Good grief, can Boston move on?

As a Boston-area resident for over thirteen years now, I've come to realize that people around here tend to take city matters quite personally, and fellow resident matters quite collectively.  And they do so with prolific pride.  However at the same time it tends to be the only response Bostonians know, and like a race car that only knows speeds 100 and 200 it can be problematic when the roads are slick.

There is a time and a place for national sorrow, but when a bombing shook the city at the 2013 Boston Marathon the horrific tragedy unfortunately became more about the city and the perpetrators than the actual victims.  Within hours T-shirts were being printed with what would become the most popularized slogan ever for the city, "Boston Strong," a 'wicked' awful yet deliberate obliteration of the English language, and the city's obsession over catching the bombers gave law enforcement a blank check for rights violations.

The city and the nation still to this day have ignored the fact that one of the three people who died was a Chinese national, and the fact that close to one-third of those injured, runners and spectators included, were not even from Massachusetts, or the fact that the bombers were residents of the Boston area.  And the fact that Boston, in terms of the city, had actually failed quite miserably.  Boston failed to stop the bombers, and Boston failed to catch the bombers before more tragedy would strike, despite an enormous police presence and budget.  And spectators looted Marathon jackets within minutes of the bombing.  But regardless of the fact that Boston was literally shut down for days under martial law, that people were forcefully locked in their homes and subjected to violent searches, that innocent people were being blamed for acts they did not commit based on racist suspicions, or that all of this was done under the guise of freedom from terrorism, those who failed Boston were celebrated more than ever.  Police officers, the same officers who failed Boston during this time, were paraded into Fenway Park for standing ovations and pats on the back from the professional athletes whom are treated as Gods in Boston.  As they say, “never let a good crisis go to waste."  And these same officers were allowed to roll tanks and march alongside through residential neighborhoods with automatic rifles pointed at civilians while the commissioner went on TV to tell us how we ought to be graced by their presence and thankful for their violent and ineffective response and to which the mayor and the governor and every other bureaucrat would follow in applause.  And yet face-painted residents responded in droves waving American flags chanting "U.S.A."  The president was called up to announce a "debt of gratitude" to "law enforcement."  To law enforcement?  And when the runaway bomber was finally caught, ironically thanks to a civilian who was just freed from captivity in his home following the lock-down being called off, the frenzy over "Boston's finest" continued by announcing their bravery and courage.  Bravery and courage were strange words given the weapons, armor, spent rounds, and time that was needed to finally take down the wounded and unarmed perpetrator.  Given all of this the residents still clamored for martial law.  It was like watching a master beat his dog while the dog won't stop licking his feet.  Boston cared more about it's abusers than it did for it's abused, and still does today.

I had attended the marathon as a spectator several times in the past and always found it was a joyful experience mainly because you could walk freely along the route, with friends and family together, and do so during what is typically one of the first days when the weather is nice here in Boston.  So don't get me wrong, it was a tragedy that the bombers chose that specific day and that specific location for their atrocious act, or that such an act would even occur at all.  But at the same time it was a tragedy that the city chose that specific day and that specific location for their worship of the police state and the local sports.  It was to me the most disconnected response there could've been, tantamount to something like celebrating booze on labor day, or like obsessing over retail sales on Thanksgiving, it just doesn't make sense and it seemed to go against everything the Boston Marathon was truly about, things such as individual prowess and open opportunities.  A time when the city would literally open up to the world was now being used to celebrate the opposite of that.

Today the Marathon is being run with more runners and spectators than ever, as well as more police than ever.  And again the focus is on last year's tragedy and on finding opportune times to pronounce "Boston Strong" and to flash images on screen of 'heroic' police officers and the city mayor in remembrance.  It is apparent today that the city cannot fathom any public event without uniformed officers standing nearby holding automatic rifles, and without them confiscating backpacks and water bottles from the civilians, or without bomb-sniffing dogs on every block.  Yet we are supposed to call this a success for the city?  This is a recovered city?  This is a city that has NOT been shattered?  The subservient mindset being glorified as a city at-it's-best makes me embarrassed to be a resident.  The last thing Bostonians should be is complacent on a day like this.  The failure to recognize our failures does not make us stronger.  The sorrow that most Bostonians claim to have could not be more vain.  To take what happened to a few, and make it seem as though it has happened to us all, and subsequently overcome by us all, is pure vanity.

