One of the things I've always hated about liberal intellectuals is the glorification of non-Western culture. I'm not saying that eastern cultures don't have positives - they have plenty - but they also have many many negatives (just as we do).
I remember talking with a friend of mine who was preparing to head to grad school for Indian History. She began telling me about how the Indian government was so responsive to the people - responsive in a way that the American government isn't. Specifically, she was talking about the Indian government's attempts at dealing with the exponential increase in suicides among poor farmers.
I looked at her quizzically. In America, I said, we would never get to a point where poor farmers are so desperate that they start killing themselves - we subsidize farmers, we have welfare. I wasn't saying that any of these solutions were perfect - the subsidies of Reagan should surely be replace by the revolving loans of Roosevelt; welfare plus promotion/creation of middle class jobs should surely replace welfare-as-slave labor, i'm sorry, i mean "welfare to work" - but the point was that in American, for better or worse, we generally keep people from killing themselves because of financial ruin.
Turns out that I was wrong. In the wake of the recent mortgage crisis (and I mean recent in the sense that it's the direct result of 20 years of deregulation of financial markets and tearing down social safety nets of the New Deal), people have begun killing themselves rather then watch their houses - likely the accumulation of their life's work - be sold off to the lowest bidder.
Is this seriously what America - and it's lofty ideals - has come to? Seeing suicide as an effective solution - for debtors and creditors alike - to what generally amounts to wall street's speculation and predatory lending? During the Great Depression - and don't kid yourselves, this is Great Depression #2, we just have enough of the safety nets enacted by the New Dealers in place to keep the economy from complete and utter collapsie - people shot the bankers and cops who came to foreclose houses, not the other way around. The people said, fuck you - if you're going to sell my house for a fraction of what I owe you and not give me the opportunity to buy it, I'm taking to the streets with guns and fire and stuff. Or something like that.
Ever since Bush got into office, I just cannot help constantly thinking of the old adage: "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." It's become my sad sad mantra as I watch people throw away the very solutions to problems they are claiming to solve.
And repeat it we will.
Read the article The Suicide Solution by Barbara Ehrenreich at TheNation.com.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Coat Hangers Happened
In case you think coat hanger abortions are all hype,i found - through feministing - a disturbing and graphic article in the New York Times today written by an OB who has been there, done that. He didn't actually perform abortions pre-Roe; he did, however, deal with the aftermath of illegal, unsafe abortion procedures. Read the graphic accounts of the risk these women put themselves in and think about the kind of desperation that would cause you to do such a thing. It is surely not a desperation that anyone in the US having grown up with birth control readily available and abortion somewhat available (although it's becoming less and less available) has truly felt.
I have volunteered as an abortion clinic escort for the past few years now. Basically, a clinic escort is there to counter-balance and sheild the woman - sometimes physically; often emotionally - from protesters.
I began escorting at the Hope Clinic in Illinois, outside of St. Louis. Hope Clinic began in the 70s just after Roe and has been constantly sieged with protesters ever since - including Operation Rescue. Protesters there were loud, offensive, and often pushed the boundaries of the law. Once, someone screamed that us "deathscorts" "ate babies." Protesters, and sometimes their children, would photograph or video tape the woman walking into the clinic as well as the escorts. As escorts, we tried to block the pictures - it was better for them to have our picture than the woman's. In fact, my pictures is up on one of the Organization's sites - along with lies about the clinic selling baby parts among other things. I knew that doctors, nurses, employees, and escorts had all been harassed by protesters. We weren't allowed to call another escort by name. It was intense, but, for perhaps the first time in my life, I felt like I was actually making a difference and standing up for something I believed in. There is something profoundly rewarding in that.
When I moved to New York, I immediately got in touch with the Brooklyn Pro-Choice Network about escorting. Although escorting in Brooklyn is far less exciting, there are still protesters, mostly from the Catholic Church next door, who show up everyday. When I tell people here that I escort at the abortion clinic, they are shocked to find out that in a liberal city like NYC there are protesters at an abortion clinic. People are often unaware of the siege currently going on against reproductive rights in America today - from increasing restrictions on abortion to clinics closing to protesters who show up every single day to harass woman as they make a profoundly personal and difficult choice.
