Malaise shown: Call it anything but a hate crime

An eighteen year old boy named T. Nhaveen has been declared dead, five days after a brutal assault and rape by five attackers.

Predictably, the corporate media both in Asia, North America and elsewhere are describing and portaying this story as “bullying”, not violence against someone suspected of being gay. Nhaveen had repeatedly been harassed and assaulted by many people because he was not physically large nor exhibited toxic masculinity as his murderers did. It’s as if the media consider anally raping Nhaveen with inanimate objects to be unrelated to the crime, to not be a crime at all.

Malaysia teen Nhaveen dies after brutal assault by bullies

It is rare to see items addressing the issue:

5 Malaysians face murder charge over bullying death

Nhaveen’s mother, D. Shanti, was quoted by The Star newspaper as saying that her son had been bullied by one of the suspects in school three years ago but kept quiet to avoid more assaults.

“My son said that boy told him, ‘You are a pondan (transsexual) and I have to make you a man,'” Shanti told The Star.

What’s also not being mentioned is the Malaysian government’s culpability for this assault. On June 3, the government issued a call for “ways to prevent homosexuality. And in February 2017, the government openly advocated torture and abuse of LGBTQIA people under the fiction of “reparative therapy”.

Malaysia defends contest on how to ‘prevent’ homosexuality, cites youth health concerns (June 3, 2017)

Malaysian government openly endorses gay conversion therapy (14 February 2017)

The Malaysian government has blood on its hands, but with a public that supports such crimes by supporting the ruling party, violence against LGBTQIA people will likely continue to be a problem.

History Repeats: Mistakes made again and again

An appalling hashtag “don’t racialize our flag” is appearing on facebook. The addition of two colours to the LGBTQIA flag was meant to be only for Philadelphia, but the “we’re not racist!” hostility towards it is quickly becoming an issue for all LGBTQIA people. Being blind to privilege and minimizing a valid concern does not solve anything. Sadly, the responses have been predictable:

“This isn’t about race!”

“It’s divisive!”

“The pride flag already includes black and brown people!”

If that were true, why do people feel excluded? Why did Black Lives Matted need to stop the pride parade in Toronto last year, and other events this month? Why…gimme a break.  There’s an old maxim:

A smart person learns from experience.

A smarter person learns from other people’s experience.

So what does that make those who intentionally fail to learn from others’ mistakes and experiences?

Second wave feminism of the past was exclusionary, leaving out anyone who wasn’t white, middle class and straight until third wave feminists tossed the dinosaurs aside. Atheism became “acceptable” public discussion starting the 1990s, but excluded pretty much anyone who wasn’t white or male. Some have clued in and become inclusive, but there are still pigheaded types out there.

And now LGBTQIA people are making the same stupid mistakes, ignoring, minimizing and excluding non-white people. The backlash against Black Lives Matter reasonable demands in Toronto was bad enough, but you think people would get it. Apparently not. Racism, patronizing attitudes and the “wait your turn” (*) mentality are happening again in the wake of the amended Pride flag. Some LGBTQIA facebook groups I participate in are approaching civil war, privileged clowns too clueless to get it attacking people who say change needs to happen.

* By “wait your turn” mentality, I’m referring to larger minorities asking smaller minorities for support and saying, “We’ll take care of you later.” And by taking care, it means “I got mine” and stabbing the smaller group in the back (re: gay white male republicans supporting Trump). Anyone who says “wait your turn” has no intention of helping others have their turn.

Crime Waves: Say hi, with both hands raised

For the most part, Taiwan is a safe country to live in. Petty crime isn’t a major problem, and while public sexual harassment of women exists, the government cracks down and prosecutes.

(Nearly all of the anti-foreigner animosity and aggression I have experienced here and elsewhere in Asian countries has been anti-american sentiment. Oh, désolé, mon ami! Y a-t-il quelque chose qui ne va pas? One of the first things I learnt while abroad was how quickly “she doesn’t speak English” changes people’s attitudes. It’s easy and inoffensive self-defence. My knowledge of French is déplorable, but most of them don’t know that. ^_^)

Violent crime in Taiwan seems to happen in bursts, like earthquakes and tremors. There’s nothing for a while, then a lot all at once. The past month has been one after another. A similar wave of violence happened last January.

Trigger Warning: violent crimes described. DEFINITELY a TW here.

