"Thus, what we have here is a homophobic act by a mentally ill person, not domestic terrorism." Those are the words of Ralph Stone in the Berkeley Daily Planet.

Mr. Stone, please do not scapegoat persons with mental illness in your column.

The perpetrator of the Orlando Shooting is not reported to have a history of mental illness. Reportedly, he passed a psychological test enabling him to own a gun. -more-

Neighbors warned each other early this morning after they heard explosions during a six-alarm fire on the border of Oakland and Emeryville that destroyed a five-story apartment building under construction, an auto repair shop and four townhouses.

Ashes were reported to have drifted as far as Martin Luther King and Oregon in Berkeley. -more-

A Berkeley man is in custody on suspicion of brandishing a knife, violently resisting arrest, possessing a concealed knife and a probation violation for a scuffle outside the West Berkeley Whole Foods store on Tuesday that left four officers injured, police said. -more-

With the electorate facing two of the most uninspiring presidential candidates in recent memory, talk about the possibility of a 2016 libertarian upset is ubiquitous. An unprecedented 58 percent of voters say they’d consider voting for a third-party candidate. Libertarians are the only ones with experienced politicians leading a ticket that will be on the ballot in all 50 states, and a host of libertarian staples—ideas like criminal justice reform, marijuana legalization, electronic privacy, and sexual freedom—now enjoy a comfortable level of support within the American mainstream. If there was any platform likely to capture both disillusioned Never-Trumpers from the Republicans and disappointed Bernie-or-Busters from the Democrats, the libertarians seem to have it. -more-

A memorial vigil will be held Tuesday to honor the life of a University of California at Berkeley student, and others slain in a terrorist attack in Bangladesh Friday. -more-

NACPEX (Neighbors Against Claremont Expansion), the group of Berkeley and Oakland residents which has been organized to oppose a proposed condominium development on the site of the historic Claremont Hotel, situated on the border between the two cities, is urging citizens of both to attend a meeting in Oakland on Wednesday to voice their concerns about the project. -more-

Building on a sit-in staged by House Democrats in the nation's capitol last week, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and members of the Bay Area congressional delegation today gathered in San Francisco to call for House Republicans to allow a vote on gun control bills.

The rally at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital this afternoon brought Pelosi and U.S. Reps. Barbara Lee, Mike Thompson, Mike Honda and Eric Swalwell together with gun control advocates, gun violence survivors and local leaders as part of a national day of action on gun violence prevention. -more-

A 19-year-old student at the University of California at Berkeley was among the 20 people reportedly killed in an attack at a bakery Friday in Dhaka, Bangladesh. -more-

Early in the morning on Monday, June 27, an intruder attacked NPS Ranger and former Berkeley resident Betty Reid Soskin in her home in Richmond and stole many of her possessions. We are all deeply saddened by these events, but relieved to report that she is recovering well and resting. -more-

A Berkeley man with a prior assault conviction was sentenced today to three years in state prison for stabbing two men at an apartment in West Berkeley in March, prosecutors said. -more-

Martha Anne Hoskinson Nicoloff of Berkeley died peacefully at her home on June 24th, 2016 at the age of 87. She was born on October 6th, 1928 in Chicago, Illinois to Edwin and Pauline Hoskinson. She often said that she lived on the South side of Chicago in a home shared with others during the Great Depression. She was the first and only one in the family to go to college. From an early age, she loved drawing and painting landscapes, houses and people. When she was 18, she was accepted into the Art Institute of Chicago. She received a B.A. in Fine Arts with honors from there in 1950 and then completed an M.F.A from the University of Southern California in 1952. -more-

Don Jelinek died peacefully in his Berkeley home on June 24, 2016, at age 82. He had wanted his gravestone to read: “He was SNCC.”

Don was a lawyer who spent the years 1965 – 1968 in Mississippi and Alabama during the civil rights movement. Don quickly assumed and maintained dual roles: as a SNCC grassroots organizer and as a crusading ACLU attorney who battled for justice in hostile courts. As a lawyer-activist in Alabama, he took on the overtly racist practices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and brought to light the shameful realities of rural malnutrition and starvation in America. He had the honor to represent Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Stokely Carmichael, H. “Rap” Brown and organizations ranging from SNCC to SCLC and the NAACP, as well as hundreds of black sharecroppers and civil rights workers. Until he died, Don continued to take part in SNCC meetings at his home.