This article by Dr. Fielding really puts what we are fighting for into perspective. His closing remarks some the issue up to a T:
I have volunteered as an abortion clinic escort for the past few years now. Basically, a clinic escort is there to counter-balance and sheild the woman - sometimes physically; often emotionally - from protesters.
I began escorting at the Hope Clinic in Illinois, outside of St. Louis. Hope Clinic began in the 70s just after Roe and has been constantly sieged with protesters ever since - including Operation Rescue. Protesters there were loud, offensive, and often pushed the boundaries of the law. Once, someone screamed that us "deathscorts" "ate babies." Protesters, and sometimes their children, would photograph or video tape the woman walking into the clinic as well as the escorts. As escorts, we tried to block the pictures - it was better for them to have our picture than the woman's. In fact, my pictures is up on one of the Organization's sites - along with lies about the clinic selling baby parts among other things. I knew that doctors, nurses, employees, and escorts had all been harassed by protesters. We weren't allowed to call another escort by name. It was intense, but, for perhaps the first time in my life, I felt like I was actually making a difference and standing up for something I believed in. There is something profoundly rewarding in that.
When I moved to New York, I immediately got in touch with the Brooklyn Pro-Choice Network about escorting. Although escorting in Brooklyn is far less exciting, there are still protesters, mostly from the Catholic Church next door, who show up everyday. When I tell people here that I escort at the abortion clinic, they are shocked to find out that in a liberal city like NYC there are protesters at an abortion clinic. People are often unaware of the siege currently going on against reproductive rights in America today - from increasing restrictions on abortion to clinics closing to protesters who show up every single day to harass woman as they make a profoundly personal and difficult choice.
This article by Dr. Fielding really puts what we are fighting for into perspective. His closing remarks some the issue up to a T:
It is important to remember that Roe v. Wade did not mean that abortions could be performed. They have always been done, dating from ancient Greek days.
What Roe said was that ending a pregnancy could be carried out by medical personnel, in a medically accepted setting, thus conferring on women, finally, the full rights of first-class citizens — and freeing their doctors to treat them as such.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
More on Schlafly, Education & Beer
A Wash U professor wrote a very good article about how honoring Phyllis Schlafly & Chris Mathews is indicative of a larger issue: Is the University selling it's soul - a research-oriented, intellectual, scientific award winning soul - to look cool?
Also, of note, according to an alumnus who was a student rep to the Board of Trustees, the suggestion to honor Gloria Steinem was quickly shot down. Apparently, honoring individuals "from all aspects of the political spectrum" doesn't include both sides of the feminist "debate."
As I began writing this post - using only Schlafly's last name in the title, a burning, desparate question occurred to me: Is Schlafly's beer, the best local beer in STL, owned by Shlafly's family and does Phyllis have any say?
The answer is yes - sort of. According the Schlafly's website, Phyllis is the aunt of the owner, Tom Schlafly, and was married to Tom's father's brother. However, she is not involved in the business. Furthermore, it's unclear as to whether Tom even works there: "Tom is a lawyer who tells the people in his law office that he practices law full time; and he tells people in the brewery that he works on the brewery full time. No one in either place is really sure what he does." Funny.
To make things a little better, they give you some sense of their feelings about women:
So next time I'm in the Lou, I know I can sip on a Schlafly guilt free.
Also, of note, according to an alumnus who was a student rep to the Board of Trustees, the suggestion to honor Gloria Steinem was quickly shot down. Apparently, honoring individuals "from all aspects of the political spectrum" doesn't include both sides of the feminist "debate."
As I began writing this post - using only Schlafly's last name in the title, a burning, desparate question occurred to me: Is Schlafly's beer, the best local beer in STL, owned by Shlafly's family and does Phyllis have any say?
The answer is yes - sort of. According the Schlafly's website, Phyllis is the aunt of the owner, Tom Schlafly, and was married to Tom's father's brother. However, she is not involved in the business. Furthermore, it's unclear as to whether Tom even works there: "Tom is a lawyer who tells the people in his law office that he practices law full time; and he tells people in the brewery that he works on the brewery full time. No one in either place is really sure what he does." Funny.
