GAP and Me : A lesson in argument

So for the past two days the "Genocide Awareness Project" people have been outside in the quad with their giant anti-abortion display.

Today it finally made me snap. Now I am not strictly pro-choice, in fact I lean more toward pro-life, but given our political climate and the way both women and children are treated in society, I currently vote pro-choice... but that's another tale.

My real problem with the GAP is not their politics vis a vis the abortion issue, but rather the way they mix their anti-abortion message with totally unrelated things.

Next to their images of aborted fetuses (which make sense given their argument) they have:

1. Images of the Holocaust
2. Images of African Americans being lynched
3. Images of animal testing
4. The word Genocide

Now, the word Genocide applies correctly to 2 out of the four things portrayed. The Holocaust and the treatment of blacks in the us could aptly be called "Genocide"

Genocide means the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group.

I pointed this out to them, but they mostly seemed confused. Furthermore I expressed my concern over the fact that they were conflating issues that have no relationship.

Their response? All these things are bad... lol

Um well, ok yes I see that I suppose, but really does this make for a sound argument?

I further pointed out that as white non-Jews their use of racial/ethnic oppression and genocides as a tool for furthering their cause is offensive to those who are actually concerned with racial equality.

Their response? "A black woman showed us support earlier"

Um ok. But one African American showing support doesn't debunk my claim at all. Furthermore this sort of "Token" woman sounds like the old "I'm not racist I have a black friend" argument.

I then inquired about the animal rights issue.

Are you guys pro-Animal rights? Are you vegetarian? (No) Do you work to avoid buying products tested on animals (No). Well then your use of this image is not only totally unrelated to "Genocide" but is also an obvious emotional ploy. You are -- by using this image with no real opposition to what it portrays-- merely exploiting the pain of these animals for your own ends. Making you just as bad as those who test on animals in my mind.

Similarly you are exploiting the suffering of Jews and Af. Am. people with out any real concern about the conditions --present or historical-- of minority peoples.

I also wanted to ask if they found it problematic that dominant white christian ideologies played a fair role in both the Holocaust and the persecution of African Americans. But I refrained on this point.

One Down

Today I went to PDX and took the English Literature Subject GRE. I was much dismayed to see that almost all of the questions were British Lit pre-1800... egh. This of course is a section of lit that I know almost nothing about. I answered what I could and left some blank since blank spaces don't really count against you. It was three hours of testing that I would have been happier without, and 150 bucks I would rather have spent on --well on just about anything-- but sadly the Subject GRE is needed by most of the schools I'm looking at.

I registered for the test before I decided not to apply immediately for the Ph.D. Since then, I've decided to put off applying to Ph.D. programs in hopes that the bridge position might be available and attainable. If that falls through I figure there's plenty of other things I could do for a year while I'm waiting to see who wants me as a Ph.D. candidate.

In other news I need to get cracking on my thesis... egh. I bought some Eco and more Wharton at Powells today, but really I need to stop reading, and start writing.

Equality is Equality

It's pretty depressing to think about how many African-Americans voted to preserve or create inequality.

For me Judy Weider says it all.

I think the simple fact is that struggles for equality have been linked in American History and if we as a people really want equality we will need to find our way together.

In the meantime I'll be enhancing my political activity now that my faith in the process has been somewhat restored. 

Free at Last

It’s the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America. - Obama


But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!- MLK

Eyes on the Prize!

I am so excited about the election. Having had Bush in office for the past eight years I've felt pretty down about America and our politics. Now for the first time since the great robbery of 2000 I'm excited about the election and hopeful about the future. Naive? Perhaps, but I am still feeling good.

Looking at the images of black voters and young voters taking to the polls I am filled with pride. Could it be that the American ideal of equality is coming an inch closer to fruition?

Beware of all the lies and hype... whatever your opinion vote.

Debate

Tonight I made pizza and watched the vice presidential debate. It was ok, but nothing stellar. Biden had better (clearer and more direct) answers but that is not shocking at all.  Palin was "cute" as usual, and less blatantly stupid. Whatever...no fire was ignited in my heart. It's still Obama all the way, no shocker.

