Wednesday, November 18, 2015

ANARCHISTS AND THE BERNIE SANDERS CONUNDRUM by Colin R. Mulholland.


"Anarchists and the Bernie Sanders Conundrum"

By: Colin R. Mulholland

(11/13/15 ) - (11/18/2015)


        As an anarchist and as an activist I can only do so much. To be an anarchist is to also understand that in your lifetime you will help bring about amazing changes to your community and possibly your country. But it is the validity of an actual anarchist to agree and understand that in one's lifetime that we may never see the fall of the American government. Why? Well, because currently the United States government is just to darn powerful; while the united states is constantly divided. To fully understand this is to understand how modern politics works is through (for the most part) contributions from capitalists through things such as Super Paks, which gradually are blank checks given to politicians from the contributors. The biggest and quite frankly the most active and powerful political contributors are the sons of the second wealthiest family in America the Koch brothers, the owners of Koch Industries. These guys have spent an unestimated, but a very large amount of money on the Republican party within the last few decades. But they aren't the only ones. Republicans, Democrats, you name it-capitalists contributed to it. Money has the biggest placeholder in politics more than the politics itself, for the most part politics is just talking. Lying. Deceiving. It's always been like this, a shell game that excludes the common man/ woman from the truth and exploits their loyalty. Further spewing these nonsensical beliefs that one man can fully lead a country of human beings to absolute freedom. This is where the country is divided. Through this Jesus Christ-like reteric, these modern day Moseses part the sea (America) in half.

      Last night I was dealing with some personal problems and couldn't think straight. Music ordinarily helps me when this happens but something didn't add up last night while I was working. Music wasn't helping at all. So I turned to some Jerry Garcia interviews from the eighties. This calmed me down strangely. After being calmed my mind finally had a copacetic order and I gradually switched to some of Noam Chomsky's latest interviews which lead me to stumble upon a video compilation of Bernie Sanders speeches. Now I think we can all agree that Sanders has some well thought speeches and views that's lead him to have a prolific following. It seems to me that there has never been a presidential candidate of this magnitude since the old days of politics where every political candidate had to gain contributions and campaign at a grassroot level. These days these things have certainly been made easier with Planes, cars, and of coarse the internet of all things. There's no denying this, but it is my personal belief, and also millions across this countries belief as well that the overall decadence of a political campaign is made possible by money. Whether it's through the candidate's own wealth through their own capitalist ventures or through friends and relations-it cannot be denied that money in politics is the greediest form of political progress in the spectrum.

      Just as Americans are divided within the spectrum of voting, anarchists have also been divided amongst each other, and lately the greatest example of this has been the question over the candidacy of Bernie Sanders. Many Anarchists are still opposed to Bernie Sanders' candidacy despite his track record as an activist himself in the sixties. There are anarchists within the spectrum of the philosophy itself who, though they keep a free thinking mentality, though they protest and they contribute; they (in turn) completley lack any filter. Yes, anarchism is the philosophy of no order and no rules. But as Steve O said in the film "SLC Punk" "Everything has systems, even me" and based on these self systems we are automatically conditioned with these mental filters that help us restrict the content we let slip from our mouthes. These anarchists do not have these filters. These anarchists I like to refer to as Dayglo Anarchists. They're bright, vivid, but are too out there with their beliefs. The sad part is a majority of modern, young anarchists will never identify themselves to a religion or some sort of eastern philosophy such as I have with Taoism, but if they have ever studied the Tao they would have learned that the basic Taoist principle is: he who speaks knows nothing, while the man of silence knows all. In the Kevin Smith film "Dogma" the character Rufus as played by Chris Rock, makes a speech about how the Jesus portrayed in this film hated how things were carried out in his name based on the beliefs of his mortal followers. He said that it is better to have Ideas because you can change an idea but beliefs are much harder. The dayglo anarchists are opposed to any change within their circle of thought and that is a huge contradiction to anarchism because anarchism is about constant change. It is about the diversity amongst each group of individual and is never subject to segregation. This is why I'm kind of opposed to the whole anarchist ranking system. For those of you who do not know what the anarchist ranking system is it is as follows:


