vol. 60, no. 5

WoLume LX

NEWSPAPER OF THE AMERICAN Civil LIBERTIES UNION OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

aclu news

ea ia a4) a ee.

Non-Profit

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PAID

Permit No. 4424

San Francisco, CA

No.S

VOTE NO on 209

Vote for Equal Opportunity

he ACLU-NC is urging its members

a and supporters to vote for civil liber-

ties on the November 5 ballot. The

ACLU is playing a key role in the campaign

to defeat Proposition 209, the anti-affirma-

tive action initiative, and is also urging

voters to support measures allowing for

the medical use of marijuana and raising

the minimum wage.

Calling on voters to reject Proposition

209, ACLU-NC Executive Director Dorothy

Ehrlich said, "This is a historic election for

California and the nation: we cannot let

Proposition 209 turn the clock back on

equal opportunity for women and people of

color. We must stop this measure in its

(ORRECTION

Ss - -GUT-OUT = =

ACLU-NC Ballot

Recommendations

November 5.

Jail Bonds

Set es eee eae eet 7

Cut out and take with you to the polls on

The ACLU-NC urges you to vote on the

following ballot initiatives

tracks, and send an important message

around the country that we will not accept

the politics of division."

Below are the ACLU-NC positions on

California ballot measures.

The ACLU-NC SUPPORTS the

following measures:

Proposition 210/Increases Minimum

Wage - SUPPORT

The Living Wage Act of 1996 would

increase the minimum wage from $4.25 per

hour to $5.00 per

hour on March 1,

1997 and then to

$5.75 beginning

March 1, 1998.

All employees in

Eliminates Affirmative Action

Increases Minimum Wage

Campaign Limits

Limits Access to Courts

Medical Marijuana

private industry are covered by the initia-

tive.

Recognizing that the poor suffer viola-

tions of their civil liberties to a greater

extent than other segments of the popula-

tion, the ACLU-NC supports this initiative

because it addresses the inequality that

exists in the workforce and in society due

to the current, inadequate minimum wage.

Proposition 215/Medical Marijuana -

SUPPORT

The Medical Marijuana Initiative

ea

2

aS =

cS)

would legalize the growing and smoking of

marijuana for medicinal use in California

upon a doctor's recommendation. The

patient would be able to cultivate and

smoke the amount deemed necessary for

"personal use."

Currently, under California's complete

prohibition of marijuana, patients who

would greatly benefit from the medicinal

effects of marijuana, like those suffering

from AIDS, cancer, glaucoma and migraine

Continued on page 8 .

ACLU-NC ANNUAL

BILL OF RIGHTS DAY CELEBRATION |

EARL WARREN CIVIL

LIBERTIES AWARD

DOLORES HUERTA

CO-FOUNDER, UNTTED

FARM WORKERS

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

WADE HENDERSON

EXEGUTIVE DIRECTOR,

NATIONAL LEADERSHIP

ACLUN_1981.MODS ACLUN_1981.batch ACLUN_1982 ACLUN_1982.MODS ACLUN_1982.batch ACLUN_1983 ACLUN_1983.MODS ACLUN_1984 ACLUN_1984.MODS ACLUN_1984.batch ACLUN_1985 ACLUN_1985.MODS ACLUN_1985.batch ACLUN_1986 ACLUN_1986.MODS ACLUN_1986.batch ACLUN_1987 ACLUN_1987.MODS ACLUN_1987.batch ACLUN_1988 ACLUN_1988.MODS ACLUN_1988.batch ACLUN_1989 ACLUN_1989.MODS ACLUN_1989.batch ACLUN_1990 ACLUN_1990.MODS ACLUN_1990.batch ACLUN_1991 ACLUN_1991.MODS ACLUN_1991.batch ACLUN_1992 ACLUN_1992.MODS ACLUN_1992.batch ACLUN_1993 ACLUN_1993.MODS ACLUN_1993.batch ACLUN_1994 ACLUN_1994.MODS ACLUN_1994.batch ACLUN_1995 ACLUN_1995.MODS ACLUN_1995.batch ACLUN_1996 ACLUN_1996.MODS ACLUN_1996.batch ACLUN_1997 ACLUN_1997.MODS ACLUN_1998 ACLUN_1998.MODS ACLUN_1999 ACLUN_1999.MODS ACLUN_ladd ACLUN_ladd.MODS add-tei.sh create-bags.sh create-manuscript-bags.sh create-manuscript-batch.sh fits.log CONFERENCE ON CIVIL RIGHTS

PLUS: FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION ART SHOW

DISPLAY OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS' WORK

STUDENT PRESENTATION ON IMMIGRATION FIELD TRIP

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TICKETS CALL FIELD REPRESENTATIVE Lisa MALDONADO 415/621-2493.

EB RSEBES Vote! in the ACLU-NC Board Elections ll Students on Trip to the Border

Big Changes in the Capitol

Bode Ill for Civil Liberties

BY FRANCISCO LOBACO

ACLU LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR

Brown left town. The Assembly

| t was a wild year in Sacramento. Willie

Republicans finally got their act

together and took control of the lower |

house - a year after their Gingrichian

clones did the same in Congress. They

wasted little time in dumping old-time

Democratic staffers, taking control of all

the Committees, and pushing a legislative

anti-civil liberties agenda to make even

Newt feel proud. The Senate remained in

Democratic hands, demonstrating a sur-

prising amount of backbone by thwarting

much of the legislative "blitzkrieg" sent to

them by the Assembly.

Term limits became a reality this year.

Institutional brain-drain run amok.

Dozens of politicians voted on their last

bills in August. After the November elec-

tions, almost no one in the Assembly will

have been in office for more than four

years. Less sense of commitment to the

institution, less expertise on important

public policy issues, more bad bills - wel-

come to the end of the Millennium.

The principle objective of the ACLU

Legislative Office was to stem the assault on

basic civil liberties being pushed primarily

by the radical right. The assault was impres-

sive, even by Sacramento standards.

Attacks on the constitutional rights of crim-

inal defendants were high on the agenda,

albeit with typical bi-partisan solidarity. Yet

with vigorous lobbying efforts and joint

works with the criminal defense bar, we

were able to defeat numerous proposed

measures, including efforts to eliminate

unanimous jury verdicts (ACA 18 Rainey-

R, Walnut Creek and SCA 10 Calderon-D,

Montebello), to overturn the 1996

California Supreme Court decision in

Romero granting judges discretion to strike

prior convictions under our "Three-Strikes"

law (SB 331 (Hurtt-R, Garden Grove),

and to gut state habeas corpus law (AB

2462 Morrow-R, Oceanside).

Scores of bills were introduced seek-

ing to "get tough" on juvenile crime. These

bills attempted to make it easier to prose-

cute juveniles as adults, reduce confiden-

tiality in the juvenile justice system,

recriminalize status offenders, and gener-

ally toughen penalties on juveniles.

