Blogging in Stealth Mode

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2010-05-22T22:30:00.002-05:00

I'm relocating my blog. Find it at www.tremblingindignation.com I hope you enjoy!

One Step Forward, One Jump Back For Women

2010-02-11T21:43:00.001-06:00

One Step Forward, One Jump Back – for Women

February 11th, 2010

Today, the Church of England declared that it is moving forward to introduce legislation which would enable women and gay people to finally serve as Bishops in the church.
This announcement made me think about my experience, growing up as aMissouri Synod Lutheran. In this church women are not allowed to serve as pastors and GLBT folks are openly discriminated against. Looking back, especially after attending an ELCA college, I find it simply jaw dropping that there are institutions that still believe, to their core, that women are not equal to men.
Don’t get me wrong – gender inequality exists in all institutions in our society. Women are systematically kept out of certain jobs, they are paid less for equal work, they are abused in their relationships at a higher rate then men, they are demeaned as sexual objects by even progressive media… the list continues.
However, these religious institutions openly teach people that women are not equal to men. And people go listen to it weekly. No wonder gender equality is taking so long.
Anyway, after reading the good news from the Anglican church, I came across this expose by Rachel Maddow. In this clip she shows that, despite outperforming men, women are barred from competing in the Olympic ski jump.
According to the Olympic website, only five sports are currently co-ed: Badminton, Luge, Sailing, Equestrian, and Skating (but only pairs and ice-dancing, which have to be hetero-in-style, right?).
Rachel Maddow: Olympic ski jump? No girls allowed.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I’m just kind of amazed at the blatant discrimination. But, perhaps I shouldn’t be.

Privilege 4

2010-02-06T20:42:00.002-06:00

Next in the ‘white privilege series‘… number 4:

4. I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed.

A great example of this privilege can be found in an ABC expose with Diane Sawyer, True Colors. In this video two friends, one black and one white, try to maneuver through life in St. Louis. It highlights blatant discrimination that goes on — black people being charged more for cars, systematically denied apartments, etc. While this was made in 1993, it remains relevant today.

There are also some decent academic articles on this topic here and here. This article talks about similar discrimination that black people face on vacation.

What is more, people often don’t interfere when they see retail staff discriminate against customers. This video (below), from the TV production ‘What Would You Do?‘ highlights this pattern.

Standing Up Against Racism

New Car!

2010-02-06T20:41:00.004-06:00

I’ve been driving for 14 years. During that time, the only car I’ve ever had is my truck, Lorlene. Lorlene was a ‘hand-me-up’ from my brother. (In theory we shared it, but really it was his until he got a new car).
Here is the beautiful green beast:
Lorlene has taken me everywhere. We’ve driven to D.C., Maine, Vermont, all throughout the Midwest and everywhere in between. She has lasted longer than all of my romantic relationships.
Posting an ad for her on craigslist was one of the hardest things she and I have been through. Luckily, just before I had to give her to a stranger, my father decided he wanted to keep her to use for hauling at the cabin! She has many years of hauling left, but at 130,000 miles and 12 years of age, she isn’t quite as reliable as she once was. What is more, our furry family has gotten a bit big to fit in her for long car trips.
I’ll miss you Lorlene but I’m glad you are just a short drive away!
To replace Lorlene I’ll be buying my father’s car, a 2008 Honda Fit. The Fit gets great gas mileage, has a ton of space, and has already been with me on two trips to D.C. While it’ll be my first time having to make car payments, I’m so excited to have it here.

Now, it just needs a name. Any suggestions?

Privileges 2 and 3

2010-02-06T20:41:00.001-06:00

If you recall, I promised to share contemporary examples of Peggy McIntosh’s 1980s article on White Privilege over the next year. It is time now for the second installment: privileges two and three.
2. If I should need to move, I can be pretty sure of renting or purchasing housing in an area, which I can afford and in which I would want to live.
3. I can be pretty sure that my neighbors in such a location will be neutral or pleasant to me.
As mentioned, people of color have been systematically denied residence in certain neighborhoods throughout the history of the United States. Current patterns of segregation were really founded in the 1950s with the creation of suburbs following WWII. Returning white soldiers were given money to finance homes outside of cities in the form of the GI Bill, something denied to black soldiers. This has led to an amassing of white wealth inthe form of home ownership.

Currently many cities still discriminate against people of color moving into certain neighborhoods. Towns such as Jesop, IA have a history of raising property taxes in order to keep people of color (who, due to historical systematic discrimination tend to have less money) out.
This MPR story highlights a bit of the housing inequity in Minnesota. Minnesota has the 7^th largest racial gap in homeownership in the nation. As mentioned, such gaps are due largely to institutional discrimination – sky rocking property taxes, subprime mortgages for people of color, etc.
Other resources of import include the PBS special Race: The Power of an Illusion. The third video outlines housing inequity in detail. And The Color Of Wealth, by Meizhu Lui et al.
–
Now, it is important to note that once people of color enter a historically white neighborhood the fight is far from over. Such intrepid souls often are the victims of overt discrimination, discouraging them from such residence. One of my faculty members in undergraduate school was frequently the victim of property-destructive hate crimes. (The SPLC documents many of these on their hate map.)
Or, consider this story by Resist Racism or this by RaceWire.