*(Red) Anarcho- Syndicalism/ Communism.
* (Yellow) Anarcho- Capitalism. (1)
*(Green) Anarcho- Primitivism
* (Purple) Anarcha- Feminism
* (Pink) Queer Anarchism
* (White) Anarcho- Pacifism

       This anarcho ranking system is just another way to make sure that anarchism and free thought are divided amongst each other. Though they share a common goal, they are very seperated on the key issues in anarchism and the seperate philosophies involved within them are the reason that anarchism hasn't had a real advantage. As a philosophy it holds much truth, but as a political system it falls short.
       
         As much as I agree with Senator Sanders on a lot of the key issues, and let me tell you that as an anarchist this is the first time I've ever agreed with a Democrat on anything. Hell, Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys ran for governor of California so I guess it is possible to find some sort of common ground with a politician if his cards are actually played right and he isn't hiding any cards up his sleeve. But my only real problem with Bernie Sanders is the stance he has on Social Security and the Minimum Wage. On a recent Yahoo news interview with Katie Couric, he denies there is a social security problem.* Which is a rather false statement if you've done your research. A CBS news article stated that Social Security has taken a huge hit in correlation to the fact that people are just not having as many babies these days.** A New York Times article also stated that there are just not enough jobs that are helping to re stimulate the US economy.*** These things are exactly the fault of our government, and the end result is people are just not wanting to raise kids in such a crummy world as we are currently living in. From ISIS to Donald Trump. The American people are simply fed up with the government's misnomers. As for the job situation people are simply fed up with working at jobs that give minimal pay for such high risk work, but this kind of behavior is actually causing jobs to fill up and the available positions vanish fast. This part is the fault and the (quite frankly) inevitable downfall of the lower class. If you ask me, raising the wage won't solve these problems, but by creating more free to low cost (based on one's income) job programs that help educate and train people in various occupational careers in which after said training is complete, these certified trainees can be placed on a list that promises them at least ONE interview with multiple employers that can help re stimulate this economy. These programs already exist but the problem is there is not enough funds to keep helping these programs survive. We can fix this problem easily by cutting military spending and munitions purchases down to little or nothing. ELIMINATE SUPER PAKS and by eliminating them congress should pass a bill that states capitalists can only donate small sums of cash into the political party, the way it ACTUALLY use to be (which will never EVER happen again since congress are bloody capitalists themselves...) The biggest one of all is that the United States government should be fixing itself, and if the government can somehow MIRACULOUSLY fix itself then maybe every other problem faced with the world can eventually fix itself and THAT is where I think Bernie Sanders fits into the aspect of why I think he won't be such a bad president after all.



       If people are united then coexistence amongst ideas and philosophy will bring a definite change amongst Americans that will lead to an eventual outcry within communities to exterminate tyranical systems. And once this happens, those who believe in the idea that TRUE freedom still exists will once again fight and die to regain the system that once belonged to the common man and not by the greedy monarchy of complacent loyalists. This is the reason why the story of Che Guavara needs to be told. BUT, if my words did not convey any sort of message in you, if my words haven't helped you gain any further understanding. If my words haven't educated any sort of populous on anything here today I sincerely apologize for failing you. As an anarchist I can only do so much, but as an anarchist it is my civic duty to educate you as much as I can and to help you in making the decision of "is voting for Bernie Sanders really that bad?" Every politician I've seen so far in my short 23 years of life have been worthless war mongors and petty capitalists. But now I see a man who actually wants to cause chaos and change the system from within, a statement in which Michael Moore made in his book "Stupid White Men" said would be the only real way any real opposer of the government's injustice can do. But maybe the recent words of fellow anarchist and linguist Noam Chomsky can help your decision: "The Bernie Sanders campaign, which I think is important. He's impressive, he's doing good and courageous things, he's organizing a lot of people. That campaign ought to be directed to sustaining a popular movement which will use the election as a kind of insentive and go on and unfortunatley it's not. When the election is over, the movement is gonna die, and that's a serious error."****



