection continues in the case and Robbins has filed a direct appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court after the Alabama Supreme Court denied a efense motion to bar the tapes in Blanton's trial.

Blanton is accused of the September 15, 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing that killed four girls.

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Six Canadians Arrested in Quebec City with Explosives, April 19

Six Canadians were arrested by Canadian law enforcement in Quebec City. The Canadians, who were not named, were carrying several crude explosives, four smoke bombs, shields, bags of steel balls, baseball bats, helmets, hammers and spray paint. One of those arrested was a Canadian Forces reservist, Serge Vallee. Another named suspext is Alex Boissonnealt, who is a former Canadian Forces member.

The suspects planned on going into a crowd of protestors, and once in the crowd, launch attacks that could endanger security officers and other protestors during the Summit of Americas, according to Canada Press. The suspects were charged with conspiracy to commit mischief likely to endanger life, possession of an explosive substance with intent to use it, and theft and possession of military devices. Two of the suspects were arrested near Quebec City on Tuesday night and four others were arrested in the Montreal area on Wednesday morning. Canadian law enforcement are looking for another suspect.

According to Provincial Police Inspector Robert Poeti, the arrestees "planned precise acts at precise times in precise places."

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Alameda CA Finds National Alliance Flyers Distributed, April 19

Alameda, California residents found flyers from the National Alliance distributed on their doorsteps on Easter Sunday, April 15. The flyers had images of young white children and crime statistics. One caption of a blue-eyed girl said, "What did you do during the Revolution, Daddy." The flyer also included a membership application for the National Alliance.

The National Alliance, headed by William Pierce, is a racist, neo-Nazi group located in Hillsboro, West Virginia. The flyers listed a Hillsboro WV phone number as well as a Sacramento CA phone number as contacts.

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WCOTC Matt Hale to Speak in Wallingford CT on April 21, April 19

World Church of the Creator Pontifex Maximus Matthew Hale will speak on "The Theft of America" in Walllingford CT on Saturday, April 21 at the Community Lake Park in Wallingford. Hale will speak on "The Theft of America's Promise, But Hope for the Future."

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Hammerskin Nation Concert in Springfield MO on April 21, April 19

Hammerskin Nation will be having a concert on Saturday, April 21 at an undisclosed location southeast of Springfield, Missouri. The concert, sponsored by the Midland Hammer Skinheads and Panzerfest Records, will cost $20. Bands expected to play are H8Machine and Aggressive Force, and approximately four others.

Concert goers have been directed to a Springfield center city neighborhood for directions. Residents in the neighborhood are planning to counter the skinheads in his neighborhood with posters saying, "Hate is Not a Neighborhood Value"

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President Bush to Give Holocaust Memorial Day Speech, April 19

President George Bush will give a speech on Holocaust Memorial Day Thursday. Bush toured the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC Wednesday night in preparation for his speech. Accompanied by his wife, Laura, and Museum director and Holocaust survivor Sara Bloomfield, Bush spoke to nearly 300 guests at the Museum.

Bush said, "This museum bears witness to the best and worst of the human heart. We must always remember the cruelty of the guilty and the courage of the innocent. An evil had never been so ambitious in its scope, so systematic in its execution and so deliberate in its destruction." The Bushes then lit one more candle for victims of the Holocaust at the Museum.

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Russian Lawmaker Refuses to Stand to Honor Nazi Victims, April 19

A Deputy Speaker of the Russian Duma, Vladimir Zhirnovsky of the the Liberal Democratic Party, refused to stand to honor Nazi victims during a session of the Russian Parliament. Zhirinovky said, "There are so many holidays. Should the Russian parliament stand every day?, using the word for ethnic Russian, rather than a term that includes all Russians, including Jews, according to the Associated Press.

Sergi Ivanenko, a deputy from the Yabloko faction, who proposed the call for silence to honor Holocaust Remembrance Day, as well as most of the deputies, did stand.

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Texas Hate Crimes Legislation Stalled, April 19

Following a call from Gov. Rick Perry to a key legislator, the James Byrd hate crimes bill was stalled. Although Perry said he would remain neutral about the bill, Perry called Sen. Robert Duncan (R-Lubbock). Duncan then suspended his support for the hate crimes bill. Two Republican state legislators were not present for the legislative session.

According to WFAA-TV, Perry said, "When you don't have a full contigent, it would completely change the complexion of this legislation." Under Senate rules, two-thirds of the senators present much agree to the bring up a bill for debate. The bill needs a simple majority to pass. The bill has previously passed the Texas House, but died last session in the Senate.

The bill is supported by the Anti-Defamation League, the ACLU and a number of other non-partisan groups. The bill is opposed by the Texas Christian Coalition, Texas Eagle Forum, Free Market Foundation and Young Conservatives of Texas.

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Alaska Governor calls for Hate Crimes Bill, April 19

In the wake of paintball attacks against at least a dozen Alaska Natives by three white young men, Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles will propose a hate crimes bill this week and create a commission to combat racism. A cabinet-level task forces was created by Gov. Knowles to make recommendations fighting racism. Suggestions include prohibiting the suspension of sentences in hate crimes cases, allowing victims to file civil suits and mandatory minimum sentences.

Although the Alaska legislature has only three weeks left in the session, if the legislation doesn't pass this year, the Governor will propose the legislation next year.

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Mississippi votes to keep flag, April 18

Mississippi voters voted 65% to 35% to keep a Confederate battle symbol on their state flag. The state NAACP said their fight was not over and were reviewing their options, which may include a tourism boycott. According to the Jackson MS Clarion Ledger, state NAACP President Eugene Bryant said Tuesday night, "It doesn't mean we've lost the war. We will continue to fight."

The election drew 756,442 voters, of which 488,630, or 65 percent, favored the 1894 flag and 267,812, or 35 percent, favored the new design, unofficial returns show. The voters' decision will be recognized as the official state flag of Mississippi, according to the law setting the referendum.

But Bryant said the state chapter is talking with national president Kweisi Mfume, regional director Charles White and attorneys about the organization's options. "We're not counting anything out," Bryant said without detailing the NAACP's plans.