Privilege 1: The Company You Keep

2009-11-19T22:53:00.000-06:00

I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time.

The history of residential segregation in the United States is extensive. Never, in US history, has there been a time in which people of color were not forceably denied access to white residential areas. The film Race, the Power of An Illusion (video three) explains the practices of redlining int he 1950s and how that led to the current gap in wealth between whites and blacks. The book The Color of Wealth, by Rose Brewer, also highlights this gap, as well as the wealth gap between other races.

I don't want to get to into that, or I'd write the entire post about the 1950's practices. I urge you to check out those sources.

Another way in which segregation was - and is - maintained is through violence. The phenomena of Sundown Towns has been thoroughly documented in the book Sundown Towns by James Loewen. Sundown Towns are cities in which segregation was maintained through physical violence against people of color in addition to economic and political boycotts of any people of color who entered the city limits.

A couple of towns that still posted signs warning people of color to keep out include:

§ Arab, Alabama

§ Marlow, Oklahoma

§ Sullivan, Missouri

Now we know that white people have historically organized society such that they can live separate from people of color. We also know that this segregation continues. However, we have not discussed the ways in which residential segregation also leads to geographical division in employment. Thus, people of color have been physically forced into segregated communities against their will. And, even when living in separate communities people of color have had to travel into white neighborhoods for employment.

I used to live in Washington DC. As some of you know, DC is one of the most segregated cities in the United States with most of the people of color living in Southeast DC and most of the white people living in NW DC.

As you can guess, most of the places of employment are also in NW DC. Thus, despite residential segregation, people of color remain forced to travel into white spaces to work. Often times they are forced into the jobs that are more physically demanding and with longer hours.

This is just one example of how white people are able to choose who they are surrounded by at all times - and people of color are not.

26 Days of Privilege

2009-11-19T22:35:00.000-06:00

Last week I had the opportunity to teach about white privilege in the course I TA. We took the Peggy McIntosh article, written in the 1980s, and updated it as a class. I had them work in small groups to pick out the examples highlighted by McIntosh that may be outdated and in need of modification - as well as come up with new ones.

For the next 26 days I'm going to post McIntosh's 26 examples of white privilege, show how my students updated them, and subsequently provide evidence of its continued relevance. Its kind of like advent for anti-racist activists.

Things You Can Do Now, to Curb the Negative Effects of Capitalism

2009-10-23T10:07:00.000-05:00

I support what Moore is trying to do with his new film Capitalism: A Love Story . I think everyone needs to see it. He also has a new list of things that all Americans can do to help make a little change now. I just wanted to reiterate a few: FIVE THINGS WE SHOULD DO TO PROTECT OURSELVES AND OUR LOVED ONES UNTIL WE GET THROUGH THIS MESS: 1. Take your money out of your bank if it took bailout money and place it in a locally-owned bank or, preferably, a credit union. I LOVE my credit union and I would NEVER use a bank. Credit Unions are the non-profit equivalent. You get all the same services and offers - but without the fees! They are locally owned and wonderful. 2. Get rid of all your credit cards but one -- the kind where you have to pay up at the end of the month or you lose your card. So many people have problems with credit. One card, with a low balance, can make such a difference. 3. Do not invest in the stock market. If you have any extra cash, put it away in a savings account or, if you can, pay down on your mortgage so you can own your home as soon as possible. You can also buy very safe government savings bonds or T-bills. Or just buy your mother some flowers. I had thought that my fear of the stock market was naive... but after the crash and ensuing disaster I feel vindicated. Why invest in people who don't have your interests (or the interests of anyone other than themselves) in mind? Keep your money in safe places and invest in yourself and your family. Read more of Michael's ideas here.

Today's Efforts to Save the Earth

2009-10-13T14:58:00.000-05:00

So, I've been very inspired of late to try harder to reduce my carbon footprint. Even though, my carbon usage is far less than most Americans, if everyone was like me we would need almost two earths! (Visit http://www.myfootprint.org/ to find out your impact). My biggest successes are being vegan (meat consumption and production are major producers of carbon and waste), shopping at the co-op (buying local food makes an immense difference), composting and collecting rain water to use on plans, etc. Two of my major inspirations are Sumner (her blog is great for people trying to eat more locally) and Jacky - both of whom work hard to consume minimally and locally. Anyway, today I was trying to store my rain barrel for winter. However, because it has rained so much lately it was very full. Not wanting to waste all of the water in it, I filled up some rubbermaid containers to store the water so I can continue to water the plans in it. After filling up and moving three such bins, I decided that it was enough. (Stagnant water in our basement is probably not a good idea). So, I tried to carry the half-full rainbarrel over to our compost bin and dump the water there (I'm not good at keeping it moist). So, soaking wet pants and shoes later our compost is saturated, the rain barrel is stored, and we have three rubbermaid containers with water for our indoor plants. What a mess. We also tried to eat a squash I found on the sidewalk last week... but it was very sour so that didn't really happen. Adventure!!