Despite a well-orchestrated push by the

Governor's Office and prosecutors, these

counterproductive measures were defeat-

ed in the Senate, after most had been

passed by the Assembly.

We were less successful on another

issue that received high media exposure.

The Legislature passed and the Governor

signed the nation's first law mandating

chemical castration of certain child moles-

ters regardless of possible side effects and

whether the drug is effective in the first

place. The momentum of a child molesta-

tion measure in an election year cannot be -

underestimated as is evident from the vote

counts on the floor of each house: 26:1 in

the Senate (Marks-D, San Francisco was

the only "no" vote) and 51:8 in the Assembly.

Remarkably, two women were the only peo-

ple willing to stand up and voice their oppo-

sition in the Assembly to California's

forcible medication affecting an individ-

ual's reproductive system: Shiela Kuehl (D-

Santa Monica) and Carole Migden (D-San

Francisco). They deserve lots of kudos.

WAR ON DruGs

The never ending War on Drugs dealt anoth- -

er blow at civil liberties. The Governor

signed SB 1754 (Calderon-D, Montebello)

which permits any private entity (e.g.,

employers or insurance companies) and

public hospitals to sue any person convict-

ed of drug sales (of any amount) within a

county without requiring that the drug

defendant cause the damages allegedly suf-

fered by the plaintiff. The legislation is

essentially an asset forfeiture statute for

private parties. This novel and Draconian

statute is constitutionally suspect.

RIGHT TO CHOOSE

The ACLU defeated legislation that would

have prohibited late-term abortions, crimi-

nalized maternal drug addiction, required

"informed consent" and a 24-hour waiting

period for women seeking abortions, and

created the crime of vehicular manslaugh-

ter of a fetus. These bills had passed the

policy committees and were defeated on

the Assembly floor only after strong lobby-

ing by ACLU members and other advocates

convinced Democrats and a few moderate

Republicans to oppose them.

GAY MARRIAGE

Few bills were more important to the radi-

cal right than AB 1982 (Knight-R,

Palmdale), legislation which would have

prohibited California from recognizing

marriages in other states between couples

of the same sex. The mean-spirited and

homophobic testimony by its proponents

during this bill's winding road through the

legislative process was pathetic. Strongly

opposed by the ACLU and the gay and les-

bian community, the bill was passed by the

Assembly. Subsequently the Senate

Democrats amended the bill to include

domestic partnership provisions - "poison

pill" amendments opposed by Republicans

and the Governor resulting in the bill's

well-deserved defeat.

CIVIL RIGHTS

Assaults on minorities and immigrants

continued unabated.

The ACLU led the fight to defeat legisla-

tion which would have permitted private

clubs to discriminate against women and

minorities. Efforts to enact anti-affirmative

action laws similar to Proposition 209 on the

November ballot also failed on the Assembly

floor. We defeated the Governor's attempts

to once again defund prenatal care for

undocumented women, as well as efforts to

mandate "English Only" requirements on all

state and local entities and employees. @

We need your help as the

ASSAULTS CONTINUE ON

CIVIL LIBERTIES!

To join the fight, call:

Field Representative Lisa Maldonado at

415/621-2493 or e-mail FFPIACLUNC @aol.com

Lungren Lashes Out at Cannabis Club, Cartoon

Doonesbury

BY GARRY TRUDEAU

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| REPUBLICANS.

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REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE

Attorney General Dan Lungren's raid on the Cannabis Buyers'

Club - a site which also served as the San Francisco headquar-

ters for the Proposition 215, the Medical Marijuana Initiative

- hit the national headlines in September and was widely con-

demned by the ACLU-NC, the Board of Supervisors and Mayor

Willie Brown who compared the raid to Gestapo tactics.

But the Attorney General's actions reached an even more

widely-read section of the papers in October, when cartoonist

Garry Trudeau's "Doonesbury" featured a week of stories about

the raid.

While Lungren lashed out with a press conference blasting

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the comic strip and accusing the newspapers, including the

San Francisco Chronicle of "cower[ing/ behind the First

Amendment," the ACLU applauded editor William German

both for continuing to run the strip and for endorsing

Proposition 215. "Medical maryuana makes an invaluable

contribution in alleviating the suffering of many people for _

whom conventional therapies provide no relief," wrote ACLU-

NC Executive Director Dorothy Ehrlich in a letter to the

Chronicle. "In talking about this vitally important issue,

Doonesbury gives your readers the opportunity to engage in

the debate on this question. I commend your steadfast commit-

ment to freedom of expression"

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Court Rules City-Owned Cross legal

he massive city-owned Christian

cross in a public park, on the highest

peak of San Francisco's seven hills,

violates the Constitutional guarantee of |

government neutrality in religion ruled the

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on August

20. The City must divest itself of its owner-

ship of the towering religious symbol the

court concluded.

In a fourteen page opinion, the court

stated, "The No Preference Clause requires

more than mere longevity. A display's his-

torical significance must be independent

of its religious symbolism. The Mount

Davidson Cross history is intertwined with

its religious symbolism."

The ACLU-NC originally filed the case,

Carpenter v. City and county of San Fran-

cisco, in 1990, on behalf of a Baptist preach-

er, a Unitarian minister, a Jewish rabbi and

a Buddhist priest, as well as several people

who live and work in San Francisco charg-

ing that City's ownership, subsidy, mainte-

nance and display of the religious symbol

violates state and federal Constitutions'

guarantees of religious liberty.

"The cross is a divisive presence in a

pluralistic society that makes the Bay

_ Area's many residents of minority faiths

feel diminished and unwelcome," said

ACLU-NC staff attorney Margaret Crosby

who argued the case before the Ninth

Circuit. "The cross has the effect of turn-

ing the open space area of Mt. Davidson

into an open-air church."

San Francisco Deputy City Attorney

Mara Rosales argued that the cross was a

cultural and historical symbol, not a reli-

gious one. The panel of judges consisting

of Ninth Circuit Judges Diarmuid

O'Scannlain and Harry Pregerson and

Eighth Circuit Judge Donald P. Lay, dis-

agreed. Judge O'Scannlain wrote in the

opinion, "The Mount Davidson Cross car-

ries great religious significance.... Indeed,

to suggest otherwise would demean this

powerful religious symbol."

While claiming that the cross was a

San Francisco landmark, the -City also

argued that the cross was scarcely visible

from most parts of San Francisco.

O'Scannlain was not persuaded: "The City's

AGLU News = NovemsBer/DECEMBER 1996 = Pace 2

video-taped "Visibi-lity Study" may show |

that spotting the Cross is difficult on a fog-

gy day; however, constitutional guarantees

should not depend on the weather, espe-

cially in San Francisco."

The successful appeal followed a 1992

US. District Court judge decision that the

City's ownership of the Mt. Davidson cross

was constitutional. However, in 1993, a

2

federal appeals court in similar cases -

involving public crosses in San Diego ruled

that government maintenance of crosses

in public parks violates the California

Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court

refused to hear the government's appeals

of the San Diego cases.

