I received an email from the ousted Republican Arizona Senator earlier today with regard to the New York Times piece and the

The National Tequila Party (counter to Tea Party extremism) hosting piñata events where little children get to overcome their fears .  Piñatas will resemble both  Pearce and the corrupt Sheriff Joe Arpaio who supported anti-Latino and hate-filled laws like SB 1070.   The events will turn a negative situation into a positive one.

parallel the Tequila Party made between him and another political candidate who has a domestic violence incident police report on his background.  You can read about it here, and we’ve already responded to Bundgaard regarding his concerns.

It seems as if Mr. Bundgaard has gross knowledge with regard to the origin of the piñata.

Apparently he is following our Tequila Party Movement fan page on facebook where we recently posted a photo of a Russell Pearce piñata for another Tequila Party Rally event for children to overcome their fears.

You see….I’m a mom, and I have heard the cries of American children who were born here from undocumented parents.  The Republican Sheriff Joe Arpaio racial profile stings combined with the hateful climate the ousted Republican Senator Russell Pearce created via SB1070 made for  such a palpable hate-filled climate.

We heard horror stories from teachers in the public school system who were reporting children absent as they  were afraid to go to school because they feared Arpaio was going to take their mom or dad away and deport them. Children, teens, relatives were developing anxiety and panic attacks from the increased hate against anyone that looked brown.

Are women and mothers supposed to turn a blind eye to little children?

Or, do we teach them to overcome their fears and turn a negative situation into a positive one?

I prefer the latter.

Before I go into some of the history of the pinata, and how we intend to turn a negative situation into a positive one…. first an excerpt from Bundgaard’s  email I can share with you:

Thank you for your consideration, DeeDee.

Scott Bundgaard

ps – your concern for the issue of violence as stated in your recent blog post about Penzone runs contrary to the Russell Pearce punching bag/piñata that is on your Tequila Party Facebook page.

We’ve informed Bundgaard that Mexican-Americans beat up Sponge Bob and Dora the Explorer piñatas too, but that doesn’t mean we advocate violence against them.  All we’re doing is filling evil people with candy and helping kids overcome their fears of these hate laws, and the lawmakers who implemented them.   We are turning a negative situation into a positive one, with a get out the vote message.

From Mex-Connect:

At the beginning of the 16th century the Spanish missionaries to North America used the piñata to attract converts to their ceremonies. However indigenous peoples already had a similar tradition. To celebrate the birthday of the Aztec god of war, Huitzilopochtli, priests placed a clay pot on a pole in the temple at year’s end. Colorful feathers adorned the richly decorated pot, filled with tiny treasures.. When broken with a stick or club, the treasures fell to the feet of the god’s image as an offering. The Mayans, great lovers of sport played a game where the player’s eyes were covered while hitting a clay pot suspended by string. The missionaries ingeniously transformed these games for religious instruction. They covered the traditional pot with colored paper, giving it an extraordinary, perhaps fearful appearance.

The decorated clay pot also called a cantero represents Satan who often wears an attractive mask to attract humanity. The most traditional style piñata looks a bit like Sputnik, with seven points, each with streamers. These cones represent the seven deadly sins, pecados - greed, gluttony, sloth, pride, envy, wrath and lust. Beautiful and bright, the piñata tempted. Candies and fruits inside represented the cantaros (temptations)of wealth and earthly pleasures.

Thus, the piñata reflected three theological virtues in the catequismo. (religious instruction or catechism)

The blindfolded participant represents the leading force in defying evil, ‘Fe’, faith, which must be blind. People gathered near the player and spun him around to confuse his sense of space. Sometimes the turns numbered thirty three in memory of the life of Christ. The voices of others cry out guidance:

¡Más arriba! More upwards!
¡Abajo! Lower!
¡Enfrente! In front!

Some call out engaños (deceits, or false directions) to disorient the hitter.

Secondly the piñata served as a symbol of ‘Esperanza’, Hope.

With the piñata hanging above their heads, people watched towards los cielos (sky or heaven) yearning and waiting for the prize. The stick for breaking the piñata symbolized virtue, as only good can overcome evil. Once broken, the candies and fruits represented the just reward for keeping faith.

Finally the piñata symbolized ‘Caridad’, Charity. With its eventual breaking, everyone shared in the divine blessings and gifts.

The moral of the piñata: all are justified through faith.

Ah yes….the moral of the piñata is that all are justified through blind faith.  That is what we are counting on.

