LAWT 09-29-2011 by LA WATTSTIMES

W E E K E N D E R

L.A. Watts Times Vol. XXX, No. 1251

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Thursday, September 29, 2011

RIES ~ Mail, e-mail or telephone brings news of a matter that demands more attention than you might think. Opportunity knocks at work this week. Tonight spend some quality time with your family. Soul Affirmation: I keep in mind the practical side of life this week. AURUS ~ Listen well for the indications that money can be found in an unusual place. Social and romantic interests should be your focus this evening. Love comes from what you do, not say. Soul Affirmation: I let my mind go slack and tighten up my body EMINI ~ Some people may not “get” where you’re coming from, but ask your family and significant other to give you time to explain your way of looking at life this week. Do it calmly and confidently. Soul Affirmation: I let go and let the spirit take control. ANCER ~ Now’s a better than usual time for self-reflection and meditation. Share your ideas. They’re more valuable than you think. Appreciation comes from someone far away. You make the call. Soul Affirmation: I admit what I really want out of life this week. EO ~ Listen carefully and follow good advice that will come from someone you’ve often regarded as foolish. You run into difficulties with one of your projects. Don’t worry, it’s only temporary. How you manage your mind will affect the eventual outcome. Soul Affirmation: The deed is done. I must wait for the results to unfold. IRGO ~ If there is someone or something that you’re avoiding, don’t panic if you find you must confront what you’ve been hiding from. Wait for things to work themselves out. Don’t force the issue. Time solves more problems than you ever can. Soul Affirmation: I seek connection with the best that is in me. IBRA ~ Be flexible. Yes, you. There are many ways to be right, and your lover or friend will have come up with one that is differ-

SEPT. 29 - OCT. 5 ent from yours. You’ll be asked to compromise this week or you just have to give in. Remember you sometimes have to give a little to get a little. Soul Affirmation: I see myself as a finisher rather than a starter this week. CORPIO ~ Use your natural magnetism to get to someone who might be hard to reach. If you have a problem that you need to get off your chest, tell a relative or friend, don’t hold it inside. Where’s the party? Find it. You need a social setting to make the magnetism work best. Soul Affirmation: I give thanks for the chance to give. AGITTARIUS ~ Even if you can’t be with someone you care for, call that person or send a ‘soul vibration’ to let them know you care. You'll feel better and so will the person. Take time to meditate on the good things life has in stored for you. Soul Affirmation: The success of others is the investment I make in myself. APRICORN ~ Aperson is only as good as their word. If you have made any promises recently, remember to follow through. People will be counting on you. Any dissatisfaction you feel might come from not doing what you told someone that you would do. Soul Affirmation: Superficiality is often the best route to clarity. QUARIUS ~ If you’re not sure about a business deal, ask someone who knows. Asking questions now can help avoid mistakes in the future. The love that you have been looking for is right in front of you. Your ability to see it improves this week. Soul Affirmation: When I am clear about who I am, the world becomes clearer. ISCES ~ Your ability to display enormous grace under enormous pressure will be tested this week. Use your gifts this week to transcend petty criticism. Consider the source and know that you are doing just fine. Soul Affirmation: I enjoy the love that others have for me.

C L

V L

Inside This Edition

4 Gun report

The library at CSUN

triggers LA campus library search

A P

BY JOHN ROGERS ASSOCIATED PRESS LOS ANGELES (AP) — Police on Tuesday were unable to find a man who indicated he had a gun during a search of the main library at California State University, Northridge. Oviatt Library was evacuated at midmorning after a staff member approached a man who appeared in distress and was wearing a T-shirt bearing the words “Human rights violation.” The man indicated he had a gun, but no gun was actually seen, said university spokeswoman Carmen Ramos Chandler. Several hundred students and staffers left the building, and the university sent text, email and voice messages advising the community to be on alert. The campus, however, was not locked down. As a precaution Los Angeles police have been asked to bring in bomb-sniffing dogs to sweep the building, Chandler said. The university also has posted a picture of the man on its website and on Facebook that was taken by someone earlier, she said.

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Black Facts October 4, 1864 The New Orleans Tribune, the first Black daily newspaper, is founded by Dr. Louis CV. Roudanez. The paper, published in both English and French, started as a tri-weekly but soon evolved into an influential daily paper. Source: blackfacts.com

ANSWERS FROM 9-22-11

POLL RESULTS

HOROSCOPES

Should the United Nations grant Palestinians their statehood?

67.2%

Yes

32.8%

Visit www.lasentinel.net to vote for Weekender polls.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Ralphs has unfinished business in South L.A. Grocery store chain continues to make upgrades to its West Side locations while ignoring others

Obama says he can’t fix immigration on his own BY JULIE PACE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BY JASMYNE A. CANNICK This week, negotiators for the union representing Southland grocery workers reached a tentative contract agreement with the owners of Ralphs, Albertsons and Vons/Pavilions. The agreement puts an end to the scheduled walkout of the union’s 62,000 members, which would have resulted in the immediate closing of local Ralphs, Food 4 Less, and Albertsons stores. Now, I don’t work at a grocery store. I don’t even shop at the stores in question — anymore. And even though I might have sympathized with the workers’ position, I can’t honestly say that I was in support of them going on strike. But none of that would’ve stopped me from picking up a sign and joining the workers on the picket line if there had been a strike. Crenshaw and Coliseum, Manchester and Western, Slauson and Crenshaw, King and Western, Compton and Alameda, and Vermont and 120th streets are just a few Ralphs markets in South Los Angeles locations in dire need of a makeover, which have been ever since they were The Boys, Alpha Beta and ABC markets. When I think about it, the only things that have changed since those stores were taken over by Ralphs 20 years ago are the increases in prices and the signs on the outside of the building. If I didn’t know any better, I’d accuse Ralphs of trying to pass off their South Los Angeles locations as “historic cultural monuments” since they can be found only in African American and Latino neighborhoods. Unlike their 3rd and La Brea, and Fountain and La Brea stores on the West Side of Los Angeles, which cater to a lighter shade of customers, or their Vermont and Adams store, which bends over backwards to attract USC students, South Los Angeles patrons have to put up with dimly lit stores that continue to hide the true appearance of the produce, fruit, poultry and fish being sold. Add to that narrow aisles, old shopping carts, small parking lots and an even smaller selection of products to choose from — with not one South Los Angeles location open 24 hours. But don’t even get me started on their newly built 50,000-square-foot

downtown Los Angeles location that caters to L.A.’s loft dwellers, where grocery shopping takes on whole new meaning. Ralphs Fresh Fare, as it’s being called, offers expanded groceries, liquor, fresh and organic produce, a floral department, a fully staffed meat department and a wine cellar —a wine cellar! Oh, and did I mention the sushi, soup and salad bar? Let me be the first to say that we eat sushi in the hood. Not only do we eat sushi, but we’d like a cheese selection that doesn’t begin and end with cheddar and mozzarella. How about bringing fresh and organic produce to a community of overweight and obese people where French fries are often considered a vegetable? While many elected officials are quick to tout inner-city low-income community healthy-eating programs, when it comes to holding the grocery stores that have the lion’s share of the market in South Los Angeles accountable, they are M.I.A. Whether it’s cash, credit or E.B.T., our money and patronage contributes to their profits and bottom line just as much as their West Wide, college or in downtown Los Angeles customers do. Our mothers and grandmothers deserve to have the same shopping experience offered to West Side soccer moms—and they shouldn’t have to go out of their community to do so. Ralphs’ South Los Angeles customers deserve clean and modernized facilities that offer the same wide variety of products made available at their other local stores, because we eat more than just Top Ramen and fried chicken. With the emergence of Wal-mart, Target and Fresh & Easy into the grocery market arena — as well as Costco, Trader Joes and the numerous Latino chains popping up all over South L.A., Ralphs and their counterpart chains— Vons/Pavilions and Albertsons can hardly afford for Blacks and Latinos to turn elsewhere for their grocery shopping. That said, while I’m elated for the workers of Ralphs on their new contract agreement, Ralphs has unfinished business in South Los Angeles with its customers. See RALPHS, page 11

