My last Saratoga

September 5 2011 was my last day working at Saratoga Racecourse.  It was a sad and emotional morning for me.  Not just because it represented the end of a phase of my life. I've enjoyed working at Saratoga. I've enjoyed living here. Like Tony Johnson said "this is God's country" My last day at Saratoga racecourse represented the fast coming changes in my life.  My eminent move from Saratoga, from my home, my family. The transition into real adult hood, living on my own and beginning my own life.  Nothing will ever be the same again. But all change is good.  All that will remain is nostalgia and memories.  When I first moved up here I missed Elmont now that I'm moving back I know I will miss Saratoga.  This isn't goodbye though, its see you later.

The only thing permanent in life is change.

Gay Marriage

I believe gays have the right to a civil marriage.  The government no matter what the beliefs of those in power can not deny them that right.  A civil marriage because I respect a person’s right to practice their religious beliefs, and if a particular religion does not accept anything other than a straight marriage, you can not force them to change their beliefs.  However an individuals religion does not allow them to discriminate or persecute others based on their sexual orientation.  Homosexuals who want to be married under civil law should be allowed to but if they want a religious marriage they must find a church which accepts their right to marriage.  I do not accept the view that it is against God’s will for gays to marry.  Yes God created Adam and Eve, a male and a female, not two members of the same sex. But its only logically that having created only two individuals he would want them to reproduce and bring forth millions of future offspring. That is why he created a man and a women not two members of the same sex.  Any species with only two members is an endangered species if its members chose not to reproduce.  As the worlds population approaches 7 billion we are under no threat of extinction.   God created a male and a female but he also created love. Love is something you can’t control. You can’t decide who to fall in love with and who not to.  That is something we all know from experience. God created love. If he wanted it to be solely between a man and a women he wouldn’t have created love between members of the same sex.  But he did. So God must want them to live together in matrimony.  If God wanted everyone to be straight he wouldn’t have made people sexually attracted to members of the same sex. Another argument I have heard is that gay couple can not raise normal healthy children with good morals and values.  And to that I look around and say there are a lot of straight couples who can not raise normal healthy children with good morals and values.  Just because a few people are bad parents does not mean we should generalize on an entire group of people.  Parenting is hard and not everyone is going to be good at it, especially if there are fewer places to get good gay parenting advice.  When given the opportunity and resources anyone can become a great parent.  I look around me and I see an overpopulated world with millions of orphaned children with little too eat and no future.  Are you going to deny them the opportunity to have a loving and caring home where they can eat and get an education just because the adoptive parents are gay?  If your beliefs make you homophobic then don’t be gay but do deny other people to happily live their life and better the lives of other people.  

White guilt

What is white guilt.  As a Mexican-American this is something strange for me which I have little personal  experience with.  I have never personally felt it.  But it is something lots of white people bring up in talks and discussions about race or social injustices.  But lets think about this for a moment and analyze it.  White guilty, from what I have seen, is something which comes up only when you have just been exposed to knowledge or a perspective of a social injustice.  This social injustice may or may not have been committed by you or your parents or ancestors, but you have directly benefited and not been hurt by this injustice.  In a way you feel guilty for having been privileged and spared the pain and suffering of this injustice.  You feel this because you have been exposed to knowledge which you had no prior information or understanding.  You want to do something to fix this injustice but you don’t know what to do or you fear that anything to fix this injustice would involve removing some of the benefits or privileges you have.  The solution though does not involve a loss on behalf of white people. In fact the solution can be what we call in economics Pareto efficient, a situation in which everyone comes out winning.  However, the fear of the possibility of losing something you have is so great that it sometimes leads to a white backlash.  People will deny that the injustices are occurring or react very defensively.  However, white guilt is not because we are attacking you, it is because we are fighting to change a system that has failed to address the historical injustices minorities have experienced.  We do not seek to stop the benefits and privileges you have we simply seek to gain those same benefits and privileges for ourselves.  The fact that you feel white guilt is a good thing.  It means that you recognized a wrong has been committed.  The next step would be to address that wrong and work to fix it.  It means that we are that much further in our conversation or dialogue.  To hear the social injustices that have been committed against minorities and not experience white guilt is to not see that there is a problem, its not caring about what is happening, its not wanting to do anything to correct the situation.  By not experiencing this white guilt you are in essence admitting to yourself that you are a racist.  But your not.  And that is why we are asking for your help.  In order to change this system that has been put in place by our racists past we need the help of everyone.  To be apathetic is worst than being a racists.  It is to actively know what is happening, know that it is wrong yet refuse to change it.  You need to take this guilt and transform it into an agent for change.  You can not just let injustices go on unaddressed.  

The end of a true democracy- Native Americans

Over 500 years ago there existed a civilization that was like no other since then.  It existed right here in North America.  This civilization by today’s standards would be considered primitive and backward because of their lack of the modern amenities we no have.  But if you were to take a closer look at them, they were in fact ages ahead of us.  The problems we face today were nonexistent in their times.  

The debate over health care? They had avoided the diseases we no so fear.  Deadly and contagious viruses were unheard of.  Cancer did not exist.  They did not deal with dangerous toxins that we do today, and somehow skin cancer did not affect them.  Cardiovascular disease and obesity did not exist.  The food they eat was the most organic and completely natural food available.  It was eaten regularly in the right amounts.  They did not need anyone to tell them that they should eat in moderation and have a balanced diet.  There was no need for increasing one’s amount of exercise.  

Environmental degradation? This was unheard of.  Nothing was wasted if a use could still be found for it.  The people lived as if they were a part of nature.  The destruction of their environment was a threat to them.  Trees, fish, resources abounded. No activity was unsustainable.  

Poverty? If you measure it in dollar terms which they had none of, then yes.  But how can there be poverty if everyone has enough to eat? If everyone has shelter, health, love and desires nothing more? If everyone has time to spend with their family and leisure to do what they want?

Quality education?  Everyone had access to knowledge.  It was pasted down from generation to generation and between individuals.  It was accumulated through life experiences.  The elders who had accumulated it were widely listened to and respected.  

Inequality? A more egalitarian society could not have existed.  Everyone had access to the same amount of food, clothes, shelter, health services, and had an equal say in community decisions.  The Indian chief was nothing more than a spokesperson for the village.  The decisions were made by the people.  This was a true democracy were everyone’s voice was heard.  There were no special interests with undue influence.  The special interests were those of the community.  

This civilization unfortunately was eliminated by a less democratic and less perfect one.  Western civilization came in and brought disease, inequality, poverty, and monarchy.  A flawed civilization overpowered the natives, destroying all the good things they had achieved.  Western civilization is now struggling to solve these very same problems the Natives had solved so long ago. If only they had joined the natives instead of conquering them.  

Neoliberalism and the third world

Neoliberalism. What is it? Its a word you hear often but do you really know what it is or means? Neoliberalism is a theory. An economic political theory. It is free-market capitalism and laissez-faire. But it is also more than that. Its government practices that favor big business. You may have heard accusations of “government lying in bed with big business” but its more than just that. Its government  going on its knees for big business. Its government willingly bending over backward for big business. Its similar to when lust and desire are so great that government will invite a complete stranger to its home because he has a pretty face. you have no clue who he is, but you still place your complete trust in him. you have an array of contraceptives that you have been using but he says he will have none of your protectionists policies. He claims they will only get in the way and hurt you in the long run.  Your skeptical of what this stranger is saying but he’s so overpowering you have no choice or say. you fight and squirm but still he has his way with you. Your culture, traditions, way of life are all destroyed in front of your eyes while your powerless to stop it. Afterwards you realize he had an STD and its infected you people. And while it only makes him stronger its wreaking havoc on your nation.  That is neoliberalism. The scourge of the third world.

Dispatches from Banana Land

http://www.bananalandmovie.com/takeaction.html
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=14101214726&v=info
            Esta es me reacción hacia la platica con Jason Glaser sobre la situación en varios países centro americanos donde se cultiva la banana.  La practicas de estas compañías son realmente horrorosas y imperdonables pero peor es los que saben lo que esta pasando y no hacen nada.  En esencia permitiendo y perpetuando esta maldad. Recomiendo que todos veían esta película cuando salga, nunca verán una banana igual.

            La plática sobre el cultivo de las bananas y las corporaciones fue muy interesante e informativa.  Jason Glaser hablo sobre la violencia, agitación social y el envenenamiento por pesticidas.  También hablo sobre la necesidad de consumidores y la población en general, de ser conscientes y estar al altar de lo que están haciendo nuestras compañías y de quien vienen los productos que nosotros compramos.  Es necesario saber cómo son hechos los productos, como la compañía opera, y cómo tratan sus empleados y las comunidades donde se encuentran.  Lo que están haciendo Dole y Chiquita es inmoral y una vergüenza.  Cómo puede un país decir que algo es ilegal en un país porque daña la salud de la gente, va contra los derechos humanos de un individuo, pero esas mismas acciones son perfectamente bien en otro país.  Hay un grave problema en el mundo cuando individuos (los executivos de Dole, Chiquita y las compañías agroquímicas) no solo saben lo que esta pasando pero hasta lo dejan que siga sucediendo incluso ellos mismos son los que siguen perpetuando el mal. Yo no puedo entender cómo podemos vivir en una sociedad donde individuos pueden trabajar para una corporación y no pensar sobre si lo que la empresa están haciendo o incluso lo que ellos mismos están haciendo es ético, moral o socialmente responsable.  ¿Qué tipo de valores les estamos dejando a nuestros hijos?  ¿Donde es nuestro deber cívico y amor por el prójimo?  Si la situación fuera al revés no también quisiéramos  que a alguien le importe lo que nos estuviera pasando y que es persona tenga la bondad de hacer lo correcto.