The plaintiffs are represented by the

ACLU-NC's Crosby, Fred Blum of the

American Jewish Congress, and Thomas

Steel attorney for Americans United for

the Separation of Church and State. Hl

1996 ACLU-NC ANNUAL ACTIVIST CONFERENCE

Elirting with Disaster:

Race, Sex and Affirmative Action

py MARIA ARCHULETA

ACLU-NC Board member Martha Jimenez, Regional Counsel for Mexican

Ccent | ffirmative action means making the `we' in `we the people' include all of us," said

American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), at the opening ple-

nary of the 1996 ACLU-NC Annual Activist Conference, "Flirting with Disaster: Race, Sex and

Affirmative Action."

On September 7, more than a hundred

civil liberties advocates from throughout

northern California gathered at San Jose

State University to focus on plans to defeat

the biggest threat to equal opportunity for

minorities and women in California:

Proposition 209, the deceptively-named

"California Civil Rights Initiative." The

activists also discussed other critical

ACLU lobbyist Francisco Lobaco (r.) and

Paul Johnson of the Santa Cruz Chapter

share effective lobbying techniges.

issues including immigrant rights, police

practices, censorship on the internet, the

threat of the radical right, and shared

ideas on how to make the affiliate more

effective through legislative activism and

chapter development.

A highlight of the conference was the

presentation of the George Moscone Award

for Legislative Advocacy to Assemblyman

Tom Bates (see sidebar).

The opening plenary, introduced by

Field Committee Chair Michele Welsh and

ACLU-NC Board Chair Dick Grosboll, and

two workshops were dedicated to dis-

cussing Proposition 209 and sharing strate-

gies on how to inform voters of its true

intent of dismantling civil rights efforts

and legalizing discrimination. Moderating

the plenary, ACLU-NC Executive Director

Dorothy Ehrlich said, "The proponents of

- the initiative want us to ignore the smoke

from the burning churches, ignore the pain

of discrimination, ignore the divisiveness

of the measure. This will be a historic vote.

If we can win, we can send the message

around the nation that the politics of divi- _

sion has lost political capital." In addition

to Ehrlich and Jimenez, the plenary

included ACLU-NC Board member and

University of Santa Clara Law Professor

Margaret Russell, and Golden Gate

University. Law Professor David

Oppenheimer.

ORGANIZING AGAINST 209

In the workshops "The California Civil

Wrongs Initiative: We CAN defeat

Proposition 209," NO on 209 Campaign

Coordinator Erica Teasley gave pointers on

disseminating information to the media,

organizing the ACLU chapters in the cam-

paign, fundraising and tabling. ACLU

Monterey Chapter Executive Director Dick

Criley provided detailed examples of the

steps his chapter has already taken to for-

ward the campaign, including organizing a

full-page ad in the Monterey Herald in

support of affirmative action with hun-

dreds of signatories from numerous civil

rights, religious, women's and community

organizations. The veteran organizer

emphasized, "If chapters do nothing else

this month but organize against

Proposition 209, their energies are well

_ expended."

DEFEATING THE RADICAL RIGHT

The plenary on "Defeating the Agenda of

the Radical Right" included presentations

by Chip Berlet, Senior Analyst with

Political Research Associates and ACLU

National Lesbian/Gay Rights and AID/HIV

`Rights Projects Director Matt Coles. An

expert on the "theocratic right," Berlet out-

lined reactionary fundamentalist theology

and the expansion of its political influence

in many spheres of American life. "Their

vision is to restore the past - which is to

restore power to privileged Protestant

white men. Given the power, they would

impose their faith on all people.

"And they make up the single largest

voting block in the country," Berlet

warned.

Board member Margaret Russell at the

plenary on affirmative action - "The

law has never been colorblind."

Both Berlet and Coles discussed ways

to combat the conservative agenda of the

radical right. Coles described strategies

from his new lesbian/gay rights activist

handbook, 7ry This At Home which helps

community organizers and grass-roots

groups pass non-discrimination and

domestic partnership laws and policies.

Noting that he often finds himself on |

panels with religious opponents whose |

deep-seated homophobia makes it difficult |

to engage in rational debate, Coles |

advised, "You have to respect the people on

the other side, but don't make the gen- |

tlepersonly assumption that everyone is |

polite and not trying to attack anyone."

Workshops on police issues with Cathy |

Wiehe of the Santa Clara Chapter, Eileen |

Siedman of the ACLU Marin Chapter and |

ACLU-NG Police Practices Project Director -

John Crew and on civil liberties in cyber- |

space with Lori Fena of the Electronic |

Frontier Foundation and ACLU-NC Board -

member John Schweizer, is the Director of |

Consumer Affairs for Pacific Bell, allowed |

activists in these arenas to share their -

experiences and learn from the experts.

In "The Struggle Continues - Fighting |

for Immigrant Rights," Solange Echeverria |

of the California Latino Civil Rights

Network drew the links between the cur-

rent hostile attitude towards immigrants

and the U.S. economy and foreign policy.

Moderator Luz Buitrago, an attorney and

an ACLU-NC Board member outlined the

codification of this attitude in laws such as

Proposition 187 (which is still enjoined by

the courts because of an ACLU-NC law-

suit), and the federal anti-terrorism, wel-

fare and immigration reform laws.

_Activists who want to lobby on these

and other issues learned some useful

strategies and effective techniques from

ACLU-NC Legislative Director Francisco

Lobaco and ACLU-NC Board member

Political analyst Chip Berlet combined a

discourse on the radical right with fire

and magic.

Rachel Richman, legislative aide to

Assemblyman Tom Bates.

The Bill of Rights Reception kicked off

the annual drive to support the ACLU-NC

legal and public education programs with

the help of a mariachi singer Enrique

Mendez Flores and white wine.

At the closing dinner, seven high

school students presented "Stories From

the Border" (see article p.4-5) which high-

lighted their experiences on the immigra-

tion field trip sponsored by the Howard A.

Freedman First Amendment Project and

Global Exchange.

The day-long event was organized by

the Conference Committee, headed by

`

Mariachi Enrique Mendez Flores at the

Bill of Rights fundraising campaign

reception.

