Saturday, August 28, 2010

A Public Service Announcement

Public service announcement #437: Practice what you'll say when you hear a racist, homophobic, sexist, or insensitive comment. You'll need to pull out that little spiel when you least expect it.

I watched this video at a faculty workshop today. It's about 3 minutes long, concise, and pragmatic. It'll make you chuckle. It's called "How to Tell People They Sound Racist."

Also, here's another video that is worth a look. I'm increasingly concerned about anti-immigrant sentiments towards Latino/as and Muslim people. It's entitled "The Green War on Immigrants."

I also just read Zeitoun which I would love to loan to anyone looking for a good read. It's by David Eggers about one man's journey during and after Hurricane Katrina. It starts as the fulfillment of the American Dream, then suddenly shifts. Read it! Shawn and I both read it in just a few days. Let me know, and I'll lend you my copy.

I can't stop thinking about Japanese internment camps lately. Is that where we're headed? Decimation of Native Americans was grounded in (twisted) Christian theology. Slavery was also frequently justified using Bible passages. So, are all Christians terrorists too?

The dumbing down of American consciousness is stupifying, but don't let your incredulous reactions immobilize you. Why isn't there more uproar about Islamophobia and anti-immigration racism? Why isn't there more of an uproar? Maddening.

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