Journey for Justice 2007

Saturday, Dec 15 --- Tour Slideshow + Video

2007-12-15T18:16:00.000-08:00

Thank you for visiting the official blog for the Journey for Justice 2007.

Please enjoy the slides and video from this year's trip:
http://blip.tv/file/543863

You can download the video at the above site. Once on site, scroll down and look to the right hand side of the screen for the "Download Windows Media (.wmv)" link. RIGHT CLICK on this link and select "Save Target As..." Next, select where you want to save the file, and click "Save". The download should then begin.

If you have time, please read this article about the housing crisis in New Orleans: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/19/arts/design/19hous.html?hp

One more thing: If you need a good gift idea, consider the latest CD from famed SOA Watch musician Francisco Herrera. Proceeds fund his project, Trabajo Cultural Caminante, which works with local Central American communities to organize for basic needs. Find the CD at www.cdbaby.com/fjherrera. You can listen to his music and find more info on the project.

Friday, Nov 23 --- Video and Updates

2007-11-23T14:49:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a pleasant Thanksgiving holiday. The Journey for Justice 2007 tour officially came to a close this Wednesday. Carlos, Frankie, and I returned to the West Coast after travelling nearly 3,000 miles in four days. In all, our caravan drove over 6500 miles roundtrip! Thank you for following our journey....

This post contains linked video updates for earlier postings.

Sunday, Nov. 18th: The vigil at the gates of Ft. Benning.

---Watch caravan rider Tiel Rainelli cross the line onto Ft. Benning:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6425827196305187461&hl=en
Tiel sustained only minor scrapes from her crossing, and has healed well. She will be appearing in court in late January and will be sentenced at that time. Tiel is currently homeless and is moving to Ohio to live with her mother. Email is the best way to be in touch with her: tielrainelli@hotmail.com WE ARE PROUD OF YOU TIEL.

---Broken Crosses. Columbus police placed new regulations on crosses to be allowed into the vigil. Watch students having to break (or abandon) their crosses at the police barricade:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7788488381462683894&hl=en

---Sunday Vigil. This video was posted Sunday night, linked again here for your convenience:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7045110805722591527&hl=en

Saturday, Nov. 17th: Rally at the gates

---Watch a brief tour at the gates of Ft. Benning:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2554559286047494804&hl=en

Thursday, Nov 15th: Tour of the Lower Ninth Ward, New Orleans
---Watch a video of our drive through the lower ninth:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3978348877576407696
A special thanks to Jocelyn Sideco for our tour

Tuesday, Nov 20 --- Day 18

2007-11-20T21:04:00.000-08:00

Tonight I report to you from Phoenix, Arizona. Thanks to all who've helped us along the way and to make the journey for justice 2007 a success!

An update on Tiel: As you know, Tiel was arrested Sunday after climbing the main gate and landing on the soil of Ft. Benning. She was taken into custody by military police, charged with trespassing, and released later Sunday evening. She was received by friends and flew back to Los Angeles on Monday. She suffered only minor scrapes and bruises after surmounting the trip-strand barb-wire fence. The video of her crossing will be up soon... As soon as I have a spare minute I'll edit and put it up.

The rest of the Caravan is in good shape, if not a bit sore (and tired) from long hours in the van. Since Sunday, Carlos, Frankie, and I have driven over 1900 miles... One thousand of them today. We logged 15 hours in the van today - From Austin to Phoenix - and I think that's enough to make anybody crazy. We've been well received by friends in Arizona, however, and are in good spirits.

Yesterday (Monday), we travelled from New Orleans to Austin. A section of the I-10 near Lafayette had been destroyed over the weekend by a natural gas explosion, so we had to take a 60-mile detour to get back on track. Once in Austin, our group was interviewed by the local community radio station about our journey, the weekend in Columbus, and the role of the SOA in US foreign policy. 91.7 KOOP fm's "Bringing Light into Darkness" program, hosted by Pedro Gatos, broadcast our discussion to the Austin region. I will try to get a copy of that conversation for the blog... I'll let you know. KOOP.org is the website for the station, though at this time it isn't possible to listen to past shows.

Tomorrow we will again visit Fr. Louie Vitale in prison at El Centro, California. For more on Fr. Louie, see http://journeyforjustice2007.blogspot.com/2007/11/remembering-fr.html and also
http://journeyforjustice2007.blogspot.com/2007/11/letter-from-fr-louie-and-fr-steve.html.

