On May 16, Voices of Women co-sponsored with the National Organization of Women, a presentation at the World Beat Center, Balboa Park, by Elizabeth "Betita" Martinez, a longtime Chicana activist, and co-founder of the Institute for Multi-Racial Justice.

Fifty people attended this multi-cultural event. Summary of Betita's speech:

In the 1845 War of Mexico, prisoners were scalped (behavior similar to that we are witnessing in Iraq).

The practice of rape in the Vietnam War starts in the U.S. with patriarchal abuse which is rooted in our culture and manifested in war.

Since WW II, 35+ military incursions by the United States have been against a country of "color". The only exception was Bosnia.

There is a new "minority group" after 9/11: Arabs/Muslims.

There is a new dimension in the war on Iraq. The victims are men in prisons. The policy for this abuse came from "the top."

We must join together and make strong coalitions. We must learn about each others' cultures and communities. We must get out and vote.