I had the lovely fortune to meet Democratic Congressional Candidate Amanda Aguirre yesterday.  I discovered what an amazing woman she is particularly when I learnt she was the Arizona Senator who was instrumental in helping  women with breast cancer get screening since 1994.   She also began a cafe to help domestic violence women empower themselves with job skills in an effort to help for them to help themselves get off welfare programs and become more self-sufficient.

She’s an amazing woman and every Arizona independent registered voter — (particularly women) ought to look at her biography.

Why do we support Amanda Aguirre for Congress?

Because it is time to support a Latina Congresswoman in Arizona since more women vote in our state anyway.  There are more female voters in our state than men so taking a look at Aguirre is a visionary approach to what we need and what we should pioneer for.  If Aguirre wins, she would be the first Latina Congresswoman in our state.

Don’t you think it’s time for that considering our Latin population?

Amanda Aguirre, M.A., R.D. has served the people of Arizona as a State Representative (2003-2006) and as a State Senator (2007-2010). Her political record of successfully passing bills through the legislature is unparalleled and has earned her several awards such as “Walk the Talk” (2008), “Autism Legislative Champion” (2008), “Friend of Cities and Towns” (2009, 2010), and “Outstanding Legislator Award” (2009). Her accomplishments as a legislator have had far-reaching impacts in the areas of job creation, health care, education, science, agriculture, military support, and border security.

Sen. Aguirre has been involved for more than 30 years in health care industry and is a recognized pioneer in this area. She was appointed by President Clinton to serve on the Border Health Committee in 2004.

Sen. Aguirre has been involved for more than 30 years in health care industry and is a recognized pioneer in this area. She was appointed by President Clinton to serve on the Border Health Committee in 2004.

Sen. Aguirre is currently President/CEO of the Regional Center for Border Health, Inc., and its subsidiary San Luis Walk-In Clinic, Inc. In 2007, Sen. Aguirre established the Health Education Career Institute, providing job opportunities and placement for over 400 individuals. Through these organizations, countless people have been able to get access to quality health care and affordable higher education.

Sen. Aguirre holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from the University of Sonora in Hermosillo, Sonora and a Master’s Degree from California State University, Los Angeles in Food and Nutrition.

Sen. Aguirre is the proud mother of two successful young adults. Her daughter Lucy Aguirre is an entrepreneur, triathlete, and MIT graduate with a Master’s Degree in Organic Chemistry. Her son Captain Anibal Aguirre graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 2005 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and has served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan as a helicopter pilot in the 41st Combat Search and Rescue Squadron.

The National Tequila Party Movement is protesting Sheriff Joe Arpaio this Sunday.   There is an email (photo provided below) that is being circulated by the corrupt Sheriff Joe Arpaio supporters who are responding to the National Tequila Party Movement protest of Sheriff Joe Arpaio at the Church of Ascension Church (Catholic Church Arpaio attends) to be held this Sunday.

This is not the first time the Tequila Party has encountered opposition of the Tea Party.  We were instrumental in ensuring the Tea Party favorite and ousted Sen. Russell Pearce did not hold his fundraisers at Mexican-American restaurants in the Phoenix area.

What is our goal in protesting Sheriff Joe Arpaio on Sunday?

To inform his Catholic friends and neighbors what the Catholic Church leadership stance is with regard to compassion, LIFE, and immigrants.

Our goal is to merely make a plea to  Arpaio’s church leadership to consider denying him the Eucharist.  After all, they deny the Eucharist to pro choice politicians, don’t they?  Arpaio has allowed his prison to become a culture of death as we continue to learn and hear of the mysterious Latino deaths that are occurring in his prison.  If the Catholic Church leadership cannot deny the Eucharist to Arpaio for the culture of death he seems to embrace at his prison, then will Bishop Olmsted at least consider publicly condemn the culture of death actions that is currently ongoing at the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department?

I heard Sheriff Joe Arpaio make jokes at a Republican Meeting regarding the mysterious Mexican immigrant deaths in his prison. Those kinds of jokes

An Italian immigrant family arrives at Ellis Island, New York, but Sheriff Joe Arpaio forgot about his own Italian history when Italian immigrants arrived to our country without papers, too.

are inappropriate, but more importantly, we have witnessed on video tape a Latino veteran man, and an American-citizen get beaten and tased to death, too!  How many Mexican-related deaths do we have to see in order to stop the unjust deaths and the culture of death the Maricopa County Sheriff’s office seems to embrace? We are getting told horrific stories of pregnant women who are being shackled during the childbirth process, too. When is enough enough?

Does Arpaio expect women to just turn a blind eye to this?  How can we when our brethren are being killed?  How many more deaths to we have to hear about that is occurring in our United States before the culture of death stops?

It is my understanding that Arpaio is of Italian descent.  Did Arpaio forget that Italians once were here as WOPs or “WithOut Papers” at one point, too?

Will the Italian-Americans of Maricopa County turn a blind eye to Arpaio who attends the Catholic Church knowing full well what the Pope’s stance is on immigration?  In case there are some who view the protest of Arpaio as an attack on the Church — make no mistake, we protested Mormon and ousted Sen. Russell Pearce at his Mormon Church, too.

Children are being left behind as their mother or father gets deported.

The immigration system is broken.  We are pushing for legal immigration but the Republicans and Democrats are too busy being partisan over the issue because one side is worried that the other side will create generational Republicans or Democrats.  Fact of the matter is, all it is doing is creating more Latino independent thinkers because we are tired of getting the run0around while our people are dying or having children forced apart from their mom and dad.

President Obama needs bipartisan support of our Congress in order for a legal immigration method to happen. Congress and Senate needs political covering from Latino eligible voters  to push for a common sense approach to legal immigration, and until more of us vote and become more informed, these politicians will not have their political spine to move forward.

I am not a Catholic, nor am I a member of any religious organization, however, the Tequila Party has a significant amount of Latino Catholics. Here is what they sent me:

– If such great care must be taken to respect every life, even that of criminals and unjust aggressors, the commandment ‘You shall not kill’ has absolute value. Pope John Paul II, EV 57

– Second Vatican Council, GS 27 “Whatever is opposed to life itself, such as any type of murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, or willful self-destruction, whatever violates the integrity of the human person, such as mutilation, torments inflicted on body or mind, attempts to coerce the will itself; whatever insults human dignity, such as subhuman living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation, slavery, prostitution, the selling of women and children; as well as disgraceful working conditions, where people are treated as mere instruments of gain rather than as free and responsible persons; all these things and others like them are infamies indeed. They poison human society, and they do more harm to those who practice them than to those who suffer from the injury. Moreover, they are a supreme dishonor to the Creator.”

The National Tequila Party Movement has been informed by a Fountain Hills councilwoman and the Commander of the Fountain Hills and Rio Verde Captain  Joe Rodriquez where we can legally protest Sheriff Joe Arpaio at his Ascension Catholic Church and we were provided with a map for our peaceful and civil protest.

In the meantime, here is how Tea Party-loving supporters are responding to the National Tequila Party Movement’s protest of Sheriff Joe Arpaio:

UPDATE:  Initiallywe were going to conduct the protest at Saint Joan of Arc, but we will protest Arpaio at the Church of the Ascension.

LOCATION CHANGED: We will be protesting Arpaio beginning at his own church this Sunday beginning at Church of the Ascension in Fountain Hill Catholic Church. 

DATE:  Sunday, July 29, 2012

TIME: 8:00 a.m. and 10: 00 a.m. (Mass for the People)

LOCATION:  12615 N. Fountain Hills Blvd., Fountain Hills, AZ 85268

————————————————-

This is our shot for change.

From the National Tequila Party Movement birthed in Arizona.

Protests of Sheriff Joe Arpaio Planned at  Fountain Hills Catholic Church

On 17 July 2012, we wrote an open letter and plea to the most Reverend Bishop Olmsted in an effort for him to publicly denounce the corrupt Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s culture of death that is occurring in his prison.  We know that it is possible from Bishop Olmsted to send a signal that Arpaio’s culture of death should not be ignored with regard to the mysterious Mexican deaths that are occurring in his prison system.  We know that this is possible because the Roman Roman Catholic Church has taken strong views in support of life when they made a stance on the pro life issue.  The deaths occurring in Arpaio’s prison is also a “life” issue, and we hope to see something give.

The time now comes to make decisions we do not really want to make, but because we are in the pursuit of social justice and time is short, we have no choice but to protest Sheriff Joe Arpaio at the Catholic Church he attends in Fountain Hills, Arizona.  We will continue to protest Arpaio until he leaves the office and/or changes his views regarding the mysterious Mexican deaths in his prison.  The culture of death Arpaio has allowed in his prison is not pro life, nor is it a means to achieving justice.

This is not the first time we have had to protest a church, and in fact, we have had to protest the ousted Russell Pearce at a Mormon Church the stake President was speaking at in 2011.  We believe that men of the Cloth or men of God have the ability and the influence to do great things in this legal immigration matter.  We are seeking legal immigration for those who have no voice and are afraid to stand up to evil dictators like Arpaio and abuse their authorities.

We will be protesting Arpaio beginning this Sunday beginning with the St. Joan of Arc Roman Catholic Church.  Joan of Arc was a strong woman who had to withstand arrows and fire in her day, and we believe this is a good place to start considering our movement is woman-led.   We hope to see the Phoenix Diocese intervene in this important matter – more importantly; we hope to see a miracle from our Creator.

DATE:  Sunday, July 29, 2012

TIME: 8:30 am (Mass for the People)

LOCATION:  3801 E. Greenway Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85032

Mexican-Americans and Latinas set to protest Sheriff Joe Arpaio at his Catholic Church

Below is a helpful list that will assist DREAMers with the Deferred Action application process, provided by Shirl Mora James (Lead Co-President of the National Tequila Party Movement). The below list are documents that may be useful for your application process.  This is not an exhaustive list but it is a good start for you to which to begin with.  Remember it is prudent to contact a reputable immigration attorney and have your personal circumstances evaluated to determine if you are eligible for Deferred Action relief.

This document is not to be considered legal advice but is instead provided for informational purposes only.

Documents that may be useful for your application:

• A valid passport or expired passport from your country of origin with your name, picture
and date of birth…if you don’t have a valid passport, get one.

• An original birth certificate from your country of origin

• Proof of date of entry to the US before your 16th birthday: documents like financial
records, medical records, school records: (including diplomas, GED certificates, report cards, school transcripts or any other evidence of enrollment), library cards, schools ID, school class pictures, school yearbooks, a copy of your parent’s tax filings that lists you as a dependent, divorce documents of your parents if they divorced in U.S., or birth certificates of your children born in U.S., etc.
• Proof of continuous presence for the last five consecutive years in the U.S.: documents like financial records, medical records, school records, library cards, schools ID, school class pictures, school yearbooks, leases and Affidavits from your landlord, religious leaders and members, community leaders, political leaders, teachers, classmates, teammates, and school records and awards or certificates sport trophies and copies of your parent’s tax filings that lists you as a dependent, etc.
• Support Letters from teachers, guidance counselors, state senators or other government/local community officials that know you for years, religious leaders or members, coaches, landlords.
• Always get a criminal history thru FOIA from the FBI and your State Patrol to prove up a clean criminal history.  If you do know that you do have a criminal history, contact a reputable attorney to determine if you are in fact eligible for this relief.  But having a criminal history may in fact make you ineligible for Deferred Action.
This is not an exhaustive list but it is a good start for you to which to begin with.  Remember it is prudent to contact a reputable immigration attorney and have your personal circumstances evaluated to determine if you are eligible for Deferred Action relief.
This document is not to be considered legal advice but is instead provided for informational purposes only.

From the National Tequila Party Movement.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

18Jul2012

info@nationaltequilapartymovement.com

Women-led movement calls for investigation on Arizona Sen. Crandall for making threats

Phoenix, AZ — The Tequila Party Movement (female-led grassroots organization) is requesting an ethics investigation of Arizona Senator Rich Crandall for making threats to State Represenative Brenda Barton after Crandall left an angry phone message with her threatening to kill her bills in the future.

Last week Sen. Crandall stated:

 “You know I’m furious at you right now and you better not try to run any education legislation what-so-ever the next two years… I’m furious at what you did….”

This same Arizona Republican Senator is the same lawmaker who sponsored SB 1061 which waives a mandate that kindergarten through eighth grade public school districts participate in the National School Lunch Program, a federal program that provides free and reduced-price lunches to children through cash subsidies.  SB1061 would have left school children hungry when many rely on schools to give them at least one good nutritional meal of the day.

Education and children are at risk here.

We should not support any lawmakers who have made threats to women and/or other officials that affects official business relating to  many Arizona taxpayers and their children.

It is not right to punish education and an investigation is urgent for the sake of the children.

TPN – AGENDA.7.9.12.docx

Revolutionary Woman. Art by Moises

Why are extremists so concerned about what people do in the privacy of their own homes?

How in the the world is anyone able to force other people’s FREE WILL when the Creator gave us FREE WILL?

Judas Priest…

Just in from TowleRoad:

HRC, Other LGBT Rights Organizations Evacuated AfterBomb Threat

The Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and other LGBT organizations in Washington D.C. were evacuated around noon today after a bomb threat, MetroWeekly reports:

According to Fred Sainz, HRC’s vice president for communications, the Los Angeles Police Department received an unspecified bomb threat against a ”national gay rights organization,” which led the LAPD to notify the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department of the threat, which subsequently notified HRC and others.