Kaohsiung (May 20): 54 year old man beheads 52 year old mentally disabled sister.

Taichung (June 3): Man kills his older brother, incinerates his face and hands. The victim was involved in gambling, the suspect involved in fraud-related crimes.

Taipei (June 6): In two separate incidents, police shot multiple bullets into the cars of driver who attempted to run road blocks. No injuries to the drivers were reported. Both were later charged in relation to other separate crimes.  This happened only a few kilometres from where I live, but I was at work when it happened, far from the highway.

Taipei (June 13): 45 year old mercedes driver stabs three in road rage attack, including the 61 year old driver of another vehicle.

Taipei (June 18): Mercedes driver commits hit and run murder of motorist on scooter. The scooter rider’s leg was torn off, found later on the car after the mercedes driver was caught.

Road rage is a regular event here in Taiwan, and I’ve experienced some myself as a pedestrian.  On May 10, a 25 year old beat up a 60 year old who had properly stopped at a red light. The elder man’s presence prevented the younger man from running a red light, which the younger felt “justified” attacking the elder man.  But why worry about committing road rage when you only get eleven years for murder (January 2017)?

 

Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Lexus drivers here fit all the same stereotypes about aggression and reckless driving as in every other country.  We’ve got blue truck drivers, too, plus scooter gangs in Kaohsiung.  And people still ask me why I don’t want to buy a scooter.

Taichung (June 13): A (thankfully stupid) 25 year old man posted a video to youtube of airguns he had illegally converted to being lethal weapons.  He had planned to sell them.

Kaohsiung (June 12): An organized crime member known as “Leopard” was arrested for possession of a submachine gun as well as other illegal weapons.

Chiayi (June 16): A man’s body found after ten years at the elementary school where he worked. His brother said the man was preparing to give documents relating to a school engineering project fraud to county government investigators before he went missing.

But if you want to buy your way out of a stiff sentence for crimes, you can:

Chiayi (May 28): Former Jhuci mayor’s prison sentence reduced to 15 years in prison after payment to the victim’s family (NTD$25m, US$820,000).  Now the question is where did the ex-mayor get the money?  Hmm…any relation to the school employee’s murder?

And then there’s the torrential “Plum Rains” which have hit Taiwan. I have been here eleven years, and I’ve never seen rain like this, not even during typhoons. People my age who have lived here their whole lives say the same thing. The rains will continue for another five days, making it exactly three weeks of constant rain. There have been major road closures in many places, landslides, and even flooding on one of the runways at Taoyuan International Airport.

Heavy rain warning issued for most of Taiwan

Central and northern Taiwan, as well as mountainous areas in southern Taiwan, are likely to see the worst weather conditions, with accumulated rainfall of more than 200 millimeters within 24 hours, or more than 100 millimeters over three hours, according to the warning.

And to think just a few weeks ago people were making a stink about Taiwanese citizens working for UAE airlines being forced to wear PRC lapel buttons.  Priorities, people.

Three Strikes Again: You’re out, Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick is now a former NFL quarterback.  Not just the former quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, but of the entire NFL now that the owners have collectively decided not employ him.  Teams in search of backup quarterbacks have hired several in the past week, some of whom threw fewer NFL passes in the past four years, than Kaepernick has thrown in single games this past season.

Deadspin: The NFL Machine Has Finally Beaten Colin Kaepernick

Remember November 2009 when Tiger Woods was exposed as a scumbag and serial philanderer?  Within 24 hours, all the major sports media and regular news broadcasts aired detailed exposés on his actions, proclivities and whereabouts.

Question: How did the corporate media collect all that information on Woods so quickly?

Answer: They already had it.  They knew, and they kept their mouths shut.  They were more concerned about “access” and their careers than the truth.

The corporate media kissed the PGA’s posterior by not reporting what they already knew to be true.  They did it because they didn’t want to become another Lisa Olson, the sportswriter who was harassed, blacklisted, tried in the media and forced out of the US for twenty years after speaking out about sexual harassment in the New England Patriots’ locker room.

Remember April 2014 when Donald Sterling’s racism and ignorance were exposed to the world?  Within 24 hours, all the major sports media and regular news broadcasts aired detailed exposés on his actions and words.

Question: How did the corporate media collect all that information on Sterling so quickly?

