In the aftermath of the Israeli attack on humanitarian aid ships destined for Gaza I thought I would share some thoughts regarding the entire Israel- Palestine conflict.
For quite some time now a point of contention between myself and those that either are, were, or could potentially be my friends is Israel; specifically Israel's occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. As expected they attempt to write off my critiques and analysis as being radical, and without any real merit. Some have even gone as far as suggesting anti-semitism is the basis for my analysis. They fail to differentiate between anti-semitism and anti-zionism. They believe what the media tells them that any and all critiques of Israel are based in a deep hatred of the Jewish people. This is of course not simply a paranoid stance, but rather one based in a history of oppression and racism against Jews. However, what needs to be made clear is that Israel is a political state, and a repressive one at that. When I speak of Israel I am speaking of that political state and its policies, not the Jewish people as a whole. There are facts that can not be disputed here and are worthy of being discussed widely, something that does not happen due to, in my opinion, the relationship between the US and Israel. All one needs to do is have a basic understanding of human rights to see that Israel is in violation. Have there been acts by Palestinians that have resulted in violence, yes, but for the great majority of those acts they are in response to an occupation and a history of dehumanization. What would you do if you were a victim of apartheid? For most a pro-active response (which can mean being an aggressor in certain isolated instances) is understandable- especially when it means going up against tanks with a pocket full of stones.
What I am getting at is this- if we truly want to see an end to the violence then the solution is clear- hold Israel responsible for its policies by cutting off aid, observe and respect the UN declarations that have been passed down regarding this issue, recognize Hamas as a legit political party that was voted to power democratically, and above all stop looking for solutions that serve America and our allies economic interests.
In solidarity
Ryan "BUGS" Williams-Virden
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
White Supremacy and Education
I feel like I’m beating a dead horse, maybe preaching to the choir, or better yet talking to a wall. There is something fundamentally wrong, and we have ignored it, made excuses and apologies for it, some of us have even succumbed to it in order to better our own circumstances. It starts out with small concessions, that one time you gave him a pass, the time you told yourself it didn’t matter whether or not you showed up, whether or not you spoke out because hey it wouldn’t change anything anyway, right? Wrong. We are seeing now in the 21st century, the effects of our negligence, we now have, in the United States of America, a state that has made it legal to assume somebody is a criminal based solely on the color of their skin, and how well they fit a stereotype (the issue of somebody being illegal on stolen land will have to wait for a different time). Beyond that the very same state has now stated publically their commitment to white supremacy by way of the education system. To fully understand Arizona’s recent ban on ethnic studies we must put education in a larger context. Education has always been a major battleground in the struggle for equality, there is truth in all the clichés. Those in power have always recognized this, and have acted accordingly; think the Dukes, Vanderbilts, Rockefellars, etcetera. Throughout history we see the powerful attempting to dictate what is included in curriculum and how that curriculum is delivered. There has always been a fear of a well educated under class.
Lets jump back to current day Arizona where it is now illegal to teach "the overthrow of the United States government" or "resentment toward a race or class of people." Or curriculum "designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group" or that seeks to "advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals." It is hard to know exactly where to start when taking a critical look at this law so lets start with the first portion- I believe Thomas Jefferson and his pals mentioned something about this in the Declaration of Independence, correct me if I’m wrong but it went something like this “when a significant amount of abuses and usurpations would cause absolute despotism, it is mankind's right and duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security…” it is quite ironic that many that support this law often throw around the founding fathers, and their admiration for them, only to proceed to ignore their very words- or given the history of exclusion and privilege that our founding fathers enjoyed perhaps they are more like them then we would like to admit? Of course this is all given the very unlikely circumstance that a course is advocating the overthrow of the United States government. Moving on we find even more troublesome provisions. What does it mean to promote resentment, how can it be wrong to direct a class towards a group of people that for decades if not centuries had been systematically excluded from curriculum? These are just a couple of the endless questions that no doubt many are asking. It is not a far stretch of the imagination for a lesson on slavery to be in violation of this law, given that most people of color have a valid anger with whites after learning about the disgusting practice. Of course in typical privileged fashion there's a lack of understanding that the majority of our institutions in this country were designed by WASPS for WASPS, and have effectively resulted in the consolidation of power to that particular ethnic group, to use the bills language.
