ALBUQUERQUE – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico is screening “Undocumented: The Other Side of the Minuteman Project” at the Guild Cinema in Nob Hill on 3405 Central Ave. NE this Saturday, October 1 at noon. ACLU-NM Staff Attorney George Bach will facilitate discussion afterwards.

This new film documents the efforts of border communities to stand up to vigilante patrols in the Mexico-U.S. border region.

“Nothing good can come from people—civilians—taking the law into their own hands,” said ACLU Executive Director Peter Simonson. “The situation only gets worse when they start carrying firearms and when their motivations are based on racial difference. By passively monitoring the vigilantes, we hope to dissuade them from falsely arresting people whom, because of their skin color, are assumed to be undocumented immigrants. The documentary illustrates the successes and experiences of such a project in Arizona.”

In April of 2005, the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona and the American Friends Service Committee of Arizona joined forces to train ‘legal observers’ to monitor the Minuteman Project. The documentary contains detailed footage from patrols last April. Legal Observing is currently under way in California and will begin in New Mexico and Texas during the month of October.

The ACLU is training teams of volunteer “legal observers” to follow, photograph, and videotape the ‘Minutemen’ who are expected to begin hunting for undocumented immigrants on the border in October. The legal observers will gather evidence for possible civil rights lawsuits. Trainings are taking place in El Paso and Las Cruces.

Ray Ybarra, an Ira Glasser Racial Justice Fellow with the national ACLU, has been organizing concerned citizens to keep an eye on vigilante groups that are forming on New Mexico’s southern border. Last spring, Ybarra organized 130 volunteers to keep an eye on the Minutemen in Arizona. Observers are instructed not to converse or otherwise engage with the Minutemen in order to avoid confrontations.

“My hope is that like slavery and racial segregation, future generations will look back upon the Minuteman Project, and this period on the border as whole, with outrage and with disbelief,” said Ibarra.

The Minutemen will begin patrolling this Saturday and the ACLU will be out observing their activities. If you are interested in volunteering this weekend, please call Claudia Guevara at 915-532-0921 or meet at the Farm worker’s Center at 210 E. Ninth Ave. in El Paso at 12pm. We will conduct training for those who have not yet received it. There will be a group heading out towards the Fabens/Ft. Hancock area and another towards Columbus/Hachita. For more information go to: www.vigilantewatch.org.

“Undocumented: The Other Side of the Minuteman Project” will screen at the Albuquerque Guild Cinema in Nob Hill on 3405 Central NE Saturday, October 1 and October 15 from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Film “Unconstitutional: the War on Our Civil Liberties” to be Shown at B’nai Israel Synagogue

ALBUQUERQUE – On Wednesday, September 28, 2005, from 7-9 PM, there will be a showing of the film “Unconstitutional: the War on Our Civil Liberties” at B’nai Israel Synagogue at 4401 Indian School Road NE. The 1-hour film will be followed by a panel discussion with UNM School of Law Professor Robert Schwartz and attorney Tova Indritz.

“Unconstitutional", an independent documentary film, presents the director’s view of the effects on individuals and communities of new laws and government actions that went into effect after 9/11. The film addresses such areas as passage of the USA Patriot Act, secret government surveillance, detention of immigrants and “unlawful combatants,” racial profiling, and prison conditions at Guantanamo Bay.

All members of the public are invited to attend this free event.

The Film Mexican Refugee will be shown this Wednesday, September 28, 2005 7:00 – 9:00 p.m at St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church 601 Montano Rd. NW, Albuquerque.

ALBUQUERQUE – Mexican Refugee humanizes the emigration, immigration, and political asylum experiences. It is essential viewing for anyone interested in social justice and gay rights struggles. Five interwoven stories reveal the ironies of government policies, inadequate enforcement, and international impunity for human rights violations. Film followed by community discussion. Bilingual English / Spanish Event.

For more info please call:Rachel Lazar at 505-246-8972 ext.113

“Undocumented: The Other Side of the Minuteman Project” will be shown at the Guild Cinema Saturday October 1 and October 15 from noon to 1:15.

ALBUQUERQUE – New film documents how communities are standing up to vigilante patrols in the Mexico-U.S. border region. During April 2005 the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona and the American Friends Service Committee of Arizona joined forces to train ‘legal observers’ to monitor the Minuteman Project. The Minuteman Project was founded on the precept that people of color are ‘destroying’ our society and the ‘invasion’ from the south will result in the destruction of the United States of America. This documentary contains detailed footage from patrols last April. Legal Observing is currently under way in California and will begin in New Mexico and Texas during the month of October.

