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Lowe’s Pulls Ads from All-American Muslim, Backlash Results

13 Dec
All American Muslim

All American Muslim

Newt Gingrich, much to my dismay, is in the running for the Republican nomination, and is currently pandering his way through the Iowa cornfields. One notable recent pander was his claim that the Palestinians are an invented people. What saddened me about the claim was realizing that, while it was offensive to me, it confirms the beliefs of people who believe that all Palestinians are, as Newt later put it, terrorists with no claim to nationhood. The idea that you could make such a statement with no expectation of blowback. Who could object? Well, it turns out, actual Palestinians. The Guardian reports that Palestinian leaders, from lead negotiator Saeb Erekat to Prime Minister Salam Fayyad have condemned Gingrich’s remarks. Even a former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. admitted that “Their aspiration to a national unity and self-governance is the fact we should be dealing with.”

In other Fear and Loathing of Arabs in the News, TLC, which began by airing programs that allowed the home viewer to learn something but has since devolved into midget and sextuplet reality programming, has returned to its educational roots with a new reality show, “All-American Muslim”. I haven’t yet seen the program, but my parents watch and said it is quite interesting. The show follows five Arab Muslim families in Dearborn, Michigan, home to the National Arab American Museum as well as the biggest concentration of Arab Americans in the U.S. My paternal great grandparents immigrated to Western Pennsylvania; somehow our people decided to leave the cool climate of the Mediterranean for more frozen landscapes. In any case, the bad news is that Lowe’s, the home supply big box store, decided to pull its advertising from the show after receiving pressure from the previously little known Florida Family Association. The good news is that Lowe’s has suffered bad publicity since pulling ads from the show. The even better news is that CNN reports that ad time on All-American Muslim is all sold out. 

I take an optimist’s view of the two recent news items. A pessimistic view is that there is a sizable portion of Americans that only sees Arabs as crazed, wild-eyed savages, who don’t like having that view challenged. Yet what I see in both of these cases is that the tide is turning. A small “family” organization objected to the reality show on TLC, but their petition may have drawn more viewers to the show than ever, and more importantly, the negative reaction to Lowe’s decision to pull from the show may cause other advertisers to think twice before heeding the petitions of small-minded organizations with an agenda that favors hate more than family. And with regards to Newt Gingrich’s comments, yes, they do resonate with people who don’t know much about history in the region. But how will Newt and his incendiary, to-hell-with-diplomacy style fare in the Republican primaries, or perhaps the general election? My gut says Newt and his shit-eating grin will be fading away soon.

 

How Protesters Alienate Potential Supporters

28 Aug
BART protests

BART protests

From Santiago to San Francisco, protests are all the rage this summer (and winter in Chile), with discontent simmering to a boiling point. As I observe these protests, I notice that my traditional sympathy towards the man on the street has shifted- I no longer reflexively support protesters just for the sake of it. Perhaps it comes from being a city dweller, but I want there to be some order to protests, and respect for those of us who live and work near the city center. Let me explain how the recent BART protests have alienated many in the San Francisco Bay Area.

On July 3rd, BART police shot and killed transient Charles Hill on the Civic Center platform as he threatened them with a broken bottle.  If these facts of the case are indeed true, then the response was very disproportionate, period. Tasers were invented to subdue suspects momentarily while not inflicting permanent damage. Nevertheless, I also understand that the police need to react within seconds, deciding on the best course of action to protect themselves and those around them.

And when those who were outraged against the police action decided on the best form of protest, well, you can see the results in the image above. Climbing on top of BART trains to keep them from moving forward didn’t endear BART commuters to protesters. Thousands of people use the system to get from home to work and back every day; messing with their commute and leaving them stranded for now THREE WEEKS IN A ROW does little to bring people to seeing your side of things. As a matter of fact, the BART protesters have engendered quite a bit of animosity among the commuter crowd.

Now let’s look to the Southern Hemisphere and take a look at the student protests rocking Chile. I didn’t realize until a Chilean colleague told me that all universities in Chile are private- there are no publicly funded universities in the country. The students have very legitimate grievances with the government, and have been taking to the streets to protest peacefully. That is, until some protesters began setting fire to historic churches and department stores. Much has been said before by people better-versed in protest movements than me, but it seems to me that veering from a non-violent path alienates supporters. And a large part of protesting is to create awareness of a certain cause.  It is always sad when a minority of violent anarchists turn public support against an otherwise worthy cause.  March, hold signs, sing songs, join hands, but refrain from getting violent. And people will listen.

