Ok. lets get down to business. Watching the news is always an excellent conversation starter. Especially among people with different political views. Lets talk Palestinian territories and Israel. As much as this conflict is rooted in history this is 2008/9. We live in a modern world and the current situation is bad news bears.
I just deleted previous section due to unpredented new knowledge. books are amazing. the book is on israel's occupation and details methods of control from 1967 through today. The striking thing i find in the news today is 1. disproportionate violence. as if proportionate violence of israeli's would make this all okay. 2. that hamas is the aggressor and israeli military is on the defense. as has been pointed out, an occupying force can never truly be on the 'defense' to protect itself. could france claim self defense in Algeria? Japan in China? no. What stikes me as so insane in all of this is that the US has voted down every UN peace settlement that is unfavorable to israel. While I do believe that the holocaust warrants protection of jewish people and awareness of their history of oppression, i do not believe that behaving in kind can be justified. The US media is so starchly uncritical of israel because it is like looking into a mirror. Attacking Hamas is essentially attacking all males over the age of 14 (or even younger) and rendering any kind of civil dissent as terrorist. Sound familiar? It goes to the very heart of what we consider 'terrorism', what creates violence, and how to combat it.
The book goes into detail about how the hospitals, schools, communication, borders, what you can/ cannot sell, electricity... everything imaginable was controlled and regulated by Israel. The creation of the internal spy system reminds me a lot of colombia. How much fear it brings to daily life and effective it is to styfle organizing and relationships because you are afraid of your neighbors. Promotions, lives, reduced sentences etc. were ways to get people to comply. The appartus really is quite immpressive. the palestininan authority was only created by the US and Israel as a proxy government because public opinion was against israel to openly occupy west bank and gaza. But with out a viable economy, no resources to build it with, civilian leadership infrastructure virtually destroyed by the occupation, half the population under 15, massive unemployement, a majority of people living off only through ngo welfare, israel still controls the borders, the country is level in shambles and essentially still 'occupied'. why does a radical group like hamas get elected? doesn't take a genious. why are people unrelated to hamas resisting but being called terrorists? it is impossible not to resist the occupation, essentially every civilian is a terrorist, every terrorist is a civilian.
My new book is awesome: "The revolution will not be funded" only two essays in and it has a lot to think about. #1 human rights career is an oxymoron. (is that spelled right? moron.. haha) An NGO's primary focus should be enabling the movement, not the face of it. People who are trying to create a career for themselves must get paid. Career = paid. This not only moderates you, but also contributes to the idea that working for social justice is a profession rather than a way of life. That 'experts' better understand the world and only a certain few have the obligation and knowledge to act on our behalf. in the remembered word of the book: as if a few should or could do the work of many.
And.. interesting paragraph - why are poor people studied so intensely to understand their ' condition'. Why not study the rich and actually risk yourself. I find it an interesting topic. How many rich people are sellouts. And more specific - to boil down the ways that money is maintained. Using three case studies - ultra rich: possibly even a do gooder like Bill gates. Then a semi rich Josephine, then Joe the plumber type. And compare the ways in which their income/ spending etc. mushrooms out to exacerbate (spelling...) and perpetuate or what not oppression. Oppression easily defined but yet narrowed when only studying sweat shop labor, businesses without unions etc. This shall be my project.
Now off to read my fabulous book and figure out in what other ways I am a sellout. Although some comforting part of me recognizes that even though I want to have a human rights career, I do so because i want to further specific movements, and I would give my life for what I believe in. (not god) I am not a sellout intentionally, and life is a learning process. Understanding all ways that we contribute to "the system"
- On a closing note, snowboarding is awesome
lunes, 29 de diciembre de 2008
domingo, 7 de diciembre de 2008
Jericho movement!
I went to a really awesome discussion + documentary last night which spurred me on to a study day today and i have been listening to audio broadcasts on blackwater and speeches from death row inmates. I feel very inspired at the moment, so here is some cool stuff I have been learning!
