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September 28, 2006
On The Jungle
I just finished reading The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. I'd read parts of it before...I think for a humanities class...but never the whole thing.
The book is really great. It's an interesting look into a part of our history that I think most American's would agree shouldn't have happened and an appaling look into how American capitalism during the early 20th century made money at the expense of everyone and everything.
What I wonder about the book is the last about 10 pages. There is a fairly long speech given by a character regarding Socialism and the Socialist movement of the time. I wonder if the author was using the character to express his own views on the subject or was simply stating views of others through the character. The book was obvioulsy meant to send several messages to high ranking government officials of the time and was an important instrument for change during the time but I wonder about those last 10 pages and what they were intended or not intended to say...any thoughts?
Posted by at 06:45 PM | Comments (2)
September 25, 2006
On Tupac
I'm not entirely sure what all the fuss over Tupac is lately. I realize that this is the anniversary of his death but, really, why should we care? Barnes and Noble has an entire section devoted to books about this guy. There were at least five different TV shows about it that I'm aware of. The Chico ER website even had articles about him.
Tupac was a rapper and a gang member, and rapper gang members have a fairly short life expectancy. He and several other rappers have been killed in a gang-related violence, and yet we continue to perseverate over his death as some manner of a tragety. Gang members get killed all the time, and when a gang member is able to spew his hatred and filth over the radio he's sure to become a very high profile target...which is exactly what happened.
I just can't figure out why Tupac's murder was such a surprise to everyone. It'd be like being shocked to find out that a pilot died in a plane crash...they surround themself with a particular risk factor, and every once in a while their number comes up. To add to the wonderment I have over the situation is WHY we should care that the guy was killed. He wasn't a pillar of the community. He didn't contribute anything to the public other than shitty "music". He just wasn't that great. If we're going to mourn the loss of someone, publish books, do TV programs, and newspaper articles, lets make it someone worth admiring.
Posted by at 08:26 AM | Comments (2)
September 14, 2006
On A Homeless Camp
City Council member Andy Holcombe wants Chico to build a homeless camp somewhere in it's vicinity. He asserts that some homeless people don't "fit in" with shelter life and so stay out in the cold and a camp would give them a place to stay. He also says, essentially, that it's the responsibility of the community to help these people. He's about half right.
It is, indeed, the responsibility of every man to help his fellow. How we do it is, however, debatable. I think rather than offer the homeless an opportunity to remain homeless, sleep outside, and abuse substances it should be the mission of everyone who wants to be helpful to assist these people in bettering themselves, not sustaining the status quo of their situation. Opportunities to learn a skill, work, educate, and rise above the plight of homelessness should be what we're working on. Throwing countless dollars and resources at these people and only providing them with the opportunity to stay where they are doesn't solve the problem, it just shines it. I'm fond of saying that you can put a pig in a prom dress, but it's still a pig, and that's exactly what Mr. Holcombe is proposing doing, putting a pig in a prom dress.
When the homeless shelter near the fairgrounds was completed I was working for Enloe as an EMT on the ambulances. We frequently picked homeless people from the shelter who had come from across the nation just to live at that shelter. Rather than help the homeless of the Chico and Butte County area this shelter attracted derelicts from all over. One such person told me that Chico is well known as a place that caters to the homeless and that living here is easy, the addition of the shelter was enough for him to endure the trek from Ohio to Chico to live.
While a homeless camp is a nice idea in theory I fear that it will similarly attract people from across the nation who seek nothing more than to suck off of government resources. Drug use, alcohol abuse, fights, and medical emergencies of all types will be situations that already stretched-thin community resources will have to deal with if this proposed homeless camp comes to realization. Instead of building a camp, lets come up with some work and education opportunities and really help these people.
Posted by at 09:28 AM | Comments (6)
September 11, 2006
On 9/11 Five Years Later
Here we find ourselves today five years after the 9/11/2001 attacks. The news is nothing but stories about the attacks, what happened, and how it affected our lives, as if we didn't already know. The one thing the news has said quite a bit that I can't help but disagree with is to the effect of "when America was attacked...". This statement is false. The attacks of September 11th weren't against America, they just happened to be IN America. The attacks were against the free-thinking, freedom loving people of the world. The fact that the WORLD Trade Center was attacked wasn't coincidence, it was carefully planned for its global impact. The attacks against the other two aircraft were intended as the icing on the cake, so to speak. While America is viewed as the worst of the "infidel nations" by Muslim Jihadists the attacks of September 11th were intended to have global impact.
I haven't watched much of the news coverage today. I don't need to be reminded of what happened. Every time I see a threat level displayed on a news ticker, every time I try to board an airplane, every time I see a fire engine I'm reminded of what happened that day and how it made me feel. The sorrow, grief, astonishment, and anger I felt re-surfaces almost daily by some reminder of how much the world has changed in five years. I don't intend on watching Flight 93 or any of the other movies and TV programs surfacing about the attacks. Maybe someday I may feel healed enough to watch them but I doubt it.
As an Emergency Services worker I imagine what would happen if we were attacked in such a way again. I would be compelled to go and lend aid in whatever capacity I had in me. So many people did so five years ago, and some of them never made it back home. All of those that did are scarred forever by what they experienced. The horror that they experienced is virtually unimaginable to anyone who's never been at front lines in the fight against human suffering. And yet, despite the danger, the emotional trauma, and the pain it would cause me, I would go to help my fellow Americans.
That's what's great about America! We help each other when times get tough. When we need each other we're not Democrat or Republican, Black or White, Rebs or Yanks (if you think these terms aren't used any more go to Alabama for a while), we're just Americans in need and helping each other. The one good thing that comes to mind immediately that came out of the 9/11 attacks is that for a short time everyone put aside their political and cultural differences and just embraced each other as Americans. It was a glorious time...shame how soon it ended.
Posted by at 07:27 PM | Comments (1)