Don established a law practice in Berkeley, during which time he represented and lived with the Alcatraz Indians on the island they seized as redress for past injustices. Following the 1971 Attica Prison uprising in upstate New York, Don was the lead attorney defending 61 inmates who had been indicted for 1400 felonies as a result of the insurrection, arguing that the charges were political. No inmate ever served time for these alleged crimes.

Don subsequently undertook a three-year pro bono defense of hundreds of flea market vendors who were ousted from the weekend Ashby BART parking lot. After restoring the vendors to their livelihoods, Don was elected to three terms on the Berkeley City Council, where his votes led to major public housing, among other accomplishments. He was a proud member of the Berkeley Citizens Action. Don was also active in the movement to end the Vietnam War; he represented dozens of conscientious objectors and so-called deserters. He proudly remembered one occasion when the U.S. Supreme Court was out of session and Justice William O. Douglas was unreachable. Don trekked overnight into the remote mountains of Washington State to locate the Justice. Justice Douglas signed the requested injunction.

Don was born on February 17, 1934, the son of Jewish immigrants. He was raised in the Bronx and attended Bronx High School of Science - for which he always maintained he was not qualified - then attended New York University where he received both his B.A. and law degree.

In 1955, Don moved to Greenwich Village where he lived in a tenement and paid his rent by working as a janitor—first taking in garbage cans then walking to his law school classes. In the Village, for the first time in his life, Don met gay people, black people, local leftists and bohemians all of whom fueled his lifetime passion for politics, reading and theatre.

Don wrote and published three books: Survivor of the Alamo, about the Texas Revolution and one man who did not stay at the Alamo to die; Attica Justice about the history of prisons in America, the inhumane conditions that led to the uprising and his defense of the Attica prisoners; and White Lawyer, Black Power about his time in SNCC and the civil rights movement.

Don is survived by Jane Scherr, his wife of 30 years; his brother Roger; Jane’s daughters Dove and Apollinaire and Don and Jane’s grandchildren Hannele and Pascal. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday July 16, 2016 at St. John's Presbyterian Church in Berkeley, beginning at 1 pm. Don asked that in lieu of gifts, money be donated to “Bay Area Veterans of the Civil Rights Movement” c/o Eugene Turitz, 2124 Derby Street, Berkeley, CA 94705. -more-

Special Report: Beverly Hills 'ambassadors' accused of pushing homeless out of shopping areas

Happy happy Berkeley. There was a city council meeting the other night (June 28, 2016), during which several people ran weeping from the room. They didn’t do it in unison; they left separately, but they were weeping nevertheless. After what city council did with its budget, they must have confronted a horrendous realization – not that they had nowhere to turn. (People are resourceful, and generally know how to fight back). What they realized, in their anguish, was that something they had counted on had turned away from them. That something was the government of the city of Berkeley. -more-

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

The killing of 49 revelers in an Orlando nightclub on June 12 has produced more outrage than any other mass shooting in this country, even reaching the floor of Congress, where Democrats staged a sit-in protest against Republican intransigence on passing gun control legislation.

So far nothing much has changed in the stand-off between gun control and gun rights advocates, a divide that is sure to escalate in the presidential campaign. After the recent shooting, four measures designed to prevent terrorists from buying guns were defeated in the Senate. What can break the legislative deadlock on gun regulation?

There is a middle ground, not a distinct alternative, but an avenue that both sides might be willing to pursue: taxation and insurance. A public/private revenue stream based on responsible gun ownership could provide funding and opportunity for more effective regulation and compensation for victims. Establishing such a system could build common ground and cooperation between the two camps whose political paradigms are currently totally opposed. -more-

Here’s news that everyone in Berkeley should be aware of:So many in Berkeley think that as long as they put all their plastic, regardless of the # (on the bottom are 1, 2, 5, etc.) and even plastic wrap, in recycling they’re protecting the environment. If people knew there’s no getting around the negative impact of using plastic, for packaging, etc, they may look at how to decrease consumption. -more-

I find myself writing today concerning the upcoming budget discussions, specifically that of allocations for Homeless Services.