The jericho movement is a movement to free the 100 + political prisoners in the U.S. www.thejerichomovement.com (it tells it way better than me) The discussion was about 8 of them. Formerly part of the black panther movement of the 60's they were framed in the killing of a policeman in San Fransisco. referred to now as the SF8. With out evidence, witnesses, or a murder weapon they were charged with murder. 3 of them were tortured which produced confessions. the case was later thrown out due to the fact that it is against U.S law to use evidence from coerced testimony. Sooo, fast forward 30 years: in 2003 the same men (6 of them) were tracked down and the trial is again being pursued. The murder of the police officer. they were only recently let out on bail after spending a year+ in prison. (these are senior citizens) The prosecution has yet to introduce any new evidence and a grand jury has thrown out the case 4 (5?) times and they have yet to receive an indictment. The two other "SF8" framed for the san fransisco cop murder did end up in prison after being set up a second time in New York. They have been in jail for 35 years. The main witness who testified against them recanted on public television saying he had been tortured by the police.
The attorney for the SF8 was at the discussion and she brought up how Barack Obama said he might negotiate with Cuba if Raul Castro freed the political prisoners. But what Castro should respond with is he will only deal with America if we free the more than 100 political prisoners that we are holding. The documentary that goes with the 'Free the SF8 movement' links the repression of social justice movements and torture (then) to the war on terror - now to show that this is not a new phenomena, and the tactics are alamingly similar. They talked about how the FBI tried to get them to testify against eachother, but instead it has built the movement to go around the country and talk about how the government is trying to discredit them with evidence that wasn't admissable 30 years ago but might now be because of the war on terror.
other tidbits from my audio lectures of today...
Colombia: about 50% of the military aid is spent on contracts for DynCorp - private defense contractors. - Part of the current negotiations with Bolivia for its Counternarcotics aid proram was that they have to hire out DynCorp for a percentage of its military operations. (although now on hold because bolivia expelled US ambassador) excellent... - Blackwater and Dyncorp and an Israeli defense contract firm were sent to New Orleans in the wake of Hurrican Katrina because Bush had deployed the National Guard to Iraq. This is illegal on so many levels. (military not allowed to patrol u.S cities much less private defense corporations) - there are more than 300 private defense contract firms operating in Iraq. - at the time of research, the average Blackwater employee made more than Gen. Petraeus
audio lectures are awesome!! - also watched the documentary "paying the price" on UN sanctions on Iraq under Clinton and how devestating that was. 500,000 children under the age of 5 died. (by film maker John Pilger)
domingo, 16 de noviembre de 2008
SOA, Colombia, + ranting... = my sunday afternoon
My letter to the editor of the NYT. watch for it....
To the Editor:
The Nov. 14 article, "Jesuit Killings In El Salvador Could Reach Trial in Spain," reminded us of the horrors that took place in Central America in the 80’s, including the massacre of six Jesuit priests. What the article failed to acknowledge was the United States' hand in these brutal murders.
The notorious School of the Americas (SOA), renamed WHINSEC, has trained some of the worst human rights violators in Latin America, including those who killed the Jesuit priests. Yet the school still operates in Fort Benning, Georgia, and is funded with taxpayer dollars. Of the 26 army personnel responsible for killing the priests, 19 were SOA graduates. The SOA also trained those who assassinated Archbishop Oscar Romero, and four U.S nuns.
As the anniversary of the Jesuit massacre approaches, and 15,000 take to the streets to call for the SOA’s closure, it is shameful to leave the U.S.'s role out of the story. With the SOA's long history of condoning torture and abuse, it is appalling that the Jesuit murders and other atrocities are not denounced and the institution shut down.
.....................
Now for a new and exciting topic that I have never written about: Colombia! excuse me while I grab another beer. Or should i say glass of water. By accident I bought Corona light. I fail to see the point. Alcohol by its very nature has calories. It tastes like faucet water.
I have been monitoring trends in the major papers on what they write about Colombia. The logic is ridiculous at best at any attempt to justify Uribe, or our involvement there.
A statistic I have seen pop up at least twice, in both the Washinton Times and the Post (the latter by the editorial board) is that it is safer to be a union member in Colombia than a member of the general population. Considering Colombia is the most dangerous place for a union member in the entire world, this is a bit misleading. The math of this stat is as follows. lets say 70 union members are killed each year. and 8,000 civilians are killed. more civilians are killed than union members. Basic statistics lesson. To compare the two, you must use 70 divided by the total number of union members, not the whole population, dumbass.