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing weakening support among Hispanics, President Barack Obama expressed deep frustration Wednesday over what he called an inaccurate and damaging perception that he can fix the nation’s flawed immigration system on his own. “This notion that somehow I can just change the laws unilaterally is just not true,” Obama said during a White House roundtable targeting Hispanic voters, a key constituency for the president’s re-election campaign. The president said comprehensive immigration reform continues to be a “top priority” for his administration. But he blamed Republicans in Congress for failing to join Democrats in supporting legislation that would address the flow of foreigners into the U.S. and deal with illegal immigrants already in the U.S. “Only a few years ago, you had some Republicans who recognized that we needed to fix our immigration system,” Obama said, noting that his predecessor, George W. Bush, was among them. “Right now you do not have that kind of leadership coming from the Republican Party.” A strong majority of Hispanics supported Obama’s election in 2008. But his support among Hispanics has declined, as it has in the broader population. A recent Gallup survey found 48 percent of Hispanic voters approving of Obama’s See IMMIGRATION, page 11

AP Photo/Montgomery Advertiser, Lloyd Gallman

People light candles in front of the Alabama State Capitol during a rally against Alabama’s HB56 on Sunday evening, Aug. 28, 2011, in Montgomery, Ala. A federal judge temporarily blocked enforcement of Alabama’s new law cracking down on illegal immigration, ruling Monday that she needed more time to decide whether the law opposed by the Obama administration, church leaders and immigrant-rights groups is constitutional.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

City of Atlanta honors TV pioneer BY FIRST CLASS, INC. Atlanta, GA—Mayor Kasim Reed joined members of the Atlanta City Council, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle and hundreds of other community and civic leaders on Tuesday, September 20, in recognizing the contributions of civil rights activist and broadcasting pioneer Xernona Clayton. Ms. Clayton was recognized for a lifetime of contributions to the community and to humanity with the dedication of an honorary street and park plaza. Baker Street, N.W., between Piedmont Avenue, N.W., and Centennial Olympic Park Drive, N.W., was named Xernona Clayton Way; and the plaza at Hardy Ivy Park was named Xernona Clayton Plaza. Members of the city council, upon the recommendation of a city commission and countless residents and community leaders, approved the designation of these landmarks to honor Ms. Clayton’s invaluable service to the community. “I am extremely honored by this gesture from the mayor and the city council. To have a street and a park dedicated in my name gives me joy beyond expression. This is a significant moment for me, and I am delighted with this honor,” said Ms. Clayton. The honorary street sign unveiling at the intersection of Baker and Peachtree Streets was followed by the dedication of the Xernona Clayton Plaza, where officials unveiled a

plaque commemorating Ms. Clayton’s lasting legacy in civil rights and broadcast journalism. Ms. Clayton is only the second woman and the first African American woman to have a downtown street named after her, following legendary author Margaret Mitchell. “The Atlanta City Council is pleased to honor a woman who has been instrumental and prolific in shaping our wonderful city and race relations internationally. It’s time to recognize the contributions of Ms. Xernona Clayton,” said District 10 Councilmember C. T. Martin. A native of Muskogee, Okla., Ms. Clayton began her career in Chicago working for the Urban League as an undercover agent, investigating employment discrimination against African Americans. By the 1960s, Clayton was an active fundraiser for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Through her work with the SCLC, Clayton developed a relationship with Dr. and Mrs. Martin Luther King, Jr., in Atlanta. Among her many efforts, Ms. Clayton was instrumental in the desegregation of all Atlanta’s hospital facilities by coordinating the activities of the city’s African American doctors in a project called the Doctors’ Committee for Implementation. This effort served as a model for cities and states across the country and received recognition from the National Medical Association for its impact.

Photo by John B. Smith, Jr.

(from left to right) Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell; former Atlanta mayor/president, Buckhead Coalition Sam Massell; Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle; honoree Ms. Xernona Clayton; Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed; retired Judge Paul Brady, husband of Ms. Clayton; former mayor/U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young; Councilman C.T. Martin; and Xernona Clayton Commission Chairman Joe Hindsley. In 1968, the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan credited her efforts specifically in influencing him to denounce the organization.

Ms. Clayton is the founder, president and CEO of the Trumpet Awards Foundation, Inc., and creator and executive producer of the foundation’s Trumpet Awards. Initiated in 1993 by Turner Broadcasting, the Trumpet Awards is a prestigious event highlighting African American accomplishments and contributions. Ms. Clayton began her television career in 1967 and became the South’s first African American to have her own television show. She has been widely honored for her contributions to humanity and has received numer-

ous media awards. Through her foundation, the Xernona Clayton Foundation, Ms. Clayton in 2010 opened a school in Kumasi, Ghana, West Africa, which today educates hundreds of students in Atwima-Heman Village, an area where there is a scarcity of educational opportunities. Tireless and passionate, Ms. Clayton continues her commitment to various civic causes and to fostering global exchange with students here in Georgia and across the nation.

U.S. probe urged in L.A. jail beatings LOS ANGELES (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union is demanding that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder conduct a criminal and civil rights investigation into alleged Los Angeles County jailhouse brutality by sheriff's deputies. The ACLU of Southern California on Wednesday also called for the immediate resignation of county Sheriff Lee Baca. The ACLU, which is a court-appointed monitor of jail conditions, released a 26-page report that includes 70 sworn statements, including affidavits by two chaplains and a Hollywood producer who volunteer at the downtown Men's Central Jail. It's the first time civilians have come forward with firsthand accounts of inmates being brutalized. The sheriff did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A first: Eyewitness accounts of brutality in L.A. jails.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

The Trojans’ latest conquest: L.A.’s Coliseum this hallowed venue are turned over to USC, the school would keep community and non-USC sporting events out of the stadium, such as soccer games, Fourth of July celebrations — and even a third Olympic Games. While USC administrators like Thomas Sayles believe obtaining a master lease at the Coliseum, “... is in the best long-term interests of the community and the university,” others note that over time, the school has leveraged its position as the stadium's only tenant to become more and more restrictive over its use — all while playing just six games a year there. Observers also note that USC has benefited for years by claiming the Coliseum as its own. They have never had to build a stadium like PAC-12 rival Stanford did in 2006 for $90 million. And they have never had to pay for the expensive upkeep associated with a huge facility, like the Coliseum. The school has enjoyed these perks as they have continued to expand their boundaries into the South L.A. communities, earning the nickname “Pac-Man” from protesting neighbors. Even with that information, it seems as if the overwhelming majority of the nine-member Coliseum Commission seems either to have been muscled or is being muscled to fall into line in support of USC. Weeks ago, an ESPN.com report

