Rick Perry, So Strong!

"I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a Christian, but you don't need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school. 
As President, I'll end Obama's war on religion. And I'll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage.
Faith made America strong. It can make her strong again.
I'm Rick Perry and I approve this message" 

Ok, so this is a rant. This is me barely scratching the surface of what is so very wrong with this campaign ad. 

           1) "I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a Christian" When has being Christian ever stopped someone from being President of this country? I know his middle name is Hussein, but Obama is a Christian. GET OVER IT. 

         2) "you don't need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there's something wrong in this country" ... true. I actually agree with these 4 seconds. 

         3) ..."when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school." Damn Rick Perry! I was so happy to agree with you! I want to like you because your accent, swagger and rugged manly cowboys style is very attractive to me no matter how hard my liberal self tries to fight it! But seriously? A kid can pray at school. Administrators can't and should not officially lead prayers. The whole point of that is religious freedom. So, Rick Perry, you are the one who talks about the founding fathers all the time...does religious freedom ring a bell? Or maybe its one of the many aspects of our government that you cant remember. (Im still waiting on that 3rd reason by the way, anyone got an update on the 3rd government agency he wants to remodel?) 

           And, Im sorry, are you really implying that Christmas should get more public attention? Yes, some progressive schools in towns chalked full of those horrible liberals changed "Secret Santa" to "Secret Snowflake". Elementary school children are free to make Chanukah decorations during holiday arts and crafts. And yes, when my family hangs dreidels and Jewish stars on our Christmas tree, and sing some hebrew songs mixed in with our Christmas carols, it is a direct attack on your religious heritage. We actually had a liberal meeting where Jews and atheists teamed up with homosexuals to plan our the takedown of people who are not ashamed to admit they are Christians. 

           Rick Perry knows the only reason a homosexual would want to serve in the military is so that they can break down the faith that made America strong. So strong, in fact, that threat of a gay man serving side by side with a soldier he could be sexually attracted to doesn't scare us at all. Oh, wait... 

            4) "end Obama's war on religion" His what? When was he fighting this war? Probably not while he was at church with his family. Maybe Perry is referring to Obama occasionally standing up to fanatical Christians in Rick Perry's beloved Tea Party. 

             5) "And I'll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage." blablabla Liberals hate God and Christians, blablabla. Let me go into the greatest contradiction in modern American politics; believing that the most famous and celebrated "Christian" was a republican. And by "Christian" I mean Jew.  

and my personal fave...

               6) "Faith made America strong" Woah, time for the daily Tea Party fact check! It was RELIGIOUS FREEDOM that encouraged OPPRESSED people all over the world to come to this country. This country was made strong by IMMIGRANTS who who worked hard in this country because SEPARATION of CHURCH AND STATE allowed them to. If you care so much about the damn founding fathers than why don't you actually take a 5th grade American History class? 

               And every time you and your ilk say that you are the original Americans just shut the fuck up because y'all come from immigrants too. And they were here to escape religious persecution in England, and they then used their faith and their manifest destiny to decimate the real original Americans. 

               7) "It can make her strong again." I hate "her" when its used to talk about anything that is not a woman. Especially when the other times Perry says "her" he says shit like "its not HER right to choose". 

Oh Homophobia...

             Homophobia is one of those things I just can't understand, no matter how hard I try. Ill attempt to get in the mindset of a right-wing religious homophobe but somehow I just cant. There are other partisan issues that I disagree with but I can understand if I try really hard.
           
              For example, if someone believes in their heart that life begins and conception and that abortion is murder, I get it. I don't agree or think its right, but it makes sense to protect what they see as a life. (Lets be clear; I do not think that is the motivator for most Prolifers but Ill get to that another time)

             But why oh WHY are people against the idea of someone somewhere living happily in love with someone of the same sex?

 That is why I love this picture so much.

What else can you say to someone who is basing their argument on...wait what is homophobia based on? Religion ? How do you base an argument on something that is, by definition, not logical? Or is it based on protecting the heteronormative patriarchy? Cause then its just straight up oppression.