Recently there has been a lot in the paper about Colombia concerning 'false positives' (killing civilians and pretending they are guerrilas), firing of military personnel, the free trade agreement, etc. Why congress should cut off the aid to Colombia in simple terms: as summarized from my current fantastic book "America's other War" by doug stokes.
The logic of Plan Colombia has failed miserably. In the war on drugs, 80% of the money was used in military spending due to the idea that to stop the drug flow was to defeat the guerrilla insurgency. This assumes: the guerrilas are the primary transporters of cocaine, and that the method of defeating them is by killing their support base.
Problem 1: FARC never has been a major narcotics trafficker. They historically used a 'taxation system" on the growers, but the major drug routes in the north and the major infrastructure is controlled by paramilitaries (a fact which has been well documented U.S officials since pre- Plan Colombia)
Problem 2: The coca growers are almost exclusively poor farmers with no other means of substinence. Measures were taken to give them compensation to not grow coca which might have been successful if followed through. it wasn't, and farmers are continuously displaced as a result of fumigation which effectively ruined the real crops, poisoned the water, poisoned people, and created a stronger need to grow coca because the other crops were ruined. result: support base strengthened.
Problem 3: The aid to Colombia is hinged on three basic criteria due to human rights concerns. 1 -suspension of military personnel who commite HR violations 2- prosecution of those suspended, and 2 -prosecute those who have committed, 3 - effective measure to severe links with paramilitary units.
The state department certified the aid despite the fact that Colombia failed to meet any of the above requirements. Supposedly no aid will be given to units that have evidence of serious human rights violations. Yet as Amnesty reported in its Oct. 28th report, half of the units that received U.S aid has records of serious HR violations. (as has been reported before numerous times, notably right after the conditions were certified)
So why was most of the money to Colombia (1.3 billion) given to combat the minor players in a drug war, to an army notorious for human rights violations, and strong ties to the major players in drug trafficking and terrorism? You do the math.
I have written on my thoughts on that before and will continue to be outraged everyday that another story on Colombia is printed: claiming that Uribe is doing fabulous, HR violations are under control, everything will be okay once FARC is eliminated, etc etc...
To the Editor:
The Nov. 14 article, "Jesuit Killings In El Salvador Could Reach Trial in Spain," reminded us of the horrors that took place in Central America in the 80’s, including the massacre of six Jesuit priests. What the article failed to acknowledge was the United States' hand in these brutal murders.
The notorious School of the Americas (SOA), renamed WHINSEC, has trained some of the worst human rights violators in Latin America, including those who killed the Jesuit priests. Yet the school still operates in Fort Benning, Georgia, and is funded with taxpayer dollars. Of the 26 army personnel responsible for killing the priests, 19 were SOA graduates. The SOA also trained those who assassinated Archbishop Oscar Romero, and four U.S nuns.
As the anniversary of the Jesuit massacre approaches, and 15,000 take to the streets to call for the SOA’s closure, it is shameful to leave the U.S.'s role out of the story. With the SOA's long history of condoning torture and abuse, it is appalling that the Jesuit murders and other atrocities are not denounced and the institution shut down.
.....................
Now for a new and exciting topic that I have never written about: Colombia! excuse me while I grab another beer. Or should i say glass of water. By accident I bought Corona light. I fail to see the point. Alcohol by its very nature has calories. It tastes like faucet water.
I have been monitoring trends in the major papers on what they write about Colombia. The logic is ridiculous at best at any attempt to justify Uribe, or our involvement there.
A statistic I have seen pop up at least twice, in both the Washinton Times and the Post (the latter by the editorial board) is that it is safer to be a union member in Colombia than a member of the general population. Considering Colombia is the most dangerous place for a union member in the entire world, this is a bit misleading. The math of this stat is as follows. lets say 70 union members are killed each year. and 8,000 civilians are killed. more civilians are killed than union members. Basic statistics lesson. To compare the two, you must use 70 divided by the total number of union members, not the whole population, dumbass.