What I hope is clear is that at its very best this law is extremely problematic and regardless of its supporters intentions it will only serve to further entrench white supremacy within our education system, the first place we need to purge it from. Our education should be inclusive of all and their realities. This has to include a more honest narrative- we have to accept that Columbus was not a good man, and is guilty of igniting a genocide, we must admit that we instigated a war with Mexico for the land we now call the Southwest United States, we must be honest about the implications of the Monroe Doctrine and our intent when it comes to South America. Our histories need to include John Brown, Nat Turner, Sally Hemmings, Ella Baker, Assatta Shakur, Mumia Abu Jamal, and Eugene Debs. We need to teach about redlining and Jim Crow, and the Willie Lynch Theory, and COINTELPRO. Above all we need to have a population that can understand the effects of all of these figures, ideologies, and policies in order to better relate to the world and in the end make it a place we would all want to pass down to the next generations.
In solidarity,
Ryan "BUGS" Williams-Virden
Lets jump back to current day Arizona where it is now illegal to teach "the overthrow of the United States government" or "resentment toward a race or class of people." Or curriculum "designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group" or that seeks to "advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals." It is hard to know exactly where to start when taking a critical look at this law so lets start with the first portion- I believe Thomas Jefferson and his pals mentioned something about this in the Declaration of Independence, correct me if I’m wrong but it went something like this “when a significant amount of abuses and usurpations would cause absolute despotism, it is mankind's right and duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security…” it is quite ironic that many that support this law often throw around the founding fathers, and their admiration for them, only to proceed to ignore their very words- or given the history of exclusion and privilege that our founding fathers enjoyed perhaps they are more like them then we would like to admit? Of course this is all given the very unlikely circumstance that a course is advocating the overthrow of the United States government. Moving on we find even more troublesome provisions. What does it mean to promote resentment, how can it be wrong to direct a class towards a group of people that for decades if not centuries had been systematically excluded from curriculum? These are just a couple of the endless questions that no doubt many are asking. It is not a far stretch of the imagination for a lesson on slavery to be in violation of this law, given that most people of color have a valid anger with whites after learning about the disgusting practice. Of course in typical privileged fashion there's a lack of understanding that the majority of our institutions in this country were designed by WASPS for WASPS, and have effectively resulted in the consolidation of power to that particular ethnic group, to use the bills language.
What I hope is clear is that at its very best this law is extremely problematic and regardless of its supporters intentions it will only serve to further entrench white supremacy within our education system, the first place we need to purge it from. Our education should be inclusive of all and their realities. This has to include a more honest narrative- we have to accept that Columbus was not a good man, and is guilty of igniting a genocide, we must admit that we instigated a war with Mexico for the land we now call the Southwest United States, we must be honest about the implications of the Monroe Doctrine and our intent when it comes to South America. Our histories need to include John Brown, Nat Turner, Sally Hemmings, Ella Baker, Assatta Shakur, Mumia Abu Jamal, and Eugene Debs. We need to teach about redlining and Jim Crow, and the Willie Lynch Theory, and COINTELPRO. Above all we need to have a population that can understand the effects of all of these figures, ideologies, and policies in order to better relate to the world and in the end make it a place we would all want to pass down to the next generations.
In solidarity,
Ryan "BUGS" Williams-Virden
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Blackface at Bethel University
I can hear it now “ why do they always have to make a big deal about things. It was only a joke” or something akin. Well let me help to try and explain why a white student dressing up as rapper lil Wayne complete with Blackface is a big deal.
I won’t go into the entire history of Blackface, although for many this history would be useful. I will instead give a brief synopsis so we can all better put this incident in an appropriate context. From the 19th century until the civil rights movement Blackface was used as a tool to perpetuate stereotypes of Blacks as being stupid, slow, and lazy while portraying physically overemphasized features such as lips. From minstrel shows to Blackface branching out on its own it has always been a way to dehumanize, demoralize, and attack through racist stereotypes, African Americans.
While minstrelsy in its official capacity has disappeared, we see Blackface manifest itself continuously on college campuses. Whether it is at a “pimps and hoes party”, as a Halloween costume, at a “Compton cookout”, or most recently on the Bethel University campus as lil Wayne. Even if it is true that the offending parties were ignorant of the history and implications of their actions it is hard to believe that their actions were not motivated by latent racism; that subconsciously they didn’t hold a feeling of superiority. It is only racism that allows for one to believe it is ok to put on another human beings identity, culture, and skin color only to make light of it all. It matters little what the intent was- there is no escaping the impact- which is racist.
For an institution to have a stated anti-racism policy is a great thing, but it is only as great as its enforcement. This is the point Bethel University finds itself, a stated commitment to anti-racism and a blatantly racist event. It is up to them to demonstrate now how committed they are, not only to the policy, but to those on campus that the policy is in place to benefit, the staff and students of color along with their white allies. Please join those that feel strongly about this issue to outpressure on the administration to take the appropriate steps ensuring not only no similar events happen, but that the underlying ideologies that rationalize and make apologies for those who participate are appropriately combated.