Field Committee Chair Michele Welsh,

ACLU-NC Field Representative Lisa

Maldonado, former Program Secretary

Jennifer Green and current Program

Secretary Rini Chakraborty. Conference

Committee members include Marna

Cohen, Philip Mehas, Marlene De Lancie

and Fran Strauss. The Santa Clara

Chapter hosted the Welcome Breakfast;

and the Committee and staff were assisted

by volunteers Lourdes Pollard and ~

Fernando Gutierrez. @

CONFERENCE PHOTOS BY: ROBERT STERN

ACLU News =a NovemBern/DEcCEMBER 1996 = Pace 3

View from the

Border

BY BRYANT TAN

stuck my finger through the chain-link

fence and my finger was in the United

States. I stuck my foot underneath the

fence and part of my shoe was in the

United States. A rush went through my

body as less than 1/1,000 of my body was in

a land of "familiarity." | was homesick,

except the type of homesickness I felt was-

n't that of longing to return to my room and

my bed in my house. | felt lost in Mexico

and | felt different-like an unwanted out-

cast.

lam American and I have a role in soci-

ety in the United States. | am a foreigner in

Mexico, an invader without a role. What |

was | doing here? I just. stopped thinking

about the world around me and began

painting the wall that separated me from |

my country. I let myself loose, I let myself

free, and I made a masterpiece. Leo

DeVinci and Pablo Picasso probably would-

nt consider it one, but I did. The artwork I

made didn't have to have meaning and did-

n't. It just represents [present tense

because it's most likely still where I left it]

the first time in my life I felt relaxed, wor-

ryless, and free.

Immigration -A

Quick History

BY Pat LAPID

merica is a nation of immigrants.

Surely you've heard this phrase

before. Sounds cliched, doesn't it? But it's

true; the multitudes of Native American

tribes win the honor of being the first resi-

dents of this land. Everyone else is a new-

comer, from Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin

America and elsewhere.

And who are we? Chinese, German,

Asian Indian, Arab, Filipino, Italian,

Mexican, Jewish, Irish, African... we are a

(pictured Ogat Haider and Susana

Telles) "I thought it was cool until I had

to hold one of the poles of the largest ban-

ner. Over an hour of standing and getting

an upper arm workout while burning in

the sun is not too fun. The blockade was

successful. A few cars were bold enough

| todrive up to the banners, but none

passed." -Bryant Tan

Courtesy: S.TELLES

Immigration Hands On

Student Journey Reveals Realities of the Border

diverse bunch of people. Almost every |

nation on planet Earth has some represen-

tation on U.S. soil.

As much as we would like to believe

that our nation has welcomed "your tired,

your poor, your huddled masses' the reality |

is much more sobering. Whenever econom-

ic times have been rough, the message to

immigrants has been, "You people are

stealing our jobs," and "Get out!" Study |

after study tells us that immigrants always

have helped boost the economy, but as

always, rhetoric is heard over reason.

Discrimination toward immigrants in

this country has been just as rampant as it

has been toward African Americans and

Native Americans. Hotels and restaurants

would not serve Asians; signs saying "No

Filipinos Allowed" could be found through-

out California. Citizenship to Chinese and

Japanese immigrants was prohibited for

some time. Many white intellectuals

espoused theories showing immigrants

from non-Anglo ethnic groups as being less

intelligent, only suitable for menial labor.

Yes, it sounds crazy; yet such beliefs were

"In" up until modern times.

Immigrant bashing is nothing new; it

happened in our past, and will occur in our

future, unless we see immigrants as peo-

ple, rather than a nameless, faceless

"them." They do have names, they do have

faces, and they have millions of stories that

we should all hear.

Because, in the end, we are all immi-

grants.

The Naturalization

Ceremony

BY SHAFFY MOEEL

L ately I've been thinking a lot about my

immigration status. I am, to the

United States, a permanent resident. On

my greencard, however (which is actually

pink) is written ALIEN RESIDENT. Alien.

Alien. It sounds weird.

I've been thinking a lot about my immi-

gration status because of this trip. Because

as a part of this trip we were going to get a

chance to cross over to Mexico but those

who were not citizens of the U.S. were rec-

ommended to remain within the United

States. Just so there was no unnecessary

confusion on our way back in hassling with

| rainbow and others."

greencards and other such documents.

Needless to say, | was quite disappointed.

But alas, life goes on and indeed it did go

on today.

Today we visited the Los Angeles

Convention Center where about 5,000 peo-

ple were being sworn in as citizens. I got a

chance to interview some people whose

family members were being sworn in. |

talked mainly to youth whose parents, girl-

friends or friends were being sworn in.

There were one or two people who were

excited by their newfound citizenship but

on the whole people seemed very blase

about the whole affair. I asked them if their

loved ones felt as if they were betraying

their country of origin by becoming U.S. cit-

izens, but all responded, "No, because I still

have my culture rooted in me, no ceremony

and no flag can take that away from me."

That set me to thinking. How would I

feel about becoming a U.S. citizen? Right

now I am a citizen of Turkey and Iran.

Would I be slapping my countries of origin

in the face if I joined those 5,000 people?

Perhaps. But becoming a citizen to this

country seems so beneficial to me. Hasier

to get visas to most countries, qualify for

_. (pictured Susana Telles) "That afomnben a we went on the beach "La Playa" to paint

murals on the wall of the Mexican side of the border. We painted different messages like

"No human being ts illegal" and "Unity" along with our ON images of the world, the

- Nikki Vo

more scholarships, financial aid, and the

list seems to go on. Well, 11 years in this

country and I am still feeling unsure about

officially belonging here. But I guess it

would be nice to be able to vote....

View Of the Wall

BY VERONICA ZAMARRIPA

was overwhelmed with sadness, being

on the Mexican side of "the Wall."

Looking through a rusty old chain link type

fence. A piece of metal holding back fami-

lies from coming together or a chance for a

so-called better life. | encountered two

men who came from deep within Mexico

and hadn't slept or eaten in three days just

to get to the border, to have just a chance

to try to get into the States. When | asked

ACLU News = November/DEcEMBER 1996 5 Pace 4

them why they were trying to get to the

United States they said because they need

to get a better paying job, because they

. only get paid four dollars for an eight-to-

twelve hour work day. When I asked them

why didn't they try to get to the United

States legally, their response was "money."

[ also met a little girl on the United States

side named Mariana. She and her family go

every Sunday to the "wall" to visit her

Grandma and aunt. They see them through

a damn fence, how much sadder can that

get?

La Paz

BY OGAI HAIDER

` W: arrived one night at La Paz, head- -

quarters of the United Farm Workers _

Union, confused and emotional from the |

last few days. Being in La Paz was a spiritual |

experience, a haven. Technically we were in _

the U.S., but emotionally we were some- |

where else. We were safe and for a brief |

while in the comforting arms of La Paz.

In the morning we went to Radio |

Campesino where we met Carlos Ortiz. |

Carlos took us to grape fields in |

Bakersfield to meet farm workers. These |

people worked all day in groups of four or |

five filling a box with one ton of grapes.

We were actually in 100 degree heat, |

breathing in dust and pesticides, not just |

reading about it. Many of us felt as though |

we were invading their privacy, although |

that was not our intent We thought, these

" people don't know us and here we are ask- |

ing them questions and taking pictures.

