Benefit Concert for Emanuel Pleitez

Los Angeles, CA. May 4, 2009 - With all the buzz and excitement in the media about congressional candidate Emanuel Pleitez, the son of a single mom raised in East LA, it’s no wonder that the hip, young and cool would come out in his support this Tuesday, May 5^th with a benefit concert at Bandit Gallery in Echo Park. The exciting line up includes a surprise performance by one of Miami’s hottest imports, a special DJ set by electronic super duo, Palenke Soultribe, and explosive performances by Gardenia and MC Preska. Hosted by Viviana Vigil of NBC’s Open House and by Jose Galvan of Indie 100.3, the evening will celebrate the best in Latino music while raising important funds for the Emanuel Pleitez for congress campaign.

An assortment of indy and electronic music sprinkled with rock and hip hop, the evening’s musical presentation is much like the message of Emanuel Pleitez - one of hope and progress, bringing a fresh new attitude to the world of politics, something the youth of today need more than ever. “It is so important to get involved – so much is at stake, from the economy to immigration reform, everyone should participate. I’m happy to help do my part in hopes of motivating others to also get involved,” said Gardenia’s lead singer, Polly Salas. “A fun party for the people in the heart of Echo Park is what we have planned with lots of great sponsors including Sailaway Collective, Nacional Records, Automático, KGB Studios, Avatar Records, the Republic Vision, PD Media and XR Collection, to name a few.”

The special event takes place at Bandit Gallery, one of the many new hot spots sprouting across Echo Park, one of LA’s most vibrant and diverse communities. The evening begins at 7:30 PM with guests treated to an exhibit in the main gallery followed by an outdoor patio area to enjoy live music under the stars. Delicious margaritas and cold beer compliment the melodic beats of an eclectic evening full of progressive politics and beautiful people.

Tickets can be purchased for a $10 donation and includes a drink ticket, live entertainment, entrance to the gallery exhibit and outdoor patio concert area. “In these tough economic times, we wanted to make this event accessible to everyone” said Jaime Rojas, one of the event organizers, “It’s also a reminder of how important it is to have leadership that understands the economy and Emanuel certainly has the experience. Growing up in East LA and later with his time spent on President Obama’s transition team, Pleitez understands what it is to not have while advocating for economic policies that bridge and bring light to our communities.”

Please RSVP at veronicajacuinde@gmail.com or call (310)508-1896 for more information. VIP tickets can also be purchased at $100 for unlimited drinks and VIP access.

Party for the People!

Benefit Concert for Emanuel Pleitez

May 5^th 2009

Bandit Gallery

1549 Sunset Blvd.

(cross street Echo Park)

LA, CA 90026

7:30PM –11:30PM

Building a sustainable society

Filling our lives with true hope

We are living during the worst economic crisis since the great depression. We see before our eyes the collapse of our economic system. The unemployment rate rose to 6.7%, while the economy shed 533,000 jobs this last November - the largest decline since 1974. Foreclosures on hard working families and individuals continue. Our national debt is at a 53 year high; 10 trillion - each citizen's share of this debt is $34,730.13. The number of people in jail are at an all time high over 2.3 million. The rate of suicide in the United States is increasing for the first time in a decade. The drug war in Mexico and U.S. has produced the death of over 6,000 people this year. And that is not to mention the other Social, Political, and Environmental Issues that affect us all. We face a convergence of crisis.

So what does this Christmas bring to us? What do we look forward to in 2009?

What is clear is that none of these problems will ever go away unless we can embrace one fundamental value or principle that has been lacking in our way of thinking so far; that we are all in this together. We cannot shy from the responsibility of being part of a society we have created. I believe that Kirvil Skinnarland put it in perspective:
An unsustainable society does not arise solely out of ignorance, irrationality or greed. It is largely the collective consequence of rational, well-intended decisions made by people caught up in social, political and economic systems that make it difficult or impossible to act in ways that are fully responsible to all those affected in the present and in the future.

Thomas Jefferson said of the U.S. that we were "the last great hope for the world." What we are presented with is a great opportunity to be a part of something bigger than one person. To show the world that we are truly a kind, caring and compassionate people. That the challenges we face are opportunities that make us stronger. We are presented with the greatest opportunity to face our generation. Building a truly sustainable society. A society that is just and equitable and which provides opportunities to its members in order that all can fulfill his/her greatest potential. A society that provides the basic needs of life - work, healthcare, education and so forth. A society that provides the greatest good for the greatest number.