The current flag's design was supported by Sons of Confederate Veterans, among other groups. According to the Clarion Ledger, Tunica lawyer Greg Stewart, a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and a supporter of the 1894 flag, said the referendum wasn't about the flag.

"It's about the public being sick of being treated like dirt. They spoke tonight," he said Tuesday evening. "The only thing to do now is to put it in the Mississippi Constitution, but not so it cannot ever be changed, but so the people will always have a voice in the change."

The other proposed design, which featured a field of 20 stars, was supported by Gov. Ronnie Musgrove and business groups in the state. The Clarion Ledger quotes Mississippi Economic Council Executive Director Blake Wilson, whose organization supported a new state flag, said the state will have to continue to explain how far it has come as news of Tuesday's election results circulates in the business world. "It was a great opportunity for Mississippi to send a really positive signal, but I guess we were not ready to do it," he said.

See the Jackson MS Clarion Ledger at http://www.clarionledger.com for stories, vote results by county and analysis.

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Holocaust Claims Proceed, April 18

The claims process in the $1.25 billion settlement between Holocaust survivors and Swiss banks is now underway. According to the New York Daily News, the settlement will hopefully start being paid to claimants by the end of the year.

So far, 560,000 individuals have requested information about the settlement. People who have yet to participate in the settlement and are interested in filing a claim can call 1 (888) 635-5483 or visit http://www.swissbankclaims.com .

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NCAAP Claims Harassment of Black Prison Guards in Florida, April 18

Florida African American prison officers have made claims of rampant racism in the Florida prison, including systemic blocking of promotions, work environments which include everything from racial slurs, lousy shift assignments, KKK graffiti, and harassment, intimidation and relatiation after complaints made by the guards. The NCAAP and 46 prison guards are suing the the prison system in federal court, an offshoot of similar discrimination lawsuits filed by more than 100 correctiopns officers.

Since joining the suits, a number of the officers said that their jobs have become even harder and in some cases, the guards worry about their personal safety. Florida State Senator Kendrick Meek joined the officers and five Florida House members in an overnight tour of three prisons. Florida Corrections Secretary Michael Moore said in a letter Tuesday that he shares his concerns about the allegations of intimidation.

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Harris, Sauls May Cancel Appearance Before Freerepublic.com Meeting, April 18

Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris and Leon County Circuit Court Judge N. Sanders Sauls are unlikely to attend the South Carolina Chapter of Freerepublic.com's annual meeting in South Carolina.

The website of Freerepublic.com says it advocates the abolition of federal income tax and the eviction of the United Nations from American soil, claims it is a "gathering place for independent, grass-roots conservatism on the web. We're working to roll back decades of governmental largesse, to root out political fraud and corruption, and to champion causes which further conservatism in America."

Harris, who was scheduled to receive the "Woman of the Year" award, cancelled her appearance after questioning about the website and its political views. Harris' spokesman, Ben McKay, said Harris would not be attending the meeting. The wife of Judge Sauls, who was scheduled to received the "Jurist of the Year" award, said that if Harris wasn't going, they weren't either, with Cindy Sauls saying that Harris going lent a lot of credibility to the group.

According to the freerepublic.com website, the media liason for the South Carolina chapter of Freerepublic.com posted this message:

To all members of the press who are lurking and spreading misinformation about the upcoming event in Charleston, South Carolina in June. LISTEN UP:

1. This is NOT (and I repeat NOT) a Fund Raiser. 2. This is a get together of friends and like-minded individuals to enjoy each others company. 3. We are a group of individuals interested in perserving something very dear to us, our Republic and our Constitution. 4. We are affiliated with no political party, but ALL political parties. 5. Last, but not least, we are gathering to honor two person who have in the course of the past year, upheld the "RULE OF LAW"!

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New York's Lower East Side Added to Historical Register, April 18

The Lower East Side, known for its tightly packed tenements that became homes for successive waves of Irish, German, Eastern European, Hispanic and Chinese immigrants, is being added to the National Register of Historic Places.

According to the Associated Press, the area is not being added for any specific architectural landmarks or style, but for its representation as a movement of significance to ordinary people. Tenements were built in the 1800's to house working class residents, while "respectable" families lived in apartments. By 1900, the area was one of the most densely populated places on earth. The area consists of more that 500 buildings, extending in an L-shape from Allen to Essex streets between East Houston and Division streets.

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Hammerskins Sentenced in Riverside, California, April 18

Three members of the skinhead group, Western Hammerskins, were sentenced to four years in prison in Riverside County Superior Court on March 30, 2001.

According to the Riverside CA Press-Enterprise, the men, Daniel Glen Butler, 22, Gregory Allen McDaniel, 21, and Jason Mac McCully, had been facing life in prison. In a plea bargain accepted by the court on March 1, 2001, each man pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon and a hate crime in connection with the March, 1999 attack on Randy Wordell Bowen. In exchange for their pleas, the prosecutor has agreed not to call the men in the trials of three other men who are alleged to have participated in the attack, Travis George Miskam, 22, Alan Thomas Yantis, 21, and Jesse David Douglas, 19. These men await trial on attempted murder and hate crime charges.

The victim was at a bonfire in the hills east of Temeclua when a group of men hit him in the back of the head with a beer bottle, beat him and slashed his back with a knife or straight razor. Some of the attackers shouted racial slurs, such as "Die Nigger," as they chased Bowen through the night until he reached a farm house and was able to call the authorities. At sentencing, Bowen said, "Someone, somehow, twisted your hearts," Bown elocuted. "I can only pray for you that when you get out of jail you can find a way to free yourselves from the cowardice and stupid hatred that consumed you that night two years ago." Bowen said, "I will not allow this incident to ruin my life, and I will not let it change the way I feel about good people of all colors....I have work to do, and I will do it. I will not be sidetracked by anger and hate."

Bowen still bears scars from the attack and memories from the attack still awaken him at night. Bowen has filed a federal civil rights suit last year targeting the international Hammerskin Nation, the Western Hammerskins, the six men charged in the attack and some members of their families.

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Joe Pesci Might Play Sammy the Bull in Devil Dog movie, April 18

"GoodFellas" actor Joe Pesci soon could be starring as mobster Salvatore (Sammy the Bull) Gravano, according to the New York Daily News, in a movie based on the story of a key player in a racist Gilbert, Arizona "Devil Dogs" gang. The Devil Dogs, allegedly teamed up with Gravano to sell the designer drug Ecstasy, and he was among 47 people indicted last year after Arizona cops broke up the drug ring.

