sundries

[rm]

I will probably be super scarce until after work hours today.

Yesterday's food: 1 vitamin water (defense flavour), 3 miniature gluten-free apple pies, chana masala, Chipotle chicken burrito bowl (no beans, mild & medium salsa and sour cream), some of the chocolate pomegranate candy, a bowl of white rice with olive oil (after my stomach decided WTF about what I'd eaten yesterday, which is a shame, because I made Patty a gorgeous dinner).

Consumers are starting to cut the cord on cable. Interestingly, everyone I know in the biz already has.

I want to take a moment to talk about Arizona. Because I'm upset. I'm upset at being told I haven't read the law (I have). Or that I'm stupid (I'm not). Or that I'm overreacting (it's not up to you to police my emotions).

And I'm upset at declarations of "all __________ feel ___________ about this law."

I am an American citizen who, because I don't drive, very often happens not to carry ID. This is not a political statement; it's just a fact. The passport doesn't fit neatly into everything, sometimes I forget to change it between jackets. I don't always have ID.

And, historically, legally, that's been okay. There is no national ID card in America. There is no legal requirement that I be able to identify my citizenship and residency status for any reason at any time. I cannot be stopped on the street for no other reason than how I look and be asked for my papers. If, in the course of some other event, cops ask me for ID, if I don't have it on me, yeah, that'll be a hassle, but it's not a crime in and of itself (reality is slightly more complicated than that, but I'm going with brevity and the assumption that I'm not committing a crime at the time of said hypothetical police interaction).

The Arizona law, to my reading, changes that in Arizona. To my reading of the political climate of Arizona and its particular issues, people can make all the noise they want about this law being directed at all illegal immigrants, I still read this as specifically targeting the Latino population for reasons that - while it may include some legitimate concerns about the very screwed up state of immigration, immigration laws and immigration enforcement in the US - absolutely, positively look like racism to me.

And, while I have not, nor do I intend to, refer to the people who have put this law into action as Nazi's, because that is hyperbole (and not useful hyperbole), I will saw unequivocably that one of the reasons the law makes me uncomfortable, beyond its racism, beyond the distraction it provides from deterring crime with clear-cut and immediate victims, is because I'm a Jewish person. Full stop. Other Jews may or may not feel that way. I do.

And guess what? I'm allowed to.

I am too fucking old to "agree to disagree" on some aspects of some issues. These include racism and civil rights. Does a person in Arizona have more meaningful commentary to offer on this law than I? You bet. Do Latino people? Also yes. Do people with personal immigration-related experiences? Yup. Here's the thing though, we all get our perspective. And I can't speak for anyone else. So I'd like people to stop speaking for me or telling me how I should speak.

You can think anything you damn well want about the law in Arizona. But the voicing of opinions has consequences - for me and for you. For everyone. And I won't socialize with people who think I'm less than human because of any of the various categories I fit in to.

That also means I'm not interested in socializing with people who think those sorts of things about others because of their categories. We're all a little bit racist and a whole lot ignorant; it's the human condition and I can live with it, especially when we're all trying to do better. But it's the a lot racist and the proud of ignorance thing I've got a problem with.

And don't call me stupid. Ever.

Iowa Bird Story.

The man who designed New York's iconic coffee cup has died.

"Crush" is the most hilarious, awesome, awkward, painful, weird Buffy episode ever. I love the Dawn/Spike friendship. I feel, oddly, really bad for Spike even though he's a creepy stalker asshole. And the whole thing was just unsettling and smart.

Meanwhile on Angel it's the return of Ann. That fundraiser thing was so ridiculous; weirdly it reminded me of the most useless White Collar episode ever, witht he mortgage fraud. It was that same sort of "ignore the actual boring thing driving this plot" problem.

Angel and his humans are so useless without each other. I loved the demon from the 1920s Angel has the fight drama going on with. Great character, great performance. I like Wesley around Gun. It makes Wesley seem like he's actually getting to be a boy, and it strikes me that that's unusual for him, like he had to be a serious little adult at nine. I mean, I did, and I wasn't a Watcher. ;)

Comments

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

::applause::

I'm really curious about my father's opinions of the Arizona law.

As a highly privileged 78-year-old man, it's entirely likely he'll come down on the side of "If they're not doing anything wrong, what do they have to be worried about?"

However.