Recently there has been a lot in the paper about Colombia concerning 'false positives' (killing civilians and pretending they are guerrilas), firing of military personnel, the free trade agreement, etc. Why congress should cut off the aid to Colombia in simple terms: as summarized from my current fantastic book "America's other War" by doug stokes.
The logic of Plan Colombia has failed miserably. In the war on drugs, 80% of the money was used in military spending due to the idea that to stop the drug flow was to defeat the guerrilla insurgency. This assumes: the guerrilas are the primary transporters of cocaine, and that the method of defeating them is by killing their support base.
Problem 1: FARC never has been a major narcotics trafficker. They historically used a 'taxation system" on the growers, but the major drug routes in the north and the major infrastructure is controlled by paramilitaries (a fact which has been well documented U.S officials since pre- Plan Colombia)
Problem 2: The coca growers are almost exclusively poor farmers with no other means of substinence. Measures were taken to give them compensation to not grow coca which might have been successful if followed through. it wasn't, and farmers are continuously displaced as a result of fumigation which effectively ruined the real crops, poisoned the water, poisoned people, and created a stronger need to grow coca because the other crops were ruined. result: support base strengthened.
Problem 3: The aid to Colombia is hinged on three basic criteria due to human rights concerns. 1 -suspension of military personnel who commite HR violations 2- prosecution of those suspended, and 2 -prosecute those who have committed, 3 - effective measure to severe links with paramilitary units.
The state department certified the aid despite the fact that Colombia failed to meet any of the above requirements. Supposedly no aid will be given to units that have evidence of serious human rights violations. Yet as Amnesty reported in its Oct. 28th report, half of the units that received U.S aid has records of serious HR violations. (as has been reported before numerous times, notably right after the conditions were certified)
So why was most of the money to Colombia (1.3 billion) given to combat the minor players in a drug war, to an army notorious for human rights violations, and strong ties to the major players in drug trafficking and terrorism? You do the math.
I have written on my thoughts on that before and will continue to be outraged everyday that another story on Colombia is printed: claiming that Uribe is doing fabulous, HR violations are under control, everything will be okay once FARC is eliminated, etc etc...
domingo, 9 de noviembre de 2008
colombia
Amnesty International recently came out with a report on Colombia which I am reading right now. It has received decent press coverage and the trend is changing of how Colombia is viewed, although as noted in the report human rights groups have been saying the same things for decades. Some parts seem conflicting, and many of the recomendations are based on international law rather than a community centered solution. The report did actually say that the conflict is based on land, and that reparations must include the right to return to the land.
Summary:
massive transfer of wealth from small farmars, and collectively owned land frm afro-colombian and indigenous land owners through violence and paramilitary takeovers. This was done in collusion with the justice system that did not rule this illegal or turned a blind eye; politicians were elected with the help of paramilitaries through election fraud and intimidation and thus were bought off from interfering with the violence. Paramilitaries also worked with the security forces and had access to intelligence, the wealth of the state, and impunity. The security forces were often inseperable from the paramilitaries. Businesses and corportations hired them to break up unions, as well as to clear off land for fertile ground. Amnesty cites 4-6 million hectares of land was transfered. ( 1 hectare is equal to ~ 2.5 acres)
There is also evidence of FARC and paramilitary groups acting together to protect drug routes previously fought over.
thoughts on how to fix this: 1. Uribe still doesn't acknowledge that a civil war exists, continues to call the guerrilas terrorists, impunity reigns for demobilized paramilitaries (which most haven't actually demobilized) - the justice system should move forward, because of momentum with over 60 government workers charged or in prison, judges that were previously silenced can take on more cases. (although 15 people havebeen killed that have been associated with the 'justice and peace process in the last five years)
2. the government MUST have a real interest in peace, or else small victories will continue to be an uphill battle and what is needed is large victories, massive reparations and land distribution to its proper owners, inclusion of guerrilas into politics, cleansing of the security forces and trials for those who orchestrated the massive human rights violations. Investment in education, health, and sectors of the economy that benefit rural farmers. Colombia needs a new president that will say no to massive US aid that seeks to increase the military and continue a US presence in the area. most importantly though, the next president should return the stolen land to its rightful owners.
Of more importance,
GO OBAMA! Si se puede! Si se pudo...