If Boston, and the rest of the nation as well, wants to defend itself from past acts of terror, then more of us need to be calling for an attitude of irreverence toward the government and the police on days like this, rather than worship.  I hope that one day I can attend the Boston Marathon with my family and no longer have to see sponsors profiteering off of tragedy, towels branded by an unethical insurance company being draped over the individual runners as they cross the finish line, announcers claiming individual triumphs as victories for America, or have to explain to my children why the presence of officers with dogs and guns are supposed to make us feel safer or stronger as a community.  Until then, Boston has been weakened.  Recognizing it as so will perhaps make us stronger, and moving on will certainly do so.

What Shrewd We Do

Not a day goes by without some egregious crime being committed at the hands of the very people who we've assigned to uphold the law.  Cops have the most shock value of them all due to their direct application of force, while legislators and magistrates specialize more in moral distastefulness.  In both cases, however, there is a commonality - that is that they share a lack of intelligence.

Years upon years of shaming intellectualism - like high school drama - for in favor of celebrating superficial attributes such as athleticism, looks, and celebrity status, have finally led to us becoming a nation of sheep ruled by wolves.  We are incapable of choosing "the right person" for the job because the idea of "right" has become distorted and more importantly the idea that we choose is laughable.  Everybody knows nowadays that the most authoritative jobs with the most inherent power are never up for grabs - you have to know someone, you have to be "connected."  Presidents especially.  In a favoritism society, like ours, after a few generations becomes dependent on the very methods that have caused its failure.  The only way to break free is for the minority to revolt...

Po-pos and pols are simply out of control.  Every election year we hear the same debates about left vs. right, and the same old trivial nonsense ends up driving hundreds-of-millions of people to vote for who they think is the lesser of two evils.  In the end we get the status quo government and everyone goes back to bitching about it.  (Just an idea... STOP VOTING FOR EVIL!).  Then some people take to the streets claiming they didn't realize what they were voting for and that's when the uniformed enforcers show up with a license on force to make you shut up.  Seriously, this cycle goes back hundreds of years without any variation.

Well its time to try something different.  Its time to bring back intellectual debate.  Its time for a revolution of ideas rather than rhetoric.  And its time to challenge the status quo.  No longer should we ignore the abuses of power just because our uncle was a cop, or because we think the other party has done worse, or because we believed them when they said it was for our own good.  We, as a society, have informational power now and its time we use it.

I believe that cops are trigger happy, or brutality happy, not because they are evil but because its what they know and love.  Its what they are trained to do and its their nature to be aggressive when confronted, not to shy away.  How often do you think cops are tested on their ability to think outside the box in comparison to their ability to fight outside the box.  That doesn't make them bad, but it can mean that they might sometimes use force too quickly - and that is bad.  Because if they are upholding the law, then the very act of doing so should require them to do it in a way that is the most lawful.  No matter how good a songwriter is, they don't get credit for plagiarism.  They do get punished, if caught, and rightfully so.  But why then are cops not always punished for breaking the law?  Even if they were able to catch a bank robber in the act, that doesn't make it okay to pocket a few bucks from the vault on the way out.  But that is what we see and hear on a daily basis.  Officer so-and-so was only beating that man senselessly because the duties of his job are stressful and the moment was tense, so we are giving him a pass.  Due to his courage "the bad man" is in jail now.  

