Houston Symphony

It was great enjoying the sounds of the Houston Symphony; in many ways the complexity of the instruments is like fine wine and academic life; you spend a great deal of time thinking about it, processing it, and reflecting on it. We used this night to do all that as we set new goals. It was a great night after finishing a race and a good dinner at Reefs, one of the top restaurants in the country. I have always stated that I have to live in or close to a large cultural center. I have a thirst for enjoying great restaurants, touring the theater district, and viewing great art. I was not always like this; in high school I did not grow up around such things. But as I have gotten older, my appreciation for calmness and focus has expanded greatly. Here are a few things I have observed:

1. My steaks — medium rare (I love it when the juice has a bit of red)
2. Being a huge wine person, I love a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon — Opus One and Silver Oak being two of my favorites. I really do not get to drink the Opus One.
3. Coffee. Black. A pinch of splenda.
4. Music. I love it all. But classical has great appeal to me. And for those of you that know me, I cannot run with an ipod. I do like to stretch to classical rock. I love Rush.

Below is a picture of the celebration of Hans Graf, who made Sunday’s event his last with the Houston Symphony at Jones Hall.

Gentrification Part II: Living Downtown

A while back I drafted a post on white flight and gentrification part I. Below is part II of my thought regarding this matter.

Thus far the 21st century has made it pretty darn cool to move downtown….Or for some, a return to the inner city, a place once thought by some to be an unthinkable living place with its racial and ethnic minorities. Recent studies have shown that not only are younger folks moving closer to the hood, but the same is true of those who have reached retirement age. Cities such as my current one (Houston) and my former one (Little Rock), have invested a great deal of money in developing and renovating their downtown. The new slogan in Houston is ” inside the loop.” The loop is a defined zone noting a bourgeoisie culture South of Interstate 10, west of  freeway 59, and inside the 610 loop.

Inside the loop is the new aspiring dream for those who are firmly fit for upper middle class status. It brings with it an array of shopping centers, dining options, and expensive living centers. There is an element of prestige that goes with living “inside the loop.” It presses upon the masses of suburbanites that an inner looper is cooler, far trendier, and far more in touch with what is “IN.” It also reminds those who live in the suburbs that there is a new distinction of class. There was a time when a suburban Houstonian might turn his or her head down on an inner-city dweller. The image of gang infested blocks, or bums on the street after a hard day of drinking and begging seemed too beneath the suburban vanguard of middle class people. After all, those in the suburbs had achieved the American dream: A house with a yard; neighbors of the same class and race to worship with on Sunday; well manicured lawns to impress the ladies club come Bridge Tuesday. Yes!!! The dream was met. The notion of racial polarization was set. Thanks to the consumer decade of the 1950s, domestic house wives could feel safe in their homogenous community, as they worked the latest innovations in kitchen appliance.

However, by 2000 an interesting trend developed. Though urban sprawl continued to increase since the construction of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, a younger and trendier group of people are rebelling against the mass conformity of their parents. Growing up in white homogenous communities, a new population of young hip white adults are returning to the hood. Well, what was once the hood. After decades of receiving an excellent upper middle class education in property rich school districts, young post-graduate professionals have drawn certain conclusions: They do not want to live the life of their parents. This inner loop trend is a bit more diverse with a growing young black  crowed and the expansion of the gay and lesbian population. This is particularly true of Houston.

Gentrification comes at a price; I am not talking about the cost of a small downtown loft. It has created an interesting trend of migration. In Houston, a number of the once homeless population that found places to reside in the inner loop, are now being pushed out. City ordinances in Houston do not allow for the homeless to reside in street alleys or beneath an unoccupied overpass. Urban renaissance cities are campaigning to bring in more downtown businesses and residents. And while that is great for the local economy, I guess it says something when we as a society are more concerned with our fancy way of living than the social conditions of society. A number of once inner loop homeless citizens have now migrated to the suburbs.  I hate that I am part of this problem. I am trying to figure it out.

Learning from American Dad, South Park, and Family Guy

            

Shows such as Family Guy, South Park, and American Dad continue to amaze me in their efforts to disseminate historical and political messages to the masses; I am not sure if I could have explained the Iran Contra Affair, as noted in the video below, any better. That said, I seem to watch very little TV if any; however, I must admit that I love watching these three via Netflix. Sure, I love a great laugh. We all do. But, to watch and catch the number of references related to sexuality, gender, race, class, and politics always impresses me. Each show draws from the humor of such taboo matters as masturbation to that of same-sex marriage. And teaching history courses, both topics do appear; however, my favorite episodes are usually about a significant popular culture reference that is historically significant. Such references remind me that either far too many people are not culturally literate enough to see the message, or they are too young to grasp the point. Regardless, being well read does help in enjoying all three to the fullest.

I am showing this clip below to my 3 sections of AP US History come spring.

Thanks (for not) Giving

Capitalism in and of itself is not evil. But, it does bring out the worst elements in human beings. Sure, we can look at other “types” of systems and see how power and greed in a non-capitalist system promoted a sense of evilness (Mao, Stalin, Hitler, Castro). It is ironic, however, that Americans spend so much time preparing for the holidays only to allow their greed to offset their good. I have heard more adds this Thanksgiving holiday about Black Friday than I have about the season of giving. Moreover, one cannot dismiss the notion of being thankful for what they do have when one is too focused on getting what he/she does not have. Thanksgiving is no holiday. It is pointless in so many ways. It teaches one to spend a great deal of money on more food than one might possibly eat.

Thus, in anticipation for all of this  food, Americans have come up with creative ways to consume their leftovers. After a day of stuffing, Americans spend the rest of their day talking about how full and miserable they are. Americana contemplate their new diets — but only after Christmas. Why start a diet when one must break it for Christmas? Knowing this is the way Americans think, creative people working in a corporate office concluded that they should utilize Americans sense for indulgence. Thus the rise of Black Friday. Marketing campaigns created to get the masses excited about standing in long lines just before rushing into a crowded store to purchase  goods for the next holiday — Christmas. OK. It is really for themselves.

In an attempt to stimulate the American economy during the 1930s Great Depression, FDR moved Thanksgiving to the last Thursday of November. It was the owner of Macy’s department store that convinced FDR to change the holiday as a means of allowing for a longer shopping season. One can see how this might have a positive impact on the economy. It was not until recent that the concept of  Black Friday emerged. Per a Wikipedia article read, the genesis of this post-day celebration started in Philadelphia around 1961 — but was exacerbated by the campaigning of retailers such as Kohls, Target, Toys-R-Us, etc.

Now, I do love Thanksgiving; it allows me a break from work in which I can spend time with my family. And, there are a number of organizations and groups that work to make the holidays a time for reminding people of what they do have. I am guilty of many of the things pointed out in this post. Well, not the shopping and the eating. But, I do lay around watching football when I could be working in a shelter.

Italian Pizzas

I am getting a lot out of my European tour while here in Florence. Though I suspect I have not gained any weight, I sure have not been eating well. An Italian Merlot with this amazing pizza dish. The restaurant is called Bargo. It is located in one of so many piazzas. Folks do not start eating dinner until around 9:00. Beyond the museums, dinning at the piazzas has been a joy.

The Bi-racial Question

Well, the title of this post is very general and lacks a sense of in-depth ness to it. I recently came across this video on the challenges faced by one young lady who is bi-racial in a homogenous society. It is normal to see a bi-racial person here in the USA; in some parts, however, one might suspect a person of interracial origin to be as foreign as an alien (from Mars not Mexico). Hence the looks, whispers, and sense of disdain illustrated toward he/she. I have discussed the matter of European racism a great deal in my AP European History course. I remind students that things are far better here than they are there.

I have given very little thought to the matter of Asia — particularly China. We are all familiar with the historical role of racism in the fascist Japanese state during WWII. But what about China? This video is quit interesting as it showcases the challenges one very talented bi-racial girl faced being both Chinese and African-American.

History of American Equality According to Family Guy

I absolutely love Family Guy. There are multitudes of social matters portrayed in this animation, though much of it is masked at times due to the show’s humor. Here is Peter Griffin on the history of America and the rights granted to other groups.

 

We are Invisible

Ralph Ellison wrote:

“I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allen Poe; nor am I one of those Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids-and I might even be said to possess a mind. I m invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me. Like the bodiless heads you see sometimes in circus sideshows, it is as though I have been surrounded by mirrors of hard, distorting glass. When they approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves, or figments of their imagination-indeed, everything and anything except me.”

This clip from the movie Finding Forrester best represents the assumption many make about those of the “darkest” color. Thus, I make it my mission to recruit and protect faculty members of color as well as students of color. Those who are not like us cannot understand why we remain frustrated or even angry. But then again, the majority is comfortable by assuming it is just us. There are so few of us. And, for those of us that elect to enter the independent world of private school teaching, very few stay. As W.E.B Du Bois notes, many of us belong to the talented tenth. A collective of the best and the brightest. It is us that must transform society. And, we must do it our way.

This clip from the movie Finding Forrester illustrates the natural assumption the white world makes about those of color. And, many do not realize they are doing it.This again became very evident as I sat behind a white family this past Friday at a football game. I listened to them claim handouts and special treatments toward minorities for 15 minutes. Once they were done, I motioned so they would see me right behind them. Yes, I was invisible to them. I looked at them and simply stated, I feel sorry for you; I gave them my name and told them to give me a call; I assured them I would not talk over their heads, but I would engage in a conversation with them. Thus, I stated they had a very narrow view of the world.  The clip below is also a great piece for Mrs. Chili’s grammar Wednesday. Hence, further and farther.

The Flag Topic

A while back, I drafted a post entitled, The Confederate Flag: A Symbol of Culture or Racism. Though I have an obvious point of view regarding this topic, it is safe to say that I have the education to articulate a rather legitimate argument; however, that cannot be said of so many others who have posted a comment on this post. I have been tempted to close the comment box, but have elected to leave it open for comedic reasons. Here are a few examples from either the racist, the troll, the stupid, or the poorly informed.

1. listen up, daniel lynch, lemme teach you a thing or two, the south, your whole theory that the wet backs and porch monkies have it worse that we do, its a load of crap, have you ever been to the south? have you ever seen whats its like to raise a family here? this is poor, most of them swet backs get jobs in construction and stuff, taking away from us, matter of fact if bush had any good sense they’d come up with a bill that would send all them “immigrants” is the word you used, i use intruders, job takers, they will just do the same thing they did with their pathetic excuse of a country to ours, use everything up then move on, i say we need to build, not a fence, but a fortified wall, mounted guns and everthing, and ship all of them back, first one that puts out any lip gets a 10 cent bullet between the eyes, i would rather pay for that than pay their freakin taxes, then shoot em as they head toward the wall, thats exactly what i think, and i think if you gotta problem with it then you can just go join em if you love em so much!

2. This one here is my favorite: l know I’m late to the party but this author is horribly ignorant. You’re an educator?

3. What about the 1000 black confederate soldiers who fought under the stars and bars?The only lie here is that the civil war was to end slavery. the civil war was brought about because of excessive taxes. Pretty much the same reason the revolutionary war was fought against England. All wars a really about money and or power. There are no higher ideals, only greed that powers the nations war machines.

4. i would just like to say that i do not believe the rebel flag is about racism. the civil war had nothing to do with whites agaisnt blacks, it was the north and the south. as far as i’m concerned if you live in the south you shouldn’t discriminate against the confederate flag just because you think its racist. i wear a lot of rebel flags and i am not racist by all means, so just because you fly a rebel flag does not mean you are against the black race.

5. First off we might have lost the war but you got to think the south has changed we still fly rebel flags. The whole reason why we rasict is cuz the niggers dont know how to shut up and part of it was when we had black slaves. and were nothing like the nazi so carl why dont you shut up and when you open your eyes and read more about the history then you can critisize us. And to let you know i am a southren and i am racist and i fly the rebel flag.

18th Amendment

Academics at every meeting I attend believe that the drinking age of 21 is too old. They contend that it should be lowered to 18. There are two ways of looking at the conversation brewing among academics: on one hand, the Puritanical nature of restricting alcohol as some moral and biblical sin is false and unjustified; I do know that a number of religious conservative bodies (Ex: Southern Baptist & church of Christ) illustrate via teaching that anything bad for the temple (or body) that God created is bad in general. Keep in mind that the United States is driven by fast food. I have read and studied the Bible; it says nothing about the evils of alcohol, though it notes it is sinful to get drunk. Schools that restrict this such as my alma mater (Harding University) and Baylor University, as well as countless others due to scripture, are practicing the art of in loco parentis.It is hard to imagine that there are institutions that restrict the consumption of alcohol by adults. I noted the rest of my thoughts on the 18th Amendment here.

Puritans occupied a crucial position in the mainstream of American thought. The term “Puritanism” is normally used to identify the religious philosophy and intellectual outlook that characterized New England’s first settlers. But as descendents of New England migrated from the Northeast to pioneer in the West and the South; they carried with them traits of the Puritan mind clear across the continent. Many historians, therefore, have postulated a direct connection between Puritanism and subsequent development of America. Some claim that they were reactionary bigots who opposed freedom of thought, religion, liberty, and the idea of democratic government. Massachusetts Bay Colony was an undemocratic colony. The colony was dominated by a state of Puritans who formulated an oligarchy. They were of the anti-enlightenment. Thus, those such as Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams were seen as a threat.

Thus, the Puritan premise impacted women to the extent that they created a number of “moral organizations” during the mid-nineteenth century and before. Women were leaders in advocating for both the 13th Amendment and the 18th Amendment; however, the 18th would be the one negative right inculcated in the Constitution.

Targeting People

From what I am reading across the country from other bloggers, people are wearing star of David badges and showcasing fascist’s symbols to protest the state of Arizona.

I have spoken to a number of Hispanics, and all of them will tell you that they do not favor illegal immigration; in essence, it works against the plight of legals. But, to enact legislation empowering the state to ask people for their papers due to race, is borderline Fascism.

I hear all too often that people do not want too much federal government intervention, but the governor of Arizona stated herself that states such as hers have no choice due to the inactivity of the federal government. I think Ms. Brewer is about to get her wish; I suspect the Obama administration will act quickly to usurp that of states by enacting comprehensive immigration reform. As a black American, I tend not to trust the notion of states’ rights. Historically, states have discriminated  against minority populations. Thanks to Interstate Commerce, the federal government used various tactics to remove Jim Crow. This does not mean the federal government does not discriminate. The United States has a history of implementing immigration acts and quotas against various groups: Southern and Eastern Europeans, Asians, and Jews.

As noted in The Huffington Post:

Arizona lawmakers approved a sweeping immigration bill Monday intended to ramp up law enforcement efforts even as critics complained it could lead to racial profiling and other abuse.The state Senate voted 17-11 nearly along party lines to send the bill to Gov. Jan Brewer, who has not taken a position on the measure championed by fellow Republicans. The House approved the bill April 13.

Three Depictions

Above: A depiction of American injustice towards American Indians under the leadership of American president Andrew Jackson. The Trail of Tears.

I will admit that I do American Indians an injustice with my coverage of them in my courses; I suspect it has to do with my own historical weakness and understanding of the American Indians’ plight. My friend James Stripes, noted this below on his blog; I thought it was telling regarding perspectives towards early American Indians.

Frederich Engels, co-author with Karl Marx of the core texts outlining the prospects of communism, offers one stereotype of American Indians:

Everything runs smoothly without soldiers, gendarmes, or police, without nobles, kings, governors, prefects or judges; without prisons, without trials. All quarrels and disputes are settled by the whole body of those concerned. . . . The household is run communistically by a number of families; the land is tribal property, only the small gardens being temporarily assigned to the households — still, not a bit of our extensive and complicated machinery of administration is required. . . . There are no poor and needy. The communistic household and the gens know their responsibility toward the aged, the sick and the disabled in war. All are free and equal — including the women.
Frederich Engels, The Origin of the Family (1884)

Chief Justice John Marshal of the United States Supreme Court, writing a half century earlier, offered a more negative assessment:

But the tribes of Indians inhabiting this country were fierce savages, whose occupation was war, and whose subsistence was drawn chiefly from the forest. To leave them in possession of their country was to leave the country a wilderness.
Chief Justice John Marshall, Johnson v. McIntosh (1823)

Both men were wrong.

“Lost” Character Taught AP European History

Seeing that I cannot recall the last time I got to watch any of the shows I like, I learned yesterday the LOST character Dr.Ben Linus was an AP European History instructor before he crashed on the island. Hey, I am an AP European History teacher. The interesting thing about this show is its use of European historical people. The only two that are coming to mind right now are Rousseau and John Locke. (see link here)

In the alternate timeline, Ben was a high school teacher of AP European History. His lunch buddy was science teacher Leslie Arzt (the victim of the unfortunate, but hilarious, dynamite explosion in Season 1). The two of them did little but complain about their students and the administration.

Black Religion

The image below–”Christmas in Georgia, 1916,” by Lorenzo Harris, and taken from the December 1916 issue of The Crisis (pp. 78-79). The caption reads: “Inasmuch as ye did unto the least of these, My brethren, ye did it unto Me.”

In chapter 4 of Edward Blum’s W.E.B. Du Bois, American Prophet, Blum discusses the Gospel according to Mary Brown and her child Joshua, who represents one of Du Bois’s black biblical characters, who found comfort among those who were societal outcasts. He, who was [the black] Jesus Christ, marched with the poor, with sinners, and communists; however, this Christ was not embraced by whites. Better yet, this Christ was lynched by the white South because they could not accept a Christ that accepted all people, especially the American Negro. Because of this, Joshua was killed by the very people who awaited him – the Christian South. The image portrays Christ arriving to save His people…but not the Jews…enslaved and persecuted black folks. Blacks during the days of Harriet Tubman (circa 1830) used folk tales via singing to describe Christ’s coming to save them from the Egyptian’s bondage; it would be Tubman — also called black Moses  — that emerged in the days of the Exodus to guide the enslaved folks across the Red Sea into Canada. Such religious tales illustrated a “sense” of religiosity that still exists among black folk, but no long carry the same fervor. My parents, who grew up in the south, do not call themselves Christian. This is unusual due to their race, geographical upbringing, and level of educational attainment. Black academics tend to gravitate more towards being either agnostic or atheist.

In reading Cornel West’s memoir, reviewing the writings of James Cone, and analyzing primary documents by W.E.B Du Bois , I am looking to draw various conclusions about the religious plight of black people in an inherent Christian but plural country. Working on this book with Phil has created a number of questions regarding black folks, politics, religion, and faith in a democratic society. The one question that is often presented to me is this: Can one be black and non religious? This is an interesting question seeing that it’s an anomaly to meet a black atheist. Edward Blum speaks to the religiosity of Du Bois as a spiritual intellectual; West talks about the soulful needs of faith and the church as a process of survival in a world dominated by white supremacy. But in an age of reason, one that places too much attention on academics for profit such as Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins, the norm of thinking is that intellectuals lack a faith in God — particularly white academics; however, the thought of blacks being atheist is unheard of in the 20th/21st century. This can be explained through the roots of slavery and Jim Crow; black folks congregated in the black church as they do today as a form of spiritual “togetherness”, but also as a show of political solidarity. The church stands at the center of the political, educational, and social lives of black Americans. What is different about black theology? According to James Cone, “it is due exclusively to the failure of white religionists to relate the gospel of Jesus to the pain of being black in a white racist society.” For nearly three hundred years, the enslaved houseworker had been listening to their owners’ prayers and Bible readings….they were able to interpret their own inexplicable situation and give themselves reasons to stay alive. This notion has transformed itself from the plantation to the political arena as seen by such actors as Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and Reverend Jeremiah Wright.

While today most African-Americans seem to belong to the general segment known as the Southern Baptists, the first African Baptist church began this trend, in Richmond VA, in 1838 when the pastor and members of the First Baptist Church of that city debated its growing difficulty: What to do with the growing black population in the church. Perhaps one of the reasons so many African-Americans today consider themselves as Southern Baptists is because it is a far more orthodox and conservative branch of Christianity. It  is at this point one might see a division between those of religious academic type and those of pure spiritual devotion. The religious academic types see the church as a vehicle to bring about social justice in eradicating poverty, racism, and social ills that permeate society. This type of black folk tend to be far more progressive than those rooted in the deep southern tradition of spiritualism.

Academic Life and Being Bohemian

Academic types will tell you that it is important to find a place to belong to; it is important to have the social outlet in which one can discuss life, politics, academic work, study, read, have a drink, and meet diverse people. Vibrant communities tend to be made up of bars and coffee houses that permit various groups to socialize and interact with those of like mind, and not so like minded. A bohemian venue often time tends to attract a more educated audience from the middle class; however, its diversity often but not usually extends beyond class.

I spend a number of hours on the weekends, at night, and after school at the Onion Creek, a diverse bar, eatery, and coffee house found in Houston’s The Heights, a historical district around the corner from downtown. Here you find groups of different races – primarily Asian, black, white, and middle eastern. Moreover, places such as the Onion Creek are usually gay/lesbian friendly, and politically leftist. Like many places of this nature, one cannot help but sit on the patio and people watch; I find much joy observing the various interracial couples that hang out here. It is easy to get lost in a conversation with a complete stranger over the day’s issue of the New York Times. But, most people that come to this particular venue do so in a group or with a partner. For me, I like any good company. I love having lunch or coffee here with a favorite student. Yes, I do have favorites.

Above: Carson post hours at the Onion Creek

Above: Outside patio of the Onion Creek

Above: Cool setting and interesting people make this place ideal after work.

Thoughts on Genocide by Chris Tutunjian

Chris Tutunjian is a sophomore student at Houston Christian High School; he is currently enrolled in Advanced Placement World History, a course taught by my department head Christine Metoyer. Chris offers an interesting analysis into the 20th century problem of Social Darwinism. I have closed the comment box on this post, but ask that many of you visit this post published at the Gray Ghost, a blog operated by Dillon Sorensen. I think you will enjoy his blog.

On April 24, 1915, one of the greatest atrocities ever committed against humanity began: the Armenian Genocide. How many of you have heard of this event? Probably not a lot. Some of you may not even care that this ever happened, but the Armenian Genocide carries great importance to me as it was my ancestors who were systemically and deliberately massacred by the Ottoman Turks during World War I.

I am three-quarters Armenian with both my mom and dad being of Armenian ancestry, and I could not be more proud of my heritage. Armenia is a country located in the Caucasus, bordered by Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Turkey. In 301 AD, Armenia declared Christianity the official state religion, making it the first country to do so. I belong to the Armenian Orthodox Church that was founded over 17 centuries ago. Ever since I was a child, my parents have taught me about the importance of my heritage. At first, I did not really care what they were trying to teach me. As I’ve matured over the years though, I’ve grown to understand what they meant. This is why I’d like to talk about the Armenian Genocide. I believe that it is my duty to my heritage and to my ancestors who perished during the genocide to educate the public on the crimes perpetuated against the Armenians during the genocide.

At the beginning of the 20th Century, the Armenian Christian minority living in eastern Turkey had no civil rights since Turkey’s population was mainly Muslim. Armenians were not allowed to bear arms, serve in the military, or testify in court against a Muslim. They were heavily taxed because they were considered infidels, and they were treated as second-class citizens. When Turkey suffered a severe defeat at the hands of the Russians during World War I, it quickly blamed the Armenians for aiding the Russians. The Turks were worried about the Armenians rebelling inside Turkey, and they justified the deportation and killing of Armenians by preparing propaganda material stating that the Armenians were planning to launch an uprising in Istanbul and kill the Turkish leadership. In 1915, the Turks enacted the Temporary Law of Expropriation, Confiscation, and Deportation. The law stated that all property owned by Armenians, such as land, livestock, and homes, was to be confiscated by the authorities. The Turkish government created special organizations like the SS and Einsatzgruppen, which were given the task of rounding up Armenians in their villages and deporting them to concentration camps. Most of these camps were located near the Iraqi-Syrian border. Killing squads executed Armenians through shootings, mass burnings, and poisonings. Also, many Armenians were marched into the Syrian Desert and were left to starve to death.

April 24th serves as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. On this date in 1915, the Turks, in an effort to cripple the Armenian community, seized and massacred over 200 Armenian intellectuals and leaders in Istanbul. My great-great grandfather on my mom’s side was one of the 200 arrested that day. His son tried to get him out of prison but failed. The Turks killed his father in front of him before imprisoning him. However, he escaped and made it to America. He settled in the northeast, where most of my mom’s family resides. On my dad’s side, my great-grandfather was the only one of eight brothers and sisters to survive the marches into the Syrian Desert. He fled to Lebanon, the only Middle Eastern country with a 50% Christian and 50% Muslim population, and began a new life. My father grew up in Lebanon and came to live in America after the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War in 1976. Eventually, he made it to Texas after studying in New York and Boston. Once my mom had finished college, her parents moved to Houston as her dad had gotten a teaching job at Booker T. Washington High School through IBM. She came with them to Houston, and my parents eventually met at the St. Kevork’s Armenian Church, the same church that I attend today.

Even though there is plenty of evidence that the Turkish authorities planned and executed the genocide, Turkey continues to deny the Armenian Genocide. The Turkish Government has made it a crime to defame the state and insult “Turkishness.” Not only does this prevent any discussion by the government on the topic of the genocide, but it also makes it very difficult for Turkish individuals to voice their apologies to the Armenians. You might recall Hrant Dink from two years ago. Dink was an Armenian journalist living in Istanbul. A Turkish nationalist assassinated him for his writings on the genocide and his recognition of it. Dink had actually been acquitted of the state-defamation law a few months before his murder. Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk, who won the Noble Prize in literature, has also been put on trial for statements recognizing the Armenian Genocide. He was found innocent and is an advocate for more freedom of speech laws in Turkey, so the people and the government can come to terms with its history and its crimes.

The Republics of Armenia and Turkey continue to be at odds on this issue and have no diplomatic relations. Many Turkish intellectuals, however, are starting to talk about recognizing the Armenian Genocide. Recently, over 5000 Turkish intellectuals signed a petition for the recognition of the genocide and apologized for the atrocities committed by the Ottoman Empire. Also, the President of Turkey traveled a few months ago to Armenia to witness a soccer match between the two countries, signaling a desire to want to resolve differences between the two nations.

Whereas many countries, such as Canada, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, Poland, and Russia, have officially recognized the genocide, the United States has not done so. Armenian-Americans try every year to introduce a bill in Congress that would have the government recognize the atrocities committed against the Armenian people by the Turks. The United States’ reluctance to approve such a bill is politically motivated. Turkey is a member of NATO and our only ally in the Middle East. In addition, Turkey is not as fanatic or fundamentalist as other Muslim countries. The Turkish Government has threatened to leave NATO and break ties with the United States if a bill recognizing the genocide ever passed. The United States does not want to loose its only non-fanatic ally in the Middle East, so the government has kept a low profile when it comes to the subject of the Armenian Genocide. I would love to see the day when the United States recognizes the genocide. Recognition, although being a great gain for Armenian-Americans, would have some negative repercussions for America. As I previously mentioned, we would loose our ally in Turkey, which the military has used as a refueling station and air base during their operations in the Middle East. Recognition would help a few but would not help our country overall. Although I am proud of my heritage, I am an American first and always, and I would never want to do something that would harm my country. I long to see the day when this bill is passed. Now is just not the time, and I am willing to wait for the right time.

I hope that one day the government of Turkey will recognize the terrible crimes that were committed against the Armenian minority in the Ottoman Empire. Whereas the Jews can have some closure with the German apologies and recognition of the Holocaust, the Armenians are still seeking peace and remain bitter over what happened.

I’d like to leave you with a quote by Adolf Hitler. Now, I know what you may be thinking, but just listen. When Hitler proposed his Final Solution, his staff and advisors asked him how he planned to get away with such a huge undertaking. Hitler simply replied, “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?” As much as I’d hate to admit it, Hitler was right. The Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the 20th Century, only to be followed by many more. So few knew what happened to the Armenians, and so few know today what happened to the Armenians. As the saying goes, those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

If you would like to read more about the Armenian Genocide or sign a petition for its recognition worldwide, please visit http://www.genocide1915.info/.

A Christian Democrat by Dillon Sorensen

Dillon Sorensen is a 10th grader and frequent contributer to The Proletarian; feel free to leave a comment for him regarding the post. Here is a previous post by Mr. Sorensen.

I attend a private Christian high school in Houston – creatively named Houston Christian High School. At HCHS, most of the students are white, wealthy, and conservative. The student parking lot is filled with brand new F-150s, Tahoes, and Mustangs. Every morning at 8:30am, class starts, and sets of iron gates secure the school’s perimeter a half hour later. The students walk down the halls in their Polo sweaters and Sperry’s, complaining about how much they hate private school, on their way to their next class. Most HCHS students fail to realize that one of Houston’s poorest communities, primarily made up of Asian and Hispanic immigrants is less than a mile away.

Every year, Houston Christian students are required to take two semesters of Bible class. Old Testament, New Testament, and Apologetics – we study it all. It was about a month ago, in the midst of the election season, that a fellow student in my second period Bible asked, “how can you be a Christian and a Democrat?” She proceeded to say that “Democrats support abortion and gay marriage, and Christians shouldn’t.”

I consider myself to be a fairly open-minded person. Even though I am quite Liberal, I am more than willing to listen to Conservatives. I read progressive blogs and newspapers; yet, I also check out the National Review and occasionally watch Fox News. However, I am not open to the assertion that a Democrat can’t be a Christian.

Ironically, I used to be rather Conservative. In eighth grade, my history teacher was a football coaching, concealed handgun carrying, Michael Savage listening Republican from Mississippi. He talked about how he was a devout Catholic, and couldn’t stand the thought of “the gays” getting married, and hated to see our babies being killed. He said that the wealthy shouldn’t have to give their money away to the lazy poor people who don’t want to work (read: black people). My knowledge of politics was quite limited, but everything he was saying sounded pretty reasonable to me. So, I found myself repeating his political views to my friends and family. It was quite nice actually, because being in Texas, everyone agreed with me and told me how smart I was. I too thought that it was impossible to be a Christian and a Democrat.

For the past two summers, I have been fortunate enough to serve on the Program Team at a large youth conference in Germany. Last summer, during setup week, I was taking some time to pray and familiarize myself with the year’s curriculum. The theme was Blindsight, and we primarily focused on Paul and his letters to the Corinthians. So, as I was reading my Bible, I came across 2 Corinthians 8:13-15:

“Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.”

You see, I have always been a Christian. For the past few years, my family has attended church every Sunday morning. I have attended Christian private schools since the fourth grade. I even participated in a confirmation class in the eighth grade. But I didn’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ – until last summer.

As I continued to worship, pray, and read, I learned a lot about Jesus. I learned that Jesus took care of the poor, the elderly, and the orphaned. I learned that Jesus valued equality. I learned that Jesus wasn’t a proponent of war. I learned that Jesus would never sit back and watch genocide happen all over the World. I learned that every life is sacred in the eyes of Jesus. I learned that Jesus would want the students of Houston Christian High School to help the impoverished Houstonians living and working outside of its iron gates.

If Jesus were living in the United States today, would he be a Democrat? I doubt it. Would he be a Republican? Probably not. In fact, I think his voter registration card would say “Independent.”

Nonetheless, Jesus would understand that it is possible to be a Christian and a Democrat.

Went to the Barbershop Today

When one engages in a discussion about the various typologies that are defined by physical characteristics, one cannot pass on the obvious: physical shape, hair texture, nose, and facial structure. The period historians have assigned with the title Enlightenment gave rise to a new form of racial categorizations: Negroids, Mongoloids, and Caucasoid were assigned to different racial and cultural groups. Blacks have long been associated with a particular hair type.

Black hair has long been linked to political and social developments. For example, while in the barbershop today, I was on the phone with a friend who is white; she asked me how she would feel being in an all black barbershop; I told her she would like it. Sure, broken English is the norm rather than the exception. Hearing brothers argue about sports, race, politics, and da club is expected. Chatting about life with the brother cutting your hair is the joy of waiting. Yes — I mean it when I say waiting.  Among black folks, the term CP Time has value. Due to the anthropological nature of the black barbershop, the concept of time tends to escape black people. Thus, one of the rules about going to black barbershop is that you do not ask “how long will it take?” The barbershop is a place to chill and be cool; it is to black folks what the Bohemian bar or coffee shop is to other groups. It rejects the concept of status and elitism. A sense of unity is pervasive among those in the shop. Because person X has a college degree and attended a very good high school has no meaning, since other people there might not have graduated from high school. Pretentiousness has no value in the barbershop.

Check out this clip from Barbershop 2. You will get an idea.

“Just Say No”

Growing up in my circles as a teen was tough at times; I had respect for the drug dealers and gang bangers that would tell me to go home, or suggest that I not show up in a particular area at a particular time. I have seen my share of stuff; once, right after I was accepted on financial aid to a private school, I got off the hook when a few guys from the community asked for a ride from the mall; I had no clue they had drugs on them. When all was said and done, I appreciated how they defended me for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was cool how even bad guys looked after the good brothers in the world. I felt like I was modeling the right behavior for them, though I did not see many of them once I changed schools.

That is clearly not the case for Houston Independent School District. Read here:

In the past couple months, nine teachers from Houston area school districts and one custodian have been arrested on drug charges. Four of those employees, including the teachers who were arrested Friday, were taken into custody at Woodson Middle School. Read the rest here.

Race and Culture by Kevin Mills

The following piece was written by Kevin Mills; here, he looks at the progress of race relationships in America, especially as it relates to interracial relationships. It is difficult to believe that at one point interracial marriages were against the law in a number of states. The topic of marriage and defining marriage has become a controversial and political topic. I find it very difficult to define marriage according to secular 21st century norms. Moreover, how does one define this institution? Jason John wrote a piece on the latter question that I will post later in the week.

 

Brown gets all the attention. Loving v. Virginia does not. In fact, most Americans do not even know the legal history of interracial marriage. But everyone certainly has seen or heard of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. This year marks the 40^th anniversary of Loving. In this decision, the court rendered all laws forbidding marriage between persons of different races unconstitutional. This ruling allowed Mildred Loving, a woman of mixed African, European, and Native descent, to marry Richard Loving, a white race car driver, and live peacefully in their home state of Virginia. In the lower court, the state judge opined that “Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents…he did not intend for the races to mix.” In the appeal, the court decided that such separation infringed upon a fundamental right to marry. Prohibiting interracial marriage became illegal.

How far have we come in 40 years? Have we moved on up since Helen and Tom Willis? One may even read interracial intimacy as fashionable. While Asian children still claim the highest numbers in international adoption, sub-Saharan African children have become “the new black.” Novelist Danzy Senna (who is black, white, and Jewish) proclaims that “America loves us in all our half-caste glory.” And, of course, the interracial Messiah, that “skinny kid with a funny name” sends us all into paroxysms of miscegenous glee. And statistics may support a claim of racial freedom in marriage. In a recent Gallup poll, white approval of interracial marriage increased from 4% in 1958 to 75% in 2007. Without a doubt, the total number of interracial marriages increased (depending on your source) as a result of Loving, from approximately 150,000 in 1960 to 1.46 million in 2000.

Yet, interracial love is always the trump card for social offence. Black male athletes dating or marrying white women continues to generate ire and criticism. Political mud-slinging harps on the interracial dating record of Representative Harold Ford, Jr. And in 1999, Sen. Bob Bennett predicted no presidential nomination problems for George Bush unless he “step[ped] in front of a bus” or “some black woman comes forward with an illegitimate child.”

 

Interracial love, when posed as a threat, when completely illegal, testifies to its enduring taboo. Despite progressive posturing and harmonic celebration, mixed marriages only account for about 4% of all marriages in the United States. Of this percentage, the of these marriages occurred between Asians and whites. The largest growth in interracial intimacy occurs in our minds and in art. Undeniably, multiracial families, persons, and partnerships exist, yet the explosion has yet to take place in all sectors of American society and culture. Until then, we are all guests at Hepburn and Poiter’s very, very long, long dinner.

 

 

Also see an earlier piece: Miscegenation