An Open Letter to Luther College ... Drop Sodexo

2009-08-30T11:25:00.001-05:00

President Torgerson

Luther College

700 College Drive

Decorah, IA, 52101

Dear President Torgerson,

cc: Board of Regents

For the last six years I have consistently celebrated my experience at Luther College. I have touted it as a place that always did the right thing, treated workers well, tried to have a strong stance on being 'Green', and, of course, provided a quality education.

However, this recent news of switching Caf services to Sodexo is horrifying. As you know, Sodexo has been challenged for numerous labor and environmental violations.

For example, Sodexo has been charged with providing poor food for those they serve, as well as practicing bad hygiene standards. (See Supersize Me and Channel 4 Documentary by UK TV).

Secondly, the corporation has several recorded workers rights violations. They are anti-union and, as such, the antithesis to Luther's stated mission. (There is a lot of information available on this due to boycott information by the Restaurant Employees International Union, among others).

This point has already hit home at Luther College. There are cases in which 60 year old women are working 10-hour days and unable to take breaks. This did not happen with the old Luther Caf The Caf was a home away from home. No more.

Finally, Luther has made great progress over the past years in moving towards greater energy efficiency. One meaningful stride should have been to support local farmers - rather than outsourcing food production to an unhealthy alternative. Again, this sort of spiteful act towards the Luther community is defiantly against the college's mission.

As an alumnus of the college, I can promise you that my future donations to the college will be cut off until Sodexo is out of food production and Luther stands behind their mission:

In the reforming spirit of Martin Luther, Luther College affirms the liberating power of faith and learning. As people of all backgrounds, we embrace diversity and challenge one another to learn in community, to discern our callings, and to serve with distinction for the common good.

As a college of the church, Luther is rooted in an understanding of grace and freedom that emboldens us in worship, study, and service to seek truth, examine our faith, and care for all God’s people.

As a liberal arts college, Luther is committed to a way of learning that moves us beyond immediate interests and present knowledge into a larger world—an education that disciplines minds and develops whole persons equipped to understand and confront a changing society.

As a residential college, Luther is a place of intersection. Founded where river, woodland, and prairie meet, we practice joyful stewardship of the resources that surround us, and we strive to be a community where students, faculty, and staff are enlivened and transformed by encounters with one another, by the exchange of ideas, and by the life of faith and learning.

I know that these are tough economic times, but financial hardship is no excuse to abuse workers and students.

Thank you for your time,

Help My Friend Hoa!

2009-08-27T21:06:00.000-05:00

On August 14th my friend Hoa was arrested by immigration officials because she had missed a court appearance. Rather, she had believed that her court date was August 23rd but it turned out to be the 13th. Now, because of a simple mistake, she risks deportation.

You can learn more here.

Hoa and her husband Dan do a lot to make the world better and, as such, they don't have a ton of money. If you are able to help them cover their legal fees please donate here.

Our immigration system is sick and this is just one more example of how bad and unjust things have become.

Farewell Teddy Kennedy

2009-08-26T10:30:00.001-05:00

While no politician is perfect, Teddy Kennedy was always my favorite to watch the semester I interned with Senator Feingold. Even if the Senate chambers were sparsely filled, Kennedy always spoke with passion - red in the face, shaking his fist - as compared to the monotony and heartlessness of many other senators.

I wanted to say goodbye to Kennedy by remembering some of my favorite things he did:

- In 1996 he voted against DOMA (even Wellstone didn't!) and worked for marriage equality in Massachusetts
- He worked to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell
- Kennedy opposed and fought to end abstinence-only education.
- He supported universal, single-payer health care (though had relaxed on that requirement to get something - though so that everyone was covered - passed).

Here is what a few other groups have to say:

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
The Nation
The Guardian
The American Prospect

Once again Tim Wise says it all

2009-08-25T10:29:00.001-05:00

If you want to help continue the movement against Glenn Beck, go here. (Color of Change is working to get advertisers to stop their support of the show).

Continued Oppression of Native Americans

2009-08-22T14:47:00.000-05:00

An article from CNN was online today discussing the immense poverty the Lakota continue to face. You can read it here.

What isn't mentioned is that the Pine Ridge Reservation also persists in being the poorest place in the nation. Here, unemployment tops 80%, the weather is often oppressive, and people have few resources. You can help out by contributing to the Friends of the Pine Ridge Reservation. They also have a number of 'drives' to gather supplies for schools, etc.

Horray for Gay and the ELCA!

2009-08-21T14:56:00.000-05:00

Today the ELCA passed a resolution to support gay clergy, and not force them into a life of celibacy. In doing so the ELCA becomes the third sizable denomination to support GLBT pastors - along with the United Church of Christ and the Episcopal Church.

This also affirms the belief that sex is not only for procreation - something many denominations continue to preach, despite the obvious absurdity of the command.

The Methodist Church allows gay pastors as long as they remain celibate.

