Sunday, October 26, 2008

la placita olvera



Yesterday we went down to La Placita Olvera in downtown LA to the encampment where people are fasting in order to bring attention to immigrant's rights. In the steps of Cesar Chavez's fasting, the Rise, an immigrants rights organization, planned a 21 day fast and camp out for the 3 weeks leading up to the presidential elections. While not everyone involved camps and fasts the entire 21 day period, many have their tents pitched and are in it for the entirety. The idea is that collectively, those involved fast for 21 days, allowing students and other individuals to contribute by fasting however days they can. The participants denial of food is meant to motivate 1,000,000 people to sign a pledge to vote for immigrants rights. The pledge names the oppression of immigrants, calls for change, and includes a promise to vote in such a way.


I went to Saturday because they were having a student summit, trying to get university students assembled and involved. We learned about non-violence, heard the testimonies of many of those involved, and made signs to put around the encampment. Some of the signs and stencils for shirts were The Rise's logo - the statue of liberty's fist in the air. The location for such an activity was perfect - the foot of Olvera St, the well known little area of downtown LA that is home to Hispanic shops, food, and performance. Directly across the street from Union station, the area attracts tourists as well as people just on their way.


I was surprised and kind of sad at the number of students that came out for the event. My little school brought the largest number from one university. I have no idea how to mobilize people to care about such important issues. But it was encouraging the talk to the people who were there. Even being on the 11th day of the fast, they were still full of energy and passion. I hope the momentum increases and as election day draws near, people won't forget to hold whatever administration they want to see enter office accountable to treat immigrants with the same human rights everyone deserves.


I don't know how fear can create such hardened hearts and inhumane laws and policies. But if you go to la Placita Olvera, you can't help but let your heart be softened. I couldn't help but wonder how to make these voices be heard. How to make my voice heard? The weekend before the elections I'm going to fast with them. Solidarity is powerful, it means unity, and that can bring power. Hope shouldn't die just because of tourists who want to enjoy the culture available to them because of immigrant families, yet are passive to policies that tear these same families apart.


One of the young men from my school made a poster that had a quote from the statue of liberty that seemed to put everything into chilling perspective. I hope America can listen.




"Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,The wretched refuse of your teeming shore."



Monday, October 13, 2008

stained glass and visions in white

Weddings are such odd social occasions. The bride gets all dressed up (to the point of looking like her ever so expensive wedding cake sometimes) and the poor groom wears the same thing as all the other men in the wedding. People are crying everywhere for no reason. I mean the reason is that they're happy. So I'm told. Except that anyone who knows anything knows that the mothers and inlaws and bride and maybe even bridesmaids have all been nervous wrecks and probably at each other's throats at some point prior. The groom gets to have a wedding ring now, to match the ring that has declared his claim on the bride since the moment she agreed to be his. And everyone is very formal and serious as two people sign the rest of their lives away to each other. It's wonderful and beautiful and dealthy terrifying at the same time. But everything is decked in rose petals, so no one minds.
I never want to be in one of these. I mean, in one as that one main girl in a white puffy dress who's such a big deal. Such a big deal that she can't even make the decision herself to take those vows of committment. She has to be given away, handed off from one male care taker to another. No thank you - patriarchy makes my bones shudder.
But for many people, this cultural phenomenon is an important and meaningful one. And even though I don't understand it, I can look at my friends who I know and love and be glad for their happiness in it. I know they love each other, what does it matter the ceremony they use to declare it, to seal the deal. It scares the shit out of me, but it makes them happy. And when people I love are happy, it makes me happy. Better yet, when I know they are happy becuase of something stong and good and true, it is beautiful. What they have isn't mine, it's theirs. And I'm glad I got to witness it.
Hopefully our culture will change, and the ceremonies commonly used to declare the bonding of two people won't have so many wierd, arguably unhealthy rituals. Until then, I just hold out til the reception, where we can all dance together.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

the presidential debates

6:01 pm

They are so predictable. Obama opening with his proclamation that "the middle class needs a rescue package," and McCain with his call to "stop the spending spree in Washington." Oh politicians.