Summary:
massive transfer of wealth from small farmars, and collectively owned land frm afro-colombian and indigenous land owners through violence and paramilitary takeovers. This was done in collusion with the justice system that did not rule this illegal or turned a blind eye; politicians were elected with the help of paramilitaries through election fraud and intimidation and thus were bought off from interfering with the violence. Paramilitaries also worked with the security forces and had access to intelligence, the wealth of the state, and impunity. The security forces were often inseperable from the paramilitaries. Businesses and corportations hired them to break up unions, as well as to clear off land for fertile ground. Amnesty cites 4-6 million hectares of land was transfered. ( 1 hectare is equal to ~ 2.5 acres)
There is also evidence of FARC and paramilitary groups acting together to protect drug routes previously fought over.
thoughts on how to fix this: 1. Uribe still doesn't acknowledge that a civil war exists, continues to call the guerrilas terrorists, impunity reigns for demobilized paramilitaries (which most haven't actually demobilized) - the justice system should move forward, because of momentum with over 60 government workers charged or in prison, judges that were previously silenced can take on more cases. (although 15 people havebeen killed that have been associated with the 'justice and peace process in the last five years)
2. the government MUST have a real interest in peace, or else small victories will continue to be an uphill battle and what is needed is large victories, massive reparations and land distribution to its proper owners, inclusion of guerrilas into politics, cleansing of the security forces and trials for those who orchestrated the massive human rights violations. Investment in education, health, and sectors of the economy that benefit rural farmers. Colombia needs a new president that will say no to massive US aid that seeks to increase the military and continue a US presence in the area. most importantly though, the next president should return the stolen land to its rightful owners.
Of more importance,
GO OBAMA! Si se puede! Si se pudo...
miércoles, 22 de octubre de 2008
mc rove
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYZre8kEsuw
karl rove rapping. how did i miss this shit? better than crack
karl rove rapping. how did i miss this shit? better than crack
miércoles, 8 de octubre de 2008
political
Attempting to finally write political... There is so much to write that I have put it off for so long for lack of anywhere to begin. But i have finally found my starting point.
Working for the DNC i go out a few times a week to canvass - part of the 'grassroots' wing. It can be somewhat exhausting to defend my beliefs not only from a human rights standpoint, but on another level that I am not completely comfortable with: why am I campaigning for Obama? While I do believe that democrats have a better record on human rights than Republicans, I am also very critical of them. I also believe that Obama is more progressive and understanding of oppression eg. classim/racism/sexism rather than pretending it doesn't exist. I agree with democrats in the principle, i don't think they have followed through with their plans. Even more so, smaller goverment as in what conservatives supposedly go for will never apply to the military and foreign military aid which seems to indirectly perpetuate human right violations through out the world. my arguement was - if there ever was a republican to drastically reduce the military i would cast my ballot in an attempt at voice through voting.
So the tangent i went on last night was with a democrat turned republican. Needing to waste some time i spent about half an hour with her. The statement that bothers me the most is that people in poverty are lazy. This was in response to my theory that the most wealthy nation in the world should not have such a high level of poverty in its own country (not to mention promoting it abroad). I attempt to offer my rebutal to this, which i did not do well last night because i was so frustrated with the idea.
Without re-looking up the statistics, i am going to recall from memory.
1. the vast majorty of people in poverty are people who have jobs. period. Not people who prefer to beg on the streets because working in low wage jobs is that much more demeaning. People beggin in streets compromises a small portion of people who are actually in poverty. This includes families, people working two jobs on minimum wage, single mothers,
- homelessness: this also includes familes and disproportionately affects women, women with children, and those fleeing from violent home situations.
- Drugs are a vicious cycle in which people are caught up in the system of no education, no job skills, medicate with drugs, lose money. Violence, sexual abuse, and other 'life circumstances' are a major part of drug addition. I believe drug abuse is misunderstood in that people would like to think the drug addiction comes first, which makes the person homeless, or leads to prostitution rather than the other way around. Same goes for psychological disorders. Overwheleming numbers of women who are experience domestic violence develop a psychological disoder in able to cope.