In a time of rapid conservative Christianity, seeing hopeful progress from logical and clear-headed progress among denominations is encouraging. It makes me proud to have gone to Luther College, an affiliate of the ELCA.

College: for every - er, ah, - rich people only

2009-03-31T13:41:00.000-05:00

This article was in the NYTimes today. This is a really blatant example of the reproduction of a class system through education - openly saying that they aren't letting poor people into college but will accept rich folks who can pay. Doesn't that go against the "American belief" that if you work hard you can achieve anything? I think it establishes a counter argument that - if you have enough money you can buy into anything.

Now, this is not new - wealthy people have had an advantage in going to college all along. Not only are they more able to pay for schooling, but they also had advantages in admissions (legacy awards, etc).

But this story goes further - it blatantly says that poor people are not wanted. The 'bad' economy is no excuse for such action. The president of the University of Minnesota is making over 700,000 a year. Our tax dollars are going to 'bail out' rich people on the backs of hard working tax-payers. I think I know where some cuts can be made and some redistribution can occur.

My favorite part of this story is that they go on to blame poor people for bad education. This quote may tell all:

“You can’t say someone should be need-blind unless they have the resources to fund it,” said Dr. Schapiro, at Williams. “It sounds immoral to replace really talented low-income kids with less talented richer kids, but unless you’re a Williams or an Amherst, the alternative is the quality of the education declines for everyone.”

So, not it is the fault of poor people that education in this nation sucks.

Hm... I think not.

Anyway, I thought the article may be useful for mobilizing people, opening the eyes of others to the erroneous economic system we find ourselves in, and teaching about the replication of class structure and inequality in higher education.

Treatment of People with Disabilities

2009-03-12T13:45:00.000-05:00

I was reading the paper today, and came across these articles...

1) "Cameras Installed after School 'Fight Club' Scandal". At first, I figured it was a high school that some kids had organized a fight club in. Oh, no, it is far worse. Rather, the Texas Agency of Aging and Disabilities Services - at Corpus Christi - a school for people with disabilities - was found to have a fight club, organized by staff. This club involved staff members forcing their clients - people with mental and physical disabilities - to fight, a process on which they bet. (http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/03/11/texas.school.fight.club/index.html) I can't even tell you how mad that makes me. People who are trusted to care for and assist others are knowingly putting them in harms way and betting on it! What kind of a sick, twisted world do we live in?

Not surprisingly, there was also an article about how we get a "D" as a nation, in caring for people with mental disabilities. (http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/mentalhealth/03/11/mental.illness/index.html)

Hooray for Gay!

2008-12-04T11:18:00.001-06:00

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

This Day in History

2008-11-17T09:34:00.000-06:00

Zapatista Army Founded (1983)
The Zapatista Army of National Liberation is a revolutionary group founded in the southern state of Chiapas, Mexico. It views itself as the philosophical heir to the movement started by Emiliano Zapata in the early 20th century under the slogan "land and liberty." It represents indigenous people and is committed to opposing policies that hurt the working poor, especially farmers.

Why I'm Voting Blue (and not Green)

2008-10-31T17:56:00.001-05:00

It is a perpetual struggle for me - to vote for the candidate or party I truly believe in (green/socialist) - or to choose the lesser of two evils (democrat). This election has been particularly difficult. However, I made my decision. I'm voting for Barack.

Even though I HATE that he vote in favor of FISA and hate that he doesn't support gay marriage, here are some things I do like:

I appreciate his decision to increase taxes for people who make over 250,000/year and decrease taxes for people making under 75,000/year - to do a little bit of wealth redistribution (I wish it was more).

I agree with his stance on hate crimes, flag desecration, the ERA.

I am glad he stands for corporate tax breaks, repealing subsidies given to companies that take jobs offshore, closing the tax loophole for US companies operating abroad, capping farm subsidies for Fortune 500 companies, and holding companies accountable for their work conditions and pensions.

I'm glad that he wants to reform health care (but wish his plan was stronger).

I love that he wants to work to end racial profiling (but am disgusted he wont go all the way to ban the death penalty).

I support his ideas for education reform, including increase teachers pay, college tuition breaks for public service, increase student integration, and work to provide college education for free.

I am behind him when it comes to funding research into alternative energy and requiring that the US move to renewable resources by 2002.

I believe in his desire to open diplomacy with Cuba, send aid to Congo, work to end the Genocide, and not enter countries with guns and flags waiving.

I agree with his demand to end torture, provide greater support for our veterans, restore habeas corpus to people abroad, and repeal 'don't ask, don't tell'.

While I wish that Obama's stances in many areas were stronger, I feel like I do not have the ability to vote for a third party candidate this year. While I may be privileged enough to withstand the repercussions of a McCain win, I have a responsibility to other Americans, who may not be so privileged, to enable a small degree of progress to be made under Obama.

FBI Don't Care About Black People

2008-09-10T08:30:00.003-05:00

In 2007 the FBI decided to reopen the trials of the murders of black people during Jim Crow and the Civil Rights Movement. However, to date, 0 people have been persecuted. It is called the Cold Case Initiative - perhaps indicating the cold heart of people refusing to try white murders.