Lawyer Ron Kuby, who represents relatives of some of the 19 people Gravano admitted killing, said he hopes the film will not glorify Sammy Bull's life. "It would be worthwhile to make a movie that portrays him as the murderer that he is," Kuby said.

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FBI Issues April 19th Advisory on Violence , April 17

Although there is no specific, credible threat, the FBI's counterterrorism office has issued an advisory for law enforcement to be aware that April 19 marks the anniversary of the Branch Davidian fire at Waco and the bombing of the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City.

According to CNN, the date also marks the anniversary of the 1775 battles between minutemen and British troops at Lexington and Concord, "which is meaningful to many of the self-styled 'patriots' in the current militia movement."

For the last five years since the Oklahoma City bombing, the anniversary has occurred without incident. The FBI emphasized that the message is a routine advisory sent to law enforcement as a precaution before anniversaries.

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In a related story:

Nichols Appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court Denied , April 17

Terry Nichols' appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was denied without comment by the Court. Nichols' appeal was based on his contention that his federal trial was unfair because the FBI kept secret thousands of tips made to agents. He told the U.S. Supreme Court his federal judge should have done a better job of looking into his complaint about the FBI tips, according to the Oklahoma City Oklahoman.

Nichols, who has a preliminary hearing set for May 21 in the Oklahoma County District Court, is also seeking a delay in his state court murder trial, Nichols claims double jeopardy. Nichols is asking the appeals court to dismiss the state court charges. The preliminary hearing is scheduled from May 21 to June 15.

Nichols has also filed a complaint against Stephen Jones, Timothy McVeigh's attorney, in the federal court in Denver. Nichols wants Judge Richard Matsch, to silence Jones. Jones said he would testify at the Nichols trial if subpoenaed.

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Mississippi Votes on Flag , April 17

Mississippi voters are voting today to either keep the current flag, with a Confederate flag in the upper quadrant, or a newly designed flag with 20 stars replacing the Confederate flag. The 20 stars symbolize Mississippi being the 20th state in the Union.

According to the Jackson MS Clarion Herald, voter turnout in some counties has been heavy. Live results of the flag vote will be reported on the Clarion Ledger's web site at this web address: http://www.clarionledger.com/news/flagvote/

Polls taken prior to the final campaign by backers of either flag have shown that voters want to keep the current flag.

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Vermont Readies For Cross-Border Protests, April 17

Derby Line, Vermont is bracing for a storm of protestors if anti-globalization activists are denied entry to Canada at Derby Line's border stations. The activists will be attempting to travel to Quebec City, site of the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) meeting next week. Thirty-four heads of state from throughout the Western Hemisphere are expecting to ratify the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas.

Five thousand law enforcement officers are expected in Quebec City later this week, and including five Royal Canadian Mounted Police riot squads. Canada has made it clear that it does not want a repeat of the violent demonstrations that occurred during trade talks in Seattle and Washington D.C.

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Alabama Bombing Trial Jury Selection Begins, April 17

The Alabama Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by accused Birmingham bomber, Thomas Blanton, to surpress secretly recorded tapes made by an FBI listening device hidden under Blanton's kitchen sink in 1964. Other tapes of Blanton, which may be played at his trial, will be reviewed as they come up during the trial, said Trial Judge James Garrett.

Jury selection in the trial of the 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church that killed four girls, has begun and is expected to take about a week. Forty-seven of the potential jurors were black and 53 were white. Eight jurors have been dismissed from the jury pool so far because they would have problems being sequestered. Jurors are expected to fill out lengthy juror questionnaires.

Blanton is one of two men indicted last year in the bombing of the civil rights rallying point. Garrett indefinitely postponed the trial of Blanton's co-defendant, 71-year-old Bobby Frank Cherry, after a psychiatrist found Cherry mentally incompetent to stand trial. The prosecution is seeking a second opinion from a different psychiatrist.

Only one person, Robert "Dynamite Bob" Chambliss, has been convicted in the case, in 1977. Another man, Herman Cash, who was a suspect in the bombing, died in 1994, without being charged.
(AP)

The Birmingham News has a special section about the trial at http://www.al.com/news/?/specialreport/bombing/index.html

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New York State Corrections Officer Charged With Assault on Inmate, April 17

Edward Kuhnel, at New York State corrections officer, was arraigned on April 16, 2001, on charges of assaulting an inmate, the Associated Press reports. Kuhnel, a New York corrections officer was previously suspended from his job when he was accused of distributing literature from the National Association for the Advancement of White People to staff and inmates, and for hanging a Nazi flag outside his home. The New York Court of Appeals reinstated Kuhnel and he received back pay.

Kuhnel has been charged with two counts of third degree sodomy, one count of attempted third degree sodomy and one count of occidial misconduct. Kuhnel has pleaded not guilty. He was ordered held in the Ulster County jail in lieu of $10,000 cash or a $20,000 bond.

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Federal Access to Clinic Entrances Act Filing in Arkansas , April 16

Little Rock attorney Fred Hart Jr., previously convicted of violating the Federal Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE), has been sued by Dr. James Tvedten under the FACE Act in Pulaski County, Arkansas court.

According to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Hart, who served one year of house detention after his conviction under the FACE Act for parking Ryder trucks in front of two Little Rock abortion clinics on September 25, 1997, on the same day then-President Bill Clinton and Attorney General Janet Reno visited Little Rock. Hart said that he has not thrown holy water at Tvetden's clinic in the past few months. Both Dawson and Hart say their protests are within their First Amendment rights.

An associate of Hart's, James Dawson, has a lawsuit pending against Dr. Tvedten, accusing Tvedten of running over Dawson in the driveway of Tvedten's clinic. Fred Hart is Dawson's attorney. Although the administrator for Tvedten's clinic said she had been reporting Hart's activities to the the authorities, The spokesman at the U.S. Attorney's office in Litttle Rock would not say whether his office or the FBI is investigating complaints against Hart.

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U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Urges End to Indian Mascots at Schools , April 16

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights called for an end to the use of Indian names and mascots by non-Indian schools, colleges and universities, as this may violate anti-discrimination laws. In New York, State Education Commissioner Richard Mills sent a letter to school districts urging them to drop Indian names, symbols and mascots. Neither is an enforceable legal action, but instead are recommendations. The civil rights commission said Indian names and mascots could be viewed as "disrespectful and offensive" by Indian groups and can create "a racially hostile educational environment that may be intimidating to Indian students."

For more information, go to:
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights - http://www.usccr.gov/
National Coalition on Racism in Sports and the Media - http://www.aics.org/NCRSM/index.htm

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NATO Forces Arrest Serb War Criminal, April 16

NATO-led peacekeeping forces arrested Dragan Obrenovic, who was indicted for allegedly participating in the July 1995 attack against Muslims in Srebrenica during the war in Bosnia. Srebrenica had been protected by the United Nations as part of a safe zone, but was overrun by Serb forces, who killed up to 7,500 Muslims and Croats before expelling the rest of the Muslim population. Obrenovic was sent to The Hague to stand trial and is expected to make an initial appearance before U.N. judges to enter a plea.

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Major Figure in Taliban Militia Dies, April 16

Mullah Mohammed Rabbani, considered the second most powerful man in Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia (second only to Mullah Mohammed Omar), died of cancer. Rabbani headed the Taliban's governing ministers' council, and he reportedly died in neighboring Pakistan, where he had been receiving treatment. Rabbani is believed to have ordered the execution of Afghanistan's communist President Najibullah, who had been living in a U.N. compound in Kabul since 1992. Najibullah was dragged from the compound, tortured and hanged. His body was left hanging in the city for two days before it was taken down.

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Gun Deaths Dropped Dramatically in 1990's, April 13

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released information that show that gun deaths in the United States dropped more than 25 percent during the mid-1990s to the lowest level since 1966. The CDC credited stricter sentencing, new laws that hinder acquisition of guns by criminals to get guns, and economic reasons (such as lower unemployment). The CDC reported 30,708 gun-related deaths - 11.4 per 100,000 people - in 1998, the latest year for which statistics are available. This compares to 1993 when there were 15.4 deaths per 100,000 people - a drop of 26 percent. Gun-related injuries fell by nearly half during the same five-year period, dropping to 64,484 in 1998, or 23.9 per 100,000 people.

Guns remain the second leading cause of injury-related deaths in the United States, trailing auto accidents. The CDC found that gun suicides among elderly men - an average of 27.7 per 100,000 people during the five-year period was particularly high - the rate was just 1.8 per 100,000 for women over age 65. Men were victims of five of every six gun deaths and seven of every eight gun-related injuries during the five-year period.

The CDC report can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwr_ss.html

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US Sec. of State Powell Denounced New Ethnic Violence in Balkans, April 13

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina - Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke out against any new outbreaks of ethnic violence in parts of the former Yugoslavia. Powell also noted that, "all indicted war criminals must be brought to justice." Recent unrest in Bosnia has resulted from the Croatian Democratic Union declaring that it would leave the Muslim-Croat Federation to set up a separate Croat government. Under the Dayton agreement that ended the Bosnian war, the country was divided into a Serb-run section and an area under a Muslim-Croat Federation. Powell also spoke out against recent unrest by Albanians in neighboring Macedonia and warned that violence in Macedonia "is eroding international support for Kosovo," where Albanians are in the majority.

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Kaiser Settles Lawsuit on Discrimination Against Disabled, April 13

Kaiser Permanente, the largest not-for-profit health maintenance organization in the U.S., settled a lawsuit accusing it of failing to provide disabled patients with accessible facilities and equipment - including examination tables, toilets, scales and other medical devices in its California hospitals and clinics. The suit was filed by a group called the "Disability Rights Advocates" in Alameda County Superior Court in July 2000. The settlement included provisions to make hospitals and clinics wheelchair-accessible and to acquire equipment that can be used on the disabled. Kaiser workers would also receive additional health care training.

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U.N. Police Arrest Rwandan Genocide Suspect Who Works for the U.N. in Kosovo, April 13

U.N. police in Kosovo arrested a U.N. worker from Rwanda for his alleged involvement in the 1994 genocide, after Rwanda's chief prosecutor issued a warrant last month and asked for his arrest. Callixte Mbarushimana is accused of collaborating with the Hutu groups by giving them the addresses of his Tutsi colleagues at the U.N. Development Program where he worked. At least half a million minority Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus were killed by extremist Hutu militiamen and soldiers from April to July 1994.

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Man Convicted of Stalking ATF Agent, April 13

A jury in Tacoma's U.S. District Court convicted James Bell on two counts of stalking an agent in the federal Treasury Department's tax administration office, and faces five years in prison. The jury deadlocked on three other counts involving stalking an ATF agent and stalking a real estate agent that he believed worked for the CIA. The federal prosecutors believe Bell tracked his victims through Internet searches and databases, then harassed them at their homes and businesses in Oregon. Mr. Bell is known for his involvement in Internet groups that advocate free speech rights on the Internet and oppose government regulation.

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German Police Raid Online Hate Song Swapers, April 12

The Federal Criminal Police Office stated that 103 homes in 15 of Germany's 16 states were raided, and users of illegal Nazi and neo-Nazi Web sites that had been exchanging Nazi-related music on the Internet, as well as downloading MP3 files from illegal Web sites, had their PCs, modems and other equipment confiscated. The act of listening to Nazi-related music is not illegal under German law, but the exchange and sharing of this material online is illegal.

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Three States Advance Civil Rights Bills, April 12

Legislative chambers in Delaware, Illinois and Maryland approved civil rights legislation banning sexual orientation discrimination during the final week of March, and New York's Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act passed a Senate committee and awaits a key vote, according to the latest Legislative Update issued by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

NGLTF has tracked 486 bills relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community and to the HIV/AIDS community in all 50 state legislatures. Maryland is poised to become the 12th state in the United States to outlaw sexual orientation discrimination. Similar civil rights bills have cleared the House and Senate and await one more procedural vote before advancing to the desk of Gov. Parris Glendening, who has pledged his support. Other civil rights bills have passed the Illinois House and the Delaware House and are on their way to each state's Senate. Of these three states, only the Illinois bill includes gender identity as well as sexual orientation.

