I haven't posted anything in quite a while, but now it's summer vacation so I figured I'd at least consider starting up again. However, I haven't really decided yet so it is entirely possible that this will be followed by another long period without updates. It is summer, though, so you never know. I could try to fill in the gap between my last post and this but I don't really want to and presumably things will come up naturally.
Well, I just wrote a letter to Obama about how we need to get out of Afghanistan (this issue has been bothering me for a while but the night before last I was particularly upset about it) and I'll stick it in the mail as soon as I can remember where I put those stamps... So the war in Afghanistan has really been bothering me. The whole argument for the war is that it's better than Iraq because they actually attacked us.
But does that really justify it? First of all, it was al Qaeda who attacked us, and we're in a war with Afghanistan not just al Qaeda. Moreover, we're not even sure al Qaeda is still in Afghanistan. But let's just say they are in Afghanistan. Does that give us a right to go in there and kill people? Moreover, if you look at the numbers, we've actually been responsible for more deaths in this war than were killed in 9/11. Ultimately, nothing can justify killing people in wars.
And how exactly is this war supposed to be a good thing? Supposedly, it's going to make the world safer by getting rid of "terrorists" (I put that in quotation marks because it seems to me that calling people terrorists is minimizing the role of environmental factors or at least muddling them up with personal factors), but is it really? Pretend, for a moment, that Iraq decides to retaliate for what we've done to their country by bringing in troops and killing people. Besides being horrified and condemning the action, what do you think people would do? If you didn't already hate Iraq, you probably would when they killed your family. And guess what? Now we've got a new terrorist. This is pretty much what is happening in Afghanistan or is at least likely to happen in the future.
And why is it that only US citizens have the right to safety? Clearly by our bringing troops to kill people and in some cases civilians into Afghanistan, we're making a lot of Afghanis less safe. So even if we were making things safe for us here, we don't have the right to do that if it comes at the expense of others' safety.
It's easy for us to say that this war is justified when all the killing and destruction is going on far away in Afghanistan. We don't have to deal with fearing for our safety, or the deaths of our friends and family, or fear for our own lives. We don't have to witness people being killed just because another country decides we're expendable. So it's very easy for us to just ignore the brutality and civilian deaths. But imagine for a moment that the war were going on here, in the US. Would it be okay then? Probably not. And if we really confront this reality, we must realize that it's not acceptable in Afghanistan, either. It shouldn't matter if you happen to live in a country that has been home to unsavory characters: killing is killing. And killing is wrong.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Thoughts on the Dixie Chicks, or the Intersection of Politics and Music
I know I haven't posted in a while, but I don't feel like explaining myself so I'm just going to jump right in to what I do feel like writing about. As the title indicates, I've been thinking about the political aspect of certain music a lot lately. It started mostly when someone I know who is very into music gave me a link to a YouTube video of the song Rebel Girl by Bikini Kill. Bikini Kill was (the band broke up a while ago) a feminist band: part of this whole riot grrrl movement/subgenre/whatever you want to call it that I'll have to write more about some other time. Anyway, this is pretty much what started it.
I've since decided that Bikini Kill still isn't exactly my kind of band (it's apparently punk, which I've discovered is not the kind of music that I like) but there are a few songs that I like (mostly Rebel Girl.) and I definitely like the idea of a feminist band. However, while there are certainly riot grrrl-related songs that I like, for the most part I find that the subgenre tends to be a little hard to listen to, at least to me. Rebel Girl being a notable exception.
I tend to like bands like Evanescence and Nightwish, but I've discovered that I can be more flexible if there are other considerations that make me inclined to like another band. This is what has happened with the Dixie Chicks. First let me explain how I found out about this connection.
So in English one day (I quite like my English class.) we were discussing the double standard, and one of the things my teacher mentioned was something that happened with the Dixie Chicks. See, back when everyone liked Bush and the Iraq war (a very scary thought. I'm not old enough to have been interested in politics until fairly recently, so I didn't fully appreciate how horrible this was until reconsidering it recently), the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, Natalie Maines, declared at one of their concerts that she didn't approve of the war in Iraq and was ashamed that the president was from her home state of Texas. Let me find the exact quote... Here we go: "Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas."
