Friday, November 12, 2010
The Daily Campus, Page 5
Commentary
Music has ability to empower and mobilize
A
s I write this column, I’m entranced by Playing for Change’s rendition of Bob Marley’s “One Love.” Italian bluesman Roberto Luti opens the piece with a fingerplucked guitar solo. Then the beat of a Nepalese drum begins and Israeli singer By Tim Brogan Tula chimes in. I’m taken Staff Columnist aback by the power of the music. The message rings loud and clear. This diverse group of musicians can, and will, change the world. The group, composed of artists from five continents, reminds us that what we have in common is stronger than our cultural differences. Music is aptly described as a universal language. Although often the product of specific cultures, it benefits every person on Earth. I consider music to be the supreme art form, trumping all others in its unifying power. It offers humanity an indispensible tool with its capacity to mobilize the masses in the pursuit of change. Anyone with vocal chords can and should sing. Anyone with nimble fingers can and should pick up a guitar or sit down at a piano. There is no litmus test for becoming a musician. Talent is in the ear of the beholder. Imagine if Bob Dylan never started writing songs
» LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Response to Marie Claire ‘fatties’
I read the commentary in the Daily Campus almost every day (I get bored in class a lot) and I very, very often disagree with the opinions presented there. However, I usually shrug my shoulders, remember the First Amendment, and go on with my day. After reading the Marie Claire “Fatties” article last Friday, though, I couldn’t keep my silence any longer. I understand the author was probably on a deadline to submit something, but next time it would be nice if she took a second to make sure her argument made any logical sense. First off, the Marie Claire blogger’s original point pertained to obese people in romantic situations. I don’t think it’s unreasonable at all to suggest that people (in general) would not want to watch “characters with rolls and rolls of fat kissing each other.” After all, there’s a reason most actors/actresses are gorgeous and people will pay good money to see an average movie with an Angelina Jolie sex scene. Hot people making out is just good clean fun. The last time I scoured the internet for schoolgirl porn, anyway, the videos with slim girls who hadn’t done their homework had far more views than those with overweight girls in detention. And that was yesterday. Now let’s move on to the “most ludicrous sentence ever written” category. The article’s author states, “Regardless of one’s choices, they should not be denied respect.” Are you kidding me? One’s actions are exactly what determine respect. Respect is earned, not given. If you CHOOSE to walk into my home, defecate on my favorite oriental rug, call my dad a slut, and punch my mom in the face, I?m definitely not going to respect you. In fact, I’ll be reasonably miffed. That’s the reason the “this is tantamount to saying you think less of black people or the handicapped” argument holds no water. Those traits are involuntary. A man who loses his legs in a car accident (involuntary) loses no respect in my eyes, while a man who chooses to chop off his
because he thought his voice wasn’t good enough. Imagine how disillusioned Dust Bowl migrants would have felt had Woody Guthrie not cheered them up with his subtle melodies. Imagine if blues pioneers had succumbed to skeptics who likened their work to “devil’s music.” To quote John Lennon, “imagine all the people, living for today,” and “sharing all the world.” Music influences society by galvanizing movements for positive change.
“Through music, the oppressed find their voice and the courage to reach out for help.” Coined the “Global Jukebox,” the Live Aid concert in 1985 was broadcasted to 2 billion people. In 2005, 3 billion people viewed the sequel concert Live 8. In both cases, almost half the global population was united by a common goal, to “make poverty history.” Music is a prominent mechanism for social progress. We should cultivate its role in our culture, as there’s no better way to gain and share new perspectives. Bob Marley spread reggae music and the Rasta spirit across the globe. He unified blacks worldwide,
legs for fun (voluntary) loses all of my respect for being such an idiot. Obesity, in general, is the result of voluntary choices and if a blogger for Marie Claire wants to factor that into her conditions for respect, she should. Finally, I just want to say that we should all get out our dictionaries and look up “ignorant.” It means lacking knowledge or awareness, not having opposing views. Not everyone who disagrees with you is ignorant, perhaps they have their own perspective and it’s different than yours. I doubt you could hand the Marie Claire blogger a pamphlet of “fat-facts” to change her mind. In the end, I’m tired of people with the most entrenched of views calling others ignorant instead of facilitating intelligent discussion. Now please excuse me, I have a party bowl of cheese doodles to eat. – Alex Dellin
Respect, in response to the ‘fatties’ article on 11/5
“Regardless of one’s choices, they should not be denied respect.” This quote is outrageous. Respect is solely based on the choices one makes. I do not respect someone for being born rich precisely because they had no choice in the matter, and did nothing to earn their wealth. It is for the same reason that I do not look down on people who were born poor. If respect should be given regardless of life decisions, why would you be offended that overweight people were compared to addicts and drunks? Are they not equally respectable? Life choices aside, they are both human. That seems to be your threshold for respect. In an ideal world, this would be great. However, the world we live in has enough terrible people that I choose to set the bar a little higher. – Chad Jens
Response to Trudon’s ‘fatties’ editorial
After reading Taylor Trudon’s article regarding the “fatties” blog post, I noticed so many brazenly illogical and nonsensical statements I felt compelled
