SAFER SCHOOL SUPPLIES: SHOPPING GUIDE (PIRG Report)

As reported by the United States Public Interest Group:

Their three takeaways are:

1) Some of these school products contain toxic chemicals that have been recalled. The government mandates that products for children should have less than 100 ppm of lead. If your family owns a water bottle described in this Guide that has been recalled for having above 100 ppm, immediately stop using the water bottle and return it to the store.

2) Some of these school products contact toxics that, while not banned by the federal government, could possibly pose a risk to children. It is legal to have asbestos in crayons. However, scientists and government agencies point out that it is unnecessary to expose children to asbestos. Manufacturers selling asbestos-containing crayons should voluntarily recall the crayons and reformulate the ingredients. Similarly, it is legal to have phthalates in some back to school products, but scientists recommend that children not be exposed to high levels of phthalates.

3) Given that it is often legal to sell products containing these toxic substances, parents can do several things. First, look for the Art and Creative Materials Institute (ACMI) “AP” label, letting consumers know that the product is non-toxic. If there is no AP label, look for the manufacturer’s “children’s product certificate” on the product, which assures parents that the product has been tested in a third-party laboratory under government specifications. If neither of those labels is on the product, parents can reach out to the manufacturers and ask that they start using AP certification, or that they meet the requirements needed for a children’s product certificate.

We have the following recommendations:

* Dollar Tree and Playskool should recall the asbestos-tainted crayons and remove them from store shelves. They should also contact customers to warn them about the crayons.

* Dollar Tree and Jot should recall the 3-ring binder that contained high levels of phthalates and remove them from store shelves. They should also contact customers to warn them about the binders.

* The Board Dudes and Amazon should recall their dry-erase markers that contain benzene and remove them from store shelves.

* Policymakers should maintain the CPSC’s funding and authorities to protect the public and mandate the CPSC to regularly test more children’s products for toxic chemicals.

* Parents and teachers should look for the AP label posted on items by the Art & Creative Materials Institute (“ACMI”). For items not certified by the ACMI, parents should look for a manufacturer’s label certifying that the product meets CPSC guidelines for children.

* Parents should demand that manufacturers without a label start carrying a label, and that the products meet the safety guidelines.

Keeping it Tranquilo (maintaining the peace)

In recent weeks and months, Carnalismo have engaged in peaceful dialogue and correspondence with formerly adversarial or strained relationships. These measures have been sought by all parties involved to “bury hatchets”, or to simply just not engage in such negative annoyances any longer.

Although we can with absolute certainty say that everything we have released in our defense; statements on the internet or otherwise have been actual evidentiary truth, we will be taking some statements down in the coming weeks in an effort to rinse out what might be viewed as dirty laundry. Please bear in mind three things:

1) This process may not happen overnight; there are numerous things on numerous sights that may be changed to an “unpublished,” or removed status and this process can be tedious and time consuming. For those this is relevant to, please be patient.

2) Just because these things might become “unpublished,” it doesn’t mean they will be wiped out. Carnalismo has archived everything, but will keep things only for our records.

3) Those who have done things so egregious and outstandingly bad, (like outright slander, libel, death threats, etc.) and who have made no effort toward negotiations with us may NOT have certain entries removed. Such removals or redactions will be at Carnalismo’s sole discretion. In addition, any new bad actors may have the evidence of their egregious behavior published on a myriad of platforms.

Our friends are still our friends, as we continue on with growing support and unifying gestures with new friends and even old friends. This is a great opportunity for us all.

We welcome this new tone within the Brown Beret community with open arms. In the current geopolitical status quo such measures are imperative so that we can all continue on with doing our work, and living on with our lives in tranquility and peace.

Social Media Issues – why I’m not gone

Now we all got issues, right? But here is what we dont like: People thinking they can run rough shod, under our flash, under our patch, and thinking they can run sh*t.
We’re dealing with some SERIOUS situations right now, and the last thing we need is too placate a handful of narcissistic flying monkeys. It’s okay, we won’t name any of you, you pretty much know who you are.
Aside from that, there is so much to be said. But it’s best to say little, and to know that the Carnalismo Brown Berets have been running strong for generations.

I want to take this moment to give Victor San Miguel all of my credence, as he is a beacon in guidance, advocacy, action, understanding, patience, and fairness as well as justice. Under his tutelage, I have truly learned a lot (even if I was being a hard head at the time.) When a man (And I’m NOT trying to engender the argument, I’m writing as a man) such as myself looks to a hero, Victor San Miguel is truly one of my personal hero’s I owe a debt to him that I can’t even explain. Being a Carnalismo Brown Beret is the most amazing experience ANYONE could know. Victor San Miguel’s leadership, diplomacy, forgiveness toward adversarial, etc have always amazed me. I’m glad that he has taught me – through suggestion/facilitation, just what it means to be a leader – especially in our capacity.
I am still very proud to be a Brown Beret, and I will NEVER shy away from that title. I will staple gun my beret to my head before anyone tries to de-frock me.

Statement/Response to recent smear campaigns

The Carnalismo Brown Berets, who have been heavily steeped en el movimiento have always stood to help gente for generations. We have always been active in coalition-building to help provide support and for other organizations (at local, national, and international levels.) Our organization has been running off this continuum, for nearly 50 years; always self-funded, and self sufficient. We have always committed ourselves to offering a helping hand – for those who need our advocacy, and for internally, within our chapters.

Carnalismo exists solely to help others – regardless of creed, stripe, or “ORIENTATION.”

Carnalismo does their due diligence to vet all of our members, to ensure that they are NOT of adverse proclivities, That they are not deviant in their behavior. Especially if their behavior is deemed immoral or malignant.

This is a lot more to be said than other organizations, who in fact DO make effort to “engender” the cause, or use their fake accolades to feed themselves their malignant narcissistic needs for self worth.

Even in lieu, of false accusations of being territorial, this is a fallacy – since the Carnalismo Brown Berets operate very fluidly, and don’t delineate “borders” nor ascribe to lines and maps drawn by colonizers. We transcend those lines because we have a system of understanding one-another, and we have NO need to “compartmentalize” those imaginary lines. In fact, we have done a lot of collaborative coalition work with other Brown Beret groups operating in our home states.

Those who lust for territory, or those who are emphatic about territory are likely missing the point. They are falling into a “colonized” mindset. This is a mind-set that has been foisted upon our Raza, and sadly so, many people have succumbed to it and perpetuated it.
They cant see the forest for the trees, or the llano for the dirt.

It is a tragic travesty when people or groups allow themselves to be weakened by this mind-set. Our gente are amongst the strongest and most resilient. So it is a travesty when people/other groups take adversarial stances because they are grandstanding, and validation-seeking to feed their egos-willing to go so far as to spew lies, spread smear campaigns, and squelch our El Paso Chapter (which is ALSO WOMAN LEAD).

The Carnalismo Brown Berets, for how ever many scars we have incurred have always endured, and have greatly admired ALL women, and have always shown deference within our organization. Discrimination, racism, misogyny, incarceration, labor exploitation, break the Chicano family – and we also know of the agenda of how they have not only attempted to break the spirit of the Chicano Man, But the principally the the Chicano WOMAN.

The Carnalismo Brown Berets have the full support and attention of our Chapters in West Texas, and otherwise. We move fluidly, and don’t obscure matters amongst “drawn lines,” nor do we engage in one-up-“man”-ship. We proudly listen to the Chicana woman first, and have many chapters led by women. and blessed to have such strong Chicana women who actually lead, instead of belittling others on social media,
or orchestrating smear campaigns. Women are a blessing, and they give us LIVE, and that cannot be refuted.

We support our El Chuco chapter fully – just as we had supported a previous one (also woman led) for years. For their own reasons, when they decided to extricate their already autonomous chapter. And both organizations did this amicably. Or so we thought. We later found that we were being besmirched, and that a smear campaign had been launched against us, without any provocation.

Carnalismo as a word is NOT a “male dominant” ideology. It is the brand, and our patch. None of us float the word around from a place of masculinity, nor male dominance. We wear that patch because of its’ historicity, and the name is the name. We don’t put our egos into this. It is meant to stand up for our rights. At the end of the day, there should be nothing wrong with that. Besmirched or not.