- causes: major causes are lack of education (almost 50% of young people do not graduate highschool, much less with real job skills), affordable housing, capital flight out of inner city neighborhoods, lack of jobs on that middle level: many jobs are needed to keep this society going at a very low education and skill level which is where immigrants are employed and needed. But the next level of widely needed jobs skips almost a 4 year degree. possibly even a masters to ensure a good job. Poverty is a very complex issue. children raised in a community with a very high rate of poverty lack a culture of achievement, postive role models, lack of support from say churches, schools, and other networks that can help out. money thrown at schools with out strenghtening these other institutions will ulitimately fail. dc is an excellent example. sending a kid to a goo school who doesn't have a stable home life or proper diet cannot learn as well.
- now lets talk about oppression. This could obviously go on for many book lengths.. but lets take a stab. Anyone who says poverty is laziness is igoring the fact of widepread 'isms' and of how they have affected history, and continue to inform policy and life within America. Congress recently voted down a bill for equal pay for women in the workplace. republican cited that the age of sexism had ended. Many of the historical protections have been eroded, and rather than employers showing that they are fair, the employee must prove that they have been discriminated against. This comes during a time when women make about 77 cents for every dollar a man makes. This figure places women in the context of a capitalist culture and obsession of how much you make. Yet socially an accepted and traditional role for women is not in leadership positions. This system does not acknowledge women roles within the family - even if they are not bringing in an income. The U.S also has a very high rate of domestic violence and sexual violence. The one factor that all of these attacks have in common is gender. Until this threat is removed from society equality is bullshit.
- role of police: if you are locked up, this makes it much more difficult to survive financially. yet the U.S has a higher percentage of people incarcerated than any country in the world. around 1% is behind bars. Unproportionally by far African Americans are incarcerated at a higher rate than other 'races' (as defined by US). Whites compromise a majority of tax evasion and and 'white collar crimes' even though the dollar amount is more than most theft cases which don't acrue very much jail time. Drug charges however can land you life in prison or a felony charge. especially non violent drug charges. Women with felony charges - which are mostly black are not elligible for scholarship funding, low income housing benifits or food stamps. (the latter part enacted by Clinton in 1996 to cut 'welfare spending'.
this part goes with the above part on poverty. school vouchers = bad. So... poor communities can't afford to send their kids to better schools. And why would you want to send your kid to an all white school if you are attend a majority black low performing black school? why not have that school do better so that children in the same neighborhood can go to school as a community for support, not be among a racial minority, and a long commute - which usually entails no afterschool extracurricular activities. using the school system to perpetuate a culture of obedience and intolerance... to be continued.
Working for the DNC i go out a few times a week to canvass - part of the 'grassroots' wing. It can be somewhat exhausting to defend my beliefs not only from a human rights standpoint, but on another level that I am not completely comfortable with: why am I campaigning for Obama? While I do believe that democrats have a better record on human rights than Republicans, I am also very critical of them. I also believe that Obama is more progressive and understanding of oppression eg. classim/racism/sexism rather than pretending it doesn't exist. I agree with democrats in the principle, i don't think they have followed through with their plans. Even more so, smaller goverment as in what conservatives supposedly go for will never apply to the military and foreign military aid which seems to indirectly perpetuate human right violations through out the world. my arguement was - if there ever was a republican to drastically reduce the military i would cast my ballot in an attempt at voice through voting.
So the tangent i went on last night was with a democrat turned republican. Needing to waste some time i spent about half an hour with her. The statement that bothers me the most is that people in poverty are lazy. This was in response to my theory that the most wealthy nation in the world should not have such a high level of poverty in its own country (not to mention promoting it abroad). I attempt to offer my rebutal to this, which i did not do well last night because i was so frustrated with the idea.
Without re-looking up the statistics, i am going to recall from memory.
1. the vast majorty of people in poverty are people who have jobs. period. Not people who prefer to beg on the streets because working in low wage jobs is that much more demeaning. People beggin in streets compromises a small portion of people who are actually in poverty. This includes families, people working two jobs on minimum wage, single mothers,
- homelessness: this also includes familes and disproportionately affects women, women with children, and those fleeing from violent home situations.