Thinking About Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich

21 Aug
Ron Paul

Ron Paul

 

I have seen the posts of friends on Facebook bemoaning the fact that Ron Paul is not getting much media attention, given his fervent fan base. And while I agree with those who say that he is not being covered because he doesn’t have a chance of winning the Republican nomination, I also believe that Ron Paul brings a perspective to the national conversation that is worth hearing. I think he and left-wing firebrand Dennis Kucinich are very similar. They both speak their minds consistently, with no regard to how it will play in the national media. And neither man has the slightest chance of winning national office.

Dennis Kucinich was one of the last Democratic Representatives to sign on to the healthcare reform bill. He was unwilling until the last moment to support the signature legislative achievement of the Democratic President because the plan was not what he wanted- single payer health care. I know that many on the left applaud him for his deep convictions, but he is someone who always proposes the noble idea and yet has very few legislative achievements to his name. I looked into it, and while I have found examples of his convictions in his dissenting votes against the Patriot Act and the Iraq War resolution, he has achieved very little.

Interestingly, he and Ron Paul were the only Congressmen to vote no on the Rothman-Kirk resolution, which called on the UN to condemn Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for his statements. So the two mavericks coincide in some areas. Ron Paul has a similar track record of infuriating his Republican colleagues by frequently voting against his party. He has presented a host of bills, most of which do not make it out of committee, such as abolishing the income tax or the Federal Reserve; this year he has co-sponsored a bill with Barney Frank to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level.  Paul garners much affection among his admirers for voicing opposition to a muscular foreign policy and promoting a smaller government. Yet I cannot help but look at the records of these two men and see two mouthpieces who have accomplished little.

Perhaps my resistance to posturing that leads nowhere is one reason why I am still a strong Obama supporter. I know that he has been criticized vocally on both the left and the right for not doing things as they would like. But he has an incredibly strong record of achievement for just two, almost three years into his presidency. The website What the Fuck Has Obama Done So Far provides a handy shortcut to listing all of his accomplishments to date. Healthcare reform, financial regulation, troop withdrawals from Iraq, and many more achievements which mostly required, yes, COMPROMISE. The ugly leadup to passage of the healthcare reform bill was ugly, but at least the President left things in the hands of Congress. I admire politicians who are savvy enough to do what it takes to achieve a track record of accomplishment, leaving the system in better shape and improving the lives of ordinary people, even in just small ways. So Congressmen Paul and Kucinich can lead their followers as much as they’d like. I’ll take a doer, thank you very much.

Ode to a Fallen Bookstore

1 Aug
The old Borders in my hometown

The old Borders in my hometown

I remember going to Borders in high school late at night when there was nowhere else to go, and stalking the bookshelves with my friends, giggling at romance novel covers and browsing the more esoteric sections of the magazine rack (Cat Fancy, anyone?). Borders was a place to hang out in those teenage years, and even in the last few years, whether it was Borders or Barnes and Noble or any other well-lit place where books are sold (Book Passage is a favorite), I’ve enjoyed perusing the newest titles, flipping through them to check out the dedication page, the back page blurbs, and in the case of translated fiction, who the translator was (once a translator, always a translator).

I also like giving books as gifts to friends and family for birthdays or for Christmas. There was a time when you could show your knowledge of someone’s tastes by buying them a CD by a band that you actually knew that they liked or, better yet, make them a mix that they could play on their own. The death of the mixed tape has been well-documented, a relic from a bygone era of The Bodyguard soundtrack and Kennedy and Bill Bellamy as VJs on MTV. The music store as gathering place for music lovers of mainstream pop acts and obscure bands alike is long gone, but I still miss having a place to go to meet like-minded music fans. Yes, I can meet them online, and iTunes and Pandora have an algorithm that knows exactly what I like, but the music store is something I didn’t realize I’d miss until it was as ancient as the typewriter.

I have the same uneasy feeling now about books and bookstores. That they’re fading fast. I have come to see the convenience of an mp3 player- carrying around with me hundreds of songs (no, I didn’t say thousands- my iPod is from Spring 2005).  So as I walk the streets of San Francisco, I can listen to a song I bought when I was 15, and then listen to a song that’s playing on the radio today. The iPod provides an ever-changing soundtrack to my life, curated by me. And yet I still don’t understand the appeal of the e-reader.  When will I ever need to carry around thousands of volumes of books at once? So I can toggle between War and Peace and In Search of Lost Time? I like to finish one book before starting another.  And what of giving a book as a gift- inscribed by the giver with a personalized message, a sort of “I know you’ll enjoy this, dear friend”? It’s not possible with an e-reader.