One more thing: Since we began keeping track just 7 days ago, this blog has been viewed over 300 times by more than 200 people from around the country... and the world. Thank you for being part of our journey!

Sunday, Nov 18 --- The Vigil

2007-11-18T21:27:00.000-08:00

Welcome! Today marks the 17th anniversary of the vigil and solemn procession at the gates of Ft. Benning, Georgia to peacefully call for the closing of the US Army's School of the Americas.

A record crowd of over 25,000 peaceful demonstrators gathered today to call for an end to US training of Central and South American soldiers at the notorious SOA/WHINSEC.

The vigil is primarily composed of a solemn procession during which the names of thousands of the victims who have died by the hands of those trained at the SOA are sung aloud... followed by a resounding "Presente" from the crowd. We remember those who have perished at the hands of injustice by raising white crosses as the names are sung... each cross bears the name of a woman, man, or child who died by this violence. We will not forget!

Watch video of the event: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7045110805722591527&hl=en

11 prisoners of conscience crossed the line today. In other words, eleven wonderful people made the conscious decision to cross onto the grounds of Ft. Benning, an act deemed to be a federal crime by our government. These 11 stand in solidarity with Latin Americans who have suffered the crimes committed by those trained at the SOA, and have risked much to demonstrate their disapproval of the continued operation of the school.

Caravan rider Tiel Rainelli of Los Angeles was among those who crossed the line onto Ft. Benning. She climbed up and over a barb-wire chain-link fence before being arrested by military police. WAY TO GO TIEL!!!

Video of of Tiel's crossing will be coming soon.

SOA Watch founder Fr. Roy Bourgeois leads the procession along with presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich
Remembering those who have died at the hands of students trained at the SOA
In a first for the Sunday vigil, Columbus police placed length and girth restrictions on the size of crosses that could be carried into the vigil. Citing larger crosses as potential deadly weapons, police required that thousands of crosses bearing the names of Central and South American citizens killed by graduates of the SOA be broken down in order to conform to these new regulations
Many crosses were simply too thick to break, and had to be abandoned. Officers turned away from the camera as I took the picture above.Demonstrators were able to arrange some of these crosses along the road. Too strong to be intimidated by such tactics, participants in today's events continued stronger. Thousands of people! This view looking toward the stage, with the gates of the Fort behind it
This view facing toward the entrance to the demonstration
Three fences have been erected to "protect" the fort from those devilish protesters....
Countless thousands of crosses, each bearing the name of a victim of a student trained at the SOA, transform the fence from a symbol of separation and oppression into one of remembrance, love, and solidarity.

A special thanks to all those who participated in and have supported the movement to close the School of the Americas. The sheer size of the demonstration today is a sign that public awareness is growing... for more information, please visit: soaw.org

Saturday, Nov 17 --- Day 17

2007-11-17T19:56:00.000-08:00

The main event today was a rally at the gates of Ft. Benning. Music, speeches, and remembrances were par for this sunny, clear day. Many veterans of the SOA protest agreed that today was the largest Saturday crowd anyone could remember. Our numbers are growing, and the majority of the crowd was composed of students and young people.

With these pictures I hope to convey a sense of the sheer size of this peaceful, dedicated group.

Friday, Nov 16 --- Day 14

2007-11-17T19:52:00.000-08:00

Today we left New Orleans and drove up to Columbus, GA. San Francisco to Columbus, in two weeks! It was wonderful to arrive and meet with friends from around the country. We all went our own ways in Columbus, busy with various events at the convention center.

Sorry, no pictures today... after New Orleans I needed a break. More to come though...

Thursday, Nov 15 --- Day 13

2007-11-15T18:17:00.000-08:00

Today Carlos spoke to a Latin American studies class in the morning, followed by an early afternoon presentation to law students at Loyola Law School.

Latin American studies class

At dusk we participated in a prayer vigil and sendoff event for Loyola students travelling to the SOA protest this weekend in Columbus. A powerful event. Have a safe trip, Loyola.

Earlier in the afternoon we were given a two-hour tour of the damage done in New Orleans by Katrina. I'll let the pictures say the rest. We toured Lakeview, Gentilly Woods, the Upper Ninth, and the Lower Ninth Ward. Keep in mind that Katrina hit over TWO YEARS ago. While some have remodeled and rebuilt, many have not been so fortunate. Katrina was only the beginning of the disaster for most; political and economic corruption and greed have exploited and marginalized thousands upon thousands of New Orleans residents.