In solidarity
Ryan “BUGS” Williams- Virden
I won’t go into the entire history of Blackface, although for many this history would be useful. I will instead give a brief synopsis so we can all better put this incident in an appropriate context. From the 19th century until the civil rights movement Blackface was used as a tool to perpetuate stereotypes of Blacks as being stupid, slow, and lazy while portraying physically overemphasized features such as lips. From minstrel shows to Blackface branching out on its own it has always been a way to dehumanize, demoralize, and attack through racist stereotypes, African Americans.
While minstrelsy in its official capacity has disappeared, we see Blackface manifest itself continuously on college campuses. Whether it is at a “pimps and hoes party”, as a Halloween costume, at a “Compton cookout”, or most recently on the Bethel University campus as lil Wayne. Even if it is true that the offending parties were ignorant of the history and implications of their actions it is hard to believe that their actions were not motivated by latent racism; that subconsciously they didn’t hold a feeling of superiority. It is only racism that allows for one to believe it is ok to put on another human beings identity, culture, and skin color only to make light of it all. It matters little what the intent was- there is no escaping the impact- which is racist.
For an institution to have a stated anti-racism policy is a great thing, but it is only as great as its enforcement. This is the point Bethel University finds itself, a stated commitment to anti-racism and a blatantly racist event. It is up to them to demonstrate now how committed they are, not only to the policy, but to those on campus that the policy is in place to benefit, the staff and students of color along with their white allies. Please join those that feel strongly about this issue to outpressure on the administration to take the appropriate steps ensuring not only no similar events happen, but that the underlying ideologies that rationalize and make apologies for those who participate are appropriately combated.
In solidarity
Ryan “BUGS” Williams- Virden
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Open Letter to 80's Babies in Minneapolis
“Every generation must out of relative obscurity discover its mission, fulfil it or betray it” Frantz Fanon
Comrades we are dropping the ball. There is no other way to put it. These are serious times, and we are lacking a serious approach. Yes we have random events that on the surface appear to be struggling for equality etcetera etcetera, but that is only a veneer, and a thin one at that. For some time now I have felt this way. I have participated in the protests, marched in the marches, and I am left only this- an overwhelming feeling of disappointment. Take this afternoon for example, there was a demonstration organized in solidarity with the national call to protect public education. In other states campuses were being occupied and there was real action being taken. Here, it was a far different story, middle class white folks stood around and listened to un-motivating speakers tell them what they already knew (ironically in front of Morrill Hall the site of actual student action 40 years ago) then marched across Washington Ave to Coffman to hear more stories and tidbits of information that for the most part served no greater purpose. Those that happen to be in the path simply walked by wondering what was going on. I ask is this what we have become? Where is the sacrifice? Why was that group not marching through the halls where classes were being conducted to hold professors and students alike accountable for not supporting this national movement? A even better question- why were we not bringing this message to the people who actually make the decisions? This is typical of demonstrations now a days, middle class whites organize the events, and end up hanging around telling each other about what is wrong, what they would like to see done about it, but when it comes time to sacrifice at any level they hide behind a veil of compromise and commitment to non-violence. The time has come to stop waiting for others from generations past to tell us what to do and how to do it. It is our time. It is time for us to come together, articulate our positions and be willing to back those up with sacrifice. It is time to stop asking permission to be pissed. Be pissed and do something about it. The torch is being passed- catch it! And always remember:
“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress." Frederick Douglass
In solidarity
Ryan "BUGS" Virden
Comrades we are dropping the ball. There is no other way to put it. These are serious times, and we are lacking a serious approach. Yes we have random events that on the surface appear to be struggling for equality etcetera etcetera, but that is only a veneer, and a thin one at that. For some time now I have felt this way. I have participated in the protests, marched in the marches, and I am left only this- an overwhelming feeling of disappointment. Take this afternoon for example, there was a demonstration organized in solidarity with the national call to protect public education. In other states campuses were being occupied and there was real action being taken. Here, it was a far different story, middle class white folks stood around and listened to un-motivating speakers tell them what they already knew (ironically in front of Morrill Hall the site of actual student action 40 years ago) then marched across Washington Ave to Coffman to hear more stories and tidbits of information