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Paul Guzman
Queens, NY
Telling the Truth....
Abused By the Welfare System
By Belva Elliott
New York, NY
Ten weeks ago I was forced to apply for welfare for the first time
when I realized my child support had stopped. Though I've finally
received cash benefits, we went over a month without income. My
family is running out of the strength to continue fighting these
battles, first with my husband and now with the city. Continue
Reading
Disabling the Judicial Branch of Government
By Brandon Batzloff
Editor, Free Voices
It is widely believed that one of the major strengths in American
democracy is the practice of judicial review. It is a legal practice
that makes the United States unique and provides an excellent check
on the powers of the Legislative and Executive branches of government.
Unfortunately, through current legislation, this is something that
conservatives (both Republican and Democrat) are trying to do away
with. Continue
Reading
Military Commissions Fatally Flawed: Guantánamo
Hearings Show How They Fall Far Short on Fair Trial Standards
By Human Rights Watch
The failure of the Guantánamo Bay hearings to meet basic
standards for fair trials shows that the U.S. military commissions
are fatally flawed and must be scrapped, Human Rights Watch said
in a letter today to U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Human
Rights Watch, whose observer attended the August hearings, urged
the U.S. government instead to bring prosecutions before federal
courts or courts-martial. Continue
Reading
Back Talk....
The NYPD Does Not Have to Pay, Do You?
Re: Pier 57: The Bush Regime and NYPD Exercise Illegal Detention
Skills at RNC
By Brandon Batzloff
Editor, Free Voices
The $470,000 contempt charges against the NYPD for holding August
31st (A31) arrestees past the 5:00 pm, September 2nd deadline were
dismissed by Judge Cataldo. After issuing the fine he received pressure
from Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commiissioner Kelly to drop the
fines. Yes, the same Mayor Bloomberg who assured Bush that the Republicans
would have control of the city. And, yes, the same Commissioner
Kelly who issued a memo within the NYPD ordering officers to delay
the processing of arrestees in compliance with an agreement he had
made with the Department of Homeland Security. Continue Reading
Crying Art....
Weapons of Mass Deception: Inside the Media
War You Never Saw
Director: Danny Schecter
With mass media focused on Michael Moore’s new film bashing
President Bush, another
feature-length documentary,WMD (Weapons of Mass Deception) is destined
to stir as much controversy because it takes on the media itself,
and its role in promoting the Iraq war in the guise of covering
it. Continue Reading
Talking About....
Becky, Sweet Becky,
Vanity Fair
Review by Darryl K. Clark
Rochester, NY
A character like Becky Sharp—proud, wily, resourceful, and
passionate—is best served by the largest, grandest form of
_expression. She is a perfect match for film. Film is the one form
that can impact people of all distinctions with her beauty and wit
yet relate her story with immediacy. Continue Reading
Last Word....
You are reading the first issue on which we are fully utilizing
the new website, www.free-voices.org Tony really went the extra
mile in pulling all of this together. In fact he even did most of
the work on putting the current issue of the zine together. Without
him, Free Voices would be nothing.
peace love victory,
Brandon Batzloff
Editor, Free Voices
All writing in Free Voices, eZine of the People, remains the property
of the contributing author.
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