TONIGHT'S FORECAST: DARK: Daily Show: 2011 Election: Womb Raider

TONIGHT'S FORECAST: DARK: Daily Show: 2011 Election: Womb Raider: The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c Red Dead Rejection www.thedailyshow.com Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Sat...

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My Favorite part is the Womb Raiders part...and the general mockery of nutjobs who don't approve of birth control. "Having an IUD turns women in to mass murderers." Classic.

Overall I am very pleased with the election results, especially in Ohio where I voted on tuesday. I am pleased but frustrated at the same time. People voted against the policies put forward by the candidates they voted for in the midterm elections ! While I agree with the vote this time around, the whole cycle demonstrates what is wrong with the American Political system.

The Policies that we recently voted against did not come as a surprise. They are directly connected with the rhetoric of the elected candidates. If people had voted with their interests in the midterm elections than they would not have had to shoot down SB5 in and the Personhood Amendment.

If we just keep electing back and forth from left to right and don't give either party a chance to actually implement their policies, see results and alter them, then how are we going to progress to a better America ?

A Map of My Travels

This is a marked map of where I have been. Not nearly filled in enough! There are so many places I want to go ! Next is Israel in January. Where should I go after that? Im in a pattern right now. Work for a semester and then travel, spend all my money and repeat.

Create your own travel map - TravBuddy

Trust In American Government

            Lets talk about the state of politics in this lovely country of ours. Lets talk about the state of our democracy in this melting pot, this leader of the free world.

            For America, democracy has always had specific connotations, yet our political rhetoric has always focused on what democracy is NOT. American democracy is NOT communism. NOT socialism. NOT the Middle East. 

It means hearing the voices of everyone. Except immigrants. Except homosexuals. Except planned parenthood. Except pacifists. Except the 99%

           Is that why we have this inherent fear and distrust in government? A distrust that makes it hard for the government to function? We dont trust them so we impose upon them restrictions and checks and balances so that when one party tries to progress and bring about positive change, they are thwarted and meddled with. Wait, which party is it that likes progress and change? Oh right. Lefties. 

           We see this slow messy policy making as the government being ineffectual and therefore we trust them less. Anyone who tries to get involved and become a politician has to fight incredible odds to make positive change. 

            Its no wonder that people are frustrated ! Its no wonder that we have the Tea Party advocating for smaller federal government ! We dont see the government working ! 

           But seriously, how are we supposed to see results? Try mixing 435 people in the same room, with radically different perspectives, and get them all to agree on what's best for the American People. Thats the House of Representatives. Try mixing almost equal parts Democrats and Republicans and getting a well thought out solution or plan? Thats the Senate. 

         Lets give politicians the benefit of the doubt. Lets assume that they really are bringing the voices of their constituents to the table and they really are fighting for what their constituents need. How are they supposed to succeed in this environment ? 

        We love to blame politicians for all the voices they leave out of their democracy. How much are they to blame ? How much is up to the individual politician in this political climate? 

       Admittedly, we should also ask how much is it fair to let them off the hook? How much can we let them excuse when the majority of them are men, white and in the 1% or at least the 10 %? 

       This is a frustrating situation, and the consequences are even worse. 

What political party is all about small government ? GOP. What political party stands to gain a buttload of support as people trust the government less and less ? The Tea party. What happens if the GOP/Tea Party gain so much support that they start winning elections left and right ?The possibilities are terrifying.

       Basically, if you want women's comprehensive health care, LGBTQ rights, Union rights, sex ed and evolution taught in schools, publicly funded radio, health care, childcare, special education etc. then you need to get on board with Obama, even if you feel a little deflated about him right now. We need to keep SOME democratic presence alive in government, even if the only argument is that he is better than the alternative. 

     Of corse, if you are down with Herman Cain's "Mexican Zapper" and you want to bomb people who support a woman's right to chose, than maybe the GOP is for you. Sorry, that was a exaggerated overgeneralization of this countries right wing. Regardless, I hope you are happy with losing your collective bargaining rights! I hope you dont get sick because damn, you probably will go broke ! I hope you dont have an unwanted pregnancy ! The chances are high, because with the GOP you are less likely to afford birth control, and you will have to jump through incredible hoops if you want an abortion. 

