Nossiter!

The Gamblog has just pointed out that the New York Times has been especially attentive to New Orleans over the past few days. Kevin Allman links this article by Adam Nossiter about day laborers as victims of crime.

I'm glad he did because the article sucks. I see it as an example of Mr. Nossiter's often incendiary and anecdotal perspective on race in New Orleans.

But on the street, these laborers are known as “walking A.T.M.’s.”

Their pockets stuffed with bills, the laborers are vulnerable because of language problems and their status as illegal immigrants. And as Hispanics have become the prey of choice in crumbling neighborhoods here in one of America’s most crime-ridden cities, racial friction between the newcomers and longtime black residents has moved close to the surface.

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Many bluntly assigned a racial component, saying that it was “los morenos” — their colloquial term for blacks — who were after them. “When we are leaving here after work, we have to go on foot,” Mr. Billado said, speaking through an interpreter. “The blacks are waiting for us. They’ll beat you up. They’ll take your money.”

I don't want to dismiss the tragedy that is the victimization of hardworking New Orleans residents and the plight of undocumented workers in general. Nor do I want to dismiss the notion that there is tension between Latino and African American communities.

But Nossiter seems to cherry-pick quotes and structures his narrative to suit the needs of a predetermined meme - that racial tension has resulted in African Americans preying upon Hispanics.

The anecdotal quotes from victims of crime are given the lede but the causal factors - the high rate of crime generally, African American joblessness and underemployment, the overall vulnerability of undocumented workers, and the fact that African Americans are so often victims of crime themselves - are buried on page 2 or left out entirely.

Furthermore, this article could have been written at any point over the last three years and the issue of the vulnerability of immigrant laborers to robbery in New Orleans has been covered by local and national media.

Nossiter does not break a new item anywhere in the article so I question the choice of subject.

If he wanted to take the pulse of the city, he might want to examine the backlash bubbling up against the NOPD that has been separately emanating from black, white, and brown quarters.

He includes a line about this:

The police, the men said, either ignore their calls, admonish them for being in the country illegally or arrive too late at a crime scene to do any good.

But what could have been useful in another context becomes a throwaway within this article in particular.

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Did anybody else get a little queasy reading this Nossiter piece? Or am I being a cherry-picker too?

An Unfortunate Attitude

Recently, I've become concerned with aspects of American disillusionment and the upcoming Presidential campaign of 2008...


What does "progress" mean?

How can we improve the United States of America?

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You know, some people say that the government is broken. People say that it is more than the pro-business, reactionary tone of the neo-conservative alliance that has run Washington D.C. for much of recent memory.

Nobody absolves the Republicans, but many people also blame the opposition Democrats for giving a rubber stamp to a wrong-headed policy agenda.

They say the two-party system itself has become castrated, incapable of making substantive improvements to the state of the nation.

Certain people say that the Democrats and Republicans are too similar, too entrenched in a corporate system to be capable of making any kind of structural improvements.

Other people say that the Right and the Left are too ideologically opposed. They say that the partisan gridlock in Washington has rendered the federal government unable to solve basic problems because of a material inability to forge compromise.
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How do people go about fixing their government?

Some decide to vote for third party candidates whose political ideology aligns more directly with their own. Sometimes these candidates fall into the group that believe that the two major parties are too similar - the Green Party and the Libertarian Party come to mind. Those that believe that the major parties are too different work to find moderate insurgencies. The Unity '08 movement surrounding Mr. Bloomberg, Senator Hagel, and others comes to mind.

Other people are disillusioned with the two party system in a different way. They believe that the US government is so broken that it is beyond repair, as far as electoral politics are concerned. Some decide that the system is so stacked against the alternative party/ideology of their liking or they decide that none of the candidates in either major or minor parties truly represents their values. They opt not to vote at all. They determine it isn't worth it to do so.
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Then, I think about my own values, my own virtues, my own ideas.

I think about how far away we are from achieving the Utopian America that I have envisioned in my brain and in my heart.

And we are so far... so far away from reaching it. There are times I've felt we are so far away that I think about scenarios in which I might consider giving up entirely.

Some people that are disillusioned shake their heads at those that decide to back a major party candidate:

...Naive, they are. They'll never get real change with candidate X. They might make a positive adjustment or two here and there but everything will be the same, for the most part. We'll still be far far away from the ideal America and then someone else will come in and take us backward in a circle to where we started the first time...

Sometimes, these attitudes make me upset. And it's not because I think the two party system is the ideal model for good governance, popular representation, or democracy. It's not because I don't agree that this nation needs striking and substantive change at some point or another.

I do agree. I do agree this country needs way more than an oil change. It needs more than new break pads.

There are major problems with the engine. I agree.

This country does totally messed up stuff to people all over the world. Our own government does totally messed up stuff to us here at home.

I agree!

A lot of people do, t00. So many people.

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But I think about progress and I think about how to improve the United States of America.

I realize that there are also a lot of people out there that hate my Utopian America. There are so many ignorant, hateful, misinformed, reactionary people that have an irrational fear of all adjustments that I think would improve this nation.

I know that those people will fight my attempts to make changes.

I know that there are so many changes I'd like to make that the couldn't happen in one day, even if I were king of the world. Certain things would have to wait until day two or week two or year two, I mean, a man's gotta eat and nap and catch a ball game now and then.

But I'm not king of the world (yet)...

The closest person to king of the world is the President of the United States of America. We are going to elect a new one soon.

Which candidate will get us closer to the Utopian States of We Could Be Famous?

Which one is more likely to succeed in making enough lasting change during their four or eight years in office so that in 2010 I'm typing about the NEXT logical set of changes that need to be made to get us that much closer to the US of WCBF?

Some people that I agree with on a lot of things thought that that person was John Edwards and were planning to vote for him.

I like John Edwards and I can't really be mad at people that believed his policies would represent the most progress of the major candidates. I understand arguments that Mr. Edwards would have been the strongest candidate against the Republicans in the fall.

Now that Edwards has dropped out of the election, some of his former supporters are now lining up behind Barack Obama, who has always been my choice for most capable of leading a sustained generational push for a more progressive America. He is their second choice, they believe he is at least marginally more capable of creating positive progress than the other electorally viable choices available.

Others believe that Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton are too similar to each other or too similar to the Republicans.

These people may not vote at all. Some might consider voting for Ralph Nader, a candidate that will not win but provides a ballot choice for those wanting to express their disillusionment in electoral form.

I like many of Mr. Nader's ideas. I like his fearlessness in expressing politically unpopular realities that neither major party has the boldness to address.

But I don't think a disgruntled, self-righteous vote for Mr. Nader or a disillusioned, self-righteous decision to abstain from voting helps one iota.

Barack Obama's candidacy, even if you think it is mostly rhetoric, even if you think his enthusiastic supporters have become irrational followers of a personality cult, even if you don't think it advocates for authentic change, represents something substantially different from the candidacies we've seen from the Democratic Party in decades.

You might not agree that his ideas are any different. Other things are different, however.

Mr. Obama's grassroots support through small donations and his ability to attract large crowds is impressive and unprecedented in the TV age of politics.

His galvanization of young voters is unprecedented in the TV age of politics.

His appeal amongst independents is something that I have not witnessed from a Democratic candidacy in my lifetime.

These things are encouraging developments. I like these things. I believe that his policies are decent. I disagree with him on lots of things. I want his health care plan to be more universal, I want him to end the death penalty, I want him to favor gay marriage.

But I think he can lead an electoral coalition that can get us closer to the Utopian States of We Could Be Famous than any other major candidate left running. I think he can get us closer than Ralph Nader could, even if Mr. Nader magically broached the magical 5% number to earn the media coverage of a major party candidate.

That marginal moral victory would bring way less change than a landslide victory for Barack Obama would.

A landslide victory, a mandate would allow at least some changes. Depending on Mr. Obama's competency it could lead to a few medium-sized changes. It would allow people like me that want to see big changes to demand them in an environment receptive to arguments about change-oriented policy. A Democratic Presidency, if it succeeds in making improvements to this country, would allow a person like myself, a person that wants big changes, a better environment for the advocacy of my longterm policy ideals. A Democratic Presidency, if it fails to make this country better, puts me in a better position to criticize politicians for not offering enough change or for being too complacent.

A Republican Presidency puts in me in a place where I'll be arguing against more reactionary and backward policies. It forces me to abandon my Utopian States ideas in order to argue against the agenda of neo-conservative dystopia advocates that they'll be a better position to put forth.

Why is it stupid for like-minded people that hate the neo-conservative agenda to resoundingly unite behind a candidate, even if he's not the most perfect thing of all time? Isn't it worth it to work together to see how much change we can get? To see how far along we can get? To move this nation to a new set of debates?

Franklin Roosevelt was an awesome President that changed lots of things about this country for the better. He also made some vile and sinister decisions that violate my ideals regarding liberty and human rights.

But I'd certainly take him as President over and over again. He was able to forge a generational coalition that lasted for a long time and made substantial progress in terms of establishing a social safety net and extending civil rights.

Now I want a better social safety net and I want civil rights extended further. He didn't finish the job. I don't expect Mr. Obama to do so either. I think we could move the boulder, though.

If it isn't worth it to give it a shot, then why are you living in this country still?

I'm ready to leave when I reach that determination, myself. I want to live in a society that I respect. I think America still is that society, I'd like to think we can make it a better match.

When I don't think that's possible anymore, I'm gone.

It seems like people that are conscientiously abstaining from voting or voting for Ralph Nader have already made that determination. They're engaging in the discourse without really engaging in the discourse.

Give this coalition a shot. It's not perfect, it never is going to be. We can get closer to it though.

Why is it not worth it to enthusiastically support Mr. Obama's coalition? What is there to lose?
Don't we have more to lose by remaining disillusioned? Don't we have more to lose when an enthusiastic change coalition could mean the difference between another backward Republican administration or a Democratic one receptive to making things at least somewhat better? Don't we have more to lose when an enthusiastic change coalition could be the difference between an anemic Democratic administration that struggles to force the passage of progressive bills in Congress and one that has a mandate from the American people and wide majorities in the House and Senate?

I disagree with Mr. Obama on many fronts. I am not seduced by the hope he inspires.

But I have hope. I have hope that this country can be better if we can build a coalition of like-mined people, even if we differ on a lot of different little things. Mr. Obama provides as viable a pretext for progressive unity as I've ever experienced in the United States of America.

How could this not be worth a shot?

I'm gone if it fails and we're left in the same position we're in now in eight years. But, I tell ya, I'm gone sooner if we don't try.

The Rockets' Red Glare and Bursting Bombs

I've been holding back on on this post because I freaked myself out for awhile and didn't know that I wanted to tell anyone about it. Also, it might reveal an embarrassing detail about myself. But, you know, I've just got to put this out there because it's still stuck in my mind and it feels right... I apologize if this runs a little long but I encourage you to read the whole thing because that will do more to stoke my ego. It's a true story.

First I'll start by disclosing that I'm a nerd and a loser because one of my favorite things about living here in New Orleans is the Tulane Green Wave men's basketball team. I'm not just a fan, I think I might be obsessed. I can name every player on the roster and tell you all about their games. I can tell you that Dave Dickerson and his boys will be making a surprisingly big splash in Conference USA this year.

I'm such a nerd and loser, as a matter of fact, that I went to last Thursday's exhibition game against Loyola, without my usual nerd krewe, and I sat by myself.

I just HAD to see how much time redshirt freshman Johnny Mayhanne would get. What about transfer guard Eric Vianney? Would freshman recruit Kris Richard get any playing time? Are the seniors pumped up about the season?

All of these thoughts kept running through my head. I couldn't wait to call up the friends that usually come to the games with me and give them my scouting report... How do the Shockwave Dancers look this year? New moves? Is Fogelman Arena in midseason form? I took mental notes... I was so excited for college basketball season...

But then the arena PA guy interrupted my thoughts -

"will everyone please rise for the national anthem"

Ugh, I was just getting comfortable. But I got up, as did everyone else, albeit more reluctantly than in better times... Others grumbled as well."

My thoughts changed. I stopped thinking about whether Kevin Sims could cut down on this turnovers as a sophomore. And my emotions turned too. I wasn't excited anymore. I was angry.

Different sorts of things started popping into my head:

Iraq. Torture. An inept Congress.

The crowd turned and faced the arena's flag. I turned with them.

Domestic spying. Suppression of science. Overall executive branch authoritarianism.

The national anthem began sounding from the speakers.

Lies. Levees. Habeas Corpus.

I looked to my left, my right, and back at the flag.

Impending WWIII, Electoral improprieties. Healthcare crisis. Education. Corporate influence. Possible recession. Global warming. Blackwater. More spying. More lying. Less levees. Inconvenient facts counter to our images of American heroism and idealism in history.

Only a few lines of the anthem had been sung. But I turned around and as people started to look, I said aloud, "fuck this, not today," and I sat down. People laughed but I was red hot. I've always stood for the anthem but I wasn't going to this time. "Screw this. I read the paper every day. I see what's going on. I'm not doing this shit."

Someone asked, "so you're not American?" I said, "I guess I'm about not to be."

Another person said "I feel like doin' what he's doin'." But nobody else did as I sat there until the anthem finished and everyone joined me in their seats.

For me, this was big. For a while now, I've been talking with lots of different people, from friends to strangers about our collective dissatisfaction with the direction of this country. It's really bad right now. What happened to peace and prosperity? How long will I stand to fund these types of policies with my tax dollars? We talk about what might happen if there's a President Thompson, a President Giuliani, a President McCain, or a President Romney. Will the downward direction of the United States continue? Is this really a place I want to be raising children?

Over one century ago, my ancestors came to this land on a dirty boat from different parts of Eastern and Central Europe. They came carrying the clothes on their backs and maybe a beat up suitcase. They scrapped and clawed to get on their feet. They lived in rat-infested tenements in Manhattan. They walked eight miles to and from school uphill both ways in the snow. They were poor. They struggled. But they believed that the United States would provide a better future for their children and grandchildren. They were immigrants.

They left their homes and their families - a difficult decision, but one that was definitely in their best self interests because this place has been so so good for us. We've given back so much love in thanks; my grandfathers served in WWII and my mother and father are community activists in Philadelphia. We love our communities and our neighbors!

But I don't forget what my ancestors did when they felt they had to.

My ancestors - my great grandparents - and I are not so different. I too own a suitcase and have clothes on my back.

They keep telling me and people like me that we're not patriotic, that we don't support the troops, that we must want the Islamofacists to win - and I'm tired of it. Maybe they're right, I don't love America as much as they do. It's because, instead, I love my family and value the ethics we share.

So if my country's government continues to be one that evokes my anger and fear rather than one that inspires my pride and service, I must do what is right for my family and do as my ancestors once did.

I've been to other countries before.

In other countries, they don't lock people up for years for nonviolent activities, they provide free health care, all qualified students go to college for free, all workers get vacations and pensions, their governments don't go to war for corporate dividends, they don't have murders on the streets all the time, and so on and so forth.

...and I'm aware of all of these things...

I want so badly to stay for ever and ever. I want to retire to Philadelphia and go to every single Phillies game every summer with my totally hot wife until I die. But I'll do what is best for me and my family.

I still feel weird about my outburst at the basketball game. It's not something I expected to do. It just happened.

What will happen this Friday at Fogelman Arena when YOUR Tulane Green Wave take on the Auburn Tigers to officially kick off the season?
Will I stay seated this time? Will I recover to swallow hard and stand?
Can the Green Wave make the NIT this year?

November 2008 and the first 120 or so days of 2009 will determine a lot about the future of this country and the future of e. I suspect there are a lot of people out who are considering the same difficult choice, not including my group of freedom-hating friends, acquaintances, and strangers already fretting over this sad reality.