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TODAY'S
WORD WITH
JOEL &
VICTORIA
WORD WITH
JOEL &
VICTORIA
Enlarge Your
Territory
Today's Scripture
“Oh, that you would bless me
and enlarge my territory…” (I
Chronicles 4:10).
God wants to bless you and
enlarge your territory. Your
territory can be your sphere of
influence or your realm of
responsibility or authority. Are
you ready for increase in your
life today? You may desire
God’s increase, but the Bible
says we have not because we
ask not. Are you asking for
God’s blessing? Are you
asking Him to enlarge your
territory? When you ask God
to bless you, your faith is
activated which opens the
door for Him to work in your
life. Open your heart today
and ask for God’s blessing,
ask for His discernment and
wisdom. Ask Him to make you
more effective on your job;
ask Him to increase the
quality of your relationships;
ask for more people to love
and encourage. Ask Him to
enlarge your territory so that
you can be a greater blessing
to those around you. As you
take a step of faith in prayer
today, God will hear you. He’ll
open doors that no man can
close and pour out His
abundance in every area of
your life!
A Prayer for Today
Father in heaven, today I open
my heart to You and ask You
to bless me. I ask You to
increase me in every area and
teach me to be faithful to You
always. In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.
(To receive daily e-votional
directly at your inbox, register
at www.joelosteen.com.
Copyright 2007. All rights
reserved. Used by
permission. Int'l. copyright
secured.)
Territory
Today's Scripture
“Oh, that you would bless me
and enlarge my territory…” (I
Chronicles 4:10).
God wants to bless you and
enlarge your territory. Your
territory can be your sphere of
influence or your realm of
responsibility or authority. Are
you ready for increase in your
life today? You may desire
God’s increase, but the Bible
says we have not because we
ask not. Are you asking for
God’s blessing? Are you
asking Him to enlarge your
territory? When you ask God
to bless you, your faith is
activated which opens the
door for Him to work in your
life. Open your heart today
and ask for God’s blessing,
ask for His discernment and
wisdom. Ask Him to make you
more effective on your job;
ask Him to increase the
quality of your relationships;
ask for more people to love
and encourage. Ask Him to
enlarge your territory so that
you can be a greater blessing
to those around you. As you
take a step of faith in prayer
today, God will hear you. He’ll
open doors that no man can
close and pour out His
abundance in every area of
your life!
A Prayer for Today
Father in heaven, today I open
my heart to You and ask You
to bless me. I ask You to
increase me in every area and
teach me to be faithful to You
always. In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.
(To receive daily e-votional
directly at your inbox, register
at www.joelosteen.com.
Copyright 2007. All rights
reserved. Used by
permission. Int'l. copyright
secured.)
| COMMUNITY BULLETIN |
| LOCAL TOP STORIES |
Cesar Chavez legacy remembered
By DORIS ENRIQUEZ-MALABAD
Editor-In-Chief
the Latino community and other cultures from about 50 the Latino
community and other cultures from about 50 organizations,
businesses and causes participated in the parade which promptly
started at 10 in the morning, at the corner of Ocean View Boulevard
and 28th Street.
View Boulevard and 28th Street.
Leading the ½-mile march which was held in memory of the labor
leader, was City of San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, followed by the
officers from the law enforcement groups, city officials Tony Young
and Ben Hueso, government agencies, community advocacy
groups, students, teachers, art and dance groups, civic and hobby
groups, and 2008 Election candidates and their supporters.
As the parade progressed, cheers from the participants and the
crowd that gathered on the streets resonated the city, proudly
chanting ‘Si Se Puede!’.
Mayoral candidate Steve Francis chose to walk during the entire
parade,
Editor-In-Chief
the Latino community and other cultures from about 50 the Latino
community and other cultures from about 50 organizations,
businesses and causes participated in the parade which promptly
started at 10 in the morning, at the corner of Ocean View Boulevard
and 28th Street.
View Boulevard and 28th Street.
Leading the ½-mile march which was held in memory of the labor
leader, was City of San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, followed by the
officers from the law enforcement groups, city officials Tony Young
and Ben Hueso, government agencies, community advocacy
groups, students, teachers, art and dance groups, civic and hobby
groups, and 2008 Election candidates and their supporters.
As the parade progressed, cheers from the participants and the
crowd that gathered on the streets resonated the city, proudly
chanting ‘Si Se Puede!’.
Mayoral candidate Steve Francis chose to walk during the entire
parade,
| APRIL 7 Onward The National School District will begin open enrollment for all incoming kindergarten students on Monday, April 7, 2008. Enrollment is open to all students who will be five years old on or before December 2,2008. Classroom placements are available at all ten school sites in the district in both Bilingual and English programs. Parents must bring the following items to complete the school registration process: • Birth certificate • Immunization record reflecting all required shots • Two proofs of residence which may include rental or home ownership documentation, utility or cable bills, or other documents showing home (619) 336-7743. (619) 336-7743. APRIL 12 Smart Money Summit 2008 will be held from 10 am to 4 pm at the San Diego City Concourse located at 202 C St., SD 92101. Sponsored by City County Reinvestment Task Force, Councilman Tony Young and County Supervisor Ron Roberts, the conference will tackle foreclosure assistance, prequalifying for home ownership and free tax assistance. For more info, go to www. smartmoneysummit.org. APRIL 12 “Day of the Child” event is one you shouldn’t miss. On Saturday, April 12, the Chula Vista Community Collaborative and South Bay Family YMCA are joining forces to offer this wonderful free event for all families. And to reach the most families, this year the event will take place simultaneously at two Chula Vista locations: Memorial Park on Third Avenue in Chula Vista’s Downtown Village; and Otay Ranch Town Center in Eastlake. The day’s events begin at 11 am and will run until 3 pm. The celebrations will include healthy living tips, free on-site screenings from various health care professionals and the opportunity to get information about free or low-cost services for children and families. Attendees can also participate in interactive activities with games, handouts, giveaways and make-and-take projects. APRIL 26 Screening health services, computer giveaways and consular services are but a few of the happenings at the Fil- Am Trade and Cultural EXPO on April 26, Saturday, at the Golden Hall San Diego Concourse, 202 C St. Transportation services will be provided at designated locations from Mira Mesa and National City. The EXPO sponsored by One Vision One Voice is FREE and open to the public from 10-6. This event will celebrate ‘The Heart of a Community’, showcasing the businesses, assets, talents, traditions and culture of the Filipino community of San Diego and all collaborative organizations and businesses. MAY 8 The Senior Information Fair is sponsored by the Encinitas Senior Citizen Commission and the City of Encinitas. Taking place at the Community and Senior Center, the Fair features over 65 exhibit booths on social services, housing, recreation, transportation, in-home services support and more. There will be free refreshments, door prizes and entertainment. The fair will be held on Thursday, May 8, 2008 and runs from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. For more information call 760 943- 2261. MAY 17 The City of Encinitas will have a fun walk event. This fun filled community event will be held on Saturday, May 17th, 2008. This event is just a part of the Encinitas Sports and Fitness Festival weekend of events including the Avia Triathlon, Century Bicycle Tour, Swim and Paddle races and Fitness Expo. Held annually, this USA Track and Field sanctioned race features free refreshments, a popular event t-shirt and goody bag for all participants.All ages are welcome rain or shine, however, no skateboards, roller blades or scooters please. Pushed baby strollers and wheelchairs are welcome. Bib numbers are for original applicants use only. Registration fees are non- refundable. Visit www. KathyLoperEvents. com/coe5k to register online. For event information visit www. EncinitasRace.com or call 760 633-2740. JULY-AUGUST Summer Sunday Concerts by the Sea- July/August This four concert series held in July and August takes place right on Moonlight Beach so bring your beach blankets and chairs. Each concert features a different musical style. Reserve 3: 00 - 5:00 p.m. for some great music and dancing under the sun. Concert lineup is as follows: July 6: TBA July 20: The Bigfellas- Rock/Pop August 3: TBA August 17: The Laurie Morvan Band- Blues. Lineup schedule subject to change. For more information call 760 633-2740. ORGANIZATIONS' REGULAR MEETING Every third Sunday of the month is the monthly meeting of PTE-HOPE, a multi-cultural organization, held at 2:00 PM, at the 2nd Floor of McDonald's Restaurant located by Woodman Street and Paradise Valley Road. |
Gore Vidal appears at SD peace rally
By WALTER DAVIS, Editor
Famous activist-writer Gore
Vidal appeared at a San
Diego peace rally in City
Heights held on March 22.
He was helped to his chair
by members of Activist San
Diego under the leadership
of Martin Elder. The elderly,
frail and fiery activist
displayed his
Famous activist-writer Gore
Vidal appeared at a San
Diego peace rally in City
Heights held on March 22.
He was helped to his chair
by members of Activist San
Diego under the leadership
of Martin Elder. The elderly,
frail and fiery activist
displayed his
humor; his mind proves to be very sharp. His passion for peace is
evident.
evident.
Sen. McCain meets San Diego's
Asian Pacific Islanders
Asian Pacific Islanders
By JOSEPH ROLEY-ARZAGA
Guest Writer
CHULA VISTA (03/24/08) - Fresh off his eighth visit to Iraq,
Republican candidate for the President of the United States, John
McCain stopped by Chula Vista on Monday for a military family town
hall meeting at VFW’s Nerat Hall.
Guest Writer
CHULA VISTA (03/24/08) - Fresh off his eighth visit to Iraq,
Republican candidate for the President of the United States, John
McCain stopped by Chula Vista on Monday for a military family town
hall meeting at VFW’s Nerat Hall.