I stepped back and watched. These |

conditions seemed unbearable, but the |

people had beautiful smiles on their faces. -

They held up their grapes, their pride. This _

was their life. I thought there is no differ- _

ence in what they do and what a doctor |

might do, except for the wages and bene- |

fits. These people deserve the standard of

living just as much as anyone.

I left the fields with the feeling of dev-

astation. The hardships now had a human |

face for me. I could barely stand being out -

there, away from the air-conditioning for .

that brief time; they were doing backbreak-

ing work all day, being paid next to noth- -

ing, yet smiling.

We left and headed back for La Paz. Not

even La Paz erased the memory of the inhu- |

_manity we saw today. Later that night we

went on a tour of La Paz with:a member of

the Cesar Chavez Foundation, seeing pic-

"Student Shaffy Moeel interviews United Farm Workers leader Dolores Huerta at protest

outside the Republican Convention.

tures of Chavez and UFW workers, Dolores

Huerta's office, and lastly walking into

Chavez's office to see his desk untouched,

Just as it was the day he passed away.

Chavez's life was devoted to the justice

of others and being in La Paz was a privi- |

lege. I truly realized what Cesar Chavez

meant when he wrote, "Let the Spirit flour-

ish and grow so that we will never tire of

the struggle."

Anti-Ilmmigration

Rally

BY BRYANT TAN |

"Ge home immigrant!" shouted a man

shrouded in red, white, and blue.

"You realize | am home," I whispered to

myself. I was born and raised in America

and I've only stepped out of American soil

once in my life. This is my home so stop

shouting at me."

At the anti-immigration rally held at

the Federal Building in Los Angeles, there

were silly people in silly hats waving silly

flags. Any passerby would have thought

that these people were a month and a half

too late except for the obvious signs the

"picnickers" held. Their signs said, "GO

HOME IMMIGRANT," "CLOSE THE BOR-

DER," "MEXICANS ARE DIRTY," "THIS IS

AMERICA, NOT AZTLAN," and "THEY RE

STEALING OUR WELFARE" among even

nastier signs.

These people don't realize that.whatev-

er they're trying to convey about illegal

immigration will eventually trickle down

into legal immigration. What's next? Close

off America? Not to allow anyone to travel

freely across any of America's borders even

for vacations? Everyone in the United

States to be deported back to their "origi-

nal" country except Caucasians who don't

belong here in the first place? Only time

will tell.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing,

but at the same time I was very confused.

After speaking to some, I understood their

point of view and where they were coming

| Student Arlen Gomez ts interviewed

Pat LAPID

about the immigration field investiga-

tion at Radio Campesino in Bakersfield.

from. In a way | actually felt similar to |

what they felt. On the other hand, they :

could have been pretending and lying to

this teenage Asian male who was sticking a _

tape recorder in their faces. |

The pro-immigration side of this |

protest who stood on the public sidewalk -

waving red flags representing the

Communist Party confused-me even more. -

Though | "supported" these people and |

chanted along with them "Down, down, -

down with the Fascists. Power, power, pow- |

er to the workers," I didn't quite know if |

this was actually the type of crowd I want- |

ACLU eae = NovEeMBER/DECEMBER 1996 = Pace 5

Nancy Otro

ed to be affiliated with. | am 100 percent

positive I am not Communist. So where did

I belong? I didn't belong on the grass. | did-

nt belong on the sidewalk. I turned into a

harmless spectator keeping my feelings

and beliefs to myself.

Conclusion

BY LAUREN TOKER

a everything comes to an end I've

asked myself what did I learn. This

trip educated me on both immigration and

human nature in general. There are so

many instances where | stopped and asked

myself where does all this hatred come

- from? In what way are we so different that

we must be separated? We are all put on

this land to live our life successfully and

peacefully. I still cannot fully comprehend

why it matters where a person is originally

from, what religion they practice, what

language they speak, or what color their

skin is. If we are all here for the sole pur-

pose of living our lives why does it make a

difference where we do it or what fashion

we go about living? I believe these are

questions every individual should answer

for themselves. It doesn't take a visit to the

border to realize these questions exist.

Most importantly, I realized that my

opinion does make a difference. Together,

those of the same opinion can strive

toward the political and social freedom

people have been fighting to achieve for

hundreds of years. I will not let the fight

stop here.

ACLU Boarp oF DirREcTORS ELECTION

Robert Capistrano |

A crucial part of the defense of civil liber-

ties focuses on the rights of poor people

and immigrants in this country. | am proud

of the ACLU's participation at the forefront

of this protracted struggle.

While this scapegoating has served to

divert attention away from the overall

stagnation in the wages and job security of

middle America, these attacks also under-

score that the opportunity of poor people

and many immigrants to meaningfully

exercise civil liberties will require defend-

ing their right to a minimum standard of

living. In the coming years, this interplay

of civil and economic rights will pose new

challenges and some dilemmas to the

ACLU.

As a lawyer with the San Francisco

Neighborhood Legal Assistance Foun-

dation, | have spent years trying to resolve

the problems of low-income clients. I hope

my experience can help our organization

CANDIDATES STATEMENTS

meet these challenges, and am excited to

have been nominated to serve another

term.

Nominated by: Board of Directors

Incumbent: Yes

Darwin Farrar

As a graduate student in public policy I

studied the organizational structure of the -

ACLU, as a public: interest attorney |

applauded the ACLU's leadership on many

key issues, as an advocate I worked with

the ACLU-NC in opposition to laws that

encroach upon our rights and civil liber-

ties. As a perspective Board member I look

forward to the opportunity to work directly

with the ACLU-NC on some of the most

pressing issues of our time. | bring to the

Board broad-based legal and advocacy

experience, and a life-long commitment to

social justice. In addition to my current

youth advocacy work, I have worked on

issues in juvenile justice, homelessness,

violence prevention and poverty law. I have

participated in successful lawsuits to

enforce voter initiatives, statewide public

education campaigns and worked in the

academic, private and government sectors.

Nominated by: Board of Directors

Incumbent: No

Aundre M. Herron

We stand at a precipitous juncture in

human history which calls upon us to

decide, finally, whether we shall govern

ourselves by reason or by fear. Over the

past fifteen years, my work in academia, as

a DA and, currently, as a criminal defense

lawyer specializing in death penalty

appeals, has intensified my understanding

of the need to champion those values

underpinning democratic principles and

' the cause of human liberation.

The ACLU represents the voice of rea-

son in a world torn asunder by fear and

stands at the vanguard of those who value

principle over political expediency. I con-

sider it an honor to be nominated to the

Board and will deem it a privilege to serve.

Nominated by: Board of Directors

Incumbent: No

David Kirp

My first year on the ACLU Board of

Directors has been both a confirmation

and a revelation. As a long-time civil liber-

ties advocate - first as a lawyer working

on education rights cases, more recently as

a public policy professor and journalist

focused on social justice issues - I've

been a supporter (and card-carrying mem-

ber) of the ACLU for a quarter of a century.

