Died in US Custody

Here is a letter I sent to my Senators(Boxer and Feinstein) and to Henry Waxman-US REP.


Dear Congressman Waxman,

RE: Victoria Arellano-Dies in US Custody in Immigration Prison in San
Pedro from AIDS after not receiving treatment.


I am certain by now you have heard of the very sad and tragic death of
Ms. Arellano in the hands of Federal Custody.

Here is an article that appeared in the LA Times.

Groups seek U.S. probe of inmate's death

Human Rights Watch and ACLU also want to know what happened to witnesses
to transgender detainee's treatment while in custody.
By Greg Krikorian and Francisco Vara-Orta, Los Angeles Times Staff
Writers
August 29, 2007
Two civil rights groups have urged the Department of Homeland Security to
investigate the death of a transgender inmate at a San Pedro immigration
detention center on grounds that the 23-year-old with AIDS was denied
vital medical treatment.

In a letter sent to the department's Office of Inspector General on
Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and New
York-based Human Rights Watch also called for an inquiry into the apparent
transfer to other immigration facilities of more than 20 detainees who saw
the events leading up to the death of Victor Arellano on July 20.

The transfers, according to the organizations, occurred less than 24
hours before a Human Rights Watch official went to the San Pedro facility
to interview some of the detainees.

Two of the witnesses were moved to an immigration facility in Texas, and
the whereabouts of the others are unknown, the organizations said.

"The transfer of those witnesses not only affects their ability to defend
themselves by disrupting access to family and legal counsel, but makes it
more difficult to interview them for an investigation into Arellano's
death," said Megan McLemore, the Human Rights Watch researcher.

She visited the facility on Aug. 22 and was one of the letter's authors.
McLemore said she visited the San Pedro facility to interview two other
HIV/AIDS patients and Arellano's cellmates as part of a report on medical
care for such patients in detention.

But upon her arrival, she said, she discovered that more than 20
witnesses, all of whom had signed a petition protesting Arellano's
treatment, had been transferred. Arellano's death has sparked an outcry
among immigration rights officials and organizations that monitor the
health of prisoners in federal and state facilities nationwide. About
30,000 illegal immigrants are in detention facilities throughout the
country.

Two other unrelated deaths of detainees earlier this year triggered an
investigation by the Office of the Inspector General into the quality of
medical care at federal detention centers, a spokeswoman for U.S. Rep.
Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles) confirmed Tuesday.

At the direction of the inspector general, the spokeswoman said, Waxman's
office earlier this month approached the Department of Homeland Security's
Office of Civil Rights to ask if Arellano's death could be probed.

The agency has yet to respond.

Virginia Kice, a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement, said privacy laws prevented the agency from discussing
details of treatment.

But she said the agency spends more than $98 million annually on detainee
medical services. She said that all detainees in ICE custody undergo a
medical screening and that those with acute or chronic healthcare needs
are referred to a physician or nurse practitioner.

Those with infectious diseases are placed in healthcare facilities.

Even so, Kice said, "the public must realize that when individuals come
into ICE custody with severe health problems or terminal illnesses,
regardless of the treatment they receive, there is the potential they will
succumb to their condition."

When a detainee dies, whether from natural causes or other circumstances,
the matter is referred to the agency's Office of Professional
Responsibility to determine whether further investigation is warranted,
Kice said.

In their letter, Human Rights Watch and the local ACLU chapter said
witnesses alleged that the ICE staff at the San Pedro facility did not
respond in a timely fashion to "numerous and increasingly desperate
requests for urgent medical care" for Arellano, an undocumented immigrant
from Mexico.

"Detainees have alleged that despite being aware that Arellano was a
person with HIV who was in need of life-sustaining medication, [the San
Pedro facility's] medical care providers did not provide appropriate care,
causing Arellano needless suffering and ultimately leading to his tragic
and painful death," the letter said.

