Barnstorming across the country with a caravan of writers and educators, Librotraficante founder Tony Diaz brought more than banished books to Tucson students this week.

In a city that has been bitterly divided by Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) Superintendent John Pedicone’s excessive use of police force, the disgraceful confiscation of Mexican American Studies books in front of children, and the demoralizing language of ill-equipped school board members, Diaz and his merry band of “librotraficantes” are providing Tucson with a powerful “teaching moment”: That books matter, and Tucson should be celebrating, not fearing or proscribing, literature from its students and teachers.

The pitiful efforts by TUSD officials to justify and/or deny the national public relations disaster over their reckless decision to pull Mexican American Studies books from the classroom are almost as tragic as their traumatic impact on students.

Let’s be clear: Without any process of review, Tucson school officials boxed up and banished books from teachers in all Mexican American Studies classrooms–as shown in this photo by an anonymous source at one school during the week in January of book confiscations, TUSD officials even marked “Banned Books” on the boxes:

To be sure, the fact that TUSD sent out a press release on Monday highlighting its move to put a handful of detained books back into general population–wow, FOUR copies of internationally acclaimed and 40-year-old classic textbook, <em>Occupied America: History of Chicanos</em>–is a sad reminder of how disconnected TUSD is from its students, teachers and community.

But beyond Pedicone’s and TUSD’s embarrassing doublespeak on the dismantling of its acclaimed Mexican American Studies program, Diaz’s trip could not be more timely: Arizona’s state legislature has just dumped an anti-bullying bill, largely due to extremist homophobic concerns, in a troubling reminder of the state’s and Pedicone’s unapologetic acceptance of belligerent behavior.

Consider this: If Tony Diaz were TUSD superintendent, tiny little children would not be patted down by security officers and police before entering a school board meeting (such as this incident from last Tuesday), but given free books, such as the celebrated Arizona masterpiece, La Maravilla, by Alfredo Vea.

Photo courtesy of Lupita Blancarte

If Tony Diaz were superintendent of Tucson schools, children would learn how to emulate their teachers and education leaders and use civil discourse in discussing the state’s diverse populations.

Or, if Tony Diaz were superintendent of Arizona schools, education chief John Huppenthal wouldn’t have needed to stumble his way through an apology to “known homosexuals” last year, to whom he compared to neo-Nazi’s for “inappropriate behavior,” or apologize for his comparison of college-bound Mexican American Studies students as “Hitler Jugend”. Attorney General Tom Horne simply referred to Tucson’s Mexican American Studies children as “thugs” who “must be destroyed.”

The refreshingly positive and joyous celebration of the Librotraficantes transcends such dehumanizing language with the power of poetry, fiction and essay. Galvanizing students and teachers and community members into a national movement for literature, Diaz and his Librotraficantes are on the verge of sparking a veritable book revival.

Will Superintendent Pedicone hunker down in his bunker of detained books, or will he embrace this “teaching moment” and join the Librotraficantes this weekend in Tucson in a celebration of Tucson and Arizona literary traditions, and discover the huge treasury of Latino, Native American and other Southwestern authors, such as Tucson literary pioneer Mario Suarez, who wrote in 1947: “Chicano is the short way of saying Mexicano. It is the long way of referring to everybody.”

In a school district where 62 percent of the students come from Mexican American households, could Superintendent Pedicone–or Arizona education chief John Huppenthal, and school board members Mark Stegemen and Michael Hicks, all of whom have made disparaging comments about Latinos–even pass a pop quiz and name four Mexican American and four Native American writers, educators and social figures from Arizona?

With Diaz’s assistance, Pedicone, Stegemen and Hicks–and even state officials like Huppenthal and Horne–can learn the answer to that pop quiz by checking out the extraordinary Mexican American Studies curriculum that has been banned from Tucson.

Or, they can join the Librotraficante caravan.

While Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney attempts to distance himself from the scandalous fallout over the hijinks of his former Arizona co-chair Sheriff Paul Babeau, the tireless Citizens for a Better Arizona group created an ad to remind  TV viewers of this week’s Republican debate in Mesa about another disgraced law enforcement titan that needs to resign: Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

The ad, scheduled for various TV outlets, pulls no punches:”He’s not tough. He’s terrible. He needs to resign.”

While Arpaio’s campaign stomp for Gov. Rick Perry’s disastrous campaign in New Hampshire brought more headlines than votes, Republican candidates like Rick Santorum still made courtesy calls this week, despite the mounting calls for the increasingly reckless Sheriff to hand in his badge.