Lakeview Area:

Rubble is all that remains of demolished homes

Shopping areas still sit, vacated

Residents who can rebuild, do. Many have lived in trailers since the storm. The wealthier neighborhoods have recovered faster.

Gentilly Woods:

Tour Guide Jocelyn points to the floodwater level in a now-gutted home

Lower Ninth Ward:

The city hasn't even replaced street signs in the lower ninth. The few brave remaining locals have erected their own. Grass and bushes reclaim land on which hundreds of homes once stood.

The lower ninth is on the right. A quarter-mile stretch of the levy was destroyed.

The Upper-Ninth

The Projects, still abandoned. As of today, the city has not rebuilt a single one of its projects. Thousands of units remain uninhabitable.

Today was a somber day on the Journey for Justice. While we speak about human rights in Central and South America, we cannot ignore the fight for justice on US soil. Please visit the following links for more info about the case of New Orleans...

http://www.peopleshurricane.org/news/

http://roadtola.org/

http://www.justiceforneworleans.org/

http://thinknola.com/instiki/wiki/show/Citizens'+Road+Home+Action+Team

http://abc26.trb.com/news/wgno_111407roadhome,0,3586947.story?coll=wgno-news-1)

Wednesday, Nov 14 --- Day 12

2007-11-14T21:00:00.000-08:00

New Orleans, here we come! The caravan left Houston early this morning to get a head start on our drive to New Orleans. As the I-10 continues East the landscape becomes progressively greener and the atmosphere more humid. Long stretches of the freeway are built on stilts above miles and miles of swampland. The last stretch into the city crosses a portion of the Southwest corner of Lake Pontchartrain, with the downtown visible far in the distance. This approach makes for a gorgeous view.
Crossing the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge

Raised freeways cross miles of swampland

An oil refinery in the distance... a common sight on the gulf coast
Vestiges of Katrina were visible as we passed a crumpled blue house washed up against the shore of the lake. More on this later

We arrived at Loyola University early in the afternoon. What a school! We are guests in one of the campus dormitories and it has been nice to meet local students. After a late lunch, Carlos spoke to an advanced Spanish history class about the his torture experiences in El Salvador and the role of the SOA in US foreign policy.

Martyrs Week at Loyola U

Later in the afternoon we visited with a local representative of the nonprofit Interfaith Worker Justice. We learned much about working conditions for minorities, local economic policy, and the extensive reconstruction corruption in New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina. Please visit this page on the IWJ website to learn more:

http://iwj.org/actnow/gccre.html

Tomorrow we have several speaking engagements and will take part in a vigil for the Jesuit Martyrs and a sendoff event for the 30 Loyola students travelling to protest at Ft Benning this weekend. We also hope to squeeze in a tour of the city, so be sure to check back for pictures.

Before I go, I've got to mention one thing: This is my first trip to New Orleans, and ever since Katrina I have felt a need to see with my own eyes the damage done not only by the storm itself, but by the ensuing corruption, scandal, and outright injustices committed by those in power who have "guided" reconstruction of the city. Tonight we swallowed hard as we passed through a decadent middle class neighborhood in mid-town on our way to the IWJ. Within two blocks, we counted no less than five homes - their first floors gutted - with huge piles of debris awaiting removal in the front yard. At least two homes had trailers parked in the driveway, presumably for residence during renovation. This is over TWO years after the storm... and in a nice neighborhood. I fear we've only seen the beginning, however, and there shall be much more to report after tomorrow.

Be well!

Tuesday, Nov 13 --- Day 11

2007-11-13T21:09:00.000-08:00

The Caravan said good-bye to our lovely hosts in Austin as we made our way East to Houston. The drive took about four hours and went smoothly. Once in Houston we made our way to tonight's lodging at the Maryknoll House to drop off our things and prepare for our afternoon events.

First, we spoke with an amazing group of young adults at the Sharpstown Middle School in Houston. We were invited to present our topic during an after-school program for at-risk youth. Carlos began by conveying some of his experiences as a torture survivor, and later discussing the role of torture in war. Frankie also said a few words to the group about the importance of leadership among oppressed peoples. It was Tiel, however, who really got things going. She engaged students in a passionate discussion of race, class, empowerment, disempowerment, and the importance of thinking for oneself. The students with whom we met absolutely amazed us with their comments, insights, and questions. .... And to those students who are reading this now... Our ability to access the internet is very limited today, but Tiel promises be in contact as soon as she can. Thanks for making our afternoon!