The investment scam of 2001: What
really happened to Edmundo Rubi?
really happened to Edmundo Rubi?
By WALTER DAVIS, Editor
NATIONAL CITY - Edmundo Rubi arrived in
the United States from Manila, Philippines
with his military wife of three years in 1986.
His wife, a medical nurse suffered a
medical disability and retired.
Edmundo grew up in coconut plantation
which his father farmed. His first job in the
United States was as a geriatric home
health care provider. He then went into
business and became very successful in
the energy, commercial building and
telecommunications industry.
Gradually he went into gold transactions
and he was eventually charged with
NATIONAL CITY - Edmundo Rubi arrived in
the United States from Manila, Philippines
with his military wife of three years in 1986.
His wife, a medical nurse suffered a
medical disability and retired.
Edmundo grew up in coconut plantation
which his father farmed. His first job in the
United States was as a geriatric home
health care provider. He then went into
business and became very successful in
the energy, commercial building and
telecommunications industry.
Gradually he went into gold transactions
and he was eventually charged with
charged with ponzi schemes in 2001. He was charged with bilking
investors, non-existence of international trading, conversion of
funds into self expenditures. Edmundo stated, “The real nature of
the secret action is under title 21 USC 890 which is manual of
controlled substances.
investors, non-existence of international trading, conversion of
funds into self expenditures. Edmundo stated, “The real nature of
the secret action is under title 21 USC 890 which is manual of
controlled substances.
Scam letters from Canada victimize
US citizens, residents
US citizens, residents
By DORIS ENRIQUEZ-MALABAD, Editor-In-Chief
NATIONAL CITY (03/31/08) - It all seemed real - a real check that
used security paper, valid telephone numbers, check drawn against
a reputable US bank, issued by a big, well-known corporation in
America, and it was payable to a real person.
The reason for the pay-out: he had won in a lottery in Canada, and
he stood to get $250,000. In the meantime, a check for $4,700 was
enclosed - being advanced to the winner to defray his Canadian
Non-Resident Government Service Tax (GST).
NATIONAL CITY (03/31/08) - It all seemed real - a real check that
used security paper, valid telephone numbers, check drawn against
a reputable US bank, issued by a big, well-known corporation in
America, and it was payable to a real person.
The reason for the pay-out: he had won in a lottery in Canada, and
he stood to get $250,000. In the meantime, a check for $4,700 was
enclosed - being advanced to the winner to defray his Canadian
Non-Resident Government Service Tax (GST).
Dr. Manaig - local physician, civic
leader, pioneer in medical mission dies
leader, pioneer in medical mission dies
By JOE NICOLAS
Guest Writer
Dr. Eduardo H. Manaig, who initiated the
formation of several medical missions from
San Diego County to the Philippines, died on
Good Friday, March 21, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. at the
Scripps Memorial Hospital in San Diego. He
was 61.
Guest Writer
Dr. Eduardo H. Manaig, who initiated the
formation of several medical missions from
San Diego County to the Philippines, died on
Good Friday, March 21, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. at the
Scripps Memorial Hospital in San Diego. He
was 61.
| Dr. Ed Manaig |
| VIEWS |
| PREVIOUS TOP STORIES |
| JUSTICE REPORT |
Military Family Receives No Justice
By WALTER DAVIS
Editor
CHULA VISTA - Dalton Hilton and his mother
Jasmine Lampkin looked dazed as they
recounted their story.
I expected to see tears at anytime; then,
I realized that they had already cried too much.
Now, they wanted action.
Dalton took out folders with neatly arranged
documents and began to reflect on a horrible
Valentine’s Day morning when the Chula Vista
and National City Police broke into the home of
his mother and stepfather.
His mother sat quietly, looking in the distance as
her son spouted off the details of their ordeal.
Dalton said, “At 5:30 AM, the police broke into
my mother’s home without a search warrant and threw a flash-bang grenade which exploded and burned
one wall. My aunt had just returned from the war in Iraq and they handcuffed her along with my mother face
down on the floor. They remained handcuffed between 5:30 AM and 2:30 PM.”
Jasmine Lampkin stated she asked the police as they broke in by force and caught the family by surprise,
“Are you sure you have the right house?” She stated that the arresting officer, Greg Seward, told her to “shut
up!” The sisters remained handcuffed as their house was searched.
Jasmine said, “They went through my bathroom, clothing, everything.”
Reginald Lampkin, her husband and a retired Navy man, was away at sea in the Merchant Marines.
Jasmine went on to say, “The police made statements like ‘This is a nice place, must be all the pimping
money. We are working and my wife cannot afford this kind of stuff’ as they searched my home.”
“I was scared and they would not help my sister and I stand up with the handcuffs on. They told us that we
had to stand up on our own from our position on our stomachs. We asked, how are we going to do this as
the police told us to use our legs to prop ourselves up. They would not let us go to the bathroom in our own
house until female officers arrived.”
Dalton stated that the officers took his brother Darren Hilton, 26 at the time of arrest, only in his underwear
because the detectives would not allow him to put on pants.
“They took pictures of items in the house as they searched it.” he continued.
“My aunt had been traumatized during the war and she had an appointment with the military medical facility,
so, they let her go at about 1:30 PM but kept my mother detained,” said Dalton.
According to Dalton, an articulate young man, the police came back in the afternoon with a warrant dated
February 10, 2006. The family was not sure if the warrant was still valid.
“The police found some books of my brother’s including Iceberg Slim, Pimpstick to Pulpit and Life Style of
Don Juan. They found pictures of topless girls that they later claimed had been kidnapped and raped 19
months earlier, even though there are no medical or physical evidence to prove these allegations. No
police report had been filed by the accusers prior to police contact,” Dalton narrated.
Dalton indicated that Darren was locked up for 14 months before he saw a public defender. After filing a
complaint against the Chula Vista Public Defenders Office with the County of San Diego, San Diego Bar
Association, and the State Bar Association, he finally received a visit from his attorney, Raymond Aragon.
Dalton further said, “Several months before the trial began I was excluded from the courts because the
District Attorney and the public defender stated I could be used as a potential rebuttal witness; however I
was never called on.”
“The trial seemed to be scripted. The District Attorney and Judge seemed to be in lock step. The objections
raised by the Public Defender were all overruled,” Dalton stated. “Even when a court order was violated by
the District Attorney’s office the judge overlooked it with reasoning that did not make any sense.”
Darrren was sentenced to 77 years in prison.
If the kidnapping, rape and pimping charges hold, Darren is likely to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
“He is a good son,” said Jasmine. “He was working full-time at Ace Parking at the time of his arrest and
was always quiet and kind to all.”
Dalton said, “My brother is a good person. I cannot believe that he will be held in prison for the rest of his
life for crimes he did not commit. I have seen people who commit acts of violence and murder receive less
time than my brother received, something isn’t right. Not to mention $20,000 in restitution that he was also
ordered to pay. It seems like the people who can afford to hire an attorney are given a fair trial and the
people who have to be defended by a public defender are being rushed through the court process.”
“This is not the only time this has happened, it happens all of the time,” Dalton stated. “Now we find
ourselves fighting for Darren’s freedom and innocence; however, this is not only a fight for justice for
Darren, this is a fight for all the people who have been wronged by these tactics and we urge everyone to
assist in the fight,” he said.
See Video Here
By WALTER DAVIS
Editor
CHULA VISTA - Dalton Hilton and his mother
Jasmine Lampkin looked dazed as they
recounted their story.
I expected to see tears at anytime; then,
I realized that they had already cried too much.
Now, they wanted action.
Dalton took out folders with neatly arranged
documents and began to reflect on a horrible
Valentine’s Day morning when the Chula Vista
and National City Police broke into the home of
his mother and stepfather.
His mother sat quietly, looking in the distance as
her son spouted off the details of their ordeal.
Dalton said, “At 5:30 AM, the police broke into
my mother’s home without a search warrant and threw a flash-bang grenade which exploded and burned
one wall. My aunt had just returned from the war in Iraq and they handcuffed her along with my mother face
down on the floor. They remained handcuffed between 5:30 AM and 2:30 PM.”
Jasmine Lampkin stated she asked the police as they broke in by force and caught the family by surprise,
“Are you sure you have the right house?” She stated that the arresting officer, Greg Seward, told her to “shut
up!” The sisters remained handcuffed as their house was searched.
Jasmine said, “They went through my bathroom, clothing, everything.”
Reginald Lampkin, her husband and a retired Navy man, was away at sea in the Merchant Marines.
Jasmine went on to say, “The police made statements like ‘This is a nice place, must be all the pimping
money. We are working and my wife cannot afford this kind of stuff’ as they searched my home.”
“I was scared and they would not help my sister and I stand up with the handcuffs on. They told us that we
had to stand up on our own from our position on our stomachs. We asked, how are we going to do this as
the police told us to use our legs to prop ourselves up. They would not let us go to the bathroom in our own
house until female officers arrived.”
Dalton stated that the officers took his brother Darren Hilton, 26 at the time of arrest, only in his underwear
because the detectives would not allow him to put on pants.
“They took pictures of items in the house as they searched it.” he continued.
“My aunt had been traumatized during the war and she had an appointment with the military medical facility,
so, they let her go at about 1:30 PM but kept my mother detained,” said Dalton.
According to Dalton, an articulate young man, the police came back in the afternoon with a warrant dated
February 10, 2006. The family was not sure if the warrant was still valid.