     But, as always, I am a firm believer in everyone expressing their own opinion.

      And, since I dont want to be a hypocrite, I feel compelled to express my opinion and say that if you support the Tea Party and the GOP than you are a huge idiot. I will never forgive you as I watch the country go to shit.  






Click to see pictures 

Passover: A Celebration Of Freedom and A Reminder That The World Is Not Yet Free

             In an ideal world passover would be a global celebration of freedom; freedom from oppression, discrimination and marginalization. However, in the world we live in, passover should be a reminder and a pledge of dedication to the people who remain oppressed and enslaved. 


              Traditional, conservative seders can focus too much on the importance of the jewish people in bondage, and often they gloss over the people left out of that scenario. A more progressive seder will include women left out of most haggadoth and will focus on current oppression and injustice. For an example of a feminist seder check out the Ms Magazine article, http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/04/19/seder-time-an-orange-a-tambourine-guacamole/. This post, however, will focus on Freedom Seders, and oppression through the ages. Freedom seders have a bittersweet history. The first Freedom Seder was a year after MLKs assassination. On april 4th 1969 the first freedom seder took place, with over 800 jews, black, christians etc. (http://www.theshalomcenter.org/node/562) Freedom Seders celebrate peace, inclusion, liberty and can be curtailed to whatever specific cause the hosts feel like celebrating or promoting. This is without a doubt the best way to celebrate a holiday. It has been said that judiasm is about more about actions than beliefs. A progressive seder, that celebrates tradition while working towards freedom for all, is what religion should be about.



             Its most important for jews to remember that the slavery and oppression depicted in the passover story is not a unique event. Oppression has existed on every continent, in every era. Rome and Ancient Greece promoted in freedom and enlightenment, but it was the same kind of freedom that is in the US consititution; the kind where freedom excludes slaves and women. 

Europe in the middle ages had its fair share of slavery as well; 

Video Games, Propaganda and Acceptable Violence

Im not a blind or bias pacifist, but I have many reservations when it comes to the US army ,war and violence. From a family and a town were the army appears with so many negative effects that it is only acceptable in  WWII- like situations, the army always had a negative stigma. So maybe I am bias, maybe I see the signs of US military aggression and I cringe. Maybe that is my own prejudice, but this time I don't think so. Video games like Battlefield, Call of Duty and Homefront promote and glorify violence, specifically , US military violence. 

There are a few points I want to make with this blog. #1 This is blatant propaganda, and though the face of military and government propaganda has changed over time, the message and effect has not. #2. Video games shape children (and adults) more than many people recognize. This is not exclusive to military violence. The violence promoted in other games, like Grand Theft Auto, are equally damaging. 

The face of propaganda has changed greatly since the rallying, effective posters of the WWII campaign.  

 In this new age, any obvious propaganda can be ripped apart by the unlimited world of bloggers and activists. People have more access to information and are avid promoters of their own opinions. The US government and the US military have developed new ways to propagate their message to Americans, one of which is feeding American youth images to inspire patriotism with support of the military, and subtle objectification of US enemies. Those ideals and goals remain the same as  they were in the older era, its just the delivery system that has changed with the media. Now it is through movies and video games . 

What To Do About Human Trafficking ?

Human Trafficking is the fastest growing illegal business worldwide. Most people know basic facts about human trafficking and the gross injustices that go along with it. What people may not realize is the prevalence of human trafficking, and the corresponding forced labor and sex slavery. This is happening everywhere, and the US is no exception; in fact, it is all over the States. Wealth enables Americans to purchase people, at an average global rate of 90$ per person.  (www.dosomething.org) Like many illegal global industries, human trafficking is growing. Increased transportation and Internet communications have fed this horrific practice. The international system is not equipped to address this magnitude of international crime, ergo it is difficult to squash the issue. A result of international law lagging behind technology is a low estimate of 27 million slaves worldwide, and trust me that estimate is far too low. (www.dosomething.org) Fortunate, there has been a recent surge of public interest. Ms. Magazine blog recently posted an informative article titled “The Real Story on Human Trafficking.” (http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/04/11/the-real-story-on-human-trafficking/ ) Celebrities Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore have started an initiative called DNA (http://www.demiandashton.org/) DNA stands for “Donate, Notify others, Action”. This campaign has generated public support, compelling celebrities like Dustin Hofffman to make their own comedic “Real Man” videos, claiming that “Real Men Don’t Buy Girls.” (http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/2011/04/stars-line-up-in-psas-against-sex-trafficking.html)