We re-frame the impostors

We, the Carnalismo Brown Berets have chanced upon yet another impostor Facebook Page, claiming themselves to have a Carnalismo Colorado Springs Chapter. To be clear, the Carnalismo Brown Berets DO NOT endorse nor have we sanctioned this individual to make such claims.
imposter-CO-Springs-Brown-Berets(1)
The Carnalismo Brown Berets for years have already held a Colorado Chapter, that has been operating for more than half a decade. It is our sanctioned Colorado Chapter who provides oversight in the state of Colorado, and they too have NOT sanctioned nor endorsed the individual who claims to run a Chapter in Colorado Springs. This individual has NOT been issued any Carnalismo patches, nor have they earned patches or Brown Berets from Carnalismo.

To make matters even more complicated, this individual has also started a “gofundme.com” account, asking for donations, in some attempt to raise money, either for their own personal gain, or personal agendas.
imposter-CO-Springs-Brown-Berets(2)
Again to be clear, the Carnalismo Brown Berets DO NOT support this individual’s claims, nor do we support their asking of donations while trying to use our legacy and patch. The Carnalismo Brown Berets DO NOT ask the general public for donations of any kind. The Carnalismo Brown Berets fund their own initiatives respectively, and any monies raised tend to be from selling merchandise, or services that we design, create, or provide.

Should anyone have any questions on the legitimacy of a Facebook Page surfacing depicting Carnalismo, or any other internet presences that might appear uncertain, we ask that you differ any inquiries to our National website, here at www.nationalbrownberets.org.

Your inquiries WILL be answered, and assurances will be made. We are a transparent organization, and welcome any and all questions of our organization as-well-as our initiatives.

The plauges of liars…”bandwagonisms”

First, this entry is meant to shed light onto the “achievement gap” that exists in the Chicano and Brown Beret community – to illuminate abuses, or “over-dependent” tendencies of Gente to fall back on third party, money mongering websites, and how many disruptive individuals make good efforts at their attempts of exploitive tactics, with regard to “social media.”

We have seen this dynamic in the older days of “myspace,” and truer than true, much of that activity DID lead to an upsurgence of “social media activity.

Fast forward to today, and many people can see how anyone with an email address can launch a Facebook “profile,” and subsequently launch a “Fan Page.”

So here’s where the bad actors attempt to try to “hold court,” or falsely appeal to our gent with a “support page.” This has gone on for so long, that I have to wonder what they will do when Facebook is no longer relevant. that day will come, and people will migrate elsewhere onto the internet.

I wish to also illuminate another fact; These frivolously launched Facebook fan pages can actually diminish the value and the honor of the Brown Berets as a whole legacy – whether being launched as a ham-fisted attempt at undermining others, you’re undermining the values and virtues which Brown Berets have classically held onto as the underpinning of the movement.

Allow me to dumb that down a little: Repeatedly launching disingenuous Facebook fan pages, in an attempt to garner “band wagon” supporters will diminish the movement as a whole. It will actually water down the whole thing, and undermine it’s credibility. Truth be told, there are many bad actors using Facebook currently as a platform, and an attempt to cause disruptive distrust amongst the Brown Beret Community.

I’ll go ahead and water that down some more: Irrelevant or disruptive people who think Facebook is a good place to declare your wannabe, dominant Brown Beret group is a bad idea, because it taints the Brown Beret Community, it de-values yourselves, and it mis-leads the public.

How does it mislead the public? These diatribes spewed by people hung up on “ownership” of the Brown Beret legacy. It confuses people, boffos!

To argue over “originality” is an argument internalized by agitators, or people with motives to self- aggrandize themselves. Como que? Cult Leader types… People who exhibit themselves as a self professed “cult-of-personality.”

What it means is this: Some individuals, of inferior morality basically sit posted up on the internet, trying to formulate strategies to undermine other Brown Beret groups. Much of this continuum appears to stem from middle-aged, Chicano men, with little to zero involvement en el Movimiento, even devoid of  the historicity of their own families.

Watering this down some more, ALL Brown Berets are susceptible to opportunists, who think they can step into the fold, and endow themselves as the determinate of what a Brown Beret is, was, or will be.

Any Brown Beret group that opens itself up to such susceptibilities might want to visit an “Internal Audit” of the personalities they identify with. Honestly, any Brown Beret group that barks about their authenticity ought to do their DUE DILIGENCE on who they vet to bring into their fold.

