The here and now... and what and why

Complacency is a trap. At least that’s what I was thinking when I up and left the comfort of a Yankee prep school gig, where I taught music, amongst other things, for 28 years. There was also that life long career as a composer, musician and artist.

First, it was a year in St. Thomas, USVI, working as a reporter and shooting photography and then, a year in San Agustin Etla, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Time passed.
More time passed and a year back in the Athens of America followed by a hasty return to Oaxaca where it is all happening.
A couple of years in San Sebastian Etla and now, just down the road in San Pablo Etla. Life is good.

Click on an image to see it larger.
For additional photography please visit my flickr page.
You can find my music on Jango (World & latin - Worldbeat) and at iTunes and most online stores.
¡Soy consciente de todas las tradiciones del Internet!
If you are coming to Oaxaca, please contact me for tours or advice.

Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo
The view from Corazon del Pueblo

The hereafter re me

My photo
Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico
Musician, photographer, videographer, reporter, ex-officio teacher, now attempting to be a world traveler

Friday, May 29, 2009

Defend this

Maybe it was all those years spent in the front of the classroom or conducting an orchestra or leading a band, but one develops the ability to cut through a lot of stuff and see people for what they are. It is pretty hard to hide when you are immersed in playing music. In the classroom, one has to be able to scope out the scene and come up with answers or at least good questions. They may be, “Who said that?" or "Who has that horrible aftershave on?” or “Now that you have so obviously messed up, what are you going to do?”

Teachers get good at recognizing, knowing people, if they are doing it right. We all fit into some sort of type or personality. I bet a good second grader teacher can spot the culprits of any prank easily.

And so can most of us.

Roundabout way of saying, “What the hell is going on?” Are we actually having a debate about torture? Not a great sign as to how well we are doing, would you say? I keep thinking of all the civilizations that have preceded ours and feel like… shit.

Well, in a couple of hundred years, they can assess how we did confronting the problems that brought so many other cultures down.

And the characters seem as transparent and obvious as those pesky second graders. The banksters, politicians, media, the left and the right are all acting like caricatures. Cheney? Newt Gingrich lecturing the nation about truth and virtue? And the media finds them credible and serious? Please.

From the London Telegraph (full story)
At least one picture shows an American soldier apparently raping a female prisoner while another is said to show a male translator raping a male detainee.

Further photographs are said to depict sexual assaults on prisoners with objects including a truncheon, wire and a phosphorescent tube.

Just to be clear THIS is what the torture advocates and apologists are defending. I have seen the rape and abuse photos. They are beyond the pale. This was done in our name.

There is no defense.

If you wish to see them hit the link. Warning! They are graphic.
These are not new photos. They have been around for years. We just didn't want to deal.

No comments: