The children of children, by the time they’re half-grown, have habits, like rabbits, and young of their own.
The children of children, from their mommas’ laps, hop down to the ground, to be taken in traps.
The children of children trapped by dark skins, to stay in and play in, a game no one wins.
The children of children, while still young and sweet are all damned and programmed, for future defeat.
The children of children are trapped by adults, who failed them, then jailed them, to hide the results.
The children of children, unable to cope, with systems that twist them, and rob them of hope.
The children of children, the sin and the shame, keep pairing and bearing, and who do you blame?
The children of children cry out everyday, they beg you for rescue, and what do you say?

Children Of Children featuring Oscar Brown Jr. | Black Market Militia

I heard this track while listening to a podcast called In Over Your Head, produced by Julien Smith in Montreal. In between playing some great tracks he spouts his ‘stick it to the man’ and ‘we have been co-opted, fight back against consumerism’ agenda, which I always find funny coming from people with iBooks that drink Starbucks coffee et al. He comes off as a character from The Rebel Sell. Don’t get me wrong, I find him very entertaining. However, as usual, I digress. When he played this short track I thought it did a great job of summarizing what many people (unfortunately the people running our city aren’t included in this generalization, as far as I can tell) believe to be the core reason for the increased gun violence in our city of Toronto. There was a great article in The Toronto Star on Sunday called ‘What Philadelphia can teach us’, that laid out the reasons, but also took the time to provided great solutions that go beyond the current mandate of our campaigning political parties to, “Increase penalties and reduce the number of guns coming into Canada”.

It seems to me that 100 years of sound economic theory provides us with an alternative solution. Decrease the demand for guns. If no one wants them, you can save a lot of public money on stopping them at the border. Sadly NDP leader Jack Layton seems to be the only candidate saying he’ll do what the other guys do, and also increase funding to community outreach programs, so they can get these misguided children the guidance they need, and decrease the demand for guns.

If the other parties are saying it, speak up, because I’m not hearing you.

Just smirk, and keep on walking.

They sleep in their own feces, and wade through puddles of urine. Neighbours have become enemies, while people are being shot, not over food and water, but DVD players, stereos and cell phones.

It is very difficult for me to understand how a society like ours could revert so quickly to these actions. I suppose I can understand, but I prefer to believe we are generally better than this. How the first instinct of people is to loot while their city — their home — lay submerged, burning, and destroyed escapes me. It baffles me that of all the recent devastation experienced around the world, the United States seems to be the only nation to lose all sense of control. The fact that the people of New Orleans first instinct is to look out for number one, and fuck the rest, completely saddens me. I guess Marge Simpson was wrong when she sang in A Street Car Named Marge, “You can always depend on the kindness of strangers.”

Maybe I’m naive. Maybe I am completely wrong to think community is the best way to survive times of trouble; that coming together will provide the best chance for survival. Humankind discovered a long time ago that living together was the best way to stay alive — that creating a society and community would provide the most efficient use of resources, and provide the greatest defense against forces that attack. ‘Strength in numbers’, as the old adage goes. If putting my faith in these ideals means my certain death, well, better men have died for lesser causes.

How such destruction can be caused by nature is indisputable, but how a country, that knew this hurricane was coming, was not more prepared is deplorable, disgraceful, and heart-wrenching. Perhaps there is truth in its nickname, “The City that care forgot.”

Among these scenes, and tragic sorrows, there still exists a glint of hope. An ember among the coals ready to re-ignite the flames of sensibility and society.

excerpt from The Seattle Times. Trapped in the Superdome: Refuge becomes a hellhole. By Scott Gold.

One man was lying part way on a cot, his legs flopped off the side, a forgotten blood-pressure monitor still attached to his right arm. Some had wrapped plastic bags on their feet to escape the urine and wastewater seeping from piles of trash. Others, fearing the onset of disease, had surgical masks over their mouths. An alarm had been going off for more than 24 hours, and no one knew how to turn it off.

Suddenly, incongruously, the first notes of Bach’s Sonata No. 1 in G Minor, the Adagio, pierced the desperation.

Samuel Thompson, 34, is trying to make it as a professional violinist. He had grabbed his instrument — made in 1996 by a Boston woman — as he fled the youth hostel Sunday where he had been staying in New Orleans for the past two months.

“It’s the most important thing I own,” he said.

He had guarded it carefully and hadn’t taken it out until yesterday afternoon, when he was able to move from the Superdome into the New Orleans Arena, far safer accommodations. He rested the black case on a table next to a man with no legs in a wheelchair and a pile of trash and boxes, and gingerly popped open the two locks. He lifted the violin out of the red velvet encasement and held it to his neck.

Thompson closed his eyes and leaned into each stretch of the bow as he played mournfully. A woman eating crackers and sitting where a vendor typically sells pizza watched him intently. A National Guard soldier applauded quietly when the song ended, and Thompson nodded his head and began another piece, the Andante from Bach’s Sonata in A Minor.

Like most in the shelter, Thompson’s family in Charleston, S.C., has no idea where he is and whether he is alive. Thompson figures he is safe for now and will get in touch when he can. Meanwhile, he will play, and, once in a while, someone at the sports complex will manage a smile.

“These people have nothing,” he said. “I have a violin. And I should play for them. They should have something.”

