Demonizing Gays
By now we have all seen or heard of that viral "gay exorcism" video making the rounds. Being gay, according to something called Manifested Glory Ministries in Connecticut, is influenced by malevolent supernatural forces. "You homosexual spirit," recited one elder with gusto, "we call you out right now, you have no power." Another amateur exorcist locates the evil spirit in the boy's belly. The merry jokers at "The Colbert Report" managed to mine some humor out of the guts of those bodiless wicked minions of Beelzebub.
Ron Mwangaguhunga: June 2009 Archives
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This month marks the fifth anniversary of Save Darfur's founding. The organization's goal has been to pressure the U.S. Government to work to end the conflict in Darfur. And while the present administration is much better on policy regarding Africa's longest running civil war, things could always be better. As rain reason approaches and malarial mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, more than a million refugees are in a dire predicament.
Want to do something? Hunger strikes aren't the only way to get involved. You can sign this petition to keep the pressure on President Obama to stay on top of the situation in Darfur.
You can also send an e-postcard to the President here.
The American Empire is at an introspective moment, rethinking past policies that have led us to this moment of national exigency as it tries to get its bearings in a multipolar world where it -- and we -- are no longer at the center. If ever there was a time for the forces against criminalizing marijuana to push for it legalization, that would be now. Eroding state budgets as the Great Recession progresses are making an eloquent case for decriminalizing and taxing the sweet leaf to fill depleted state tax coffers. Prisons, costly in this deleveraged perfect storm scenario, are filled to the brim with non-violent drug offenders costing taxpayers millions of dollars. Mexican drug gangs on our border are now in the marijuana business, profiting off its illegality. And lawmakers from both sides of the aisle from Senator Jim Webb to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger are asking for an open debate on the question of legalization.
Last week The Massachusetts Bar Association issued a fascinating report titled "The Failure of the War on Drugs: Charting a New Course for the Commonwealth," [PDF] arguing for the overhaul and reexamination of legal efforts to fight drug use and the penalties for nonviolent drug offenders. The report's recommendations would result in tens of millions of dollars in savings by diverting non-violent drug possession offenders to treatment instead of jail ($8 million saved annually), and mandatory minimum sentencing reform ($17 million in savings, hello?).
Marijuana-related legalization bills are popping up in state houses and ballot initiatives across the country. Momentum for marijuana legalization is at the highest in my lifetime. How curious that the War on Drugs, which began with haughty rhetoric may turn on financial insolvency .
[Image: AP]
Sir Paul McCartney, who is a vegetarian, is exercising his celebrity soft power, asking fans to go meatless on Mondays to help curb the advance of global warming. He launched the Meat Free Monday campaign in London's St James's Park with Yoko Ono, Kate Bosworth, Kelly Osbourne and Moby. The former Beatle argues that going meat free for one day a week helps the environment, global hunger, contributes to the ethical treatment of animals and leads to better health. "It's kind of easy to do. You've had too much over the weekend anyway and you're all running down to the gym to try and work it off so just have a meat-free Monday," he said.
You can support "Meat Free Mondays" here.
PETA, you've got some 'splainin to do. Once again, PETA has found the media's erogenous zone as they have so many times in the past (Remember the George Clooney-flavored Tofu?). This time, however, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals claims it is not their fault. They were goaded by the media into attacking the President for killing an incoent "exoskeletal being." Such is the nature of our new digital age where controversy creates page views that can be monetized, and few organizations are better at rousing the ire of the red meat eating right than PETA.
PETA's blog "The PETA Files" explains why they went off on President Obama for killing that fly:
"As we all know, human beings often don't think before they act. We don't condemn President Obama for acting on instinct. When the media began contacting us in droves for a statement, we obliged, simply by saying that the president isn't the Buddha and shouldn't be expected to do everything right -- if not for that, we would not have brought it up. It's the media who are making a big deal about the fly swat -- not PETA. However, we took the opportunity, when asked, to point out that we do offer lots of ways in which to control insects of all kinds without harming them, including the humane bug catcher we sent President Obama."
The pendulum swings. The goader is now the goaded. How ironic that PETA, which has become expert at publicizing their cause -- oftentimes involving bikinis --in the media, finds itself, in this age of page views, in the hunter's crosshairs.
How much is the Obama brand worth? That President Obama's image and likeness sells is not a surprise. Bottled water, commemorative coins, Spiderman comic books, dolls, and my personal favorite: The Obama Chia Pet (logo: "Hail to the Ch-Ch-Chief") -- all of these are making a lot of people money.
President Obama has been particularly good for NBC's bottom line. There is the Obama commemorative DVD. And on Tuesday part I of "Inside the Obama White House" drew 9.12 million total viewers, second behind CBS' "The Mentalist" in the time period in total viewers but first in both the all important 18-49 and 18-34 age demographics. CBS News also has benefited from access to President Obama.
The fact that months after his election, as the glamour and historicity of Obama's presidency fades it is fascinating that his image is just as if not even more valuable. Walking down 125th street in Harlem in NYC recently I noticed vendors hawking Obama memorabilia in place of where pot dealers once congregated. As I happened to be in the neighborhood *cough, cough* I took the opportunity to ask a question. It is actually more profitable to sell Obama memorabilia in Harlem than marijuana, one vendor told me. Change, indeed!
