GRADING LENA GUERRERO Pg. 5 A JOURNAL OF FREE VOICES OCTOBER 2, 1992 • $1.75 Buscando las Americas Looking for America DIALOGUE Dissing Dissent whatever cow he pleases but keep that super- stition out of our public life, please. With I would like to dissent from Wayne Walther's yellow dog democrats like this, who needs • A JOURNAL OF FREE VOICES dissent (Dialogue, TO 8/21/92). We will serve no group or party but will hew hard to the repugs? First of all, if he is saying abortion is mur- Michael Hardesty, Oakland, Calif. the truth as we find it and the right as we see it. We are der, then why doesn't he want to criminalize dedicated to the whole truth, to human values above all interests, to the rights of human-kind as the foundation it? How come abortion has never been prose- of democracy: we will take orders from none but our own cuted under murder laws? It would seem the conscience, and never will we overlook or misrepresent anti-aborts don't really take their propaganda the truth to serve the interests of the powerfid or cater seriously. Patricia Lunneborg's new work, Inside Information to the ignoble in the human spirit. Writers are responsible for their own work, but not Abortion, A Positive Decision (Greenwood, In her review of Who Will Tell The People, for anything they have not themselves written, and in pub- 1992), makes the point that the best reason (TO 8/21/92) Molly Ivins says "well upwards lishing them we do not necessarily imply that we agree to have an abortion is the desire not to bear of 60 percent of the cost of health care in this with them, because this is a journal of free voices. an unwanted child. Contrary to wimpy liberal country is spent during the last month of a SINCE 1954 "defenders" of choice, abortion can be a very patient's life, when it is far too late to save positive and moral choice for women to him or her." Publisher: Ronnie Dugger make. The zygote, spermatozoa, embryo and That could be a real basis for a reform Editor: Louis Dubose fetus are not full human beings in the same of health-care distribution, if it can be shown Associate Editor: James Cullen Layout and Design: Diana Paciocco, Peter Szymczak sense as a born baby separated from its to be more factual than the anecdotes Mr. Copy Editor: Roxanne Bogucka mother's body. The anti-aborts trade on an Reagan used to manipulate the public so Mexico City Correspondent: Barbara Belejack unstated equivocation between human life, well. Please tell me where I can find docu- Editorial Interns: Jubilee Barton, Jay Brida, Paula mentation for that claim. George, Lorri J. Legge, Kate McConnico which does begin at conception, and a human Contributing Writers: Bill Adler, Betty Brink, Warren being, whose life is considered in all societies While you are at it, how about printing Burnett, Brett Campbell, Jo Clifton, Terry FitzPatrick, to start at birth. What Walther is really saying a list of names and addresses of people Gregg Franzwa, James Harrington, Bill Helmer, Ellen is that there is a "right to birth," an absurd whom voters —.not PACs -- can write to Hosmer, Steven Kellman, Michael King, Deborah with constructive suggestions on policy for Lutterbeck, Tom McClellan, Bryce Milligan, Greg Moses, concept which reduces the woman to the Debbie Nathan, Gary Pomerantz, Lawrence Walsh. status of a vassal. the Democratic party. After years of party Editorial Advisory Board: David Anderson, Austin; Secondly, its not the business of the State activism at several levels, I still can't get Frances Barton, Austin; Elroy Bode, El Paso; Chandler to promote monogamy or polygamy or absti- through to anyone who can do anything' more Davidson, Houston; Dave Denison, Cambridge, Mass; than issue a platitudinous form letter, guaran- Bob Eckhardt, Washington, D.C.; Sissy Farenthold, nence or permissiveness. I realize various Houston; Ruperto Garcia, Austin; John Kenneth Galbraith, Christian bigots are crawling out of the teeing that my suggestions will never reach' Cambridge, Mass.; Lawrence Goodwyn, Durham, N.C.; woodwork to blame the gays' behavior for our "candidate" or "representative." George Hendrick, Urbana, Ill.; Molly Ivins, Austin; AIDS, but why don't they blame smokers for I suspect that there can be no such liSt, Larry L. King, Washington, D.C.; Maury Maverick, getting cancer or overeaters for heart disease, because those people are available only to Jr., San Antonio; Willie Morris, Oxford, Miss.; Kaye Northcott, Austin; James Presley, Texarkana; Susan Reid, etc.? These deadly diseases take a much the few insiders. The rest Of us have to,make Austin; Geoffrey Rips, Austin; A.R. (Babe) Schwartz, higher toll than AIDS but you rarely hear do with the one-way connections supplied by Galveston; Fred Schmidt, Fredericksburg. calls for the State to promote a "healthy happy-talk broadcasters