To read the full NGLTF legislative update, visit

http://www.ngltf.org/statelocal/leg2001.htm

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L.A. Mayor's Race Headed for Runoff, April 12

Former state Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa and City Attorney James Hahn, both Democrats, were the top two vote-getters in Tuesday's nonpartisan election. This has led to the possibility that the nation's second-largest city could have its first Hispanic mayor since 1872. Villaraigosa polled 30 percent and Hahn received 25 percent. The two will participate in a runoff on June 5th because neither received a majority. It is reported that Hispanic turnout was high in part because of the presence in the race of Villaraigosa and another prominent Hispanic candidate, Rep. Xavier Becerra, who ended up with 6 percent of the vote. The William C. Velasquez Institute estimated that more than 20 percent of voters Tuesday were Hispanics, versus 15 percent in the 1997 mayoral election.

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Tape Allowed in Church Bombing Trial, April 12

A tape secretly recorded in 1964 can be used as evidence at a murder trial in the Sept. 15, 1963 Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing that took place in downtown Birmingham which killed four black girls, according to a judicial ruling by Circuit Judge James Garrett. The tape was recorded in 1964 by the FBI, with a device that was hidden under the kitchen sink of Thomas Blanton Jr., a former Ku Klux Klansmen. Prosecutors seek to prove that Blanton was one of a group of KKK members who planted the bomb. The defense asked the court to block at least 30 other secretly recorded conversations involving Blanton.

The trial of another former Klan member, Bobby Frank Cherry was indefinitely suspended due to unspecified "medical reasons." One suspect in the bombing, Robert Edward Chambliss, was convicted and died in prision in 1985.

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NJ Senators Ask to Impeach N.J. Justice, April 12

In a letter to Assembly Speaker Jack Collins, the New Jersey state Senate Judiciary Committee asked the lower house to present the Senate with articles of impeachment against Justice Peter G. Verniero. The letter says Verniero "engaged in a pattern and practice of withholding and concealing information," regarding racial profiling in the state. The senators said he should be impeached for lying to a Senate committee, routinely misleading lawmakers and withholding information about racial profiling by state police. Impeachment would begin in the Assembly before moving to the Senate for a trial. One lawmaker has already drafted an impeachment resolution.

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Armenians and NY Life Insurance Co. Reach Deal, April 12

New York Life Insurance Co. has reached a settlement with a group of Armenians who have tried to obtain payment on policies purchased prior to 1915 in Turkey. The agreement, which requires a judge's approval, may benefit up to 10,000 people who are living in both the United States and abroad whose family members bought policies from New York Life Insurance Co. before the 1915 genocide against the Armenian people. Under the settlement, New York Life will pay beneficiaries 10 times the face value of the policies and contribute $3 million to Armenian civic organizations.

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Cincinnati Mayor Declares Emergency, April 12

The mayor declared a state of emergency and announced a citywide curfew due to riots that resulted from the police shooting of an unarmed black man. Only people going to and from work will be allowed on the streets between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. The mayor has said he may call in the National Guard to help protect the police and citizens of Cincinnati. At least 66 people have been arrested on such charges as disorderly conduct, criminal rioting, obstruction, felony assault, theft and breaking and entering since the violence began Monday. The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. attorney's office in Cincinnati joined the FBI in a federal investigation of Thomas' shooting.

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Osama Bin Laden Makes Statement to Prepare for Holy War, April 11

Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden released a statement explaining that Muslins must prepare the next generation for a jihad (holy war) against a corrupted West that he portrayed as laying siege to Muslims worldwide. The statement urged wealthy Muslims to support the Taliban militia that control Afghanistan and to use their money to help rebuild Afghanistan.

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Cincinnati Clergy and Politicians Dealing With Rioting Over Police Shooting, April 11

CINCINNATI - Rioting in Cincinnati was sparked by the shooting of an unarmed black man (who was wanted on 14 misdemeanor warrants), while fleeing a white police officer. He was the fourth black man shot dead by police since November. The officer, Steve Roach, reportedly thought Thomas had a gun. Roach is on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure after police shootings. The FBI is investigating whether police violated federal civil rights law in the shooting. The area where Timothy Thomas, 19, was killed was a mix of gangs of youths who looted stores and burned buildings, and police officers who tried to keep control by using a variety of non-lethal means including bean bags and rubber bullets. On Wednesday night, a police officer was shot in the chest, but his bullet-proof vest apparently saved his life. Clergy members and politicians appealed to the people of the city for calm. Police on horseback and shotgun-armed foot patrols arrested at least 20 people for rioting and disorderly conduct. Fire department paramedics reported that they took 25 people to hospitals and treated about 40 others on the streets.

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Indonesian Prosecutors Dealing With 1999 East Timor Killings, April 11

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- The Indonesian attorney general's office has missed a legal deadline to file charges against 22 people suspected of crimes against humanity in the violence that engulfed East Timor in 1999 after voting for independence, according to several Indonesian legal specialists and Western diplomats. Because the prosecutions were not begun within a legally mandated 310-day period, this may mean that no Indonesians will be held accountable for the attacks by the military and government-supported militias that left hundreds of people dead and resulted in the destruction of more than 85 percent of the buildings in Timor, according to the Washington Post. Under a human rights law enacted last fall, the attorney general's office has 240 days to investigate cases of genocide or crimes against humanity. The office then has 70 days to begin prosecutions. The 70-day period, legal experts said, expired on Feb. 23 - this is disputed by the Indonesian government, who point out that before any charges are filed in connection with the Timor violence, a special ad hoc human rights court must be formed. The creation of such a court was not approved by the parliament until last month, and the legislation still has not been signed by President Abdurrahman Wahid. The prosecutor notes that the 70-day clock does not begin until the special court is formed and charges are filed.

Also, prosecutors recently dropped manslaughter charges against three militiamen who admitted to stabbing three international aid workers from the United States, Croatia and Ethiopia who worked for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. The accused (as well as three other suspects) may instead be charged with the lesser crime of "mob violence" and be given prison sentences of no more than three years. After the killings, a mob burned the bodies so badly that it took U.N. officials a week to identify the remains.