Later in the evening Carlos was interviewed on-the-air by a local radio station concerning his recent court victory over the two Salvadoran generals responsible for his kidnapping and torture during the civil war in El Salvador. 90.1 KPFT, a Pacifica Radio station, broadcast his interview beginning at 8:15 pm local time on the show "Nuestra Palabra".

You can listen to the entire show here:

http://archive.kpft.org/pls.php?mp3fil=8348766

You can download the show here:

http://archive.kpft.org/mp3/071113_193001np.MP3

Note: The interview with Carlos takes place during the last 15 minutes of the one-hour show. Both links are directly from the KPFT website: kpft.org

A special thanks to Tony Diaz, Lianna Lopez, and Bryan Parras of "Nuestra Palabra" for making the interview possible. Please visit the show's websites: nuestrapalabra.org and myspace.com/nuestrapalabra

Host Tony Diaz interviews Carlos

And last, I just can't resist. If your shoe gets sick in Houston......

Thanks for reading!

Monday, Nov 12 --- Day 10

2007-11-13T20:19:00.000-08:00

Our last full day in Austin, today was spent both downtown and at the University of Texas. We had lunch at a nice little taqueria before heading over to the UT to speak to students in the Latin American Studies Department. Renowned Central American author Arturo Arias, an old friend of Carlos', hosted the event.

Carlos spoke to an exceptionally engaged group of 45 students, who in turn had a number of intriguing questions. The entire event lasted over an hour and a half... a special thanks to the students for staying late!

After the event Professor Arias invited friends, colleagues, and our caravan to his house for a party. We enjoyed the chance to relax and take time to have fun with friends.

Author Arturo Arias (second from the left) poses with Tiel, Carlos, and Frankie in front of a small portion of his impressive literary collection

Carlos and Arturo addressing UT students

Sunset on the landmark UT Austin Tower

Sunday, Nov 11 --- Day 9

2007-11-12T23:04:00.000-08:00

Watch Carlos tell his story over the internet! Video may take a minute to load:

[55 minutes. Filmed Nov 11, 2007 in Austin, Texas. Carlos begins by speaking about the recent political developments in Burma, where he spent 8 months earlier this year, before telling his own story and placing it within a larger context of national foreign policy.]

Today our group travelled to the northern region of Austin to the Live Oak Community Church. Carlos spoke to a small but personable group following the mid-afternoon service. Though today's audience was modest, many more will have the opportunity to hear & see the speech: local documentarians were on hand to film for Austin's cable access channel, and a radio show host from KOOP 91.7 FM Austin also recorded Carlos' story.

55 minutes of today's speech are now available here on the blog courtesy of blip.tv. A special thanks to Pam and Stefan Wray for making the video available online.

If you have problems playing the video above, please visit the following link to view the video in-site:

http://iconmedia.blip.tv/file/479561/

The following pictures are from today's event:

All pictures snapped at Live Oak Unitarian Church in Austin.

The Letter from Fr. Louie and Fr. Steve

2007-11-12T09:26:00.000-08:00

Pasted below is the text of the letter that Fr. Louie Vitale and Fr. Steve Kelly were attempting to deliver when they were arrested at Ft Huachuca last November. For more info, please visit
http://tortureontrial.org/

TO: MAJ. GEN. BARBARA FAST

We are here today as concerned U.S. people, veterans and clergy, to speak with enlisted personnel about the illegality and immorality of torture according to international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions.

We condemn torture as a dehumanization of both prisoners and interrogators, resulting in humiliation, disability and even death. In addition to the hundreds of detainees who have died, we are also concerned about U.S. military personnel. Alyssa Peterson committed suicide after participating in the torture of Iraqi prisoners. Lynndie England and others have been imprisoned for their illegal activities.

We are here today at Ft. Huachuca in solidarity with tens of thousands of people at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation at Ft. Benning, Georgia (formerly known as the School of the Americas) to say that the training of torturers must immediately stop. Nothing justifies the inhumane treatment of our fellow brothers and sisters.

Torture by U.S. military personnel has reached alarming proportions and has horrified people around the world. We are convinced that the Military Commissions Act of 2006 is unconstitutional. We totally reject its conclusions. Torture is a useless and unreliable tool that leads to an accepted practice of terrorization and the rationalization of wrongdoing.

We are here today to repent and clearly state that because of our sense of moral and human decency we condemn torture.

