a letter to karl marx:

[wavesofwords]

dear karl marx

Comments

[turtlefetiche]

Should this be in the gvsu community? It isn't, currently, but it should be.

Jay, I consistently gain new levels of respect for you. It amazes me every time.

I so wanted to post with my own story about what happened to me in response to that girl's post, about how opposite I am from those girls she talked about and how still it happened. More than once.

I would be at the protest, the vigil, the something.

I'm saddened by how easy GV is making it for me to leave.

[wavesofwords]

thanks, megan.

it wasn't really supposed to be in the gvsu community...it was mostly just for myself so i could vent and possibly get people like you to agree to join me in protest at some point. i'm not even part of the gvsu community, but i'll definitely consider joining just so i can post this.

if you think it would be helpful for her to hear, and you're okay with posting your story, i say go for it.

i'm finding it increasingly easy to think about leaving this city, too.

[wavesofwords]

thank you, aj. i've been thinking a lot about those questions you're asking, and about what jesus would be doing if he were around in a physical form these days.

lately, i've been haunted by the thought of how much money our government has been spending on this completely unjustified war in iraq - do you know that if we took what we spent in just one day in iraq, and applied it to the educational system in the united states, everything would be equalized? it's true. poor schools would have new buildings, books, technologies, etc, and be on par with the ridiculously amazing, middle-class school i went to.

think about what we could do if we stopped this war altogether. we could feed and love the poor, including those people who are still starving in this country, supposedly the richest in the world. we could equalize education, healthcare, housing, and job opportunities. we could do a whole lot of things that would create a better world

[prkswllflwr]

this afternoon, EJ and i were in the radio station looking through some CDs to take home and review, and all of the music staff (reviewers) have sheets where they fill out the type of music they like, so the staff knows what type of stuff to put in their boxes

[wavesofwords]

i can't believe the gall of people. what is happening? has this always been going on, and we're just starting to notice it? i don't really think so. i think we're entering marcuse's one-dimensional world, weber's iron cage, perhaps even the world described in revelations in the bible, and people are starting to go insane.

i'm glad things like that are going on at your school. it needs to be happening, and i hope it can happen here in convervative west michigan.

[orangejoy]

So I sort of stumbled upon this post/was pointed to it. Just wanted to tell you how well-written and disturbing that is. It sounds like campus has taken an awful turn since I left, and that's entirely disheartening. Something, clearly, needs to be done.

-aj

[wavesofwords]

amen. how's life on the outside? what are you doing these days?

[orangejoy]

Life on the outside is rather refreshing. I'm in London studying and interning at The Times. I love it here. In Europe the youth IS standing up.. they are taking to the streets in Paris and refusing to work in England. It's inspiring and I only wish our American 18-24s weren't so apathetic about.. everything. Are you still going to grad school next year?

[wavesofwords]

yep, going to grad school for a MSW/MPH (public health) in minnesota next year. i think the twin cities are going to be really refreshing.

i've been keeping up on the news of all those protests...that's really awesome. glad things are good for you there. :)

[a_new_body]

Well done. I admire that you can keep your head on straight when this stuff pops up. I decided that some people never listen so I may as well call them worthless bitches and make myself feel better ;) But clearly, your eloquent style is far better.

[wavesofwords]

thanks.

honestly, something i feel like something really tremendous has changed in me in the last year or so. i used to get really angry and call people worthless bitches all the time, and it did make me feel better. last semester, though, i noticed something really strange. when i was in act on racism (it's this student theatre group i helped found) meetings, and we were discussing some sort of racist thing that happened to one of our members, all the white people were really pissed, and all the people of color were really cool, calm, and collected about the whole thing. i brought it up and we talked about it for a long time, and really came to realize that anger is not a productive force (the people of color already knew this, after having to fight oppression their whole lives). i think it's certainly a driving force, but, for me at least, not productive at all.

and then there are those people i sometimes just want to sucker punch. ;)

[a_new_body]

well of course. I mean, there are plenty of people I want to sucker punch myself. I think you are right about how the people who get the most angry are the ones who the act isn't even against-- the majority, if you will.

Through the course of Eyes Wide Open, I did a good job of replying to sometimes incredibly stupid things in an educated, eloquent way, and usually if I didn't change someone's mind, I at least got them thinking. I had a recent situation similar to the one that's happening in livejournal where someone in another LJ said "i was assaulted" and then a woman was all "oh come on, it can't possible be that many women are assaulted." and i approached in a really tactful way. but i don't know, this person in livejournal just set me off at a bad time or something!

I know that you are very right about how things should be handled.

[wavesofwords]

i totally understand what you're saying. most days i'm having to talk myself out of my anger, just so i can move on with my daily life. plus, most of these freaks won't be talked out of their ignorance, so sometimes anger is the best way to cope.