This week on Upstream we spoke with Irwin Tang about his latest book, Gook: John McCain's Racism and Why It Matters.

"The portrait of John McCain painted in Gook is far more disturbing than any racial epithet. A central thesis of Gook: war fertilizes racism, and racism justifies wars and the killing of civilians. This dynamic thrives within the most dangerous leaders of the world. Is John McCain one of them?"

We air interviews with homeless folks whose voices are not being heard in the debate surrounding the proposed Austin-wide ban on panhandling and debate racism in the Jena Six case with Colin Kalmbacher in yesterday's On the Fringe. It was a damn good show and it's all archived at our website.

Listen to the entire show at the On the Fringe website »

The story of the Jena Six is receiving public attention, primarily because the case is so clearly wrought with racism and injustice. For more information on the criminal (in)justice system, try http://www.prisonactivist.org. To receive updates about the Jena Six, go to www.colorofchange.org and check their page or (more current) receive email updates from the folks there.

September 21st was a National Day of Action for the Jena Six, with tens of thousands of people rallying in support of the young men accused of attempted murder in Jena and across the nation.