Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Stirring the pot

After my last letter to the editors in the Beloit Daily News, I have gotten a big response. There have been three letters aim directly at me.

Six months left before elections


Seek solutions, not propaganda


Will not uphold the Constitution

This Monday the Beloit Daily printed an editorial called. Arizonas not the bad guys. You should read the comments. Lots of fun.

So here's what I hope the Beloit Daily will print this week.

The Beloit Daily News editorial on May 24 demonstrated that people conveniently ignore the situation. The editorial suggested that the New Arizona Law will not lead to racial profiling. It is wrong to assume that it will not. Even today existing laws are pursued on the basis of stereotypes.

The editorial stated that the law was not aimed tourists or American citizens, but in the past laws created to protect citizens have hurt those it was meant to protect. Prohibition is an example. It led not only to an increase in violence, but it helped root the American Mafia in the States. I’m pretty sure some of the people who lost their loved ones or their own lives were not making moonshine in their basement.

Criminalizing marijuana has done the same thing. It created a demand for marijuana. Many officers have died due to criminals smuggling it in. The new law will create a greater demand for fake IDs and stolen identities, and someone will fill this demand. This law is not a solution - it is only feeding the problem. You are raising the stakes for crossing the border, and are therefore raising profits people can make by human trafficking.

The editorial also attacked President Obama for having federal authorities investigate officials. What the president said was "We're examining any implications especially for civil rights…” Implications of the law does not mean they are looking into the officers who will enforce it.

The editorial also conveniently managed to ignore what people have been saying, we need immigration reform. No one, not the White House, not liberals, not Obama has said that we can leave the immigration situation alone. Even Felipe Calderon during his address to congress asked for help with immigration reform. So why are these facts constantly overlooked

So what do you think? Am I stirring the pot too much?




Thursday, May 20, 2010

The modern Samaritan

My friend was telling a chilling story on our way to a workshop. As she was walking her dog early Sunday morning, she noticed another dog running straight at her - a pitbull. While I know that dogs are as poorly behaved as their owners let them be, I understand my friend’s fear as she saw this animal running toward her. The strange dog was innocent enough at first until it tried to jump on her.
My friend’s dog, a German Shepard, became agitated and did what any good dog would – protect her master. A fight started between these two medium-sized dogs. I can only imagine how frightening of a sight this must have been for my friend.
The commotion attracted on-lookers as people started coming out of their homes with their video phones to film the excitement. Even the owner of the pit-bull just watched. My friend, after seeing people at their doors, screamed for help, but no one came.
My friend gathered her courage and tried to restrain the pit bull only to be bitten herself. Even more terrified than before, and with her faithful dog’s throat in the jaws of a pit bull, help finally arrived. Not from the many onlookers, or from the pitbull’s owner, but from two strangers driving by in their van.
One man helped separate the dogs and restrain the pit bull in his van while the other, a veterinarian in training, helped make sure the German Shepard was unharmed. My friend was also proud to mention that the two strangers were Hispanics; we do like to keep track of the achievements of our people.
This story, of course, is a metaphor to what I see as the current condition of the world. Too many people expect someone else to fix the world. Everyone is so afraid to make a stand on their own. People will either hide behind massive groups, like the tea party, or the government. Political lines are drawn creating a mob mentality; both liberals and conservative are guilty of this. And in the worst case scenario people will hide behind God.
Of course God did tell us about the Good Samaritan. I don’t think people read into the parable enough. The parable is not just about a stranger coming to a man’s aid. It’s about one man who stopped caring about what his group thought.
There is one group who claim to be revolutionary, Tea partiers. To truly do something revolutionary you need to do something different, Stop saying No. Stop thinking that everyone outside your group is your enemy. Do the revolutionary thing, be a good Samaritan and reach past your groups mindset.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Dear White People

Dear white people,

Please stop trying to speak for us non-white people.