Whistle Blower Mikey Weinstein To Speak on “The Fight to Keep Church and State Separate”

ALBUQUERQUE – The event will be held on Thursday, October 6, at 5:30 P.M. in Room 2401 at the University of New Mexico Law School. The talk will be followed by a question and answer session. Mikey Weinstein, Albuquerque attorney, businessman, and political activist, is the leader and spokesperson for the much-publicized movement to restore constitutionally-mandated separation of church and state at the United States Air Force Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In his talk, he will describe his personal and family background, which includes three generations of military academy graduates, how he became involved in and brought events at the Academy to significant national and international attention, how this serious situation impacts the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense and our nation as a whole.

CHICAGO - Robert Cormier’s “The Chocolate War” tops the list of most challenged books of 2004, according to the American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom. The book drew complaints from parents and others concerned about the book’s sexual content, offensive language, religious viewpoint and violence. This year marks the first in five in which the Harry Potter series does not top or appear on the ALA’s annual list.

The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom received a total of 547 challenges last year. A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint, filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness. According to Judith F. Krug, director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom, the number of challenges reflects only incidents reported, and for each reported, four or five remain unreported.

“With several news reports just in the past week of books like “Bless Me, Ultima,” by Rudolfo Anaya being removed from schools, we must remain vigilant,” said ALA President Carol Brey-Casiano. “Not every book is right for every person, but providing a wide range of reading choices is vital for learning, exploration and imagination. The abilities to read, speak, think and express ourselves freely are core American values.”

Anaya’s award-winning book was banned from the curriculum in Norwood High School, Colo., for offensive language. Young adult novelist Chris Crutcher’s books also have come under fire in Kansas, Alabama and Michigan this year.

Three of the 10 books on the “Ten Most Challenged Books of 2004″ were cited for homosexual themes - which is the highest number in a decade. Sexual content and offensive language remain the most frequent reasons for seeking removal of books from schools and public libraries. The books, in order of most frequently challenged, are:

“The Chocolate War” for sexual content, offensive language, religious viewpoint, being unsuited to age group and violence

“Fallen Angels” by Walter Dean Myers, for racism, offensive language and violence

“Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture” by Michael A. Bellesiles, for inaccuracy and political viewpoint

Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey, for offensive language and modeling bad behavior

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky, for homosexuality, sexual content and offensive language

“What My Mother Doesn’t Know” by Sonya Sones, for sexual content and offensive language

“In the Night Kitchen” by Maurice Sendak, for nudity and offensive language

“King & King” by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland, for homosexuality

“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou, for racism, homosexuality, sexual content, offensive language and unsuited to age group

“Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, for racism, offensive language and violence

Off the list this year, but on the list for several years past, are the Alice series of books by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, “Go Ask Alice” by Anonymous, “It’s Perfectly Normal” by Robie Harris and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain.

For more information on book challenges and censorship, please visit www.ala.org/bbooks.

ALBUQUERQUE – Judith Krug, founder of Banned Books Week, an annual celebration reminding Americans not to take the precious democratic freedom to read freely for granted, will kick off the week’s events at the downtown Albuquerque Main Library on 5th and Copper at 10:30 a.m. in a panel discussion that is free and open to the public.

Banned Books Week, celebrating the freedom to read, is observed during the last week of September each year and this year falls during the week of September 24 through October 1. Observed since 1982, Banned Books Week is now entering its 22nd year, and continues to raise awareness about censorship and remind Americans that our freedoms can be fragile if we’re not vigilant in protecting them.

Banned Books Week 2005 really hits close to home as Albuquerque’s own, Rudolfo Anaya, landed on this year’s top banned books list when his classic novel, Bless Me Ultima, was banned by a school district in Colorado. The ACLU sponsored 2005 Banned Books Week events this year features discussions with banned authors Rudolfo Anaya, Margaret Randall, and Judith Krug, a noted speaker and author in the area of intellectual freedom.

Krug remains unparalleled in her commitment to educating the public about their rights to free access of all expressions and ideas. She is the Director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom since it’s founding in 1967. Krug has advised countless numbers of librarians and trustees in dealing with challenges to library materials. She helped to found the Freedom to Read Foundation, a sister organization of ALA, and has served as its executive director since 1969.

Each year, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom receives hundreds of reports on books and other materials that were “challenged” or asked to be removed from school or library shelves. The ALA estimates the number represents only about a quarter of the actual challenges. “Most Challenged” titles include the popular “Harry Potter” series of fantasy books for children by J.K. Rowling. The series drew complaints from parents and others who believe the books promote witchcraft to children.

The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom received a total of 547 challenges last year, up from 458 in 2003. Robert Cormier’s “The Chocolate War” topped the 2004 list—drawing complaints from parents and others concerned about the books’ sexual content, offensive language, religious viewpoint and violence.

All 2005 Banned Books Week events are free and open to the public:

9/23 3-5 pm UNM Law School Room 2405: “Whittling away the First Amendment: Implications of the Patriot Act” with Judith Krug and Constitutional Law Professor Jim Fitzpatrick.