NOT IN OUR NAME.

Signed this 19th day of November, 2006
Louis Vitale, OFMÂ Â Â Steve Kelly, SJ

A Special Appeal From Tiel --- A Caravan Rider Speaks

2007-11-12T09:13:00.000-08:00

I'm Getting Arrested!
Wanna help buy my ticket home?

[Photo: Riders Tiel and Frankie ]

On Sunday October 29th in the middle of the night my appendix got ta tripp'n, damn near dead and puking my own feces I drove myself from South Central to White Memorial Hospital in East Los Angeles. Less than 5 hours after they had cut my stomach open and taken my appendix, I ripped three IV's out my body and despite being admitted with no insurance until late Wednesday evening, I checked myself out of the hospital and into a state of clarity. Fear fled my being like cockroaches caught by kitchen lights, and I began to believe again. I have marched, protested, lobbied, organized, and studied in my small acts of resistance against the SOA, but as I laid up in dat hospital, I could not shake a conversation that I had two years ago while in DC lobbying with Hector. Like the family ink on my arms, his words became tattooed to my soul: the blessing is next to the wound. And so I began to ask myself, if the blessing is next to the wound, why am I so scared of getting hurt?..........

I have contemplated getting arrested for two years now, but punk'd out each time. I am very aware that the materialism and privilege I enjoy (even as a homeless and jobless community organizer) are at the foundation, the very core, of my not getting arrested, of my not advancing my own struggle towards liberation and solidarity. As I thought about past SOAW protests, I was flooded by images of my elders getting arrested and taking risks that should be my own. I became enraged with myself for allowing my elders to do "my work". I mean, these folks should be kick'n me down knowledge, advising my journey through the wisdom of their mistakes while simultaneously trusting the ever changing dynamics of innovative youth, but instead are left like single mothers to perform and master all roles within the movement. This is not to denounce or minimize the college kids organizing nor to say that old folks shouldn't get arrested, rather this is a call to myself and young people everywhere, particularly those of us from the slums, ghettos, and projects of this country, to STAND UP. It's evident that the system don't give a fuck about us, but the real question is do we give a fuck about each other? It is here in this space that I made the decision to get arrested and accept the 3-6 months prison time that accompanies the civil disobedience. I have been fortunate enough to receive bail assistance but am in desperate need of funds to secure a plane ticket home. I am calling on all those visiting the blog to offer solidarity in my attempt to resist by helping me to purchase my ticket back. There are indeed many roles to be played in the movement, and I am asking those of you who are in a position to do so, to do so! Getting arrested is not the climatic point of my involvement in struggle, rather the birthplace of a new phase of activism and resistance. If indeed you are interested in helping me to secure my ticket home you can get at me via email: tielrainelli@hotmail.com or by phone 323-742-3538.

I must keep it proper and offer a few shout outs/thank yous: to my mother, a thoroughbred bottom bitch who not only taught me to ride or die for my people and convictions but who also embodied dat soldier style mentality when she did her bid behind da wall wit her mouth shut and her eyes open-I luv you girl! To my SOLA families and South Central, the lessons in love and community that I have gained from yall drive my actions, strengthen my commitment to justice, and further develop my radical will. To Marianne, whose integrity and profound commitment to non-violence has inspired, challenged, and helped to heal me. To my fellow Ragers from SCCC, youth and adult- the honesty and acceptance we share each Friday is the most important set of interactions I have yet to experience, I carry your anger and rage with me as I transform my own! To Charlita, my sister in struggle whose support and understanding has provided a space for my tears and laughter. To the entire SOAW Community whose agency, persistence, and resilience have forced me to challenge my own struggles with victimization, therefore demanding levels of self-accountability previously unseen. And to my Fly Girl, who in my first week out tha hospital nursed me back to health on levels that stretch far beyond the physical- you know what it is girl!

And finally......

To my slum livin young people search'n for meaning in a society that isolates and oppresses us, I call upon your critique, your lived experience, and your participation in the struggle. No longer should we allow others to speak for us, it is indeed time we spoke and organized for ourselves. Oppression has left us with a sickness that disrupts and perverts our capacity to love and resist and we have an undeniable responsibility to ourselves and each other to decolonize our minds and rebuild our communities.

Get Free Or Die Try'n!