I believe that politicians help themselves not because they are always evil, although some certainly are, but because they mistakenly believe that by furthering their own pursuits they are fulfilling the needs of their constituents.  They believe that by giving themselves more power, they will then be able to wave the magic wand to help those who they've made promises too.  The problem is that in order to get said power, they have to promise everything to everyone.  Anyone can see that when the time comes, some of those promises will have to be broken.  And after enough promises are broken, maybe they'll then elect someone else with promises, and the cycle begins again.  Without even getting in to the inherent problems that exist when exchanging political favors, it should be obvious to any practical mind that this system needs to change.

SOLUTION:  Its time to face the po-pos and pols with intelligent questions and stand pat with demands for what we know is right.  Forget about whats on the surface for a minute and find your arguments in the first principle.  This revolution has already started with the 'cops on camera' movement.  This is a great thing as it forces cops to answer for their actions and it prevents them from using brutality or aggression in doing so.  We will not beat police brutality with force, we will only win with mindful and peaceful ideas.  And we will not end the political theater with more votes for political theater.  Continuing to vote for the lesser of two evils means that we will continue to elect evil.  If there is not a candidate that represents peace and freedom for all, then we must choose to opt-out.  Voting is only worth something if its cast for what you truly support.  Sometimes the best vote however is not voting at all.  In either case, we need to educate ourselves and encourage the intellectual debate that fosters true progress and derails this broken system cycle we've become so addicted to and dependent on.

Rand Paul's Reveals Some Things About Obamacare

It's funny because it's true...

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Marlinfidel

When I heard that Ozzie Guillen had praised Fidel Castro, and that this had created a major controversy for baseball, and especially for the Miami Marlins where a large portion of the team’s fan base are said to be anti-Castro, my first thought was:  who cares?  He is a baseball manager known for saying controversial things – why do his political opinions matter anymore to the American public?  Well it seems that for some reason baseball cares, the mainstream media cares, the American public cares, and Cuban immigrants living in Miami care a lot!  Initially one might think this is all a very good thing; that Americans value capitalism, freedom and human rights around the world, and therefore cannot ever support a communist tyrant such as Fidel Castro.  And to have a major figure in America’s favorite pastime defecting from that traditional belief is the most outrageous insult to our culture.  But then I remembered that baseball has been at the helm of American-Cuban relations for decades, and that Major League Baseball (MLB) has many times in the past partnered with Castro’s Cuba to promote the sport both in America and in Cuba, and that American culture is still trying to define itself.  Heck, quite a few star players in American baseball are Cuban immigrants so MLB has good reason to support Cuban baseball – business-wise.  But then does baseball really object to Fidel Castro’s regime?   Does baseball really stand for the rights of Cubans and for the values of Cuban immigrants?