I do not believe that this idea of a sustainable society is an idealistic or romantic notion of hope. What is required of us is to believe that we can be a people fillled with compassion, sacrifice, courage and kindness. As the great Howard Zinn said:

What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something, If we remember those times and places -- and there are so many -- where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however a small way, we don't have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.

Our focus must now be in how each and every one of us can contribute to the collective good of our future. This requires that we put aside our petty differences. This requires us to put aside our foolish ideas of end times and prophecies of the past; for if our focus and our attention is placed on those things than we contribute to their fulfillment. We must work together in building a sustainable future.

My wish for you this Christmas and New Year is that our deepest sense of family, community, and country be renewed. That our deepest convictions brings us closer to our sense of belief in the ideals that makes our country a truly hopeful sign of hope for the rest of the world . That our light becomes light for those who most need it.

May peace and love be in your heart this Christmas. May inspiration and hope be your strenght this New Year.
Enrique Mier Vergara

Step aside, Tiger. Step aside, Oprah.

For as long as I can remember, athletes and entertainers have been the prime role models for most young African-Americans. Leading the list of luminaries, of course, are Tiger Woods and Oprah Winfrey.

Woods is a consummate professional athlete; poised, confident and relentlessly dedicated. Winfrey is one of the most powerful entertainers on the planet, her charm and sincerity winning influence with people from every walk of life. Yet neither of them has really broken any new ground. Both Woods and Winfrey are inheritors of a legacy that has seen black success limited to sports and entertainment.

The election of Barack Obama is about something altogether different. The people of the United States have placed their collective destiny in the hands of a man who two generations ago would have been forced to ride in the back of the bus in some U.S. cities. This turn-around of public attitudes bodes well for the nation.

The next generation of young African-Americans will be fully vested in this republic—sadly for the first time. The example of Barack Obama will open the eyes of young African-Americans. They will see themselves fulfilling destinies their parents would have thought impossible. Their visions of success will no longer be limited to being chosen an All-American or as a headliner in Las Vegas.  From its inception, the presidency of Barack Obama will inspire a generation of young people of every color. And for that, we are all the winners.

Many of the ills and injustices that have plagued this nation are still with us. But there is a new current moving in. And that tide of hope and reason will carry away the ignorance that has long stagnated in some corners of the country.  

As Andrew Young so aptly said, Barack Obama’s election is “a triumph of faith over fear.” 

Raul Ramos y Sanchez

Decisions, Decisions.

A new frontier in our civilization

"In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shank from this responsibility - I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavour will light our country and all who serve it -- and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.
Inaugural Address - 1961

The moment approaches - the leaves fall from on high and the night is silent. Our autumn season reminds us of a great beginning. This Tuesday we shall know the fate of our nation. Perhaps we may not realize the full extent of such a moment. What is clear is that it will be felt by all. It will impact us here at home and far away. In our time and in the future. History is being written and we are witnesses. Our great society now moves into a new boundary of civilization. We move forward to resolve our differences and misunderstandings; and to begin to heal our broken bodies and souls. John F. Kennedy said it best in describing this new vision of human potential:

"We stand at the edge of a New Frontier-the frontier of unfulfilled hopes and dreams. Beyond that frontier are uncharted areas of science and space, unsolved problems of peace and war, unconquered problems of ignorance and prejudice, unanswered questions of poverty and surplus."

Many of us are discovering a new sense of things. As if somehow we have suddenly woken up from a dream. Now we are facing the reality of the lives we have been living and move forward towards a new direction. It is uncharted territory for us and we must be careful not to fall back into the apathy of the past. Our hope comes from an understanding that our fates are somehow connected. And because of this we are required to look, think, and move beyond ourselves. A new hope and desire to conquer the false within us and bring to light the true self. For so long we have diluted our existence by avoiding the need to face this inner self. Albert Einstein noted this very well:

"How strange is the lot of us mortals! Each of us is here for a brief sojourn; for what purpose he knows not, though he sometimes thinks he senses it. But without deeper reflection one knows from daily life that one exists for other people - first of all for those upon whose smiles and well-being our own happiness is wholly dependent, and then for the many, unknown to us, to whose destinies we are bound by the ties of sympathy. A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving."In the end, who is guilty and innocent is not the question to be asked. The question should be: Are we part of the problem or the solution? The fundamental task we face now is realizing that we can no longer continue to solve our problems using the same thinking that created them. It is clear that in order to solve our problems we must begin resisting ideas, doctrines, policies, and laws that we believe to be unjust through our non-participation.