In class tomorrow we'll be having a little debate ourselves (really more of a discussion of the readings but I sense some tension). I'm trying to figure out how I want to moderate things. I appreciate Betj's super-positive style, but I have a hard time being positive when I think what someone's saying is foolish. Obviously it won't do to call out WR121 students, but I do want to press them into more critical thinking. We'll see how it goes. 

The Importance of Credible Sources Strikes Again

As I wrote a few days back, I've become a bit of a fan of FactCheck.org . Every morning, before I read the news I take a look at FactCheck to see what's going on in the world of heinous campaign lies.

Today's entry was not about the lies of either campaign, but about a so called academic who has broken one of the first rules of academic writing. This author has been called out by the Annenberg Political Fact Checkers for using sources that are not credible. Among these sources are unsourced websites, himself, and opinion columns that are presented as facts. If the author was a student of mine he'd be facing an F, but this fella is on the NYTimes bestseller list instead...go figure.

Sustaining Community

Recently, while looking for a plant identification book for completing these vegetation surveys, I stumbled upon a book called Food Not Lawns. The subtitle of this book is,  How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden and your Neighborhood into a Community. This got me thinking.

Being raised in frosty old New England my concept of community is somewhat jaded. At this moment in my life I find that this word strikes the same cord in me as "self actualized", "inner-child", and whole host of other jargony catch phases that make me feel a little queasy. I don't know that I believe community is possible without radical change, change that far exceeds food choices and even ecological choices. 

Maybe I am wrong about this. Unlike inner-children, I want to believe that community is possible. I think Corvallis, while not a "community" in this new-agey sense, does have a unique culture evolving within its borders. The agriculture/food centered culture that exists within this town is unlike any I've ever known, and it seems to be a site of genuine creativity. This gives me hope.

Another thing I've been mulling over lately is elitism. I think that ultimately community fosters elitism and maybe I am ok with that. To be honest, I think my way of doing things is good (though not the only good way), I think it could be improved upon, but I decidedly feel that there are other ways which are not good. I don't mean not good for me. I mean immoral, wrong, not good. Does this make me an elitist? Perhaps, I'm still sorting this out. Opinions are welcome. At any rate I think a group of people who share enough resources and values to be a community will by virtue of those shared resources, values, and collective identity be expressing their sense of a superior way of life that they have found or created.

I don't know. What I do know is that the sustainability journey here at Casa Colibri is going reasonably well. We're deciding to unplug the tv altogether one day per week (it should totally be more, but I have come to love some mindless tv). We've also been put up large quantities of plums, and have harvested many more tomatoes. We've only filled our gas tank once this month (12 gallons), and we're down to 1-2 gallons of trash per week (not compacted).  

The beat goes on.

FactCheck.org

As readers of this blog likely know, I've been keeping my eye on the political scene surrounding the presidential and congressional campaigns. The two things that I've found most shocking lately are:

1. The willingness of the masses to perpetuate outright lies.

2. The damn near illiteracy of many who voice their opinions in public forums

On the first count I have only one thing to say, FactCheck.org  This site disputes erroneous claims made against either candidate. 

On count two... eh... here is a sample taken from reader responses to an article posted on AOL:

 Rogergouin

06:28 PM Sep 12 2008

WELL WE HAVE ANOTHER STAR WHO NOES ALL ABOUT SARAH,STICK TO YOUR FAKE MOVIE MAKEING,WE ALL NO WHO YOU WIIL VOTE FOR,MABEY YOU CAN MAKE A MOVIE AND YOU CAN BE HIM YOU NO ALL ABOUT POLITICS

Wow! I've always thought participatory democracy is a great idea, and that elitism is bad....ummm maybe not anymore...just kidding... but really.

Free Fruits

We went to EE Wilson for the second day of vegetation surveying. Things went smoothly. I saw a lovely dry marsh and plenty of fruit trees growing wild. I ate some Asian pears and apple or two. Bird and I filled her pockets with plums and a big bowl of blackberries. All delightfully free.
a little more fruitiness... is this a Georgia Peach

Timid Men Prefer the Calm of Despotism to the Tempestuous Sea of Liberty

Although I had been planning to avoid politics today I was the recipient of a "banned book list" that Palin supposedly tried to push for while mayor. Book banning is another one of those issues that gets me up in arms so I had to look into it. Although fact checkers have found that the supposed "books banned by Palin" list is questionable, the fact checkers (even the rather right leaning ones) concede that Palin did ask about how to get books banned from the library in Wasilla. The fact checkers also concede that Palin fired (although under pressure from local citizens she later rehired) the librarian whom she originally asked about book banning. Why did she fire the woman? Because she felt the librarian was not "loyal" enough. 

Loyal enough? Is Palin a duchess or a queen? Since when are librarians expected to swear their loyalty to the mayor? Ridiculous.

To me, book banning is just a vile perversion of what America at its very best might stand for. In some odd way I know that I am deeply "American". I believe in freedom, liberty, and equality as guiding principles. Despite the troubling violent and oppressive foundation of our system I think that these ideas remain woven in the fabric of our national identity, even if they are only something to be dreamed of and worked for, something not yet achieved.

Enough politics for now. Today was day one of our multi-day vegetation surveys. We surveyed 20 plots today at E.E. Wilson. Most of what we saw was thick blackberries and roses, but there was also substantial thistle of several kinds, asters, cow parsnips, apples, hawthorns, and hazelnuts. Outside of the plots we found some pears and brought six or seven home. A lovely but tiring day.

Keep Prayin' I'm Still Queer and I Was Created This Way

It just keeps getting better. The news today is that Sarah Palin belongs to a church that wants to "pray away the gay". Please bear in mind that this is her less fanatical church. Her first church was one where folks speak in tongues. 

Now I am not opposed to churches or speaking in tongues but I think the ultra religious have no place in national politics. I think our nation is too spiritually diverse to be run by anyone with intensely fringe religious beliefs. 

Not that I planned on voting for McCain, but if I had been this would have totally sent me running for the hills. I hope those gay republicans* out there will think seriously about their political allegiances. We have so many enemies in this world, people too small minded to accept the possibility of love beyond gender/sex. 

I encourage the folks in Wasilla AK to keep on praying for God's will to be done in my life because I believe it already has been. I am blessed, happy, bright and healthy...oh yes and queer.

*On a side note I am personally bewildered by gay republicans. I've been reading their web page trying to get it, but I don't get it.  They say that protecting gay families and promoting legal adoptions for gay couples are important, they then say they support McCain, then they point out that "He supported Arizona's 2006 effort to ban marriage equality and roll back domestic partner benefits offered by some municipalities in the state.   McCain opposes hate crime legislation and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).  He supports continuation of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law, which prevents gays and lesbians from serving openly and honestly in the U.S. military".

Ecocritic Meets the VP Nominee

Although I have been frankly anti-political since the Bush fiasco began, this upcoming presidential election is starting to get my attention. Initially, when it started to look like Obama and McCain might be the front runners, I felt both pleased and apathetic. I've always thought of McCain as a somewhat moderate Republican. This simply means that his name does not inspire me to do anything reactive...like scream. In that light he seemed like an acceptable possibility if the more desirable outcome of a Democratic (or more Ideally Green president) could not be achieved. I hadn't looked much into his policies because I already knew that he is anti-Gay marriage and thus I am anti-McCain. 

Recent nominations for VP however have prodded me into action. 

My first stopping place for information was Leauge of Conservation Voters since environmental policies are really my major concern. While it was no surprise that McCain has a worse environmental voting record than Obama I was shocked by how wide the margin was (I was also shocked by how often McCain fails to do his job). I was also pleased to see that Biden ranks reasonably high (though certainly not as high as I'd like ideally).  

LCV couldn't help me however when it comes to the Republican VP nominee.  For info on Sarah Palin I had to hunt through some news clippings. Googling her name and environment turns up some things. Such as "4 Things Sarah Palin Believes About the Environment" and "Palin Not Convinced on Global Warming".

Ok...ok...

Obama for president (despite the fact that I was recently warned that he intends to raise taxes for those making over 250,000 per year**gasp** as if that would ever effect me or apx 90% of Americans).