To make things a little better, they give you some sense of their feelings about women:
- Why don't you guys have Schlafly girls?
- We do, they're just too classy to dress like tramps and flaunt themselves as sex symbols (anyhow, our beer is so good, we don't need gimmicks to promote it).
So next time I'm in the Lou, I know I can sip on a Schlafly guilt free.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The Dead Kennedys, Wash U, & Phyllis Schlafly
I just found out that my dear alma mater - Washington University in St. Louis - will be giving Phyllis Schlafly an honorary doctorate at the upcoming commencement. (Thank you Feministing!)
I can handle the fact that a douche bag like Chris Mathews is giving the Commencement address - especially since I didn't even go to my graduation so I'm not really inclined to be concerned about who graduates and their families have to suffer through - I can even, kind of, handle the fact that they are also giving him an honorary doctorate (I mean, what for?) but Phyllis fucking Schlafly?? Seriously?!?!?
As a response to this outrageous bullshit, I wrote a quick email to Chancellor Wrighton:
In the immortal words of Jello Biafra (misogyny issues aside) in the Dead Kennedy's Song "Moral Majority":
I can handle the fact that a douche bag like Chris Mathews is giving the Commencement address - especially since I didn't even go to my graduation so I'm not really inclined to be concerned about who graduates and their families have to suffer through - I can even, kind of, handle the fact that they are also giving him an honorary doctorate (I mean, what for?) but Phyllis fucking Schlafly?? Seriously?!?!?
As a response to this outrageous bullshit, I wrote a quick email to Chancellor Wrighton:
Dear Chancellor Wrighton,
I was shocked to learn that Washington University will be honoring Phyllis Schlafly this year. In fact, I double checked to be sure that it wasn't the other Washington, because I just could not understand how an institution that valued me as a community member could be honoring someone who doesn't believe that I have should have full rights as a human being. While I and my fellow students and alumni value diversity of thought, there is a difference between making a space for intellectual discourse across the spectrum and honoring, which in essence condones and validates, a divisive political figure - especially one who are argues against the rights of over half the student body.
I want you to understand that, given this information, I cannot continue to support the University. When donating to my alumnus, I had always assumed that my money would be helping to build an intellectual community of diversity and tolerance. I cannot in good faith continue to support an institution that chooses to honor someone who doesn't believe that I deserve the full rights of a human being.
In the immortal words of Jello Biafra (misogyny issues aside) in the Dead Kennedy's Song "Moral Majority":
Blow it out your ass, Terry Dolan
Blow it out your ass, Phyllis Schlafly
Ram it up your cunt, Anita
Cos God must be dead
If you're alive
God must be dead
If you're alive
Monday, April 28, 2008
Visiting Beantown
As possibly the biggest nerds ever, Adam and I went to Boston this weekend to see Greg Graffin of Bad Religion
receive the Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism from the Harvard Humanist Chaplaincy (Watch it here; Listen here.). I kid you not.
Up until now I pretty much had a love-hate-but-mostly-hate relationship with Boston mostly informed by my early college years in Western Mass. People were rude, the punk scene was violent, and we could never find any place we were trying to go. Perhaps it's maturity or the fact that I currently live in the densest city in the US or an outgrowing of views I co-opted from friends but Boston was pretty darn good this weekend.
Planning this trip was unnecessarily stressful considering it's 2 day/1 night duration due to the outrageous (and currently beyond budget) price of hotels, the need for a dog-sitter, fear of dying on the chinatown bus but being too cheap to pay double for greyhound, and a general procrastination. Despite all that, it turned out well.
We showed up in Chinatown at the Fung Wah bus stop only to miss the 1pm bus. Fortunately, they run buses every half hour on weekends and as the first in line for the next bus, we got decent seats. Since we (shocker) left far later than planned (Adam and I, not the bus), we arrived in Cambridge with not much time before the event. I had purchased some pick 'n mix chapters from Lonely Planet's Boston guide book
and was looking forward to trying one of the local restaurants - too bad everyone else had that idea too. We ended up eating at Lee's Sandwich Shop on Church St., a block or so down from Harvard. It was a fine, greasy diner kind of meal.
