Changing News Coverage of Police Brutality in San Francisco In the fall of 1996, the San Francisco Police Review Commission held hearings on the death of Aaron Williams, an African-American man suspected of a $50 pet-store burglary who died in police custody. According to witnesses and police sources, a team of police led by Officer Marc Andaya repeatedly kicked Williams in the head and emptied three canisters of pepper spray into his face. Despite the fact that Williams was having difficulty breathing, the police finally hog-tied, gagged and left him unattended in the back of a police van, where he died. [continues 1276 words]
Smokers who feel they're being courteous by stepping outside to light up are increasingly finding that going outdoors is simply not enough. A growing number of California communities are extending smoking restrictions into the outside world by banning puffing in parks, at bus stops and on public sidewalks. The city of Davis bans smoking in public gardens, outdoor courtyards, near children's play areas and close to building entrances. Palo Alto prohibits smoking in ticket and service lines, near play areas and within 20 feet of building entrances. Arcata has limited smoking in its central plaza, and Clayton frowns on lighting up in parks. [continues 796 words]
Hector Feliz-Esparza, a 25-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico, was deported on Jan. 8, 1997, following his conviction in Redwood City on drug and weapons charges. Five months later, Feliz-Esparza was arrested in the Bay Area again for drunk driving. He now faces federal immigration charges that could put him in a U.S. prison for up to 10 years. Feliz-Esparza is one of thousands of illegal immigrants arrested in the United States each year -- even though they have been arrested here before and then deported. [continues 900 words]
Raymond Snoddy and Carol Midgley on claims over Carlton TV film THE film-makers behind a controversial award-winning documentary on the Colombian drugs trade yesterday denied newspaper allegations that they had faked the programme. They are considering legal action. Roger James, executive producer of The Connection, said last night that he would continue to back Marc de Beaufort, the film-maker, until he saw convincing evidence to the contrary. "Allegations of a conspiracy at Carlton were absolute rubbish," he added. [continues 544 words]
Why not support needle exchange for drug users? Because mixed signals are interpreted by vulnerable people in accord with the least pejorative explanation. Example: "It's wrong, illegal, and dangerous to use intravenous drugs, but I'm not going to have you arrested ... here, take these clean needles." There are other examples: "It's unwise and dangerous for a young teenager to have sex; here, take these condoms." Another: "You came into this country illegally? Well, OK, then we'll provide you with most of the benefits of citizenry." [continues 101 words]
Thanks for your sensible editorial on needle exchange ("Needle Exchange - AIDS prevention efforts should include syringe programs," April 22). I hope you will continue to editorialize in favor of science and medicine driving drug policy rather than ignorance and demagoguery. CRAIG SCHROER, Austin - --- Checked-by: "Rolf Ernst" [end]
My problem with the Republican Party is neatly presented in your April 30 quote from House Majority Whip Tom DeLay. He opposes slowing the spread of AIDS through needle exchange programs, calling this a way to oppose "a deadhead president that supports a program that gives free needles to drug addicts." The Republican position on social issues is loaded with this sort of mean-spirited negativity. It's an "I'm OK, you're a pile of horse apples" approach to things that appeals to the worst in us. Those addicts, for example, don't drop in from Mars. They are our fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers, neighbors, co-workers and students. They are as trapped in illegal drugs as others are trapped in other drugs - such as alcohol and tobacco - for which the politicians take bribes (excuse me, "contributions") to keep available. [continues 106 words]
Your April 22 editorial supporting needle exchanges stated that "there is little or no evidence that needle exchanges ... increase intravenous drug use." The Family Research Council refers to the 1997 Vancouver study of intravenous drug users which found high HIV infection rates among needle exchange program participants. When the needle exchange program first opened there in 1988, HIV prevalence was 1 percent to 2 percent. However, since 1994, HIV infection has rapidly increased to 18.6 percent per year at present. Vancouver's AIDS problem is getting worse despite having North America's largest needle exchange. [continues 78 words]
Dear Editor: Congress will soon be voting on a heartless anti-medicinal marijuana resolution. House Resolution 372 declares that marijuana "should not be legalized for medicinal use." This extremist resolution further urges "the defeat of state initiatives which would seek to legalize marijuana for medicinal use." If passed, this non-binding resolution would not create new law, but it would send the wrong message -- that our federal legislators support putting seriously ill people in prison for using medicinal marijuana. Indeed, medicinal marijuana is already illegal under federal law: A patient convicted of possessing one joint faces up to one year in prison; a patient growing even one marijuana plant for personal, medical use faces up to five years in prison. [continues 117 words]
With our increased staff of editors posting the news, we now hope to encourage additional newshawking. In the weeks ahead we will be providing information on under newshawked sources. But first, we would like you, if you are newshawking specific newspapers or other sources on a very regular basis, to let us know so that we do not encourage newshawking of already covered sources. Yes, we do know which newspapers many of you follow, but would still like you to drop us a note confirming your intent to follow specific sources. Please just send me a note at rlake@mapinc.org [continues 147 words]
THE military government of Burma, the world's biggest producer of opium, has driven thousands of villagers from their homes in a programme to transform rice fields into poppy plantations, despite receiving millions of pounds a year from the United Nations to combat drugs. An investigation by The Sunday Times and human rights groups has established that the junta is secretly expanding the number of opium farms in designated "drug-control areas". The regime has used video footage which appears to show poppy fields being destroyed to support applications for UN aid. But interviews with farmers, soldiers and former civil servants have confirmed that the military presides over a huge network of opium-producing villages in regions officially said to be drug-free. [continues 675 words]
Because of Three Strikes, California is incarcerating people for decades to life for stealing a pizza or pair of blue jeans. Don't look to the U.S. for intelligent law-enforcement policy. Rose Ann Fuhrman (The guy who stole the piece of pizza was very violent and he forcefully stole the pizza from a little boy.) [end]