“The police found some books of my brother’s including Iceberg Slim, Pimpstick to Pulpit and Life Style of
Don Juan. They found pictures of topless girls that they later claimed had been kidnapped and raped 19
months earlier, even though there are no medical or physical evidence to prove these allegations. No
police report had been filed by the accusers prior to police contact,” Dalton narrated.
Dalton indicated that Darren was locked up for 14 months before he saw a public defender. After filing a
complaint against the Chula Vista Public Defenders Office with the County of San Diego, San Diego Bar
Association, and the State Bar Association, he finally received a visit from his attorney, Raymond Aragon.
Dalton further said, “Several months before the trial began I was excluded from the courts because the
District Attorney and the public defender stated I could be used as a potential rebuttal witness; however I
was never called on.”
“The trial seemed to be scripted. The District Attorney and Judge seemed to be in lock step. The objections
raised by the Public Defender were all overruled,” Dalton stated. “Even when a court order was violated by
the District Attorney’s office the judge overlooked it with reasoning that did not make any sense.”
Darrren was sentenced to 77 years in prison.
If the kidnapping, rape and pimping charges hold, Darren is likely to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
“He is a good son,” said Jasmine. “He was working full-time at Ace Parking at the time of his arrest and
was always quiet and kind to all.”
Dalton said, “My brother is a good person. I cannot believe that he will be held in prison for the rest of his
life for crimes he did not commit. I have seen people who commit acts of violence and murder receive less
time than my brother received, something isn’t right. Not to mention $20,000 in restitution that he was also
ordered to pay. It seems like the people who can afford to hire an attorney are given a fair trial and the
people who have to be defended by a public defender are being rushed through the court process.”
“This is not the only time this has happened, it happens all of the time,” Dalton stated. “Now we find
ourselves fighting for Darren’s freedom and innocence; however, this is not only a fight for justice for
Darren, this is a fight for all the people who have been wronged by these tactics and we urge everyone to
assist in the fight,” he said.
See Video Here
Barack Obama Rejects “Divine
Racism”
By ROBERT OLIVER
Editor
The subject of “Black Liberation Theology” came up in the
news recently. There is a suspicion that presidential candidate
Senator Barack Obama subscribes to that particular school of
thought and belief. I personally do not and cannot believe that
he does believe that theology considering his speech in
Philadelphia recently.
He said: “I chose to run for the presidency at this moment in
history because I believe deeply that we cannot solve the
challenges of our time unless we solve them together - unless
we perfect our union by understanding that we may have
different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not
look the same and we may not have come from the same
place, but we all want to move in the same direction - towards a
better future for our children and our grandchildren…I have
brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles and cousins, of
every race and every hue, scattered across three continents,
and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other
country on Earth is my story even possible.
“This belief comes from my unyielding faith in the decency and
generosity of the American people…On the other end, we've
heard my former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, use
incendiary language to express views that have the potential
not only to widen the racial divide, but views that denigrate both
the greatness and the goodness of our nation; that rightly
offend white and black alike.”
Compare those words with those of Dr. James H. Cone of
Union Theological Seminary in New York . Cone has been
called "the Father of Black Liberation Theology.” Let's look at
something that Dr. Cone wrote that was quoted in African
American Religious Thought: An Anthology, "Divine Racism:
The Unacknowledged Threshold Issues for Black Theology" by
William Jones: “Black theology refuses to accept a God who is
not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If
God is not for us and against white people, then he is a
murderer, and we had better kill him. The task of black theology
is to kill Gods who do not belong to the black community ...
Black theology will accept only the love of God which
participates in the destruction of the white enemy. What we
need is the divine love as expressed in Black Power, which is
the power of black people to destroy their oppressors here and
now by any means at their disposal. Unless God is
participating in this holy activity, we must reject his love."
Some may say that I am misinterpreting that statement.
According to an article in The News & Observer (http://www.
newsobserver.com/politics/story/1008049.html): “Cone wrote
that the United States was a white racist nation and that the
white church was the Antichrist for having supported slavery
and segregation.
“Today, Cone, a professor at Union Theological Seminary in
New York, stands by that view, but also makes clear that he
doesn't believe that whites individually are the Antichrist.” He is
right. White supremacy ruled the day during slavery. Many white
churches, not all such as the Quakers, supported slavery and
segregation, and even many church members in the South
who had no problems in participating in cold-blooded murder
in lynching Black men (Thou shalt not kill). But, I beg your
pardon. The words as quoted by Cone indicated the present,
not the past. “Participates” not “participated.” Also “here and
now” means…here and now, doesn’t it, not “back in the day”?
Do those words reflect Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law”?
Cone is an ordained minister. Does his words reflect that of a
Christian full of the love of God for others? Does he love white
people as Jesus loves them?
I am an African American -- black in heart, in soul, in mind, and
in body. I also believe that Jesus was black (along with Miriam
called Mary, Joseph, Peter, Paul, Moses, all the prophets, all
the Hebrews, all the Egyptians, all indigenous peoples in the
Middle East during biblical times, Noah, Ham, Shem, Japheth,
and even Adam and Eve). In the past, I have experienced
racism from white people on a daily basis, even for years. Even
though Senator Obama and I differ on some issues, I
appreciate his attitude of desiring unity of all ethnic groups in
the United States . Cone’s words are the antithesis of Barack
Obama’s message. He said that his family is of “every race
and every hue.” He honors every race and every hue and is not
endorsing “the destruction of the white enemy.” His
overwhelming support in many primaries proves that he
transcends petty antiquated “destroy the white enemy”
nonsense. Research ”Black Liberation Theology” for yourself.
Google it.
Did Jesus say from the cross “Father, forgive them for they
know not what they do”? or "Father, God damn these Romans
for these white devils sure knew what they were doing!" Was
Jesus a weak, sissified “Uncle Tom,” kissing up to the white
Romans to the right to very end while dying on a cross? Or was
he planning on serving a cold dish of revenge to those white
oppressors later as a revolutionary zealot? (By the way, the
religious leaders who gave up Jesus to the white Romans
were Black. You Black Liberation Theology disciples ever think
about that? Were they not “sellouts” in every sense of the
word?)
Oh yeah, my cup runneth over.
Is that not the Jesus of Black Liberation Theology? He was a
revolutionary. Were not the Romans the white oppressors that
needed to be destroyed? I suppose after Jesus resurrected,
He came out of the tomb saying to the Roman guards,
"Hearken O ye white devils! Crucify me will you? I’m mad! Get
ready thou mother.... for the Big Payback! Revenge! Heyyyy! Die
thou white oppressor Romans! Go ye to hell and thou shalt
enjoy the trip!" and shot a bolt of lightning out of his hand and
destroyed all them on the spot, just like that gross scene from
Raiders of the Lost Ark. Then He went to Jerusalem and killed
every white Roman, including Pontius Pilate and his wife, and
all the Black religious leaders who gave him to the white
oppressors. "Burn ye white devil Romans! I’m mad! Whosoever
telleth thee that I loved everybody in the world hath lied unto
thee! They hath jived you! Burn ye white devils and ye jive-time
Negroes! Goeth thou to hell! Bhahahaha!" Later then He told
His followers, "Go ye into the all the world, and thou shalt stick
it unto the white man by any means necessary. Preach my
gospel unto all nations that the oppressor white folks gots to
go. For I am a God of love unto all nations of all colors (as long
as they are black). Bhahahaha!"
That is not the Jesus I know, "participating in the destruction of
the white enemy." Is that the Jesus you know and love? Did not
Jesus Christ of the Bible say that he came not to destroy men's
lives but to save them?
What did Cone say? "Black theology will accept only the love of
God which participates in the destruction of the white enemy.
What we need is the divine love as expressed in Black Power,
which is the power of black people to destroy their oppressors
here and now by any means at their disposal. Unless God is
participating in this holy activity, we must reject his love." That
crap is “old school.” That crap went out of style with the
Spanish Inquisition, 8-track tapes, and platform shoes.
Is he saying that God should "get on the good foot" and kill
some white oppressors or we are going to be very perturbed
with Him? He needs to get with the Black Power program or
else He is fired or executed? I wonder if there would be an
election for a new "Black God" who knows how to obey orders!
If Black Liberation Theology was “all that,” then why is it that in
all my years I have not heard any successful Blacks testify “I
owe my success to Black Liberation Theology,” have you?
From George Washington Carver to Oprah to Bill Cosby to
Josephine Baker to Booker T. Washington to Nannie Helen
Burroughs to Earl Graves to Susan Taylor to Beyonce to
Frederick Douglass to Mary McLeod Bethune to Duke Ellington
to Smokey Robinson to Martin Luther King, Jr. to A. Philip
Randolph to Bayard Rustin to Tiger Woods to Will Smith to
Michael Jordan to even Senator Barack Obama? Thousands
can be included. Did Halle Berry say when she won her Oscar:
“I want to thank my mother and Black Liberation Theology”? As
a matter of fact, Blacks did very well without it before it came
into existence. Read the books on black history in America . In
all the Black churches I have been in all my life and of the
hundreds of preachers I have listened to all my life, I have not
heard such nonsense preached. Therefore I suspect that many
Blacks have not been buying what Black Liberation Theology
has been selling.
(Also too, if America is such a bad place for Blacks, why do
many Black Africans come here to work and live? They all
should want to go back home and warn other Black Africans
not to come here.)