In Solidarity and Struggle,

-T-

Saturday, Nov 10 --- Day 8

2007-11-11T16:40:00.000-08:00

Today is our day of rest --- no scheduled speaking events. I (Joe) spent the day resting and catching up on emails and the blog, and tackling technical problems with my computer and camera… seems they are smarter than I sometimes.

The rest of the group headed into Austin to visit friends and a local museum.

I snapped these photos of our hosts' backyard. A very restful place indeed... We are grateful for their tremendous hospitality.

Carlos telling a story

Frankie in the hammock

Friday, Nov 9 --- Day 7

2007-11-11T09:03:00.000-08:00

Today we left El Paso at 6 am and embarked on the longest single-day drive of the trip: El Paso to Austin. West Texas is a scenic stretch of desert, slowly giving way to greener foliage as we approached the city.

Beautiful Texas sunrise just East of El Paso

Texas countryside on the path to Austin

The drive was long, and it was a relief to arrive in Austin and be able to stand up and stretch. We got in about 5 pm in order to join local SOA Watch Austin in their weekly protest outside the capitol building. We held the sign (seen below) for an hour and had a number of thumbs-up and honks of support from passing motorists. After the protest we enjoyed dinner near the capitol before heading to stay with our host family.

SOA Watch-Austin member Ken Hayes holds up one end of the protest banner. Ken informed

us that Austin is organizing a bus to the vigil at the gates of Ft. Benning. Over 60 people from Austin and surrounding areas in Texas will be heading to the protest next week. We'll see you there Austin!

2007-11-11T08:42:00.000-08:00

Thursday, Nov 8th --- Day 6

2007-11-11T08:15:00.000-08:00

[Please Note: This posting has been updated as of Saturday, Nov. 10th]

Today I write to you from a small internet cafe in Juarez, Mexico. Juarez is just across the border from El Paso... so close, in fact, that we parked our van on one side of the border and walked over a pedestrian bridge into Mexico. [note: posting updated since Juarez]

Bright and early this morning we left our gracious host family in Phoenix on our way to El Paso, Texas. The I-10 interstate through Arizona and New Mexico offers stunning views of the desert landscape. The following pictures are from the road:

A red-white-and blue "A" overlooking the city of Tucson

"The Thing" somewhere in New Mexico. Never did figure out what it was though.

Tiel, doing her part to keep America beautiful...

Passing the continental Divide

We arrived in El Paso and checked in at Casa Vides, a local shelter for those in need. We would later speak and then stay at the shelter, but we took several hours to visit Juarez, just across the border. From El Paso it is possible to walk across the border, which we did. I spent much of my time at the internet café posting for the blog, and the others did some sightseeing.

Local grafitti in the aqueduct separating Juarez from El Paso, as seen from the pedestrian bridge connecting the two cities.

Frankie contemplating as we cross the border. El Paso is in the background.

Later we returned to the Casa in El Paso. There Carlos spoke to a crowd of over 85 people about the SOA and its role in US foreign policy, including his own personal story. The group was about half young people/students and half middle-age and elders from the local area. The group was very involved and asked great questions… and its organizers are planning to take a busload of people to protest at Ft. Huachuca during the weekend protest at the SOA in Georgia. The pictures below are from the event.

Carlos preparing for his speech at Casa Vides. The mural in the main room displays a quote from Archbishop Oscar Romero: "Si Me Matan, Resucitare En Mi Pueblo" --- "If They Kill Me, I Shall Resurrect In My People".

The evening event at Casa Vides, with a crowd of over 85.

El Paso, United. Way to go EP.

We wish to offer a special thanks to great folks at Casa Vides for hosting a fabulous event and for making us comfortable during our stay. And again, thank you, our readers, for your support. Together we are making a difference. What a joy it has been to meet so many people- students especially- who are asking questions, getting organized, and heading out to exercise their rights and demand public accountability. We can do it!

Wednesday, Nov 7 --- Day 5

2007-11-08T15:05:00.000-08:00

Today our caravan was able to visit Fr. Louie Vitale at the Imperial County Jail in El Centro, CA (for more on Fr. Louis, see the Nov. 4 posting below). Driving from Phoenix it took over 4 hours each way, but we all felt that this trip was a very important one. We left Phoenix at 4:30 pm in order to arrive for his 9:00 pm visiting slot. By the time we made it back to Phoenix it was nearly 3 AM ... but well worth the sacrifice.