I’ve heard that Castro’s childhood dream was to play short-stop for the New York Yankees.  As a Red Sox fan that is not really all that surprising.  (Snicker)  In all seriousness, some may take offense to that idea.  But Cuban politics aside, I really have a hard time accepting any sort of idea that baseball even has the ability to still take any sort of morality stance on ANY issue.  For one, racial segregation was accepted in baseball, as part of the gentleman’s agreement, for more than half a century.  It wasn’t until the public demanded desegregation, and until baseball saw dollar signs, that any team dared to cross the color line.  All Red Sox fans have been indoctrinated on the franchise history since our birth.  And prior to 2004, the season that all Sox fans have most admired in the franchise history was the 1967 season, often referred to by many as “The Impossible Dream.”  In a rematch of the 1946 World Series, the Red Sox played against the St. Louis Cardinals.  Armed with Stan “The Man” Musial and a famous mad dash, the Cardinals pulled off a hard-fought win.  But for Sox fans it was still a great season and one to remember forever.  But most importantly there were also significant notable differences between 1946 and 1967, and even between 1966 and 1967, that Red Sox fans were proud of.  Prior to the 1946 season, the Red Sox had refused to consider signing a player that later became very famous in Major League Baseball, his name was Jackie Robinson.  Owner Tom Yawkey (still honored at Fenway Park today where even the road leading to Fenway Park is called “Yawkey Way”) had maintained a segregation policy throughout the 1950s, even rejecting Willie Mays at one time, and therefore shrinking their talent pool.  Because of this the Red Sox consistently struggled to win games, even with baseball’s greatest player of all time, “Teddy Ballgame”, on the roster.  The team lineups during the 1950s became known as “Ted Williams and the Seven Dwarfs.”  But finally, after their ninth straight losing season in 1966, Dick Williams was brought in to lead the team.  And with him Williams brought some players who were black.  The Impossible Dream was due in part to his leadership and in part to the dignity that came with desegregation.  But after Williams was fired, the Red Sox slowly fell back into their old groove of overlooking talent based on race until eventually in 1983 they had but one black player on their major league roster, Jim Rice.  For 86 years the Red Sox franchise was plagued with bad Karma yet die-hard fans, including myself, never considered the idea of ever rooting for any other team.  I doubt that fans have forgotten the fact that the Red Sox franchise was the last major league team to integrate other races, or that baseball was segregated for as long as it was, but we’ve tried to move on just as most people in all other aspects of life have tried to move on from those days of segregation in hopes that the future may bring brighter days and an opportunity to redeem the sport.  And today it seems that the Red Sox have been not only redeemed by most Americans but even admired and respected.  This may have more to do with their new winning ways than anything, but nonetheless it seems that racism is no longer a part of the Red Sox organization, thankfully. 

Fast forward 40 years from The Impossible Dream and we now have a league that generates high grades for its racial diversity despite a declining rate of minorities in recent years.   However, a whole new level of controversy has risen and there is no better example of it than in a Venezuelan baseball manager named Ozzie Guillen.  Known for his off-the-cuff remarks, Guillen has year-after-year since becoming manager of the Chicago White Sox in 2004, found a way to offend not just umpires and baseball executives, but people everywhere by insulting, both within baseball and outside of it, gay people, Asian people, political activists and many others.  Most baseball managers have a knack for the use of profanity, especially in a full count situation, but Guillen has expanded his choppy use of the English language into extracurricular profanity by using racist, or sexist or homophobic slurs even in front of major news reporters and cameras.  Anyone who follows baseball knows that when you are watching Guillen do an interview its ‘R’ rated.  Politically correct is not his forte, winning a baseball game is.  But the problem is that Guillen’s offensive nature is not only allowed by baseball, it’s cheered by baseball fans.  Guillen is still a MLB manager, and the teams he manages still have a lot of fans.  Unlike any other business in America, baseball tolerates this type of vulgarity and never risks losing its fan base.  His personality sort of fits what we expect from baseball I suppose, whereas we would never tolerate his personality in other venues.  Guillen would never last as a bank manager for example, but for some reason we hold baseball – and other sports for that matter – to a much lower standard.  As long as he wins games, fans are happy, and once in a while he gets a small fine or a short suspension as baseball’s way of saying that they don’t support discrimination that day.  So what does this mean for modern baseball?  Have we simply traded one form of discrimination for another?  I think it’s time we took a good hard look at what we are celebrating if we care at all about the impression we are giving to the next generation of baseball fans, and if we want to live in a dignified society.  After all, baseball is a game, played and watched by kids, and if games are meant to teach us anything it shouldn’t be Ozzie Guillen’s daily derogatory thoughts.

