Taboo Plaza

Race is a hot topic in America right now, apparently due to the Democratic presidential campaign.  Barack Obama has defended his views on race as others have expressed their own views about race as well as their views regarding Barack Obama's views on race.  People like Philadelphia's new mayor- Michael Nutter- who was quoted saying,

"I think there is a big difference between expressing the pain and anger that many African Americans and other people of color may feel versus language that I think now crosses the line and goes into hate."

He's talking about race.

Race.

It sounds so dry and sterile as opposed to something like nigger, chink or spic.

Mutt
Guinea
Wop
Polack
Wigger

They may not be great words, but they have a lot of flavor.  They just don't do anything to further conversations when they are shouted or directed at somebody in particular.  Even random curse words shouted at no one in particular will eventually stop being funny.

We need to move beyond juvenile views on race by talking honestly about how we got here.  Take these statements attributed to Reverend Jeremiah Wright,

"And the United States of America government, when it came to treating her citizens of Indian descent fairly, she failed. She put them on the reservations. When it came to treating her citizens of Japanese descent fairly, she failed. She put them in internment prison camps. When it came to treating the citizens of African descent fairly, America failed. She put them in chains. The government put them on slave quarters, put them on auction blocks, put them in cotton fields, put them in inferior schools, put them in substandard housing, put them in scientific experiments, put them in the lowest paying jobs, put them outside the equal protection of the law, kept them out of the racist bastions of higher education and locked them into positions of hopelessness and helplessness. The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing 'God Bless America'?

Reverend Wright's interpretation of America's history is definitely judgemental; however, it is also difficult to argue.  American history from one perspective appears to be the history of one racial group immigrating into the country to replace the last racial group that was the country's primary focus of bigotry and intolerance.  Segregation, in effect, put black America out of sight and hopefully out of mind.  The Chinese, Irish and Italians were all new perfect targets for the racist thrust of white, Protestant America.  The Germans took their racist American lashings when Ben Franklin was alive.  American history can be read as a racist immigration policy that imported what it hated most. 

America from that perspective is crazy.  United States of America Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gets America's problematic racist history.  She's been quoted as saying,

"America doesn't have an easy time dealing with race. I sit in my office and the portrait immediately over my shoulder is Thomas Jefferson, because he was my first predecessor. He was the first Secretary of State. And sometimes I think to myself, what would he think — (laughter) — a black woman Secretary of State as his predecessor 65 times removed — successor, 65 times removed? What would he think that the last two successors have been black Americans? And so, obviously, when this country was founded, the words that were enshrined in all of our great documents and that have been such an inspiration to people around the world, for the likes of Vaclav Havel, associate themselves with those documents. They didn't have meaning for an overwhelming element of our founding population. And black Americans were a founding population. Africans and Europeans came here and founded this country together; Europeans by choice, and Africans in chains."

You can't properly discuss race in America without regarding the fact that poor, white people, historically, were treated poorly as well.  The major problem with pointing these parts of the story out for inspection is that other groups then start debating degrees of mistreatment. 

Who suffered the most? 
Who suffered the longest? 
Who now has a leg up?
Who should've already pulled themselves up by the bootstraps?

Divide and conquer was the primary tactic used to preserve and solidify spots for the elite in America starting hundreds of years ago.  The divide and conquer tactic became apparent around the time "slave" became different than "indentured servant."  The Law Library of Congress states that "around the middle of the seventeenth century, colonial laws began to reflect differences between indentured servants and slaves. More important, the laws began to differentiate between races: the association of “servitude for natural life” with people of African descent became common."

Indentured servants earned their freedom in years.  Slaves earned their freedom precariously or not at all in America.  Indentured servants became the overseers of the slaves while in servitude.  They formed an early version of middle management.  Laws were passed prohibiting interracial breeding between slaves and indentured servants, even though in theory they shared nearly the same lot in life early in American history.

These aspects of race in America are crucial and yet under-communicated.  We cannot move forward as if history doesn't impact today.  Although the mention of 9/11 now elicits more exasperation than in the past, that piece of history still clearly defines America's place in the world today.  Much in the same way, America's history of slavery and racial intolerance also impacts what's happening today.

Conditions are better, but the frank dialogue has not yet taken place.  No money is required.  No tears should flow unfelt.  'I'm sorry's' and 'thank you's' only mean as much as the convictions  generating them, but the conversations need to happen.  The history books we use to teach our children need to be corrected, because until they are, we are lying to each generation anew.  We cover up what makes us most uncomfortable.  We hide that which horrifies us and in effect perpetuate a notion that America is a nation born perfect under God. 

Nothing needs to be fixed
this I know
for the forefathers made it so.