The picture to the left was taken when Fr. Louie was arrested in D.C. some time ago

Due to prison regulations only two of us were able to visit him inside the building, so Carlos and Frankie went in while Tiel and I waited outside. Fr Louie was very surprised and pleased that our delegation was able to make the trip to see him on our way to Ft Benning. He is in good spirits and reports that the prison has accomodated his request for vegetarian food. They are keeping him in solitary confinement, meaning that he is by himself in his cell for 23 hours a day. We believe that this decision is for political reasons; it is not due to his health (he reports feeling well) and he did not request solitary. He is lonely at times and would appreciate letters from anyone who wishes to write him... I shall post his address below. He gave Carlos a message to deliver to the crowd at the gates of Ft. Benning, and another for me to post here... however he gave it to Frankie and Frankie wrote in Spanish, so as soon as I can translate I will post it here for you! Fr Steve Kelly's address is listed below also.
.................................

Louis Vitale

ID# 292487

Booking # 879645

Imperial County Jail

P.O.Box 679

El Centro, CA 92244

..................................

Fr. Louie, PRESENTE!

.........................................
Stephen Kelly #00816111
CCA
P. O. Box 6300
Florence, AZ 85232
........................................

Fr. Stephen, PRESENTE!

Tiel snapped this shot of a gorgeous Arizona sunset as we departed for El Centro

Frankie, Tiel, and Carlos outside the Jail in El Centro

For more information, please visit http://tortureontrial.org/

Earlier Wednesday, Carlos presented his story to two morning classes at Brophy Prep in Phoenix. At lunch, we met with the 20 students from Brophy who will be attending the SOA protest later this month. The students asked excellent questions of Carlos, and we look forward to seeing them in Columbus!

This is a statue of St. Ignatius of Loyola on the grounds at Brophy

Our Tuesday event at Arizona State made the school paper! Please read the article --- http://www.asuwebdevil.com/issues/2007/11/07/news/702641

Tuesday, Nov 5 --- Day 4

2007-11-06T22:23:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the Journey for Justice 2007 official blog!

We welcome your comments on blog postings... please click on the word "Comments" at the end of each post to leave your ideas.

We would like to announce the addition of our 4th caravan member! Tiel is a local organizer and community activist in South-Central LA, and one of the founding members of the SOA Watch - Los Angeles. She will be a valuable addition to our group! I will get a good picture up by tomorrow, along with more info about our newest member.

Today the caravan left Los Angeles and travelled along the I-10 to Phoenix, Arizona. We drove through the San Bernardino Mountains and a beautiful stretch of the desert on our way to Arizona State. The pictures below are from the road:

This one made us laugh: The orange sign says "yellow"???

Crossing the State line!

Our first stop in AZ was at Arizona State University in Tempe. The school is huge! Carlos spoke to over 50 students at an event organized by the Phoenix SOA Watch. The local chapter (which is just a year old!) made plenty of information available, and had one of the local State representatives attend the meeting to explain how the State representatives of Arizona voted on the last bill to close the School of the Americas. Way to go SOA Watch Phoenix! Pictures of ASU and the event below:

The Caravan along with Arizona State organizers

Last, we headed over to Brophy Prep in Phoenix, where Carlos related his story to over 75 students, faculty, and parents. Brophy is sending a delegation of 20 students to the protest at Ft Benning later this month... Way to go Brophy!!

2007-11-05T21:30:00.000-08:00

In Solidarity with Fr. Louie Vitale

Today we made a request to visit Fr. Louie Vitale who is presently being held on a federal contract at a county jail in El Centro, CA. He has been sentenced for five months along with his brother priest Steve Kelly for non-violent tresspassing at Ft. Huachuca. They were sentenced on Oct 17th, the first anniversary of signing into law the Military Commission Act of 2006 which makes torture legal by United States military. They were arrested in November 2006 while attempting to deliver a request to the commander of Ft. Huachuca to stop the training. This is where torture training manuals were developed to be used at the SOA. The commander at the time was the former commander at Abu Graib. For more information please visit: http://www.tortureontrial.org/.

Today, Monday, was a busy day for the caravan group. Our last day in Los Angeles, we visited students and faculty at Loyola High School LA. Carlos spoke during the second and third class periods of the day, and again during the lunch break. Between the three sessions, over one-hundred students attended the lectures. We were pleased to learn that Loyola is sending 24 students, 6 faculty members, and 3 parents to protest the School of the Americas at the gates of Ft Benning later this month. Incidentally, Fr. Louie is an alumni of the school... class of 1950! That's right, do the math. Pictures of the school and some of the students we visited are posted below.