Congress? Congress has taken it upon itself to investigate steroid use in baseball, and feels that the recent changes made to drug enforcement are not strong enough, and they may have to step in. Am I the only one that thinks this is just a little ridiculous? Does Congress have nothing better to do? Isn’t there a war somewhere, and isn’t oil $57 a barrel? Their reasons seem admirable. “Drug use in baseball sets a bad example for the youth of the nation. These individuals are role models.” Ahh. The role model debate. This is nothing new, and people have debated to death the ‘sports players are role models’ viewpoint. You know what? They probably are. They do things well, and kids want to be like them. I guess it’s my fault for giving kids to much credit, to be able to decide what is right and wrong on their own. Thank goodness for the republican government; they will make this world safe for kids and sports.

It’s one thing that Congress has decided to hold these hearings, but it’s another that sports channels have decided to air them live. I’d like to blame this on the lack of hockey, but I can’t, because most Americans don’t even notice the absence of the sport this year. They don’t want to talk about baseball’s steroid use to fill the hole, they want to talk about baseball’s steroid use because it’s an issue they KNOW will have drastic, and long lasting effects on their country. If CNN, Fox News, Sportsnet, ESPN and TSN think it’s a big news issue, then I should too…..right?

I have to laugh to myself when I tune into TSN and see Canseco and McGwire sitting in front of congressmen talking about steroids. Then I have to laugh out loud when I read at the bottom of the screen that Canseco will answer questions, but when the time comes he will invoke the 5th amendment. Has this debate really grown so large that we need pseudo-sports celebrities worrying about incriminating themselves? It was at that point I promptly changed the channel to The View, and contemplated putting these thoughts down on paper. (note: it was a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day episode. They all wore green and one of the hosts did some Irish tap dancing).

If they want to blame baseball players for negatively influencing the lives of children, so be it. But don’t stop there, no, that would be close-minded and predatory. If you want to blame baseball for corrupting our youth, you’re going to have to blame a lot of other people as well. First stop? Advertisers and their WMD — Supermodels. The last time I checked it was generally accepted that children can be negatively affected by models, and their thin, fit bodies. Many young girls are driven to anorexia and bulimia. These are two conditions that can be just as, if not more, dangerous then taking steroids in a controlled environment. I say Congress puts together a panel of Supermodels. Then they can broadcast this hearing live to all the news agencies, and they can title the broadcast “Death By Beauty”, because we all know how the networks love to sell consumers news based on fear. Put the Supermodels on a panel, and question them for 11 hours. At least that would be compelling TV that would provide me a reason to tune in — I could put the TV on mute, crank my tunes, and enjoy the eye candy.

That is something that people would TIVO.

I didn’t really want to turn this blog into a place of rant, but Jeebes, didn’t we all learn about lines in pre-school?

We all do it, and we tend to do it instinctively. I even think we like standing in line. People will see a line and just line up, assuming it’s for something cool (like on the Simpsons, where they see the long line and assume it must be for a really cool ride, but it turns out to be the complaint booth). It would seem I am wrong. It would seem there are a select few individuals out there that a) do not know about lines, or b) just don’t care to follow the social code of civil beings.

I was in line at a Tim Horton’s today that has two cash registers, and one line. This makes perfect sense to me, and the other people in line. The line splits the two registers and you go to the one that opens next. It reminds me of a bank line, though banks tend to have the ropes to maintain order. So me and my fellow man are standing in line, when some deviant individual walks past us and proceeds to stand directly behind one of the registers. The guy in front of me, the lady behind me, and I all met eyes, and shared a silent understanding. I took the lead. I politely explained to the confused person that we are all in line, and that he can’t just go to the front like that. He stood there and tried to direct me to go in front of him. I took a second to gather my thoughts. Perhaps I did not explain the rules on the line to him correctly. I tried again, this time using hand signs to show him how there is one line, and that we stand in the middle of the two registers, such that we can go to whichever one becomes available first. He didn’t understand. One of the registers opened, so I told the guy in front of me he should go. He did. The rule breaker just stood, with a mildly upset face on his head. The next register then opened and I went. He had now seen how the system worked, and I had hoped he understood. But alas, he still stood there trying to be the next customer. A register opened again and the lady behind me went. I got my coffee and went to where the end of the line was (near the exit) to wait for my partner in crime to get her English toffee drink. The guy in front of me walked by and thanked me. I’m not sure why. I guess for maintaining civil order. Then, the deviant came by. He had finally been served. I would say he was in his 40′s. As he walked by me he threw me a shoulder.

I could not believe it.

A 40 year old man threw me a shoulder on his way out. Who does that? What did he expect? Did he want to fight a 24 year old? Yes. Let’s fight. I am going to get in a fight in a Tim Horton’s, for trying to uphold the moral right. Please.

I laughed.

It was very funny to me. I couldn’t believe it. Who throws a shoulder in a Tim Horton’s?

The guy in front of me was sitting near this event, and he gave me the ‘wtf?’ look. And rightfully so. Did I mention I had to laugh?

It was quite an experience, and blew my mind so completely that this person saw fit to pass a line of nearly 10 people. I would like to believe that anyone reading this understands, and obeys, the unwritten line code of our society. Keep our society civil, as we are no longer animals.

Queue up.