After finding the - get this - church(!) where the presentation was to take place ("oh right, it's that big huge steeple over there"), we waited outside with the rest of the motley crew. The crowd seemed to be mostly punk rock kids, the occasional parent, and a few middle age adults. Eventually, they let everyone in and we took our seats in the pews. The whole event was the highlight of the weekend but more on that in another post.
Exhausted, we skipped the waiting for an autograph and headed to the T. We found a relatively cheap Motel 6 ($100/night although it originally was advertised for $75) in Braintree which was conveniently located at the last stop on the Red Line (same line as Harvard/Cambridge). The hotel got some bad reviews on tripadvisor but we found it to be quite adequate. It's no Hilton but it was convenient and possessed the bare minimum (bed, bathroom). Also, it was clearly recently remodeled and there was a Chilli's, Burger King, and Dunkin Donuts (and apparently Dominos delivered) within walking distance in case you didn't eat before heading there. If we were to go again, I may try some of the hostels listed on hostelworld as cheaper, more centrally located alternatives but we might also stay here again.
The next morning we woke up, sleepy and ate a disappointing breakfast from Burger King (McDonald's has , by-far, the best egg food product out there). We then headed to the JFK Presidential Library which was even more disappointing than my Burger King breakfast. While externally grand, the set up inside was awkward and the exhibits kissed butt at best and glossed over reality at worst (Cuban Missle Crisis anyone?). Ah well, at least we saw it.
Next we headed over to Boston Common to walk the Freedom Trail. We followed the red brick strip around Boston common, up to the North End to see Paul Revere's house , and on the Charlestown to see the Bunker Hill Monument (question: How many phallic monuments can one city have?). You can actually walk up all 249 steps to the top of the Bunker Hill Monument but we, having gotten there at the very end up our day, got to step 50 when our legs and knees threw a temper tantrum so we turned back. I bet it's really cool though. The park around it is peaceful and surrounded by lovely brownstones.
Utterly beat, we walked back over the Charlestown bridge to eat in the North End, aka Boston's 'Little Italy.' Again, Lonely Planet steered us to what was likely the best restaurants but also the most crowded. At 4:30pm there was already a line around the corner for Pizzeria Regina so we headed down to Salem St and had some decent (and still better than New York's) pizza at PushCart.
Our stomachs duly satisfied, we set off to catch the bus home. Thinking we would surely miss the 6pm bus, I headed to the bathroom where there was the inevitable line. Fortunately, the bus was not full and after running across the terminal, we ended up getting on the 6pm bus. For whatever reason, bus #2 was less spacious and not as comfortable as bus #1 - plus Adam and I were sitting across the aisle from each other which always leads to the awkward 'trying to get comfortable while not touching the stranger next to you' dance. I watched Juno
on my iPod (ps - I always thought this would kind of suck on the First Gen iPod Video but I was sadly mistaken. The video was sharp and I was duly amused for a couple hours. Go Apple.) and then rocked out to The Klopecs.
We got home exhausted and mildly crippled (my left knee still cries in pain when I sit down and stand up) but pleased with our weekend.
ps - I *swear* I saw Anne Hathaway walking her dog by Park St. Church across from Boston common on Sunday. She was wearing sun glasses and walking a dog along with a friend also walking a dog. I really didn't think much of the duo until I heard her voice - she called to one of the dogs named Esmeralda. Being the loser-lover-of-tween-movies that I am (namely the Princess Diaries), I turned instantly and the woman did look just like Anne Hathaway. To prove my hunch, I did a bit of googling and low and behold, Anne Hathaway does have a dog named Esmeralda. Am I a stalker or what?
receive the Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism from the Harvard Humanist Chaplaincy (Watch it here; Listen here.). I kid you not.Up until now I pretty much had a love-hate-but-mostly-hate relationship with Boston mostly informed by my early college years in Western Mass. People were rude, the punk scene was violent, and we could never find any place we were trying to go. Perhaps it's maturity or the fact that I currently live in the densest city in the US or an outgrowing of views I co-opted from friends but Boston was pretty darn good this weekend.
Planning this trip was unnecessarily stressful considering it's 2 day/1 night duration due to the outrageous (and currently beyond budget) price of hotels, the need for a dog-sitter, fear of dying on the chinatown bus but being too cheap to pay double for greyhound, and a general procrastination. Despite all that, it turned out well.
