Hate-Free Zone

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And in the middle of it all, her marriage collapsed, throwing her into the frenetic world of the single mom. It is, she says, both a blessing and a curse. ?My son has the benefit of exposure to some incredible people and some real issues,? she says. ?He goes back to school and starts writing speeches??Heck no, we won?t go. We won?t fight for Texaco!??

But the balancing act remains daunting. ?I?m struggling with that now, trying to work one-and-a-half times more than I should be working, trying to be a writer?and doing laundry would be nice,? she says.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department is appealing the case prohibiting deportation of Somalis and threatening to introduce even harsher limits on constitutional rights in the follow-up to the Patriot Act. ?They?re very tenacious,? she says of Attorney General John Ashcroft and his cronies. ?They don?t let go.?

But neither will Jayapal, who sees America?s tolerance for ever-harsher security measures and privacy invasions beginning to wane. ?I have had conversations with people we would classify as conservatives who have said in one way or another, ?We are very concerned about what is happening with civil liberties in this country,?? she says.

?The power of the story is critical? she adds ?We have to be telling stories, showing the broad picture. We need to be doing a much better job of connecting the dots for people?that?s the part that is driving people to participate, to want to make a difference.?

For more on the Hate Free Zone Campaign of Washington, visit www.hatefreezone.org or call its helpline at 866/439-6631.

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