Two months after the Department of Justice released its report that Arpaio’s Maricopa County Sheriff’s office led a “chronic culture of disregard for basic legal and constitutional obligations” and carried out the “most egregious racial profiling in the United States,” the ad by the Citizens group, which led the successful recall of former Senate President Russell Pearce, comes as part of a growing bipartisan effort to hold the controversial sheriff accountable for gross mismanagement of his department, civil rights violations and the bungling of criminal investigations, including child sex crimes.

Along with the unanimous vote of the Phoenix Human Relations Commission, an unusually diverse and unprecedented number of Arizona state legislators, county supervisors, Phoenix-area city council members, school board members, religious leaders, and members of the U.S. Congress have joined numerous civil rights organizations calling for Arpaio’s immediate resignation.

“The issues we are focusing on are not partisan. We are talking about increases in violent crime, over 400 uninvestigated sex crimes and over $50 million in legal pay outs to settle hundreds of lawsuits — all of which occurred during Sheriff Arpaio’s reign of incompetence,” stated Mary Lou Boettcher, founder of the Mesa Women’s Republican Caucus and Board Member of CBA. “We believe it is important to inform and educate thousands of Republicans about Sheriff Arpaio’s dismal record when it comes to issues we care most about.”

(Image: The SoundStrike)

A close friend and mentor and I were talking about the Occupy Movement. We both had some reservations but more importantly great admiration and excitement about it. This veteran of the Civil Rights and Black Power struggle warned me, “be careful when White folks say, Occupy!” We both laughed at his tongue in check statement. I knew what he meant.

But recently I remembered something he told me years earlier that I recently also read. He said that when the movement for social and economic justice starts to have an impact it won’t be the conservatives who attack you, “It will be the liberals,” he warned. I always kind of got that, but didn’t think much of it…until now.

Suddenly the liberals attacked!

Last week the Tucson Weekly ran a disgraceful article called, “Get out of Town! Our annual list of people, organizations and things Tucson would be better off without.” The article was appropriately written by The Usual Gang of Idiots. Read the piece here 

The part that bothered me the most was written by Linda Ray calling out Derechos Humanos. OMG, I know Linda! She was a part of the group of liberals that attacked me at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival in Austin earlier this year. It was a hard moment for me in Austin, especially, because I was smitten by Linda!

[Above] is a picture of the Angry Tucson mob really giving it to me.

I know Linda isn’t in the picture, but she was there. Oh, was she there! We could not stop looking at each other. It appeared she looked at me with hatred, but I can’t believe that. I know we didn’t agree on the musician boycott in Arizona, especially since everyone on her team was an Arizona based music industry professional. Who are we to call for a boycott of Arizona? We are just a bunch of human rights advocates, organizers and artists fighting for fair treatment of migrants.

They, on the other hand, were the ones fighting Arizona’s anti-migrant SB 1070. I was there with Sal Reza who has been fighting the attacks on migrants in Arizona for over 20 years. He seemed also smitten even though, as a 20 year activist and leader for migrant rights in Arizona, had never met any of these  tireless fighters. NEVER, in 20 Years!

But these liberals said so many important things about taking the message to the people and helping to raise opposition to Arizona’s anti migrant SB 1070.  Well I think they are liberals. At least that is what I heard at the recent Vegan, Organic, Fair Trade, General Assembly / Symposium and Bike Ride for freedom for ‘dose people in, of course, Tucson, Arizona.

My first thoughts were, how dare a bunch of music industry liberals tell a vibrant and important organization led by Chicanas who defend the rights and safety of Native Migrants to get out of Tucson? My second thought was the same as the first, as was my third, and forth thought. Then on my fifth thought I said to myself, how dare a bunch of music industry liberals tell a vibrant and important organization led by Chicanas who defend the rights and safety of Native Migrants to get out of Tucson?…

Read the rest at The SoundStrike.

Photo: Jeff Biggers

MESA, AZ — In a stunning blow to the Tea Party movement, a huge turnout in Mesa’s conservative LD 18 overwhelmingly voted out Arizona’s hardline State Senate President Russell Pearce in a historic recall election today.

As the self-proclaimed “Tea Party President,” Pearce’s national role as the figurehead for punitive immigration measures also turned the recall election into a referendum on the state’s notorious SB 1070 “papers, please” immigration law, which Pearce had made the hallmark of his legislative career.

