Johannes Mehserle Trial Moved To L.A.

There's two reasons I approach any conversation about the death of Oscar Grant with caution. The first being the most obvious, I am a African-American male from Oakland. The second, I was actually at Fruitvale Bart on that faithful night. I heard the gun shot that took the life of Grant. I've always tried to look at both sides of the story and not seem bias. Police brutality and shootings seem to be the hot topics of the year, there was recently the 16 year old teen who shot and killed in Richmond. In connection with a car-jacking, just this week a San Jose State student was tasered and beating after incident which the student had threatened a roommate with a knife. Plus how can I forget the shootings of four on-duty police officers in Oakland earlier this year.








This week I along with others were happy with the decision to move the trial to Los Angeles County. But it made me thing about another high-profile case that took center stage in Los Angeles. That's right the Rodney King case.



Which effected the whole entire city. Oscar Grant's situation has it similarities to King's but there are certain differences. Oscar Grant very well could be my generation's version of the Rodney King. With lessons we could all learn from. This trial will probably see the same media attention and coverage that King's trial did, which I think helps the overrall cause. Many people outside of the Bay Area and California, probably experienced limited media coverage of what happen. For those who get exposed to the story, probably have their minds and opinions set.



Earlier this year we saw protests for Oscar Grant that gave way to a few individuals destroying businesses and vehicles in the downtown Oakland area. Again very similar to what was seen on television after the Rodney King verdict was handed down. This is perfect example of what I mean by "lessons" we could all learn from. That method handling the situation gets us nowhere. It only further the argument of those who believe that people in Oakland, " Don't know how to act" or that they " Don't know how to act civilized". That we must hold ourselves accountable for our action on this journey to obtain justice.







There's a lot on the line in this trial, not just Johannes Mehserle being brought to justice for a crime that he committed. But there still the social and racial and undertones that we had to deal with during the Rodney King trial. If just for one moment, we could keep in the back of minds the mistakes made back in 1991. I think that this time around the outcome will be much different.

Marijuana Laws Help Small Oakland Business'

Marijuana is always a interesting topic of discussion, no matter what the context of the conversation. Recently the new Obama adminstration, passed legislation regarding clubs and business' that sell marijuana. Protecting them from raids by federal agencies. Oakland has it own subculture devoted to the plant.




Oaksterdam is the city's hub for everything marijuana, there cafes, and clubs. There's also "Oaksterdam University", the first cannabis college. Last year Oaksterdam made between $4-5 million dollars, which also includes bicycle rentals, and glass blowing.



Oakland also voted this pass July, to approve a tax on medical majuana sales for clubs. It's estimated to bring in $ 300,000 per year for the city.



Another successful business was the Harborside Health Center, an Oakland dispensary that provides numerous services, had about $20 million in gross revenues last year and expects to pay $400,000 in taxes to Oakland in 2010. These kind of business' not only help revamp the image of marijuana, making more than just something that high school and college students, spend having their time endulging in. But becomes a very viable form of money in city that is over budget and in debt.



It also helps that the government has an interest, with healthcare reform in an "under-construction" process. The Marijuana industry maybe an option for many that can't afford or don't have healthcare. Which may lead to the complete legalization of the plant.



Plus with all the new smoking laws involving cigarrettes, it forces one to think. Is it possible that complete legalization marijuana might be on the horizon? We will have to stay tuned and see what unfolds.

CSU East Bay holds Afghan-Iran Conference

Cal State East Bay recently held a conference bringing together two very distinct communites. The Afgan and Iran communities to talk about several different issues. For example art and music, as well the impact of 9/11 on Afgan-American women. The conference took place between October 22-24, and was the brain-child of Mohammad Qayoumi, the university's president and the first person born in Afghanistan to head a major university in the United States. Cal State East Bay has higher-than-average numbers of Afghan and Iranian faculty and students, a reflection of the large number of immigrant families living in the East Bay.








I think that a conference like should be taken note of, for it may be a new form of education. One that can be used to bring people who otherwise would never have a forum to speak their minds. But also use it as method of furthering the reputation that California has as being a "diverse melting pot of people". The two groups have seen their fair share of negative media coverage over the last few years. Our country still occupies Afganistan, while Iranian seems to many as the next target. There are overwhelming similarities between the two groups, among slight differences. In the end I believe more dialogue like this will help to ease the tension and better education the entire Bay-Area to the issues that these people are facing. Instead of only having the often bias opinion of the mainstream media.



Cal State East Bay deserves a lot of credit, for putting on such event to educate not only it's own Afgan and Iran communities on campus. Along with the education of a entire community that resides in the Bay-Area. The more time we spend learning and building each other up, the better life we will be for everyone involved. This what Martin Luther King and so many others hope to see when they invisioned change.