I've appreciated the powerful role the

organization plays in defending civil liber-

ties in court; participating in the Board's

discussions of which lawsuits to partici-

pate in has been a real honor. The ACLU's

grassroots efforts, especially the organiza-

tion's reaching out to high school students,

have been a revelation and an inspiration, -

for I'm convinced that the future of civil

liberties depends on this kind of work. At a

time when civil liberties are under threat

in sO Many areas, and most especially in

Pete Wilson's California, | hope to continue

and expand my involvement in the ACLU's

critically important work..

Nominated by: Board of Directors

Incumbent: Yes

Dennis McNally

Being able to serve on the Board for the

past two years has been one of the special

ACLU News = NovemsBer/DECEMBER 1996 = PacE 6

privileges of my life, and I would very much

like to continue doing so. I believe that as a

non-lawyer (in "real life" I am publicist for

Grateful Dead Productions), I bring a dif-

ferent - and useful - point of view to the

Board. My work on the Development |

Committee has been challenging and very

satisfying.

I've always thought that the Bill of

Rights was among the most beautiful and

important pieces of writing in history. Few

Americans seem to appreciate its glory.

That is the special honor of the members of

the ACLU, and I am proud to be a part of

that. :

Nominated by: Board of Directors

Incumbent: Yes

David

Oppenheimer

I am honored to be nominated to serve on

your Board of Directors. | was a member of

the Board from 1989-95, and continue to

serve on the Legal and Development

Committees.

I am a law professor at Golden Gate

University in San Francisco. Through the

ACLU-NG, I have been active in the past

two years in the campaign to defeat

Proposition 209, the Orwellian-named

"California Civil Rights Initiative."

If elected to the Board | will support'

our continuing efforts to raise sufficient

funds to actively protect our civil liberties

in all of the areas to which we are commit-

ted. We must continue our vigilance in pro-

tection of the First Amendment rights to

free speech, press, assembly, petition and

religion, and separation of church and

state; our Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Ninth

Amendment rights to privacy, family and

reproductive freedom, freedom from

unreasonable police conduct, the right to

counsel, and freedom from cruel and

unusual punishment such as the death

penalty; our Fourteenth Amendment right

to equality and non-discrimination based

on race, ethnicity and gender, and sexual

orientation.

Nominated by: Board of Directors

Incumbent: No

Millicent

Rutherford

It would be a pleasure to continue on the

ACLU-NC Board. As a Board member |

have been particularly interested in sepa-

ration of church and state, censorship

issues, freedom of choice, the education of

students on their Bill or Rights heritage

and in affirmative action.

Previously, as an educator and union

leader, | dealt with dress codes, uniforms,

demands for school prayers, flag salutes

and textbook censorship. As a founding

member of a Commission on the Status of

Women, | was able to remedy inequities |

had uncovered through research on educa-

_ tion for women.

Presently, on the Development Com-

mittee, I work to keep the ACLU financially

secure and to help civil liberties support-

ers give generously to the cause we believe

in.

By experience and commitment I am

prepared to serve on the Board and eagerly

look forward to this opportunity.

Nominated by: Board of Directors

Incumbent: Yes

Ethan Schulman

I am honored to have been nominated to

serve a second term on the Board. In the

ee a

| Ballot

I

I

The following are the candidates I

I for the ACLU-NC Board of Directors. I

j Please vote in the squares provided.

| You may vote for up to nine candi- |

I dates. Joint members use both I

I squares. I

CO Robert Capistrano

O (c) Darwin Farrar

O (c) Aundre Herron

O (c) David Kirp

O (c) Dennis McNally

(c) (c) David Oppenheimer

1 (c) Millicent Rutherford

O00 Ethan Schulman

OO Carl Stokes, Jr.

Please cut out and mail to ACLU-

j NC Board Elections, 1663 Mission |

I Street, Suite 460, San Francisco 94103 |

I CA. Ballots are due in the ACLU-NC I

I office by noon on December 12, 1996. I

past three years, I have attended the

Biennial Conference; served on the

Legislative and Legal Committees; and

actively participated in fund-raising at the

Board and Lawyers Council levels. I also

authored an amicus curiae brief in support

of the ACLU's position before the California

Supreme Court challenging the constitu-

tionality of the state law requiring parental |

consent or judicial authorization for

teenaged mothers seeking abortions.

As a practicing lawyer, I believe that

attorneys have a special responsibility to

support and defend civil rights and civil lib-

erties, and believe that the ACLU's role:is

_ increasingly important. I welcome the

opportunity to continue to contribute to

that fight.

Nominated by: Board of Directors

Incumbent: Yes

Carl B. Stokes, Jr.

I have been keenly aware of racial injustice |

_since I was age five, when I became the

first black student at an all white school.

Years later, the sufferings of poor HIV+ per- |

sons who cannot access health care still

shocks my sensibilities. As a robust 38-year

old gay man in my 16th year of living with |

HIV, these realities have evoked in me a

passion for social justice, and have

informed my career choices and the volun-

teer commitments | keep.

For over six years, I have provided direct

services to socially marginalized groups as a

mediator, counselor and administrator. For

example, I serve as a client advocate,

accompanying HIV+ clients from residence

hotels to appointments at St. Mary's Medical

Center; a substance abuse/HIV/mental

health counselor at Baker Place; volunteer

conciliator with Community Boards of San

Francisco, and Board member of the New

Conservatory Theater Center which offers

professional acting instruction to young

people. | co-founded "Creating Political

Fire" Dialogue which received ACLU

endorsement and sent five youth to partici-

pate in Detroit Summer. I am a consultant

specializing in conflict management train-

ing and mediation.

As a result of these experiences | feel

exceptionally well qualified to help move

the Board forward in new and exciting ways.

Nominated by: Board of Directors |

Incumbent: No

You're Wanted on the

Phone...

Join the 1996 Bill of Rights Campaign

lively "Happy Hour" reception at the

Avis ACLU-NC Activist Confe-

ence launched the 1996 Bill of

Rights Campaign. A party in San Francisco

on Tuesday, November 12 kicks off 3 weeks

of intensive phoning by volunteers in a

regional effort to raise $150,000 to support

the legal and public education programs of

the ACLU-NC.

Five phone bank nights will be held 6

PM to 9 PM at the ACLU-NC office in San

Francisco. Additional phone nights will be

held in Santa Clara and San Mateo. This

year, at each phone night guest speakers

will update volunteers on current civil lib-

erties issues (see list below); in addition,

complimentary dinner is provided, and all

phone volunteers receive either an ACLU

writing pen or a special "Cup Carrying

Member" ACLU travel mug.

