Praising Gogol Bordello's Decision to Boycott Arizona

Earlier this week, the gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello announced on their Facebook page that they would not be playing any concerts in Arizona because of their racist immigration law, S.B. 1070. I am one of the over 600 people who "liked" their status, but the comments left on their Facebook page were a mixture of praise and whining (you probably need a Facebook account to see the comments, but I assure you the following comments are accurate. I'm not going to post names). Some people felt they were being "screwed over."

You guys aren't helping. All you're doing is stiffing the local promoters and the fans, which in turn just hurts us(not to mention our screwed local economy) instead of helping the cause. Screwing us over won't overturn a law we had no say in. That's not fair.

Here's a white guy in Arizona claiming he didn't have a vote! See, because that's what a representative government is. The citizens vote for representatives and the governor and urge them to vote and sign legislation to your liking. And if you didn't do that, then sucks to be an Arizonan, huh? But you know what's really unfair? Getting locked in a detention center because you have brown skin.

Here's someone with some sense:

If you live in AZ and it makes you sad, then make some noise and get SB1070 OVERTURNED so people aren't afraid to travel to your state.

Precisely, because if there ever was a band so conspicuous in style of music and attire, it's Gogol Bordello.

Every single one of these folks would be stopped and asked for their papers because of their strange clothes and shoes (6:06), not to mention accents. But one comment got me particularly perturbed:

I though[t] Gogol would be behind this. Seeing as how you and your family did everything legally and took the time and effort to do so. if i was an immigrant i would be very angry at illegal immigration. it would feel like a slap in my face, "oh you did it legally like responsible people? well screw you i am more important than you and i don't have the time to wait to do the paperwork."

The last part I get, the part about people not having the time to do the paperwork before they get out of their home country. And one of those people is Eugene Hutz, lead singer of the band (he's the one in the front of the photo with the fire bucket), and his family. They left Ukraine after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Talk about not having time to wait to do the paperwork, when you're running away from a mushroom cloud. They spent in refugee camps in three different countries before finally settling in Vermont. Eugene and his family are among the lucky immigrants who survived a nuclear explosion and refugee life.

Many immigrants don't have those resources. They escape war, systemic rape, genocide, and more to come to the United States and other stable nations for a better life. Many of these immigrants are denied asylum and are desperate to come to the country under any means necessary. So I'm pretty sure Eugene Hutz is empathetic to the plights of immigrants who are trying to escape turmoil in pursuit of happiness. If only that were guaranteed in some long-standing American document.

Because I love Gogol Bordello's music and the fact that they are boycotting Arizona until they overturn this ridiculously racist law, I'm going to update my above playlist with some of my favorite songs of theirs. Unfortunately, playlist.com doesn't have much from Trans-Continental Hustle. Enjoy anyway!

Take Action Monday

I was going to post these petitions earlier, but I saw El Secreto de sus Ojos (The Secret in their Eyes), the Argentinean film that won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film a few months back. There were a surprising number of senior citizens there. The movie is amazing, and knowing that a bunch of old people ditched their stupid families to go see it made it even sweeter.

Support Secretary Salazar's plan for increasing renewable energy sources and energy efficiency.

Preserve the International Affairs Budget.

Tell FOX to fire racist contributor John Stossel.

Support Alan Grayson's (D-FL) The War is Making You Poor Act.

Repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Reject the Texas Textbook Massacre.

Strip BP of all federal contracts.

The Funny & Fucked Up

The Funny

After Bill O'Reilly tells Columbia University professor Dr. Marc Lamont Hill that he looks like a cocaine dealer, Dr. Hill responds: "You look like a cocaine user."

A couple of feminist blogs have talked about a new right-wing website called America Speaking Out. Conservatives post their ideas to improve America, and visitors to the site vote for the ideas. It appears that several funny liberals have taken the site over and posted some jokes.

The Fucked Up

A radio station in Columbus, Ohio had a contest in which the "winner" gets a trip to Phoenix, Arizona to "chase aliens." You can encourage them to apologize here.