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Two Plead Innocent When Accused of Assisting Suspect in Abortion Doctor Slaying Case, April 11

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Loretta Claire Marra, 37, and Dennis John Malvasi, 51, of New York City pleaded innocent to federal charges that they obstructed justice by helping James Kopp avoid capture after the 1998 shooting of an abortion provider. Kopp was traced to Ireland, and then subsequently captured in Dinan, France, March 29 after a 2 1/2 year international manhunt (he is awaiting extradition). The accused are accused of sending money to Kopp and working to find a way to bring him back to the United States. A two-count indictment returned April 3 charged the two with interfering in the government's case against Kopp by helping him evade capture, and accused the pair of obstructing a Buffalo grand jury investigation. Penalties are up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines on each charge if convicted. They were ordered held until a detention hearing April 24. Among the spectators were the widow of the slain doctor, Barnett Slepian, and his former co-workers at the Buffalo health clinic where he worked. Dr. Slepian was assassinated at his home in front of his wife and daughter on Oct. 23, 1998.

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2001 Legislators At State and Federal Level Face Renewed Hate Crime Initiatives, April 10

State legislators in Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Texas have proposed "hate crime" legislation this term that would cover sexual orientation as a protected class. Pennsylvania's ethnic intimidation statute only covers race, religion and ethnicity, while Texas' current law does not list any specific groups, making it the target of criticism. Kansas is one of nine states with no hate crime law. About 20 states protect on the basis of sexual orientation. Each state has been the target of hate crime law reform in the past. Illinois, which has a comprehensive hate crime law, is seeking to add another statute that would punish hate group leaders who cause followers to commit violent acts. Ben Smith, a former Church of the Creator member, killed one Illinois resident and injured several more during a shooting spree in July 1999. The last state to enact a new hate crime law was New York, which passed a comprehensive statute in July 2000 after an 11 year struggle by activists. It was signed into law by Republican Governor George Pataki.

Increasingly, activists are targeting state legislatures for hate crime initiatives because of frustration with the lack of progress at getting a federal law passed. On March 27, however, a bipartisan group of federal legislators reintroduced a hate crime proposal that would expand the coverage of existing criminal civil rights laws to protect on the basis of sexual orientation, gender and disability under limited circumstances. The bill also expands the situations where federal prosecutions can take place for racial, ethnic and religiously based crimes. Under current law the federal government has extremely limited authority to prosecute or even assist local authorities to prosecute hate crimes. The bill's chief sponsors include Senators. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.; Gordon Smith, R-Ore.; and Arlen Specter, R-Pa. In the House Representatives. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., and Constance Morella, R-Md are lead sponsors. The bill, now called The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act has 51 co-sponsors in the Senate and 180 in the House of Representatives.

Last June the Senate voted in favor of the bill by a margin of 57-42. In September 2000 the House voted 232-192 in support of a non-binding motion in support of consideration of the hate crime proposal by the full House. The new bill is almost identical to ones introduced in Congress unsuccessfully over the last several years. Polls indicate significant support among the American electorate for such legislation. President Bush has stated that he opposes expanding the current hate crime laws in the manner that this bill does.

Hate crimes are those criminal incidents where an offender intentionally selects a target because of the racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, religious or other status of another person.

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Racist Reverend to Speak Again In Connecticut This Month, April 10

Peoria, Illinois White Supremacist Matt Hale, 29, will return to Wallingford, Connecticut on Saturday April 21 to speak about his efforts "to unite for our own interests and quit aiding and abetting the nonwhite races at the expense of our children's future." Mr. Hale's recent trip to the same Connecticut town resulted in vocal protests against his bigotry.

Mr. Hale heads the racist and anti-Semitic World Church of the Creator out of his parent's Peoria, Illinois home. The World Church of the Creator urges its followers to engage in a racial holy war (RAHOWA!) against its enemies. The Church is particularly critical of African-Americans, Jews, and Christianity. One former WCOTC follower, Ben Smith, went on a two state shooting spree that left two dead and several injured in 1999 after Hale, his law graduate mentor, lost an appeal to practice law before an Illinois tribunal.

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In Unexpected Move One '63 Klan Deft's Trial is Postponed As Other's Goes Forward, April 10

Ku Klux Klan church bombing defendant Bobby Frank Cherry's murder trial has been indefinitely postponed by presiding judge James Garrett today (April 10) because of "medical reasons". The 71 year old's codefendant Thomas Blanton Jr., 62 is scheduled to go on trial without a postponement next week. The two are accused of bombing Birmingham's 16th Street Baptist Church on September 15, 1963 resulting in the deaths of four young girls.

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"God...is going to destroy you," FLA. Legislator Tells Visiting Gay H.S. Students, April 10

Gay high school students from Florida got a new perspective on lobbying after they visited the office of conservative state Rep. Allen Trovillion, 74, R- Winter Park to discuss expanding the state's civil rights laws to protect on the basis of sexual orientation, Ann Marie Manchise, reported in the Tampa Tribune today. After greeting gay high school students and listening to their views on the proposed legislation the suburban Orlando state legislator was quoted as allegedly saying the following statements:

"I don't understand why the gay population is becoming so vocal"

"You're throwing your life away."

"You are going to cause the downfall of this country that was built on Christian principles."

"The Scripture says that no homosexual will see the Kingdom of God, and I can't put it much straighter than that."

"God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and he is going to destroy you." and a lot of others.

One of the gay students recounted a violent beating that resulted in light punishment for his assailant and the same punishment for him for "being too openly gay" Unmoved, Rep. Trovillion said, "You have to suffer the consequences of your actions."

California, New Jersey and other states have civil rights laws that protect on the basis of sexual orientation. About 20 states have hate crime laws that protect on the basis of sexual orientation.

Human Rights Campaign www.hrc.org

http://tampatrib.com/MGASCE82DLC.html

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LA Mayoral Race Reflects City's Diversity, April 10

If one of the six major candidates wins today's Los Angeles mayoral primary the city could get its first female, Jewish, or openly gay leader, or its first Latino mayor in over 125 years. Do not hold your breath, however, at it is likely, that no one will win the required majority vote outright-forcing a June runoff between the two top contenders. Additionally, it is expected that there will be over 50,000 absentee ballots among the expected 1.5 million votes. According to polls, the top three rivals are City Attorney James Hahn, 50; entrepreneur and political appointee Steve Soboroff, 52; and former California state Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa, 48.