Leave our schools and go to sleep.  Just believe that we can get past it if we ignore it long enough.  When the topic of racial history in America comes up the centuries of division become readily apparent.  This is no new development, but it is something that we need to move past as a country.  The people being mistreated throughout American history generally respond by closing ranks within their own community.  This can be seen in Chinatown, San Francisco or the ghettos of Oakland.  One group pushes the other away and the other closes ranks for security and comfort.  We don't speak the same language and therefore our common problems get ignored for petty grievances that interests only this group or that.

If we all spoke with one voice in America, real changes might take place; but as long as we buy into the 'divide and conquer' mindset of our shared past we will never get any further than we are today. 

That is a depressing thought.



Current Affairs

It's a challenging time for George Bush.  His integrity must be exercised somehow, someway, from time to time.  The turmoil within China involving Tibet has called him to reach out to the world as the representative of the United States of America.  He's the face of America.  Apparently, he's cautioning the Chinese nation to be lenient and tolerant.

What stops the Tibetans from being terrorists?  Is it how the rest of the world chooses to judge?  What's the difference between a rioter and a terrorist?

Then there's the Olympic games to think about.  That's coming up in August and it's hosted in China.  Who will represent Tibet at the games by their absence from the Games?  According to his press Secretary, George Bush says he encourages, "substantive dialogue with the Dalai Lama's representatives."

Apparently shops were burned. 
The rioters were accused of being violent. 
People apparently died.

Is that, or is that not, what terrorists do?  The world itself is created by our own definitions.  What we put in the dictionary defines reality.  Webster's says, One who employs the, "systematic use of terror esp. as a means of coercion" is a terrorist.

Simon Elegant from Time.com reports,

"China's...state-controlled media has gone into spin-control mode, portraying the events in Lhasa as race riots rather than demonstrations for Tibetan independence. TV stations have repeatedly broadcast videos of Tibetans looting Chinese shops and mugging Chinese passersby. Chinese newspapers have been filled with accounts of innocent ethnic Chinese killed in Lhasa by rampaging Tibetans, stories such as the burning to death of five young girls and a baby in a garage, and of a Chinese woman who had an ear cut off by protesters."

It's assumed Tibetans want independence.  That means they have a goal which they are trying to achieve through coercion.  China's face might have you see Tibetans commmitting physical destruction without a goal.  China has cut off the world from Tibet, so it is impossible to know if acts of "rioting" is coordinated (or systematic.)  The stories that leak from China describe a mindless mob.

That's the story, except President Bush is going to the Olympic Games.  He's been quoted saying, "I'm going to the Olympics...I have a little different platform than Steven Spielberg, so I get to talk to President Hu Jintao."

Look at where this has placed the United States of America today though?  The European Union now steps into a role previously reserved for the United States for at least the last 50 years.  The EU suggests putting together a group to help negotiate the situation in China.  China has money in the market economy.  China can do a lot to hurt that.

There's economic concerns when dealing harshly with China.

China doesn't like the Dalai Lama.  China's the frontier for capitalists.  You better think hard before you decide about how you feel about the Dalai Lama.  Do you like the buck?  Do you want the scratch?  Do you value your bread?  The Chinese produce.  They produce a lot and that means something within a free market capitalist economy.

Some people in this world with the means to help will hesitate to help for fear of being poorer.  The U.S. is in no position to help even if we would like, because our commitment in the Middle East is far too extensive.  We've got our neck exposed if something big breaks out anywhere on the planet other than the Middle East.

What would you do if China said screw the Tibetans and began committing genocide?

What could the U.S. do?  We've got our neck out in Iraq and Afghanistan with more than we can handle and no end in sight.  The U.S. could do nothing, but we can feel good that President Bush will be in China at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in August.



My Butthole Bleeds for You…Really….It Does

Apparently, there are people in the United States of America that are not thinking much.  I know that statement covers a large segment of the population; however, the ones that I'm thinking of specifically are these people getting unnecessary plastic surgery and shooting garbage into their faces. 

You see, as TMZ reports it, there's this guy who "Hollywood elites" are reportedly visiting for injections in the face that cost "between $300 to $500 each."  The operation was described as: cash-only; unsanitary needles laying out on tables; and "industrial-grade silicone used to lubricate auto parts." 

Daniel Serrano went to prison in 2006 for injecting industrial products into the face's of willing participant's and now he is being released.  Priscilla Presley's name has been bandied about because she apparently paid him for the procedure.  It has been said that Lionel Richie and Larry King's wives have visited "Dr." Serrano, even though the "Dr." supposedly didn't have a license to practice medicine in the United States.

It must be a hell of a thing to find yourself having made the choice to inject industrial grade silicone into your face.  Many people will try to deflect this issue by saying Daniel Serrano is the one at fault.  You can't put those poor women through any more than they've already been through on this issue, but I think that is B-S.