An elementary school teacher in Norfolk, Virginia gave four-inch plastic fetus dolls to their students, along with anti-choice messages.

Take Action Monday on Tuesday

End racial profiling in Arizona.

Make trucking companies for new clean-air trucks. They're currently making their workers pay for them.

Tell the National Auto Dealers Association that you want cleaner cars.

Take all weapons inscribed with Bible verses out of combat zones.

Support immigration reform that does good by the mentally ill and disabled.

Close the gun show loophole.

Take Action Monday

President Obama's healthcare proposal doesn't have a public option! Tell Congress that you support the public health insurance option, even if it'll only take 51 Democratic Senators to pass it.

Support the legalization of medicinal marijuana.

Urge President Obama to prevent Shell from drilling for oil offshore.

Prosecute Dick Cheney for supporting torture.

Help veterans re-enter the job market.

Stop the destruction of our natural forests.

Speak out against racial profiling.

Tell Sarah Palin to get her facts straight.

Take Action Monday

So CBS ended up airing the Focus on the Family ads during the Super Bowl anyway. When I saw one of them on YouTube, I commented that Focus on the Family is an extreme right-wing hate group that works to roll back the rights of women and LBGTs, meager as they already are. A loser then replied saying this: "Focus on the Family is not an extreme right-wing hate group. They believe in the love of family - every member of the family - the pregnant and the preborn. 64% of all abortions are coerced making abortion the ultimate exploitation of women. Focus on the Family is there for the family, the pregnant, and the preborn. There is no hateful propaganda on their website only love and compassion." Anti-choicers say that darndest things, don't they?

Demand maternal healthcare in Burkina Faso. Five women died of pregnancy and childbirth-related deaths in Burikna Faso ALONE on the day CBS aired ads for Focus on a Family, an organization that supports women dying as long as it aligns with their political beliefs.

Stop the lying teabaggers.

Tell the CDC and NIH to include children in their HIV vaccine studies.

Sign to take genetically modified corn off the shelves.

Tell Congress to stop wasteful defense spending.

Call on President Obama to end nuclear weapon proliferation.

Support investing in women and families.

Tell Glenn Beck that you have a weird name, and you're an American.

Speak out against offshore oil drilling.

Urge the Census Bureau to count LBGT families too.

Protect our drinking water.

Take Action Monday

Support legislation to enact legislation that trains childcare workers.

Keep Texas from erasing Hispanics in textbooks.

Support real healthcare reform.

Protect the Caribou from extinction.

Send a message of support to Iranian activists.

Support early education.

Stop the Stupak Amendment from making it into healthcare reform.

The Funny & the Fucked Up

The Funny:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Even Better Than the Real Thing
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

John Oliver of The Daily Show talks about the wonderful yesteryear of Christian White Dudes

The Fucked Up:

New Jersey legislators nix the gay marriage bill. It's the worst thing to happen to New Jersey since Snooki and The Situation.

A Little Bit of Both:

When talking about how great the GOP platform is to Sean Hannity (who I'm sure has no opinion on the matter at all), Michael Steele says "Honest Injun," which I don't think I've heard since like Kindergarten. God, Michael Steele. It's "word is bond." If you can't get the lingo right, how are any of your Republican friends going to remember that you're Black?

Take Action Monday

Sorry for the lack of posts, but I was sick allll week. Fortunately, I'm getting better, so I should be posting a bit more.

Tell your Representative and Senators that being a woman is not a pre-existing condition.

Support fair salaries and unionization at WalMart.

Tell President Obama to make Sudan a priority on his next trip to China.

Urge CNN to dump Dobbs. And tell Glenn Beck what you think of him too.

Tell Senate Majority Leader Reid to support a public health insurance option.

Protect wolves from slaughter.

Urge the Sri Lankan government to release detainees.

WTF: Miscegenation Edition

A pastor in Louisiana intentionally doesn't marry interracial couples, but there's one very important thing you need to know.

I'm not a racist . . . I have piles and piles of Black friends.

Gee, that's reassuring, I guess. What's this guy's deal? Does he think it's 1953? No, he uses the classic Helen Lovejoy "won't someone please think of the children" defense.