-Colin R. Mulholland

(November 2015)


___________________________________
NOTES:


(1) Noam Chomsky stated in an interview with teleSUR that Modern Libertarianism is not like the original movement, and if anything it's like Anarcho-Capitalism and that in itself is a tyranny.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBZLnfKSa_k



REFFERENCES:


* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpgJYNaIeqo)

** http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-real-reason-behind-social-securitys-problems/

*** http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/31/opinion/sunday/social-security-present-and-future.html?_r=0

**** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBZLnfKSa_k)



















Monday, June 29, 2015

"A FEW POINTS (GENDER ROLES & GAY RIGHTS ALLYSHIP)" by Colin Mulholland

As a feminist I believe there is nothing wrong with liking things as typically described as "guy stuff" or "girl stuff" if you identify with that gender and believe that is your standard than by all means go for it. As a guy I like motorcycles, making fart jokes, and hockey. But a girl can like and do that stuff too you know, as much as a stereotypically "girly"sediment like baking cakes, the color pink, shopping and fashion can be performed and admired by guys. But who the h...ell says it's anybody's authority to make these things gender specific like as if it's some sort of social club where that gender cannot be allowed in? And even worse is teaching your children that because these things are done by a specific gender means they are forbidden to do it. Gender rolling is a fucking disease. The right to like something should be naturally chosen, and if by some force of nature they choose what is to be Boy or Girl accessible and they are of that gender than that should be fine. And even if they reverse roles who are you to judge them? Who are you to tell them what's right or wrong in their little hearts? Gay, straight, transgender, boy, girl, or whatever else, it's your job to protect and support the ones you love regardless.

A lot of people are getting annoyed with the rainbow over lays on people's facebook profiles, and the point (to me) isn't because a lot of people are homophobic, but I think the point to some though is, how do you know who's really a supporter of gay rights, and who's pretending? Who's just being a poser because it's a fad. And if it is a fad, why do you need a fad to show your support? A true supporter shows their ideals through words not by pasting a rainbow over their picture on social media and hash tagging Love Wins. How do you think the decision was made in the first place? People got up off their buts and protested, and even if they were on their butts they spent time petitioning online and writing articles, not just on social media but on blogs, and websites. Like yours truly for example.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

TRUTH IN THE WAGE WAR by Colin Mulholland

(NOTE: The following article was written on 4/17/2014 and 5/12/2014. and has been edited and published for your enjoyment)

PART ONE:

In attempt at raising the minimum wage, the plan Obama and his staff are trying to initiate, is the idea of demolishing the middle class. It will just be a society of Rich and poor where the poor depend on the rich for food stamps, welfare and all these other programs which are, don't get me wrong very useful and helpful, BUT are abused and given to the wrong people. People who truly need these things are getting rejected because the government see's anybody making $9hr as financially stable, but the harsh reality is there is nine dollars an hour doesn't really scratch the surface after taxes. Then there is Obamacare, the plan that is for the super elite democratic and republican societies. Healthcare plans for the upper middle class to dirty stinking rich people. This inlays the whole full circle for the minimum wage raise. If they make the working class rich, then there will be no need for a middle class. But that's such a waste of time and effort, because if they raise the minimum wage every single thing will be raised. Food, tuition, utilities, and all these things society can barely afford by a thread. The only thing that will change is the monetary statute. The state in which we can afford things will not change. Just class. This is the class war. Now I have had a meeting with a woman who explained the affordable healthcare plans to me. It goes by your monthly household income. The best I could have gotten was something through Unity Point Clinics (Which use to be St Luke's) Which could have only been $20 a month. A $10 copay for when you are checking out of the hospital and A 70/ 20 coverage. Which was really impressive. It would have been more impressive if we were given the right to choose.