It is of great concern to me and all Citizens of Berkeley that despite spending $3 million dollars in the last fiscal year the homeless population has mushroomed by 53%. What is completely befuddling is that no one has publicly stated why this has occurred. One thing is obvious. That continuing to allocate funds in the same manner will conclude in the same results. This is a situation that I'm sure none of us wish to see happen.

Recently I sent you a note asking for your input into a town hall meeting about Homelessness that I and other members of the community are organizing. To date I have not heard back from Council. I certainly hope you would at least considering sharing your opinion on this important matter.

What follows here is a set of specific recommendations where money could be better spent. It is my sincere hope you will take a few minutes out of your busy schedule to review each item. Additionally I believe it is a judicious use of Council time to refer and discuss each item. I hope that at least one or more of you will make that referral. -more-

Editor's Note: The latest issue of the Pepper Spray Times is now available.

You can view it absolutely free of charge by clicking here . You can print it out to give to your friends.

Grace Underpressure has been producing it for many years now, even before the Berkeley Daily Planet started distributing it, most of the time without being paid, and now we'd like you to show your appreciation by using the button below to send her money.

This is a Very Good Deal. Go for it! -more-

After securing the Republican presidential nomination, Donald Trump promised a “tell all” speech about Hillary Clinton. On June 22nd he delivered a slanderous collage of all the Clinton lies and innuendos the rightwing has circulated over the last 24 years – imagine a speech written by Ann Coulter. Those of us who believe Clinton would be a better president should be forewarned: there’s more coming from Trump. Here’s how to defend Hillary.

“Hillary Clinton… is a world-class liar.” Consider the source. The award-winning fact-checking website, Politifact, rated Hillary the most truthful of all the 2016 candidates. By contrast, Politifact rated Donald Trump the least truthful with 75 percent of his statements “mostly false,” “false,” or “pants on fire.”

Trump’s June 22nd speech contained at least 40 lies or gross distortions.

Those of us who defend Clinton should use Kevin Drum’s article “Hillary Clinton is fundamentally honest and trustworthy” as our bible. -more-

U.S. Senator Christopher Murphy (D.CT) filibustered in the Senate for 15 hours in an effort to move forward gun safety policy. On June 20, the Senate, as expected, failed to pass four gun-control related measures in the aftermath of the Orlando nightclub massacre. The four measures - - two by Democrats and two weaker ones by Republicans -- included: -more-

What do you do when a difficult event takes place, and you have no explanation for it? One tendency for those of us subject to psychosis is to ruminate about it, and produce delusions, in a futile attempt at finding an explanation. -more-

Law enforcement is at least initially calling the horrific Orlando shootings by Omar Mateen as “domestic terrorism.” I don’t believe it was domestic terrorism. Sure, ISIS took “credit” for the shootings but I don’t believe for a minute that Mateen has any relationship to ISIS. He was just looking for his fifteen minutes of hate-fueled infamy. Domestic terrorism focuses on the motive behind the act and it specifies that the motive has to be to coerce people or influence or affect government policy. That doesn’t appear to be the case here.

Mateen’s father, Mir Seddique, claimed this horrible act had nothing to do with religion. “We were in downtown Miami, Bayside, people were playing music. And he saw two men kissing each other in front of his wife and kid and he got very angry,” Seddique told NBC. “They were kissing each other and touching each other and he said, ‘Look at that. In front of my son they are doing that.’ And then we were in the men’s bathroom and men were kissing each other.”

Thus, what we have here is a homophobic act by a mentally ill person, not domestic terrorism. -more-

The San Francisco Symphony brought its season to a close with four performances of Gustav Mahler’s Second Symphony, Wednesday through Saturday, June 29-July 2, at Davies Hall. Mahler linked his Second Symphony to his First Symphony, stating that the hero of the First is borne to his grave in the funeral music of the Second and that “the real, the climactic dénouement [of the First] comes only in the Second.” With this in mind, I must observe that while I love Mahler’s First Symphony, I find his Second somewhat disjointed and problematic. The first and last movements of the Second are the biggest by far, in length but also in sheer volume of sound, and they tend to overwhelm the inner, softer movements. This was indeed the case in Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas’s reading of Mahler’s Second Symphony. -more-