...it's not dark yet, but it's gettin' there...
Radical Redneck alerted me to this story about child abuse going on in Santa Cruz.
While most summer camps get kids out of the house and give parents a break, a group called Art in Action is nurturing the next Michael Moore . . .And Jouse knows what the media doesn't because . . . how? i'd wager the punk hasn't actually been to Iraq, nor have any of his retarded professors. So, guess what. Unless he's getting his information from out his ass, he's probably getting from the media.Art in Action’s 'art and empowerment' camp is being held at the Quaker Center nestled in the redwoods of Ben Lomond. Campers at the 10-day retreat attend workshops on cultural activism, nonviolent action and alternative media.
'The reality is that the media is not actually showing what’s really going on in Iraq,' said Jouse Bustos, 19, of central Los Angeles. 'By doing this mural, I’m showing what’s going on.'
Bustos is one of 25 young people attending the camp. For 10 days, they learn to say 'no' to military recruiting, racism and war, and 'yes' to eco-justice, community and love.Nice. If these people had their way, i don't suppose they'd go crying to be protected by that same military when their bus gets bombed. No, they'd never do that.
Campers spend their time making banners, writing poetry and choreographing dances that represent a vision of 'positive alternatives to the madness of war and oppression.'i got a positive alternative to war and oppression too. How about a democratic Middle East? How about us killing the terrorists so they stop blowing people up?
'Art is the best way to communicate social messages,' said camp founder Alli Chalabi-Starr, who grew up in Santa Cruz but now lives in San Francisco.Art is the best way to communicate social messages, huh? i bet if i went to that camp and i made some art that communicated my own social message, i'd be "peacefully" thrown out of there on my ass.
Here's an example of the type of social message that's acceptable at this camp:
Some [campers] glue together pieces of newspaper that will become the giant puppet unveiled Thursday night — the divided face of a Muslim woman and woman of color from the United States.Oh gawd, spare me that "chill wind" argument again. You're at a fucking protest camp. If the government wanted to censor you, you'd be sitting in jail next to Tim Robbins and Michael Moore, holding their Oscars.Stamped across the face will be an American flag, said camp co-founder Maryam Roberts of San Francisco.
The face 'represents silence forced upon both women by their governments,' Roberts said. 'There is a feeling of silence.'
Instead, people like this thrive in the United States, where their message is heard loud and clear wherever they want to spew it forth, from the office of the California Attorney General to the streets of Manhattan. That's not censorship.
On the other hand, i just made a piece of protest art myself. It's a work intended to shake up the establishment and challenge the oppressive orthodoxy of California's ruling elites. i'll sell it to you cheap for $750, which also happens to be the per person cost of that stupid protest camp. It's suitable for framing and i'm calling it "Piss Boxer."
i wonder how many art galleries i can find anywhere who would be willing to exhibit it?
Every March, left-wing whacko kids flock to Austin to attend "alternative spring breaks". Where, instead of hanging out at the beach and doing body shots off their normal college-aged peers, they learn how to make signs and chant (otherwise known as protesting), and regurgitate the rhetoric of their 1960s burn-out parents and professors.
I wrote about the anti-death penalty alternative spring break a few months ago. Oddly, it sounds like they were "learning" the exact same lessons as the anti-war protest campers in CA.
Posted by: Robbie on Aug. 6, 2005Is that the worst pic you can find of her? How about a reprise... "Shit Boxer"?
Posted by: Casca on Aug. 6, 2005I'll add this to my (very, very long) "Why I Don't Live in California" list.
Posted by: Mark on Aug. 6, 2005I'll add this to my (very, very long) "Why I Don't Live in California" list.
Posted by: Mark on Aug. 6, 2005You should all be more considerate to these people. They must be very committed to their cause seeing as they probably have their lunch money taken from them nearly every day. It probably took them quite some time to save up the cash for this camp.
Too bad the camp fee doesn't cover hygiene classes and a gym membership.
Also, while I may not be an expert on this (after all, I said "yes" to military recruiting), how long does it take someone to learn to say "no" to anything? There has to be at least 7 different places between the initial contact with the recruiter and reception where people can say "no" to recruitment. Plus, don't the "no means no" classes cover cover some of this ground prior to the camp?
What *is* it with these people and their giant puppets?
I guess there's a new branch of the art of rhetoric: Instead of trying to persuade people to your point of view with reason and eloquence, you persuade them with puppets...
Posted by: David Foster on Aug. 7, 2005[['The reality is that the media is not actually showing what’s really going on in Iraq,' said Jouse Bustos, 19, of central Los Angeles. 'By doing this mural, I’m showing what’s going on.']]
Heh. Maybe he should let the kids draw a mural with the below "visual aids".....
http://www.pulitzer.org/year/2005/breaking-news-photography/works/warzone20.html
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/photos/B/BAG12305032334.html?SITE=TXABI&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Where's the cognitive dissonance for these people?
I can only hope that Ward Churchill finds out about this camp, applies for a teaching position there, and gets turned down because even they have standards.
Posted by: Sub-Human on Aug. 8, 2005Excellent Boxer art Annie - I agrre, though, that it'd be VERY easy to find a far worse picture of that screeching harpie.
Speaking of this art, I've got to take a leak.
Meanwhile, if you go here, you can see the writings of the esteemed alumni of that camp.
Posted by: Radical Redneck on Aug. 10, 2005