This resulted in basically the shunning and blacklisting of the Dixie Chicks. Because, of course, expressing an objection to the politics of the president is such an unforgivable horror. My teacher suggested that part of this was probably because Natalie Maines is obviously a women, and women really aren't 'allowed' to express strong political opinions. This made sense to me. So of course when I got home I had to do more research on this.
I found out that they have a song called "Not Ready to Make Nice" about the event. Basically, I ended up getting a bunch of Dixie Chicks songs on iTunes. Even though it's a country band, and I'm not a big fan of country (I've never actively disliked it, but it has never really been my kind of music.), the music is not unpleasant to listen to and of course the political consideration made me more willing to consider music outside my typical style.
So this is basically how I came to discover the idea that music can be political. I mean, it's not that I hadn't heard this idea before, but I never really thought about it much. It's definitely an interesting thought.
I feel like writing about some specific Dixie Chicks songs, so that's what I'll do. They have a song called Ready to Run, which is basically about being happier without a boyfriend or a husband. This is particularly appealing to me just because of the stark contrast to cultural messages. See, in our society, women aren't supposed to be happy without some kind of romantic relationship with a man. But Ready to Run suggests that being single doesn't have to be a bad thing. It's a refreshing message to hear.
If I Fall You're Going Down With Me isn't quite as easy to connect to feminism, but I mostly just like the confidence expressed in the song. Then there's Goodbye Earl, which is funny in a rather convoluted way. It's about basically killing an abusive husband. So there are two girls named Mary Anne and Wanda who are friends who graduate from high school. Wanda marries this guy named Earl, and "it wasn't two weeks
after she got married that
Wanda started gettin' abused". So Wanda eventually divorces the abusive husband, but Earl violates the terms of the restraining order and "puts her in intensive care".
So her friend Mary Anne comes and the two of them decide they're going to have to kill Earl. They get away with it and then they're basically happy. It's kind of funny just because they basically get back at the abusive husband and stuff.
They also have a song called Some Days You Just Gotta Dance which is hardly political but which is a nice song. It's basically saying that sometimes when things are stressful you just have to dance and get rid of the tension by having fun. It's a very fun song. There's a song called Hole in My Head which can basically be summed up by the lyric "I need a boy like you like a hole in my head".
Then there's the song I mentioned called Not Ready to Make Nice which is about the whole blacklisting fiasco. Natalie Maines even got a death threat about the whole thing. It's basically saying that they're not going to apologize for speaking up for what they think is right and that if anyone objects, that's just too bad for them. It's empowering, although I hate to use the word because it sounds so cheesy.
Then there's another song I like called Lubbock or Leave It which is basically about small towns in the bible belt and their problems. I really like this song. I like lyrics like "Dust bowl, Bible belt
Got more churches than trees" and like "Throwing stones from the top of your rock/Thinking no one can see/The secrets you hide behind/Your southern hospitality".
So this is basically how I ended up listening to a country band.
I've since decided that Bikini Kill still isn't exactly my kind of band (it's apparently punk, which I've discovered is not the kind of music that I like) but there are a few songs that I like (mostly Rebel Girl.) and I definitely like the idea of a feminist band. However, while there are certainly riot grrrl-related songs that I like, for the most part I find that the subgenre tends to be a little hard to listen to, at least to me. Rebel Girl being a notable exception.
I tend to like bands like Evanescence and Nightwish, but I've discovered that I can be more flexible if there are other considerations that make me inclined to like another band. This is what has happened with the Dixie Chicks. First let me explain how I found out about this connection.
So in English one day (I quite like my English class.) we were discussing the double standard, and one of the things my teacher mentioned was something that happened with the Dixie Chicks. See, back when everyone liked Bush and the Iraq war (a very scary thought. I'm not old enough to have been interested in politics until fairly recently, so I didn't fully appreciate how horrible this was until reconsidering it recently), the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, Natalie Maines, declared at one of their concerts that she didn't approve of the war in Iraq and was ashamed that the president was from her home state of Texas. Let me find the exact quote... Here we go: "Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas."
This resulted in basically the shunning and blacklisting of the Dixie Chicks. Because, of course, expressing an objection to the politics of the president is such an unforgivable horror. My teacher suggested that part of this was probably because Natalie Maines is obviously a women, and women really aren't 'allowed' to express strong political opinions. This made sense to me. So of course when I got home I had to do more research on this.