I would ask the radical Black Liberation Theology disciples,
"How many white people has your God killed lately? I have not
seen any replays of Sodom and Gomorrah on CNN, up-to-
minute coverage. What's up? Is he asleep at the wheel? He
has not even destroyed the KKK, the American Nazi Party, the
Aryan Nations, and their ilk? Has your God lost his touch? Has
he become color blind? (God forbid!) Did he run out of lighter
fluid for his fire and brimstone? I will lend him a couple of
bucks to go to Wal-Mart so he can get some. (Since he is God,
they will probably let him have it for free.) If you want to kill white
folks, you have to do it properly and safely. Or maybe fuel prices
have shot up so high, money for God to send fire and
brimstone from heaven to destroy masses of white people is
just not in the budget at this time? Have the banks been
threatening to foreclose on his streets of gold? Does he need
to hire good black lawyer? But he still has destroying the white
oppressors on his to-do list taped on his refrigerator. He will
get around to it someday when the right people are elected and
fuel prices go down."
Dr. Cone, didn’t you say "Unless God is participating (present
not past) in this holy activity, we must reject his love"? We must
“reject his love”? We must reject all this nonsense, don’t you
think? If all of the adherents to this peculiar theology are
seriously committed to their faith to the letter, then let them
organize a public prayer vigil that they may call on their “God” to
destroy the white oppressors once and for all. Let’s solve the
problems of race in America and in the world by wiping them all
out for good. Let’s get it on. Send out news releases to the
media and hold press conferences to announce the event.
Show me your faith by your works. Faith without works is dead.
Actions speak louder than words. If there is no prayer vigil, then
we will say that your faith is in vain and it was all “much ado
about nothing.” Your God is dead.
Dr. Cone, if you are reading my gentle commentary, I hope you
had a change of heart much like former segregationist and
white oppressor Governor George Wallace. This is not a
criticism of you personally. It is a criticism of your philosophy.
Your "here and now" god is toxic. And I’m positive that Senator
Barack Obama would agree that your god is toxic.
In all due respect…
Damn the god of Black Liberation Theology.
Racism”
By ROBERT OLIVER
Editor
The subject of “Black Liberation Theology” came up in the
news recently. There is a suspicion that presidential candidate
Senator Barack Obama subscribes to that particular school of
thought and belief. I personally do not and cannot believe that
he does believe that theology considering his speech in
Philadelphia recently.
He said: “I chose to run for the presidency at this moment in
history because I believe deeply that we cannot solve the
challenges of our time unless we solve them together - unless
we perfect our union by understanding that we may have
different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not
look the same and we may not have come from the same
place, but we all want to move in the same direction - towards a
better future for our children and our grandchildren…I have
brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles and cousins, of
every race and every hue, scattered across three continents,
and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other
country on Earth is my story even possible.
“This belief comes from my unyielding faith in the decency and
generosity of the American people…On the other end, we've
heard my former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, use
incendiary language to express views that have the potential
not only to widen the racial divide, but views that denigrate both
the greatness and the goodness of our nation; that rightly
offend white and black alike.”
Compare those words with those of Dr. James H. Cone of
Union Theological Seminary in New York . Cone has been
called "the Father of Black Liberation Theology.” Let's look at
something that Dr. Cone wrote that was quoted in African
American Religious Thought: An Anthology, "Divine Racism:
The Unacknowledged Threshold Issues for Black Theology" by
William Jones: “Black theology refuses to accept a God who is
not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If
God is not for us and against white people, then he is a
murderer, and we had better kill him. The task of black theology
is to kill Gods who do not belong to the black community ...
Black theology will accept only the love of God which
participates in the destruction of the white enemy. What we
need is the divine love as expressed in Black Power, which is
the power of black people to destroy their oppressors here and
now by any means at their disposal. Unless God is
participating in this holy activity, we must reject his love."
Some may say that I am misinterpreting that statement.
According to an article in The News & Observer (http://www.
newsobserver.com/politics/story/1008049.html): “Cone wrote
that the United States was a white racist nation and that the
white church was the Antichrist for having supported slavery
and segregation.
“Today, Cone, a professor at Union Theological Seminary in
New York, stands by that view, but also makes clear that he
doesn't believe that whites individually are the Antichrist.” He is
right. White supremacy ruled the day during slavery. Many white
churches, not all such as the Quakers, supported slavery and
segregation, and even many church members in the South
who had no problems in participating in cold-blooded murder
in lynching Black men (Thou shalt not kill). But, I beg your
pardon. The words as quoted by Cone indicated the present,
not the past. “Participates” not “participated.” Also “here and
now” means…here and now, doesn’t it, not “back in the day”?
Do those words reflect Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law”?
Cone is an ordained minister. Does his words reflect that of a
Christian full of the love of God for others? Does he love white
people as Jesus loves them?
I am an African American -- black in heart, in soul, in mind, and
in body. I also believe that Jesus was black (along with Miriam
called Mary, Joseph, Peter, Paul, Moses, all the prophets, all
the Hebrews, all the Egyptians, all indigenous peoples in the
Middle East during biblical times, Noah, Ham, Shem, Japheth,
and even Adam and Eve). In the past, I have experienced
racism from white people on a daily basis, even for years. Even
though Senator Obama and I differ on some issues, I
appreciate his attitude of desiring unity of all ethnic groups in
the United States . Cone’s words are the antithesis of Barack
Obama’s message. He said that his family is of “every race
and every hue.” He honors every race and every hue and is not
endorsing “the destruction of the white enemy.” His
overwhelming support in many primaries proves that he
transcends petty antiquated “destroy the white enemy”
nonsense. Research ”Black Liberation Theology” for yourself.
Google it.
Did Jesus say from the cross “Father, forgive them for they
know not what they do”? or "Father, God damn these Romans
for these white devils sure knew what they were doing!" Was
Jesus a weak, sissified “Uncle Tom,” kissing up to the white
Romans to the right to very end while dying on a cross? Or was
he planning on serving a cold dish of revenge to those white
oppressors later as a revolutionary zealot? (By the way, the
religious leaders who gave up Jesus to the white Romans
were Black. You Black Liberation Theology disciples ever think
about that? Were they not “sellouts” in every sense of the
word?)
Oh yeah, my cup runneth over.
Is that not the Jesus of Black Liberation Theology? He was a
revolutionary. Were not the Romans the white oppressors that
needed to be destroyed? I suppose after Jesus resurrected,
He came out of the tomb saying to the Roman guards,
"Hearken O ye white devils! Crucify me will you? I’m mad! Get
ready thou mother.... for the Big Payback! Revenge! Heyyyy! Die
thou white oppressor Romans! Go ye to hell and thou shalt
enjoy the trip!" and shot a bolt of lightning out of his hand and
destroyed all them on the spot, just like that gross scene from
Raiders of the Lost Ark. Then He went to Jerusalem and killed
every white Roman, including Pontius Pilate and his wife, and
all the Black religious leaders who gave him to the white
oppressors. "Burn ye white devil Romans! I’m mad! Whosoever
telleth thee that I loved everybody in the world hath lied unto
thee! They hath jived you! Burn ye white devils and ye jive-time
Negroes! Goeth thou to hell! Bhahahaha!" Later then He told
His followers, "Go ye into the all the world, and thou shalt stick
it unto the white man by any means necessary. Preach my
gospel unto all nations that the oppressor white folks gots to
go. For I am a God of love unto all nations of all colors (as long
as they are black). Bhahahaha!"
That is not the Jesus I know, "participating in the destruction of
the white enemy." Is that the Jesus you know and love? Did not
Jesus Christ of the Bible say that he came not to destroy men's
lives but to save them?
What did Cone say? "Black theology will accept only the love of
God which participates in the destruction of the white enemy.
What we need is the divine love as expressed in Black Power,
which is the power of black people to destroy their oppressors
here and now by any means at their disposal. Unless God is
participating in this holy activity, we must reject his love." That
crap is “old school.” That crap went out of style with the
Spanish Inquisition, 8-track tapes, and platform shoes.
Is he saying that God should "get on the good foot" and kill
some white oppressors or we are going to be very perturbed
with Him? He needs to get with the Black Power program or
else He is fired or executed? I wonder if there would be an
election for a new "Black God" who knows how to obey orders!
If Black Liberation Theology was “all that,” then why is it that in
all my years I have not heard any successful Blacks testify “I
owe my success to Black Liberation Theology,” have you?
From George Washington Carver to Oprah to Bill Cosby to
Josephine Baker to Booker T. Washington to Nannie Helen
Burroughs to Earl Graves to Susan Taylor to Beyonce to
Frederick Douglass to Mary McLeod Bethune to Duke Ellington
to Smokey Robinson to Martin Luther King, Jr. to A. Philip
Randolph to Bayard Rustin to Tiger Woods to Will Smith to
Michael Jordan to even Senator Barack Obama? Thousands
can be included. Did Halle Berry say when she won her Oscar:
“I want to thank my mother and Black Liberation Theology”? As
a matter of fact, Blacks did very well without it before it came
into existence. Read the books on black history in America . In
all the Black churches I have been in all my life and of the
hundreds of preachers I have listened to all my life, I have not
heard such nonsense preached. Therefore I suspect that many
Blacks have not been buying what Black Liberation Theology
has been selling.
(Also too, if America is such a bad place for Blacks, why do
many Black Africans come here to work and live? They all
should want to go back home and warn other Black Africans
not to come here.)