We showed up in Chinatown at the Fung Wah bus stop only to miss the 1pm bus. Fortunately, they run buses every half hour on weekends and as the first in line for the next bus, we got decent seats. Since we (shocker) left far later than planned (Adam and I, not the bus), we arrived in Cambridge with not much time before the event. I had purchased some pick 'n mix chapters from Lonely Planet's Boston guide book
and was looking forward to trying one of the local restaurants - too bad everyone else had that idea too. We ended up eating at Lee's Sandwich Shop on Church St., a block or so down from Harvard. It was a fine, greasy diner kind of meal.After finding the - get this - church(!) where the presentation was to take place ("oh right, it's that big huge steeple over there"), we waited outside with the rest of the motley crew. The crowd seemed to be mostly punk rock kids, the occasional parent, and a few middle age adults. Eventually, they let everyone in and we took our seats in the pews. The whole event was the highlight of the weekend but more on that in another post.
Exhausted, we skipped the waiting for an autograph and headed to the T. We found a relatively cheap Motel 6 ($100/night although it originally was advertised for $75) in Braintree which was conveniently located at the last stop on the Red Line (same line as Harvard/Cambridge). The hotel got some bad reviews on tripadvisor but we found it to be quite adequate. It's no Hilton but it was convenient and possessed the bare minimum (bed, bathroom). Also, it was clearly recently remodeled and there was a Chilli's, Burger King, and Dunkin Donuts (and apparently Dominos delivered) within walking distance in case you didn't eat before heading there. If we were to go again, I may try some of the hostels listed on hostelworld as cheaper, more centrally located alternatives but we might also stay here again.
The next morning we woke up, sleepy and ate a disappointing breakfast from Burger King (McDonald's has , by-far, the best egg food product out there). We then headed to the JFK Presidential Library which was even more disappointing than my Burger King breakfast. While externally grand, the set up inside was awkward and the exhibits kissed butt at best and glossed over reality at worst (Cuban Missle Crisis anyone?). Ah well, at least we saw it.Next we headed over to Boston Common to walk the Freedom Trail. We followed the red brick strip around Boston common, up to the North End to see Paul Revere's house , and on the Charlestown to see the Bunker Hill Monument (question: How many phallic monuments can one city have?). You can actually walk up all 249 steps to the top of the Bunker Hill Monument but we, having gotten there at the very end up our day, got to step 50 when our legs and knees threw a temper tantrum so we turned back. I bet it's really cool though. The park around it is peaceful and surrounded by lovely brownstones.
Utterly beat, we walked back over the Charlestown bridge to eat in the North End, aka Boston's 'Little Italy.' Again, Lonely Planet steered us to what was likely the best restaurants but also the most crowded. At 4:30pm there was already a line around the corner for Pizzeria Regina so we headed down to Salem St and had some decent (and still better than New York's) pizza at PushCart.
Our stomachs duly satisfied, we set off to catch the bus home. Thinking we would surely miss the 6pm bus, I headed to the bathroom where there was the inevitable line. Fortunately, the bus was not full and after running across the terminal, we ended up getting on the 6pm bus. For whatever reason, bus #2 was less spacious and not as comfortable as bus #1 - plus Adam and I were sitting across the aisle from each other which always leads to the awkward 'trying to get comfortable while not touching the stranger next to you' dance. I watched Juno
on my iPod (ps - I always thought this would kind of suck on the First Gen iPod Video but I was sadly mistaken. The video was sharp and I was duly amused for a couple hours. Go Apple.) and then rocked out to The Klopecs. We got home exhausted and mildly crippled (my left knee still cries in pain when I sit down and stand up) but pleased with our weekend.
ps - I *swear* I saw Anne Hathaway walking her dog by Park St. Church across from Boston common on Sunday. She was wearing sun glasses and walking a dog along with a friend also walking a dog. I really didn't think much of the duo until I heard her voice - she called to one of the dogs named Esmeralda. Being the loser-lover-of-tween-movies that I am (namely the Princess Diaries), I turned instantly and the woman did look just like Anne Hathaway. To prove my hunch, I did a bit of googling and low and behold, Anne Hathaway does have a dog named Esmeralda. Am I a stalker or what?