that for the most part served no greater purpose. Those that happen to be in the path simply walked by wondering what was going on. I ask is this what we have become? Where is the sacrifice? Why was that group not marching through the halls where classes were being conducted to hold professors and students alike accountable for not supporting this national movement? A even better question- why were we not bringing this message to the people who actually make the decisions? This is typical of demonstrations now a days, middle class whites organize the events, and end up hanging around telling each other about what is wrong, what they would like to see done about it, but when it comes time to sacrifice at any level they hide behind a veil of compromise and commitment to non-violence. The time has come to stop waiting for others from generations past to tell us what to do and how to do it. It is our time. It is time for us to come together, articulate our positions and be willing to back those up with sacrifice. It is time to stop asking permission to be pissed. Be pissed and do something about it. The torch is being passed- catch it! And always remember:
“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress." Frederick Douglass
In solidarity
Ryan "BUGS" Virden
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Terrorism
I have purposefully waited a significant (in my estimation) period of time to write this. It was my equivalent of counting to ten- attempting to calm down. I thought maybe the media would do their job, and we would see some progress from this vital group. Sadly neither has happened (at least to any degree that would be notable). As a matter of fact most people I have spoken with don't even know who Joseph Stack is. For those people I will say this Joseph Stack is the man that crashed a plane into an IRS building in Austin, Texas. He had a sort of manifesto/ suicide note/ explanation all ready to go describing his reasons for this act. Put simply he was disgusted with the government and wanted to inspire others to similar acts in order to send a message (http://www.businessinsider.com/joseph-andrew-stacks-insane-manifesto-2010-2 for the whole statement). There have been many reactions to this event, all the ones you would anticipate are present ranging from extreme grief to admiration. There is something missing from the analysis- something so superficial about the discussion
One can not help but notice the parallel to 9/11 in regards to weapon of choice, a plane. We all remember the coverage (justifiably) that event received. Compare that to Joseph Stack there was coverage, but nothing even close to the 9/11 scale. Also the tone of the coverage is decidedly different- most of the coverage Stack has received has revolved around IF this was a terrorist attack. Many stations have even entertained comments praising the attack. Can you imagine stations giving space for people to rationalize 9/11. In fact years after 9/11 even the mention of "chickens coming home to roost" causes outrage (see Jeremiah Wright). This discrepancy illustrates fundamental issues the United States as a whole refuses to deal with appropriately. Mainly we have an issue with consistency, this is the true foundation of our country- the Declaration of Independence guaranteed equality to all... except non-whites and females. We see this inconsistency manifest in countless ways throughout history, and we see it now in the definition of terrorism- apparently only Arab Muslims can participate in terrorism. By no stretch of the imagination would a military occupation of sovereign nations qualify.
How long will we allow this inconsistency?
One can not help but notice the parallel to 9/11 in regards to weapon of choice, a plane. We all remember the coverage (justifiably) that event received. Compare that to Joseph Stack there was coverage, but nothing even close to the 9/11 scale. Also the tone of the coverage is decidedly different- most of the coverage Stack has received has revolved around IF this was a terrorist attack. Many stations have even entertained comments praising the attack. Can you imagine stations giving space for people to rationalize 9/11. In fact years after 9/11 even the mention of "chickens coming home to roost" causes outrage (see Jeremiah Wright). This discrepancy illustrates fundamental issues the United States as a whole refuses to deal with appropriately. Mainly we have an issue with consistency, this is the true foundation of our country- the Declaration of Independence guaranteed equality to all... except non-whites and females. We see this inconsistency manifest in countless ways throughout history, and we see it now in the definition of terrorism- apparently only Arab Muslims can participate in terrorism. By no stretch of the imagination would a military occupation of sovereign nations qualify.
How long will we allow this inconsistency?
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Hope
A little over a year ago millions of people, mesmerized and energized by the message of change and hope delivered by Barack Obama, made him President of the United States. Undoubtedly that act in and of itself has changed history for the better, and is rightly recognized as a milestone. However it is time now to demand those promises of change and hope be kept; to this point they have been nothing but a cruel joke. In fact as 2009 comes to an end we have witnessed the complete betrayal of these ideas with the failure of real health care reform, and the joke that was the Climate Change summit in Copenhagen (not to mention the troop escalation and so on).