Answer: They already had it.  They knew, and they kept their mouths shut.  They were more concerned about “access” and their careers than the truth.

The corporate media kissed the NBA owners’ posteriors by not reporting what the media and the owners already knew to be true.  The media did it because they didn’t want to be shut out of locker rooms and denied pass credentials.  Instead, they began questioning black NBA players, current and former, asking what they thought about it instead of explaining their silence, their failure to report what they knew.  The corporate media were blaming the black NBA players for Donald Sterling’s actions, and black Americans in general for being offended instead of “being grateful” as the subtle implication was made.

And now we have Colin Kaepernick, who protested the way powerful white people said black people should protest: quietly, dignified, not “a distraction” and not be “angry black people”.

Question: How is the corporate media framing the story about Kaepernick?

Answer: They are engaging in character assassination on the NFL’s behalf.  They are more concerned about “access” and their careers than the truth.

The corporate media are serving the NFL’s interests by calling Kaepernick “washed up”, “not a starter”, “not good enough to be a backup”, “doesn’t stay in the pocket” (read: doesn’t play the position like the white players do, while Russell Wilson and Cam Newton don’t either), “asking for too much money”, “too much for the salary cap”, among other fictions and excuses.

Kaepernick did what the white power said to do and has now been blacklisted by the NFL, his career effectively over.  This goes far beyond mere collusion and reeks of overt racism.  It would make a very good case for a civil rights lawsuit, and I hope he files one against the NFL and wins.  I would love to see them have to pay millions in a settlement.  It might not affect their undeserved tax free status, but it certainly would be a blow to the business.

In related news, here’s another reason I haven’t watched football in six years:

Body Found In River Identified As Former NFL Receiver James Hardy

James Hardy was a second-round pick out of Indiana who spent two seasons with the Bills before leaving the NFL in 2011. Hardy was reported missing a week ago, and yesterday afternoon, the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Police Department announced that they had found a dead body lodged against a dam in the Maumee River. The Allen County coroner’s office confirmed shortly after that it was Hardy, although a cause of death has not yet been determined. He was 31 years old.

[…]

In 2014, Hardy was arrested and charged with felony resisting arrest after allegedly injuring two LAPD officers. TMZ reported later that year that a judge had ruled Hardy unfit to stand trial and committed him to a state mental institution.

Gee, you don’t think CTE could explain this, do you?

Self Interest: World Narcissistic Abuse Awareness Day

Thursday, June 1st marks World Narcissistic Abuse Awareness Day (WNAAD), a global movement to raise the profile of narcissistic abuse, provide public education, resources for survivors, and effect policy change.   Add the hashtag #IfMyWoundsWereVisible to your facebook page if you were abused by a narcissist or know someone who was.  Flying Monkeys Denied is another site worth visiting.  It explains what a flying monkey is and how narcissists use them.

What are the traits of a narcissist?  Mystical Raven’s item about narcissistic mothers, but it can be anyone – parent, sibling, partner, employer, coworker, neighbor, “friend”, etc.

  1. Everything she does is deniable.
  2. She violates your boundaries.
  3. She favoritizes.
  4. She undermines.
  5. She demeans, criticizes and denigrates.
  6. She makes you look crazy.
  7. She’s envious.
  8. She’s a liar in too many ways to count.
  9. She has to be the center of attention all the time.
  10. She manipulates your emotions in order to feed on your pain.
  11. She’s selfish and willful.
  12. She’s self-absorbed.
  13. She is insanely defensive and is extremely sensitive to any criticism.
  14. She terrorizes.
  15. She’s infantile and petty.
  16. She’s aggressive and shameless.
  17. She “parentifies.”
  18. She’s exploitative.
  19. She projects.
  20. She is never wrong about anything.
  21. She seems to have no awareness that other people even have feelings.
  22. She blames.
  23. She destroys your relationships.
  24. As a last resort she goes pathetic.

Both of my genetic donors displayed at least twenty of these traits.  I went No Contact sixteen years ago for good reason. My siblings, who are still under their control despite the two being dead, performed as flying monkeys when I attempted to avoid contact with them.

Blood relation is not a legal obligation.  Cutting all contact with blood relatives is considered a social taboo (“but they’re your family!”) and some question and interrogate those who make this decision.  But ask yourself: Would you tell a woman who left an abusive ex-husband to “forgive and reconcile”?  No, you wouldn’t.  So why does being blood related grant abusers special privilege?