Spaces are still available on the follow-

ing phone bank dates:

Tuesday, November 12 (kick-off)

Guest speaker - Francisco Lobaco,

Legislative Director ACLU - "An overview

of civil liberties victories and challenges in

Sacramento"

Monday, November 18

Guest speaker - Lucas Guttentag,

Director, Immigration Rights Project of the

ACLU - "Update on the struggle for immi-

grant's rights"

Monday, November 25

Guest speaker - Matt Coles, Director,

Lesbian/Gay Rights, HIV/AIDS Projects of

the ACLU -The implications of the

Supreme Court's ruling defeating

Amendment II in Colorado"

Wednesday, December 4

Guest speaker - Ann Brick - ACLU-NC

Staff Attorney "The ACLU Challenge to the

Communications Decency Act."

Tuesday, December 10

Nancy Otto, Director of the Howard A.

Friedman First Amendment Education

Project - "Report back from the student ~

field trip to the Mexican border"

Sign up today! Call development

assistant David Blazevich at 415/ 621-

2493.

Those Year-End Appeals

ith roughly one million charities |

operating in the United States -

and most of them seeking year-

end contributions - it's no wonder your

mailbox bulges with appeal letters as the

calendar year winds down. Seems like

everybody wants your money!

Sorting through the mail, you find

some organizations you don't even recog-

nize. You wonder, "How did these people

selmyname?

And to add to the onslaught of mail,

your telephone rings more often. "Please

help us meet our financial crisis!" "We'll

have to close our: doors if you don't

increase your support!" "The sky is falling!

The sky is falling!" It's downright confus-

ing...and irritating.

As you consider these financial appeals

you receive, we hope you will remember at

least five things about us here at the ACLU

Foundation of Northern California:

1. We count you as part of our family.

Whether you are a recent friend of the

_ ACLU, or a long-time supporter, we value

your interest and involvement. We consid-

er you a partner with us in this great enter-

prise. You are part of our family. And

together, we share a common commitment,

a common mission.

2. We remain true to our mission.

As you know, our mission is to safeguard

our constitutional heritage - to protect

ACLU News = NovemBer/DEcENBER 1996 = Pace 7

and expand those fundamental individual

rights promised to all of us by the Bill of

Rights and the California Constitution. We

want you to know that we have not veered

from this, nor do we intend to. We develop

our strategies, build our budgets, and moni-

tor our results to better achieve this mis-

sion. The ACLU has been around for over 75

years, and you can have confidence that we

are "staying the course."

3. We depend on your faithful giving.

Whether a small annual gift or a large

bequest, we rely on your financial support

to help us accomplish our important mis-

sion. The more you give, the more we can

do. It's that simple. On the other hand,

without you and our other supporters, we

could not exist. Remember, the ACLU

receives no funds from government pro-

grams or grants.

4, We pledge financial fidelity.

We wince when we hear in the news of

a scandal about a nonprofit organization,

because this casts a shadow over all chari-

ties. And so we want to affirm to you that

financial integrity is extremely important

to us. We maintain strict accounting and

reporting rules. Our audited financial

statements are available for your scrutiny.

Please know that your contribution to the

ACLU Foundation of Northern California is

treated with a keen sense of stewardship.

5. We offer personalized service.

Do you have appreciated stock or

mutual funds that would make a tax-wise

gift? Do you need to receive lifetime

income as part of your gift to the ACLU

Foundation? For these and similar ques-

tions, we employ a charitable gift planner

to assist you. Robert Nakatani will meet

with you personally to talk about your giv- -

ing goals and to show you various options.

He will guard your confidences and

respect your freedom. He is also available

to consult with your professional advisors.

As the year-end appeals come and

your thoughts turn more toward charita-

ble giving, remember the ACLU

`Foundation of Northern California. And

please call Robert Nakatani at 415/ 621-

2493 to learn more about year-end gift

planning. @

_ Tom Wicker

enowned journalist

Tom Wicker, former

New York Times

political columnist and

author of the new book,

Tragic Failure: Racial

Integration in America,

headlined the ACLU San

Francisco Chapter Annual

Meeting on September 17

at Fort Mason Center.

Introduced by out-going

Chapter Chair Phillip

Mehas, Wicker outlined the

growing fear in American

society stemming from

recent terrorist acts and the

perceived rise in violent

crime, and he warned that

- when governments make

policy decisions in a state of

fear, civil liberties will be

sacrificed. Wicker was also

critical of the way the current presidential

campaigns are touting a tough-on- crimi-

nals solution for society's ills, "We are

deluding ourselves if we think prisoners

are being coddled. Not only must prisoners

combat violence and drug abuse, but they

also, in many situations, are being deprived |

of basic educational materials so essential

for their reintegration into society."

Wicker lauded the ACLU for address-

ing these unpopular issues and called on

ACLU members to continue to bring atten-

tion to many social injustices the main-

stream media ignores.

Tom Wicker and Chapter Board member Jeannie Maher.

The evening opened with an impas-

sioned reading by performance artist

Deborah Edwards of Karen Gooden's poem

"Dear Uncle Clarence Thomas, We Did Not

Invite You." The poem expresses the out-

rage many African-Americans feel at the

anti-civil rights opinions of Supreme Court

Justice Clarence Thomas.

ACLU-NC Chair Dick Grosboll followed

with a review of efforts to defeat

Proposition 209, a chapter priority. Hf

Reporting by Public Information

intern Marianna Laczo.

TRvING HOCHMAN

Chapter Meetings

(Chapter meetings are open to all interest-

ed members. Contact the Chapter activist

listed for your area. )

B-A-R-K (Berkeley-Albany-Richmond-

Kensington) Chapter Meeting: (Usually

fourth Thursday) Volunteers needed for

the chapter hotline - call Tom Sarbaugh

at 510/526-6376 for further details. For

more information, time and address of

meetings, contact Jim Chanin at 510/548-

4752 or Rachel Richman at 510/540-5507.

Earl Warren (Oakland/Alameda County)

Chapter Meeting: (Usually first

Wednesday) Meet at 7:30 PM at Claremont

House/Activity Room, 4500 Gilbert Street,

Oakland (nr. Rockridge Shopping Center).

We encourage new members to join us as

we continue our work on the Oakland civil-

ian review board, affirmative action, and

ending drug prohibition. For more infor-

mation, call Grover Dye at 510/580-1712.

Fresno Chapter Meeting: For informa-

tion on date and time of meetings, call

Nadya Coleman at 209/229-7178.

Lesbian and Gay Rights Chapter

Meeting: (Usually first Thursday) ACLU-

NC office, 1663 Mission Street, Suite 460,

San Francisco. Mailings and other activi-

ties start at 6:30 PM. Speakers at 7:00 PM.

Business meeting starts at 7:30 PM. For

more information, contact Jeff Hooper at

510/460-0712 or Burton Weiss at 510/524-

6078.

Marin County Chapter Meeting: (Usually

third Monday) Meet at 7:30 p.m. at the

Corte Madera Town Center, Community

Meeting Room. For more information,

contact Arnie Scher at 415/332-

8704.

