We've been bad at keeping this up, partly because of the inconvenience of not having internet and partly because we've been busy.
Pamela and I have really gotten into a rhythm of life that feels so normal even after only a few months. Pamela cooks and I do the dishes. I keep saying I want to gain more confidence and practice cooking though... We're somehow able to eat tasty, cheap, nutritious food for the most part which we're both a little too satisfied about. I've been thinking about food a lot lately but there are so many other people so much more knowledgeable and thoughtful about it than me. Our friend Sarah wrote a blog post about eating organic, local, and vegetarian recently. Here's the link: http://allthingshold.blogspot.com/2009/09/good-better-best.html
Being a volunteer coordinator at two non-profits can be a little tricky for me sometimes but it's been good lately. Work has been a little better at both places than it had been for a while.
I've also been really enjoying not driving. I walk to work when I go to the one right by our house and I ride my bike when I go up north. I'm also very proud of myself for that. I really didn't know anything about bikes a few months ago and I wasn't particularly fit or driven. So, I guess what I'm saying is that it's easier to do than I realized and I really enjoy it.
A few weekends ago Pamela and I visited our friends Katerina and Sarah who live and work on an organic farm a few hours north of us. It was so nice to get away and such a restful weekend.
There's a lot more going on in our lives and my head. I'll try to write about some of it before it builds up too much.
peace,
Michael
Friday, October 23, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Slacktivism and Social Change
I read a very intriguing (and relatively short) article here about the new trend of what has been
"slacktivism"; that is lazy activism that can be done now by simply joining a Facebook group or signing an online petition. Then today one of my favorite columnists, Nicholas Kristof at the Times, wrote a short blog post here on the same topic giving another perspective. This really fascinates me because engines of social change have begun to be one of my top interests. How do we create positive social change? How do we build up community where it is broken? What is the nature of resiliency? How and why do the lower classes develop class consciousness, and why does it seem to happen so rarely? These are some of the questions that I am most eager to explore.
Anyways, this new trend of online slacktivism seems to throw a kink into the way that things have worked in the past and it's hard to tell what will come of it. When I first read this article I immediately felt guilty for the ways that I have participated in slacktivism simply to appease my own conscience. Websites these days make it so easy to write a letter to the CEO of Starbucks, your congressman (or woman), Secretary Clinton, the president of Peru, or whoever. Simply fill out your email address and write your name and you've done your part to fight injustice. Is it really that simple? But what if my motives are pure and I feel deeply outraged about an injustice or possible injustice that there seems to be no other way to address besides sending a generic letter from the comfort of my home?
I would scoff at that if I hadn’t been a part of some positive change brought about by slacktivism. Earlier this year a graduate of Wheaton a few years older than me was living in Egypt. I met this guy one time because he happens to be a very close friend of a close friend of mine. Anyways, when Israel started bombing Palestine to pieces back in December, many Palestinians sought to flee to Egypt, but Egypt closed the border and they were trapped. This guy helped organize a protest against the Egyptian government and was then arrested by secret police and taken to an undisclosed location where he was being interrogated and, for all we knew, tortured. As word got out at Wheaton many students and professors went to the Egyptian embassy in Chicago and protested. I didn't find out about that in time, but I did write letters to everyone I could, including the Egyptian ambassador, my congressman, etc. He was soon released and my friend talked to him on the phone and he told me that his interrogators were surprised at how many American friends he had. After a day or two they even brought it up to him while they were interrogating him. Can you believe that? We raised enough awareness for them to notice it and feel nervous. They had intended to for this to be a secret and we quickly made it clear that it wasn’t and this likely helped lead to their releasing him pretty quickly.
I don't know the answers yet, though I've learned that in our complex world you have to intentionally limit your scope or you'll go crazy. That might be one of the big temptations of slacktivism; to be an “activist” for too many causes to actually effect change in any of them. For me limiting my scope means sticking to what I know, what hits home and what I am just drawn to. There's a whole lot to fight for right in our neighborhood of City Heights, and there are people out there working on all of it; things like keeping our parks safe from crime and cigarette free, increasing access to cheaper, healthier, more natural food for the poor (i.e. food justice), improving our schools, integrating new refugees into our neighborhood, educating undocumented immigrants about their rights and more. Even in my own neighborhood I have to choose what to put more energy into and there are certain issues, people, and places that I am more deeply connected or affected by than others.
But what is more important than picking and choosing my pet issues to join internet groups about is being truly compassionate. A compassionate response seeks solidarity while Slacktivism is too easily lazy and distant. Sometimes it may be the only tangible thing to do, and it can potentially be compassionate, but it requires nothing. Your thoughts?
-Michael
"slacktivism"; that is lazy activism that can be done now by simply joining a Facebook group or signing an online petition. Then today one of my favorite columnists, Nicholas Kristof at the Times, wrote a short blog post here on the same topic giving another perspective. This really fascinates me because engines of social change have begun to be one of my top interests. How do we create positive social change? How do we build up community where it is broken? What is the nature of resiliency? How and why do the lower classes develop class consciousness, and why does it seem to happen so rarely? These are some of the questions that I am most eager to explore.
Anyways, this new trend of online slacktivism seems to throw a kink into the way that things have worked in the past and it's hard to tell what will come of it. When I first read this article I immediately felt guilty for the ways that I have participated in slacktivism simply to appease my own conscience. Websites these days make it so easy to write a letter to the CEO of Starbucks, your congressman (or woman), Secretary Clinton, the president of Peru, or whoever. Simply fill out your email address and write your name and you've done your part to fight injustice. Is it really that simple? But what if my motives are pure and I feel deeply outraged about an injustice or possible injustice that there seems to be no other way to address besides sending a generic letter from the comfort of my home?
I would scoff at that if I hadn’t been a part of some positive change brought about by slacktivism. Earlier this year a graduate of Wheaton a few years older than me was living in Egypt. I met this guy one time because he happens to be a very close friend of a close friend of mine. Anyways, when Israel started bombing Palestine to pieces back in December, many Palestinians sought to flee to Egypt, but Egypt closed the border and they were trapped. This guy helped organize a protest against the Egyptian government and was then arrested by secret police and taken to an undisclosed location where he was being interrogated and, for all we knew, tortured. As word got out at Wheaton many students and professors went to the Egyptian embassy in Chicago and protested. I didn't find out about that in time, but I did write letters to everyone I could, including the Egyptian ambassador, my congressman, etc. He was soon released and my friend talked to him on the phone and he told me that his interrogators were surprised at how many American friends he had. After a day or two they even brought it up to him while they were interrogating him. Can you believe that? We raised enough awareness for them to notice it and feel nervous. They had intended to for this to be a secret and we quickly made it clear that it wasn’t and this likely helped lead to their releasing him pretty quickly.
I don't know the answers yet, though I've learned that in our complex world you have to intentionally limit your scope or you'll go crazy. That might be one of the big temptations of slacktivism; to be an “activist” for too many causes to actually effect change in any of them. For me limiting my scope means sticking to what I know, what hits home and what I am just drawn to. There's a whole lot to fight for right in our neighborhood of City Heights, and there are people out there working on all of it; things like keeping our parks safe from crime and cigarette free, increasing access to cheaper, healthier, more natural food for the poor (i.e. food justice), improving our schools, integrating new refugees into our neighborhood, educating undocumented immigrants about their rights and more. Even in my own neighborhood I have to choose what to put more energy into and there are certain issues, people, and places that I am more deeply connected or affected by than others.
But what is more important than picking and choosing my pet issues to join internet groups about is being truly compassionate. A compassionate response seeks solidarity while Slacktivism is too easily lazy and distant. Sometimes it may be the only tangible thing to do, and it can potentially be compassionate, but it requires nothing. Your thoughts?
-Michael
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Three Vignettes
One: "What do you call a white girl in city heights?" (Lost).
A couple of weeks ago I was driving home from work. I was in the turn lane to exit onto the street I live on when a nice Muslim man pulled up in a mini-van next to me and asked through the window, "Excuse me, are you a little bit lost?"
Two: You never know what could happen at 9:30 on a Wednesday night.
Last night, at about 9:30, Michael and I were sitting in our bedroom chatting, when we suddenly heard what sounded exactly like a parade going by outside our house. Except we had heard no approach. We jumped up and looked out the livingroom window to discover that there was in fact a nine piece horn ensamble playing full force in the parking lot of the appartment complex across the street, which is home to several dozen Mexican families. A small gathering was standing around the band with all the appearances of a birthday party. Michael threw on a t-shirt and some flip-flops and went across the street to join the party where he was presented with a large, fully in tact but fried, fish. I stayed home but enjoyed listening to the unexpected live music, which lasted for about another half hour, while I did the dishes.
Three: We Felt Like Kings.
Last week, upon discovering that we were actually spending far less money than we had origionally budgeted, we decided to treat ourselves with a trip to Trader Joes. (Normally I confine my shopping to the grocery store in our neighborhood with the best deals in the weekly coupon advertisements.) As we walked around the store I switched my normal shopping mentality from "Do we really need this and is it the best deal I can find?" to "Why not?" Michael would nervously ask, "Do you think these peanuts are a good deal?" "Sure! Get 'em!" I'd respond. "Oh they have that cereal I really like, but I guess we don't really need it" he would say. "Go ahead," I'd tell him. About half way through the shopping trip Michael turns to me with a glowing smile and says, "This is so much fun!" We left there with a small tub of hummus, a box of crackers, three boxes of tea, regular AND decaf coffee, cereal, dried cherries, a bag of peanuts, one tub of organic yogurt, and of course, a $2 bottle of wine. We felt like Kings! Afterward we shared an ice-cream cone from Rite Aide, and I bought a copy of David Copperfield from a used book store. It was so much fun.
A couple of weeks ago I was driving home from work. I was in the turn lane to exit onto the street I live on when a nice Muslim man pulled up in a mini-van next to me and asked through the window, "Excuse me, are you a little bit lost?"
Two: You never know what could happen at 9:30 on a Wednesday night.
Last night, at about 9:30, Michael and I were sitting in our bedroom chatting, when we suddenly heard what sounded exactly like a parade going by outside our house. Except we had heard no approach. We jumped up and looked out the livingroom window to discover that there was in fact a nine piece horn ensamble playing full force in the parking lot of the appartment complex across the street, which is home to several dozen Mexican families. A small gathering was standing around the band with all the appearances of a birthday party. Michael threw on a t-shirt and some flip-flops and went across the street to join the party where he was presented with a large, fully in tact but fried, fish. I stayed home but enjoyed listening to the unexpected live music, which lasted for about another half hour, while I did the dishes.
Three: We Felt Like Kings.
Last week, upon discovering that we were actually spending far less money than we had origionally budgeted, we decided to treat ourselves with a trip to Trader Joes. (Normally I confine my shopping to the grocery store in our neighborhood with the best deals in the weekly coupon advertisements.) As we walked around the store I switched my normal shopping mentality from "Do we really need this and is it the best deal I can find?" to "Why not?" Michael would nervously ask, "Do you think these peanuts are a good deal?" "Sure! Get 'em!" I'd respond. "Oh they have that cereal I really like, but I guess we don't really need it" he would say. "Go ahead," I'd tell him. About half way through the shopping trip Michael turns to me with a glowing smile and says, "This is so much fun!" We left there with a small tub of hummus, a box of crackers, three boxes of tea, regular AND decaf coffee, cereal, dried cherries, a bag of peanuts, one tub of organic yogurt, and of course, a $2 bottle of wine. We felt like Kings! Afterward we shared an ice-cream cone from Rite Aide, and I bought a copy of David Copperfield from a used book store. It was so much fun.
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