A person’s obligation is to themselves, to their own physical and mental well being, even if others claim “their feelings are hurt”.  As with many forms of abuse:

  • Don’t question or doubt the person.
  • Don’t suggest it was something the person did.
  • Don’t “suggest forgiveness” – it’s already been tried.
  • Don’t “help” (read: don’t become a flying monkey) unless asked.
  • Listen, respect and support the person.

 

Butt Out: May 31st is World No Tobacco Day

Wednesday, May 31st is World No Tobacco Day.  The World Health Organization, the US’s Centre for Disease Control, the American Cancer Society and many other groups interested in public health are promoting the day.

Cigarettes and tobacco are a public health issue.

It goes without saying that cigarette companies know and have always known that their product is toxic and unethical to sell.  It is only through the cowardice and malleability of politicians for tax dollars and bribes that cigarettes have not been banned worldwide.

Tobacco is directly related to increased risk of heart attack, stroke, blood clotting, emphysema, high blood pressure and many other conditions.  If the republicans in the US were so concerned about health care, why didn’t they just label smoking a “pre-existing condition” and not any of the other things they named?  It would have deprived many of the same people of healthy care that they targeted with all their other exemptions.

“E-cigarettes” are no safer than boxed cancer sticks, just as likely to cause cancer.  The fluid in “e-cigarettes” is toxic and has killed at least one young child.  The product is marketed with “flavours” which young children recognize without comprehending the risks of touching nicotine with their skin.

The CDC, the National Institute of Health, the American Cancer Society and many other reputable agencies and organizations all agree on the facts: second hand smoke causes harm to non-smokers forced to breath the pollution.  Smoking in the presence of children is and should be classified as a form of child abuse.

In 2015 during the holi festival celebrations in Taiwan, a fire broke out, killing one young woman and injuring nearly 500 people.  The public and the media have blamed the organizers of the event for using flammable powder, but the fire, the injuries and death would likely not have happened if a smoker had not selfishly lit a cigarette.

Cigarettes and tobacco are a social issue.

Children are the primary targets of tobacco advertising.  It has always been that way, is even moreso with “e-cigarettes” being directly targeted at teens.  The drug peddlars know that if someone isn’t addicted by age twenty, chances are they will likely never start.

The poor have always been targets of tobacco companies, lured into use with lies of “social acceptance”, as if something which steals money from you will make you richer.  That’s on par with the “prosperity gospel” in its inanity.

Cigarettes and tobacco are an political issue.

As industrialized countries ban smoking , tobacco companies are seeking out new markets to peddle their filth.  India large population and Africa’s burgeoning economy are being targeted with the burden of tobacco addiction, just at the point where they are trying to end poverty.   This is going on despite a worldwide treaty banning it, likely because of “political donations” (read: bribes) and the lack of concern by G20 countries for the poorest people. Even Russia and China, which have long been heavy consumers of tobacco, are taking an enlightened stance on this issue.

Cigarettes and tobacco are an environmental issue.

It is estimated that 30% of litter in the US is cigarette butts, making it the single largest form of litter in the country.  Combine that with an estimated 30% of human-made garbage in US waterways.  (I read unconfirmed claims of 20% of ocean garbage including cigarette butts.  It’s unproven, but very likely.)  It is estimated that 1.69 billion pounds of cigarette butts are discarded worldwide each year.

The filters in cigarettes are not cotton, as many mistakenly believe.  95% of a cigarette filter is cellulose acetate (plastic), combined with paper and rayon.    It does not degrade and, discarded butts will remain in the environment as long as a styrofoam cup.

Smoking is not a right, it is a drug addiction.  It is a major source of environmental pollution, a health hazard, and another trap aimed at the poorest in society.  It is contradictory to claim one stands for social justice and environmentalism while excusing the use of tobacco.

Let’s Drink: Taiwan’s court endorses marriage equality

Breathtaking humanity.  That is how I would describe the decision by Taiwan’s Constitutional Court in approving same-sex marriage in Taiwan.  To no surprise, the bigots are crying foul, but they were equating LGBTQIA people to pedophiles.  The only thing foul is their ignorance and hate.