Arellano, who went by the name Victoria and was deported to Mexico in
2003, had been held in detention since mid-May pending an immigration
hearing to determine whether she should again be returned to Mexico.

Attorneys for the family have said that Arellano's condition deteriorated
to the point that fellow inmates pleaded with the medical staff at the
immigration facility to provide her care.


Mr.Waxman ,

I am outraged, horrified and especially saddened as Victoria used to work
at my local grocery store and was always such a kind soul. I knew she was
doing what she was able to do to improve her circumstances and this entire
thing just smells foul. Witnesses being transferred and hidden? Is the
Nazi Germany waiting for a visit from the Red Cross at a "settlement"
camp? What's going on here? Is this the US that I was born in? Educated
in? I know, we have to hold out hope that things will change in 08, but
somehow, so much has already been damaged, I"m afraid that it might be
beyond repair. Please help bring attention to this. I am also copying
Senator Feinstein as she is on the Judicary Commitee and Senator Boxer.

Regards,

Allan Fisch

Resume

allan.fisch@gmail.com


SUMMARY

Film Industry professional with strong background in feature film post production, film history and theory. Detail-oriented team player with extensive knowledge of current and historic film, video and soundtrack formats, film genealogy and technologies. Proven ability to manage large scale and complex projects. Excellent multi-tasker and trouble-shooter. Seventeen years experience working at Hollywood studios.


PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

The Walt Disney Company, Burbank, CA 2002-2006
Major Entertainment Corporation with unsurpassed brand recognition.

Research Administrator
Project Manager for feature asset research and management.
• Researched and selected film, video and audio feature elements for DVD Production Group. thus saving several hundred to several thousand of dollars per project.
• Coordinated large-scale foreign language soundtrack projects for library of over 600 animated shorts, television series and feature films.
• Coordinated with archive personnel to determine best quality element from worldwide inventory database of several million elements.
• Developed and maintained two database schedules used by several departments.
• Evaluated existing high-definition videotape masters and generated recommendations regarding suitability for emerging new technologies such as Blu-Ray DVD and internet delivery.


Cinram/POP DVD Center, Santa Monica, CA 1997-2001
Integrated DVD Compression, Authoring and Media Replication Facility.

Executive Producer
Project Manager for DVD titles.
• Team member at time of facility start-up.
• Managed DVD pre-mastering and production.
• Provided recommendations to clients as to asset selection and project design.
• Scheduled and tracked production tasks.
• Supervised facility originated Special Edition DVD projects.
• Billed clients.
.



Allan D. Fisch PAGE TWO

MGM Home Entertainment, Santa Monica, CA 1992-1997
Motion Picture, Television and Home Video Entertainment Company.

Executive Director
Department Head for technical home video mastering and quality control.
• Supervised technical aspect of DVD format launch.
• Supervised film to tape mastering of two hundred feature films including major restorations of the James Bond library and Fiddler on the Roof and THX certified award winning special edition of The Wizard of Oz.
• Coordinated high-profile director/DP approved projects including Raging Bull, 2001:A Space Odyssey, Yentl and The Manchurian Candidate.
• Produced director’s audio commentary and ancillary materials for special edition projects including Norman Jewison, Michael Mann, Martin Scorsese, John Frankenheimer, Barry Levinson, Mel Brooks and Barry Sonnenfeld.
• Supervised mixing and audio restoration of soundtracks for numerous classic and contemporary feature film projects including Rocky and Singin' in the Rain.
• Supervised staff of four.
• Reported to Sales and Marketing divisions.
• Studio representative to MPAA Anti-Piracy and DVD development committees.


Paramount Pictures Corporation, Los Angeles, CA 1990-1992
Major Motion Picture Studio with Feature Film, Television and Syndication Divisions.