6:07pm

I know this is really probably embarrassing, but I don't have a clue who Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac are. But whoever they are, they certainly call out the candidates desire to attack each other. McCain called them Obama's "cronies." Who says that?

But of course, Obama was right back in his face with his snide little comment about having to refresh McCain's history, which was "no surprise."

And delightfully, Obama told the audience how they "weren't interested in politicians pointing fingers," so let's actually talk or some similar implication. Don't make promises you can't keep, my friend.



6:15

Most assuredly, Obama could not keep his promise. Not two questions later and he's pointing fingers at Bush for the economy. And everything that's wrong in the world.



6:18

Straightforward questions are just disasters waiting to happen. The moderator asked how the candidates would order these priorities: health care, energy, and entitlements. McCain said we could take on all three at one time. Easy, no problem. "We can take on this mission, we can overcome." Next.

It seemed like Obama was going to answer. Number one was energy. But then I got distracted by his outlandish claim that he will be able to make the U.S. completely free from foreign oil in 10 years. Sure, okay. Number two was health care, and number three was education. Too bad education wasn't on the list he was asked to order. I think education should be a priority and everything, but Obama should use his listening ears a little more or something. It's cool though, I'm sure entitlements will take care of themselves.



6:30

The candidates were asked what they would ask the American people to sacrifice. McCain said projects, earmarks, and programs, even some really good programs. His freeze spending on everything but veterans and entitlements is scary. But he went on to say "I'm not going to tell that person without health care, "I'm sorry, you'll have to wait."" That claim struck me as very odd, because it just seems like that's exactly what his health care plan will continue to be doing.



6:37

So cheesy! It's like listening to your grandpa tell jokes that aren't funny, but he's old, so what are you gonna do? But this McCain guy's on national TV running for President of the country! Jello? Something about nailing Obama's plan down is as easy as nailing down Jello. And then opening his response to another question with a really awkward, "Okay, I'll answer the question." after Obama's response to the question, inherring of course that Obama is an incompetent, sleasy politician with no interest in the issues or responsibility. Ha ha?



6:45

I liked when the moderator asked them if health care is a privilege, a right, or a responsibility. They both actually picked one of the given options. I was much more impressed with Obama's response. McCain chose responsibility. "We all know it's a responsibility," and answered with a strong air suggesting that we all know the right way to do things and Obama just wants to screw things up. The flaw is that if we all know how to do things, why are things so screwed up already? Obama took the stand that health care is a right, and he responded well to McCain's attack on his requirement that children have health care and government accountability with health care plans.



7:15

The peacemaker question was exciting just because it raised a discourse about genocide and humanitarian efforts, and the U.S.'s role in all these things. The following question even specifically brought up Somalia, Rwanda, and Darfur, which astounded me. Granted neither of them had a very good game plan, and McCain even used it as a platform to promote his Iraq policy (cruel irony at it's best), it was still an important step in our world and for our terribly isolated nation.
That having been said, I was sick to my stomach that McCain continued to equate the United States with everything good and righteous. Throughout the debate he kept saying how we have "the best" producers, workers, innovators, etc in the world, and how as Americans we are inherently more equipped to reduce any complex national or international problem to nothing. But more abrasive than this typical nationalism was his insistence that the U.S. is "the greatest force for good in the world," and even the greatest country of good to ever have existed.

7:24

All the foreign policy discussion thrown in at the end of the debate seems serious and ambiguous at the same time. Obama, while not appearing the idiot McCain would make him out to be, doesn't seem to have many good plans regarding foreign policy. Other than diplomacy, which should be assumed anyways. I hate to keep harping on the same points but McCain kept painting this picture of us (the greatest force of good capable of restoring justice to all situations) against them (the evil, nuke hungry, terrorist harboring world). He even did one of his uncomfortable old man laughs when he said "maybe" Russia was an evil empire.

7:32
The ending was lame. But I saw it coming. They were asked a terribly poignant question - "What don't you know and how will you learn it?" Not even the moderator pretended to expect an answer, of course leaving them both wide open to say whatever ending sentiments they desired.