So instead of booting Guillen from the league, a move that would’ve been unprecedented for MLB I suppose, Guillen was traded to the Miami Marlins.  It should be safe to say that the Marlins knew exactly who they were getting when they hired Guillen.  A winning manager, yes, but a manager with a reputation for being a loose cannon as well.  And certainly it should be safe to say that part of the reasoning behind the Marlins’ decision had to do with Guillen’s Venezuelan descent and the fact that the franchise had just erected a brand new stadium in Little Havana of all places, the heart of Miami’s Latin community, which they desperately needed to sell tickets to pay for.  So it was no surprise to me when I learned that Guillen had yet again offended someone.  This time it was the fan base the Marlin’s so desperately needed to attract.  By praising Fidel Castro, every Cuban immigrant forced to leave their homeland after Castro’s regime brought oppression to Cuba had been offended.  But what was surprising, and what was different this time, is that the backlash Guillen received for his offensive remark was enormous.  Marlins ownership suspended Guillen and even discussed firing him, baseball executives demanded an apology, and mainstream media portrayed him as someone worse than Castro himself.  Per usual, the American public followed the media’s instructions in persecuting Guillen, and the riots began in Miami.  Lost in translation was the fact that once again baseball was somehow being redeemed again undeservingly.  Even though MLB teams have chosen to make Guillen a member of their organization, and even though MLB has chosen to allow Guillen to represent the game, nobody is demanding the league’s termination, or the league’s suspension, or the league’s apology, and baseball has hardly lost any fans or sponsors.  Baseball is too much a loved sport for any of that to happen.  So instead, we are attacking Guillen.  Granted his remarks are insensitive and ignorant, but he is a baseball manager – not a major political figure.  He is not a legislator and so his view on politics means no more than the next Joe Shmoe.  Certainly it is important to dispel political views that go against our Constitutional beliefs, but that usually happens in a debate room, or over a cup of coffee, or in a chat room – a little less confrontational than what Guillen is experiencing.  Furthermore, Ozzie is just being Ozzie so can anyone really claim to be surprised?  So I wonder what has stirred up all this resentment.  Has American patriotism hit an all-time high?  I doubt it.  Just ten years ago the same Bud Selig who renounced Guillen’s praise for Castro was responsible for organizing two exhibition games between the Baltimore Orioles and the Cuban all-stars, one in Havana and one in Baltimore.  Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter have supported Cuban-American relations for many years.  And there has even been talk of a possible minor league team being located in Cuba where U.S. college baseball players will play this year!  If anyone has shown admiration for Fidel Castro, it’s baseball’s long time commissioner Bud Selig.  What makes all of this so gross is that the true meaning behind the resentment is its impact on the Marlins’ ability to sell tickets.  The truth is that if Guillen had made his remark in any other city, nobody would care.  In fact, nobody did care when he made the same remarks a few years ago.  But this time it’s different because this time it hurts profits.  Baseball has officially sold out.  And American values have been traded for American pastime, at nobody’s fault but our own.

So let’s face it, baseball doesn’t care about Cuban immigrants, or Fidel Castro, or about racial or sexual discrimination, unless those people are buying tickets.  Baseball only cares about the dollars they can collect from each person.  And I don’t blame baseball for it; I blame myself and all of the baseball fans who have given them a pass for doing so for the last 100 years.  It is our job as Americans to fight for freedom and to stand up for human rights.  But in my opinion, the entire backlash that Guillen has received in the past few days is all very insincere – too little too late.  There is no dignity in attacking Guillen this time around because doing so is proof that more could’ve been done, and should’ve been done, in the past when his comments were just as, if not more, offensive.  The only true concern for the Marlins’ franchise is their ability to sell enough tickets to pay for their brand new stadium in Little Havana.  And any sports fan in Miami with any sort of decency would be better off recognizing that than to forgive the game yet again.  The question remains, how long will it be before Cuban immigrants have forgiven Ozzie Guillen?  Will the 5-game suspension suffice?  Or will it take 5 months, or 5 years?  Or will it never happen?  Only time will tell.  My guess is, as long as Cuba continues to export great baseball players to America, baseball will always be on the fence for human rights.  And the true shame will be if we, as Americans, continue to support this inhumane organization known as Major League Baseball.

SOLUTION:  If you really love something, let it go.  Just because we love a sport, team, player, or coach, doesn't mean they shouldn't be held accountable for wrongdoing.

Mittipulator

If I hear Mitt Romney accuse China of being a "currency manipulator" one more time I might tie my TV to the roof of my car and drive to Canada – with my dog in the passenger seat of course.  It’s not just the way he says it, with that bobble-head look and squirmy voice as if he were trying to say it so quick you wouldn’t hear it and be able to fact check it.  Rather, it’s the fact that by accusing China of currency manipulation we are now the pot calling the kettle black.  I would like to remind Mitt that America has given authorization to a group of bankers called the Federal Reserve to manipulate our currency as they see fit and as some of our elected officials also see fit.  It’s not that I agree with what the Federal Reserve does, but until we end the deceptive practices within our own nation we cannot and should not ask it of any other nation.  In every debate I’ve seen so far, Ron Paul has brought up the need to both audit and end the Fed at least once per debate, and each time Mitt and the others have laughed him off like some crazy old senile fool who forgot to take his meds that day.  America has been shelling out IOUs and manufacturing jobs to China for decades and now that China is reaping the rewards from that, now we want to punish them?  China is only hurting itself in the long-run by inflating its currency, so until we figure out how to stop hurting our own economy we might want to bump a currency war with China to the bottom of our priority list. Just a suggestion for your campaign Mitt – although you don’t seem to need any suggestions seeing that the mainstream media has already declared you the winner.  Should I direct this to Herman Cain?

SOLUTION:  Sound money backed by real assets!  Tell Fiat to hit the road...

Veteran's Day(s)

Yesterday came and went, Veteran’s Day, the day when all the Patriots of convenience come out to declare their appreciation of those who have fought for America.  Except that their level of gratitude is limited to a simple “thank you all troops past and present” post on their Facebook account right after they posted an article about a trade their favorite sports team made recently and right before they post a comment declaring how excited they are to go out to the club tonight. Perhaps a few go as far as to post a picture of the American flag to show others that they mean business about their Patriotism.  Veteran’s Day is for wannabe-Patriots what Easter is for wannabe-Christians, the one day a year when you pretend to believe something that never crosses your mind again the other 364 days a year.  Just like any other “holiday” I have to question why we only set aside one day a year for something that is apparently so important.  Sacrificing lives in the name of freedom and democracy is important right?  The troops who have given their lives to fight evil seem to deserve more than just one day a year of appreciation and Facebook Thank Yous. We should have gratitude for the troops year-round because they provide a service that we cannot live without.  We show gratitude every day to our teacher, baker, butcher, mail man/woman, secretary, and down the line.  But when it comes to the troops, apparently they only serve a need one day a year and they spend the rest of their time thanking us for the candy we shipped to them.  So what should we do instead?  If you’re asking me I would tell you what we shouldn’t do.  We shouldn’t make Patriotism a holiday, we shouldn’t forget about Veterans the rest of the year, and we shouldn’t pretend to be thankful only when it’s convenient.  What we should do is we should demand to know whether we’ve sent troops in the past and are sending troops today to fight wars that are just and worthy of innocent lives.  Seeing that this day is supposed to be a remembrance of Armistice after the Great War nearly 100 years ago that was supposed to end all wars, we should ask ourselves if we’ve kept that truce .  And we should quit wasting the liberties that the troops risk their lives daily to protect on our selfish superfluous materialistic pursuits. For example, how many of you went to a bar last night where you couldn’t hear the person standing next to you so that you could buy $10 drinks and pump your fists to songs about 26 inch rims while wearing your latest fashion statement?  I know that you've spent a few seconds to post your pathetic "thanks,” but really no thanks.  How many of you actually spent time and resources yesterday showing true gratitude, reflecting on what you've done over your past year or life, and considering what you’re going to do going forward to honor those who gave you your life and freedom?  If you’re in the latter group then please share it with the world.  Veteran's especially will appreciate you going out of your way to stand up for them.  But if you’re in the former group then just shut up, please.

SOLUTION:  Less holidays, more celebration.