PART TWO:

All I can say to America is... I hope you're happy, and also I hope you all know what is bound to happen. The moment the wage gets raised to $10hr (*At the time, and currently still the amount people are fighting for) small businesses will start the process of eliminating anybody who is part time or considered not "worth having the job." This will eventually mean that people who've been with that company for years will lose their jobs. If that process doesn't succeed then the worst case scenario is bankruptcy from the lack of funding to pay their employees and eventually the business will shut down, leaving hundreds of middle class workers jobless. Why does this bother me so much?
Why am I content with the wage that we have now and why do others feel it's time for a change? I don't oppose a wage raise, but this raise is too high! Not every single business is ready, or even able to comply! How do you not all see the negative folly into what a disaster the fallout of millions of small businesses like the company I've worked for eight years will bring? So I hope the moment that you're still on the job and gleefully spending your weeks pay while others are filing for unemployment, food stamps, and SSI because that's exactly what the government is wanting to happen. The abolition of a middle class to make way for a society where the poor depend on the rich. George Orwell, Noam Chomsky, and so many others were right all along.

 Even Jesse Ventura's producer on his show "Off The Grid" once said that for every person the wage raise pulls out of poverty it sends that same amount into poverty. So I hope you all enjoy the paychecks you receive, I also hope that one day the thought of knowing that the money you're receiving could have helped benefit somebody who really needed it when things were bad eats you alive. If you believe that's what the wage raise was all about you don't even know he half of the truth....


 

RED, WHITE, AND BRUISED (MORE ATTACKS TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH) by Colin Mulholland

This was the video a friend of mine posted today (click to view here), the video you are about to see is pure ignorance to all open thought and is proof that most Americans do not, and will not listen to anybody with opposing opinions. The barrage of "USA,USA!" chants is just a sign of how brainwashed most American Republicans/ Democrats are. The video by the way is actually over a year old when the problem with Islamic terrorist group ISIS had just gotten started and many Islamic college students across the country were being accused of being apart of such group. The speech that the student was supposed to give (as from what you can hear, which is not a lot) was about falsely accusing people for  things they have no understanding of, and as you will see, the crowd had zero understanding and he was bombarded with water bottles, and garbage as police escorted him away from the vicious crowd. I have much respect for this man for standing up for what he believes in, especially against an overwhelming crowd of idiots.

People like that, waving the flag and yelling "USA" and water bombing a guy for only trying to speak his mind about a highly critical issue only makes you wonder more how useless that flag is. A piece of cloth made in China that people worship like their bible WHICH if they were smarter would know that it says in the ten commandments you shall not worship false idols or symbols. And the American flag in this century has become more and more of a negative symbol to others across the globe. I'm sure people in Russia and in Germany and in Africa and South America look at us more like we did the Nazi Flag and the USSR's. The American people are so… brainwashed. It's the only real word to describe them. That when the truth seekers and American analysts call out the system, including the government, military, and police on all their crimes against human rights the American people in turn do this. It's despicable.

That's the kind of attitude that won't fix things. Whether your for it or against it. Forget the flag issue for a moment and the people doing the acts, it's the issues that are causing people to do it that matter more. If you don't want people burning the flag than maybe instead of ignoring the issue at hand and getting pissed about the people's retaliation, making people aware of the bigger picture issues will in turn make people stop watching what's on FOX and get off their ass and do something to end the violence at the hands of police, military and the government so people won't burn the fucking flag or walk on it. You don't have to go to a protest, but just word of mouth and showing the videos will in turn make others want to be active. Knowing is half the battle. But ignoring the state of a nation makes people as ignorant as the police killing innocent people. Your taxes pay for this mess.

The unfortunate circumstances of police brutality has set us all the way back to the Watts Riots of 1965. That is setting our country a long way back! Where now white Americans are starting to question peaceful black power movements and are reclaiming the ignorant "white power" in defense. A lot of the people I talked to about where that phrase come from don't even care. They said "fuck history!", and when people refuse to learn from history it's bound to repeat! And it has! And nobody cares to fix it. Except the people like me and you who try their best to be vigilant and make people aware. But it's hard to make believe that not all Muslims are terrorists, or that the government is corrupt, or that the police do not care about your protection, or that the military doesn't defend our country but rather the interests of the politicians. All we can do is try.