Film Librarian
Project manager for home video technical work queue.
• Project Managed Domestic Home Video Production work queue.
• Supervised restoration projects including the major video and audio restorations for White Christmas and the special anniversary edition of The Ten Commandments.
• Motion Picture Editor’s Guild Local 700


MGM/UA Home Video Culver City, CA 1990
Home Video division of Major Motion Picture Studio.

Manager
• Supervised work queue for videocassette and laserdisc duplication.

The Voyager Company/Criterion Collection, Santa Monica, CA 1989-1990
Multi-Media Publishing Company

Office and Production Assistant
• Various office duties, progressing to assistant on laserdisc production tasks.


EDUCATION
BFA Film and Television
New York University, New York, NY
Tisch School of the Arts

AWARDS
Laserdisc Association Awards
Dr. Zhivago, The Ultimate Oz/The Wizard of Oz

Monday June 5, 2006

I just had to post my thoughts on two things that happened on Monday.

The world remembered or marked the 25th anniversary from when the first unnamed cases of AIDS were reported to the world. This disease have ravaged the world and in the US in particular, the gay community.

The president chose to mark this date by announcing his support, yet again, for an effective consititional ban on gay marriage.



And people wonder why we're angry...

i hope that we all wake up from this collective nightmare soon.

Update

Been away from here for a while and a lot has happened.

On August 19, my mother lost her life to squamous cell carcinoma. It was a very destructive illness and I'm truely sorry that she had to go through that particular illness. Her spirits tough carried her through to the end and I am grateful that I was able to spend a good deal of time with her in her final months.

On Oct 10 I turned 40. Certainly a milestone, but a sweet and sour drink this year in particular. But I certainly welcome this next phase of my life. My thirties were marred by illness-my sister's illness, then her death in 2001, and then this past year Mother's illness and death.

Been Away

I've been dealing with some family issues and have been away for a while. Here is something that I would like to share, in the spirit of the First Amendment:

Opening Statement of Arundhati Roy on behalf of the jury of conscience of the World Tribunal on Iraq.
The Most Cowardly War in History
Istanbul, Turkey
June 24th

This is the culminating session of the World Tribunal on Iraq. It is of particular significance that it is being held here in Turkey where the United States used Turkish air bases to launch numerous bombing missions to degrade Iraq's defenses before the March 2003 invasion and has sought and continues to seek political support from the Turkish government, which it regards as an ally. All this was done in the face of enormous popular opposition by the Turkish people. As a spokesperson for the jury of conscience, it would make me uneasy if I did not mention that the government of India is also, like the government of Turkey, positioning itself as a "allie" of the United States in its economic policies and the so-called War on Terror.

The testimonies at the previous sessions of the World Tribunal on Iraq in Brussels and New York have demonstrated that even those of us who have tried to follow the war in Iraq closely are not aware of a fraction of the horrors that have been unleashed in Iraq.

The Jury of Conscience at this tribunal is not here to deliver a simple verdict of guilty or not guilty against the United States and its allies. We are here to examine a vast spectrum of evidence about the motivations and consequences of the U.S. invasion and occupation, evidence that has been deliberately marginalized or suppressed. Every aspect of the war will be examined - its legality, the role of international institutions and major corporations in the occupation, the role of the media, the impact of weapons such as depleted uranium munitions, napalm, and cluster bombs, the use of and legitimation of torture, the ecological impacts of the war, the responsibility of Arab governments, the impact of Iraq�s occupation on Palestine, and the history of U.S. and British military interventions in Iraq. This tribunal is an attempt to correct the record. To document the history of the war not from the point of view of the victors but of the temporarily - and I repeat the word temporarily - vanquished.

Before the testimonies begin, I would like to briefly address as straightforwardly as I can a few questions that have been raised about this tribunal.

The first is that this tribunal is a Kangaroo Court. That it represents only one point of view. That it is a prosecution without a defense. That the verdict is a foregone conclusion.

