Adversity Breeds Creativity

PRESS RELEASE
Los Angeles, California, May 25, 2010

We are reaching out to get your ear for a minute about this critical situation in Arizona.

If you haven’t heard, the Arizona state legislature passed a bill (SB 1070) that was signed into law by Governor Jan Brewer that legalizes and sanctions racial profiling. Straight up.

It forces the cops to hunt down and target anyone they “reasonably suspect” that may be undocumented. And if the people they harass don’t have proof that they were born in the U.S., they can be detained and arrested. This must be stopped.

Fans of our music, our stories, our films and our words can be pulled over and harassed every day because they are brown or black, or for the way they speak, or for the music they listen to. People who are poor like some of us used to be could be forced to live in a constant state of fear while just doing what they can to find work and survive. This law opens the door for them to be shaked down, or even worse, detained and deported while just trying to travel home from school, from home to work, or when they just roll out with their friends.

Some of us grew up dealing with racial profiling, but this law (SB 1070) takes it to a whole new low. If other states follow the direction of the Arizona government, we could be headed towards a pre-civil rights era reality. This unjust law was set into motion by the same Arizona government that refused to acknowledge Martin Luther King Jr. day as a national holiday.

When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, they arrested her. As a result, people got together and said we are not going to ride the bus until they change the law. It was this courageous action that sparked the Montgomery bus boycott. What if we got together, signed a collective letter saying, “we’re not going to ride the bus”, saying we are not going to comply. We are not going to play in Arizona. We are going to boycott Arizona!

Signed,

Zack de la Rocha

Here’s a list of the courageous artists who have taken a stand for civil and human rights in this collective decision to boycott Arizona:

Cypress Hill
Juanes
Conor Oberst
Los Tigres del Norte
Rage Against the Machine
Cafe Tacvba
Micheal Moore
Kanye West
Calle 13
Joe Satriani
Serj Tankian
Rise Against
Ozomatli
Sabertooth Tiger
Massive Attack
One Day as a Lion
Street Sweeper Social Club
Spank Rock
Sonic Youth
Tenacious D

We are asking artists the world over to stand with us, and not allow our collective economic power to be used to aid and abet civil and human rights violations that will be caused by Arizona’s odious law.

Canada is losing its independence as a nation. It does not matter if its a drug crime, shoplifting, or murder. If a Canadian citizen is alleged to break the law, charges, prosecution, and if convicted, jail time should all be within the Canadian justice system. Shame on Canada for handing a Canadian citizen over to a foreign country.

I left the city for the Olympics and I recognize my reason to rant on the subject is limited. Yet, I rant.

I respect the right to protest. I think it’s one of my favorite things about living in a country such as Canada – our right to speak our minds and stand behind our constitution. However, when your city is already hosting an event I think it’s time to put down  whinestick and just take the opportunity to enjoy what is available. My parents went to a free concert every night during 2010 just down the street from their house, and because it was Surrey and away from the general tourist public they were granted with lots of space to move around and the ability to bring their own drinks. I saw the enthusiasm from fellow GVRD members and beautiful photographs from all over the city. Again, I wasn’t here, but I understand the scope of activities were free and captivating  even just walking down the street. When the games start perhaps the time to protest  is over. You, and your potential children are already going to be paying for this event. Put down the bitchtorch and just go out and enjoy it? Even if your form of enjoyment is yelling at drunk foreign tourists I can think of many ways to have a great time doing just that and still hold up your “anti-olympic” flame without looking childish.

Then today  I get shit on for not following the youtube clips of what was going on during the Olympics. I suppose next time said individual is in Vietnam they can tell me how well their youtube watching goes, as it is a communist country, and you are hijacking the shittiest of all shit internet connections. And  how dare I not keep up with what was going on because I used Facebook while I was away? Because keeping up with pieces of home when you are travelling alone certainly holds the same appeal. Oh, wait, actually… if you check my blog or facebook I have comments and photo’s on the olympics, too. Weird. The long and short:

November 9, 2008
Guest Columnist: Renford Reese, Ph.D.

The Meaning of Obama’s Victory

When Michelle Obama stated during the presidential campaign that, “For the first time in my adult lifetime I’m really proud of my country” most open-minded people knew what she meant—especially now. I have never been prouder of America. Barack Obama’s monumental presidential victory has inspired hope that America can live up to the egalitarian principles embedded in its constitution. This moment ranks with the Emancipation Proclamation, the ratification of the 13th Amendment, which ended slavery, and the Brown decision as one of the most significant events in the history of U.S. race relations.

The exuberance of this moment parallels the 13th Amendment in many ways. There was euphoria among the slaves that were freed in 1865. However, after the celebrations ended reality set in—the freed slaves had no land, no property, hence, no way to support themselves. The black man who is serving a disproportionate 15-year sentence for the possession of two ounces of narcotics will still serve his sentence. The poor mother who could not afford to put food on the table for her two children on November 3 will probably not be able to put food on the table for her children on January 21, the day after the new president is sworn in.

Obama, in his eloquent, gracious, and solemn acceptance speech warned his supporters against thinking that he will be able to feed the multitudes with a fish and a loaf of bread. His caution included these words: “For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime–two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century…The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep.” When the euphoria wanes, people will come to realize Obama’s limitations. He will be hamstrung by eight years of mismanagement, corruption, and ill-advised policies. Any changes that he makes will necessarily be incremental. He will not be able to change the lot of millions of Americans overnight.

With that said, his election should not be trivialized. Obama has lit the fire of hope in millions of people in the United States and around the world. He has made it possible for the 11-year old Hispanic girl, the 12-year old Chinese boy, and the 13-year old African American boy to believe that with hard work, discipline, and commitment, that they can be anything they want to be in America. Until November 4, this was our most glaring myth.

What does Obama’s victory say about the current state of race relations in America? Obama has given millions of people a common conversation. Dialogue is at the core of racial understanding. By now, all Obama supporters have experienced that common conversation in the hallway at work, in the bathroom, in the break room, etc. By now, irrespective of ethnic background, we have all found ourselves chatting about the man and the moment.

A leader like Obama comes to us once a generation. This is acknowledged in the words of Colin Powell, the joy of Oprah Winfrey, and in the apologetic tears of Jesse Jackson.

The world has witnessed the charisma and brilliance of Martin Luther King Jr., the perseverance and humility of Nelson Mandela, and the spiritual radiance of Bishop Desmond Tutu. Obama embodies the characteristics of all these great leaders plus something. We cannot put our finger on that “something” but we see it in his calm demeanor and we feel it when he speaks. He is both ordinary and extraordinary. He fundamentally understands that you get what you give. If you give respect you get respect–if you give love you get love. He fundamentally understands that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. This is why people are drawn to him.

The world became a better place on November 4; we could sense it on November 5–the sun seemed to shine brighter. Nevertheless, with all the rays of sunshine Obama has brought to the world, he still cannot walk on water. Hence, we need to recognize this and be realistic and patient with him as he takes us on his historic journey.

– Renford Reese, Ph.D., is a professor in the Political Science Department and the Director of the Colorful Flags Program at Cal Poly Pomona University. He is the author of “American Bravado” (2008), “Prison Race” (2006), and the widely discussed “American Paradox: Young Black Men” (2004). He is also the author of the Starbucks “The Way I See It” Quote #294. See his work at: http://www.RenfordReese.com