to respond. Respect is garnered solely by a person’s choices. There is a difference between a person that murders and steals and a person that donates blood and adopts kittens from an animal shelter. The animal lover/ blood donor earns my respect while the plundering murderer deserves disdain. By comparing a choice, such as weight, to an inborn physical characteristic, being black or handicap, is preposterous. The bigot is clearly more idiotic than the individual who notices that obesity is an issue and is turned off by the fat person that makes a conscious decision to eat three slices of pizza, a handful of fries and several hearty dollops of mashed potatoes for lunch. Comparing the racist to the knowledgeable nutritionist is a cheap trick to rally support for the obese. On another note, obesity is real and an extremely noticeable problem. The new TV show that highlights the corpulent nature of people does encourage fat people to become empowered for being fat. This is unacceptable with the current health trends and should not have a presence on a major broadcasting network solely because there is now a fat demographic. Rather than encourage these detrimental health qualities, increasing ones health should be the primary message that is emphasized. Ultimately, this TV show, while raising self-esteem, will have an increasing diabetes rate trailing right behind it. – Daniel Ratner
Response to ‘fatties’ article
I have yet to hear a legitimate excuse as to why it is acceptable to fill a shopping cart with processed and prepackaged food, enjoy fast food meals as a dietary staple, and avoid physical activity like it is crucifixion. People in our society try to hide behind the veil of “it’s a glandular issue” and “I can’t help it, it’s my genetics.” Yet, the current statistic of more than 30 percent of Americans (see americanheart.org) falling into the obesity category points to one cause: choice. I cannot imagine that one out of every three Americans is chained to their living room E-Z Boy with a conveyor belt of fried chicken
and through his songs, he urged them to call for an equal and free society. Marley is the poster boy for peace through music. Regardless of race, “One Love” is a mantra that everyone should live by. Reggae generally pits the common man against the tyrant government. You’d be hard-pressed to find an artist in the genre that doesn’t support the legalization of marijuana. The movement for sensible drug policies would not be on the cusp of success without the influence of music. In 2007, Dispatch, a band that has heavily influenced me, re-united and mobilized its active fanbase. They sold out Madison Square Garden for three consecutive nights. The shows were called “Dispatch Zimbabwe” and 100 percent of the proceeds went to help the African nation defeat famine, social injustice and inflation. Brad Corrigan, a member of Dispatch, said about the inspiration to hold a benefit concert for Zimbabwe: “It all came from a song...I hope there are more songs.” Corrigan’s statement typifies music’s immense potential. Another Dispatch member, Chad Urmston, now fronts State Radio, an equally influential and inspiring band. The band’s lyrics explore social inequities, government abuses and other
continuously emptying into their mouths. Rather, people are consciously choosing to lead a sedentary lifestyle and make nutritional decisions that are detrimental to their health. I wholeheartedly agree that all oppressed, and often underrepresented sects of society deserve respect, and that a comprehensive social attitude change is necessary for this. However, I do not think that sitting back and accepting obesity is appropriate or progressive. The new Mike and Molly show serves to desensitize people to obesity and lend social validation to this epidemic. Certainly, it depicts an aspect of our current reality, but this negative, unhealthy aspect should not be portrayed in a positive, lighthearted manner. Why should I accept this fact of life instead of lobbying against it? I will not find myself discriminating against any given person solely because of their weight, but they will not earn my full respect simply because they are a human being. “Regardless of one’s choices, they should not be denied respect.” This statement is so incredibly ludicrous. Let’s respect Hitler despite his choice to organize the slaughter of millions, Ken Lay despite his choice to consciously dupe thousands out of significant life savings, and the many trusted clergymen who chose to molest our youth. Maybe this was not quite what Taylor Trudon meant in her article on Friday, Nov. 5, however, that statement is representative of the attitude that permits lifestyles of obesity. The “Truth” campaign against big tobacco is acceptable because of the links tobacco has to fetal illness, heart disease, and a slew of cancers. Are obesity’s links to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and incredible strain on our healthcare system not equally worthy evils to combat? When is that one third of our population going to look in the mirror and accept responsibility for their choices and make a change? – Travis Biechele
topics often glazed over by the mainstream. The songs they create instill in me a belief that I can single-handedly make the world a better place. It’s sometimes hard to tell if State Radio is an activist group playing music or a band promoting activism. “Calling all Crows,” its service organization, mobilizes fans to promote human rights and women’s empowerment. Behind the relentlessly strummed chords, Urmston’s message in the song of the same name is simple: “If you feel like you are witnessing a movement, then get up girl and let them know you’re free.” Here, as in many other instances, a good soundtrack vitalizes a social movement. The speeches of civil rights activists have the struggle for equality embedded in them. Soul and gospel songs of the era dynamically expressed the struggle. Through music, the oppressed find their voice and the courage to reach out for help. Leaders may come and go, but their messages, strengthened by music, persist through time.