He's also the child of immigrants, he didn't speak English until he went to school, and he's a lawyer, so he could have legal insights to this law that we may not.

My grandmother spent her entire life in America fearing the day someone asked her for papers. I can't help but wonder if my father will put that two and two together.

[yendi]

On cable: We cut the cord last year; our bill was over $100 a month, and that was after the supposed discount package.

I'd love say that we're using only sources like Hulu and ABC to watch, but my download history in Vuze makes it clear that this isn't the case.

On AZ: Bravo and well said.

On Buffy: I'd meant to ask this before, but is this your first time through the series? I'm assuming no, but I'd rather not make any comments that assume you've seen later eps (or know what happened).

[rm.livejournal.com]

First time through. I'm racing through it for a couple of projects I'm doing that touch on it.

[thatwordgrrl.livejournal.com]

From the perspective of somebody in one of the "border states"...

Where I get testy is when folks from, say Iowa, start expounding on how we need to send all them brown people back where they came from because they are ruining our country.

Huh. How thoughtful of you, Mr. Iowa, to come up with such a great plan, considering the lack of those icky brown people that likely live in YOUR state.

I have an opinion on immigration. Yep indeedy. And, for better or worse, it is formed in large part by living in Southern California.

There were kids at my high school who were only there the first semester, vanished the second semester and then came back again the following fall. Why? Because second semester coincided with harvesting season, so they were out in the fields picking the lettuce that likely ended up on my dinner table. Which, oh yeah, wanna see the price of produce shoot through the roof? Send all those icky brown people back where they came from.

I was fluent enough in Spanish in high school that my then-boyfriend's mother would call up just to have me translate instructions to her maid. Because she couldn't be bothered to either learn a few simple phrases or find out how fluent the under-the-table help was in English (more than she let on, actually).

So yeah, you sit back in your rocking chair over there in Iowa and rant on about Fear of a Brown Nation. But I guarantee it will affect me long long before it gets to you. So in that sense, damn skippy I am entitled to more meaningful commentary on the subject.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I did say that in what I wrote. (Okay, I did not specifically address other border states, but I did make the point that some people are necessarily more informed from immediate interaction the issue at hand than others).

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

It's posts like this that remind me of the fascist state that I live in. It's required to get an ID card when we're sixteen and carry it at all times (if you have a driver's license it can be used in the official card's stead).

It's perfectly normal to be asked to show your proof of existence to any guard, clerk or anyone in authority who demands it. If I don't have it, it's a misdemeanour.

Christ, now that I think about that freakin' scary.

Just edited to add: Arizona sounds like full fledged racist xenophobia gone ape shit, wtf?!

[sinonmybody.livejournal.com]

It is a legal requirement in many states to have an ID card from 16, on, and a misdemeanor if you don't have it, just to throw that out there since it sounds like you may not be from the US...
{and yes, I do think the AZ law is horrible, but, just to put there that it's not just wherever you live.}

[azn-jack-fiend.livejournal.com]

The AZ law is just pure fucking evil.

I've been challenged for supposedly not being an American citizen way too many times (I'm Asian-American). I'd be terrified to have it done by the police, backed up by law. There's no way I'd ever go to Arizona now, until they overturn that thing. Obviously the number one victims are Latino/Chicano but it sucks all over.

[delchi.livejournal.com]

Odds are you would never be asked/challenged. It is established that any form of state ID is Prima Facie proof if citizenship. For example if you were pulled over for speeding and the cop asked for your license, and you provided it - they would have Prima Facie proof of your citizenship.

Lacking a license , a state non drivers ID is considered the same.

[popfiend.livejournal.com]

On AZ: Amen. Amen. Amen.

Thanks.

[stephl.livejournal.com]

I like Wesley around Gun.

I love Wes and Gunn together. As do a lot of fic authors.

It makes Wesley seem like he's actually getting to be a boy, and it strikes me that that's unusual for him, like he had to be a serious little adult at nine.

I don't doubt for a second that he did. Or even younger.

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

I just... don't get how anyone thinks the Arizona law isn't racist. Because everyone in favor of this is claiming it isn't profiling, but you know no cops are going to stop blondes to see if they're Norwegian backpackers whose visas have expired.

We have a permeable border, and people are going to cross borders if life is better on the other side. I would. If the issue is people using services without paying taxes, then we need to address that.