Monday, May 11, 2015

MANSONTO (art & writing) by Colin Mulholland

If you oppose GMO Labeling, or just single handedly do not care about what is on your food, you are half the problem. To allow Monsanto to continuously go about using it's Round Up ready chemicals in our food is like allowing the Manson Family to come in your home and say "Please Susan Atkins, kill me and my family!" For their business was murder, and they might as well been called The Mansonto Corporation.

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

THE SCIENCE OF DEFINITIONS by Colin Mulholland

Good intellectuals know when they are right, but the greatest intellectuals are the ones who know when they are wrong. I myself have my moments of un-clarity. But these are the things that writers, philosophers and intellectuals must see as an advantage. For your one moment of failure is the assurance of an iron clad future for the mind. I bring this up, for today's topic about words and their multiple meanings. The biggest, ESPECIALLY in political science, the word Catalyst.

CATALYST: noun
noun: catalyst; plural noun: catalysts
  1. a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change.
  2.  
    a person or thing that precipitates an event.
 
"He's using his roots as a catalyst" was the comment I made on a post during a friendly debate over a status I made in which politician Mike Huckabee made the statement: "I'm blue collar, not blue blooded". Now my friends, your humble narrator admits when he is wrong and therefore I was still not yet aware the phrase "Blue Blooded" was  a widely known phrase for "those of noble/ wealthy birth" I literally took it to mean he meant his blood is forever red. But after further explanation from a few facebook friends, I hit clarity. From there I furthered my statement to the belief that it was still a rather crass statement, and that it sounded like imperialist hokum to the extent that they would try to separate themselves from commoners. I also thought it was rather crass for a politician to be saying that. Even if he remembers his roots you'd think that the years of political work and his duty to local government would, in turn, make him "blue blooded". The idea of a politician using "positive self imagery" to further his gain is nothing new, but to use the working class as a scapegoat to further his advantages is a weak sediment. Not all of the working class even cares for politics to begin with. The smart ones know that all politicians lie, and that nothing good comes out of either party, so long as the politicians find ways to keep taking our money. Being a working class intellectual myself, I came to the realization of this many years ago and in turn became an anarchist.
 
After further debate about the Blue Blooded issue (which to be honest is a stupid topic for debate) came to a stand still once I used the word "Catalyst". My friend was really confused as to why I used that word to describe what Huckabee was doing, so simply as I could I explained that A catalyst (as mentioned above) is a substance that causes a chemical reaction to come about quicker. A substance is any matter of which a person or thing exists. Therefore in my use of catalyst the primary substance is Mike Huckabee, the secondary substance, his statement. He's using his statement to cause the metaphorical "chemical reaction" to gain votes in his favor. A lot of people have told me it is not a good idea to mix ideologies. The first time was when I made my artwork for "Her Body Matters Too" the art piece I did that stated concern over the fact animal rights should also be a feminist issue, and if you have done the many hours of research I have, theoretically, it makes sense! In the matter of the word catalyst I was told the same thing. But I've always liked using scientific terms if I feel they fit. Let us not forget the term political science is a form of science. It may not be the same as the sciences we all know but it includes the same principles: like "for every action there is an equal or opposite reaction", and like all sciences, it starts with a hypothesis. I feel it's fair to relate the two when necessary. I also feel if you can find a philosophical connection among words and their definitions, you can make them work in just about anything.
 
 
 
 

Monday, May 4, 2015

POWER TO THE PEOPLE by Colin Mulholland

There has been quite a lot of talk coming out of the white community lately in response to the current "Black Lives Matter" movement. A lot of it questioning the phrase "Black Power". Some people go as far to say "They (right off the bat they use that word "they") have the right to say 'Black Power' but yet if a white person says 'white power' it's racist!" The stimuli of racist thought has grown so drastically in white people since the protests and riots over Freddie Gray's murder had begun. And what the white community fail to understand is of coarse it's fucking racist! Historically speaking that phrase started with the introduction of the Ku Klux Klan when the racist idiots who's ancestors brought the African Americans to this country were fed up with them being here so they started lynching blacks, our countries racism problem was founded by dumb white men! The solution to this problem is very simple, instead of focusing on the aspect of white pride: which is the most negative pride of all, do some research into your family history and see where your family came from. For me I am Irish and I celebrate my Irish heritage. If you're looking for pride, that's a good place to start, but leave race out of the equation! Because even Malcolm X said "Notice white people never say they're American. They always say they're Italian American, or Irish American. Well if they're Italian American and Irish American, than I am African American!" (NOTE: Mind you that is me paraphrasing what he actually said. I don't have my copy of "By Any Means Necessary" handy at the moment to actually list his actual quote but it's along that line.)