Tim Brogan is a 5th-semester natural resources major. He can be contacted at Timothy.Brogan@UConn.edu.
ter. Nevertheless, I was rather entertained by Alex Welch’s November 5th column “Hitchens: prolific, inspirational journalist.” To me, Christopher Hitchens seems about as ‘inspirational’ as Bill O’Reilly, and perhaps less so. Anyone who feels the need to write a book lambasting an old nun who took care of poor people in the streets of Calcutta (another one of Hitchens’ apparently “prolific” titles, which is devoted to exposing the apparently unsaintly activities of Mother Theresa) is someone who should find more interesting things to write about. Granted religious figures often act with hypocrisy, and granted religious conflicts often cause trouble; I don’t believe anyone can deny that. But there is no doubt that to anyone with an actual understanding of Christian theology or philosophy, Hitchens’ infamous “God is not great” represents an appalling lack of understanding of the Christian intellectual tradition, as well as a ridiculous number of straw-men and an obviously false thesis. Again granted, religion can cause problems. But to act as if it just poisons thing, as if it has never had any benefits for anyone or any group of people whatsoever is simply false, and is indicative of ignorance and bigotry rather than inquisitive journalism. My point then, aside from taking issue with Hitchens’ arrogant misrepresentation and poor understanding of my own faith, is only that Hitchens is intelligent enough to know the sort of garbage he’s spouting; but there is no doubt that it sells books. The same way Glenn Beck and Ann Coulter take ridiculous and absurd political positions to further their own self-interest, Hitchens does so with religion. His ‘prolific’ thought is nothing you couldn’t find on your average 13 year old’s blog; he just found a creative way to make money with it. God bless the man, I hope they cure his cancer. But in terms of his being an “inspirational” journalist, I’d say Hitchens is not great either. – David Swerling
‘Great journalist’ Re: Editorial: overstatement for Voting for students Chris Hitchens needs clarification
Let me begin by saying that I do not wish cancer on Christopher Hitchens, or anyone for that mat-
In response to the editorial on Wednesday, I definitely agree that the UConn Votes Coalition could
have done a better job motivating and getting students to the polls. As a member of the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) External Affairs committee, which was a part of the UConn Votes Coalition, I believe we did an exceptional job dorm storming and registering students to vote. We exceeded our goal of registering 1,500 students to vote, which is a great accomplishment. We, however, lacked in making information available about the shuttle buses and I had to ask my committee chair on the eve of Election Day where they were picking up students because no general information was made available to students. Even though I suggested the idea of having members of the coalition give class announcements to disseminate this information, it was a little too late and good for only select classes, which was still not enough to get a high student voter turnout. Also, the UConn Votes Coalition was not much of a “coalition” in the sense of that word. Groups such as USG, SSDP, and ConnPIRG did a large a portion of not only registering students to vote, but also making the class announcements, distributing t-shirts at the polls, giving out flyers, and running the buses. I did not see groups like SUBOG or the College Republicans helping run buses or motivating students to vote. In fact, members of the College Republicans served as election checkers, which challenged students and served as a barrier for students to vote. This was contradictory to the goal of the UConn Votes Coalition and getting students to vote. We in all measures dropped the ball in communicating with members of this coalition and having them commit to this goal. Many of us, I believe worked hard and made enormous sacrifices to try to make student voter turnout high. As a member of the UConn Votes Coalition, I hoped we could have done a better job and it is not easy to say as a member that even though I stayed up most of the night before election day working to get things ready and painting the rock, that I failed. In the end, however, we must admit we failed and we all must take responsibility, learn from our mistakes, and next time we will do it right. – Jordan Hegel
Who or what are you named after? – By Wynne Hammerman
“My older sister named me because she started calling my mom’s stomach Jessie.”
“I was named after St. Christopher because my parents are religious.”
“Bill Clinton’s wife.”
“A guy my mom thought was cute when she was in high school was named Michael.”
Jessica Divanno, 7th-semester psychology major.
Christopher Paulson, 3rd-semester finance major.
Hillary Daub, 5th-semester marketing and English double major.
Michael Gandelman, 7th-semester engineering and business double major.