I would ask the radical Black Liberation Theology disciples,
"How many white people has your God killed lately? I have not
seen any replays of Sodom and Gomorrah on CNN, up-to-
minute coverage. What's up? Is he asleep at the wheel? He
has not even destroyed the KKK, the American Nazi Party, the
Aryan Nations, and their ilk? Has your God lost his touch? Has
he become color blind? (God forbid!) Did he run out of lighter
fluid for his fire and brimstone? I will lend him a couple of
bucks to go to Wal-Mart so he can get some. (Since he is God,
they will probably let him have it for free.) If you want to kill white
folks, you have to do it properly and safely. Or maybe fuel prices
have shot up so high, money for God to send fire and
brimstone from heaven to destroy masses of white people is
just not in the budget at this time? Have the banks been
threatening to foreclose on his streets of gold? Does he need
to hire good black lawyer? But he still has destroying the white
oppressors on his to-do list taped on his refrigerator. He will
get around to it someday when the right people are elected and
fuel prices go down."
Dr. Cone, didn’t you say "Unless God is participating (present
not past) in this holy activity, we must reject his love"? We must
“reject his love”? We must reject all this nonsense, don’t you
think? If all of the adherents to this peculiar theology are
seriously committed to their faith to the letter, then let them
organize a public prayer vigil that they may call on their “God” to
destroy the white oppressors once and for all. Let’s solve the
problems of race in America and in the world by wiping them all
out for good. Let’s get it on. Send out news releases to the
media and hold press conferences to announce the event.
Show me your faith by your works. Faith without works is dead.
Actions speak louder than words. If there is no prayer vigil, then
we will say that your faith is in vain and it was all “much ado
about nothing.” Your God is dead.
Dr. Cone, if you are reading my gentle commentary, I hope you
had a change of heart much like former segregationist and
white oppressor Governor George Wallace. This is not a
criticism of you personally. It is a criticism of your philosophy.
Your "here and now" god is toxic. And I’m positive that Senator
Barack Obama would agree that your god is toxic.
In all due respect…
Damn the god of Black Liberation Theology.
| LATINO FRONT |
San Diegans' Benevolence with Mixtec
School in Tijuana
By Remiga "Remy" Bermúdez
Associate Editor
My friend, the SDSU Professor Jesus Nieto, sent me an email
stating, "On Saturday, April 26, my students and I will be visiting the
Mixtec school in Tijuana to take them food, school supplies and
other goods. We will be taking donations of food, clothing, toys,
sports items, school supplies, and hopefully some used
computers. " He says that they will meet at SDSU's Parking Lot E at
9 a.m. and leave around 9:30 a.m., arriving at the school from
approximately 11 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The children at the school will
perform traditional regional dances of Mexico and will sing the
Mexican national anthem in both Spanish and Mixtec. Oaxacan food
will also be provided, probably pozole.
Professor Nieto advises us that the he recommends the Otay
border crossing as crossing the border there takes about an hour
to cross and at San Ysidro 2-3 hours to cross. Nieto goes on to say
that there is a need to raise more contributions for school
construction. Professor Nieto states that Profesor Cirilo, the
school's director, in a recent telephone conversation, informed him
that they are going to build a storage facility for speakers,
microphones and other equipment with the funds Nieto's group
took last time and will have begun construction of it by April 26. If you
wish to participate and what you might be able to help with and/or
for further information please contact Jesús Nieto, Associate
Professor, School of Teacher Education, San Diego State
University, Office: North Education 81,Office phone number: (619)
594-6125, Email address: nieto@mail.sdsu.edu.
Professor Nieto closes his e-mails with profound anecdotes as
follow:
"We seek a world free of war and the threat of war
We seek a society with equity and justice for all
We seek a community where every person's potential may be
fulfilled
We seek an earth restored."
-Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate
cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
"I believe that words are easy. I believe the truth is told in the
actions we take. And I believe that if enough ordinary people back
up our desire for a better world with action, I believe we can, in fact,
accomplish absolutely extraordinary things." Jody Williams,
recipient of 1997 Nobel Peace Prize
“Do all you can do, in the time you have, with what you have, in the
place you have.” - Ngoski, 13-year-old boy dying of AIDS
“Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that amateurs
built the Ark. Professionals built the Titanic.” - Dave Barry
"Never criticize another person until you've walked a mile in their
shoes. Then you'll be a mile away from them and you'll have their
shoes." - Anonymous
School in Tijuana
By Remiga "Remy" Bermúdez
Associate Editor
My friend, the SDSU Professor Jesus Nieto, sent me an email
stating, "On Saturday, April 26, my students and I will be visiting the
Mixtec school in Tijuana to take them food, school supplies and
other goods. We will be taking donations of food, clothing, toys,
sports items, school supplies, and hopefully some used
computers. " He says that they will meet at SDSU's Parking Lot E at
9 a.m. and leave around 9:30 a.m., arriving at the school from
approximately 11 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The children at the school will
perform traditional regional dances of Mexico and will sing the
Mexican national anthem in both Spanish and Mixtec. Oaxacan food
will also be provided, probably pozole.
Professor Nieto advises us that the he recommends the Otay
border crossing as crossing the border there takes about an hour
to cross and at San Ysidro 2-3 hours to cross. Nieto goes on to say
that there is a need to raise more contributions for school
construction. Professor Nieto states that Profesor Cirilo, the
school's director, in a recent telephone conversation, informed him
that they are going to build a storage facility for speakers,
microphones and other equipment with the funds Nieto's group
took last time and will have begun construction of it by April 26. If you
wish to participate and what you might be able to help with and/or
for further information please contact Jesús Nieto, Associate
Professor, School of Teacher Education, San Diego State
University, Office: North Education 81,Office phone number: (619)
594-6125, Email address: nieto@mail.sdsu.edu.
Professor Nieto closes his e-mails with profound anecdotes as
follow:
"We seek a world free of war and the threat of war
We seek a society with equity and justice for all
We seek a community where every person's potential may be
fulfilled
We seek an earth restored."
-Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate
cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
"I believe that words are easy. I believe the truth is told in the
actions we take. And I believe that if enough ordinary people back
up our desire for a better world with action, I believe we can, in fact,
accomplish absolutely extraordinary things." Jody Williams,
recipient of 1997 Nobel Peace Prize
“Do all you can do, in the time you have, with what you have, in the
place you have.” - Ngoski, 13-year-old boy dying of AIDS
“Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that amateurs
built the Ark. Professionals built the Titanic.” - Dave Barry
"Never criticize another person until you've walked a mile in their
shoes. Then you'll be a mile away from them and you'll have their
shoes." - Anonymous
| ASIAN FRONT |
Ricasa hopes to be the 1st Fil-Am in
Assembly
Assembly
Arlie Ricasa is not new to
public service. In fact,
according to her and her
family, she has been a public
servant all her life. Presently,
she is the president of the
Board of the Sweetwater
School District, one of the
biggest districts in the county.
She said she is not aiming
for the seat of the
public service. In fact,
according to her and her
family, she has been a public
servant all her life. Presently,
she is the president of the
Board of the Sweetwater
School District, one of the
biggest districts in the county.
She said she is not aiming
for the seat of the
Arlie with Fil-Am community
leader Al Villamora & Bicol Club
members.
leader Al Villamora & Bicol Club
members.
4th Ambassadors' Tour to the
Philippines set on July 18-20
Philippines set on July 18-20
| AFRICAN AMERICAN FRONT |
Financial Essentials: Surviving the
Mortgage Crisis
By Nancy Boyd
Guest Writer
There are solutions to today’s mortgage dilemmas. You may
be overwhelmed with news about the housing market. Many
families are in crisis mode. There is light at the end of the
tunnel. For many years, people have had peaks and valleys
with their finances. Awareness, knowledge, and willingness
to work through it’s critical to move forward.
Do you have an adjustable or minimum payment mortgage?
If so, don’t be caught by surprise. Take action to find out your
options before it’s too late.
You will need to do a few things to help identify your options:
If you have a loan with payment options, sometimes referred
to as Options Arms it’s best to work towards making at least
the interest only payment. This will help delay your loan from
Recasting (adjusting or reamortizing). If you are consistently
making the Minimum Payment, your loan may Recast sooner
rather than later. To be more informed, call your lender. Find
out how much interest you have deferred and ask them to
project when your loan will Recast, according to your payment
history.
There are different types of adjustable loans. Some have a
fixed period before it adjusts such as a 2, 5, or 10 year
period. Other loans adjust monthly or on an average based
on the index which the loan is linked to. These details should
have been explained when you obtained your loan, however if
you are not sure, referring to your loan documents is one way
to understand your loan program. Contacting your lender
may also be helpful to understand your loan program.
The value of your home may not have increased. To refinance
and circumvent the payment adjustment, lenders are usually
willing to work with you. They want to help you keep your
home so that you can continue making payments to them.
Remember, it’s in the lenders best interest to work with you.
No one benefits when a loan goes in default.
Things to remember:
• Never ignore calls or letters from the lender. They may
be offering a different program to assist you and improve your
situation.
• Contact the lender before your loan adjusts and prior to
missing payments. Ask questions and be patient. When
contacting the lender, you may not get the right person or the
appropriate department to help you initially.
• Explain your situation and ask for the department that
helps with loan modifications if you are current. If you are
behind in payments ask for the Default or Forbearance
Department.
• Don’t agree or sign documents for a program that you
do not understand and cannot commit to.
For questions , contact Nancy Boyd at 858 722-6323 or
info@financialessentials.org.
Mortgage Crisis
By Nancy Boyd
Guest Writer
There are solutions to today’s mortgage dilemmas. You may
be overwhelmed with news about the housing market. Many
families are in crisis mode. There is light at the end of the
tunnel. For many years, people have had peaks and valleys
with their finances. Awareness, knowledge, and willingness
to work through it’s critical to move forward.
