The newly elected President of the California NAACP, Alice A. Huffman (right), and the Treasurer of the Otero County, New Mexico NAACP, Denise Lang (left) together at the opening plenary session of the International Drug Policy Reform Convention in Los Angeles, California the first week of November.
The following video will give you a good idea of why this woman is so special:
The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) is the nation’s leading organization promoting alternatives to current drug policy that are grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights.
Our supporters are individuals who believe the war on drugs is doing more harm than good. Together we advance policies that reduce the harms of both drug use and drug prohibition, and seek solutions that promote safety while upholding the sovereignty of individuals over their own minds and bodies. We work to ensure that our nation’s drug policies no longer arrest, incarcerate, disenfranchise and otherwise harm millions – particularly young people and people of color who are disproportionately affected by the war on drugs.
“So long as we have enough people in this country willing to fight for their rights, we’ll be called a democracy.”
– ACLU Founder Roger Baldwin
The ACLU is our nation’s guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.
These rights include:
Your First Amendment rights – freedom of speech, association and assembly; freedom of the press, and freedom of religion.
Your right to equal protection under the law – protection against unlawful discrimination.
Your right to due process – fair treatment by the government whenever the loss of your liberty or property is at stake.
Your right to privacy – freedom from unwarranted government intrusion into your personal and private affairs.
Announcing a new series of featured websites of interest to NAACP of Otero County Members. Color of Change.Org is October’s website of the month.
What Is ColorOfChange.org?
ColorOfChange.org exists to strengthen Black America’s political voice. Our goal is to empower our members – Black Americans and our allies – to make government more responsive to the concerns of Black Americans and to bring about positive political and social change for everyone.
We were heart-broken and outraged by the catastrophe that followed Hurricane Katrina. And we were devastated to realize that no African-American organization or coalition had the capacity to respond on the necessary scale.
Hurricane Katrina made it clear that our lack of a political voice has life-and-death consequences. With no one to speak for them, hundreds of thousands of people – largely Black, poor, and elderly – were left behind to die. But it wasn’t just Black folks. Poor, sick, and elderly people of every color were abandoned too. We are not alone, and when we work to protect Black lives and interests, we do the same for all who have been left behind in political silence.
In recent weeks, the NAACP community and activists across the globe fought hard for the commutation of Troy Davis’ sentence. More than one million of your petitions have been delivered. Protests, rallies and vigils have been organized around the globe, all for one purpose — to let the state of Georgia and the world know there is too much doubt to execute Troy Davis.
The legacy of Troy Davis will live on — through his sister, Kim; through his nephew De’Jaun; and through each of us who will keep fighting until the death penalty no longer exists in America.
Troy’s sister Kim and nephew De’Jaun offer words from Troy, and gratitude to the millions who stood behind them in a global pursuit of justice — watch their message, heed their words, and remember that the movement will continue, and the world will remember the name of Troy Anthony Davis.
Last Monday, ( April 18, 2011) I attended the funeral service of Virginia Davis in Savannah, GA. Reverend Dr. Warnock delivered a passionate eulogy for Virginia, which ended with a powerful call to action: The best way to honor Virginia’s life, he said, is to fight for her son Troy’s life.
I am writing to ask you to help fight for Troy’s life.
Troy Davis is on death row for the 1989 murder of police officer Mark MacPhail in Savannah, GA. Troy has always maintained his innocence, and there was never any physical evidence linking him to the crime. 7 out of the 9 non-police witnesses have since recanted or changed their testimony. New witnesses have come forth identifying another suspect. Yet, on March 28, the US Supreme Court denied Troy’s final appeal, clearing the way for Georgia to set the execution date. Troy’s sister, Martina, said her mother “died of a broken heart. I don’t think my mother could have taken another execution date.”
That execution date could be set any day now. Troy’s life will then be in the hands of Georgia’s Board of Pardon & Paroles, who has the power to grant Troy clemency.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
1. Sign the Amnesty USA petition, asking the GA Board of Pardons & Parole to grant Troy clemency, and forward it to others.
President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous: Major step towards equity, justice, effective law enforcement
(Los Angeles, CA) – Today the NAACP passed a historic resolution calling for an end to the war on drugs. The resolution was voted on by a majority of delegates at the 102nd NAACP Annual Convention in Los Angeles, CA. The overall message of the resolution is captured by its title: A Call to End the War on Drugs, Allocate Funding to Investigate Substance Abuse Treatment, Education, and Opportunities in Communities of Color for A Better Tomorrow.
“Today the NAACP has taken a major step towards equity, justice and effective law enforcement,” stated Benjamin Todd Jealous, President and CEO of the NAACP. “These flawed drug policies that have been mostly enforced in African American communities must be stopped and replaced with evidenced-based practices that address the root causes of drug use and abuse in America.”
The Otero County NAACP Redress Committee provides legal advice and information to community members in the event one may feel that their civil rights have been violated. For more information on Legal Redress, contact any of our local officers listed under our contact information.
Always second Saturday! Next regular meeting , Saturday, February 11, 2012, 1:00 pm at the Vision Ford Atrium, 1500 S. White Sands, Alamogordo, NM, Visitors welcome!
Should you see an article, a story, or anything else that you think may be of interest to our members and viewers, please copy and paste it into your email system and forward it to us and it will be published* under your name.
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