May God grant us peace in our days. May our leaders reflect our new commitment to justice and peace in our world. May we find hidden within us the source which leads all peoples to do good.

Enrique Mier Vergara

Nuestra Gente, Nuestro Futuro (Our People, Our Future)

"It is not enough to teach our young people to be successful...so they can realize their ambitions, so they can earn good livings, so they can accumulate the material things that this society bestows. Those are worthwhile goals. But it is not enough to progress as individuals while our friends and neighbors are left behind."

- Cesar Chavez

I look back at my childhood and the dreams and aspirations I once held. In many respects I hold on to those still. My mother instilled in me a deep desire not to forget. Not to forget who I am and were I came from. For her it was important for me to recognize the struggle and suffering it took for her to bring me here to this country. Today our generation -the generation of sons and daughters born of immigrant parents - can proudly honor their struggle for a better America. In just a few days we will witness history. Generations after us will look back at this moment as one of our greatest. The generation that has struggled for so long to keep loyal to the ideals of an American dream that has been shattered by the corrupt and greedy. Our dear Cesar Chavez said it best, "Our struggle is not easy. Those who oppose our cause are rich and powerful and they have many allies in high places. We are poor. Our allies are few. But we have something the rich do not own. We have our bodies and spirits and the justice of our cause as our weapons." Let us proudly celebrate this great accomplishment of unity.

Yet, we must realize that our struggles and sacrifices are not over. It is now up to us to show the rest of the world what we are made of. To bring to light what we truly represent as Americans. A nation of compassionate people. A light to the world that reflects a great power, the people. May this light shine once again. Let the world see us as Americans united in a common hope, in a common desire, in a common dream.

We must now begin the real work of unity. We must now begin the next phase of this American experience. What we have learned from the last eight years is that we can no longer turn our backs on one another. We must work together in order to accomplish true success. Again Cesar Chavez says it best, "We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community...Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own."

Let us go forward and begin the work that must be done.

Paz y Amor.

Enrique Vergara

henricusv154@yahoo.com

Limbaugh: Powell endorsed Obama because of race

Leave it to the hate brigade to see the world in black and white—quite literally.

Following Colin Powell’s endorsement of Barack Obama, Rush Limbaugh immediately pronounced the decision was based on race. Many of Rush’s fellow travelers soon chimed in. In their minds, the decision was obvious. Both men are black. Therefore, Powell will naturally support Obama.

This assumption begs a question. Why haven’t Condoleezza Rice and  Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas joined this cabal and endorsed Obama? Are they waiting until after the election when President Obama appoints an all-black cabinet? Indeed, if all black public figures march in lockstep, why did Tavis Smiley conduct a public feud with Barack Obama earlier this year after the senator sent a surrogate to the State of the Black Union hosted by Mr. Smiley?

As evidence of their argument, the Limburgers point out that 97% of blacks support Obama for president. So what? The same charges were leveled against John F. Kennedy when Catholics overwhelming supported JFK in 1960. The Rush Limbaughs of that day assured the public that if they elected Kennedy, the Pope would control the White House.    

Fostering a conspiracy theory of black unanimity is bad enough. Attacking the integrity of Colin Powell is even more outrageous.

Suggesting a man like Colin Powell would make his decision based on skin color is a blindness nothing short of bigotry. Throughout his military and political career, Powell has selected men and women for advancement purely on merit. Ask the people who have served with Powell if they feel he has ever shown any racial preference. Even the fact Powell is a black Republican should be a good indication of his impartial judgment. The GOP is hardly a haven for affirmative action.

During his public announcement of Obama’s endorsement, Powell stressed his decision had been difficult. He turned away from his own party’s candidate and explained his reasons in great detail. But Limbaugh and his dittoheads cannot accept the words of a man who has repeatedly proven his honor and integrity. Nope. To them it’s very simple. He’s black. End of story.

Of course, had Powell stuck to the party line and endorsed McCain, would Limbaugh have said it was because both were former military men? I don’t think so. Limbaugh would have lauded Powell as a statesman who simply chose the best candidate.

Limbaugh’s accusation reminds me of a telling moment from this year’s third presidential debate. As McCain continued to pursue Obama’s tenuous connection with one-time radical William Ayers, Obama replied, “Senator, this issue says a lot more about you than it does about me.”

Raul Ramos y Sanchez