- Drugs are a vicious cycle in which people are caught up in the system of no education, no job skills, medicate with drugs, lose money. Violence, sexual abuse, and other 'life circumstances' are a major part of drug addition. I believe drug abuse is misunderstood in that people would like to think the drug addiction comes first, which makes the person homeless, or leads to prostitution rather than the other way around. Same goes for psychological disorders. Overwheleming numbers of women who are experience domestic violence develop a psychological disoder in able to cope.
- causes: major causes are lack of education (almost 50% of young people do not graduate highschool, much less with real job skills), affordable housing, capital flight out of inner city neighborhoods, lack of jobs on that middle level: many jobs are needed to keep this society going at a very low education and skill level which is where immigrants are employed and needed. But the next level of widely needed jobs skips almost a 4 year degree. possibly even a masters to ensure a good job. Poverty is a very complex issue. children raised in a community with a very high rate of poverty lack a culture of achievement, postive role models, lack of support from say churches, schools, and other networks that can help out. money thrown at schools with out strenghtening these other institutions will ulitimately fail. dc is an excellent example. sending a kid to a goo school who doesn't have a stable home life or proper diet cannot learn as well.
- now lets talk about oppression. This could obviously go on for many book lengths.. but lets take a stab. Anyone who says poverty is laziness is igoring the fact of widepread 'isms' and of how they have affected history, and continue to inform policy and life within America. Congress recently voted down a bill for equal pay for women in the workplace. republican cited that the age of sexism had ended. Many of the historical protections have been eroded, and rather than employers showing that they are fair, the employee must prove that they have been discriminated against. This comes during a time when women make about 77 cents for every dollar a man makes. This figure places women in the context of a capitalist culture and obsession of how much you make. Yet socially an accepted and traditional role for women is not in leadership positions. This system does not acknowledge women roles within the family - even if they are not bringing in an income. The U.S also has a very high rate of domestic violence and sexual violence. The one factor that all of these attacks have in common is gender. Until this threat is removed from society equality is bullshit.
- role of police: if you are locked up, this makes it much more difficult to survive financially. yet the U.S has a higher percentage of people incarcerated than any country in the world. around 1% is behind bars. Unproportionally by far African Americans are incarcerated at a higher rate than other 'races' (as defined by US). Whites compromise a majority of tax evasion and and 'white collar crimes' even though the dollar amount is more than most theft cases which don't acrue very much jail time. Drug charges however can land you life in prison or a felony charge. especially non violent drug charges. Women with felony charges - which are mostly black are not elligible for scholarship funding, low income housing benifits or food stamps. (the latter part enacted by Clinton in 1996 to cut 'welfare spending'.
this part goes with the above part on poverty. school vouchers = bad. So... poor communities can't afford to send their kids to better schools. And why would you want to send your kid to an all white school if you are attend a majority black low performing black school? why not have that school do better so that children in the same neighborhood can go to school as a community for support, not be among a racial minority, and a long commute - which usually entails no afterschool extracurricular activities. using the school system to perpetuate a culture of obedience and intolerance... to be continued.
sábado, 20 de septiembre de 2008
International Day of Peace!!
I am mutely excited that my soul selling is almost complete. Mutely, in the sense that how can one actually conjure up true emotion when soul selling is essentially the absence of emotion.
drunky blog deleted... to be re-written at a future date
really too much to think about though. and not neccesarily in the following order
1. graduate school for conflict resolution
2. establishing residency
3. sign contract for Teach for America 2 years
4. other job in media relations
5. tickets to india?
6. analyze myself
7. why am i so embittered by the u.s. government?
8. am I naturally messy, or is this a learned behavior
9. the magic of coffee
and oh so much more
politics? i have been hit on the back of my head with a bat of information. still processing the process.
drunky blog deleted... to be re-written at a future date
really too much to think about though. and not neccesarily in the following order
1. graduate school for conflict resolution
2. establishing residency
3. sign contract for Teach for America 2 years
4. other job in media relations
5. tickets to india?
6. analyze myself
7. why am i so embittered by the u.s. government?
8. am I naturally messy, or is this a learned behavior
9. the magic of coffee
and oh so much more
politics? i have been hit on the back of my head with a bat of information. still processing the process.
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