Friday, April 25, 2008
I'm obsessed #1782.3
So I've become obsessed with Google Reader. It's like blogs! All in one place! Yay!
Seriously though, I've really resisted the reading things online movement (I'm not an early-adopter as they say). Reading on the screen just seemed so bright and uncomfortable - all that scrolling and clicking - ugh. I would occasionally bookmark blogs I'd heard of and check them occasionally for a while and then forget about them. Sure there were feed burners out there but I never really had the impetus to figure it out and investigate.
But then I decided I would try blogging - mostly because I'm on a writing kick. Writing a book is, after all, on my list of things to do in life. Since I couldn't motivate myself to just sit down and write regularly (or ever), I thought blogging might be a good way to get into writing and help me find my way. Of course, being the OCD person that I am, I actually started 4 blogs with mixed success in the writing-regularly department.
Anyway, some how I ended up on Google Reader and it all spiraled from there. I have my feminist blogs (yes, I'm finally reading Feministing) and political blogs and music blogs and tech blogs. Yeah! I feel very informed.
Anyway, that it - Yay Google Reader! :)
Seriously though, I've really resisted the reading things online movement (I'm not an early-adopter as they say). Reading on the screen just seemed so bright and uncomfortable - all that scrolling and clicking - ugh. I would occasionally bookmark blogs I'd heard of and check them occasionally for a while and then forget about them. Sure there were feed burners out there but I never really had the impetus to figure it out and investigate.
But then I decided I would try blogging - mostly because I'm on a writing kick. Writing a book is, after all, on my list of things to do in life. Since I couldn't motivate myself to just sit down and write regularly (or ever), I thought blogging might be a good way to get into writing and help me find my way. Of course, being the OCD person that I am, I actually started 4 blogs with mixed success in the writing-regularly department.
Anyway, some how I ended up on Google Reader and it all spiraled from there. I have my feminist blogs (yes, I'm finally reading Feministing) and political blogs and music blogs and tech blogs. Yeah! I feel very informed.
Anyway, that it - Yay Google Reader! :)
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Hillary didn't win; she just didn't lose ...
Last night, CNN was covered with talk of 'Hilary Won!' and peppered with 'Why did Hilary win?' and 'Why did Obama lose?'
Here's the thing: Hilary did not "win" any votes yesterday. In fact, she lost many.
Prior to election day, Obama was polling at around 20% in Texas and Ohio. (Now we could go into a diatribe about how polling is bullshit but I'll hold off). Which means that, since Obama got around 45% of the vote , he won 25% of Hilary's voters or, put in another way, Hilary lost 25% of her voters.
Now I'm no Obama lover, but my hatred for simplistic media coverage trumps all political affiliations.
One guest on CNN finally got it right around midnight: The media (and perhaps the country) is treating this election like a general election, in other words, we are treating it like it is 'winner take all.' It's not. The delegate difference remains virtually unchanged.
Frankly, that delegate difference is the real issue and could result in another riot like the one in 1968 (i.e. if the super delegates don't vote for the popularly elected canidate or Hilary fights for Michigan and Florida's votes to count even though no one else campaigned or was even on the ballots there.)
Here's the thing: Hilary did not "win" any votes yesterday. In fact, she lost many.
Prior to election day, Obama was polling at around 20% in Texas and Ohio. (Now we could go into a diatribe about how polling is bullshit but I'll hold off). Which means that, since Obama got around 45% of the vote , he won 25% of Hilary's voters or, put in another way, Hilary lost 25% of her voters.
Now I'm no Obama lover, but my hatred for simplistic media coverage trumps all political affiliations.
One guest on CNN finally got it right around midnight: The media (and perhaps the country) is treating this election like a general election, in other words, we are treating it like it is 'winner take all.' It's not. The delegate difference remains virtually unchanged.
Frankly, that delegate difference is the real issue and could result in another riot like the one in 1968 (i.e. if the super delegates don't vote for the popularly elected canidate or Hilary fights for Michigan and Florida's votes to count even though no one else campaigned or was even on the ballots there.)
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