Constitutional Court rules in favor of same-sex marriage

Taipei, May 24 (CNA) In a landmark ruling, Taiwan’s Council of Grand Justices stated on Wednesday that the Civil Code provisions that does not ensure same-sex marriage rights is unconstitutional and asked the Legislature to amend relevant laws within two years to protect the interests of gay couples.

The historic constitutional interpretation makes Taiwan the first country in Asia to effectively legalize same-sex marriage. While the ruling was hailed by those in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage, protesters voiced their discontent outside the court.

The council made the ruling after it received two requests for a constitutional interpretation on the issue.

One of those requests was filed by veteran gay rights advocate Chi Chia-wei in 2015 after his attempt to register his marriage with his male partner was rejected by the household registration office in Wanhua District in Taipei in 2013 and subsequent court appeals failed.

The other request was filed by Taipei City government’s Department of Civil Affairs in 2015 after three same-sex couples filed an administrative lawsuit against the government after their marriage registrations were rejected by the department.

Taiwan’s court deemed this so important for Asia, not just Taiwan, that the decision was published both in Mandarin and English.  People who follow legal issues tell me publication in English is exceedingly rare.

Full text of Constitutional Court ruling in favor of same-sex marriage

I would say more, but I got home from work just now.  I’m changing and going out to the most popular LGBTQIA club in Taipei to dance until 4AM and get drunk.  They’re offering free shots for same sex kisses. I’ll worry about work and the hangover in the morning.

Intentionally Deliberate: Marriage equality in Taiwan

On Wendesday, May 24, Taiwan’s Constitutional Court will rule on the legality of marriage equality in Taiwan.  There have been no rumours about which way they will rule, but given the arguments (pro: the benefits, anti: “think of the children!”) and the Taiwanese public’s acceptance of LGBTQIA people, it’s very likely to pass.

In the event that it doesn’t, it is not a total defeat.  Putting the decision in the hands of the court was political manoeuvring by President Tsai Ing-Wen, rather than requiring the DPP passing new legislation themselves.  A bill has been written and could be pushed through if necessary.

I expect within a year some of my friends will start getting married.  I will seriously have to start shopping for formal dresses.

Constitutional Court to rule on gay marriage case Wednesday

Taipei, May 21 (CNA) Taiwan’s Council of Grand Justices is set to release its interpretation on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage on May 24.

The council will make the ruling after it received two requests for a constitutional interpretation on the issue.

[…]

Taiwan was the first Asian country to allow a constitutional interpretation on the issue.

If the judges rule that Taiwan’s current ban is constitutional, same-sex marriage will not have legal protection. If it rules that the ban is unconstitutional, then the Legislative Yuan will be forced to amend the law to legalize same-sex marriage.

Desperate Measures: The new back alley abortion

In Colorado, James Pennington has been arrested for “assault” upon Jane Doe.  Pennington is a former army medic, not a doctor, and surgically removed Ms. Doe’s testicles.

Pennington performed the equivalent of a back alley abortion. 

Transgender people constantly endure roadblocks to transition – denied changes in documentation, denied recognition, denied medical care.  If Ms. Doe had been able to attain all those things, she would not have resorted to having surgery done in her apartment, bleeding and risking death.

How does Ms. Doe feel about James Pennington?  She wrote a lengthy letter in his defence, pleading for him not to be charged or treated leniently.  She criticizes the bigoted medical industry, policitians and society that drove her to this decision.

I am not in her position, not desperate as she was, but I understand and empathize.

Transgender woman pens letter about testicle removal case

DENVER – A transgender woman has penned a letter explaining why she chose to ask an unlicensed Colorado man to remove her testicles in what she called a “back-alley” procedure.

James Lowell Pennington, 57, is accused of operating on the transgender woman and is now in a Denver jail facing charges of aggravated assault.

[Read more…]

Music Rules: What’s new, Pussycat

It’s not a question.  Pussycat is Juliana Hatfield’s latest album, released this month (May 2017).  It was written after the farcical election of Annoying Orange and recorded in less than two weeks.  It is her first overtly political album full of songs like “Short Fingered Man” and “KellyAnne”.

I have been a fan of Hatfield since 1992, primarily because of her consistency in song quality, and the fact that she plays much of it herself.  I haven’t heard the new album yet, but for me this could be her defining statement.

Yes, she is a descendant of the Hatfield and McCoy feud.