Later we met with Frankie Flores, who will be joining the tour when we leave town Tuesday morning. A four-year veteran of the Journey for Justice tour, Frankie is a well-respected social activist and human rights advocate in Los Angeles. Like Carlos, he is also a Salvadoran torture survivor. He brings a great amount of experience and knowledge to our caravan, and we are happy to have him. Frankie is pictured below.

In the evening we visited the Dolores Mission Church, which is also in East LA, not too far from the Catholic Worker where we are staying. Carlos relayed his story of being abducted in El Salvador, and spoke to the political and military history that has lead to the immigration of millions of Salvadoran people to the United States. A group of about 25 guests at the mission attended the event, along with several local community members. Many in the group are Salvadoran refugees... it was a powerful evening. Some from the group are pictured below. Many beautiful murals grace the walls of the mission, and I have included two pictures I snapped on the way in.

Finally, I would like to say a big "Thank You!" to the wonderful tenants and staff of the LA Catholic Worker. We have been treated extremely well by all and are very grateful for the company our new friends have provided... not to mention invaluable driving directions, good food, and lively conversation. I would advise anyone travelling through LA to stop by... the house is just off the I-5, near Cesar Chavez Avenue. These are some really wonderful people: They keep a clean house, run a program that feeds the homeless every day of the week (1,000 plus plates served), and find time for a multitude of other social activities that benefit the underserved communities of Los Angeles. I snapped a picture of some of the staff members:

From left to right: Emily, Margaret, Allison, Faustino, and Patty.

Please visit their website: http://www.lacatholicworker.org/

Sunday, Nov 4 --- Day 2

2007-11-04T21:17:00.000-08:00

Today's main event took place at the First Unitarian Church in Downtown LA. Over a million Salvadoran refugees live in Los Angeles, and this church has provided assistance to the community over the years. Today's event drew a crowd of SOA Watch LA members, local activists, church members, and community friends.

The rest of the day was spent running errands, finding our way through the traffic of LA, and trying to get Carlos a cell phone. The Catholic Worker here is absolutely wonderful; the volunteers made breakfast and dinner, and residents have been very kind. The house is a grand old Victorian, the original farmhouse from the days when East LA was a farming community. The view from the top floor is stunning, as you can see in the picture below. Tomorrow we're off to Loyola High School and the Dolores Mission church.

Saturday, Nov 3 --- Day 1

2007-11-04T11:58:00.000-08:00

Thank you for visiting the first official Journey for Justice blog page! While the Tour celebrates its fourth year of travel, this is the first that it comes to you via the world-wide-web. We hope you enjoy...

The tour officially began at 9:30 am in front of the Dolores Mission Church in the Mission District of San Francisco. Friends and supporters turned out to send us off with prayers and goodwill. Local SF musician Francisco Herrera led the group in several songs on the bright Bay-Area morning.

Two participants departed from the Bay Area. Carlos Mauricio, main speaker and 4 year veteran of the trip, is a Salvadoran torture survivor and respected social activist. While Carlos has made San Francisco his home, he spends much of time travelling and working to promote human rights in the Americas. Joe O'Neill (blog author) is a recent graduate of Holy Names University in Oakland, CA. This is his fourth trip to protest the SOA/WHINSEC, and first year on the Journey for Justice tour.

Now that you've met the two of us, I (Joe) will be writing in the 1st person, because narrating in the 3rd is just plain awkward!

We drove south on the I-5 to the small town of La Paz, in the hills about an hour outside of Bakersfield. Cesar Chavez, renowned leader of the UFW, is buried in La Paz, and it has become custom for the tour to visit this site to remember the spirit of Chavez as we begin our journey across the United States.

La Paz was in the middle of a Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration, and there was music and dancing at the labor museum. We met with Dolores Velasco, widow of the late Pete Velasco, also a leader of the UFW.

From La Paz we travelled south to Los Angeles, arriving at 6 pm for Carlos to speak to a group composed of SOA Watch LA members as well as Salvadoran FMLN supporters living in the city.
Attendees at that meeting invited us to join them later in the evening at the Los Angeles convention center. The 2009 FMLN presidential candidate for El Salvador would be speaking to Salvadorans living in the area... so we went along and watched the event. Afterwards, our group held up our "close the soa" banner as the participants exited the lecture hall, and we were greeted with numerous cheers and thumbs-up.

Finally we returned to the Los Angeles Catholic worker, where we will be staying over the weekend.