“I do not believe that I could realistically turn over a public, community facility to a private institution,” Councilman Bernard Parks has said. handicapped the votes on the commission: eight votes in favor of USC, and one vote against. Presumably, the one vote belongs to Councilman Bernard C. Parks, who has been the only vocal critic of USC’s “power grab” and who represents the district that both the school and the Coliseum call home. See LA COLISEUM, page 11

Gov. Brown signs bill to boost L.A. stadium plan

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — The developer behind a $1.2 billion plan to build a football stadium in downtown Los Angeles got a boost Tuesday with a law that will help it avoid lengthy court fights. Gov. Jerry Brown signed the bill at a Los Angeles Convention Center ceremony with executives from Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), which is proposing to build a 72,000-seat stadium next to the convention center. With California’s unemployment rate in double digits, Brown said the stadium plan would create 12,000 construction jobs and 11,000 permanent jobs. The bill would expedite resolution of any legal challenges to AEG’s project, sending lawsuits over its environmental impact directly to the California Court of Appeal and bypassing the State Superior Court. The appeals court would have to make

a ruling within 175 days. AEG would thus avoid a protracted and costly court battle that could hold up construction of the stadium, which could break ground as early as June if it passes environmental muster and secures an NFL team. In return, AEG, which owns the Staples Center and the L.A. Live entertainment complex next to the convention center, pledged to build a “green stadium” and make it publictransit friendly. The bill’s co-author, state Sen. Alex Padilla, a Los Angeles Democrat, said the bill sought to accelerate the project because of the jobs it would create. “With unemployment over 12 percent and over 13 percent in the Los Angeles region, we do need to act with a sense of urgency,” he said. A rival group, Majestic Realty, has proposed building a stadium in the City of Industry, outside Los Angeles. It obtained its own earmarked bill in 2009 when legislators gave it an

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AP Photo/AEG, File

This undated file artist’s rendering provided by AEG shows a proposed NFL football stadium, to be named Farmers Field, in Los Angeles.

exemption from some environmental laws and protection from lawsuits over environmental issues. Some environmentalists said they supported the AEG bill after the developer agreed to submit a full environmental impact report, purchase carbon credits locally to offset emissions and take measures to lessen the impact of traffic for the life of the stadium, among other items. Warner Chabot, chief executive of the California League of Conservation Voters, said he was pleased those measures were included in the bill since it already had the votes to pass. “We don't like the principle of doing special legislation for a single project,” Chabot said. “It sets a bad precedent, but it would have set a worst precedent for the community without these things.” Padilla said public works projects are often granted similar protections. “It’s not anything new or unprecedented,” he said. The Planning and Conservation League’s legislative director, Jena Price, said her group continued to oppose the bill, largely because it was ramrodded through the Legislature, bypassing committee review and going straight to a floor vote. Still, she noted that the bill reflected a compromise that did not give AEG the same wide-ranging exemptions given to Majestic Realty. “An eleventh hour bill is never a smart one,” she said. “It’s one more step in taking away the voice of local communities.” AEG is expected to release the full environmental impact report in early January.

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BY YUSSUF J.SIMMONDS Ascheme set in motion months ago to give the University of Southern California (USC) control of the historic and publicly run Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will be scrutinized next week by community members concerned with the school's latest attempt to grow its ever-expanding footprint in South Los Angeles. The group, including representatives from the Brotherhood Crusade, the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the Urban League met this week to discuss the negative impacts of USC’s long-desired takeover of the stadium and to prepare to state its case at next Wednesday’s Coliseum Commission meeting. The Coliseum has been a public facility since it opened in 1923 as a memorial to the veterans of World War I. It is the only stadium to have hosted the Olympic Games twice, in 1932 and 1984. It is also the only Olympic stadium to have also hosted Super Bowls and World Series. It was declared a national historic landmark on July 27, 1984, the day before the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics. In fact, USC played the first ever football game at the stadium against Pomona College the same year it opened. There are fears that if the reins of

Thursday, September 29, 2011

By Russ Bynum Associated Press SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — When Georgia executed Troy Davis last week after four years of appeals ended with the courts upholding his death sentence, thousands still protested that Davis’ guilt remained uncertain because witnesses who identified him as a police oƥcer’s killer in 1989 simply couldn’t be trusted. The issue raised in Davis’s case is getting harder to ignore. With scientific studies showing the human memory can be surprisingly faulty, the once-damning weight of eyewitness testimony has come under question in courts and state legislatures. Last month, New Jersey’s top court made it easier for criminal defendants to challenge the credibility of eyewitnesses, while the U.S. Supreme Court is set in November to hear its first case dealing with eyewitness evidence in 34 years. Such issues also played a role in the abolition of Illinois’ death penalty earlier this year and a 2009 law narrowing when capital punishment can be sought in Maryland. Davis’ execution outraged hundreds of thousands of people who said they feared an innocent man was being put to death, based on his defense attorneys’ assertion that witnesses who had identified Davis in court as a killer two decades ago had tried years later to take it all back. Dorothy Ferrell was one of those witnesses. “Well, I’m real sure, positive sure, that that is him, and you know, it’s not a mistaken identity,” Ferrell told a Savannah jury in 1991. “I did see him and you know,

COVER IMAGE AP PHOTO/CHARLES DHARAPAK CENTER IMAGE AP PHOTO/GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

F E AT U R E

on the fact of what happened and how it happened, you know, I’m pretty sure it’s him.” Nine years later, Ferrell signed an affidavit saying she didn’t actually see the 1989 shooting of oơ-duty police oƥcer Mark MacPhail, but pointed at Davis to tell police what they wanted to hear. Legal experts say Davis’ case serves as an example in the debate over eyewitness reliability, particularly in death penalty cases, when scientific studies show the human memory can be surprisingly faulty. “There’s going to be some broader discussions about whether the death penalty is viable at all, but before that happens there’s going to be eơorts to reform and see what can be done in states that believe in it and regularly use it,” said Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, which opposes capital punishment. Even before Davis’ execution last Wednesday, several states had reduced reliance on eyewitnesses. The Supreme Court of New Jersey, which abolished the death penalty in 2007, last month issued a ruling making it easier for criminal defendants in its state courts to get pre-trial hearings challenging eyewitness evidence. It also requires judges to give juries more detailed instructions about potential flaws in eyewitness identifications. In 2009, Maryland lawmakers prohibited prosecutors from seeking death unless they have DNA evidence, a videotape of the crime or a videotaped confession from the suspect. “Eyewitness testimony is so horribly inaccurate — even under the very best of circumstances,” said Rob Warden, director of the Chicago-based Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University. “We

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should never depend on eyewitness testimony in death penalty cases.” The center says that nationally, out of 138 defendants sentenced to death for murder and then later exonerated since the mid-1970s, 32 had been convicted in whole or in part based on erroneous eyewitness testimony. As Illinois moved to abolish its death penalty in March, state oƥcials cited Anthony Porter, who was condemned for a 1982 double murder based on eyewitness testimony that authorities later determined was false. Porter got a reprieve just two days before his execution date in 1998, and was released from prison the following year. Meanwhile, a researcher who’s been studying eyewitness issues for 30 years released a study this month that shows police can reduce chances that witnesses will mistakenly point to innocent people in lineups by adopting a few simple procedures. Gary Wells, an Iowa State University psychology professor, studied 497 instances of witnesses to real crimes looking at lineups on police computers in four states. He found

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that when witnesses looked at a group of photos all at once, they were more likely to compare faces and pick the one that most resembled the suspect — whether it was correct or not. The rate of wrong identifications declined, from 18 percent to 12 percent, when witnesses viewed the photos one at a time. Willis says the one-by-one approach would also make in-person lineups more reliable. It also helps if the oƥcer working with the witness doesn’t know who the suspect is, to avoid influencing the outcome. He says police should also tell witnesses it’s OK if they can’t pick a suspect out of a lineup. “These kinds of events that people witness, whether a victim or a bystander, often happen very quickly, they’re unexpected,” Wells said. “It’s not like the only thing to look at is the perpetrator’s face. There are other things going on; people fear for their safety.” Prosecutors balk at the idea that people are sentenced to death based purely on eyewitness testimony. In Davis’ case, for example, prosecutors used shell casings recovered from the scenes of two diơerent shootings hours apart to link the crimes to Davis, who admitted being at both places when shots were fired. A

Thursday, September 29, 2011

firearms examiner testified it was likely, but not certain, the casings came from the same gun. Some witnesses who identified Davis as the killer have never backed oơ their stories. Scott Burns, director of the National District Attorneys Association, said advances in crime scene investigating technology have made it tougher for prosecutors to lean too heavily on eyewitnesses. He said he prosecuted a car-theft case in Utah years ago in which jurors asked if he had any DNA evidence. “It has raised the expectations of juries,” Burns said. “People want all of their senses stimulated. They want to see pictures, they want to watch video.” But eyewitness testimony remains a cornerstone of prosecutions, with many cases yielding very little physical evidence, said Brandon Garrett, a law professor at the University of Virginia.

In his recent book “Convicting The Innocent: Where Criminal Prosecutions Go Wrong,” Garrett looked at 190 criminal cases where eyewitnesses helped win convictions for a range of crimes that were later overturned by DNA evidence. He found that witnesses often seemed more confident in identifying suspects from the witness stand years later than they were when interviewed by police right after a crime. “You had these eyewitnesses almost without exception come into the courtroom and say they were absolutely certain they saw the defendant do the crime,” Garrett said. “But more than half remembered being unsure at the time they saw their first lineup.” Among the exonerations Garrett studied was that of John Jerome White, who spent nearly 30 years in a Georgia prison for rape until he was exonerated by DNA testing in 2007. The case came with a startling twist: after White’s release, police arrested another man for the same crime — a man who had stood in the same police lineup with White in 1979 Barry Scheck, co-founder of the Innocence Project, said the legal system is poised to change how it handles eyewitness evidence. The U.S. Supreme Court in November is slated to hear a New Hampshire case that asks whether courts should throw out eyewitness testimony that’s been influenced by friends and neighbors in the same way they would reject witnesses tainted by police. “The Troy Davis execution came at a time where we’re at tipping point or there’s critical mass concerning eyewitness reform,” Scheck said, noting the Supreme Court hasn’t ruled on the issue since 1977. “Thirty-four years later, the science dictates it has to change.” Associated Press writers Michael Tarm in Chicago and Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this story.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Kobe Bryant says Italy move ‘very possible’

SPORTS BEAT BY BRAD PYE JR. Notes, quotes and things picked up on the run from coast to coast and all the stops in between and beyond. Will Michael Vick’s bruised right hand permit him to make his next start Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers? Or will Vince Young finally get his chance to start? Did UCLA do something Saturday in that 27-19 decision over Oregon State that it will do again Saturday against Coach David Shaw’s highly rated No. 5 Stanford Cardinals up on The Farm? This column conductor and the rest of the world doubt it. USC will have to be at its best against the Arizona Wildcats Saturday at the Coliseum after being knocked from the unbeaten ranks by that other Arizona (State) team, 43-22. Senior tailback Marc Tyler, the son of former UCLA all-American Wendell Tyler, rushed for a team best of 149 yards on 22 carries and a TD —but ASU still prevailed, 43-22. Cam Newton got his first victory in his third NFL game Sunday. His stats didn’t match the 400 yards- plus passing in his first two games, but he passed for 158 yards (18 of 34), and a 16-yard TD to Greg Olsen and a twopointer for the winning margin, 16-10. Two African American NFL head coaches have their teams tied for first place in the NFC South and the AFC West Divisions, respectively. The first one is the Tampa Bay Bucs’ Raheem Morris, tied with the New Orleans Saints. The Bucs are quarterbacked by

AP Photo/Tony Ding, File

Unstoppable on the ground or through the air: Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson. a man of color— Josh Freeman. Freeman scored the first rushing TD of his career to pace the Bucs to a 1613 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. The Oakland Raiders’ Hue Jackson is the other man of color, who has his team tied for first place in the AFC West with the San Diego Chargers (21). The Raiders (2-1) roared into a share of first place behind the two TD performance of Darren McFadden, who ran for 171 yards, (9.0 average) to post the top mark of the third week, in the 34-24 win over the New York Jets (2-1). It went virtually unnoticed but Louisville (Charlie Strong) and Kentucky (Joker Phillips) featured Black head coaches and African American QBs in their recent duel. Of the five USC QBs who have passed for five TDs in a game, Rodney Peete is the only player of color in the group. Current starter Matt Barkley joined the five TD party for the third time in the Trojans 38-17 win over Syracuse. This marked the third time Barkley has thrown for five TDs in a game — last year against Hawaii and Cal. ESPN magazine picks Mike Tomlin’s Pittsburgh Steelers to meet Andy Reid’s Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl. If Michael Vick remains healthy, I agree: Vick’s magic will make the Eagles Super Bowl

champions. If the Steelers make it to the Super Bowl, this will be Coach Mike Tomlin’s third trip to the big show. Pittsburgh held on for a victory Sunday night over the winless Indianapolis Colts. The Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees were the first to clinch their regular-season division championships. From all indications, both could wind up in the World Series. Hold it a moment? Cecil Fielder, Jr., and his Milwaukee Brewers want to join the World Series party. Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said of WR Andrews Hawkins, his 5-foot-7-inch, 175 pounder, who was recently elevated from the practice squad: “Whatever he is — [175] pounds — he’s looking to go in there and take your head off.” Coach Marvin Lewis is on shaky ground with his record of 1-2 and spot in the cellar of the AFC North Division. Gene Smith, general manager of the once-beaten Houston Texans, is a man of color. Smith is the son-in-law of Roy Willis of Roy Willis & Associates of Marina Del Rey, Calif. The Los Angeles Dodgers have the top MVP candidate (Matt Kemp) and a solid Cy Young award nominee (Clayton Kershaw), but neither one

See SPORTS BEAT, page 11

AP Photo/Luca Bruno

‘Mamma Mia, that’sa Kobe Bryant’: Thankfully, should the Laker opt to play in Italy during the lockout, he already speaks the language. MILAN (AP) — Kobe Bryant said it’s “very possible” he will play in Italy during the NBA lockout, adding the country is like home because he spent part of his childhood there. Virtus Bologna has made numerous contract offers to the Los Angeles Lakers star. Bryant discussed the offer with the Gazzetta dello Sport during a sponsor’s appearance in Milan on Wednesday. “It’s very possible. It would be a dream for me,” Bryant said, according to the Gazzetta. “There’s an opportunity that we’ve been discussing over the last few days. It’s very possible and that's good news for me.” Bryant later spoke to a crowd — in Italian — at the event in Milan. “I don’t know what’s going to happen over the next three or four weeks, but Italy has always been in my heart,” Bryant said. Virtus told The Associated Press that the latest talks are centered on a $2.5 million offer for 10 games over 40 days from Oct. 9 to Nov. 16. That would come out to about $1.5 million after taxes. The deal would allow Bryant to return to the Lakers immediately if the lockout ends.

The 33-year-old Bryant spent several years in Italy when his father, Joe Bryant, played on five teams from 1984-91. The elder Bryant, who once owned a small part of Olimpia Milano, now coaches the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA. “Italy is my home. It’s where my dream of playing in the NBA started. This is where I learned the fundamentals, learned to shoot, to pass and to (move) without the ball,” Kobe Bryant said, according to the Gazzetta. “All things that, when I came back to America, the players my age didn’t know how to do because they were only thinking about jumping and dunking.” Turkish club Besiktas and at least one team in China have expressed interest in Bryant, a winner of five NBA championships and 13-time AllStar awards. However, he seems most interested in the Virtus offer. “It’s a huge honor for me to return to Italy. It’s home for me,” Bryant said in fairly fluent Italian in a video posted on the Gazzetta website. “It’s always been a dream for me to play in Italy. We’ve got to wait and see what happens.” Virtus also recently reached out to Manu Ginobili, who played with Bologna before joining the San Antonio Spurs in 2002. Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari rejoined his former Italian club Olimpia Milano last week. The NBA season usually begins in late October, but owners and players have failed to agree on a new labor deal. The two sides are at odds over how to divide the league’s revenue, a salary cap structure and the length of guaranteed contracts. Last week, NBA officials announced the postponement of training camp and the cancellation of 43 preseason games. Virtus has won 15 Italian league titles but none since 2001, when it also won the Euroleague for the second time. Bologna opens the Italian league against Roma on Oct. 9. It did not qualify for this season’s Euroleague, although the team has big ambitions after signing former Clemson point guard Terrell McIntyre, who led Siena to four consecutive Italian titles before transferring to Malaga in Spain last season.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

AARP Life@50+ Event and Expo comes to L.A. The three-day conference dazzles with top R&B, pop and jazz artists. BY JOY CHILDS ASSOCIATE EDITOR, LAWT With attendance at the Los Angeles Convention Center last weekend estimated to be 20,000, the AARP annual conference tackled the issues of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security by day — and featured AARP-friendly entertainment by night. As part of its opening afternoon “Movies for Grown-ups” series on Thursday, Thunder Soul, a film narrated by Jamie Foxx, follows the extraordinary alumni from Houston’s storied Kashmere High School Stage Band, who return home after 35 years to play a tribute concert for their beloved 92year-old band leader. “Prof,” as he was affectionately known, broke the color barrier and transformed the

poignant “Betcha by Golly Wow.” The 76-year-old elder statesman of the acoustic piano ended with Stevie Wonder’s “Living For the City.” Pop songstress Patti Austin, who looked spectacular in her low-cut, royal-blue dress, sang a few covers (“Stomp” by the Brothers Johnson; “Give Me the Night” by George Benson; and Des'ree’s “You Gotta Be”) and, of course, a couple of her own songs, including “Razzamatazz.” A few tunes from her latest CD, “Sound Advice,” feature some really nice updates to some huge hits of the past, as on the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” and on what she termed “her personal anthem for the 21st century, Bill Withers’ “Lean On Me.” Always one to inject a little

sexogenarians and septuagenarians alike crooning and swaying with the multiple Grammy winner on “Easy” — then (trying to) jumping up and down on “Dancing on the Ceiling.” And of course, Richie wouldn’t dare leave without a shout out to all the senior “Brick House(s)” in the house. The finale, “All Night Long,” brought every race, creed, color and age to their dancing feet. Fast forward to Saturday’s afternoon screening of “On the Shoulders of Giants,” and you got a Kareem Abdul-JabbarSpike Lee production about a group of basketball pioneers who have been all but forgotten to time. The documentary opens with a mini-trashtalk session with host Abdul-Jabbar asking Bill Russell, Marques Harper and Jerry West, among others, to identify the greatest team that ever played. Needless to say, each of these men names their own respective teams, only to be educated over the course of the two-plus hour documentary, along with the rest of us, about “the best team you never heard of”: the Harlem Rens. Archival footage, innovative 3D graphics and reenactments and a little hip-hop music along the way — and interviews with basketball and political greats like Grant Hill, Chuck D., Samuel L. Jackson, Spike Lee, Al

Photo by Doug Van Sant

At the media Q&A, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (left) and Spike Lee explain how they got involved in the production of “On the Shoulders of Giants.” Sharpton, Herbie Hancock, Wynton Marsalis, “Sir” Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Jesse Jackson, Dr. Cornel West and coaches’ coach John Wooden — all make for an incredible history lesson for young (for whom, AbdulJabbar says, the film is intended) and old. It’s interesting to note that the title comes from Sir Isaac Newton, who in 1676 said: “If I have been able to see further, it was only because I stood on the shoulders of giants.” The final concert on Saturday — billed as the “AARP Foundation Drive to End Hunger featuring Tony Bennett

with Special Guests Carrie Underwood and Stevie Wonder — proved to be the huge hit it was expected to be. As most know, Bennett has been using the occasion of his 85th birthday (which was on August 3) to raise funds for hunger. So his 75-minute concert ended with a huge cake and two happy birthday songs: first, guest Stevie Wonder’s version (which, sadly, most of this crowd didn’t recognize), which was followed by the traditional one. Overall, the convention was a rousing success — especially, no doubt for downtown businesses.

