PUERTO RICO SUN

POETRY By Fernando A. Zapater CONDEMNED In that poker game god dealt me cards An anti-Semitic joker as a wild trump That played me like a well-tuned guitar To the fine tune of a mashuganov gentile I traveled 32 hundred miles To reach the rabbis daughter and reconcile But imagine a balsero boricua all the while After he had his heart circumcised Perhaps in past incarnations I had been A nazi luftewaggen first lieutenant air force Maybe I was the roman soldier who gave Christ His hideous last drink Or perhaps had been the Jew that condemned Him to be crucified It is my karma I accept in mazeltov All the while thinking in Luria's mysticism And when my love for Mordecai borders fanatism You will know me also as his sidekick companion Esther's lover, Lilith's cousin, a Jew beloved Like Moses leadership amongst the waters But when Palestinians explode like watermelons It is time to corner Arafat with serious questions Not only traveled a mil...

Community News NCLR Supports Report Showing that "Three-Strikes" Laws Fail to Control Crime Washington, D.C. - The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Latino civil rights organization in the U.S., welcomes the report released today by the Justice Policy Institute demonstrating that the "three-strikes" mandatory sentencing laws are highly ineffective. This report, Three Strikes and You're Out: An Examination of the Impact of 3-Strike Laws 10 Years After their Enactment, is a timely analysis of these laws which have been adopted by approximately two dozen states and the federal government in the last ten years. NCLR has expressed great concern with "three-strikes" laws because, in addition to being ineffective, these laws impose unduly harsh sentences on people who commit minor, non-serious crimes, such as shoplifting, and waste resources that could be invested in better methods for reducing crime. Given the data in report...

FYI -- My photos are now part of the photo collection at the Escape to Puerto Rico site. My work is located under the categories: Old San Juan escape.topuertorico.com/postcards/oldsj8.shtml Churches escape.topuertorico.com/postcards/church4.shtml Folklore escape.topuertorico.com/postcards/folklore3.shtml Please visit and send an Isla del Encanto e-card.

Picture MH Originally uploaded by Manny . Read Manny's empowering articles on education right here at the prsun.blogspot.com.

Education Corner Commentary The Key That Unlocks The Door: Education by Manuel Hernandez Education is the key that unlocks the door to a new world of opportunities here and anywhere in the world. Without education, humanity merely survives and risks its existence. Yet, the talk is about war and politics these days. With all the kidnappings, bombings, and the presidential campaign, education, the key to the future, has been relegated to the back door of daily conversation. When you are born, you do not choose where you will start out in life. I had the blessing of being born in a legendary town right across George Washington's Hudson River, Sleepy Hollow. The positive learning environment imparted by teachers and the educational community at John Paulding, Pearson and Winfield L. Morse went beyond all academic expectations. I was taught to care, open my mind, think for myself, speak out, stand up for what you believe in and be creative. The rising factor in an educati...

Community News: New NCLR Study Finds Hispanics in the South are Reluctant to Use Health Care System Lack of Access, Information is a Public Health Concern Atlanta, GA - A report released (this month) by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) finds that, contrary to conventional belief and despite the explosive growth of the population, Hispanics in the South are underutilizing public heath care services throughout the region. The report, The Health of Latino Communities in the South: Challenges and Opportunities, includes the perspectives of health care professionals and members of the community and notes that Hispanics are reluctant to use public health care programs and facilities due to barriers such as lack of information about available services; lack of insurance; insufficient numbers of bilingual, bicultural personnel in the healthcare arena; and disparate treatment. "The fact that many Hispanics are intimidated enough by the health system that they are not ...

Community News PRdream/MediaNoche FALL WORKSHOP SERIES SCREENWRITING: THE BASICS A workshop with Screenwriter/New School Professor Frank Algarín An introduction to the techniques, tools and vocabulary necessary for turning an idea into a screenplay. The goal is to develop an original idea into an outline for a feature length screenplay and write the first scenes of the script. The workshop will include lectures, discussions, viewings of films, exercises, assignments, resources and handouts. THURSDAYS, 6PM - 8:30PM 10 sessions: October 7 - December 16, 2004 Course Fee: $250 Registration Fee: $25 PRdream/MediaNoche 161 East 106th Street, First Floor (Between Lexington and Third Avenue) NYC For more information and to register: Call (212) 828-0401 Email: info@prdream.com http://www.prdream.com Empowering community through technology