An HRC email to staff quickly circulated among other groups, such as the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the National Black Justice Coalition and the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network.

”In the utmost of caution we are evacuating the building so that the police can conduct a sweep using the bomb-sniffing dogs,” that email, sent at 11:58 a.m., read in part. ”We need everyone to leave the building until further notice. We estimate that this will take at least an hour.”

Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2012/05/hrc-other-lgbt-rights-organizations-evacu

ated-after-bomb-threat-nom-first-to-denounce-it.html#ixzz1uyV8KMPz

I will be attending the webcast meeting. From the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce:

U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce™
Join the Breakthrough Campaign

Together, we will end the more than 15 years and $90 billion of discrimination against women-owned federal contractors 

Dear DeeDee Garcia Blase:

I am reaching out to you to announce a very important advocacy campaign.

Breakthrough:  Fair Access to Federal Contracts for Women-Owned Firms

The U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce is stepping up again to lead the charge to finally put an end to decades of financial discrimination against women-owned federal contractors. No more will we allow politicians to proclaim their love of women without putting the money (due us) where their mouths are — we expect our fair share of federal contracts. With your support and focused leadership on this very important issue, the political shell game will end here and now.

Year after year the federal government takes our tax dollars and spends our hard earned revenues without regard for the legal and moral obligation to award women-owned firms our fair share of federal contracts.

>>Learn more about this important campaign here

>>Join me for a web-cast meeting Wednesday, May 16th at 1:00 pm EST.

>>Go to the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce Action Center to contact Congress and President Obama.

Did you know?

In 1994, Congress established an incredibly low 5% goal for contracting with women-owned firms. Since 1994, year after year, the federal government has failed to meet or beat the 5% goal for federal contracting with women-owned small businesses. The consequences of this discriminatory failure? Women-owned firms have lost $90 billion of dollars in opportunities. This colossal opportunity loss negatively impacts women’s business growth, retirement preparedness, our families, our employees, our employee’s families and our communities.

Between FY 1995 – FY 2010, the total lost to women-owned firms due to the failure of the federal government to meet the 5% contracting goal is $89,926,788,994.

We’re drawing the line in the sand today. Help us end this discrimination once and for all.

I look forward to working with you on this important campaign.  Working together, we will get this done.

Margot Dorfman, CEO
U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce

P.S. In addition to the Breakthrough webcasts, register for:

• WOSB/EDWOSB Overview and Certification Process – 5/15/2012.
• Or, secure a women-owned business certification from the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce.  We are an authorized 3rd party certifier for the federal government WOSB/EDWOSB women-owned contracting set-aside program.

Dan Harkins, Owner & CEO
Mike Bowers, President & COO
Bryan Laurel, Marketing Director

To Whom It May Concern:

It has come to my attention that anti-Latino and the anti-immigrant ousted former Senator Russell Pearce has been gloating about the boycott against the Phoenix New Times.

The hypocrisy and bigotry of Russell Pearce cannot be ignored and I implore you to disassociate yourselves from the politician  many Latinos view as a racist due to his support for restrictionist and protectionist laws regarding SB 1070 and his support for “Operation Wetback.”  I have personally confronted Pearce at a political debate/forum, and have asked him not to use such demeaning and derogatory words like “Wetback” but he believes it is a good idea even though I told him this term takes us back to a pre Civil Rights era.

It is my understanding Dan Harkins expanded the theatre chain from five locations in the Phoenix area to the current 30 locations in 5 states – Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, Arizona and Southern California.  4 of those 5 states have high Latino population – particularly here in the Phoenix area.

Hispanic buying power nationwide today is $1 trillion, larger than the economies of all but 14 countries in the world. (2010 DATOS/Selig/U.S. Census) And according to Latino FOX News: Hispanics represent $40 billion of purchasing power in Arizona, a state where Latinos have been buffeted by the effects of harsh laws targeting undocumented immigrants. (2012 DATOS)

I believe you are aware of how much money Latinos spend in watching movies at the theater in the Phoenix area,  and we cannot turn a blind eye to what appears to be your alignment with a known bigot like Pearce.

I personally frequent your theater at the Harkins / Scottsdale 101, however, if your corporation will not disassociate itself from

Will Latinos boycott Harkins Theaters for what appears to be their association with a known bigot?

a known bigot like Pearce, I am afraid I will have to boycott Harkins and spend my money at AMC Theaters.  I will also tell my friends to do so in like manner.

I encourage you to treat racist politicians like kryptonite.

Regards,

DeeDee Garcia Blase
Moviegoer