Closed Borders Soma

Closed Borders Soma

I’m sure these arguments will seem quaint in the future, a future where libraries are gone and bookstores are empty and abandoned, just like the one in my hometown Borders seen above (and also the one in my San Francisco neighborhood that closed last October). But there is something convivial about a bookstore filled with browsers that can’t be found in these empty storefronts- or in the glowing screen of an e-reader.

Bringing up Baby With No Gender

28 May
Little Girls

Little Girls

Surely by now you’ve heard of the Canadian couple, David Stocker and Kathy Witterick, who have decided to raise their 4 month old baby Storm as “gender neutral” (never mind that the poor baby has the name of an American Gladiator).  The fact that this news has generated such outrage speaks to the woman and man in all of us. There are indeed many aspects of gender identity that are imposed by society, but I believe that men and women are inherently different.  Anyone who has observed toddlers can see it- baby girls and baby boys develop differently.  Boys are rambunctious and physical, and girls tend to develop language and social skills earlier than boys.

Without giving Baby Storm a gender, he or she will be rudderless.  A good approach for the open-minded parent is, I believe, to allow a son to play with dolls if he chooses or a girls play with toy trucks if she chooses, but at the end of the day, parents mold their children.  There are so many other disturbing aspects of this story. Like the fact that the 5 year old child in the family is being “unschooled”.  Which is a nice way of saying he is being uneducated. The parents claim to teach him only when he asks to learn something, which is pretty ludicrous. If all kids were taught this way, no one would learn anything.  These well-meaning parents are providing their kids with no path or guidance in life, to an extreme.

And I think that in trying to de-emphasize the importance of gender in forming an identity, they are making it a much bigger deal.  Will Storm feel shame when he or she goes to use a public bathroom? Will she or he feel overwhelmed when it comes time to relate to his or her peers? Without having been given the most basic aspect of identity by his or her parents, who have relegated Storm to a toddlerhood of being an it, Storm faces much confusion in her or her earlier years.  I wish this young kid the best of luck in figuring out who he or she is.

Boys

Boys

Support the IAVA

27 May
I.A.V.A.

I.A.V.A.

This weekend is Memorial Day, the unofficial start to the summer, a three-day weekend to enjoy the nice weather, and maybe enjoy some grilled meats. But the Monday we have off from work also is meant to honor those who have died in military service to the country.

Unfortunately, my generation has been indelibly touched by war. I know some who have served, and I can’t even begin to imagine what they saw while serving abroad.  Admittedly, I have a friend who described his mission as being mostly boring- sitting around watching DVDs and playing video games during long stretches of not having much to do.

So on this holiday weekend when we observe those who have passed, let’s also remember the veterans who came home (hey, it’s a long time until Veteran’s Day). The I.A.V.A., the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, is a great non-profit started by  Paul Rieckhoff, an Amherst grad who still serves as the Executive Director.  I.A.V.A. advocates for better access to mental health, expanded G.I. bills, and career services for vets, among many other services.  Most of all, the organization provides a community for returned vets. Maybe this Memorial Day, take a moment to learn about what they do, and maybe donate a few bucks.

HPV: Lose the Stigma

25 May
Vaccines

Vaccine

A few days ago I was speaking with a friend about the stigma attached to HPV, or human papilloma virus.  Then just a couple of days ago my company got to work on a campaign for a new cervical cancer vaccine, and the chuckles and smirks of some colleagues regarding the whole issue underscored what my friend and I were talking about.  Let’s undo some of the stigma around HPV and cervical cancer here. From the CDC:

l Most sexually active people will get HPV at some time in their lives, though most will never know it because HPV usually has no signs or symptoms.

l There are about 40 types of genital HPV. In most cases, HPV goes away within two years, without causing any health problems. It is thought that the immune system fights off HPV infection naturally.

The common nature of HPV should not belie the fact that it is something to be concerned about.  When women do not get regular screenings that could catch abnormal cell growth in the cervix, the virus could lead to further cell abnormalities, and cervical cancer.  Nevertheless, the two points above should also underscore how common HPV is. Unless you are a virgin, there is a strong chance that you will contract it, or have already. And if you do get it, because there are so many strains, you may get one of the milder strains that your body will clear on its own in two years.  But because there are high-risk strains of HPV that lead to cervical cancer, these vaccines are wonderful news.