Do you have an adjustable or minimum payment mortgage?
If so, don’t be caught by surprise. Take action to find out your
options before it’s too late.
You will need to do a few things to help identify your options:
If you have a loan with payment options, sometimes referred
to as Options Arms it’s best to work towards making at least
the interest only payment. This will help delay your loan from
Recasting (adjusting or reamortizing). If you are consistently
making the Minimum Payment, your loan may Recast sooner
rather than later. To be more informed, call your lender. Find
out how much interest you have deferred and ask them to
project when your loan will Recast, according to your payment
history.
There are different types of adjustable loans. Some have a
fixed period before it adjusts such as a 2, 5, or 10 year
period. Other loans adjust monthly or on an average based
on the index which the loan is linked to. These details should
have been explained when you obtained your loan, however if
you are not sure, referring to your loan documents is one way
to understand your loan program. Contacting your lender
may also be helpful to understand your loan program.
The value of your home may not have increased. To refinance
and circumvent the payment adjustment, lenders are usually
willing to work with you. They want to help you keep your
home so that you can continue making payments to them.
Remember, it’s in the lenders best interest to work with you.
No one benefits when a loan goes in default.
Things to remember:
• Never ignore calls or letters from the lender. They may
be offering a different program to assist you and improve your
situation.
• Contact the lender before your loan adjusts and prior to
missing payments. Ask questions and be patient. When
contacting the lender, you may not get the right person or the
appropriate department to help you initially.
• Explain your situation and ask for the department that
helps with loan modifications if you are current. If you are
behind in payments ask for the Default or Forbearance
Department.
• Don’t agree or sign documents for a program that you
do not understand and cannot commit to.
For questions , contact Nancy Boyd at 858 722-6323 or
info@financialessentials.org.
John Insane
By WALTER DAVIS , Editor
It is really scary that the same people who voted for
George Bush get the chance to vote again. Sadly, they
have again fielded another maniac, John McCain. This
elderly, Cialis breathed man who has flipped flopped and
kissed King George in public is acting like a true
conservative.
Wow! What a problem for the Latino immigrant hating
Right Wingers to have this Guest Worker flip flopper
running on their ticket!
In addition, we will have more of the same old dumb Right
Wing mentality on stage from this Bomb, Bomb,
Bomb……Bomb, Bomb Iran, Military Industrial Complex
War Monger who wants to kill brown people and take their
natural resources.
By WALTER DAVIS , Editor
It is really scary that the same people who voted for
George Bush get the chance to vote again. Sadly, they
have again fielded another maniac, John McCain. This
elderly, Cialis breathed man who has flipped flopped and
kissed King George in public is acting like a true
conservative.
Wow! What a problem for the Latino immigrant hating
Right Wingers to have this Guest Worker flip flopper
running on their ticket!
In addition, we will have more of the same old dumb Right
Wing mentality on stage from this Bomb, Bomb,
Bomb……Bomb, Bomb Iran, Military Industrial Complex
War Monger who wants to kill brown people and take their
natural resources.
| DECIDING IN 2008 |
| FEATURED FILM |
| AT YOUR SERVICE AT SBCS |
Day of the Child Event for All
By PATTY CHAVEZ
Columnist
For everyone who is a parent or has children in their lives, the upcoming “Day of the
Child” event is one you shouldn’t miss.
On Saturday, April 12, the Chula Vista Community Collaborative and South Bay Family
YMCA are joining forces to offer this wonderful free event for all families. And to reach
the most families, this year the event will take place simultaneously at two Chula Vista
locations: Memorial Park on Third Avenue in Chula Vista’s Downtown Village; and Otay
Ranch Town Center in Eastlake.
The day’s events begin at 11 am and will run until 3 pm. The celebrations will include
healthy living tips, free on-site screenings from various health care professionals and
the opportunity to get information about free or low-cost services for children and
families. Attendees can also participate in interactive activities with games, handouts,
giveaways and make-and-take projects.
“Day of the Child-YMCA Healthy Kids Day brings all types of local community health
resources together making it easy to get all your information from one place,” said Tina
Williams, executive director of the South Bay Family YMCA. “Plus, the fun environment
makes healthy living a lesson kids don’t mind learning.”
YMCA Healthy Kid’s Day is part of the YMCA’s Active America program, a national long-
term initiative focused on helping all Americans improve their health and wellness.
This year’s event marks the 10th year the South Bay Family YMCA has held Healthy
Kids Day in Chula Vista and it’s the first year of partnership with the Chula Vista
Community Collaborative.
This year also marks the eighth anniversary of the Chula Vista Day of the Child event.
The mission of the event is to promote services for children and families. The event
features dozens of interactive and information booths. Literacy, early childhood
education materials, health screenings, and an array of resources are available for
children and their families.
Thousands of people attend this fun filled event every year. Don’t miss it! For more
information on Day of the Child-YMCA Healthy Kids Day, visit www.southbay.ymca.org
or phone (619) 421-8805. For more on the Chula Vista Community Collaborative visit
www.chulavistacc.org or call (619) 498-8044.
A Doable Solution: Providing Safe and Dignified
Living Conditions for Region’s Homeless
By REMIGIA BERMUDEZ
Associate Editor
someone, somewhere, sees them for what they are, human beings in need of love,
weather come Summer, Winter, Fall and Spring, year after year after year.
compassion, belonging and a future in society. The October 2007 wild fires again
remind us that we are all a thumbnail away from homelessness. Some of us are
strong. Some of us have the means to overcome adversity. And, some of us fall by the
weather come Summer, Winter, Fall and Spring, year after year after year.
I truly believe that there is an answer for human dignity and safe living conditions for the
destitute homeless people. I firmly believe in “It is so, if you think so”! Would the City
and County of San Diego dare to “think it, so it becomes it?”
I have had taught homeless children at specialized schools as well as befriended
homeless U.S. military veterans and others who have been pushed by the Downtown
Consortium, Center City Development Corporation (“CCDC”), the Police Department
and government forces alike towards Barrio Logan, Logan Heights, Sherman Heights
(where I live), Golden Hill and other communities adjacent to downtown. Downtown
vigilantes may think that if poverty isn’t seen, then poverty doesn’t exist.
A “Homeless task Force” has existed long before I started my employment with the City
of San Diego back in 1983. It was fully funded and staffed by the City then and now:
25+ years.
Let’s act NOW so that it won’t be another twenty years of continuous funding for band-
aid approaches to address the plight of the homeless and the destitute. Let’s act now
so that we won’t need the continuity of similar task forces, so that we don’t perpetuate
the continuous expansion of redevelopment project areas with their continuous
Community Block Grant Funds (“CDBG”) funding of redevelopment area expansions,
and the continuous sinful salaries of the City of San Diego’s Independent
Redevelopment Corporations.
If the City and County of San Diego truly want to address the plight of the homeless,
here’s my schematic proposal which could be the solution of providing dignity to, and
safe living conditions for, the homeless.
• Require that the 20% housing set-aside of the accrued tax increment for low and
moderate income housing, or a portion thereof, in redevelopment areas be placed in a
revolving development fund for full service transitional housing complexes. Coordinate
with the County for Social Services, the Housing Commission, the Port authority, the
Redevelopment Agency’s independent Corporations, the County Housing Authority, the
County Administration, the Community College District, etc., thereby creating a multi-
agency agreement by which each entity will share the costs for its service delivery or
carry the full cost for its specific service.
Secure “repayment’ of /collect portions or all of the loans (seed money) that the City
and/or Redevelopment Agency lent to independent corporations of the Redevelopment
Agency and allocate a portion for the development and establishment of the “revolving
development and administration funds” for full-service transitional housing.
• Make the legal findings by which CCDC, the Southeastern Economic Development
Corporation (“SEDC”) and the Redevelopment Agency can lend tax increment funds for
said development in areas that may not be within their jurisdictions
Conduct a study of wages earned in CCDC and SEDC and follow up with a
comparative analysis of how those entities, once they repaid all or portions of the
Redevelopment Agency’s loan, could be streamlined while still operational. The money
from repayment of all or partial loans to SEDC and CCDC would then be managed by
the City’s Redevelopment Agency staff and used for allowable improvements
throughout the City, including the full-service Transitional Housing.
• Develop a full scope of work and needed services along with guidelines for
administering and regulating such program.
Consider land uses: Conditional Use Permits (CUP’s), Planned District Ordinances
(PDO’s), Community Plans, etc.
• Transitional housing should be available throughout the City as to not saturate any
given community. It should be clustered, with manageable units to take advantage of
the full scope of services, and should be truly transitioning people into the larger
community and work places.
• There may be a need to have fully service transitional housing clusters that service
only families vs. single adults….or perhaps have a functional proportion of both within
the specific transitional housing complex.
How can the City of San Diego justify the exorbitant salaries of CCDC and SEDC’s CEO’
s. Evan McGlaughlin’s 5/25/07’s Voice of San Diego’s article states, “CCDC President
Nancy Graham turned heads in January when the CCDC board granted her a $65,000
raise on top of her $235,000 base salary”. The San Diego Union-Tribune 1/30/08’s,
update indicates that the CCDC CEO championed $248,000 plus benefits. FY 2008’s
proposed salary range for SEDC’s CEO, Carolyn Smith, is from $145,000 to $180,000.
It’s currently $158,000. [“The Budget with an Extra Pay Boost” (7/27/07) by Voice of San
Diego’s Andrew Donohue.]
