Immigrant students march in Uptown against new bill

More than 50 students are expected to converge on Marshall Park tomorrow to protest recent state legislation they feel targets Latino communities, encourages racial profiling and will ban undocumented immigrant students from attending public colleges.

Advocates are particularly concerned about House Bill 343: Support Law Enforcement/Safe Neighborhoods introduced this month by Rep. George Cleveland, R-Onslow.

Some advocates say HB 343 is the most egregious bill against immigrants ever introduced in the NC General Assembly.

The bill, among other things, instructs officers to determine the immigration status of those arrested or detained, makes it illegal to transport undocumented people in a vehicle, and bans illegal immigrants from attending public colleges.

Organized by United 4 The Dream, a youth-led advocacy group within the Latin American Coalition, marchers will meet in Marshall Park at 5:30 and then march through Uptown Charlotte.

Elver Barrios, co-founder of United 4 the Dream, says that HB 343 will force out many bright students who just want to work and be given the chance to contribute.

“We are tired of always being pushed back and targeted…,” said Barrios. “We did not choose to come to the United States but our parents made a choice to bring us along to give us opportunities that we would’ve never had in our home countries. Now that we are here and we have made this our second home, we will not give up the fight.”

For more information, contact 704-941-2542.

Charlotteans demonstrate for Libya

Dozens of Charlotte area residents with ties to Libya, Bahraini, and Yemen will hold a join together tonight (Feb. 22) as a sign of solidarity with the people protesting in their homeland.

Inspired by the successful ousting of the authoritarian presidents in Tunisia and Egypt, masses of Libyan people have been engaged in uprisings over the last several weeks. Human rights groups say that more than 200 people have died.

Charlotte organizers plan to meet Uptown at Marshall Park on East 3rd street at 7 p.m. For more information, visit the groups Facebook page or call (919) 413-1816.

Charlotte professor heads to Cairo

An Egyptian-born Queens professor is headed to Egypt today. Mohammed el-Nawawy is expected to land in Cairo tonight.

El-Nawawy, a professor of communication, is working on a new book about political blogging in Egypt. He plans to travel to the center of the protests Tahrir Square to talk to some of the bloggers who helped started this protest.

“I’m going to speak to some of the bloggers that I talked to before and get some feedback on how social media has affected their work on the ground,” he said.

“It’s history in the making,” he said. “To capture a slice of it will be interesting.”

El Nawawy plans to return to Charlotte on Tuesday, Feb. 15. On Wednesday, he plans to meet with the community at Myers Park Baptist Church to discuss the trip and also sign copies of another book, "Islam Dot Com: Contemporary Islamic Discourse in Cyberspace," which el-Nawawy co-authored with Sahar Khamis.

Charlotte groups to discuss white nationalist controversy

Groups concerned about racial prejudice will hold a discussion forum at the West Boulevard Library tomorrow.

Leonard Zeskind, president of the Kansas City-based Institute for Research & Education of Human Rights and author of "Blood and Politics: The History of the White Nationalist Movement from the Margins to the Mainstream" will be a guest speaker.

The forum is in response to controversy this month over first amendment rights and a white nationalists' organization, American Renaissance, decision to call off its conference that was planned to be held in Charlotte.

You can read some of the Observer's coverage about the cancelled conference here and here. And here are some photos.

Organizers of Saturday's forum said attendees will be given an opportunity to participate in a discussion about why a coalition of groups opposed American Renaissance coming to Charlotte. The hour and a half session will start at 1 p.m. at the library located 2157 West Boulevard.

Candlelight vigil tonight for Egypt

Dozens of Charlotte area residents with ties to Egypt will hold a candlelight vigil tonight (Saturday, Jan. 29) as a sign of solidarity with the people of Egypt. They will meet at 6:30 in Marshall Park in Uptown.

For more information, contact (704)258-0304.

Trouble in Egypt stirs Charlotteans

By Franco Ordoñez
fordonez@charlotteobserver.com

Posted: Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011

Charlotte area Egyptians are watching the protests raging in Cairo and across Egypt with a mix of concern and anticipation.

Mona Baset of Charlotte immediately worried about her cousins' safety when she learned police were lobbing tear gas and using water cannons against protesters in her relatives' neighborhood near the 6 October Bridge in Cairo. She checked her cousin's Facebook page and found he had been posting messages supporting the protests.

"I thought that was very brave of my cousin to post that," she said. "People are concerned, but there is a sense of hope that there is going to be some change. I really think that people there have been living under such an oppressive government."

Baset, whose parents moved to the United States after they were married in 1960s, said she was glad to find out her many aunts, uncles and cousins were safe before the government cut off most of the country's Internet and cell phone service.

The unrest in Egypt has come after weeks of turmoil across the Arab world that has already toppled the authoritarian president in Tunisia.

The protesters in Egypt are seeking a similar result, hoping to overthrow their President Hosni Mubarak, who has been in power since 1981.

Mohammed el-Nawawy, an associate professor of communication at Queens University of Charlotte who is from Egypt, called it an "historic moment."