Wreckless recruitment measures, overly-ambitiousness, or enticement are ALL undertones of a gang, a cult, group-herd mentality.

Herd Mentality is a concept that doesn’t surface in the Carnalismo Brown Brown Berets: We don’t subordinate our own Raza. Carnalismo is an understanding. Some people get it, some people don’t. Carnalismo is a form of understanding, which very, very few people cannot wrap their minds around.

That being said, these other “internet jockey’s,” playing their little games can ride the Facebook wave all they want. When Facebook is no longer relevant, they will blindly (like sheep) scurry over to the next social media platform. And by such junctures, they might have found that ANY sense of their own privacy has been left open.

Discretion and accountability have their merits. NOT Levas who exhibit hidden agendas. We ARE the Carnalismo Brown Berets, and we live by our own merits. And we have been around for a very, very long time.

Internet Trolls and Fake profiles

Someone has taken to task on some “Latinos for Trump 2016” to launch several fake profiles, troll numerous Chicanos, and provoke them by “photoshopping” them (very poorly) in some attempt to cause agitation/disruption, etc. Mas a menos, we know where this is coming from, but details will follow. The “troll” likely even used the photo of some unwitting person, as we have seen happen recently with these fake facebook profiles being continually launched.

We’re NOT about to speak on our conjecture, or speculation from which these fake facebook profiles orginate, as we are still gathering our own data. But the profile screen grabs are depicted below:

 

Screen shot 2015-09-12 at 12.19.55 AM

This last image is a response to the fake profile

Screen shot 2015-09-12 at 12.20.43 AMScreen shot 2015-09-12 at 12.20.28 AM

ALERT! Fake Facebook Profile of malicious intent

In recent months, a FAKE PROFILE of malicious intent has emerged on Facebook. Initially, the FAKE PROFILE was named after an actual Carnalismo Brown Beret, while displaying a photo of another real person. The profile picture of this real person is a “veterano” Brown Beret, who continues his work in El Paso, Texas as an activist. His work has been written about and published.

Please note; the two "top friends of this FAKE PROFILE

Please note; the two “top friends of this FAKE PROFILE

The profile picture is from an actual published article in the El Paso Times, and other numerous web and print publications, and is accredited to Raymundo Aguirre from Borderzine.

The original article from where the profile picture was nabbed

The original article from where the profile picture was nabbed

 

It has been observed that this FAKE PROFILE has been amassing Facebook friends, and posting bizarre diatribes about Donald Trump, etc. It is obvious that the originators of this fake profile have duplicitous, malicious intentions toward the Carnalismo Brown Berets, as well as other activists.

It is also worth noting that when the profile had initially launched, the two “top friends” are both members of the BBNO, in El Paso. This could actually indicate that one of those two Facebook “friends” actually launched the profile themselves in an attempt to cause disruption and confusion amidst the Brown Beret Community, and other activists/organizations.

We caution anyone who has been swindled into being “Facebook friends” with this profile, as it is NOT real, and obviously has pointed agendas and bad intentions. It is very sad that the individual who launched this fake profile in an obvious attack on the Carnalismo Brown Berets actually used the picture of a legitimate, humble activist who himself may NOT even be aware that his likeness is being used by malicious persons.

We would provide a link to the fake profile, except that it now appears the individual who launched this fake profile has either removed the fake profile, or changed it’s privacy settings such that it is not “searchable” on Facebook.

The Borderzine article referencing the activist can be found at:
http://borderzine.com/2010/04/mercado-mayapan-celebrates-chicano-power-and-pride/

Houston Brown Berets, holding it down on Latino Talk TV

Congratulations to our Houston Chapter of Carnalismo Brown Berets – featured on Latino Talk TV, on August 10, 2015. They spoke eloquently about Carnalismo as an historical organization, and about issues affecting our Barrios nationwide, such as Gentrification, and what revitalization and preservation of our communities SHOULD look like. Be sure to check out and “like” their Facebook page at: http://tinyurl.com/qedganb

Carnalismo Houston Brown Berets, featured on Latino Talk TV

Carnalismo Houston Brown Berets, featured on Latino Talk TV

The video can be seen here: