You can get anything you want...
I was introduced to Arlo Guthrie at a folk festival at Great Woods in 1989. He was the headliner for the evening and asked everyone who had been sitting in seats all day under the shed, to trade places with everyone who had spent the whole day outside in the grass on the hill. Who couldn't love such a mischievous wonderful soul?
I had, of course, read Woody Guthrie's autobiography, so I had a sense of Arlo's lineage, but I don't think I had heard anything like "Alice's Restaurant" or the "The Motorcycle Song" ever before. Later, when I had a folk and blues show on the radio in college, playing "Alice's Restaurant Massacree" in its 18 minute and 34 second entirety was a fairly regular occurrence. Later, I discovered the movie and I loved basking in the unabashed sentimentality of it, the longing, the terrible tragedy of addiction, some complicated issues of race, and of course, the reason Arlo is in my mind today, the inverted red triangle that the group co-opted as their symbol.
Before being adopted by the residents of Group W bench, the red triangle was used by the Nazis to identify political prisoners, social democrats, socialists, communists, anarchists, rescuers of Jews, trade unionists, and freemasons. And of course, has now been coopted by the Trump administration to label its adversaries. There is sadly no sense of irony here. Trump's fear of anti-fascism drives him deeper into the embrace of fascism and we all watch in stunned disbelief.
I miss the innocence of watching Arlo adopt a symbol of oppression and turn it into a symbol of solidarity. But in the context of the Holocaust, of the persecution of Jews, homosexuals, and all the other targets of hate and scapegoating, it is utterly horrifying to see the United States president adopt the same symbols to label his adversaries.
It is easy to hate Nazis, it is easy to hate fascists. There is no justification for espousing those beliefs, for the manipulation of people's fear to further one's own goals.
The presence of fascist ideals in America are not new. The systemic racism and culture of white supremacy that are at the root of the demonstrations we are seeing in the cities and towns all across America are a testament to that. The shocking explicit embrace of such things, and the administration's continued refrain of innocence, ignorance, and utter stupidity belies the reality. There has to be a willful ignorance to perpetuate such actions repeatedly.
An administration that has access to the greatest politicians, historians, and educators in the nation, cannot make such gaffes without a measured and intentional desire to ignore the history of race conflicts in this country, the Red Scare, the Holocaust, the manipulation of xenophobia, and countless other attempts to divide and sow hate.
As a nation, we deserve better. And in this moment, we need better.
Woody inscribed on his guitar, This machine kills fascists.
I could use an Arlo Guthrie concert right about now.
Take care,
Leo
 |
Sometimes you get a tall pointy egg.
|
From Our Friends:
From Inside Higher Ed:
The belief abounds that we can simply conflate the interrogation of systemic racism with conceptualizations of diversity involving gender, age, LGBTQ identity, disability and so forth. The argument often goes something like this: “Our organization respects all differences, and we work to create an environment where everyone feels included and can do their best work.”
I agree -- strongly -- but that view doesn’t negate the obligation of individuals and organizations to identify and actively develop strategies to eliminate systemic racism in their environments and in our nation. In a country built on the subjugation of indigenous and black people, it is going to take more than respect for all differences to deal with the structures and unconscious biases that continue to marginalize -- and kill -- black Americans.
From 18 Million Rising:
From the Daily Yonder:
Q&A: 'It's the Young Folks That Are making Me Excited,' Says Cooperatives Director
The Federation of Southern Cooperatives sees a moment of hope inspired by young people calling for change. It's responding to the coronavirus pandemic in the rural South by helping black farmers through cooperative enterprises and infrastructure. |
|
From It Gets Better Project:
Our digital Pride event is ONE week away. Join us for a three day live stream event featuring LGBTQ+ artists, gamers, drag queens & more, hosted by Peppermint!
From Jamkazam
Tune in tomorrow Friday, June 19th, at 6:00 PM US Central Standard Time to the JamKazam Juneteenth concert that will be livestreamed here: Juneteenth Livestream!
We have a fascinating line of artists - from the across the US, Canada and Switzerland playing a range of Jazz styles under the theme "Celebration of Freedom, Culture and Hope with reflection on our present, and drive progress towards a future of equality and understanding for all”.
From NEFA:
The New England Arts Resilience Fund was created in response to the impact ofCOVID-19 on the nation’s arts infrastructure and will support New England nonprofit arts and cultural organizations with recovery and planning capital for a post-pandemic future. Eligible arts organizations should apply by June 30. |
|
From National Geographic (because hummingbirds are cool):
A new color palette: Hummingbirds can see colors we can’t even imagine. Their color discernment goes well beyond our rainbow color spectrum, writes Virginia Morell for Nat Geo. Researchers studying wild broad-tailed hummingbirds in Colorado found they could determine spectral-colored feeders from feeders in nonspectral colors. “Seeing them do this right in front of my eyes is one of the most exciting things I’ve ever witnessed,” says Mary Stoddard, a Princeton evolutionary biologist.
Today's Online Teaching Tips:
From REV:
We’ve put together our first-ever weeklong virtual event — held during lunchtime from 12:00-1:00CT — where speakers will be sharing their thoughts, experiences, and advice on how to empower faculty and staff to scale their efforts and meet the Covid-19 crisis head-on. After presenting, a Q&A session will follow. Check out our lineup and RSVP for the sessions you'd like to join.
From Higher Ed Jobs:
| June 18, 2020 |
Reimagining Hands-on Learning in a Hands-off Time: Co-ops, Labs, and Practicums
by Russell F. Pinizzotto, Ph.D.
 Colleges and universities everywhere are finding that, among the many challenges posed by the rapid move to online learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, some parts of the curricula are affected more profoundly than others. For instance, programs that feature co-ops and internships, lab and studio courses, and practicums face unique challenges during this time. Fortunately, students, faculty, corporations, and other educational partners are stepping up to meet the challenge with creativity and resilience. |
|
From Cengage:
Comments
Post a Comment