This same week a notorious Klansman - James Ford Steele - had his conviction of kidnapping two men overturned. He was sentenced in 2007 and released of responsibility because the statue on trying kidnapping charges had passed.

In other words, the longer you wait - the less people you have to hold accountable.

However, we don't mind holding innocent black people in jail for crimes they didn't commit. See The Innocence Project for more information. If we do release them we certainly wont help them get back on their feet.

The World is Dying of Cancer, and we are Treating it With Aspirin.

2008-07-30T06:54:00.005-05:00

Our ineptitude at fighting global warming made front page news today as it was reported that another large ice shelf broke of the Artic. To demonstrate the drastic changes that have happened in the last years the BBC reports:

Ellesmere Island was once bounded by one giant ice shelf that covered almost 10,000 sq km (3,500 sq miles).
Now this expanse of ice has retreated into a string of much smaller, individual shelves, which together cover just under 1,000 sq km (400 sq miles). At 440 sq km (170 sq miles) in size and 40m (130ft) thick, the WHIS is the largest of the remnant shelves. Scientists have been studying the Canadian feature because of what it can tell them about Arctic history.

The Arctic is melting, polar bears are dying, the Antarctic is melting, people are being killed in Tsunami's and ever-more present hurricanes. In response, we give it a few pain killers: a few people drive a little less... or drive more in better cars. People have a lot of 'talks' about renewable energy.

At the same time, the cancer grows. We start drilling offshore and in the Arctic.

Solar power works. Wind power works. There is no reason that we can't treat this cancer with chemo and replace our energy systems. We have no choice. I hear the people making decisions say that "It is too much, too fast. It might hurt business". Friends, there will be no business if we don't change pace immediately.

Further loss of Arctic ice will see radiation absorbed by darker seawater and snow-free land, potentially warming the Earth's climate at an even faster rate than current observational data indicates.

Bribery WorldWide

2008-07-24T08:36:00.003-05:00

Silence in China
The government is bribing parents of children killed in the Chinese Earthquake to remain silent about the disaster during the Olympics. Apparently they want to make sure that China has a pleasant face to the world.

Forced Rally in Darfur
Apparently the President in Sudan, now that he has been charged with genocide, is going into Darfur and forcing people to attend rallies. This is being done to show the world that he has supporters even in that region of the country. Its amazing how many people will believe it.

News Round Up

2008-07-23T07:20:00.001-05:00

I had to take down my blog due to the need for anonymity and safety in research. I'll be hiding out here for a while.

Good news for employers. The labor department is trying to assist you in exposing your employees to more toxins and chemicals. (Though the details are secret). I have seen factories- thousands of workers already are ill from exposure. We need more regulation, not less. The government should be protecting citizens, not padding the wallets of corporations that will cut costs at the risk of harming workers. Evil. Simply evil.

More Proof the Government Led By Bush Don't Care About Black People
911 services are not reliable in Prince George's county, MD - home to many people of color pushed out of DC via gentrification. The lack of service lead to many homes being destroyed by fires and other disasters going unattended. Is it a lack of funding? Perhaps we could pay emergency services rather than build stadiums...

Minnesota Nice

2008-06-19T13:49:00.002-05:00

I've been living in Minnesota for over 9 months now. I'm convinced that people outside of the state (barring those who have lived here, had relatives here, or are into the NPR Lake Wobegon show) have never heard of "Minnesota Nice". However, people here are convinced the world knows of their incredible niceness. So, I did some Google searching.

According to Wikipedia:

Minnesota nice is the stereotypical behavior of Minnesota residents to provide hospitality and courtesy to others. The term is also sometimes used in a derogatory way, to connote a sort of smiling stubbornness, forced politeness, false humility or passive hostility.

Stereotypes of Minnesotans often overlap with qualities of other people from the Upper Midwest, including the perception that many are quiet and do not wish to offend others or cause a disruption. Writer Garrison Keillor played with this image in a piece written for the radio program A Prairie Home Companion called "Wobegonics", the supposed language of Minnesotans which includes "no confrontational verbs or statements of strong personal preference, you know." Sometimes area residents who move away, or otherwise come in contact with others who don't subscribe to the ideal, say that they have to shed their "Minnesota nice" in order to interact properly with others or get out of troublesome situations. The generosity of state citizens has gained respect—the heavily-reported influenza vaccine shortage of fall 2004 did not strike the state as hard as elsewhere since many people willingly gave up injections for others.[1]

Minnesota Nice is a 2003 28-minute documentary by Jeffrey Schwarz about the Coen brothers' movie Fargo, a movie that displays some of the stereotypical behavior.

I dont need to go into the fact that most people do not consider hiding your opinions or pretending to like things nice, but I want to tell you about how Minnesota Nice can hurt other people indirectly.

Since living in Minnesota I have had my bike stolen, my wallet stolen, and three bike lights stolen. Now, the wallet was my own fault, I left it in the side of my backpack for easy picking. However, I believe that the bike and bike lights could have been prevented had someone not been too 'nice' to stop the thieves.