9/24 10:30 am Main Library on 5th and Copper: “Challenges of Censorship in 2005”. This Banned Books Week panel discussion will focus on censorship in literature, corporate media as a censure and the need for media reform, and the problems posed by the Patriot Act in weakening standards of surveillance and the expectation of privacy. Keynote speech delivered by American Library Association Judith Krug followed by panelists: banned author Margaret Randall, media reform expert Belinda Rawlins, and librarian Kathy Matter.

9/24 7 pm Page One, SW corner of Juan Tabo and Montgomery, Reception: Featured Speaker, Judith Krug

9/27 7 pm Bookworks: Featured Speaker, banned author Rudolfo Anaya

Locally, 2005 Banned Books Week, supporters and co-sponsors include the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, Bookworks, Borders Books, Crosswinds Weekly, KUNM 89.9 FM public radio, New Mexico Library Association, New Mexico Media Literacy Project, Page One Books, and the University of New Mexico English Department.

Nationally, Banned Books Week is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the American Library Association (ALA), the Association of American Publishers, the American Society of Journalists and Authors and the National Association of College Stores. It is endorsed by the Library of Congress Center for the Book.

A complete schedule is posted on the ACLU-NM website at www.aclu-nm.org.

ALBUQUERQUE – Today the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico joined two Locals of the International Association of Fire Fighters in filing legal challenges to ordinances in Farmington and Deming that restrict the union’s ability to act in support of political candidates.

Both ordinances also restrict the union’s use of municipal property, which the ACLU and union attorneys say violate the right to peaceful assembly.

“If private companies don’t have to suffer under these restrictions, why should unions?” said ACLU Executive Director Peter Simonson. “The firefighters should have the same right to participate in the political process as anyone else. To freely engage in First Amendment activities is the cornerstone of our democracy.”

In April ACLU and union attorneys sent letters to the cities of Deming and Farmington asking that they amend the labor ordinances to bring them in line with First Amendment guarantees. Neither city complied with the request.

ACLU Staff Attorney George Bach said, “The cities have left us no other choice but to resolve this issue in court. According to the U.S. Supreme Court, the First Amendment has ‘its fullest and most urgent application precisely to the conduct of campaigns for political office.’”

ACLU of New Mexico Staff Attorney George Bach and Cooperating Attorney Justin Lesky are handling the cases.

HOBBS – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico filed a civil rights lawsuit against the City of Hobbs on Tuesday seeking the reinstatement of former Hobbs Police Chief Kenneth W. Bohn.

The ACLU alleges that Bohn was fired on August 11th in retaliation for his efforts to clean up a host of different problems in the department, most notably a pattern of missing weapons, transfer records, and homicide evidence from the department’s evidence room.

“Chief Bohn is a man who did his job a little too well,” said ACLU Executive Director Peter Simonson. “It appears that the City wanted someone who would not make waves. When it became apparent that Bohn had more integrity than to ignore the problems with the evidence room, pay equity among the officers, and other issues, the City fired him.”

Bohn’s first indication that city officials were bothered by his efforts to improve the department came in a job performance evaluation from City Manager Dan Dible. Although Bohn received excellent marks for job performance, Dible criticized him for speaking up about safety concerns related to pay inequities.

Bohn reiterated his concerns about pay equity at a subsequent meeting of the Commission on July 17th. On August 10th, Dible issued Bohn an ultimatum that he was to resign or be terminated the following day. The letter confirming Bohn’s termination gave no reasons for the firing.

The ACLU complaint alleges other reasons for Bohn’s firing, including his discovery of apparent misuse of federal asset forfeiture funds, his objection to the use of illicit recording devices at police headquarters, his opposition to racially discriminatory practices, and his concerns about potentially inconsistent witness testimony in a lawsuit filed against the City by former interim Police Chief Donald Graham.

“The ACLU believes Chief Bohn’s First Amendment right to free speech has been violated and we hope to help him get his job back as soon as possible,” said ACLU-NM cooperating attorney Justin Lesky. “It’s the right thing for Chief Bohn and it’s the right thing for Hobbs.”

At the second meeting of the Youth Advisory Board, Wednesday, the members elected Rachel Veroff as secretary and Lauren Hawk as treasurer. A vice-chair will be elected in December. Until that time the secretary will serve as an interim vice-chair. Both Veroff and Hawk were elected unanimously.

The ACLU of New Mexico is organizing concerned individuals to keep an eye on vigilante groups that are forming on the U.S./Mexico border.

The ACLU will train teams of volunteer “legal observers” to follow, photograph, and videotape vigilante groups who are expected to begin hunting for undocumented immigrants on the border in October. The legal observers will gather evidence for possible civil rights lawsuits.

Our next trainings will be 5:30 p.m. Thursday, 9/22/05, at the St. Francis Xavier Church, 820 Broadway SE, Albuquerque, NM

For more information go to www.vigilantewatch.org

Questions or comments?
Contact Kimberly at the ACLU of New Mexico 505-266-5915 or klavender@aclu-nm.org