Despite the humorous quality of DNA’s campaign, this is a serious and devastating issue. Victims of human trafficking are abused and lied to, ostracized and controlled completely by their traffickers. 80% of human trafficking involves sexual exploitation; the rest forced labor. (www.dosomething.org) Most trafficked children suffer abuse at the hands of their “masters.” Approximately half of trafficking victims are underage, they routinely suffer from poor health and 68% of female victims suffer from PTS.  Sex and Labor slaves are subject to physical and mental abuse, and do not have access to the funds they are forced to work obscenely hard for. Their funds go to the traffickers and the buyers. Traffickers and “owners” are often pimps, family members or intimate partners, gangs and criminal networks (similar to drug trade), brothel/escort service owners, labor brokers, agricultural employers, employers of domestic servants, small business managers and large factor owners. Unfortunately, often their only escape from these abusive is through arrest. These victims are often charged with prostitution and illegal immigration, despite laws that exist to protect them.  Often their fear of their “Masters” is greater than their fear of prison, and they refuse to relay why they are in the dire circumstances.

So what can we do? Police attempt to treat the symptoms by arresting them for crimes they are not wholly responsible for, but if that does any good its through the symptoms of the issue and not the cause. International organizations do not have enough power to confront such a huge industry, and most countries don’t have abundant resources. How can we help?  With a net so wide it may be helpful to know how to spot victims. There are several categories.
1) Physical Signs
- Sings of physical abuse…cigarette burns, bruises, broken bones, missing teeth etc.
- Malnutrition. Victims are likely to be underfed and often dehydrated.
- Sexual Health: often they have signs or rape or sexual abuse. Additionally there is an epidemic of STDs in Human Trafficking. When these go untreated thy can be easier to spot.
-Neglect: this speaks to a general lack of care for their bodies, as they are routinely treated as disposable objects. This means poor hygiene and serious medical conditions left untreated.  

               2) Living Conditions:
             - Often living conditions will be cramped, with some form of security and no free movement of the victims; their comings and goings will be accompanied by an “escort.”

               3) Behavior        
               - Child Victims: Child may be homeschooled, or have large gaps is their schooling history.
               - Psychological Signs: Victims of all ages may be suffering from anxiety disorders like PTS and depression.  They will often express shame, humiliation and helplessness, especially in children. They may seem frightened to make contact with the outside world and avoid eye contact. They may have an unclear concept of time.
             -Interactions: The victim will likely be unsure how to act in the community. This can manifest in different ways, from dressing inappropriately for culture or weather to being unsure of their surroundings, or being unable to find their way home.
           - They will often have someone, the trafficker, who speaks for them, either to translate or to maintain control, or both. This person often has the victims’ hard earned cash and their documents or identification.
          -In addition to having little to no money and no ID, victims often will have few or no personal possessions.

           

This information may seem useless for someone who lives say, on a college campus, or in a neighborhood far from factories and brothels. That is understandable, which is why readers may be encouraged to know that there is rising awareness in arenas that can actually make significant changes to this industry. The easiest point to catch traffickers is during transportation. That is why two of the main groups adding Human Trafficking Awareness to their training are flight attendants and truckers. “Truckers Against Trafficking” has taken initiative to police the truck stops they visit late at night, a common stop along trafficking routs.
Flight attendants have started their own trainings to recognize suspicious signs. They have teamed up with http://www.innocentsatrisk.org/ to educate and push legislature on capital hill. Since the U.S. government and international organizations have been unable to act on this issue, it is in the hands of citizens.

I encourage any reader to follow up on the links in this post to see videos and news articles that both helped me learn about this issue and add insight and detail.

