Dinner with Dexter: The State of Things

I recently went to the CAAM FilmFest's closing night to watch "The Chinese Exclusion Act" documentary which will air sometime on PBS (provided there still is a PBS if our President manages to cut funding for). The film was powerful and detailed, if lengthy (2hr,40) plus with 45 minutes of speeches before made for a long Sunday night. The Chinese Exclusion Act enacted in 1882 has great relevance to the type of things the Trump administration has targeted toward Muslims today. However the Chinese Exclusion Act was put into law and practiced until 1943 (mostly because of our alliance with China and how unfavorably this would seem) What I didn't realize is that after the US ended this as law, there was still a quota in place of only a little over 100 Asian immigrants allowed entry until the early 1960's, and that the Communist scare of the 1950's directed a lot of surveillance into Chinatowns.

I did know that discrimination and murder were a common practice directed at the Chinese as well as outright and accepted discrimation. The worst single act of hangings in America occurred in the late 1870's in Los Angeles, where 18-20 men were killed in one brutal evening and no one was ever brought to justice for these murders. Even when Chinese were allowed to work in the US, women, even their wives were not allowed entry. It's a psychological effect that still carries over to to today. The interrogation and imprisonment of Chinese on Angel Island was another cruelty inflicted with some people kept under lock for a year before before deported without sound reason.

It feels so troubling to think about what we are undergoing in our nation and the hand off to our children. Yes, it is increasingly exhausting to constantly read and discuss the latest of this President's agenda. Yes, it is disheartening to hear his methodology in achieving his goals; wherein, both the goals and the method are horrible, unaccountable, sickening in defiance to science, reason, compassion.

Besides letter writing and phone calls I've tapped, I'm also going to more rallies and protests ( I have the opportunity to do so with the flexible time available. I have the obligation to do so). My point for the boys is that when they find themselves in a situation where they feel awkward in large or small unified acts of peaceful resistance (peaceful can be loud and defiant), it's just important to be there, to participate and support- and not to opt out just because it seems uncool.

Chanting, singing, hand holding with strangers is not something I jump into, but I can warm myself into because these strangers are allies, brothers and sisters. If I look silly or feel embarrassed, time for me to get over on any of these concerns for much more importantly it's all about how we are unified in recognizing and fighting for together. There is too much at stake to risk division or become indifferent.

I know I'm not doing enough - but recently joined less than 15 peeps in front of an Oakland government office ( a week later, and I can't remember where I was) with Bay Resistance where some of the people were dressed as doctors and patients. We handed out flyers and asking people to contact their representatives about the impending (imploding as it turned out) vote in Congress of the Trump/Ryan health care plan. I found that instead of explaining this as the Republican Health Plan, we received much more interest by calling it the Trump/Ryan plan, which is accurate.

The day before,with appox. 75 other people was inspiring; an inter-faith gathering to protest the Dakota Pipeline Project, and this was a mixed crowd of many different faiths and participating churches. It was fun walking for a mile in downtown Oakland stopping at about five different major bank centers and shouting for them to divest in this project. We have most of our money in one of the big banks involved, and over the next month or two (need to be sure determine what bills and such are tied into this acct.) we will begin moving it out to local banks- but letting Chase know our intent, and reasons why.