"There is a problem with both groups accepting a child from such a marriage. I think those children suffer . . ."

True that. Just look at these unfortunate interracial misfits who were never accepted and amounted to nothing.

How cruel it would be to bring interracial children into the world when all they have to look forward to is becoming one of the most successful recording artists of all time, the highest paid athlete in professional sports, an Academy award winning actress, or President of the United States.

Hey Hey It's Racism!

On Hey Hey It's Saturday, which seems to be like an Australian version of The Gong Show, a group calling themselves The Jackson Jive performed a horrendous dance and singing routine -- in blackface. Mind you, the performance would have been horrendous without the blackface, but at least it wouldn't have been totally racist. Harry Connick, Jr. was one of the judges. He gave them a zero and later said that he wouldn't have done the show had known these jackasses would be on (in a more polite way, of course). As the Aussies might say, good on ya, Harry!

Take Action Monday

I have to do this assignment for one of my teaching courses where I have to visit a school for a few hours, observe a class, and get some general information about the school and surrounding community. Every school I call requires that I give up my first-born child in order to do this assignment, since they don't want just anyone entering their school. When I told them I don't have any children and don't plan to, they told me a pint of my blood would be a sufficient offering. So I'll be visiting the blood bank soon. Anyway . . . .

Protect the Arctic from oil and gas development.

Encourage the 62 companies who have pulled their ads from Glenn Beck's program to stand their ground.

Support the Clean Water Protection Act.

Tell your Senators to pass healthcare reform now.

Tell your Representatives not to meet with anti-immigrant hate groups while planning immigration reform.

Support a balanced approach to achieving Middle East peace.

Urge your Representative and Senators to prioritize reproductive healthcare access in healthcare reform.

Take Action Monday

Tell Congress to draft a healthcare plan that works for people with chronic diseases.

Call on advertisers to stop sponsoring Glenn Beck's racist television and radio shows.

Show Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano that you want real immigration reform.

Tell your Congressperson to support a public healthcare option.

Urge your Senators to confirm Judge Sotomayor to the Supreme Court.

Thank Secretary of State Clinton for her dedication to women's rights.

Tell CNN that you want Lou Dobbs off the air. I know I do.

Demand accountability for the crimes committed at Guantanamo Bay.

Urge Senators Baucus, Bingaman, Conrad, Enzi, Grassley, and Snowe to give back money donated to them by health insurance and pharmaceutical companies.

Top 6 Ways to Deflect Accusations of Racism

Part of the reason why I haven't been updating is because I'm pretty addicted to this Facebook game called Typing Maniac. You have to type words that fall from the top of the screen before they reach the bottom. It's much more fun than I'm making it sound. There are a bunch of words, some from different languages, some with double meanings. Facebook users can discuss the game on the message board, and someone posted a topic called "Racist words." He says,

Why on earth is the word CHINK on it???? What kind of BS is this?

"Chink" has more than one meaning, and a few people informed the OP of this. Still, there's no denying that the word is triggering, since it is also a racist term used to refer to Chinese people. And then comes the deluge of "it's not racist because I say so" replies. These comments come in many forms.

First, there's the "You're racist because you notice racism" response:

What kind of racist initially thinks of that as a racist word when it has existed as a benign word for much longer?

Uh, the kind of racist who's been called a chink before? What a bitch, and I mean that in the most benign way possible.

Then there's the "playing dumb" response:

chinks?

1 : a small cleft, slit, or fissure 2 : a weak spot that may leave one vulnerable 3 : a narrow beam of light shining through a chink

I don't see it as a racist word and I'm chinese

Except you know it can be used as a racist term against Chinese people. Why else mention at the end that you're Chinese? Which segues nicely into the next response, the "I'm not offended, so it's not offensive" response:

I'm not offended by it at all.

Where's the "Have a Cookie" application when you need it? I love this one, because it basically tells others how they should feel, like they're the normal standard and everyone else deviates from it. I bet if I kicked this kid in the balls, he'd scream in pain. And I'd tell him, "If it hurts as much as you say it does, wouldn't it hurt me too?"