Love,
Adan

The reason I say this is not because I don’t appreciate the support of the majority. I think you should be a key part in minority issues, I just don’t think you should try to voice our opinions. Let me give some examples. A situation occurred where some courageous student decided to wear American flags on Cinco de Mayo. They were sent home by Kim Lemos the assistant principal of the school. She, I think, felt that we Mexicans would be offended by this. As a Mexican, I don’t care what these students wear. She thought she was doing us a favor, helping us out. I think she overreacted.

This, of course, was not the end of the drama. While I was listening to Christian radio, the least offensive of conservative radio, I heard a very curious statement. They were discussing the drama with the high school students. The comment that was made was this, and I am paraphrasing. “We don’t celebrate Bastille Day, the French revolution, but we celebrate Cinco de Mayo because we have a rich history with Mexico.” Now I don’t think it’s just me, but the host implied that Cinco de Mayo was our revolution. Well for all those not paying attention during high school history classes, it’s not. Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo because it gives you an excuse to drink. I celebrate it for the same reason, but it’s not a national holiday in Mexico, it is not our Bastille Day. The host was trying to help by justifying why we have a day dedicated to Mexicans, but he only ended up showing how ignorant he is.

Lastly I have to bash on my least favorite talk show radio host Erich Muller (Mancow). His comment is easily one the worst I have ever heard, and it is one of the reason we have the word racist. He commented to his black co-host, and I am quoting not paraphrasing, “You wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for slavery.” I’m sure I don’t need to explain that one.

All of these examples have one thing in common. All these people are trying to do minorities a favor. Kim Lemos was making sure Mexican weren’t offended, the Christian radio host was helping his white audience better connect with their Mexican brothers, and the Mancow was showing how much his people have helped in the creation of the African-American.

This is why we use the word racist. We don’t use the word when you don’t like us, or when you provide service to white folks first, we use the word jerk, along with others.

We do like the support just make sure you let us use our voice, and us get offended. We don’t need you to protect us from being insulted. We are strong people. I think we can handle it.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Immigration

My favorite part of the new Arizona immigration law isn’t the fact that it gives police too much power, or the fact that it encourages stereotyping, but I amazed at the law’s supporters. Conservatives that have been getting the public riled up by calling the government socialist are now supporting a law that allows the police to ask any citizen for their papers. I am reminded of 1984 by George Orwell and more recently V for Vendetta by Alan Moore. The conservatives that I’m talking about are the clown conservatives. People like Glenn Beck, Erich Muller (the Mancow), and Cal Thomas. These are the kinds of conservatives that have been going around name calling, and complaining the government is too big. These are the same people who feel their lives are being invaded by the government. These are the same people that support a law that gives the government the ability to stop anyone just for looking illegal. I thought we were innocent until proven guilty. Of course these conservatives will hide behind the necessity for immigration reform, and I agree with them. Immigration is a mess. It’s too hard for the brilliant minds to come to the states. It’s too easy for criminals to traffic drugs, and the current laws encourage human trafficking. Once they have crossed the border, illegal immigrants create unfair job competition for all Americans. There is no reason to pay someone more to do a job that some one else will do for less, and someone who can’t complain about being mistreated. Everybody loses in the current system, but that doesn’t mean we need to turn around and create unconstitutional laws. We tried that with the Patriot Act, and remember all the 16-year-olds that were on watch lists because they looked up how to make a bomb on yahoo.

This is only the latest example of buffoonery by these conservatives. Clown conservatives have been hurting not just their cause, but the nation. They have pitted perfectly reasonable people against each other by running around and calling everyone a socialist, Nazi, and what ever other scandalous name they can think of. These people are in show business; they are in it for the money and have resorted to using a childish tactic of shock. I urge people to stop following the example of these clowns, but by all means hear them out, it’s important to hear both sides of the story, but don’t follow their example. You will know what is right and wrong, and you will know what is fair, but only if you realize that some people are trying to get you riled up because they can make money out of it.