I need to check my check my self. Seriously.
My lovely friend Matt called me this afternoon to ask “Where can I buy ice?” I was confused by his question “What do you mean ice?” Matt repeated “Ice. You know, ice!” I thought I was mishearing him, why would he be calling me to ask about ice and so I switched into Spanish thinking this would help clarify the word I was mishearing. “¿Quieres comprar hielo? ¡¡SI HIELO!! ICE!! This man is bright man, a genius really I couldn’t figure out why he was asking me. “Have you tried a grocery store?”
He started to laugh. He was laughing at me! “You know,” he continued “about half of the city is without electricity?” I explained yeah I knew that. I knew that electricity had gone out for most people on Sunday but I hadn’t been effected at all. I had electricity, what did ice have to do with electricity? Why did he need ice and why couldn’t he just go to a grocery store.
“A lot of grocery stores are closed because they don’t have electricity and those that do have electricity keep selling out. People need ice for their food that is going bad.” I hadn’t really thought about grocery stores not being open…I had gone shopping before the storm hit and my electricity had only been out a few hours so everything was still good.
I was a total Republican. I was the white man with privilege. I hadn’t thought about anyone else actually suffering in anyway…what do you mean you don’t have electricity…I have electricity. What do you mean you don’t have food I have food. I finished by teasing Matt that if he were only slightly whiter like me that he could have white privilege and have had electricity too.
In a very much related topic, If you receive food stamps in Ohio, you can receive replacement food stamps covering up to the cost of one month of food stamps if you lost food due to it going bad during this continuting electric outage. Expect a long line at the opportunity centers when you go into ask for your food stamp augmentation…I was at the North Opportunity Center today and the line was out the door.
Additionally, the electric outage has effected food banks in that they have had to scramble to find storage for their food and have an increased amount of those seeking assistance.
More info on Food Stamp augmentation here and on the Ohio food banks here.
On a note only related due to the fact there is no electricity, the Monster House is still having bands play tonight, guests are encouraged to bring flashlights as the venue as it is without electricity.
September, 2008
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Speaking of white privilege
September 16, 2008 by elenamary
Category language, Ohio, personal | Tags: Local | No Comments
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Ohio State Students
September 16, 2008 by elenamary
Dear Ohio State University Students,
Welcome to campus, you are, let’s be honest, kind of stupid right now. Campus does usually have electricity but we got hit by a windstorm, this means that at all places where the street lights are down are now four-way-stops. This means that when you get to a down light, you do not race through the intersection hoping you make it through first and faster than everyone else—think of it like kindergarten, we each get to take a turn.
I don’t know how it is that most of you having grown-up in Ohio, still don’t know how to drive in snow. Allow me to offer you more advice since in a couple months some of you will be driving in snow. When your car ges stuck in the snow DO NOT floor the gas, you are only going to cause your tires to spin and dig yourself further into the snow. Instead of flooring it, move your wheels (via the steering wheel) back and forth rocking it, and repeat to yourself “Rock it! Rock it!”.
And if you are at all unsure about driving, just don’t bother doing it…remember you pay city bus fees as a student…take advantage of the COTA.
Best of luck,
Elenamary
Category Ohio, personal | Tags: Local | 1 Comment
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White Priviliage
September 15, 2008 by elenamary
I am ill with the flu so for now I share with you the most amazing thing I’ve read in a very long time. Thank El Pocho Abogado who let me know about the link; below are a few excerpts:
This is Your Nation on White Privilege
…White privilege is when you can call yourself a “fuckin’ redneck,” like Bristol Palin’s boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you’ll “kick their fuckin’ ass,” and talk about how you like to “shoot shit” for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug…
…White privilege is when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action…
…White privilege is being able to claim your experience as a POW has anything at all to do with your fitness for president, while being black and experiencing racism is, as Sarah Palin has referred to it a “light” burden…
Category personal, Politics, race | Tags: Blogroll | No Comments
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Migrant Farm Working in the Midwest
September 9, 2008 by elenamary
I went looking for some music by Chuy Negrete who I first saw preform in 1997 at the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) convention. That lead me to watching a lot of you tube videos. It was through FLOC that I first became active in mobile medical clinics, it was through FLOC that I began to learn about community organizing, it was FLOC that I began to understand the importance of actively fighting for labor rights. It was also through FLOC that I learned of and admired the work by the National Farm Workers Ministry who always seemed able to get volunteers to wherever they were most needed.
My difficulties here in Ohio is that people tend to think that migrant farm working is something isolated to California. And, I am not sure how many understand the working and living conditions of migrant farm workers. The National Farm Workers Ministry put together a two part youtube video called Harvest of Justice (I and II), I think it is well done and offers a good summary of activism, labor and living conditions and organizing within migrant farm working communities.I leave you with an emo and not very infromational, but yet touching, NFWM video of FLOC organizing in 2007 in North Carolina…for you non-emos it gets good at about 1minute 20 seconds into it…
Category Latinos, Ohio, personal, Politics | Tags: immigration,Latinos,Local,Music | No Comments
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Community Organizers
September 8, 2008 by elenamary
The hardest job, I’ve ever had was as a community organizer…I failed at it. Each night I was left in tears, completely exhausted, drained of any energy or motivation, and with so mush self accountability that my Catholic guilt was always in full swing. I quit that job with my rough draft email having the subject line “I lost my soul”. On Sunday at the Newman center during mass the priest mentioned a community organizer who said “I don’t do it because I think I can change the world, I do it so the world doesn’t change me”. I however, don’t have that strength.
Because I know how hard the job is as a community organizer I didn’t take Sarah Palin’s statement seriously:
“I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities.”
I just laughed at the statement’s absurdity. However, not everyone laughed. I soon saw my friends’ status messages changing to things like “I am a community organizer” and “I love community organizers”.
Today I saw Matt Ortega‘s status message and I think he summed it up best….
Matt hopes Republicans realize you don’t antagonize a group of people who *slaps forehead* know how to organize: Community Organizers Fight Back
Category personal, Politics | Tags: Blogroll | 1 Comment
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Waiting Game
September 6, 2008 by elenamary
Thursday evening some friends and I piled into an SUV and headed down to the Ohio Historical Society to see the exhibit Capture the Moment: The Pulitzer Prize Photographs. With many of the photos I thought this is it, I am going to lose it and start crying, a few of the images that really touched me were, Tragedy by the Sea by John L. Gaunt, and I Am Not Ready To Die Yet by Kyōichi Sawada.
I wanted to stand still and cry at most of the images. The photographs stirred up this god awful pain. The pain that begged me to give up and not finish the exhibit was the same pain that kept pushing me forward, to connect with the people and places.
When I finally did lose it, it was the photography By Kevin Carter titled Waiting Game, that pushed me over the edge. The image is of a Sudanese toddler collapsing while trying to make it to a feeding center and a vulture waiting behind her. Kevin Carter committed suicide three months after taking the picture.
Category personal, Politics | Tags: war | No Comments