Leaving aside the issue of actually altering your body with the injection of Botox or silicone implants, "cash-only" transactions are shady.  If you need to deal only in cash, you're probably doing something that is against the law.  Drug dealers and prostitutes deal in cash (and that does not necessarily make them bad people- it simply means that when they conduct business, they don't want to leave an easy trail to follow.)

Any seasoned heroin addict could probably tell you- you need to be aware of what you're shooting when you start injecting stuff into your body.



Tip of the week

All twelve seasons of South Park episodes are available online for free viewing.   Wired reports that Matt Stone and Trey Parker "are the driving force behind South Park Studios, the series' new online HQ offering free viewing of all 12 seasons of South Park."

They reportedly got tired of having to download South Park episodes illegally online.



Birthday Shout Outs (Mar 30th to Apr 5th)

3/30
(1853) Vincent Van Gogh- He produced beautiful artwork.
(1913) Frankie Laine- "Rawhide" is one of my all-time favorite songs as much for what Frankie Laine did with it as what the Blue Brothers did to it.

(1930) John Astin- Nobody played Gomez Addams any better.  Psychotic and yet strangely huggable.
(1940) Astrud Gilberto- "The Girl From Ipanema" is one of those songs that gets played and I never have a clue who is singing it, but it's haunting and immediately recognizable especially when her voice kicks in.

(1945) Eric Clapton- In the past 30 years of American rock music history, you can hardly spit without hitting this guy.  He's everywhere.  From the Beatles to Dire Straits, Eric Clapton represents the pinnacle of achievement in his respective career.

3/31
(1596) Rene Descartes- Some people act as if he plunged us all into a bottomless pit when he uttered the phrase, "I think therefore I am."  Maybe he did.
(1732) Joseph Haydn- He made beautiful music.

(1927) Cesar Chavez- He inspired a generation.
(1943) Christopher Walken- What's to say?  This guy appears brilliant when he practices his art.
(1945) Gabe Kaplan- It's Mr. Kotter.
(1948) Mick Ralphs- Bad Company was a killer act.



(1955) Angus Young- A rock and roll deity.


(1971) Ewan McGregor- I really liked his work in "Trainspotting."

4/1
(1815) Otto von Bismarck- He's credited with nothing less than the creation of the German Empire.
(1908) Abraham Maslow- His work helps solidify a hierarchy of human needs.
(1932) Gordon Jump- It's Mr. Carlson from WKRP.
(1954) Jeff Porcaro- Toto had at least one song that may prove timeless.

(1971) Method Man- Wu Tang, Wu Tang.


4/2
(1805) Hans Christian Anderson- It's almost difficult to believe that somebody once sat down to write "The Princess and the Pea" or "The Emperor's New Clothes."  Then again, it's also kind of hard to imagine that Disney didn't write stories like "The Little Mermaid" all by themselves.
(1914) Alec Guinness- He was a serious actor, yet all I will ever remember him for is "Use the Force Luke."
(1941) Leon Russell- He's played with many of the greats, but his name may always be overshadowed by those with whom he played.

(1953) David Robinson- The Cars were a great act.
(1954) Ron Palillo- It's Horschack.

4/3
(1924) Marlon Brando- He's one of the greatest, if you believe.
(1934) Jane Goodall- She spent a lot of time with primates.
(1958) Alec Baldwin- He's performed some wonderful work with various Saturday Night Live casts.
(1959) David Hyde Pierce- Even if he's not actually Stewie, he's Stewie...ain't that right Bry, eh Bry, Stewie, David Hyde Pierce, they kind a sound the same, eh Bry?
(1961) Eddie Murphy- Before money seemingly led him to lose touch with his audience, this guy was the second coming in comedy.

(1969) Lance Storm- He is one of my all time favorite professional wrestlers.


4/4
(1915) Muddy Waters- A legend in some circles.



(1928) Maya Angelou- Another legend in some circles.
(1932) Anthony Perkins- Norman Bates ruined routine showering for many people for a long time.
(1948) Berry Oakley- The Allman Brothers Band had their moment.



(1951) Steve Gatlin- The Gatlin Brothers had their moment.


(1965) Robert Downey Jr.- I liked his work in the movie "Less Than Zero" even though I hated the book.  I'm also looking forward to his work in the movie about Iron Man, even though I never cared for the comic books.

4/5
(1856) Booker T. Washington- 'Uncle Tom' name callings aside, he helped black Americans gain a bit of credibility.
(1926) Roger Corman- This guy has been involved with so many movies I've never seen; however, "Death Race 2000" is one of my all time favorite cheesy flicks.
(1937) Colin Powell- He was the first black American Secretary of State.
(1942) Allan Clarke- The Hollies made some great music.

Belly Laugh

The Little Rascals were pretty awesome if not a little awkward at different points in the show's history.