I found out that they have a song called "Not Ready to Make Nice" about the event. Basically, I ended up getting a bunch of Dixie Chicks songs on iTunes. Even though it's a country band, and I'm not a big fan of country (I've never actively disliked it, but it has never really been my kind of music.), the music is not unpleasant to listen to and of course the political consideration made me more willing to consider music outside my typical style.
So this is basically how I came to discover the idea that music can be political. I mean, it's not that I hadn't heard this idea before, but I never really thought about it much. It's definitely an interesting thought.
I feel like writing about some specific Dixie Chicks songs, so that's what I'll do. They have a song called Ready to Run, which is basically about being happier without a boyfriend or a husband. This is particularly appealing to me just because of the stark contrast to cultural messages. See, in our society, women aren't supposed to be happy without some kind of romantic relationship with a man. But Ready to Run suggests that being single doesn't have to be a bad thing. It's a refreshing message to hear.
If I Fall You're Going Down With Me isn't quite as easy to connect to feminism, but I mostly just like the confidence expressed in the song. Then there's Goodbye Earl, which is funny in a rather convoluted way. It's about basically killing an abusive husband. So there are two girls named Mary Anne and Wanda who are friends who graduate from high school. Wanda marries this guy named Earl, and "it wasn't two weeks
after she got married that
Wanda started gettin' abused". So Wanda eventually divorces the abusive husband, but Earl violates the terms of the restraining order and "puts her in intensive care".
So her friend Mary Anne comes and the two of them decide they're going to have to kill Earl. They get away with it and then they're basically happy. It's kind of funny just because they basically get back at the abusive husband and stuff.
They also have a song called Some Days You Just Gotta Dance which is hardly political but which is a nice song. It's basically saying that sometimes when things are stressful you just have to dance and get rid of the tension by having fun. It's a very fun song. There's a song called Hole in My Head which can basically be summed up by the lyric "I need a boy like you like a hole in my head".
Then there's the song I mentioned called Not Ready to Make Nice which is about the whole blacklisting fiasco. Natalie Maines even got a death threat about the whole thing. It's basically saying that they're not going to apologize for speaking up for what they think is right and that if anyone objects, that's just too bad for them. It's empowering, although I hate to use the word because it sounds so cheesy.
Then there's another song I like called Lubbock or Leave It which is basically about small towns in the bible belt and their problems. I really like this song. I like lyrics like "Dust bowl, Bible belt
Got more churches than trees" and like "Throwing stones from the top of your rock/Thinking no one can see/The secrets you hide behind/Your southern hospitality".
So this is basically how I ended up listening to a country band.
Monday, January 25, 2010
The Letter
So I wrote a draft of the letter to Obama today. If you want to read it, here it is:
Dear Mr. President,
My name is [...] and I am a seventeen-year-old constituent who will be able to vote in the next presidential election. I am writing in regard to the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center. Approximately a year ago, you signed an executive order that you would close Guantanamo within a year. As you have acknowledged, this deadline has passed and Guantanamo Bay still isn’t closed.
I am requesting that you remain committed both to closing Guantanamo and to closing it properly through the judicial system. As I’m sure you are aware, the idea of infinite detention without a fair trial violates both due process and the very idea that our judicial system is based on- that a person is innocent until proven guilty.
Not only is Guantanamo a violation of American ideals, but it is also a danger to our national security. Our enemies are able to cite this as a reason to join the forces that wish to bring destruction to our country. This allows groups such as al Qaeda to point to us as a corrupt, bad nation rather than one with the high principles and ideals we take pride in.
Moreover, it is not enough to simply relocate prisoners or try them through military commissions- everyone deserves equal treatment under the law. By not trusting our federal court system to administer justice, we risk undermining its credibility. Any detainee who is not deemed fit to be released should be properly dealt with by our federal court system. If there is evidence that a detainee has broken the law, that detainee can be dealt with accordingly. If there is not, that detainee deserves to be returned to either her or his home country or the optimal country for that detainee.
I am requesting that you end the military commission system and commit to bringing the detainees through our federal courts. Furthermore, I would like it if you announced this plan publicly. I would greatly appreciate a response to:
[...]
Thank you so much for your time and the service that you do for our country.
Sincerely,
[...]