Glaxo Smith Kline has developed Cervarix, and Merck was first on the market with Gardasil.  Getting these vaccines will greatly reduce the chances that a young girl will contract a high-risk strain of HPV when she is older.  But reread the two stats above from the Centers for Disease Control.  Stigmatizing HPV would be like stigmatizing spring allergies or sunburns- if you haven’t had these common ailments, chances are you know someone who has. Just like the human papilloma virus.

It Always Gets Better

22 May
It Gets Better

It Gets Better

I am a great admirer of Dan Savage’s “It Gets Better” campaign.  It is the purest form of social change.  It is grassroots, initiated by a concerned advocate in response to the increased news reports of gay teens committing suicide in response to intense bullying.  I previously wrote my thoughts on the case of poor young Tyler Clementi, who threw himself off the George Washington Bridge during his first semester of college, after his roommate broadcast video of him making out with another man. Tyler Clementi was a gifted violinist- he could have done so much.
At age 18, right when his life was starting, he cut things short.

When you’re 18, do you know who you are? Do you have any idea who you will become, or what you will want out of life?  To a certain degree you do.  You have lived almost 20 years, and you have a range of experiences, you have made friends, begun to develop an outlook on the world, and have perhaps had a romantic relationship or two. But life is still wide open, and your future is a blank slate.  You could still be anything.  I know that I felt that I only truly felt that I had grown comfortable in my own skin during my four years of college. And even now, at age 30, I realize that I was still incredibly young in college.  I feel that I’ve matured a lot.

I am not gay.  But I wish every adolescent and teenager could know deep down that life gets better. In middle school and high school, I had a really difficult time. In middle school, there was a guy who pretended to throw up in disgust every time he saw me in the hallway. During my first two years of high school- a private one, where I knew almost no one on my first day- I had virtually no friends, eating many lunches alone. Junior and senior years were somewhat easier, because I found a group of fellow freaks and geeks to hang out with. But at a school were football and cheerleading dominated, acting in the fall play and writing for the school newspaper were not activities that were lauded by the whole community.  Are school rallies EVER held for the arts department, or the yearbook committee? I suffered from severe acne, and was insecure about boys.  All in all, it was an awkward time, and I ached to start a new life in college.  College started, and things got better.

Age thirty isn’t necessarily a magic line in the sand where full wisdom and maturity are reached and we stop growing.  I know I am not done growing.  Life has ups and downs; at least now I have lived enough to know this.  During my happiest moments I remember that sadness has crept into my life.  In the depth of my saddest times, I remember that happiness returns.  There is a quote by Albert Camus that I love: “In the depths of winter I learned there was in me an invincible summer”.

Which is all a long way of saying that it gets better.  And yes, the “it” is life.  I am an optimistic person- I believe that without hope, life is not worth living.  So we must believe that it gets better.  Because it does.

Alumni Events

19 May
Alumni

Alumni

I attended an alumni event tonight for my graduate school.  I hesitated whether or not to go- these sorts of things can be awkward.  The last one I attended was mostly populated with alums I didn’t know.  At that point I was unemployed and looking at the occasion as a way to network, and I remember feeling self-conscious when people asked what I did and if they could have a business card.

It’s funny how life changes in just a couple of short years. Some people who seemed invincible with their impressive jobs are now anxiously looking for work.  Although I was once in their shoes, I now have a job I enjoy.  It is nice to attend these events and see people with whom I shared two great years of study.  At this particular event, I didn’t talk to any new people, which was fine. I got caught up with some dear old friends, and got a free Anchor Steam in the process.

Rickhouse on a Tuesday

17 May
Rickhouse

Rickhouse

Do I normally go out on a Tuesday? No.  Do I normally go out on a stormy night?  No way.  But when a friend is in town from Washington D.C. , and there is a lot of catching up to do, you stand at a bar for 3 hours and talk.  And talk. And talk. I know what she is up to because I see the pictures and I read the status updates on her Facebook page, but seeing her and talking over drinks, I got the rare joy of hearing the full story of her life in person, to hear the details of what I only see outlines of online.

It was also nice to get to know her better- we’ve been friends, but never very close. She is someone I have always liked and wanted to know better- now I’m glad I do.

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