El-Nawawy, who has studied the role of the media and Internet in the Arab world, described the protesters as mostly educated, middle-class youth who have used social media sites and the web to cut through restrictions on freedom of expression and political activism.

He said the government's effort to quash the movement by shutting down the Internet is too late.

"This is the point of no return," he told the Observer Friday. "These are young people who are insisting on making things happen now. Now the regime is forced to take action."

Baset's parents moved to Texas in 1969 to attend grad school, but also for many of the same reasons that the people today are protesting.

"It was a similar situation where it was just so oppressive," she said. "They felt that if they stayed there they didn't think they'd have the opportunities. They decided to leave and never looked back."

'I didn't go to Haiti to help their government. I went for the people.'

School nurse Angel Bunce spent her holiday break treating cholera patients in Haiti. I included parts of her story in my article about Boone-based Samaritan’s Purse, the Christian relief agency run by Franklin Graham. The 48-year-0ld nurse from Monroe High School's account is very touching. I was really bummed that I couldn't include more in the original story.

The beauty of the web is I can share more of it here. Here are more excerpts from what she told me.

To read more of the published accounts from local relief workers visit home page for This Land. And also take a look at the Observer Special Reports page on Haiti.

Why did you got Haiti in the first place?

When the earthquake hit, I watched the news coverage with horror. The images were like nothing I had ever seen before. As a nurse, I wanted to go to help. The next morning, I was asked to go to Haiti. I didn't realize it but a teacher that I work with is from Haiti and still has family there. I had to apply for my passport, get the needed immunizations etc before I could go. We went to Haiti in June just as the schools there were starting to reopen.

When I say schools, you probably imagine something similar to what we have here. But, what I found was tarp draped over a wooden frame with desks sitting on a wooden ground. Goats ran freely through the "school." There was no running water, electricity, or air conditioning. The smell of sewage was overwhelming. The technology was an old, black chalkboard. But the kids were smiling and playing games. They were happy to be back in school. They started their day in prayer reciting the Lord's Prayer in their Creole language.

I was touched by how thankful the people were. Instead of being bitter for what they had lost or they were praising God for all that they still had. They were quick to smile and quick to hug. They didn't complain but when asked directly, they all voiced dissatisfaction with the lack of response from their government. This was when I saw their lack of hope, the sadness. Many of the people were still living in tents six months later (if they were lucky). Many others lived on the streets, or under makeshift tents. How do you raise a family in an area 8-by-10 feet? How do you wash your hands or use the bathroom. These people didn't even have the most basic necessities. When I left Haiti that time, I prayed to be able to return.

When the Cholera outbreak occurred in October, I couldn't help but wonder if the children that I saw had been sick or even if they were still alive. I knew in my heart I had to go back to Haiti. It was then that I got an email from Samaritan's Purse to go with them to work in the Cholera clinics.

As a school nurse, I am off work during the Christmas season. So, I gladly agreed to go back. When I mentioned it to my coworkers , three other school nursess agreed to go with me. I went December 27th through January 4th. While there, I worked in the cholera clinic in Cite Soleil.

How are you reflecting on the anniversary of the Jan. 12 earthquake?

I worked in the triage tent while in the cholera Clinic. It was where the sickest of the sick were brought for immediate IV fluids. I saw mothers walking for hours, carrying their babies and children, to get help at the clinic. Having a mother hand over her near lifeless baby to me, a school nurse from North Carolina in hopes, that I could get an IV started that would allow her baby to receive the life saving fluids was.....is very humbling. Finding an IV on such sick, malnourished, dehydrated babies and children is not an easy task. What a feeling to be able to get an IV started and watch a baby "come back alive."

More amazing was to be able to place that baby back into their mama's arms. Since I returned home, my mind has played a near constant recording of the many miracles I witnessed. To fully appreciate the "miracles", you would have to see it for yourself.

The clinic is nothing more than large tents and barn like shelters. There are flies everywhere. The smell of bleach used to decontaminate is so strong that sometimes it takes your breath away. It is hot and the hours are long. The patients are lined up on wooden cots with holes in them that allow them to go to the bathroom when they are too weak to get up.

There is no privacy for them, no call bell, no meals served. Family members help by emptying the bedpans and they bring in food. These conditions would be considered inhumane, unlawful, and disrespectful in this country. In Haiti, it's the best there is.

I never heard any complaints; instead songs of praise filled the air as familiar hymns are sung loudly in the Creole language. Doctors and nurses from the U.S., Canada, and U.K join in, singing in English. It's a happy time in a harsh environment and lives are being saved both physically and spiritually.

Another experience I had came from working closely with the "Porters". S.P. has employed Haitians to carry the sick from the street to the tents or from tents to tents. Frequently, I would have to call out to the "porter" to come pick up my patient from triage and carry them to the admission tent. I'm from the south and I do have that southern drawl. It became a joke to them (friendly kidding) to see if they could imitate me calling out for the "porter". They taught me some simple Creole phrases (stand, sit, and Can you walk). They loved hearing my southern drawl in their language. I didn't mind their kidding. In fact, I taught them to say, "Haaaay Ya'll".