7:49
One of the professors at the discussion I sat in on pointed out that the format was set up in strong favor of the candidates. The town hall format doesn't allow for follow up questions, so there is no incentive to stay within the time limits, so the candidates have an opportunity to say basically whatever they want without having to be held immediately accountable for it.

7:52
Another good point brought up by a professor was the two images the candidates kept referring to. Obama kept pointing the finger at Bush, disassociating himself from Bush's dastardly deeds, and trying to push McCain into his evil camp. McCain kept referencing Gen. Patraeus, as the good guy with experience "just like me," entrenching himself in military expertise, and strategic "successes."

Oh politicians.

Monday, October 6, 2008

honesty

All day today.

And yesterday.



And then mission chapel. holy shit. the icing on the cake.



Fake, self-absorbed, self-righteous, delusional thinking. Christianity.



But today, in class, we were open and honest and had a decent discussion. Granted, the conversation was comprised of a large quantity of depressing dialogue on how repressive and unhealthy this huge thing is in which we have all invested huge portions of our life. That thing being Christianity, and church.

Somewhere, there is redemption.

All I have right now is honesty, which I hope will keep me afloat for now.




Sunday, October 5, 2008

attributed to jackon pollock





Last night I went to the opening reception of the art exhibit that has recently arrived at APU, the little Christian school I attend. Apparently a man named Erich Neumeth had a large collection of paintings that are "attributed" to Jackson Pollock. The problem is, they aren't signed by Pollock. People have copied Pollock's distinct style many times in the past, and now our dear little school may have stolen and/or forged art tumbling into their lap. The experts who have looked at the stuff say it's real. I think the stuff is pretty cool. I mean look at it. Shoot, if I could make art like that, I'd be a pretty happy camper. So anyways, it's a big deal at our school. They've been promoting it since the beginning of the semester. There was a story about it in the LA Times. That's a big deal for us. And I have a sneaky suspicion that kind of thing is precisely why APU wants the stuff here, even though they are taking a big risk making money from it.

It is a big risk. Fellows from the Getty have been arrested for this kind of thing. Selling art that's fake, or taking money from stolen art; who knows what they're going to actually do with it. All I know is that John Wallace is spouting all kinds of rhetoric about "God-honoring excellence," which makes everything okay. Our school has this ridiculous motto: "God First." No one really knows what it means, but everyone figures out a way to use it as justification to do whatever they want. In this case, the art is inherently good because it's excellent art, and excellence inherently honors God, and therefore, we're honoring God by making a crap load of money off of this excellent art. Also, we were in the LA Times. All kinds of people are paying attention to us. If that's not evangelism, I don't know what it.

So last night, we all got fancied up (well I didn't get as fancied up as you're supposed to for an art reception, because as much as I honestly like art, I've never been to this kind of thing, and I didn't get the memo. The rich kids who go to our school probably have a like a secret code for knowing what kind of events are the sort that you get dressed up for. All the prestigious old people who were there were dressed up too. I don't mind not being in on the secret code.) Nearly a dozen campus safety guards graced all the entrances and exits and corners in between. I'm sure it's a good idea, but I'm just a kid and they make me laugh.

There was a lovely jazz ensemble playing background music. I like jazz music, really I do. It's the kind of thing that rich people like because it reminds them that whatever they are doing is rich and important and sophisticated and they can afford to take the time to worry about nothing other than the soothing and soaring melodies. And the rest of us like because it makes us feel exactly the same way. They even had little tables with richly colored opalescent tablecloths and candles to sit at and just marinate in the sophistication of miniature mousse tarts and art attributed to a dead man.

After eating way to many little mini tarts, which are another ridiculous but fabulous invention of the rich, and waiting in line, we finally got to see the art. It's like I said earlier, I like art. I really like Jackson Pollock's stuff. It was groundbreaking and important. It's exciting and expressive. So I got the privilege of getting to see some really beautiful art, without any of the responsibilities of worrying about it being fake. I'm happy.