Now this view seems to suggest a touching concern that in this harsh world, the views of the U.S. government and the so-called Coalition of the Willing headed by President George Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair have somehow gone unrepresented. That the World Tribunal on Iraq isn�t aware of the arguments in support of the war and is unwilling to consider the point of view of the invaders. If in the era of the multinational corporate media and embedded journalism anybody can seriously hold this view, then we truly do live in the Age of Irony, in an age when satire has become meaningless because real life is more satirical than satire can ever be.

Let me say categorically that this tribunal is the defense. It is an act of resistance in itself. It is a defense mounted against one of the most cowardly wars ever fought in history, a war in which international institutions were used to force a country to disarm and then stood by while it was attacked with a greater array of weapons than has ever been used in the history of war.

Second, this tribunal is not in any way a defense of Saddam Hussein. His crimes against Iraqis, Kurds, Iranians, Kuwaitis, and others cannot be written off in the process of bringing to light Iraq�s more recent and still unfolding tragedy. However, we must not forget that when Saddam Hussein was committing his worst crimes, the U.S. government was supporting him politically and materially. When he was gassing Kurdish people, the U.S. government financed him, armed him, and stood by silently.

Saddam Hussein is being tried as a war criminal even as we speak. But what about those who helped to install him in power, who armed him, who supported him - and who are now setting up a tribunal to try him and absolve themselves completely? And what about other friends of the United States in the region that have suppressed Kurdish people�s and other people�s rights, including the government of Turkey?

There are remarkable people gathered here who in the face of this relentless and brutal aggression and propaganda have doggedly worked to compile a comprehensive spectrum of evidence and information that should serve as a weapon in the hands of those who wish to participate in the resistance against the occupation of Iraq. It should become a weapon in the hands of soldiers in the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, and elsewhere who do not wish to fight, who do not wish to lay down their lives - or to take the lives of others - for a pack of lies. It should become a weapon in the hands of journalists, writers, poets, singers, teachers, plumbers, taxi drivers, car mechanics, painters, lawyers - anybody who wishes to participate in the resistance.

The evidence collated in this tribunal should, for instance, be used by the International Criminal Court (whose jurisdiction the United States does not recognize) to try as war criminals George Bush, Tony Blair, John Howard, Silvio Berlusconi, and all those government officials, army generals, and corporate CEOs who participated in this war and now profit from it.

The assault on Iraq is an assault on all of us: on our dignity, our intelligence, and our future.

We recognize that the judgment of the World Tribunal on Iraq is not binding in international law. However, our ambitions far surpass that. The World Tribunal on Iraq places its faith in the consciences of millions of people across the world who do not wish to stand by and watch while the people of Iraq are being slaughtered, subjugated, and humiliated.

Arundhati Roy received the Booker Prize for literature in 1997.
Presently, one of the most eloquent voices for the global justice and
anti-war movement, she was also awarded, among many others, the Sydney Peace Prize in 2004, and the Lannan Cultural Freedom Prize in 2002

DROWNED OUT

Please watch this film..It may change your life and your view on the world.

Go to the filmmakers website for details: http://www.spannerfilms.com/?cc=1
you can watch it online.

If your videostore doesn't have it, tell them to buy a copy. Or your local library. It was recently run on LINK TV also and maybe they will show it again.

Allan

Rainy Days and Fridays

The rains have returned to southern California.
Off to NJ tonight for a few days to deal with a family situation. Taking mother to the CINJ on Monday for her appointements for her cancer. Just glad I'll be there to help her sort though all this.

Neo-Conservatism or Neo-Fascism

I've heard many people discussing this lately...Decide for yourself.

http://www.oldamericancentury.org/14pts.htm

Day One

Well, here we go. Thought it was time for me to do one of these things, since I have so much to say on most everything.Mostly this is a place for me to vent on world events, my likes and dislikes and hear what you have to say.Mostly I'm about movies and politics, both of which constantly evolve. I find myself drifting further to the left, the more that the right exerts itself.