September / October 2002 - Crime

The Gee Spot

Steal this book!

Next time you see a lonely book hanging out on a park bench or in a coffee shop, pick it up and take it home. But only if it has a BookCrossing label. BookCrossing is a �Read and Release� program that invites book-lovers to set their books free by leaving them at bus stops, restaurants and other public places. It�s finders, keepers, but only for a little while � the goal is to turn the whole world into a library by having the books change hands as many times as possible. Books are logged in at www.BookCrossing.com so members can see where the books are traveling and what their newest readers have to say. So next time you read a great book and just have to share it with someone, check out www.BookCrossing.com. Like all the best things in life, it�s free!

Project Safe Child

No parent wants to imagine their child in harm�s way. But, every day, more than 2,100 children are reported missing in the United States. Organizations such as ProjectSafeChild (www.projectsafechild.org) offer programs that help parents keep track of important information such as fingerprints, hair samples and voice recordings. Having this information on hand is vital to the recovery effort of a missing child. The site also provides parents with tools and materials to help prevent abduction from happening in the first place.

On our backs

Last year, spoken word artist Sarah Jones performed her piece �Your Revolution� (which includes the now-famous line: Your revolution will not happen between these thighs) on KBOO, a Portland, Ore., public-radio station. Despite the fact that the piece was a parody of the �down-with-women� rap songs that regularly air on radio stations around the world, the FCC slapped KBOO with a $7,000 fine for the piece�s �indecent lyrics� and �sexual references.� But that hasn�t stopped Jones � not only did she sue the FCC for violation of her rights, she has created t-shirts that say it all: FedUp: We need Freedom and Unity. For those who want to start a revolution on their backs (and fronts), go to www.sarahjonesonline.com. T-shirts are $17.

NE Passage

Is gentrification a crime? A form of discrimination? Or a positive thing for communities? These are just a few of the issues tackled in the full-length documentary, NE Passage: The Inner City and the American Dream. The educational film follows an African-American single mother as she struggles to create a better life in a neighborhood that�s changing from a drug-infested ghetto to a middle class community. The film also includes quotes from affordable-housing and gentrification authorities. Purchase a copy or get involved at www.northeastpassage.net.

�Kill one man and you are a murderer. Kill millions and you are a conqueror. Kill everyone and you are God.� -- Jean Rostan NG


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