Photo by Doug Van Sant

Stevie Wonder belts out one of his—and Tony Bennett’s—biggest hits, “For Once in My Life.” school’s struggling jazz band into a world-class funk powerhouse that rivaled the professional funk bands in the early 1970s. Don’t miss this one. Later, on Thursday night, at the Nokia Theatre across the street from the Convention Center was a musical trifecta: jazz keyboardist Ramsey Lewis and his electric band; singer Patti Austin; and super-performer and headliner Lionel Richie. Lewis opened with — what else — “The In Crowd,” after which he told this in crowd that he never gets tired of playing the song as it “brings a lot of joy.” He also said he’s a romantic and he likes to reminisce, after which he played a very

humor in her act, Austin dueted with herself on her megahit “Baby Come to Me,” singing her own part, then doing a dead-on imitation of James Ingram’s speaking and singing voices. Top Commodore Lionel Richie brought the multi-ethnic crowd to its feet, greeting them with “It’s nice to see my generation here!” With his five-piece band, Richie could sing only one or two verses from the wealth of material that comprises his discography. From his Commodore days, there was “Still,” “I Want You to Want Me,” “Oh No” and “Stuck On You.” It was quite a fun visual to see

JAMES G. ROBINSON PRESENTS A MORGAN CREEK PRODUCTION A BOBKER/KRUGER FILMS PRODUCTION DANIEL CRAIG NAOMI WATTS RACHEL WEISZ MUSIC MARTON CSOKAS ELIAS KOTEAS CASTINGBY AVY KAUFMAN CSA MUSICBY JOHN DEBNEY SUPERVISOR DAVE JORDAN EDITEDBY Glen Scantlebury BARBARA TULLIVER ACE COSTUME DIRECTOR OF EXECUTIVE PRODUCED PRODUCTION DESIGNER DELPHINE WHITE BY DAVIDROBINSON DANIELBOBKER EHRENKRUGER DESIGNER CAROL SPIER PHOTOGRAPHY CALEB DESCHANEL ASC PRODUCERS RICK NICITA MIKE DRAKE WRITTEN PRODUCED DIRECTED BY DAVIDLOUCKA AUNIVERSALRELEASE BY JAMES G. ROBINSON BY JIM SHERIDAN “DREAM HOUSE”

SOUNDTRACK ON BACK LOT MUSIC AND VARÈSE SARABANDE

Photos by Doug Van Sant

(left photo) The elegant, elder statesman of jazz piano, Ramsey Lewis. (right photo) Singer Patti Austin cracked the crowd up when she imitated her frequent duet partner James Ingram on “Baby, Come to Me.”

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Thursday, September 29, 2011

A more inclusive CBC gathering shows and diverse judiciary complexity of Black America BY ASSEMBLYMAN MIKE DAVIS

BY JULIANNE MALVEAUX NNPA COLUMNIST

California’s current pool of superior court judges does not reflect our state’s rich diversity. It is for this reason I introduced Assembly Bill AB 126 to make our judicial selection process more fair and diverse. Currently, Whites make up 73.6% of the state’s judiciary, compared to 5.2% for African Americans and 7.5% for Latinos. These numbers are significantly out of step with population statistics released by the 2010 Census. According to the US Census, whites make up 40.1% of California’s Assemblyman Mike Davis population, Blacks 6.2%, Asians 13% and Latinos 37.6%. As a candidates to complete a minimum result, minorities are underrepresent- two hours of mandatory training in ed in the judiciary, one of three equal the areas of fairness and bias in the branches of California’s government. judicial appointment process. The training, to be administered Diversity on the bench can make a difference. Studies have shown a by the State Bar, will give the goverwide disparity in sentencing when it nor’s judicial advisors the education comes to race in the context of crim- necessary for making prudent deciinal justice. Often, when a judge has sions that are responsive to various discretion in sentencing, African cultures of our great state. The bill will also require the Americans and other minorities are given more prison time than Whites State Bar and Administrative Office of the Courts, in their annual reports, for the same crime. For example, 2006 U.S. to use the ethnic and racial categories Department of Justice statistics on used by the 2010 U.S. Census. The felony sentences imposed by states Administrative Office of the Courts show higher average sentences for annually releases demographic inforBlacks over Whites in almost every mation, including race and gender on category and sub-category, including current judges, while the State Bar releases demographic information on violent, drug and property offenses. As a result, it is no surprise that judicial applicants. Currently there are differences in minorities make up the overwhelming majority of California’s prison- the way ethnicities are categorized ers. According to the Public Policy (example: Latino vs. Hispanic). This Institute of California, African bill will standardize the information Americans (6.2% of total population) released by these reports, allowing us make up 29% of the state’s male to more accurately judge California’s prison population, Latinos 40% and efforts towards diversity in the courts. Whites only 25%. Lastly, AB 126 encourages memRyan S. King, policy analyst for The Sentencing Project, states: “It’s bers of the judicial selection advisory hard to know how much of the dis- committees to recommend candiparity is explicable by discrimina- dates from diverse backgrounds and tion; however, it would be naïve not cultures reflecting the demographics to think that some portion of it is of California. A diverse judiciary will help (based on) race.” Due to this disparity, it is imper- build a long lasting trust between ative to consider diverse back- judges and the public they serve. grounds when determining who This bill goes well beyond fairness. should judge accused citizens. This Judges occupy a position of high does not mean that the majority of prestige and honor, and the public our judiciary does not serve with should have an equally high degree distinction, but it does underscore of confidence in both their integrity the need for diversity. As a long- and lack of bias as it pertains to their time elected official and practitioner rulings. It is important that our chilof public policy focused on issues dren, our future leaders, have confirelating to the judiciary and diversi- dence in our system of jurisprudence ty, I can verify the abundance of as well as role models of their own minority lawyers qualified to be fine background to show that with hard work and dedication, anything is posjudges. It is in the best interests of the sible in America. AB 126 (Davis) passed both the state that qualified minority lawyers be examined fairly in the judicial Assembly and Senate and is now on the governor’s desk. I urge the appointment process. Assembly Bill 126 would require Governor to sign AB 126, making the each member of the State Bar respon- judicial selection process more fair sible for the evaluation of judicial and inclusive.

I don’t know how many African American people came to Washington for the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference, but there were more than 5,000 gathered at the dinner that featured President Obama as a speaker. Though the halls of the Washington Convention Center were full, and it did my eyes good to see people lined up to buy books, some say that the economy may have dampened attendance. To be sure, the corporate presence did not seem as strong as it has been in the past, yet it is always gratifying to see Ingrid Sanders Jones and the Coca-Cola Company sponsoring the prayer breakfast, which sizzled this year when the Rev. Freddy Haynes totally threw down. The high point of the conference may have been President Obama’s strident and almost angry speech, challenging Congress to pass the jobs bill, and explaining why it must pass. Watching the President, he appeared to be undaunted, but certainly frustrated, by the legislative gridlock and the total lack of cooperation he has been experiencing from Congress. If those assembled reach out to their legislative representatives, not all of whom are CBC members, perhaps it will make some difference. Another high point of the dinner was the range of wonderful honorees present. They included EPA administrator Lisa Jackson, and also the indomitable Rev. Joe Lowery, who at nearly 90 has as much fire in his belly as he did 50 years ago. He lifted his fist, roused the crowd, and exhorted us to keep fighting injustice. He is an amazing example of a civil rights warrior, and he deserves every honor that is bestowed on him. That may have been the highest point but, from my perspective, the legislative conference contained many highs. There were more than 100 brain trusts, panels or other gatherings both at

Julianne Malveaux the convention center and in nearby places, as several organizations also use the legislative conference week as a time to organize their own meetings. The White House HBCU initiative, for example, held its conference on the Monday and Tuesday before the CBC legislative conference. With everything that is going on, the ALC is a cross between a policy conference, a family reunion, with a few evening parties thrown in for good measure. Somehow the majority press gets away with focusing only on the party aspect of the gathering. The Washington Post printed a piece that talked about the ingredients for a successful CBC party. Ho, hum. Why not a piece about the ingredients for a successful brain trust? Why not some reporting on the range of issues addressed. There were panels on the environment, the foster care system, education, wealth, business development, criminal justice, global affairs and more.

