Aug 15 2010
Apr 27 2010
What If The Tea Party Were Black?
(via ramou)
Oh, this is really good.
I’ve seen this a few times and it always makes me say, “YEAH!” … so I should probably put it on my own, eh?
In other words, imagine that even one-third of the anger and vitriol currently being hurled at President Obama, by folks who are almost exclusively white, were being aimed, instead, at a white president, by people of color. How many whites viewing the anger, the hatred, the contempt for that white president would then wax eloquent about free speech, and the glories of democracy? And how many would be calling for further crackdowns on thuggish behavior, and investigations into the radical agendas of those same people of color?
To ask any of these questions is to answer them. Protest is only seen as fundamentally American when those who have long had the luxury of seeing themselves as prototypically American engage in it. When the dangerous and dark “other” does so, however, it isn’t viewed as normal or natural, let alone patriotic. Which is why Rush Limbaugh could say, this past week, that the Tea Parties are the first time since the Civil War that ordinary, common Americans stood up for their rights: a statement that erases the normalcy and “American-ness” of blacks in the civil rights struggle, not to mention women in the fight for suffrage and equality, working people in the fight for better working conditions, and LGBT folks as they struggle to be treated as full and equal human beings.
And this, my friends, is what white privilege is all about. The ability to threaten others, to engage in violent and incendiary rhetoric without consequence, to be viewed as patriotic and normal no matter what you do, and never to be feared and despised as people of color would be, if they tried to get away with half the shit we do, on a daily basis.
Dang, yeah. Good article.
Feb 7 2010
Seriously, this is happening in this day and age? Are these people proud that they are being blatantly racist? And that their only opinions of our president are bad—simply because of his ethnic background? Where am I? What do these people even know about Islam, socialism, what it would be like growing up in a family that isn’t able to afford good healthcare, or being anything other than white, middle-class, hetero, Christians? Nothing? Right.
So embarrassing. :(
More here.
Jan 26 2010
“2MB”
Today I learned that the nickname many Koreans have for their current president, Lee Myung-bak, is “2 Megabytes”: as in, he so dumb that’s how much his brain can process.
Claims my students made about Lee Myung-bak:
- Apparently, he’s imported mad cow disease into Korea. (I looked this up, they’re freaking out because President Lee is allowing US beef to be imported to Korea and Koreans believe US beef carries mad cow disease.)
- He’s a corporate fraud in bed with most of the Korean mainstream media (from what I gather, this is true.)
- They don’t like him because he was born in Japan (kind of silly, but understandable. I mean, we’re talking about the country that occupied Korea from 1910-1945.)
2MB. Ha! Clever.
From what I gather, the criticisms of President Lee Myung-bak is that he’s a corporatist, Christianist right-winger whom many consider “stupid.”
Sound familiar?
Haha, 2MB is a good nickname—I don’t think I ever heard that. I could never believe how much my little students critically talked about their president. I probably barely knew who ours was when I was nine.
Dec 25 2009
![sexartandpolitics:
I honestly have no idea why I remember a Slate article from 2002, but What’s Wrong With Marrying Your Cousin? is fascinating.
Now a study by the National Society of Genetic Counselors says that having a child with your first cousin raises the risk of a significant birth defect from about 3-to-4 percent to about 4-to-7 percent. According to the authors, that difference isn’t big enough to justify genetic testing of cousin couples, much less bans on cousin marriage. […] “I tell almost ALL my correspondents who are considering expressing a more than casual affection for their cousin to remember a few important things,” [Aunt Kate’s advice column at cousincouples.com] writes. “The first one is that you already have a guaranteed, life long relationship that you will live with for a very long time. Don’t mess it up.”
Also, it’s legal in Canada.
chart via notthatkindagay:daysinboston:dreamsonfire:ewokgia
Yay, America.](http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kv507qbhIr1qatnm4o1_500.jpg)
I honestly have no idea why I remember a Slate article from 2002, but What’s Wrong With Marrying Your Cousin? is fascinating.
Now a study by the National Society of Genetic Counselors says that having a child with your first cousin raises the risk of a significant birth defect from about 3-to-4 percent to about 4-to-7 percent. According to the authors, that difference isn’t big enough to justify genetic testing of cousin couples, much less bans on cousin marriage. […] “I tell almost ALL my correspondents who are considering expressing a more than casual affection for their cousin to remember a few important things,” [Aunt Kate’s advice column at cousincouples.com] writes. “The first one is that you already have a guaranteed, life long relationship that you will live with for a very long time. Don’t mess it up.”Also, it’s legal in Canada.
chart via notthatkindagay:daysinboston:dreamsonfire:ewokgia
Yay, America.
Oct 10 2009
I’m really bothered by how many negative comments I’ve seen regarding Obama’s winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Please, people, it’s not like he asked for it. The committee even addresses previous controversies here and pretty much says they look for potential above all else. Please, give me someone else who you think is better suited to win.. or just stop being a hater.
Living abroad has allowed me to step back from American politics and look at things differently. It’s crazy to hear my eight-year-old students bash Bush and then talk about how much the love Obama. Granted, this is probably all echoes of their parents’ beliefs, but even that says a lot. Americans don’t realize how much impact our government has internationally, and to see people thousands of miles across the world celebrate our president’s election is kind of eye-opening. I really, really wish that when I decide to come home for good, the political climate has changed a lot. That underrepresented people have earned more rights, and that—god forbid—everyone is allowed accessible healthcare.
Seeing all this negativity on facebook and elsewhere makes me dread going back and remembering how much Americans suck. Why you guys always gotta hate on everything?!
Jan 22 2009
Three days later, I’ve finally looked at some of the inauguration stuff. I love that so many Americans actually care about our president and finally have some hope. Here are some pictures from the Boston Globe that I liked.
So many people everywhere.
I definitely cried watching them dance, ha.
He even made the front page here. It amazes me how interested people were about the election here—even my 10 year old students. This just shows how much American politics really affect the whole world. And now, at the very least, people all over get to feel some optimism. Finally, I feel proud to be American*. Let’s hope I still feel this way in four years.
*While writing this, I checked out cnn.com for the first time in awhile and was quickly reminded of the batshit craziness that seems to only exist in America. One headline: “I hope Obama ‘fails,’ Limbaugh says.” Yes, good idea. Let’s all hope for our new president, and therefore our country to fail, so that we can be in deeper poo-poo than we already are. Then I almost had a seizure after reading some comments on another site. I’ll go back to forgetting that the disturbing school of thought known as “American conservatism” exists, and I’ll just be happy that I’m celebrating from afar.
Dec 10 2008
Blago getting cuffed has definitely made my week. Bitch had it coming.
Pictured: Blagobitch and one Justin G. Randall. Yes, this image is real.
I love everything about this photo.
The second governor in a row to get arrested? Seriously??
Nov 5 2008
heh heh heh
Thanks Paige.
Probably the only day that I would want to watch CNN or an English news channel is today. But of course these channels aren’t working. Just a blank blue screen with Korean writing on it that I can’t read.
So on my lunch break I’m watching the Korean news channel and trying to decipher what they’re saying.
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