[Image: Designverb]
Areej Khan, who just received her MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York, is not to allowed to drive in her native Saudi Arabia. For her Master's project Areej created the "We The Women" project to further the debate and possibly persuade the new King to get with the times. Check out the "We the Women" photostream here.
Last week President Obama touched down in Saudi Arabia for talks with Saudi King Abdullah. "The United States and Saudi Arabia have a long history of friendship," President Obama said on Wednesday. "We have a strategic relationship." But the alliance between the House of Saud and the United States is an odd one. Regional interests aside, Saudi Arabia can only be properly construed as a repressive regime. Women are not allowed to drive in "the Kingdom." The United States has the oldest continuous democracy in the world. Fifteen of the nineteen hijackers responsible for the September 11th attacks were from Saudi Arabia.
How should the press cover such a peculiar relationship between two vital players in the Middle East peace process? Steven Colbert appears to have a few ideas.
On Thursday, President Obama gives what many regard as the most important speech of his his life in Cairo, the traditional intellectual capital of the Middle East. Arabs and Muslims will be listening for the president to go further than the Norouz message for the Iranian New Year. The president has indicated that the speech may offer some criticism of Israel, an important American ally.
At the risk of giving Rush Limbaugh even more attention than he already has -- what was he thinking? Seriously, does Limbaugh really believe that there is a valid comparison between Judge Sonia Sotomayor and former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke? Is he just saying these things on-air to get ratings? The answer, unfortunately, is probably a little of both.
Limbaughian influence flourishes in periods of GOP instability. Notice how many elected leaders refused to criticize Limbaugh's rhetorical excesses on "Meet the Press" this past Sunday. As the Republican party lacks at present a clearly defined leader, Limbaugh, 20 million or so listeners strong, traditionally becomes the titular head. Although Limbaugh has never had the courage to actually run for office (too much money in radio, Rush?), he has had a measurable impact politically in this country. Limbaugh's impact, however, has been ensorcelled in tomfoolery. His "Operation Chaos" may or may not have prolonged the Democrat primary in 2008, tilting open primaries in the last days in favor of Hillary Clinton's by then quixotic Presidential campaign. Limbaugh also attacked both former Governor Huckabee and John McCain in the Republican primaries last year, prolonging Mitt Romney's lagging candidacy, selfishly inserting himself into the contest. It is instructive to note that Limbaugh -- although he certainly could have -- did not endorse Romney.
Rush Limbaugh eschews taking actual stands in an elections unless it is a sure thing. To do so, perhaps, would be too much of a risk career wise. So long as Limbaugh causes mischief at a distance without taking an actual political stand in the arena, so much the better -- his influence grows. The shadow of Limbaugh's legend lengthens with every childish PR prank, with every irresponsible utterance. Had Rush Limbaugh actually endorsed a losing Romney, he might have lost face and influence within the party. Who cares if it would have been the principled thing to do -- endorsing the purest conservative in the race?
Will anyone stand up to Rush Limbaugh?
[Image: Twolia]
Christine Quinn, the Speaker of the New York City Council, was featured on CNN's State of the Union program this weekend. The subject of the conversation was the legalization of gay marriage and when ceremonies will be performed in culturally progressive New York. We may have to wait, alas. Ironically, although Speaker Quinn is openly gay and one of the most powerful politicians in the city, she cannot marry her partner, Kim Catullo.
Last month the New York Assembly passed legislation allowing same-sex marriages. Now the question moves to the state Senate before New York City itself can move forward. Maggie Gallagher, president of the National Organization for Marriage, opposes gay marriage. "We are now working in 24 Senate districts," said Gallagher on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday. "We know we have generated thousands of phone calls to legislators. I don't think they will be passing a gay marriage bill this session."
Perhaps the bill will not pass this session -- and that would be a terrible thing -- as New Yorkers are still very closely divided on the issue. But a Quinnipiac poll last month offered up a bright spot. Survey participants aged 18-34 back same-sex marriage by a 61-33 margin. Further, participants 35-54 support it by a 48-44 margin. It was voters 55 and older that oppose gay marriage, 55-37. What does this tell us? "Young people are for this," Quinnipiac University Polling Director Mickey Carroll said. "If the gay advocacy groups are patient, they're going to win."
American film director David Lynch is one of the more interesting working artists in the world today. I interviewed him a few years back, and the man is, mirabile dictu, the real deal, i.e, as smart as he is eccentric. But Lynch is not so unconventional that he cannot get financing for his pathbreaking projects when he wants to. David's interests include transcendental meditation (which he has practiced for 30 years), German metaphysics and, of course, film. A side interest with David -- something that obviously informs his cinematography -- is the American landscape. The highways, drive-ins, the motels, the backroads in the evenings, the monuments and the people of this country all hold a strange fascination for Lynch.
The American road is the central metaphor for David Lynch. Vladimir Nabokov, another peculiarly American genius, wrote, arguably, the greatest road novel, Lolita. In keeping on that same theme, Lynch, his son Austin and his friend Jason took a road trip recently, driving around the country shooting brief interviews with people that they met on the road trip. Above is an interview with a young man named T.J.
Lynch and his crew do a total of 121 interviews in all, The interview here -- via VBS -- features TJ, whom the gang ran into in a parking lot in North Carolina. The interview is characteristically Lynchian and a fine piece of independent documentary that speaks to America's state in the present.
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