A highlight for me was visiting with students from four elementary and high schools that was organized by Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX). Our panel’s task was to encourage them to consider careers in math and science. With a NASA astronaut, a math educator, an engineer and this economist on the panel, the students got lots of reinforcement to consider untraditional careers. It was great to see young people gathered and open to learning. Too, Congressman Elijah Cummings always puts together a panel on youth, which is attended by young people from his congressional district in Baltimore. This year, Cora Masters Barry moderated the panel and brought her young people from D.C.’s Southeast Tennis and Learning Center. Four Bennett students, and hundreds of college students from other campuses, were in attendance. While the cynical may say that the CBC conference is the “same old, same old,” it is interesting to view the ALC through the fresh eyes of our young people who are so eager to learn and to make a difference. Women’s issues were well-represented. Melanie Campbell convened the Black Women’s Roundtable with an overflow crowd. Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA) convened the International Black Women’s Policy Forum to explore the issue of health disparities. Tony Brown once said that if the ALC were cancelled for just one year, that money could be used to fund significant initiatives in Black America. He may be right. At the same time, I’d like to challenge the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation to document some of the outcomes of the ALC, which might include legislation inspired, business deals closed, scholarships funded, students exposed. If the accomplishments were clearly documented, perhaps the mainstream press would talk purpose, not party, when they reference next year’s ALC.

Child Watch

Is our nation on the Titanic? BY MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN A theologian friend took her car to a Jiffy Lube for servicing. Not having anything to read, she picked up a manual on the coffee table about boating. A chapter on the rules for what happens when boats encounter one another on the open sea described two kinds of craft: burdened and privileged. The craft with power that can accelerate and push its way through the waves, change direction and stop on demand is the burdened one. The craft dependent on the forces of nature, wind, tide and human effort to keep going is the privileged craft. Since powerful boats can forge their way forward under their own power, they are burdened with responsibility to give the right of way to the powerless or privileged vessels dependent on the vagaries of the tide, wind, and weather. “Who wrote this thing?” my friend asked. “Mother Teresa? What’s going on in our land when the New Jersey State Department of Transportation knows that the powerful must give way if the powerless are to make safe

Marian Wright Edelman

harbor and the government of the United States and the church of Jesus Christ and other people of God are having trouble with the concept?” How do we answer her, political, faith and community leaders, and citizens of our nation? What is our “theory of action” or values compass as we seek solutions to rampant joblessness and poverty among millions of Americans including 16.4 million poor children according to national U.S. census data released last week? What, beyond politics and unbridled greed and power, will calibrate our nation’s decision making? Is cutting helpless babies the same as cutting some of the many budget busting tax loopholes for millionaires and billionaires? Is cutting our children’s teachers, nutrition supplements, Head Start and child care the same as cutting powerful corporate subsidies or tax breaks for corporate jets? A child cut from health care or unable to get services when abused or neglected may never heal. Is it right or fair for Congress to wield a budget See EDELMAN, page 11

Thursday, September 29, 2011

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LA COLISEUM Continued from page 5 “I do not believe that I could realistically turn over a public, community facility to a private institution,” Parks has said. The other members of the commission are appointees of Gov. Jerry Brown, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, or are members of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors. Most of these members have no connection to the South L.A. neighborhoods that surround USC. Thus, it’s argued that they have no reason or responsibility to act in the best interests of any party other than USC. The lack of a connection between the majority of the commission and South L.A. is evident by the subcommittee selected to negotiate with USC on its modified lease with the Coliseum. The three charged with this responsibility are Commission President David Israel; Commission Vice-President Don Knabe, a Brown appointee and former sports writer; and a county supervisor from the South Bay and newcomer Jonathan Williams, who is a Villaraigosa appointee and the only AfricanAmerican on the subcommittee. Although one of the more low-profile members of the commission, Williams’ appointment may speak volumes as to the behind-the-scenes wrangling being done on behalf of USC. Williams replaced another AfricanAmerican appointee, Jerome Stanley, after he abruptly resigned this summer.

Sources say Stanley was adamantly against giving USC a master lease, and the Mayor's Office asked him to leave because of it. Community members also believe Williams bears watching because of his run for a seat on the L.A. Unified School Board in 2007. Villaraigosa angered many in what was perceived to be his support of Williams against community favorite, school board member Marguerite LaMotte. The popular sentiment among African-American voters was that the mayor was squabbling with LaMotte and was trying to handpick a representative for a community in which he had very little footing. LaMotte won in a landslide. Williams’ placement on the negotiating subcommittee is also being seen as retribution against Councilmember Parks for his position against USC and his calls for the firings of some Coliseum officials because of an ongoing financial scandal. Sources say Parks took issue with the fact that the negotiating subcommittee originally had no city representation and no representation from the South L.A. Area. Israel responded by selecting the relatively unknown Williams over the more experienced Parks. Discussions will continue regarding USC’s attempt to gain control of the stadium at the upcoming Coliseum Commission meeting at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 5.

RALPHS Continued from page 3 Unlike the union’s required 72hour notice — when we the customers decide that we’ve had enough and walk out, there will be no notice given and we won’t be back. Ralphs needs to stop playing South Los Angeles residents for idiots. While everyone in South L.A. may not have the benefit of personal transportation when it comes to grocery shopping, enough of us do and we have seen what a Ralphs can look like and what ours should look like. This isn’t 1988 and Ralphs isn’t the only grocery store on the block. Customers don’t have to accept below-standard services. Ralphs may have put their best poker face forward

during negotiations with their workers’ union—but we customers, we don’t negotiate. If Ralphs doesn’t upgrade its South L.A. locations to the level of its locations in more affluent neighborhoods, it won’t matter what was negotiated with their workers’ union because there won’t be any customers left to service. A former R turned Fresh & Easy customer, Jasmyne A. Cannick writes about the intersection of race, sex, politic, and pop culture from an unapologetically Black point of view. Online at www.jasmynecannick.com, www.twitter.com/jasmyne, and www.facebook.com/jasmyne.

SPORTS BEAT Continued from page 8 of them may win these awards. Reason: The lowly standing of the Dodgers. Kemp’s teammates recently named him the Roy Campanella Award recipient as the team’s “most inspirational p-layer.” Kemp had played in 356 consecutives games as of Sept. 22. Check this: As of Sept. 22, Kemp’s 118 runs batted in ranks No. 1 in the NL; his 37 homers are second; and his .326 batting average is thirdbest in the NL. On his teammate Kershaw, the Dodgers first 20-game winner in decades, on winning the Cy Young award: “If this boy doesn’t win the Cy Young, something’s definitely wrong.” As of Sept. 22, Kemp had smacked his 37th homer and has 40 stolen bases on the season. He could become a 40-40 man with three more homers before the 2011 campaign is history. Robert Woods could become the

first USC Trojan to lead the nation in receiving. USC’s freshman offensive lineman Andrey Walker is making some big impressions with Coach Lane Kiffin and his staff. Ditto for Serra High’s freshman receiver Marque Lee (nine catches for 129 yards and one TD after the first three games). Lee’s Serra High teammate Robert Woods had 11 catches for 143 yards after his first three games as a freshman. Black QBs made headlines around the nation Saturday. Tops in this group is Michigan’s Denard Richardson. He ran for a career high of three TDs and his third career 200 yards rushing game to lead the Wolverines to a 28-7 win over San Diego State. And the beat ends. Brad Pye, Jr., can be reached at Switchreel@aol.com

IMMIGRATION Continued from page 3 job performance, compared with 60 percent in January. While Obama has made little progress on comprehensive immigration legislation, he has pushed Congress to pass the Dream Act, which would provide a route to legal status for college students and service members brought to the country as children. The bill passed the House last year when it was controlled by Democrats but was blocked by Senate Republicans. “I think there’s been a great disservice done to the cause of getting a Dream Act passed and getting comprehensive immigration passed by perpetrating the notion that somehow by myself I can go and do these things,” Obama said. “We have to pass bills through the legislature and then I can sign it.” Democrats view Hispanic voters as a voting bloc in 2012 that could help determine the outcome in swing states such as Florida, Colorado and Nevada. The Democratic National Committee has aired Spanish-language ads in those states in the past week to tout the benefits of Obama's jobs bill for small business and workers in the construction industry, which the DNC said employs 2.77 million Hispanics. Hispanics accounted for more than half of the U.S. population increase over the last decade, exceeding estimates in most states and totaling 50 million. The burgeoning Hispanic popula-

tion, Obama said, means it will only be a matter of time before the country sees a strong Latino candidate for president or vice president. “I am absolutely certain that within my lifetime we will have a Latino candidate that will be very competitive and may win,” Obama said. The president spent more than 30 minutes taking questions submitted online. In addition to inquiries on immigration, moderators asked the president questions on his $447 billion jobs bill, U.S. policy toward Cuba and the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, the law that defines marriage as between one man and one woman. While the White House backs legislation repealing DOMA, Obama said he does not believe there are enough votes in Congress to overturn the law. The president was also pressed on the status of Puerto Rico, where a statehood referendum is planned for next year. Obama said he believes the island will remain a U.S. commonwealth unless there is a “solid indication” of support for statehood. “If it split down the middle ,or 5149, I think Congress’ inclination is going to be not to change but to maintain status quo until there is greater indication there is support for change,” he said. It’s unclear whether any Republican presidential candidate can sway Hispanic voters. Several top GOP contenders, including former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, have taken a hard line on immigration,

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2011049999 The following person (s) is (are) doing business as:(1) LEGAL PROBATE LITIGATION ATTORNEY, 4515 AUGUST STREET, #2. LOS ANGELES, CA. 90008. County of Los Angeles. Registered Owner (S): JOSEPH GENTRY, 4515 AUGUST ST. #2 LOS ANGELES, CA. 90008. This business is conducted by: an individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on JUNE 8-11 . I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/ JOSEPH GENTRY, OWNER This statement was filed with the County Clerk of LOS ANGELES County on JUNE 20, 2011 . NOTICE-in accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920 A Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk except, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 17920. Where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal state or common law (see section 14411 et seq. Business and Professions code). Original 9/15, 9/22, 9/29, 10/6/2011. LA Watts Times 430764

calling for a fence and more troops along the border with Mexico to stop the flow of illegal immigrants. Texas Gov. Rick Perry has been the outlier on immigration in the Republican field, and he is hoping his moderate record will appeal to Hispanics. But his rivals believe Perry’s stance on immigration could be a weakness with his party’s more conservative wing. Perry insists that a physical border fence is an impractical way to control the flow of immigrants into the U.S. He also supported a 2001 Texas law that allows the children of undocumented immigrants to receive in-state tuition at Texas universities if they meet certain requirements. Associated Press writers Ken Thomas, Luis Alonso and Erica Werner contributed to this report.

EDELMAN Continued from page 10 guillotine — called sequestration—if a super committee of 12 cannot reach a responsible agreement on both revenue and budget cuts? This will leave a range of discretionary programs for children, the poor and middle class, and seniors on the chopping block. Does the irresponsible no-new-tax pledge signed by an astounding 279 current members of Congress (238 Representatives and 41 Senators), including the six Republican members of the Congressional “Super Committee,” make the latter an irrelevant and unjust nonstarter? Are the hungry child and the huge corporate farmer who gets massive government “subsidies” (welfare) equally responsible for the deficit? I am reminded of French writer Anatole France’s passage in The Red Lily: “The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread.” Is that our leaders’ and nation’s code of morality and justice? If so, the very dream and idea of an America where all have a fair chance and level playing field is dead. According to new national U.S. census data, over 46 million people in America are poor — more than the entire combined populations of Iraq and Niger. A 2010 front page New York Times story reported that one in 50 — or six million — people in America had no income and depended on food stamps to stave off the wolves of hunger. It provoked almost no response. Children — the most vulnerable and least culpable among us for the deficit — are the poorest age group. And the younger they are, the poorer they are. Inadequate national and state investment

in early childhood and education, and government’s failure to protect children now from continuing economic downturn, are making them poorer. More than one million children fell into poverty between 2009 and 2010; almost a half million fell into extreme poverty. It is disgraceful that the number of poor children in our rich nation is greater than the entire combined populations of Haiti and Liberia — two of the poorest countries on earth and that the number of children in extreme poverty is equivalent to the whole population of Israel. The number of poor children under age five, the years of greatest brain development, is more than the population of Sierra Leone. I have yet to hear political leaders in either party nationally or in the states say we will not cut young children who have no belts to tighten. I believe no child cuts and no cuts for the poor should trump no tax increases for the rich in a just society. The budget debate today and the role of our national government is about who we are or want to be as Americans. Who is government —our collective voice — designed to protect? The powerful or the powerless, some or all of us? Whose responsibility is it to ensure all our children are healthy, housed, educated and prepared to join a workforce to compete with and out innovate the Chinese and others in 5, 10, or 15 years? Parents cannot achieve this alone, especially when millions of jobs and homes have been lost. Will cutting child and family nutrition, early childhood programs, education, child care and after-school enrichment programs and

youth jobs close or widen the huge wealth and income gaps between rich and poor? Will these cuts make us a more or less secure society? Where has our common sense gone? Where has our moral sense gone? Are there no bottom lines? Will children’s lives continue to be cut, ignored and neglected because they don’t vote or lobby or make campaign contributions? Will they continue to be punished for parents they did not choose and are not responsible for? Do we just let them die, go homeless, hungry, and unhealthy when jobless parents cannot provide the basic necessities of life through no fault of their own? The Children’s Defense Fund’s trademarked logo is based on the old fisherman’s prayer — “Dear Lord, be good to me. The sea is so wide and my boat is so small.” It shows a tiny little sail boat on a vast sea drawn by a young child many years ago based on the prayer. Never has it seemed more poignant and appropriate than today as our children are being tossed all about in a rough and uncertain sea of life without rafts by killer economic and political waves from the wakes of gigantic, powerful ocean liners — capsizing small child boats. Is our nation protecting the Titanic — a burdened boat enjoined to give right of way — rather than protecting the child’s small privileged boat struggling without power to reach safe harbor? What can you do? Demand your political leaders protect the child’s small boat — the privileged boat — and tell the powerful burdened boat to give them the right-of-way.

Thursday, September 29, 2011