James Hahn, current City Attorney and former City Controller, comes from a political dynasty that includes his father, who was on the LA city council. As City attorney Hahn aggressively prosecuted hate crimes and domestic violence cases. Hahn, who is white, has significant support in the city's African-American community. No African-American is among the main mayoral contenders this year.

Antonio Villaraigosa is the son of a Mexican immigrant. He is a former teacher who later served a six year term as speaker of the state Assembly where he was lauded for his ability to bring diverse groups together. He was also a supporter of hate crime legislation during his tenure. If elected he would be the city's first Latino mayor since 1872. He has support in the Latino community, but faces significant competition there from another Latino Democratic candidate, Congressman Xavier Becerra. He has substantial support from the city's Jewish community.

Steve Soboroff, 52, is an entrepreneur and the only major Republican in the field. He is a protŽgŽ of the popular current Republican mayor Richard Riordan who is being forced out of office after two four year terms by term limits. Mr. Soboroff has been an appointee to the city's airport and parks commissions, but has never held elected office. Mr. Soboroff, who is Jewish, was the target of thousands of anonymous recorded telephone messages directing voters not to vote for him because he was controlled by "Jewish money" Both mayor Riordan and City Human Relations director Joe Hicks denounced the phone attacks yesterday.

Other major candidates include long time city council member Joel Wachs who is now openly gay, and State Controller Kathleen Connell. Among the other candidates is a street comedian and a television helicopter pilot.

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Presidential Appointment of Gay American Is A First For A Republican Administration, April 10

Wisconsin native Scott Evertz, a political supporter of Health and Human Services Secretary and ex-Wisconsin Governor Thommy Thompson has been selected to direct President Bush's Office of National AIDS Policy, the White House reported Tuesday (April 9) . The selection is the first time an openly gay or lesbian American has been selected for a major Presidential appointment by a Republican President. It comes at a time when the administration is scaling back government financial support for anti-AIDS projects.

Mr. Evertz previously was the state leader of Wisconsin's Log Cabin Republicans. The Log Cabin Republicans is a political group consisting of gay Republican party members. During the last presidential campaign President Bush initially refused to meet with members of the group, although he did so later in the campaign after his conservative base was solidified. The party has struggled in the recent past to accommodate those libertarians who were more supportive of gays and lesbians and social conservatives who staunchly oppose gay-friendly initiatives on religious grounds. At the Republican national convention in Philadelphia last Summer, a group of delegates staged a silent protest of a gay Congressman's address. In another publicized incident, some Conservative republican legislators blocked the appointment of an openly gay businessman to be ambassador to Luxembourg. Interestingly, in Washington DC gay legislative staffers and consultants are frequently employed by members of both sides of the aisle.

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37 Years after Fatal Church Bombing Two KKK Defts. Face Fed Trial in AL, April 10

Two accused Church bombers are set to go on trial April 16 in federal district court in Alabama in connection with a blast that killed four young African-American girls in Birmingham 37 years ago. If convicted, the now elderly defendants, Bobby Frank Cherry and Thomas Blanton Jr. could get a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The bombing of the Sixteenth Street Church in Birmingham on September 15, 1963 was one of the most pivotal and tragic events of the Civil Rights movement. Still, finding justice in the case has been a long and often painful journey for those affected by the blast.

Bobby Frank Cherry and Thomas Blanton Jr., were itinerant Ku Klux Klan members who had difficulties with the organization over strategy. They were two of four suspects identified in the period following the explosion. One suspect Robert "Dynamite Bob" Chambliss was convicted in 1977 after the case was reopened by a new Alabama state Attorney General. Chambliss spent the remainder of his life in prison, where he died at 81. White supremacist Herman Cash, now deceased, was suspected to be involved in the crime, but never faced justice. Birmingham's black community was the target of so many bombings that the city was nicknamed "Bombingham" by some commentators. The years 1963-65 were the most violent of the Civil Rights era.

U.S. Attorney Doug Jones will be prosecuting the case and, while he will not discuss evidence, it is believed that Mr. Cherry's ex-wife and granddaughter will provide crucial testimony relating to Cherry's alleged confession. In 1999 both testified before a grand jury who returned an indictment against the defendants.

The Explosion at the Sixteenth St. Baptist Church

September 15, 1963, was to be Youth Sunday at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. The church was the spiritual center for Birmingham - and the children were the spiritual focus of the church. The parishioners, many of them young children, had bravely faced down police dogs, fire hoses, and violent intimidation to fight the ravages of segregation. Some of these young people had been viciously attacked by Birmingham Police Chief Bull Connor's officers. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., had also made youth a central fixture of his majestic oratory - and he had marched with Birmingham's youth in some of the most stirring moments of the civil rights movement.

But Youth Sunday celebrations were over in one tragic moment. At 10:22 a.m. a powerful blast rocked the church, killing four young girls as they prepared to worship. Denise McNair, eleven years old, and fourteen year olds Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wellesley, and Carole Robertson were instantly killed by the explosion which left twenty others hospitalized. The blast was so powerful that doors and windows were blown apart on cars parked outside.

Dr. King's eulogy to these four young girls remains one of his most moving: "These children - unoffending, innocent, and beautiful - were the victims of one of the most heinous crimes ever perpetrated against humanity .... Yet they died nobly. They are the martyred heroines of a holy crusade for freedom and human dignity. So they have something to say to us in their death .... They say to each of us, black and white alike, that we must substitute courage for caution. They say to us that we must be concerned not merely about who murdered them, but about the system, the way of life and the philosophy which produced the murderers. Their death says to us that we must work passionately and unrelentingly to make the American dream a reality."

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New Jersey in Increasing Political Turmoil Over Racial Profiling Allegations, April 9

As evidence increases that former Attorney General Peter Verniero knew of racial profiling practices by state police since 1996, calls have come in that he resign from his new position of State Supreme Court Justice. On Thursday (April 5) Acting Gov. Donald T. DiFrancesco called Veniero personally seeking his resignation. An African American legislator has indicated that he will seek impeachment against Veniero if he does not resign. Justice Veniero has previously indicated that he would not resign. No Supreme Court Justice in New Jersey history has resigned.