Police hate this law:

http://www.alternet.org/rights/146677/why_law_enforcement_officials_should_hate_arizona%27s_racist_new_law

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link! And yes, good on them. Because it isn't just racist; it isn't just advocating an unconstitutional police state; it's an obstacle between the police and their doing of their actual jobs.

[angstzeit.livejournal.com]

I'm curious where you're getting this grief.

[elisi]

I like your thoughts on Arizona. Thank you for articulating things so clearly.

"Crush" is the most hilarious, awesome, awkward, painful, weird Buffy episode ever. I love the Dawn/Spike friendship. I feel, oddly, really bad for Spike even though he's a creepy stalker asshole. And the whole thing was just unsettling and smart.
Word to all of this! :)

I like Wesley around Gun. It makes Wesley seem like he's actually getting to be a boy
I think Gunn might be his first proper friend, and I just want to hug them both.

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

I just rewatched Crush, too. Double word!

[marieoroumania.livejournal.com]

You get a standing ovation from here. SO WELL PUT!!!

[featherofeeling.livejournal.com]

On Arizona: a very similar law was passed a few years ago in a county in Virginia, and the documentary 9500 Liberty chronicles how everyone ended up realizing what a mistake it was. The law basically said that, since "research had shown" that illegal immigration was responsible for a lot of the county's problems, police would be required to check the immigration status of anyone they had "probable cause" to suspect of being undocumented. The police chief said it was a bad idea, and the Latino community opposed it. The county ended up losing a large percentage of its Latino population, which exacerbated the problems caused by the housing crisis. Property values went down as people moved out, and its economy really suffered. Suddenly a lot of the (white) residents who had stayed silent about the issue (because they thought that it didn't affect them or the people they knew, or because they were afraid to speak up in the climate of violence and hatred that the debate had produced) realized that yes, it had criminalized the entire Latino population and that that population was more necessary to their well-being than they'd thought, and mobilized to get it repealed. But of course the wounds caused by the ugliness of the law's passage haven't gone away.

Those supporting the Arizona law should look to Prince William County's experience as a warning.

[tlatzomia.livejournal.com]

I live in PWC--obviously I live under a rock since I didn't realize it had been repealed. Thanks for the info. :)

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

I am too fucking old to "agree to disagree" on some aspects of some issues.

*small cheer*

[sinonmybody.livejournal.com]

Actually, MANY states do require that everyone does carry a state ID {drivers license OR just a plain ol state ID} at all times. I know Indiana does from the time you're 16 on, and it IS a crime if you don't have it.

To clarify: I think the law is racist and horrible, I just wanted to point out that the "I don't have to carry an ID so why should they" is not necessarily a valid argument against it.

[featherofeeling.livejournal.com]

Wait, really? IDs that aren't just required to access certain services, but to step outside? Do you have a link to which states?

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

It's interesting that a lot of people who say "trust the Arizona law, there won't be any unfair enforcement or slippery slope problems" are the same folks who are totally cynical about any sort of gun control.

[graene.livejournal.com]

on the cable: this is probably what's going to get vondow his HDTV, since the UNCkids channel that we have on 90% of the time is now available broadcast with a $75 HDTV antenna and the Wii is now streaming.

If I may ask, where are you watching Dr Who if not cable? That's my main reason other than the kids for turning on the tv these days, so would be useful info.

[delchi.livejournal.com]

Many BBC programs ( unsire if Dr Who is one of them ) are available to be streamed for free from the BBC .... the catch is they restrict it to IP addresses within their purview. Not that this is any large obstacle , but not many people are tech savvy/want to put the effort into it.

I'm getting my fix via usenet. :)

[aviv-b.livejournal.com]

I'm astounded that you are getting flack for your views. Just curious - is this online, or work acquantances?

[delchi.livejournal.com]

I think the people who are comparing the law to Nazi activity and making " may ve zee your paperz " comments are stupid. I spent about 12 hours on the road the other day listening to people on talk radio go on and on about this. If there is a better word than stupid to describe comparing this law to the policies of the Nazi party, I'm unaware of it. About every fourth caller to the show I was listening to was Jewish and irate ( and IMHO rightfully so ).

The only legitimate argument I've seen is along the lines of being racist , only in so much as the possibility of police officers abusing the law via racial profiling ( which is strictly prohibited in the law itself , and it was recently altered to provide more strong wording to that effect ). The thing is , if you are going to attack a law because of the possibility of a cop abusing it, you could attack ANY law for the same reason.

What did raise my eyebrows was the man who called in from VA who owns a construction business and said that he didn't care about any laws, he was going to keep hiring illegal immigrants because of their work ethic. He specifically said he didn't care about state federal or any other law.


My confusion is how people can say this law is based on racial profiling when it is expressly forbidden in the law to perform racial profiling - and because of that I'm sure many cases will be thrown out. The other thing that throws me for a loop is that it is a state level law, that mirrors a federal law that has been in place for some time, but is not actively enforced. As it is now a state law as well it can be enforced actively at the state level even if it is not enforced at the federal level.

Just to be clear though , talking about it , voicing opinions about it , or even protesting it if that's the thing is not stupid. You personally? Not stupid. However I maintain that anyone that compares this law to Nazi policies is a complete total idiot.

[azn-jack-fiend.livejournal.com]

The law enforces racial profiling. There is no way to interpret "reasonable suspicion" other than racially.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has a good explanation of connections involving Nazi sympathizers.

Given the authors of this law, no one should be surprised about its intended targets. The law was drafted by a lawyer for the legal arm of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), whose founder has warned of a “Latin onslaught” and complained about Latinos’ alleged low “educability.” FAIR has accepted $1.2 million from the Pioneer Fund, a racist foundation that was set up by Nazi sympathizers to fund studies of eugenics, the science of selective breeding to produce a “better” race. The legislation was sponsored by state Senator Russell Pearce, who once e-mailed an anti-Semitic article from the neo-Nazi National Alliance website to supporters.

[rusty_halo.livejournal.com]

Ah, "Crush." Spike is such a mixed up mess of a vampire.

The Spike/Dawn friendship was one of my favorite things in BtVS.

I feel, oddly, really bad for Spike even though he's a creepy stalker asshole.

It's a weird feeling, but, yeah.

"Unsettling and smart" is a good description. You're entering into my favorite era of Spike's story, which explores a lot of interesting and complicated ideas about the nature of identity, love, and redemption.

[delchi.livejournal.com]

About cable : I gave up on cable years ago , and went to Dish. The only problem is I will never use dish again - after I was laid off and unemployed they were nice enough to work with me on the early termination fee, but when I didn't have a physical address for them to send a return box ( to return their DVR ) the customer service agent gave me a real hard time. When I explained that I was unemployed and in between places to live he told me to " go live in a shelter or something ".

No more dish network for me.

[lovefromgirl.livejournal.com]

Arizona makes me nervous because I'm German. I suspect our reasons may be linked.

[heron61.livejournal.com]

The situation in Arizona looks to be getting worse wrt immigrants.

[canaana.livejournal.com]

Wow, I don't know what happened, but it sounds awful. I hope I didn't add to it--I twitched about "Fuck Arizona" because it's a really schizophrenic state and I like people to remember there's more to it than just bigots and short-sighted, well-meaning people making a mess for the rest of us. Oh, and people who can't do math--mustn't forget them, they screwed us out of the MLK holiday the first time around. But I didn't mean to create stress. :-(

I'm upset at being told I haven't read the law (I have).

And that's what's so scary about this one. The wording doesn't really matter. It almost looks innocent. Even the intent doesn't really matter, to my thinking--not that I'm convinced it's as innocent as some people would like me to believe. What matters is that, based on human history, it is impossible to implement this kind of a law without it becoming an excuse for police abuses. I'm also not wild on being forced to carry my identification everywhere I go--even though I usually do. I object on general principle. :/

[eveningscribe.livejournal.com]

And way off topic, but I've found some Dr. Who for you...
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l1ny7qQuPF1qa10u7o1_500.jpg

[editrx.livejournal.com]

Because my crazy mother's particular craziness, while she was on a down cycle of her bipolar-ness, centered on a paranoia about "them" coming to get her (the Nazis, it turned out, when I finally got her to vocalize it when she was having a paranoid episode), the entire Arizona thing about "showing papers" puts a shiver up my spine far more than I thought it would. I keep saying things like, "This is the country I grew up in," but then I remember growing up in DC during the race riots and realize it's just an outgrowth of the same "fear of the other."

Still makes me shiver, though.