My bike was stolen out of the back of my truck. Someone (probably more then one person) tugged on the back of my locked topper long enough to bend the metal and get my bike out. Now, my truck was parked in a neighborhood with plenty of traffic. I'm fairly certain that someone probably saw these guys (or gals) do it. Unless they thought the guys (or gals) had accidentally locked themselves out of the trunk and offered to help them get in to rescue their bike, I'm not sure that it was 'nice' to allow it to happen.

The bike lights may be even more directly linked to Minnesota Nice. Two of the three had to be stolen during the day, while I was in my nearby office. This means that people with screw drivers are going up to bikes and taking off lights. Now, I can understand how people would grant others the benefit of the doubt and think they were simply working on their bikes, but that is a long shot given it is parked in an awkward place for repair (with very little room for maneuvering and surrounded by other bikes).

I guess I don't have a point so much as a rant about how Minnesota Nice does not extend to allowing you to keep the things you have purchased. I think I would find it nicer if whoever took my things would steal from the rich instead. I can't afford to keep buying lights, so I'm going to be riding in the dark. When I get hit by a car, we'll see how far Minnesota Nice goes. I hope that people wont think that I'm practicing stunts and be 'nice' enough to let me lay there.

Woman Sets Self on Fire to Protest Racism

2008-04-06T13:53:00.000-05:00

I came across this information on another blog (found here).

Apparently, this woman had recently become bankrupt and the victim of institutionalized and personal racism. I can't find a news story to contribute an accurate portrayal of events.

What I found an important contribution was the comments below, especially that of theblacksentinal here. He was responding to someone who said that her actions were "beyond drastic":

Beyond drastic. Have you ever had to suffer day after day with the type of berating, racism, slander, ill treatment that this lady and millions of other blacks do daily? If not then you could not possibly know how desperate you feel to just have something make people open their eyes to what is going on.

In fact why does someone have to go to drastic measures just to be seen as a human individual with needs, wants and desires for equal treatment. Why does it seem that blacks all over this planet have to suffer the same fate at the hands of the same people whether they are in Belgium, U.S., Africa or any other nation.

I am just confused as to what the problem is that non black people are so consumed with the constant hate for those of the darker races.

I am sick as well, sick that it has to come to this for someone. Sick that equality is a joke to people. Sick that anyone has to suffer then show their suffering to the people they are living amongst who turned their head away from her suffering before this.

furniture ElhovoThanks
http://www.whereintheworldiskrissyhaltinner.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/image003.jpg

http://www.whereintheworldiskrissyhaltinner.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/image002.jpg
This was also done by a woman in Rome.

http://www.whereintheworldiskrissyhaltinner.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/image001.jpg

furniture Bulgaria

If Kids Can Kill

2008-02-16T14:00:00.000-06:00

Recently Nicolas Sarkozy revised the school curriculum in France. Specifically, he is mandating that fifth graders learn the life story of a French child who was killed in the holocaust. This has been met with massive outcry with people claiming that kids are too young to learn about such horror.

This seems ludicrous to me. There are places in the world where children are being trained as soldiers. There are places in the world where children are seeing violence on their streets daily. There are places in the world where genocide is occurring today. How can we stop it if we fail to tell our children about the horror which has happened in this world? Isn't educating children the best way to prevent such horror from happening again?

This is something I've struggled with. I was wearing a 'Stop Genocide in Sudan' shirt one day and a little girl asked me/her mother what genocide was. Her mom said she was too young to know and gave me the evil eye. What do you think? Is there an age in which you can be too young to learn about the horrors of the world? Is it not a weakness on the left that we overprotect children (there are a lot of evangelical kids and neo-Nazi children doing terrible things). What do you think?

Repost on Immigration From Last Year

2007-07-23T07:30:00.000-05:00

I wanted to repost this (it is from September) because I think it is still a very pressing issue and didn't want it to get buried...

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I could go on for hours about the current immigration debate. The part of this that really shocks me is the disregard for humanity: the way that racism and 'us vs. them' mentality has made a group of people become inhuman in the eyes of many Americans.

However, I am also really frustrated about how the discourse surrounding immigration as first: 'they are taking our jobs', secondly: 'their governments need to do a better job so they don’t come here', and thirdly: 'they use our services and don’t pay taxes. We pay for them to be here". (note the 'theys'- that drives me nuts too).

What we forget, in all of this, is that most of the jobs that are being 'lost' in the US are jobs are being done because corporations are trying to exploit people as much as possible in order to make a profit. Outsourcing may be a larger culprit. For example, according to Forrester Research, as many as 3.3 million U.S. jobs and $136 billion in wages could be moved to India, China, and Russia by the year 2015. Similarly, Deloitte Consulting estimates that 2 million jobs in financial services alone will move from the United States and Europe to cheaper locations. Moreover, they believe that the export of service jobs across all industries could be as high as 4 million. (Not to mention all the other industries!).

Regardless, the companies and the U.S. government that allows corporations to behave in this manner should be to blame. (Look at the situation in Chicago where the city passed a living wage ordinance and the mayor vetoed it because Walmart and Target didn't want to pay 12/hr).

