It is 1:00 am Saturday 10/13 in Palm Springs, CA. I just arrived home. I spent Thursday night in Oakland; I stayed at the Airport Hilton. Friday morning I was to meet there with a friend from HS who I hadn't seen in 45 yrs. Without knowing, both of us were volunteers for Barack. We didn't meet at the Hilton in the morning but, thank God he was there at the hospital when I was finally released at around 5 pm.

I had lost my friend's cell # and on Friday morning had not heard from him. I loaded up my two carry on bags and headed outside to wait for him. It started to sprinkle and there was a nearby Gazebo and ducked in to get out of the rain. Living in PS but having grown up in the S.F. bay area, I missed not having raining days so the Gazebo was perfect; I could stay dry but I also could enjoy the rain. I always bring books and music for the times sure to come when I need to wait. Friday was no exception; for a one night away from home I had maybe a dozen discs and a half dozen books.
I took everything out of my bags and sat them around within reach where a sat on the Gazebo floor. Then it started. I was surprised, because I had alerted several Hilton staffers they I was going to wait in the Gazebo for my friend to call or show up.

The first was a female of color, security person. "What are you doing?" Staying dry, enjoying the rain and waiting for my friend. "You staying at the Hilton?" I did last night. "Well why don't you get out of the rain and wait in your room?" I'm not in the rain; the Gazebo floor is dry and I like the rain; and indeed it started to rain even harder.

Next, four new security members arrive and I repeat for them "Even at home I like to and do sleep outside regularly. They didn't stay long and I figured all was well. When eight uniformed and armed Oakland police headed my way, I understood immediately that all was far from well. Same questions...same answers. Then, "Would you put your hands behind you?"
"Would you set inside the ambulance and we need to restrain you and take some vitals."
Next I was still restrained on a gurney but in the hall...the rest tomorrow

At least 50 individuals were aware of what was going on. Of the 50, 45 were persons of color, evenly divided men and women. All were “doing their jobs”. Of the 50, most would characterize me as “different” but none of whom believed I was dangerous to either myself or to others. And, most if not all would say that I did nothing to deserve the cuffing, the restraining, the detaining and the denial of my constitutional right to freedom of expression and freedom of assemblage.

True enough, I was alone and I wasn’t expressing; I was reading; I was listening to a DVD by Bob Dylan;
I also had my “I am a Barack Obama Volunteer” business cards; and Obama campaign literature.

I had flown from Ontario to Oakland Thursday evening and took the shuttle from the Oakland Airport to the Airport Hilton and checked in around 9:30 pm. I was intending to meet Friday morning with an old friend from back in HS; we had recent found that each of us was working to elect Obama President. He was to shoot a video that I had scripted.

Friday mid-morning I realized I had forgotten to enter my friends phone number and I had no way of reaching him. So I went down to the desk, said I was checking out but had to wait to be picked up. I told the front desk that I would wait in the gazebo in the court yard. While waiting and reading, people got uneasy about me reading and waiting.

Of the 50, my first and foremost guardian angel was the duty nurse in charge at Highland campus hospital; although half my age, she was comforting and re-assuring me that everything was going to be alright…and I held onto the life line she was offering with all my strength and faith…may God Bless Her. Without her strength, wisdom and faith, I don’t believe that I would have been released.

My second guardian angel is my friend from across the street on Daphne Way back in 1959-60. Just as Highland doctors were getting ready to move me to a secure location, my friend called: “Yes, we were to meet up this morning to do a quick video shoot but we never connected. Sure, I’ll be right over to pick him up.”
And, he did.

What happened to me on 10/12/07 is well documented and has at least 50 witnesses. The fact are not disputed by anyone. But one huge question remains un-answered: WHY?
And WHO is responsible for denying me my constitutional rights?