and, the boosterism lifestyle" or calls for cutting off funds for of the Dallas Morning News. Poetry Consultant: Thomas B. Whitbread cancer and heart research. The anti-smoking Clinton Trammell,' Sachse - Contributing Photographers: Bill Albrecht, Vic Hin- terlang, Alan Pogue. ads are a joke, they may even backfire. Contributing Artists: Michael Alexander, Eric Avery, Bottom line is it is a person's choice. Editor's Note: A spokeswoman for the Texas Tom Ballenger, Richard Bartholomew, Jeff Danziger, Third point, when are we in the atheist Health Policy Task Force said Ivins' state- Beth Epstein, Dan Hubig, Pat Johnson, Kevin Kreneck, majority going to start getting equal time? ment that upwards of 60 percent of the cost of Michael Krone, Carlos Lowry, Ben Sargent, Dan The god nuts have forced their views on health care is spent during the last month of .Thibodeau, Gail Woods, Matt Wuerker. everybody, just look at the coins in your life is consistent with testimony received by pocket or the bills or the pledge of allegiance, the task force. As for whom you can contact Managing Publisher: Cliff Olofson Subscription Manager: Stefan Wanstrom etc. Turn on the radio any Sunday morning with constructive suggestion on policy of Executive Assistant: Gail Woods ANYWHERE and the Jesus-cult comes out either major party, any voter can submit a Special Projects Director: Bill Simmons your ears. Walther is confusing organized resolution at precinct conventions after pri- Development Consultant: Frances Barton society, which we do need, with organized mary elections, but if you want to be taken religion, which we don't. He can worship seriously, organize. SUBSCRIPTIONS: One year 532. two years $59. three years $84. Full-time students $18 per year. Back issues $3 prepaid. Airmail, foreign, group, and bulk rates on request. Microfilm editions available from University Microfilms Intl., 300 N. Zech Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Any current subscriber who finds the price a burden should say so at renewal time; no one need forgo reading the Observer simply because of the cost. INDEXES: The Texas Observer is indexed in Access: The Supplententaty Index to Periodicals: Texas Index and, for the years 1954 through 1981, The Texas Interested in collecting the art Observer Index. THE TEXAS OBSERVER (ISSN 00404519/LISPS 541300). entire contents copyrighted. © 1992. is published biweekly except for a three-week interval of the Texas Observer? between issues in January and July (25 issues per year) by the Texas Observer Publishing Co.. 307 West 7th Street. Austin, Texas 78701. Telephone:. (512) 477-0746. Second-class postage paid at Austin. Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE TEXAS OBSERVER, The Texas Observer is now offering velox reproductions of 307 West 7th Street, Austin, Texas 78701. its covers for just $10. If you are interested in beginning A Member of the Association of AM. a collection, contact Stephan Wanstrom at 477-0746. Alternative Newsweeklies 2 • OCTOBER 2, 1992 EDITORIAL T HEserver TEXAS The INS in Court OCTOBER 2, 1992 McAllen calls to find the lawyer. VOLUME 84, No. 19 3 A.M. ON MARCH 12 of this year an But the INS knew. They had been served ATmmigration and Naturalization Service notice by Lisa Polumbo, Lopez's attorney, one official awakened 14-year-old Deniz Orlando month before they took the child to Houston Lopez, an undocumented immigrant the agency without counsel. And Polumbo had previously FEATURES believes is from Honduras. Lopez, who at the represented Lopez in ithmigration court on two time was in INS custody, was asleep in his bed occasions when INS trial lawyers were pre- Making Claims and at the Raymondville Juvenile Detention Center. sent, and had filed legal papers on behalf of Taking Responsibility He was taken to the Harlingen airport, where Deniz Lopez. Yet the INS, without advising her, By Molly Ivins he was told he was being flown to Houston to took the child to the Honduran Consulate in 6 speak to the. Honduran Consulate. He was not Houston. The information obtained by the The Disappearing Emperor told that the INS employee escorting him, Aaron Honduran consular officials was later intro- By James McCarty Yeager 8 Cabrera, was an agent responsible for the depor- duced as evidence against Lopez. It included, tation of minors. according to one of the attorneys requesting Free Trade and Promises In Houston, Lopez was left in an office with Judge Hinojosa to order the INS to follow its By Deborah Lutterbeck 1 0 two consular officials who questioned him. "I own rules, questions about certain types of foods. could see Mr. Cabrera just outside of the office When Lopez was found to be familiar with the where he waited and watched me," Lopez said foods of Honduras, this provided evidence that DEPARTMENTS in a deposition.