In regards to the 'their government should do better' argument, my question is: how can we expect a government and a people that is so limited in resources to find ways to eliminate poverty? Many nations that immigrants come from are so weakened by the practices of U.S. trade policies that they can't possibly afford to raise the standard of living. NAFTA and CAFTA have been so harmful to Latin American nations (although there are almost as many illegal immigrants coming from Asia) that, until we think about changing our trade and economic policies, emigration out of certain states into the U.S. will continue. We are profiting off of their poverty - we are maintaining the system that encourages immigration. (For example, renowned - and free trade supporting - economist Joseph Stiglitz says that NAFTA and CAFTA will increase poverty because they prematurely open markets to (subsidized) US goods. This causes local farmers to be unable to compete with imports. Unfortunately, the nations affected by these policies cannot bear the costs of switching resources and poverty results.)

Finally, in relation to the amount of money illegal immigration 'costs' Americans - - the media is totally misleading us. Illegal immigrants pay sales taxes like anyone else. If they own a house, they pay property taxes like anyone else. For those that have legitimate jobs, they pay income taxes. However, illegal immigrants do not use any social services. If they were to register for food stamps or welfare, the government would have to know they were in the country. People aren't that stupid. While it is true that people who immigrate here illegally may send their children to schools, but the amount that their labor benefits the economy far surpasses the cost of education. (The National Research Council, in a report to the U.S. government, discovered that "the average immigrant pays nearly $1,800 more in taxes than he or she “costs” in public benefits such as education and healthcare". Further, in the Economic Report of the President, it is predicted that, over the next 50 years, legal immigrants will add $407 billion to the Social Security system. See the president's report at http://www.ailf.org/ipc/economicsofnecessity.asp. Also, Coyle (2005) is a great resource on the economic beneifts of immigration).

Regardless of all of that I don’t understand why we have such strict national lines in general. I hate the idea that we don’t want 'them' here, as if 'they' are different then 'us'. I just wish white wealthy people would lose power so they can finally see what reality is like for most people in this world. I’m made sick by this system that is set up to maintain itself – set up so that wealthy people with no compassion, no empathy, and a complete inability to be in touch with people of working class backgrounds stay in control of our country. Their tyrannical control is not only maintained in politics, but in the media, economically and socially. I feel ill at the thought of the way that institutional racism maintains control over this country and there is a need for articles like this to continue to be written.

I agree with Robinson (here) that people who happened to come to the US illegally "damn sure got human rights...There ain't no reason to treat them like animals."

Birmingham Now and Then - Civil Rights Museum

2006-08-09T16:51:00.000-05:00

Yesterday my friend Mike and I spent the afternoon at the civil rights museum in Birmingham Alabama. This trip has been my first extended visit to the south and, while I have a lot of thoughts on that, I wanted to share a few facts I learned from the museum.

The museum shares several important facts about inequality in the United States. I wanted to see how much these statistics have changed since the 1950’s now that so many folks think that racial inequality has ended. I was greatly disturbed by the way that many museums make it seem that we have made great strides in attaining racial equality. As evidence of our lack of success, the following are the statistics in the museum compared to current rates:

- in 1950 the infant mortality for black babies was 46.3/1,000 births while it was 30.6/1,000 for white infants. This means that the proportion of black babies dying compared to white was 1.5:1.

- according to the CDC, in the year 2003 the infant mortality rate for black babies was 13.61/1,000 births. The mortality rate among whites was 5.7/1,000 births. While both have improved remarkably, the new proportion is 2.4:1 indicating that black babies currently die at a higher comparative rate than they did in 1950!

The exhibit also talked about schools. While segregation is legally prohibited we all know that the bulk of inner city school students are people of color while most suburban schools are predominantly white. The following is what I discovered:

- according to the museum in 1944 there were an average of 42.8 students in each black classroom compared to 24.3 students in each white classroom.

- according to the U. of Michigan the current student/teacher ration in rural areas is 16.4 compared to urbans 17.1

While these statistics make it appear that classroom size inequity has been mostly resolved, it is saddening to see this:

- the museum states that in 1950 the average amount of money spent on a white student was $120 while only $60 was spent on a black student.

- Currently, in New York State (I couldn’t find information for every state) the average expenditure for a student in city school is $5,590 compared to $11,000 for their suburban peer. This shows that the funds given to students has not changed much over the past 50 years with urban (mostly students of color) recieving half of what suburban (mostly white) students recieve in schools. (Kozol 1991).

Teachers are also paid differently based on location. In 1950 the average black teacher’s salary was 60% of a whites. Today suburban teachers earn 20% more than urban ones.

Outside of the realm of education, the wage inequality also has been maintained. The museum states that in 1950 75% of the service industry was made of black people while whites mad eup 33%. Today whites only make up 13% of the service industry. And, while black people only hold 22% of these jobs, Latino, Asian, and Native American folks make up the difference. White people are still a minority in service jobs (especially considering they hold a larger percentage of the population).
I am currently reading a book called “The Color of Wealth” by Meizhu Lui, Barbara Robles, Betsy Leondar-Wright, Rose Brewer and Rebecca Adamson. This book outlines the history of racial inequality and shows how it has led to, and maintains, the current colorline in wealth ownership. It flies in the face of everyone who claims that we have “an equal playing feild”. I strongly recommend both reading it and watching “Race: The Color of an Illusion” - video three. This is a PBS series that discusses the persisting wealth gap.