As I am writing this- the Senate is planning a midnight vote on a bill that can hardly be called health care reform, which is predicted to pass (I will not take the time now to make an argument for why this is a terrible bill as I have wrote previously regarding that issue). Obama is just returning from Copenhagen where extremely rich, Western countries continued the practice of exploiting the Global South, and selling our’s and our grandchildren’s future for short- term profit, to be topped off with blatant blackmail and bullying by the United States. It has become clear Obama is a talented politician nothing more nothing less. Many of those who were so hopeful (many for the first time) are now instead disillusioned and overwhelmed by powerlessness. It is these people I write this for. Take heart family, there is hope as long as there is breath in our lungs. The hope was never with Obama, it was with us. The millions who made their voice heard electing the first African American President. That hope cannot be taken away, it can only be given away. Refuse to do that! Get involved and stay involved in our communities, organize, organize, organize. If you believe health care is a human right then make that known, call your elected officials, have your friends do the same, and if they don’t listen then vote them out! Vote for the people that represent you and your people. The time has come to stop choosing the lesser of two evils. If the candidates don’t represent your interest then run yourself. It is time to move past this failed two party system- that has so clearly turned its back on us. Above all love and respect yourselves and each other. We are deserving of happiness, and have every right to demand equality. We will not be free until we are all free!
In Solidarity,
Ryan “BUGS” Virden
Friday, October 9, 2009
Congratulations! Wait really???
I woke up this morning to some disturbing news. The headline reads "Nobel Stunner: Obama Wins Peace Prize". The cited reasons for granting Obama the prestigious award include: his initiatives to reduce nuclear arms, ease tensions with the Muslim world, and his efforts to focus on diplomacy rather than unilateralism. To many these might seem to be excellent reasons to award Obama the prize, and indeed they are, however these are not the entirety of Obama’s resume nor are they even 100 percent accurate. Let’s look at this through a different lens.
To many Barack Obama was and is an anti-war president. Many anti-war groups backed him during the campaign as did many individuals claiming to be pacifists. This has lead to a widespread belief that he himself is anti-war (one would think this should be a prereq of sorts for the Nobel Peace Prize). This however could not be farther from the truth. Currently we are bombing Pakistan, considering ratcheting up the war in Afghanistan, and supporting Israel. Not to mention the hypocrisy of stock piling nuclear weapons while demanding non-proliferation from other countries. If these are not enough let’s look at some closer to home examples of the violence supported by Obama and his administration: single payer universal healthcare was not even considered, housing is still not considered a human right, a livable wage has yet to enter the political discussion. As Gandhi famously stated "poverty is the worst kind of violence". In the interest of fairness these are not new to Obama or his administration these have long been characteristics of the American Empire.
I don't write this to try and burst any bubbles, or be a "hater". I am not looking for reasons to "bitch"; I do not want to find the negative in everything, or anything similar to these responses. The truth is actually quite to the contrary- I want a world of peace, a non-nuclear world. I want a world free from war and oppression, free from greed and poverty. I just received a text from my fiancée which says it the best “the wonders of the world we may never understand, but the mind possesses the capability of imagination, which is far more interesting. The world we can imagine can become our reality. Never give up, never stop fighting, keep revolting because God gave us a voice and life gave us the right!" I ask only this- that we have the courage to recognize and speak truth even in the face of facades that make it easy to become comfortable.
In Solidarity,
Ryan "BUGS" Virden
To many Barack Obama was and is an anti-war president. Many anti-war groups backed him during the campaign as did many individuals claiming to be pacifists. This has lead to a widespread belief that he himself is anti-war (one would think this should be a prereq of sorts for the Nobel Peace Prize). This however could not be farther from the truth. Currently we are bombing Pakistan, considering ratcheting up the war in Afghanistan, and supporting Israel. Not to mention the hypocrisy of stock piling nuclear weapons while demanding non-proliferation from other countries. If these are not enough let’s look at some closer to home examples of the violence supported by Obama and his administration: single payer universal healthcare was not even considered, housing is still not considered a human right, a livable wage has yet to enter the political discussion. As Gandhi famously stated "poverty is the worst kind of violence". In the interest of fairness these are not new to Obama or his administration these have long been characteristics of the American Empire.
I don't write this to try and burst any bubbles, or be a "hater". I am not looking for reasons to "bitch"; I do not want to find the negative in everything, or anything similar to these responses. The truth is actually quite to the contrary- I want a world of peace, a non-nuclear world. I want a world free from war and oppression, free from greed and poverty. I just received a text from my fiancée which says it the best “the wonders of the world we may never understand, but the mind possesses the capability of imagination, which is far more interesting. The world we can imagine can become our reality. Never give up, never stop fighting, keep revolting because God gave us a voice and life gave us the right!" I ask only this- that we have the courage to recognize and speak truth even in the face of facades that make it easy to become comfortable.
In Solidarity,
Ryan "BUGS" Virden
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