Cars Kill: Traffic terrorism needs to end

Nicky Hayden, the “Kentucky Kid”, was the 2006 MotoGP World Champion.  He died Monday at age 35. He was hit by a car five days ago while he was riding a bicycle during training for the 2017 World Superbikes season.  Hayden was hit by a careless driver five days ago, suffered massive internal and brain injuries, and succumbed to them on Monday, May 22.

Already the victim blaming and factless speculation has started, spewing tripe like “maybe he ran a stop sign”.  Photos from the accident scene show it was a long, straight road, no corners or traffic signs in sight.  And no skid marks from the car tires, either.  Unfortunately, as with most cyclist deaths, the assumption is that the cyclist is at fault.  The tone is very similar to the way women are blamed for being raped (i.e. “how was he riding?” = “what was she wearing?”).

It shouldn’t require the death of someone famous for people to realize that drivers do not respect cyclists and do not obey the law.  Cyclists have as much a legal right to the road as car drivers do, and drivers are legally required to leave space for cyclists to ride safely.  If you don’t want cyclists in car lanes, petition for one car lane to be blocked off with concrete Jersey barriers to provide a cycling lane.  Cars and drivers are the problem and danger, not cyclists.

The behaviour and actions of car drivers towards cyclists and pedestrians is Traffic Terrorism, and it needs to end.

Criticism of how cyclists ride is not relevant, unwanted and will be silenced.

Wrong Headed: Ignorance from the past

Outdated “thinking” never goes away, it just changes the target of its ignorance.

I recently ran across three items from the past in separate places on uninformed attitudes about and biases against left handedness.  Dressing up opinions and labelling them “facts” happened as often 150 years ago as it does today.

In 1850, a poorly written story called Left-Handed Billy was published in a children’s book called “Robert Merry’s Museum”.  It made farcical claims of left handedness, equating it with ineptitude, and stupidity.  The last paragraph of the story reads:

Thus he grew up, and, when he was a man, he received the title of Left-handed Billy. If he drove a team of cattle, he was sure to be on the wrong side, as you see him in the picture at the head of this article. He never succeeded in anything, but became what is called an unlucky fellow. The people used to say, if there was a wrong side, Bill was sure to take it. Such were the evils of growing up in habits of carelessness.

Publishing Andrew Wakefield wasn’t the only time The Lancet screwed up and published pseudo-science gobbledygook.  In 1924, a questionable “paper” entitled The Mental Sorrows of Left-Handedness (William. S. Inman) was published.  It made risible claims about the causes of left-handedness, stammers, and squinting based on no facts whatsoever, only biases of the time and the author’s.  The “conclusion” was that emotional stress from “too severe parenting” caused them, that left-handed was “an unconscious revolt against authority”.

In 1935, J.W. Conway wrote (and I use that word loosely) a horrendously awful pamphlet entitled The Prevention And Correction of Left-Handedness In Children.  His pamphlet was the “homosexual aversion therapy” of its day, advocating physical and mental abuse upon children to “correct” them out of something perfectly natural.

Strangers Estrange: Happy Freedom Day, to some

For those reading who love their mothers and grew up in a great home, call her and tell her you love her if you haven’t already.  Time is short.  For those who had a great mom who died, my condolences to you.  I have a couple of friends who lost their moms this year and I wish I could have done more than be supportive and a friend.

But the day is not a celebration for everyone.  “Mother’s day” can be as hurtful a reminder to some as “valentine’s day”, “christmas” or other commercialized events.  The world tells us only one form of expression is allowed that those who don’t share it must be silent.

That’s unacceptable. [Read more…]

Music Rules: The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy

The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy was an industrial/hip-hop band which sadly produced only one album on their own, 1992’s “Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury”.  (A second effort “Spare Ass Annie And Other Tales” was a collaboration with William S. Burroughs).

Oh, what an album it was.  It was more landslide than a landmark, its political and social messages on par with Gil Scott Heron and other activists.  The album still stands up today, worth listening to for its message an its music.

There are a couple of weak moments on the album, but most of its themes and messages stand the test of time and are still relevant today.  The standout tracks:

  • Television, the Drug of the Nation
  • Language of Violence
  • The Winter of the Long Hot Summer
  • INS Greencard A-19 191 500
  • California Über Alles

“California” is a cover, updated to talk about then-governor Pete Wilson.