           

Pro Union Rally in Columbus

             Maybe I have a warped perception because I grew up in a liberal college town in Massachusetts and now I am attending the super liberal Oberlin College, but SB-5 and the similar pending changes in Wisconsin seem like a huge step backwards. I know conservatives are never big on what I consider progress, but does the November election switch from blue to red really mean that we need to move backwards? So far all the signs I have seen are pointing towards yes, yes we are taking huge steps back to an era where workers had limited rights, before progress made this an area of our countries practices that people were proud of.

            On Tuesday I went to the rally in Columbus to stand in solidarity with the union workers who are facing the SB-5 bill that will eliminate most of their collective bargaining rights. These people are public servants, and yet the government that they work for is ready to strip teachers, firefighters and other public servants of their union rights. SB 5 stands to eliminate collective bargaining rights and gives the government the right to take the reigns without any checks and balances whenever they hit a "fiscal emergency"(which is most likely at government discretion). It also proposes merit pay, again at the government's discretion. At the rally I stood with about 50 Oberlin students, stood alongside firefighters holding signs that said “firefighters should be in charge of their own safety” and teachers with amusing signs that read something along the lines of “fyre the teechers, we don’t nead them!”  There were security guards who simultaneously kept us out of the state house and offered their sympathy for our cause. I was very caught up in the group dynamic. I waved a sign that said “against SB-5” with as much enthusiasm as I could while also chanting, texting updates and taking notes on my surroundings. Some signs were much more amusing than mine, my personal favorite being “off with his head”, directed at Governor John Kasich. There was a homemade “United we Bargain Divided we Beg” sign, a “wall street took the money don’t blame the workers” sign that I found poignant, lots of official red white and blue “stop war on workers” signs, an overwhelming number of “Kill the Bill”, and one family holding an “SB-5 hurts families”. However, the signs were not nearly as motivating as the chants. There was an ongoing “kill the bill” chant to go along with the sign, as well as “What’s Disgusting? Union Busting!”, “The People United Will Never Be Defeated” and my personal favorite, call and response Tell me what democracy looks like? This is what democracy looks like! Show me what democracy looks like? This is what democracy looks like!”

            Overall it was crowded and people were showing lots of enthusiasm but there was not a clearly identified plan or leader. The only time everyone was focused together, truly united chanting “Teddy” was when Ted Strickland took center stage, a.k.a. center steps.  He took hold of the megaphone and articulated what the union workers were looking for; respect. He shouted the message to the state: “Hell no, we wont go”, and ended his speech with a rousing “power to the people.”

 It was the biggest rally/protest at the Ohio state house since 1966, but this rally didn’t have a 60’s vibe.  This was evident in many ways: there was but one musician with a guitar in the entire crowd, no art, and no detectable recreational drug use. This is not a social revolution. At this point we are not even idealistic enough to try to move things forward, it is enough, for now, to keep them from moving in reverse.

I was happy to chant and wave a sign for this cause, even though my emotional connection to labor unions comes 2^nd hand, through the classes I have taken and the books I have read. This bill will not directly effect my life the way that some of the other aspects of progress the conservatives are trying to reverse will.  At one point some Oberlin students entertained the idea of getting arrested for this cause but personally I am not close enough to the issue. It is appropriate and good for us to be there, bringing fresh energy and our opinions to the rally but I know that many students at Oberlin still don’t feel like Ohioans, myself included. I think it is important for us to show where our allegiances lie in a way that allows us to support and follow the lead of the people SB-5 is really effecting, and that is the public servants of Ohio, and the permanent residents. 

Reflections on Haiti

Despite the drastic disparities in human living conditions, we can adjust to almost anything. I was only in Haiti for two weeks, but after one week I felt at home. It’s surprising how fast we can accept open sewers, burning trash, killing tarantulas and snakes with shovels and our hair mysteriously dreadlocking itself. It’s easy to forget to be constantly alert — it can take an experience like whizzing down the National Highway (no speed limits) on the back of an overcrowded “moto” with a speeding truck two inches from your leg to remind you.

