Our New Anahuac

An Open Letter to Sheriff Adrian Garcia   La Raza Justice Movment July 27, 2010   Honorable Adrian Garcia Sheriff of Harris County 1200 Baker St Houston, TX 77002       Dear Sheriff Garcia:   On Tuesday, July 20, 2010I was contacted by someone from the area of 45 and Airtex.  One night prior, [...]

I don’t know if “hero” is the right word, but there is certainly a place in the history of struggle for those slaves who broke free from their masters’ grip and ran north or ran to indigenous nations toward freedom.  Actually, yeah, hero is the right word.  Certainly, one of their organizers, Harriet Tubman, is [...]

Is anyone above the law?  Certainly, the Bill of Rights did not extend the freedom of religion to include illegal activities, especially if said activities do not pertain to the faith of the individuals.  Certainly, there is precedent in this country of prosecuting religious figures of small and large religions and sects.  Joseph Smith of [...]

My father, an attorney for thirty years, came in this morning to the office with a funny smile, which made me know something was up.  We exchanged our morning greeting, and I paused, knowing that he had something to say.  I was eating some oatmeal at the time, and he told me that the courts are a [...]

First and foremost, thank you to Citlali Chavana, who is typing this post for her jefito due to his broken pinky. No doubt she will one day be a great writer/fashion designer/actress/whatever she wants to be. Last Fridayish, Attorney General Eric Holder held a press conference in which he explained why some of the 9-11 criminals [...]

It is difficult to find a government program which is criticized by both Fox News and Democracy Now but fusion centers seem to fit the bill.  Even many avid news watchers have never heard of fusion centers, despite the fact that the federal government has set up around sixty of them throughout the country.  Put plainly, [...]

Tell us a little bit about your Nahuatl name. How did you receive the name, and why did you feel it was important to use that name publicly? I wrote something about my Nahuatl name which I am attaching for your review. (I will have it copied and pasted under this paragraph for you.) I [...]

In this piece, Efren responds to a few of my questions. Check back for more interview questions in Part III including information on his Nahuatl name. Tell me a little bit about the most recent efforts to secure your release. Specifically, is there any review pending? I currently have a commutation request pending before Michigan [...]

Efren Paredes Jr. was robbed of his freedom at fifteen years of age.  Especially for those not involved in social justice issues, I will begin with the words of Efren’s mother from the 4efren.com website: I know it is difficult for people who have not experienced a wrongful conviction in their family to understand how [...]