In times of austerity, it would behoove the City of San Diego to tap on its redevelopment
coffers to create permanent fully-equipped full-service transitional housing complexes.
The so called temporary shelters the City now provides are a joke, an offense to
humanity and a “Pontius Pilate” guilt riddance.
Our San Diego region missed an excellent opportunity to provide said services at the
old NTC vacated quarters. There lied a fully-equipped gated mini-city with existing
facilities for necessary services to our homeless population. The City opted to scrap it
all and instead redevelop the NTC Liberty Station for the affluent with alleged
preferential treatment to family members and affiliates of the developers.
There is no need to cry over spilled milk. Imagine the City Redevelopment Agency and
its two independent corporations (SEDC and CCDC) chipping in to build the much
needed roofs over our street-living neighbors while collaborating with the Housing
Commission, the County Housing Authority, the Unified Port Authority, the County
Administration for health and social services, and Community College District for
vocational service training. After all, homelessness has regional impacts and requires
humane, responsible action from our governmental entities within the San Diego
region.
More Money: The seed money to create the independent redevelopment corporations
are actually CDBG funds granted to SEDC and CCDC as loans. CCDC and SEDC
loan repayment to the City would free up a bundle of dollars of CDBG funds. Since the
State of California stipulates that CDBG funds are to be used for “brick and mortar” and,
according to the San Diego U-T editorial, “not for social services”, the development of
effective transitional housing is in line and in order with State stipulations.
Still more money: Use some of the housing set-aside for low and moderate income
families for the development of full-service transitional housing complexes for the
homeless who are willing to transition into the larger society as positive contributors.
Redevelopment law requires a 20% set-aside of the accrued tax increment to be used
for low and moderate income housing. According to the Office of the Independent
Budget Analyst for the City of San Diego (Report #07-50, dated 5/11/07; see chart
below) the combined redevelopment budget for the City, SEDC and CCDC is $336.9
million of which $112.4 million will be set aside for low and moderate income housing.
(Remigia (Remy) Bermúdez earned her BA in Social Science, a Master’s of City
Planning and Bilingual Education Clear Teaching Credential from SDSU. As such, her
professional career spans 20+ years of community advocacy and service in State,
Regional, County and City governments, having developed a myriad of departments,
programs and employment slots. She owns and operates “RemyLinks” whose motto is
“Responsible Government for healthy communities.”)
By PATTY CHAVEZ
Columnist
For everyone who is a parent or has children in their lives, the upcoming “Day of the
Child” event is one you shouldn’t miss.
On Saturday, April 12, the Chula Vista Community Collaborative and South Bay Family
YMCA are joining forces to offer this wonderful free event for all families. And to reach
the most families, this year the event will take place simultaneously at two Chula Vista
locations: Memorial Park on Third Avenue in Chula Vista’s Downtown Village; and Otay
Ranch Town Center in Eastlake.
The day’s events begin at 11 am and will run until 3 pm. The celebrations will include
healthy living tips, free on-site screenings from various health care professionals and
the opportunity to get information about free or low-cost services for children and
families. Attendees can also participate in interactive activities with games, handouts,
giveaways and make-and-take projects.
“Day of the Child-YMCA Healthy Kids Day brings all types of local community health
resources together making it easy to get all your information from one place,” said Tina
Williams, executive director of the South Bay Family YMCA. “Plus, the fun environment
makes healthy living a lesson kids don’t mind learning.”
YMCA Healthy Kid’s Day is part of the YMCA’s Active America program, a national long-
term initiative focused on helping all Americans improve their health and wellness.
This year’s event marks the 10th year the South Bay Family YMCA has held Healthy
Kids Day in Chula Vista and it’s the first year of partnership with the Chula Vista
Community Collaborative.
This year also marks the eighth anniversary of the Chula Vista Day of the Child event.
The mission of the event is to promote services for children and families. The event
features dozens of interactive and information booths. Literacy, early childhood
education materials, health screenings, and an array of resources are available for
children and their families.
Thousands of people attend this fun filled event every year. Don’t miss it! For more
information on Day of the Child-YMCA Healthy Kids Day, visit www.southbay.ymca.org
or phone (619) 421-8805. For more on the Chula Vista Community Collaborative visit
www.chulavistacc.org or call (619) 498-8044.
A Doable Solution: Providing Safe and Dignified
Living Conditions for Region’s Homeless
By REMIGIA BERMUDEZ
Associate Editor
someone, somewhere, sees them for what they are, human beings in need of love,
weather come Summer, Winter, Fall and Spring, year after year after year.
compassion, belonging and a future in society. The October 2007 wild fires again
remind us that we are all a thumbnail away from homelessness. Some of us are
strong. Some of us have the means to overcome adversity. And, some of us fall by the
weather come Summer, Winter, Fall and Spring, year after year after year.
I truly believe that there is an answer for human dignity and safe living conditions for the
destitute homeless people. I firmly believe in “It is so, if you think so”! Would the City
and County of San Diego dare to “think it, so it becomes it?”
I have had taught homeless children at specialized schools as well as befriended
homeless U.S. military veterans and others who have been pushed by the Downtown
Consortium, Center City Development Corporation (“CCDC”), the Police Department
and government forces alike towards Barrio Logan, Logan Heights, Sherman Heights
(where I live), Golden Hill and other communities adjacent to downtown. Downtown
vigilantes may think that if poverty isn’t seen, then poverty doesn’t exist.
A “Homeless task Force” has existed long before I started my employment with the City
of San Diego back in 1983. It was fully funded and staffed by the City then and now:
25+ years.
Let’s act NOW so that it won’t be another twenty years of continuous funding for band-
aid approaches to address the plight of the homeless and the destitute. Let’s act now
so that we won’t need the continuity of similar task forces, so that we don’t perpetuate
the continuous expansion of redevelopment project areas with their continuous
Community Block Grant Funds (“CDBG”) funding of redevelopment area expansions,
and the continuous sinful salaries of the City of San Diego’s Independent
Redevelopment Corporations.
If the City and County of San Diego truly want to address the plight of the homeless,
here’s my schematic proposal which could be the solution of providing dignity to, and
safe living conditions for, the homeless.
• Require that the 20% housing set-aside of the accrued tax increment for low and
moderate income housing, or a portion thereof, in redevelopment areas be placed in a
revolving development fund for full service transitional housing complexes. Coordinate
with the County for Social Services, the Housing Commission, the Port authority, the
Redevelopment Agency’s independent Corporations, the County Housing Authority, the
County Administration, the Community College District, etc., thereby creating a multi-
agency agreement by which each entity will share the costs for its service delivery or
carry the full cost for its specific service.
Secure “repayment’ of /collect portions or all of the loans (seed money) that the City
and/or Redevelopment Agency lent to independent corporations of the Redevelopment
Agency and allocate a portion for the development and establishment of the “revolving
development and administration funds” for full-service transitional housing.
• Make the legal findings by which CCDC, the Southeastern Economic Development
Corporation (“SEDC”) and the Redevelopment Agency can lend tax increment funds for
said development in areas that may not be within their jurisdictions
Conduct a study of wages earned in CCDC and SEDC and follow up with a
comparative analysis of how those entities, once they repaid all or portions of the
Redevelopment Agency’s loan, could be streamlined while still operational. The money
from repayment of all or partial loans to SEDC and CCDC would then be managed by
the City’s Redevelopment Agency staff and used for allowable improvements
throughout the City, including the full-service Transitional Housing.
• Develop a full scope of work and needed services along with guidelines for
administering and regulating such program.
Consider land uses: Conditional Use Permits (CUP’s), Planned District Ordinances
(PDO’s), Community Plans, etc.
• Transitional housing should be available throughout the City as to not saturate any
given community. It should be clustered, with manageable units to take advantage of
the full scope of services, and should be truly transitioning people into the larger
community and work places.
• There may be a need to have fully service transitional housing clusters that service
only families vs. single adults….or perhaps have a functional proportion of both within
the specific transitional housing complex.
How can the City of San Diego justify the exorbitant salaries of CCDC and SEDC’s CEO’
s. Evan McGlaughlin’s 5/25/07’s Voice of San Diego’s article states, “CCDC President
Nancy Graham turned heads in January when the CCDC board granted her a $65,000
raise on top of her $235,000 base salary”. The San Diego Union-Tribune 1/30/08’s,
update indicates that the CCDC CEO championed $248,000 plus benefits. FY 2008’s
proposed salary range for SEDC’s CEO, Carolyn Smith, is from $145,000 to $180,000.
It’s currently $158,000. [“The Budget with an Extra Pay Boost” (7/27/07) by Voice of San
Diego’s Andrew Donohue.]
In times of austerity, it would behoove the City of San Diego to tap on its redevelopment
coffers to create permanent fully-equipped full-service transitional housing complexes.
The so called temporary shelters the City now provides are a joke, an offense to
humanity and a “Pontius Pilate” guilt riddance.
Our San Diego region missed an excellent opportunity to provide said services at the
old NTC vacated quarters. There lied a fully-equipped gated mini-city with existing
facilities for necessary services to our homeless population. The City opted to scrap it
all and instead redevelop the NTC Liberty Station for the affluent with alleged
preferential treatment to family members and affiliates of the developers.
There is no need to cry over spilled milk. Imagine the City Redevelopment Agency and
its two independent corporations (SEDC and CCDC) chipping in to build the much
needed roofs over our street-living neighbors while collaborating with the Housing
Commission, the County Housing Authority, the Unified Port Authority, the County
Administration for health and social services, and Community College District for
vocational service training. After all, homelessness has regional impacts and requires
humane, responsible action from our governmental entities within the San Diego
region.