Then there's the "words mean nothing" response . . . :

I think if someone is offended by words, he can stay at home, close his pc his tv and his ears. Black people get offended when you say the word negroes but they say it all the time, homosexual people are offended if you say fug but they always say it. Life is like a south park joke for them.

. . . Made by someone who hates the fact that he can't use racial slurs because he's an oppressed White man. Now where did I put that tiny violin . . . . Oh, well. Let's get on with it. Probably my favorite response to a racist accusation is the "Speaking of racism, let's not speak about that" response:

lets just start posting all the weird words you get here~

Here's a word for you: FAIL.

And finally, there's the "You're a victim of racism, so there's something wrong with you emotionally" response:

Secure people don't make a fuss about words. I'm sick of hearing about it all from INSECURE people who've been taught insecurity in their childhood. GROW UP!

Yes, why can't we all be secure in our Whiteness like you? Oh, that's right. Because we're not all White. It's all part of our pathology.

Let's Get a Couple Things Straight

This is funny stuff.

This is so not funny stuff.

Now what would you file this under?

via Pandagon

Take Action Monday

Protect women's reproductive healthcare from anti-choice attacks.

Tell Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano to stop supporting racist Sheriff Arpaio.

Apply for a job at Senator Grassley's office so that you can have the same great healthcare he has.

Support the Global Food Security Act.

Urge Republicans to denounce Rush Limbaugh.

Tell Congress to support single-payer healthcare.

Something Ain't Right with the Young Republicans

The Young Republicans recently elected 38-year-old Audra Shay as their president. Young Republicans across the country implored her to get out of the race after she engaged in some racist conversation on Facebook and other social networking websites. After one of her Facebook friends called Obama and African Americans in general "mad coons," Shay replied, "You tell em . . . ! lol" This is totally outrageous.

I mean, since when is 38 young?

Do My Job for Me, Pat Buchanan!

via Think Progress

The above photo was taken at a conference hosted by brownphobic Pat Buchanan. If you can't tell from that fabulous banner, the conference was to promote English-only initiatives. But how do you pronounce that? "con-fer-en-ay-say?" I don't know what language that is, but it ain't English.

Take Action Monday

Tell Tom Daschle that you support a public healthcare option.

Demand that members of the House and Senate immigration subcommittees renounce anti-immigrant extremist groups.

Ask Congress to provide healthy food to the nation's hungry children.

Support the Iranian protestors.

Ask your Representative to co-sponsor the State Secrets Protection Act.

Tell your Representative to vote for the American Clean Energy and Security Act.

Demand that President Obama announce his plan for peace in Sudan.

Tell President Obama and Attorney General Holder to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act.

Call out Jim Cramer and Erin Burnett on their inaccurate reporting of the Employee Free Choice Act.

Take Action Monday

Send a letter of support to Dr. Tiller's family. Dr. George Tiller was an OB/GYN who provided late-term abortions to women with unhealthy pregnancies, until he was murdered on Sunday morning outside of his church. He was one of the few OB/GYNs in the country who was willing and able to provide this important service to women who would have otherwise died or been seriously injured due to their pregnancies. Dr. Tiller had survived one assassination attempt, a bombing of his clinic, and daily death threats from extremists who would rather see a woman become infertile due to her unhealthy pregnancy, give birth to a dead baby or a baby that will live only a few minutes, or die in childbirth, than to see a man save these women's lives and give them a second chance at motherhood. Dr. Tiller was murdered by one of these extremists in front of his family and in front of his god. My thoughts go out to Dr. Tiller's wife, children, and grandchildren, as well as the many patients of Dr. Tiller, and the women who have to look for a new doctor who is as experienced and compassionate as Dr. Tiller who can provide the legal and life-saving procedures that extremists believe women should have no right to have.

Condemn the racist and sexist attacks against Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

Urge your Senators to support the Paycheck Fairness Act.

Help reduce the threat of nuclear weapons.

Ask Senators Kerry and Lugar to hold a hearing on Sudan.

Thank UN Peacekeepers for their good work.