March 31, 2005
Why not feed the hungry?
I can not believe the clamor over Terri Shiavo's death; not because her life was not as valuable as any other human beings, but because the premise of the argument is un****ing believable! Terry's feeding tube was removed, yes. She was no longer receiving vital nutrients, also true.
Will the real empathy please begin? How many people in this country die of starvation without the benefit of Bush's intervention? How many working women are INELIGIBLE for food stamps because they do not want to be POOR, but work (some as many as two jobs!) for a living? How many women have to rely on programs like WIC (women, infants and children) just to ensure that their CHILDREN (who we can actually help) will have milk, peanut butter, cheese, juice and beans? Does Bush give a shit about them???? NO, NO, NO! And religious reasoning...plaleeze, spare me that bullshit. Bush having religion would mean the end of many great travesties, like....hmmmm...the war, stealing natural resources from other countries, trying to govern the reproductive rights of women, medicare and health benefits for our elderly...and so forth. But by all means, let's forget about all of those seemingly inconsequential issues, and instead let's focus on one poor woman, whose husband is probably more familiar with her wishes than anyone else, and let's do all that we can to make him look like a murderer, because that is obviously more important than attempting to resolve any of the bigger issues that he(Bush) actually should be trying to work on. Talk about needing to get your priorities in order! Charity begins at home, so lets address public issues publicly, and leave private issues alone.
Posted by dvaldesd at 04:28 PM | Comments (2)
March 27, 2005
white may not be right after all
In class Thursday, we engaged in a conversation about reparation. Becky very eloquently stated that the reason repatriation is necessary is because whites are the beneficiaries of past atrocities against people of other races.
Another professor not only shares this view, but does an awesome job of unpacking it. Please follow this link and she what she has to say about it.
http://seamonkey.ed.asu.edu/~mcisaac/emc598ge/Unpacking.html
Posted by dvaldesd at 03:36 PM | Comments (1)
March 24, 2005
spanglish, smanglish
Today in my comp history class, I blew a fuse. I guess I think that languages, ALL LANGUAGES, deserve to be recognized as the social construction that they are. I don't care how many scholars are out there professing to know what the hell their talking about, when they are talking about nothing that pertains to me as a Latina or a burgeoning scholar of rhetoric. So I spend the semester reading about all this stuff, but I can't use any of it in my paper, because I am not the target audience, and thus none of it pertains to me. These "experts" do, however, tell me how I can compose a history, that I have to decide what's important enough for me to bother to include in this construction (except for my man Vico who says throw it all in!), and that I
should be a responsible enough scholar to table my subjectivity throughout the process. Argggghhhh!
Well, I've been chewing on it all day, and thanks to my Prof. (Becky, who loves to make trouble as much as I do) and taking the advice of one of my colleagues (Diana), I get to include what has so sadly been lost; Spanglish; a language that has allowed my Latina/o brethren to negotiate the addition of a foreign Germanic language into our beautiful lyrical language. I also get to sound and signify on those that thought that they could sweep it under the table and ignore the fact that Latinos are absolutely not going to "go quietly into the night" without making their social and linguistic presence known. Spanglish is spreading like wildfire, and that in and of itself is intimidating, because it has managed to survive premature interment, lack of societal validation, and probably more importantly, linguistic nativism. And, what makes Spanglish even more threatening than languages of command, is that it does not want to be boss, it simply wants to survive...and to be recognized and acknowledged.
And... contrary to those that say it marginalizes Latina/os, I believe it simply speaks to who we are; a little bit of everything, some good, some bad, but all of it legitimately ours...as is Spanglish.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entertainment/july-dec03/spanglish_10-23.html
Posted by dvaldesd at 09:19 PM | Comments (1)
March 20, 2005
beauty and the beast no more?
My daughter was in her high school production of B&B this weekend. She has a beautiful voice and the production was fabulous. While I am very proud of her accomplishments and her gorgeous voice, the play left me contemplating the future of music programs in our schools. One night at this production alone makes the strongest case for these programs to get support from the state, but apart from that, it is an incredible lesson in time management, commitment, and responsibility. How's this for an example? Throughout the rehearsals for this play (6 weeks), my daughter had to juggle all of her homework, attend rehearsal daily for 5 LONG hours a day, and she was expected to be at all rehearsals: period. In the event that she became ill, she was to call the producer (also her chorale teacher) herself-no phone calls from parents were deemed acceptable.
While this may seem a stressful environment for a 10th grader (and believe me, it was), it gave her a brief glimpse at what the real world will be slinging her way as an adult. This kid handled her scandal (as we say back home) and came through it with flying colors! So while her voice and performance in the play were flawless, her true accomplishment was rising to the occasion and managing all of the demands that came along with it. How is she now? EXHAUSTED, CRANKY, and HAPPY to only have to worry about her homework and her sisters getting on her last nerve. That is, of course, until the rehearsals begin for the pops concert she's in. But after this, I know she will be fine.
Here's to you Amanda...you did it!
Posted by dvaldesd at 09:58 PM | Comments (1)
March 13, 2005
pensamientos...
If I ever write a book, I think I would write one about my dad. He had quite the life. and as I work my way through school, I can't help but wonder what his life would have been like if he would have had the chance to go to college. I was talking to Mark about dad's passion for history, and how he used to literally read five or six biographies at a time. The man was truly brillant. His rise from high school to administartive vice president of the postal union is quite the tale. Maybe one day.
Posted by dvaldesd at 10:29 AM | Comments (2)
vacation vs. work
So we're on vacation, yes? No creo...I don't think so! When I sit to think about all the work I have to get done this week, it boggles my mind! The one thing that I have come up with is that maybe I should treat it as a job, a 9-5 joint. Get to the library at 9, read, work read, work...you get the idea. Those of us that have children know that as parents, if we even attempt to stay home and work, we will eventually begin to find something else to do, and there goes the good intentions paving the road to you know what! So here I sit, Sunday morning, drinking my coffee, listening to my ragas and enjoying the scent of nag champa, trying to relax and claim at least one full day as my own. I am almost certain that at one point the guilt will get to me and I will have to read something academic, at least before I get to bed tonight.
Well, at least I went out and got the last two DVD’s of In Living Color to watch later. Gotta finish the second season, this way when I start to think about being a slacker the infinite wisdom of Homie the Clown will guide on the path to righteousness...cause "Homie don't play that!"
Posted by dvaldesd at 09:53 AM | Comments (0)
March 12, 2005
rhizomes you ask?
Creating a public space can be fun and intimidating. While trying to decide what to call my new space, I found that that was easy; Atabey, the Taino earth goddess and first female tribal chief; is a part of who I am. The second word, well that’s temperance…also a part of the woman that I have become. And the word rhizome…is the best part of me.
I shoot up from the ground as I mature in my humanity, but my roots are eclectic and scattered, like pollinated seeds using the wind as a transport while seeking shelter; not meant to fit into any one category or space…and most urgently, not wanting to. I am a rhizome, like so many others, seeking shelter but not categorization.
Bienvenidos, fellow rhizomes...others, who like me, appear on the surface to be linear; embracing the complexity that thrives beneath the surface like rampant weeds.
Allow this space to be one of your shelters...
Posted by dvaldesd at 12:57 PM | Comments (0)