More Money: The seed money to create the independent redevelopment corporations
are actually CDBG funds granted to SEDC and CCDC as loans. CCDC and SEDC
loan repayment to the City would free up a bundle of dollars of CDBG funds. Since the
State of California stipulates that CDBG funds are to be used for “brick and mortar” and,
according to the San Diego U-T editorial, “not for social services”, the development of
effective transitional housing is in line and in order with State stipulations.
Still more money: Use some of the housing set-aside for low and moderate income
families for the development of full-service transitional housing complexes for the
homeless who are willing to transition into the larger society as positive contributors.
Redevelopment law requires a 20% set-aside of the accrued tax increment to be used
for low and moderate income housing. According to the Office of the Independent
Budget Analyst for the City of San Diego (Report #07-50, dated 5/11/07; see chart
below) the combined redevelopment budget for the City, SEDC and CCDC is $336.9
million of which $112.4 million will be set aside for low and moderate income housing.
(Remigia (Remy) Bermúdez earned her BA in Social Science, a Master’s of City
Planning and Bilingual Education Clear Teaching Credential from SDSU. As such, her
professional career spans 20+ years of community advocacy and service in State,
Regional, County and City governments, having developed a myriad of departments,
programs and employment slots. She owns and operates “RemyLinks” whose motto is
“Responsible Government for healthy communities.”)
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Mariachi Vargas de
Tecalitlán Performs at
Sycuan
Come enjoy Mariachi Vargas de
Tecalitlán’s feisty songs and
heartbreaking ballads as they perform
at Sycuan Casino’s intimate Showcase
Theatre on Saturday, May 10, at 8:00 p.
m.
The first incarnation of the group
Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán began in
1898 as a quartet, and over the
decades the ensemble has become
one of the most important mariachi
groups in Mexican music history. For
five generations Mariachi Vargas has
prevailed as the quintessential
mariachi, appearing in more than 200
films and making numerous
recordings.
Mariachi Vargas emerged as one of the
most celebrated mariachi groups and
acquired national success upon its
presentation at the inaugural
celebration of President Lázaro
Cárdenas in 1934. The band's
influential work throughout the coming
decades set the tone for many
mariachi ensembles by insisting that
all of the group's musicians know how
to read music, resulting in a more
refined and trained ensemble. Credited
with modernizing the genre, Mariachi
Vargas’s meticulously crafted
arrangements helped to propel the
national pride for what would become
Mexico's classical sound.
Mariachi Vargas became renowned as
the definitive mariachi ensemble, and
its classic sound has won the group
numerous awards and accolades,
including the title of "World's Best
Mariachi," since the 1950s. The band
actively participates in international
mariachi festivals to promote the pride
of the genre and to encourage young
mariachis to pursue lifelong careers.
Tickets are on sale for $45 and may be
purchased at the Sycuan Casino Gift
Shop, by phone at 619-659-3380 or
online at www.playsycuan.com. Guests
must be at least 18 years of age to
enter the Casino, restaurants and
theatre.
The Sycuan Tribal Government
operates the region's premier Indian
gaming and resort facilities, the Sycuan
Casino and Sycuan Resort. Sycuan
demonstrates its strong commitment
to the San Diego region through its
support of civic and charitable
organizations. The Tribe, through the
Sycuan Tribal Development
Corporation (STDC), also seeks to
reinvest back into the community with a
progressive business development
effort. To date, STDC has purchased
Singing Hills Country Club and the
historic U.S. GRANT HOTEL, is an
investor in Hotel Solamar near Petco
Park, and is owner/developer of the
Marina Gateway Hotel and Conference
Center in National City. The Tribe also
owns and operates Sycuan Ringside
Promotions, the country’s first tribally
owned boxing promotion company.
Sycuan Funds is a publicly traded and
professionally managed mutual fund.
Combined, these enterprises now
employ nearly 4,000 San Diegans.
Mittleman Turns Camera on
Himself in Real-Life Drama
LOS ANGELES (03/06/08) - Hollywood
actor Ben Mittleman has turned the
camera on himself in the real-life
documentary Dying to Live.
In 1999, Ben Mittleman's doctor told
him he needed surgery to correct a
faulty heart valve. The news shook the
actor-turned-documentary filmmaker.
"It was something that I had witnessed
with my dad when I was boy, and I had
to have the same heart surgery that he
was going to have," he recalled. "And I
thought it was going to be a six-week
story, literally, that I would have the
heart surgery and it would be
overcoming that. And there's that
saying that man makes plans and God
laughs, and that's exactly what
happened."
Mittleman has played in many films
and television shows, appearing in
Cheers, Frasier, and LA Law. He says
that his best acting has involved stories
that relate to his own life, and he
realized that he was about to
experience something profound. So he
recorded his experience on a handheld
digital camera.
Family problems kept him from
completing the film for a number of
years.
His mother had recurring cancer. His
aunt, with whom he was close, was in
failing health. His girlfriend and later
wife, a woman named Valerie, was ill
with lung cancer. Her longtime
employee and friend succumbed to
dementia and cancer.
Mittleman decided to weave the stories
together, blending home movies and
photos with the footage surrounding
his heart surgery. The result is a film
about illness, life, death and grieving.
"These are the inevitable issues of life,"
he added. "And nobody really likes to
talk about them. Nobody likes to
discuss loss, and their own mortality,
and the difficulties and the challenges
of end-of-life circumstances."
Tecalitlán Performs at
Sycuan
Come enjoy Mariachi Vargas de
Tecalitlán’s feisty songs and
heartbreaking ballads as they perform
at Sycuan Casino’s intimate Showcase
Theatre on Saturday, May 10, at 8:00 p.
m.
The first incarnation of the group
Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán began in
1898 as a quartet, and over the
decades the ensemble has become
one of the most important mariachi
groups in Mexican music history. For
five generations Mariachi Vargas has
prevailed as the quintessential
mariachi, appearing in more than 200
films and making numerous
recordings.
Mariachi Vargas emerged as one of the
most celebrated mariachi groups and
acquired national success upon its
presentation at the inaugural
celebration of President Lázaro
Cárdenas in 1934. The band's
influential work throughout the coming
decades set the tone for many
mariachi ensembles by insisting that
all of the group's musicians know how
to read music, resulting in a more
refined and trained ensemble. Credited
with modernizing the genre, Mariachi
Vargas’s meticulously crafted
arrangements helped to propel the
national pride for what would become
Mexico's classical sound.
Mariachi Vargas became renowned as
the definitive mariachi ensemble, and
its classic sound has won the group
numerous awards and accolades,
including the title of "World's Best
Mariachi," since the 1950s. The band
actively participates in international
mariachi festivals to promote the pride
of the genre and to encourage young
mariachis to pursue lifelong careers.
Tickets are on sale for $45 and may be
purchased at the Sycuan Casino Gift
Shop, by phone at 619-659-3380 or
online at www.playsycuan.com. Guests
must be at least 18 years of age to
enter the Casino, restaurants and
theatre.
The Sycuan Tribal Government
operates the region's premier Indian
gaming and resort facilities, the Sycuan
Casino and Sycuan Resort. Sycuan
demonstrates its strong commitment
to the San Diego region through its
support of civic and charitable
organizations. The Tribe, through the
Sycuan Tribal Development
Corporation (STDC), also seeks to
reinvest back into the community with a
progressive business development
effort. To date, STDC has purchased
Singing Hills Country Club and the
historic U.S. GRANT HOTEL, is an
investor in Hotel Solamar near Petco
Park, and is owner/developer of the
Marina Gateway Hotel and Conference
Center in National City. The Tribe also
owns and operates Sycuan Ringside
Promotions, the country’s first tribally
owned boxing promotion company.
Sycuan Funds is a publicly traded and
professionally managed mutual fund.
Combined, these enterprises now
employ nearly 4,000 San Diegans.
Mittleman Turns Camera on
Himself in Real-Life Drama
LOS ANGELES (03/06/08) - Hollywood
actor Ben Mittleman has turned the
camera on himself in the real-life
documentary Dying to Live.
In 1999, Ben Mittleman's doctor told
him he needed surgery to correct a
faulty heart valve. The news shook the
actor-turned-documentary filmmaker.
"It was something that I had witnessed
with my dad when I was boy, and I had
to have the same heart surgery that he
was going to have," he recalled. "And I
thought it was going to be a six-week
story, literally, that I would have the
heart surgery and it would be
overcoming that. And there's that
saying that man makes plans and God
laughs, and that's exactly what
happened."
Mittleman has played in many films
and television shows, appearing in
Cheers, Frasier, and LA Law. He says
that his best acting has involved stories
that relate to his own life, and he
realized that he was about to
experience something profound. So he
recorded his experience on a handheld
digital camera.
Family problems kept him from
completing the film for a number of
years.
His mother had recurring cancer. His
aunt, with whom he was close, was in
failing health. His girlfriend and later
wife, a woman named Valerie, was ill
with lung cancer. Her longtime
employee and friend succumbed to
dementia and cancer.
Mittleman decided to weave the stories
together, blending home movies and
photos with the footage surrounding
his heart surgery. The result is a film
about illness, life, death and grieving.
"These are the inevitable issues of life,"
he added. "And nobody really likes to
talk about them. Nobody likes to
discuss loss, and their own mortality,
and the difficulties and the challenges
of end-of-life circumstances."
| NATIONAL TOP STORIES |