Veniero faced tough questioning on March 28 from a state Senate Judiciary Panel chaired by Senator William Gormley about his actions relating to racial profiling by state troopers. Some statistics have indicated that African-American and Latinos were subject to 85% of the vehicle stops and searches on the state's interstate highways by New Jersey State troopers while Veniero was attorney general. In February 1999, the state's police superintendent was forced to resign after he made racially insensitive comments about ethnic and racial groups during an interview with the Newark Star Ledger on racial profiling by police. In the interview he suggested that a certain African-American ethnic group had a propensity for drug dealing.

Today (April 9) the State Senate Committee will hear from African-American and Latino witnesses, including state police Sgt. Vincent Bellaran. Bellaran's successfully sued the department over racist practices in 1998. Veniero who released a report on racial profiling in 1999 after state troopers shot at a van with black motorists has been alleged by other hearing witnesses to have been aware of discriminatory practices for at least three years prior.

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Millennium Bomb Plotter Found Guilty in Los Angeles and France, April 9

Ahmed Ressam, 33, an Algerian ex-patriate was convicted by a federal district court jury in Los Angeles late Friday (April 6) for his role in connection with a Millennium celebration bombing conspiracy that allegedly included targets in Seattle and California. Mr. Ressam who could face up to 130 years imprisonment was found guilty on a total of nine charges and enhancements including unlawful transportation of explosives, possessing a bomb in a ferry terminal, trans-national terrorism, among other lesser charges. He was also convicted Friday in a French court for his role in terrorism. Mr. Ressam's American attorney said he would appeal the American conviction. Mr. Ressam will be sentenced in Seattle on June 28 in Seattle, the trial's original venue.

Mr. Ressam was alarmed when customs inspectors handled mislabeled explosives he was transporting. His fingerprints were found on a variety of timing devices and a turn coat government witness said he was supposed to meet someone with explosives who was coming to the United States from Canada. While the witness stated he did not know who that person would be, records indicated that Mr. Ressam had the witness' phone numbers on him at the time of his arrest. Mr. Ressam's failed defense maintained that he was duped into an unwitting role in an overall conspiracy.

Mr. Ressam was arrested by U.S. Customs Service agents as he attempted to transport illegal explosive materials into Port Angeles, Washington from Canada on December 14, 1999. Ressam, and another alleged conspirator, Abdelmajid Dahoumane, are believed to be linked to Afghanistan-based fugitive terrorist ringleader Usama Bin Laden. Mr. Dahoumane was arrested last month in Algeria on his return from Afghanistan. Ressam's arrest prompted widespread concern about Millennium terrorism in the United States, which caused the cancellation of Seattle's planned celebrations.

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Significant Historical Find Reveals West Africa's Rich Written Tradition, Chicago Tribune Reports, April 9

With the help of an African collector a Northwestern University Professor has uncovered the richest find of written literature yet in West Africa the Chicago Tribune reported today. The discovery has monumental significance for historians because it counters centuries of bigoted misinformation about the development and literacy of society in Western Africa. The notion that Africans were not intellectually, religiously and culturally sophisticated was used as a moral pretext for the practice of slavery by white Europeans in the middle and late portion of the last millennium. Even contemporary scholars have concentrated on West Africa's rich oral traditions, something this discovery is destined to change.

Among Northwestern University Professor John Hunwick's important historical finds are a sixteenth century book by an African historian, Mahmud al-Kati Century who resided in Timbuktu, one of the most important cities in Africa at the time. The book preserves important information from al-Kati's forebears who wrote about historical and cultural conditions previously unknown to Western scholars. Prof. Hunwick was given the material by a Mali national, Ismail Haidara, a descendant of al-Kati, whose family has kept the documents since 1592. The record's Arabic characters indicate the influence of Islam in African society during that period and chronicle well developed religious, legal, and cultural traditions.

See: http://chicagotribune.com/news/metro/chicago/article/0,2669,ART-51051,FF.html

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McVeigh is "Lying" Former Defense Attorney States, April 3

Stephen Jones, Timothy McVeigh's ex lead defense lawyer, said today (April 3) on NBC's Today Show in an interview with Matt Lauer that Timothy McVeigh should "stop lying...stop covering up" the role of others in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in 1995. The April 19, 1995 killed 168 innocent people, in the worst act of domestic terrorism on American soil. Saying that McVeigh had waived attorney client privilege Jones told Lauer that statements attributed to McViegh in a new book were "contradictory to what he told me".

In a new book McVeigh allegedly admitted to bombing the federal building and said that while he received limited assistance from Terry Nichols, the bombing was primarily his work. The book, released today, ãAmerican Terrorist: Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Bombingä by Lou Michel and Dan Herbeck published by HarperCollins, has been criticized by some victims' families for giving McVeigh a forum for his views. McVeigh stated in the book that the children killed were "collateral damage" and that he lacked remorse for the attack which he stated was in revenge for government mishaps at Waco in 1993 and Ruby Ridge in 1992.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/551852.asp

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Longtime Civil Rights Leader Vernon Jordan Gets NAACP Award, April 3

The NAACP announced that Vernon Jordan, former presidential advisor, and former head of both the Urban League and the United Negro College Fund will receive the NAACP's highest honor, the Joel E. Spingarn Medal at the organization's annual conference this Summer. Jordan, who was the subject of an assassination attempt in 1980, joins other past recipients such as Martin Luther King, comedian Bill Cosby, diplomat Ralph Bunche, and jurists Thurgood Marshall and A. Leon Higginbotham.

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83 year Old SS Lieutenant Sentenced to 12 Years for WWII Murder, April 3

Julius Viel, 83, who served as a second lieutenant in the Nazi SS during World War II was convicted Tuesday (April 3) of the murder of seven Jewish innocents at Theresienstadt concentration camp in German controlled Czechoslovakia during the spring of 1945, the Associated Press reported. The judge stated that Viel acted on his own "out of lust for murder and base motives" in sentencing the former Nazi to a 12 year sentence. Viel, who proclaims his innocence stated through his lawyer that he will appeal.

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