Mid-Peninsula (Palo Alto area) Chapter

Meeting: (Usually fourth Thursday) Meet -

at 7:30 PM. For information on meeting

locations, contact Les Earnest at 415/941-

8984 or the Chapter Hotline at 415/328-

0732.

Monterey County Chapter Meeting: Meet

at 7:15 PM, Monterey Library. For more

information, contact kichard Criley at

408/624-7562.

North Peninsula (San Mateo area)

Chapter Meeting: (Usually third Monday)

Meet at 7:30 PM, at 700 Laurel Street, Park

Tower Apartments, top floor. For more

information, contact Marshall Dinowitz

at 415/595-5131. :

Redwood (Humboldt County) Chapter

Meeting: (Usually third Wednesday) Meet

at the Office of Paul Gallego at 320 2nd

Street in Eureka at 7:30 PM. For informa-

tion on upcoming meeting dates and

times, contact Christina Huskey at

707/444-6599.

Sacramento Valley Chapter Meeting:

(Usually first Wednesday) Meet at 7:00 PM

at the Java City in Sutter Galleria

(between 29 and 380, J and K Streets) in

Sacramento. For more information, con-

tact Ruth Ordas at 916/488-9958.

San Francisco Chapter Meeting: (Usually

third Tuesday) Meet. at 6:45 PM at the

ACLU News a= NovemsBer/DecemBer 1996 "= Pace S

Nov. Ballot ...

Continued from page |

headaches, can be criminally prosecuted

for using the drug even if advised to do so

by a medical professional. The Medical

Marijuana Initiative would end the sense-

less criminalization of people seeking

relief from suffering due to illness.

In recent years, the California

Legislature has passed two proposed

statutes and a resolution easing the use of

marijuana for medical uses, with support

from the ACLU and from both liberal and

conservative legislators. Governor Wilson

vetoed the two statutory measures.

The ACLU-NC OPPOSES the

following measures:

Proposition 205/Jail Bonds -

OPPOSE

This measure provides for a bond issue

of $7 million for juvenile and adult correc-

tional facilities. The measure also allows -

but does not require - the Board of -

Corrections to use some of the funds for oth- |

er services such as prevention programs.

The ACLU-NC opposes the expansion

of jails or prisons and instead supports the

use of alternatives to incarceration.

Cognizant of the current problems of over-

crowding and bad conditions in juvenile

halls and other correctional facilities, the

ACLU believes that allocating funds to

increase the capacity to lock up greater

numbers of people is not the solution to a

failed criminal justice system.

Proposition 209/Ends Affirmative

Action - OPPOSE

The California Civil Wrongs Initiative

would eliminate affirmative action pro-

grams in state employment, contracting

and education and turn the clock back on

equal opportunity for women and people of

color.

The ACLU is committed to racial jus-

tice and gender equality and has played a

leading role in the statewide campaign to

defeat this divisive, mean-spirited mea-

sure.

Proposition 212/Campaign Spending

- OPPOSE

The "good government" title of this

measure obscures the danger that it would

do to participatory democracy.

This initiative would limit contribu-

tions from out-of-district donors to 25% ofa

candidate's donation; ban contributions

from non-profit agencies, unions and busi-

nesses; and includes new caps on individ-

ual contributions.

The ACLU-NC opposes this initiative

because it would hinder the participation

in the electoral process of under-repre-

sented candidates - e.g., minority and

gay/lesbian - and severely sap the ability

of these candidates to successfully mount

campaigns in many parts of the country

due to lack of funding. For example, in the ~

up-coming election in North Carolina

where Jesse Helms is challenged by Harvey

Gantt - an African American committed to

civil rights - Gantt would not be able to

raise sufficient funds without.contribu-

- tions from people outside the state inter-

ested in encouraging the participation of

under-represented groups.

Proposition 213/Denies Equal Access

to Courts - OPPOSE

This passage of this measure would

mean that access to our court system for

restitution on legitimate claims would be

foreclosed based on the status of an indi-

vidual. The measure denies recovery of all

damages to convicted felons for injuries

sustained during the commission of or flee-

ing from a crime and denies non-economic

damages (e.g., pain and suffering) and to

uninsured motorists and drunk drivers if

convicted for injuries sustained in auto

accidents even when these drivers are not

at fault.

The ACLU-NC is concerned that this

proposition could encourage vigilantism

against alleged criminal suspects; the

proposition would allow private individu-

als to escape liability for injuries they neg-

ligently cause to any alleged suspect. The

laws would also limit the liability of police

officers who are negligent when pursuing

or arresting afelon. In addition, this initia-

tive targets poor persons (who may not be

able to afford auto insurance) and denies

them access to fully recover damages from

those who injure them. :

NEUTRAL POsition

In addition, the ACLU Board of

Directors decided to take a neutral posi-

tion on Proposition 208/Campaign Spend-

ing Limits.

ACLU-NC Office, 1663 Mission Street,

Suite #460, San Francisco. Join us for a |

Wine and Cheese Benefit on Thursday,

November 14, at 6:30 PM with guest

speaker Tom Ammiano. For more infor- _

_ Natalie Wormeli at 916/756-1900 or the

mation, call the Chapter Information Line

at 415/979-6699.

Santa Clara Valley Chapter Meeting:

(Usually first Tuesday) Meet at 7:00 PM at

the Community Bank Towers, 8rd Floor |

Conference Room, 111 West St. John

Street, San Jose. For further chapter infor-

mation contact Bob Obrey at 405/293-2554.

Santa Cruz County Chapter Meeting:

(Usually third Thursday) Meet at 7:00 PM.

Annual Meeting on November 20 at 7:30

p.m. at the Louden Nelson Community

Center, Santa Cruz. For information on

meeting locations, contact Lucille

DesJardins at 408/425-6828.

Sonoma County Chapter Meeting:

(Usually third Wednesday) Meet at 7:30 0x00B0

PM at the Peace and Justice Center, 540

Pacific Avenue, Santa Rosa. Call Judith

Volkart at 707/526-2893 for more informa-

TO

' Yolo County Chapter Meeting: (Usually

third Thursday) Meet at 7:30 PM, 2505 5th

Street #154, Davis. Join us for a Winter

Social/Fundraiser - for more informa-

tion on this event, please call George

Grossman at 916/752-0243. For more infor-

mation on general chapter activities, call

Chapter Hotline at 916/756-ACLU.

Chapters Reorganizing

If you are interested in reviving either the

Fresno Chapter or Mt. Diablo Chapter,

please contact Field Representative Lisa

Maldonado at 415/621-2493.

Field Action

Meetings

(All meetings except those noted will be

held at the ACLU-NC Office, 1663 Mission

Street, #460, San Francisco. )

Student Outreach Committee; Meet to

plan outreach activities. For more infor-

mation, contact Nancy Otto at 415/621-

2006 ext. 87.

Student Advisory Committee: For more

information, contact Nancy Otto at

415/621-2006 ext. 87.