What do you see as the successes and challenges in Haiti?

When you look around Haiti with the devastation still there from the earthquake, it's hard to find anything to say that is "successful." But, when you travel through the city of Port-au-Prince, you can't miss the blue S.P. tarps that are everywhere. One thing that I personally see as a challenge is people no longer want to give money to help the people in Haiti. I hear over and over that the money "isn't getting to the people". My response to that is I too feel it is true that Haiti's government is not doing all that they can for their people. That being said, I didn't go to Haiti to help their government. I went for the people. I just can't ignore what is happening there. I just can't.

'I left Haiti leaving small pieces of my heart behind'

The Observer asked relief workers who traveled to Haiti in the aftermath of last year’s earthquake to share their reflections about the experience. To read more of the published accounts from local relief workers visit home page of This Land. And also take a look at the Observer Special Reports page on Haiti.

Debbie Jonas (photo: blue shirt holding green bag) is a 41-year-old physician assistant with the Conner Family Health Clinic in Matthews. She traveled Dr. Will Conner and a team of Charlotte doctors and nurses in February Cap-Haitien working at a 65-bed hospital that was converted into a 250-bed MASH unit to help treat earthquake victims. She treated 16 patients -- almost each one with amputations -- in a concrete classroom that had been converted into a medical ward.

"One year ago the earthquake that decimated the country of Haiti provided a rare and precious opportunity for me to see first-hand the strength and optimism of the Haitian people. Below is an account of my experience in Haiti:

In times of global crisis, people are able to truly witness the very best people have to offer. February 18th was the beginning of a journey in which I was able to witness the very best people had to offer. Through the gracious generosity of Hendrick Motorsports – our medical team was flown directly into Cap Haitian for a week-long, medical relief effort for the refugees of the Haiti Earthquake.

Our team was fortunate to serve at the Sacre Coeur medical compound in the small town of Milot, Haiti. Outside the gates of a make-shift medical compound, Milot appeared to be a simple rural Caribbean town: Dense green foliage, banana trees, dirt roads, street vendors trying to sell their wares to passer-bys. But within the walls of this make-shift medical compound existed an entirely different world.

I had 16 patients in my unit – a concrete classroom building that had been converted into a medical ward, and the adjoining side had an additional 28 patients – practically each one with amputations. Each morning I entered Salle A and greeted my women, 'Bonjour mes amies' – and without fail they would each greet me back. These women were lovely, graceful, appreciative, dedicated to getting better, and strong. I mentioned on more than one occasion to my teammates that we could learn many lessons from these women: How to face adversity with faith and strength; Living in the moment; Focusing on all of the blessing they had versus all of the losses they had sustained.

Our morning began with an hour commute to Milot and we began seeing our patients by 7:30-8:00 and would work straight through until 5:00 each afternoon – the commute back was considered dangerous after dark so our days were limited to daylight. The time flew by – rounding on patients, assuring their pain was being controlled, dispensing medications, reading notes from the specialists the day before, consulting with the physical therapy team, administering mid-day meds, dressing changes. The days flew by….then night would come and worry would set in…..would they receive their pain meds through the night? Would they receive their injections of Lovenox to prevent blood clots, would the women get any rest, or would they continue to have horrible nightmares about the earthquake that rocked Haiti?

Solange, a 23 year-old female, sustained a fracture in her lumbar spine, resulting in paraplegia. During the aftermath of the quake she was stuck in the rubble with so much pressure on her pelvis that when she was pulled from the rubble, her entire backside was torn off as she was pulled to safety. This woman was in excruciating pain when we arrived – a challenge in any setting but worrisome in a setting of primitive medicine.

Jean-Pierre Azir, a 30 year-old female sustained a fracture to her left femur and arrived in Milot, with the hardware of an external fixator attached to her thigh. This woman and her four children survived the quake, only to be separated so that she could receive the medical treatment to repair her leg correctly. Her youngest child is 4 months old.

Anne-Marie Milieu, was a 41 year old female who had suffered a right femur fracture, damage to the nerves in her left forearm, a scalp laceration, and an injury to the popliteal artery that required surgery. This woman who had serious wounds worked through her physical therapy exercises every single day without fail, and only admitted to discomfort from the exercises, with persistent prodding.

These are just three snapshots of hundreds upon hundreds of patients from the Haiti earthquake. Each of these people had their own story of loss and survival. And while all of their injuries were different, and their prognoses varied from case to case, one thing was certain – there was hope in their eyes. Hope that their bodies would heal. Hope that they were receiving the very best medical care Haiti had to offer. Hope that Haiti will change for the better. Hope that people will never forget Haiti.

I left Haiti leaving small pieces of my heart behind with each of my patients, but these gracious souls gave small pieces of their hearts to me to take home. So while my heart is whole again – it is forever changed."

Photo: Jeff Siner, The Charlotte Observer