Anyway, I have a lot of thoughts on both the bias reporting in museums/history books/etc, as well as on the current state of the nation. However, I can’t seem to wake up today and my brain is a bit fried so instead I’ll let this information speak for itself.

First Thoughts from TZ - 07 Agosti 2001

2001-08-07T13:30:00.001-05:00

[These comments are the original from my journal of the trip. I'm going through my thoughts 6 years ago and evaluating them in light of knowledge I have gained since this trip.]

It appears that life would be better if things had been left as Nyerere had had them. Ethnic splits, class divides, everything like that has gotten so much worse. I guess with the debt of the nation and the way the IMF and World Bank controlled things they had to change. Money sucks. [Tanzania, at the end of the period of direct colonial control, was run by a man named Julius Nyerere. He organized a program called Ujema (familyhood). This was essentially a socialist/collective effort at development. However, due to the erroneous debt left from colonialism international policies forced Tanzania to switch to cash crops. This resulted in much more social divisions as well as economic hardships and starvation. For more information on Nyerere see here]

I'm surprised by how much the Arusha area reminds me of Mexico. The wealth level appears similar. The houses look a little nicer and things are much more spread apart. The people treat Americans similarly as well. The wealth is recognized but people are friendly. [Up until this point in my life the only time I have been somewhere where there was poverty was on church trips to build houses in Mexico. While I guess it is natural to compare places, it seems to me that I was kind of romanticizing poverty. I do it a lot more later. Below is a photograph of Tijuana and Arusha].

Driving to Arusha today was very interesting. It is very disappointing to me that the commercial aspects of the US spread so much. Billboards and slogans are all over the place. I was also surprised at the lack of creative use of waste. In Tijuana people used garbage for everything. (We should all be so resourceful). Here I saw a tire as a plant holder, but that was really it. [Here again, romanticizing poverty. I don’t even think I need to explain it further, it is pretty obvious. The other interesting thing is that I don’t seem to make the connection between globalization/WTO/etc and the spread of American media].

Food here is really good. Combinations such as carrots and corn are things that are really delicious. [I have no idea what I was talking about here].

Dancing was really really fun. it is so amazing that so many people share something like that. In the US we tend to share fastfood/television/music/movies. The dancing was wonderful. I find that I'm not very coordinated though. [Here too, I do some exoticing...]

After dancing I played soccer with some of the Tanzanian and visiting boys. It was a lot of fun. They were really nice to me and only laughed a little when I messed up. They passed me the ball and encouraged me even more than people tend to at home. It was really neat to play even without the same language. It is also very frustrating. I can't wait to be able to communicate better. I'm trying. Soccer reminded me a lot of playing it in Mexico, especially with the language barrier. [Here too. Notice that I seem to expect that people in Tanzania would be somehow different then me. There seems to be surprise that everyone was kind and encouraging. There is also a lot of 'they' which indicates a possible difference (us vs them)].

Email Home from TZ

2001-08-07T13:30:00.000-05:00

OK guys - so I'm in Africa. Sorry Jojo, its nothing like the rugby pitch at school, you were wrong. So, let me tell you what I've done, and then you guys can write back and tell me what you've been up to, and then I'll be happy and I'll keep writing.
I've only been here for one full day. The plane ride was really long. The people I'm with are super nice there are four boys and four girls. Everyone gets along pretty well.

Let me tell you about the animals I saw. First of all, there are these monkeys. The boys have blue genitals. Jojo, maybe you would want to invest it that, or Dusty: that seems something you would like. The girl monkeys really go for it.

There are also these animals, they call them bush babies, that live in trees. I guess they resemble koala bears, but they scream at night. Sometimes I guess they drink palm wine and get drunk and fall out of trees.

We got to learn some Tanzanian dancing yesterday, so that was fun. I'm pretty uncoordinated. Then, I played soccer with two of the american guys and a bunch of Tanzanian kids. I was pretty bad, but they were really nice to me. I really wish I could speak swahili now, its so hard to communicate. (A lot of people do speak english though.)

We also went into town, Arusha. Arusha is a lot like Tijuania in Mexico, with people on the streets selling things. They tell me that this is the only place like that inTtanzania, because Arusha is a touristy place. I can see mount kilimanjaro and mount mero from here.

The weather is quite cool because we are at a high elevation, and there are very few insects. I guess that will change when we go to dar es salaam as well.

Today we will be visiting a school and shopping in town. Tomorrow we are visiting a cocoa farm and a women's shelter type thing. So that stuff should be fun as well.

Today is farmers day. So things are really relaxed, its a pretty big holiday.

Thats really all i know right now. I hope you guys are having a great summer, and I can't wait to see you or at least hear from you all.

miss you guys,

krissy