According to the Maricopa County Recorder Elections Department, Republican moderate and SB 1070 opponent Jerry Lewis overcame the Pearce campaign’s series of dirty tricks and election war chest to win 53.4% to 45.3%. in a contest that divided the city’s influential Mormon Church.

“This is a huge shift,” said Randy Parraz, co-founder of the Citizens for a Better Arizona, which organized the recall drive in one of the most conservative districts in the state. “Russell Pearce is not only too extreme, but had remained untouched. This election shows that such extremist behavior will not be rewarded, and will be held accountable.”

Considered the de facto governor of Arizona, the seemingly invincible and right-wing extremist Pearce became the first state Senate president in American history to be thrown out of office in a recall election. Led by an inspiring citizens movement, Pearce’s downfall marks an extraordinary sea change in Arizona politics, especially in the areas of the changing electoral demographics and immigration reform policies. According to Parraz, the Citizens group registered more than 1,150 new voters in the district.

“Immigration issues are not Republican or Democratic,” said Parraz, noting that the recall effort was successful largely because of its bipartisan support that also focused on education, health care and jobs. “To have effective and sustainable change, we have to work together.”

Defying all expectations, the unprecedented bipartisan organizing effort led by the Citizens for a Better Arizona galvanized the recall movement into a statewide effort to cast out Arizona’s increasingly volatile and embarrassing extremist political leader. Only a year ago, Pearce’s ascendancy to the Senate president post was hailed by many as a watershed moment for the Tea Party movement. Within days of his reign, Pearce and his Tea Party legislators introduced a flurry of radical bills, including an effort to “nullify” federal laws.

“This election sends a message to other Democratic efforts,” said Dan O’Neal, with the Arizona chapter of the Progressive Democrats of America, “to not be afraid to take on issues and races in red states.”

Considered the architect of the SB 1070 immigration law, Pearce had worked with the American Legislative Exchange Council lobby front to shape the latest version of the bill, which had spawned similar laws in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and other states.

Beyond the bread and butter issues of jobs, education, health care and immigration reform, when voters go to the polls next Tuesday in the historic recall election of extremist Arizona state Senate President Russell Pearce, they will also be taking part in a national showdown between corporate lobby influence and local grassroots campaigners in what many consider to be the opening salvo in the 2012 elections.

With nearly 90 percent of his campaign funds coming from outside his Mesa district, the self-proclaimed “Tea Party President” Pearce has ridden the corporate lobby gravy train of donations in his desperate bid to save his ultra-right-wing career. Pearce has out-raised his moderate Republican opponent Jerry Lewis by a 3-1 margin, pulling in donations from representatives in the prison, gun and other corporate lobby fronts.

Despite the challenging spending margin, Lewis, a former accountant and charter school administrator, has gained the support of an unprecedented and enthusiastic bipartisan campaign on the ground level. In a counter to a barrage of outside-funded Pearce TV ads, Lewis and his supporters will launch a massive get-out-the-vote effort over the next five days.

Architect of his state’s notorious SB 1070 “papers please” immigration law, which Pearce wrote with the help of the shadowy American Legislative Exchange Council lobby front and other corporate lobbyists, Pearce’s ranks also include right-wing billionaire Betsy DeVos and her American Federation for Children front, which has pummeled the Mesa district with outside mailings touting Pearce’s bogus education record.

Nearly a century ago, Arizona’s first state governor, George W. Hunt, warned his fellow Arizonans that a national showdown was taking place in their state. “The working class, plus the professional class, represent 99 percent,” Hunt said, in a copper town in 1916. “The remaining 1 percent is represented by those who make a business of employing capital.” Hunt declared: “It will be a happy day for the nation when the corporations shall be excluded from political activity…and vast accumulations of capital cannot be employed in an attempt to control government.”

Long before Hunt and his labor shock troops ushered in one of the nation’s most progressive state constitutions in 1912, the clash over Arizona’s vast natural resources, its native and immigrant labor ranks, and its rooted inhabitants and carpet-bagging business interests had not only placed the state on the frontlines of American politics but also helped force our nation to come to grips with America’s fundamental commitment to civil rights and democracy.

As part of their own nation battle over their state constitution, Hunt and the original Arizonan constitutional convention participants demanded one main concession: The right to recall elected officials who no longer represent the people. Once their constitution was approved by President Taft, the Arizona legislature overwhelming voted to make that plank an enduring part of Arizona’s legacy.

As the nation watches, Arizona voters in Mesa’s LD18 district will decide on November 8th if that historic legacy will be upheld.

Go to original article.