Realistically, in order to work, function and have fun in a country that has had so much bad luck, it is necessary to let go of what we expect and what we are used to. It is important to relax and be flexible so that the different customs, laws and safety procedures don’t alarm us. Instead of trying to fix every issue that we as Americans see in a country with such different standards, we have to accept that we can move from different cultures and living conditions and survive them. There are people just like us who are living and surviving in devastating conditions all over the world.

This is particularly important when we, the predominantly wealthy white American volunteers, see poverty all around us that is unlike anything we have seen in the states. There are entire communities that are considered homeless by our standards, and yet they have pristine school uniforms for all their children and manage to keep a high morale. People live in tents that most Americans would not even consider camping in. When faced with that kind of poverty, where tent communities are on riverbanks strewn with garbage and waste and children are much smaller and slower to develop that American children, it’s hard to know how to react. It’s difficult to know how to be sympathetic without being patronizing or condescending. As a volunteer, I was in Haiti to try to help and make a difference, but at the same time I didn’t want to disrespect the way many Haitians were living by taking part in what is known as ‘poverty tourism’. For my first few days in Haiti I worried about the different ways I should respond to the unsettling images I was surrounded by. Then the general acceptance set in, and I became desensitized to the poverty.

Becoming desensitized to the poverty can feel liberating. It allowed me to open my mind and relate to Haitians more personally. I began to learn about Haiti on a deeper level. The more relaxed we became in Haiti, the more we felt at ease in the community, because we stopped seeing Haitians as so separate from ourselves. Yet the desensitization can also be confusing and unsettling; once these things are accepted as normal, it is hard to know what to do about them. Before desensitization, the tragedy of poverty can be overwhelming, and it’s easy to focus only on what needs to be improved. After the crossover from overwhelming sympathy and sadness to acceptance and appreciation, the line between helpful volunteer work and mild cultural imperialism becomes blurry.

The amount of necessary earthquake disaster response work was daunting, which allowed me to keep the fears of cultural imperialism at bay. Tackling huge piles of rubble and demolished houses does not bring up issues of superiority. It does not feel culturally insensitive to try to clear a plot of land that housed a family before the earthquake and now is a pile of cement, stones and wire. As Haitians came to work alongside us, using sledgehammers and pick axes towards a common goal, I didn’t worry that I might be condescending or treating Haitian culture and conditions as some sort of exhibit. However, I was aware that while this was a project for me, it had very real implications for the Haitians working alongside me. I was removed from the reality of the earthquake and the devastation.

What is most interesting about becoming desensitized and accepting the surroundings as status quo is that it goes unnoticed unless you take a pause and imagine how you would tell someone back home about the experience. Then you realize that riding on the rim of a pickup truck, eating unidentified fruit sold at the beach, using motorcycles as family vehicles, using bucket flushing toilets and bucket showers and constantly spraying yourself and your clothes with toxic amount of DEET are anything less than safe and normal. It is hard to know where to draw the line between making changes in a culturally insensitive way, where we are pushing our own agendas, and helping empower the Haitian people to help themselves in a way that is most positive for them.

this article is also available through the Oberlin College Review Website http://www.oberlinreview.org/article/op-ed-desensitization-haiti/ 

Adventure #1: Going to Haiti

A two week volunteering adventure in Haiti seems to be the perfect way to start my blog. I leave tomorrow and I don't know what to expect, but Im sure it will be interesting and blog-worthy. This is primarily a political blog, but to me, the most important part of politics is when you stop talking about it and start acting. The political issues that are most important to me center around development, human rights and humanitarian aid. Volunteering is the way I practice what I preach without a college diploma or a job in the fields I am interested in. During my pre-departure research I have come across many NGOs that are doing admirable work in Haiti. I will be volunteering with All Hands ( http://hands.org/) ,which is one of many groups tending to emergency response, health care and child services. Some of my other favorites are World Vision ( http://www.worldvision.org/) , CARE , (http://www.care.org/vft/haiti/) and Partners in Health or "Zanmi Lasante" in Haitian Creole. (http://www.pih.org/pages/haiti/). NGO's are incredibly important in places like Haiti, where civil service has had many severe setbacks.