Dear Mr. President,
My name is [...] and I am a seventeen-year-old constituent who will be able to vote in the next presidential election. I am writing in regard to the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center. Approximately a year ago, you signed an executive order that you would close Guantanamo within a year. As you have acknowledged, this deadline has passed and Guantanamo Bay still isn’t closed.
I am requesting that you remain committed both to closing Guantanamo and to closing it properly through the judicial system. As I’m sure you are aware, the idea of infinite detention without a fair trial violates both due process and the very idea that our judicial system is based on- that a person is innocent until proven guilty.
Not only is Guantanamo a violation of American ideals, but it is also a danger to our national security. Our enemies are able to cite this as a reason to join the forces that wish to bring destruction to our country. This allows groups such as al Qaeda to point to us as a corrupt, bad nation rather than one with the high principles and ideals we take pride in.
Moreover, it is not enough to simply relocate prisoners or try them through military commissions- everyone deserves equal treatment under the law. By not trusting our federal court system to administer justice, we risk undermining its credibility. Any detainee who is not deemed fit to be released should be properly dealt with by our federal court system. If there is evidence that a detainee has broken the law, that detainee can be dealt with accordingly. If there is not, that detainee deserves to be returned to either her or his home country or the optimal country for that detainee.
I am requesting that you end the military commission system and commit to bringing the detainees through our federal courts. Furthermore, I would like it if you announced this plan publicly. I would greatly appreciate a response to:
[...]
Thank you so much for your time and the service that you do for our country.
Sincerely,
[...]
Sunday, January 24, 2010
I'm Back!
So I deleted (more like hid, actually, but I digress) this blog for a while. Only now it's back. I mostly deleted it due to school stuff. But now that my level of school stress has been lowered (i.e. the semester's over, and I switched into honors world for second semester) I decided to put it back up. I'm still vegan, by the way. And I'm still working at the library. Not sure if anything about me has really changed since the last post...
So since I'm back, I'm going to jump right in and start talking about Gitmo. So it has been a year and two days since Obama promised that he would close Gitmo in a year (i.e. his deadline was two days ago and he missed it). And is it closed? Why of course not! (I may have become more critical of Obama since I last posted...). In fact, Obama has already decided to illegally detain without a trial FIFTY PEOPLE from Gitmo. Fifty.
So I've decided that tomorrow, I'm going to write a letter to him about how we need to close Gitmo. Some of my planned main points are as follows:
Infinite detention is a violation of due process and doesn't work with the idea of "innocent until proven guilty"
This actually hurts us to keep Gitmo open because you know those terrorists everyone's so afraid of? This is actually helping their recruitment efforts.
The justice system that we have (i.e. no military commissions) is perfectly able to deal with any of these people: if there's no evidence, the prisoners should be released and transferred to the appropriate country
And that's the gist of it. It's just ridiculous that even with a Democratic president, a majority of Democrats in the House and Senate, etc., we can't even manage to follow our own Constitution! And I also feel that Obama's hushing the whole Gitmo thing up. It feels like he's hoping everyone will just forget about it and that maybe he really doesn't have any interest in remedying the situation. And that scares me. Which is why I'm writing the letter.
So since I'm back, I'm going to jump right in and start talking about Gitmo. So it has been a year and two days since Obama promised that he would close Gitmo in a year (i.e. his deadline was two days ago and he missed it). And is it closed? Why of course not! (I may have become more critical of Obama since I last posted...). In fact, Obama has already decided to illegally detain without a trial FIFTY PEOPLE from Gitmo. Fifty.
So I've decided that tomorrow, I'm going to write a letter to him about how we need to close Gitmo. Some of my planned main points are as follows:
Infinite detention is a violation of due process and doesn't work with the idea of "innocent until proven guilty"
This actually hurts us to keep Gitmo open because you know those terrorists everyone's so afraid of? This is actually helping their recruitment efforts.
The justice system that we have (i.e. no military commissions) is perfectly able to deal with any of these people: if there's no evidence, the prisoners should be released and transferred to the appropriate country
And that's the gist of it. It's just ridiculous that even with a Democratic president, a majority of Democrats in the House and Senate, etc., we can't even manage to follow our own Constitution! And I also feel that Obama's hushing the whole Gitmo thing up. It feels like he's hoping everyone will just forget about it and that maybe he really doesn't have any interest in remedying the situation. And that scares me. Which is why I'm writing the letter.
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