The Nonuple in Black dominated the news this week...The US Supreme Court upheld the principle of affirmative action in college admissions exciting educators by their acceptance of the idea of diversity as a component of a college education The Court further ruled that people had a right to engage in same sex sexual behavior in private. In doing so, the Court overturned sodomy laws in 12 states. Finally, the Court accepted the drawing of irregular boundaries in fashioning a Congressional district in order to protect minority voting rights.

Right Here

The wheels of the bus go flying off, flying off, flying off... Protesters gathered on Friday, June 27 in downtown Baltimore to protest new MTA fare increases, which disproportionately affect lower class and minority residents' ability to get to work. Police issued 6 criminal citations and arrested one protester.

Ouch! The cost of workers compensation insurance which covers on the job injuries and lost wages has reached almost record high levels.

The Sound of Silence All alone by the telephone.....As of this week you can join the list at www.donotcall.gov and insulate yourself from the annoying calls of telemarketers.  Hucksters who ignore the list could be fined up to $11, 000 per phone call.

As the Rich get Rich and the Poor Get Poorer According to the New York Times, the 400 wealthiest taxpayers accounted for more than 1 percent of all the income in the US in the year 2000. Filled with excellent facts to bolster anti-capitalist point of view.

Over there

Is God Talking to George? Haaretz Daily 6/24/03 reported that conversations between George Bush and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas reached new heights of evangelism. According to Abbas, Bush said, "God told me to strike at al Qaida and I struck them, and then he instructed me to strike at Saddam, which I did, and now I am determined to solve the problem of the Middle East. If you help me I will act, and if not, the elections will come and I will have to focus on them."

We Bring You Democracy...but... Reported in The Washington Post and reprinted in Truthout, the U.S. military commanders halted local elections and self-rule in Iraq.  According to Paul Bremer, "Elections that are held too early can be destructive."

Iraqi Resistance Planned Before the War? According to Jason Burke reporting from Baghdad, a document was found in Iraq that detailed a plan for looting and sabotage by Iraqis. The document was reportedly marked top secret.

I'll Say It Again, They're Not Guerillas During a press conference this past week, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was queried by a reporter who asked him why he refused to call the fighters in Iraq, "guerillas."  He then read the dictionary definition of "guerillas" to Rumsfeld.  The reporter said that the definition seemed fitting.  Rumsfeld told him it wasn't.  "Next question?"

This week in history:

General Custer bit the dust (1875); Homestead Strike began at Carnegie Steel. By early July, 40 strikers were shot and 9 killed; 20 Pinkertons were shot and 7 killed. The workers held the steel works for several days until the Governor brought out the militia. The strike itself held solid for four months (1892); Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) was founded in Chicago (1905); General strike in Poznan, Poland, precursor to Poland's "Spring in October," itself  part of the historical path to the workers' Solidarnosc movement of 1980-81 (1956); Stonewall rebellion in New York City, precipitates the modern gay rights movement (1969); A.E. Staley Manufacturing locks out 763 workers in Decatur, Illinois, and within two years, nearly 33% of Decatur's industrial workers were on strike or locked-out, essentially constituting a regional mass strike. (1993)