THE TESTORS OF FREEDOM vs THE JESTORS OF FREEDOM by Colin Mulholland

To understand freedom, is to know when to challenge freedom. It'll scare you, it'll infuriate the lot of Americans who try to limit freedom. Even if there is no freedom without consequences, you will never know unless you test the bounds. A true testor of freedom will outweigh the jestors of freedom. For all the good the flag may stand for, you must remember all the BAD it stands for. No country i...s 100% perfect, and as a matter of fact, it is because no country is perfect that our freedoms are becoming strictly limited. We are seeing the dawn of an age where we are re-living history as philosophers and activists had warned us in the past. You may not accept it, hell you may straight up hate these people, BUT your murder talk and hate speeches make you no better. I've been testing the bounds of my freedoms by posing next to Freemason Temples and giving them the finger. You may not agree, but I don't care. It's my right to disapprove of the organization, and it is my right to disapprove of this government. I would never burn or do what these ladies are doing, and I may lose friends for this, but I support it. Even flag burning. And don't say you're "anti government" anymore if you cannot support the right to dismantle symbols of government.
 

Thursday, April 30, 2015

MARK CURTIS WAS FRAMED! by Colin Mulholland

This subject literally hits close to home, being Mark Curtis is a Des Moines Iowa man and me being a Cedar Rapids Iowa resident. He's a socialist, I am an anarchist. With all the things we have been seeing in the news lately about the Baltimore riots and the case of Freddie Gray. I thought it would be a refresher to, not only show police brutality is a two way street, but to remind everybody that even your social beliefs can be under attack. Mark Curtis was a member of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP), a political party whose beliefs celebrated the idea of socialism, the social ownership of the means of production and co-operative management of the economy, as well as a political theory and movement that aims at the establishment of such a system. (Google/ Wikipedia) AKA:
 
In 1988 Curtis' life took a dramatic turn when he was confronted at a stoplight by a woman who claimed she was being followed, being a generous person Curtis offered the woman a lift home. Once at the woman's home he walked her to the door to assure her safety all the way, from there police handcuffed him, pulled down his pants to ensure no escape, beat him and took him to jail. He was than later accused and prosecuted in the attempted rape of a 15 year old girl by the name of Demetria Morris. Curtis was sentenced to twenty five years in prison (was released after eight) and the Morris family received  $80,000. In the case of Mark Curtis, In Michael Parenti's lecture "Lazy Law and Social Control" Michael Parenti goes on to explain that Demetria Morris' statement claimed that her attacker was 5'6, and had the smell of cigarette smoke on his breath. He further explains that "Curtis is over six feet tall, does not smoke, and was in a restaurant with a dozen other people at the specified time of the rape." Only one cop testified, and even before the verdict four members of the jury had openly stated that they did not feel that Curtis was guilty. Even with the provided evidence of his innocence, he was found guilty.
 
Mark Curtis' only real crime was that he was a hard working American packaging worker who happened to be a Socialist in a time when Communists were seen as an enemy. The story of Mark Curtis is a tragic indictment into the sad truism behind political censorship in America. Noam Chomsky even stated in his lecture "The Class War" "There is no law protecting workers' freedom of speech in the work place." Mark Curtis was the victim of a setup by (obviously) a fellow employee who saw his socialism as a threat to the workers around him. Mark Curtis openly spoke out against the raid at his meat packaging plant in which many workers, legal and illegal were arrested. Mark Curtis loved his job so much that eventually it incarcerated him. It is my belief that Mark Curtis' case should be thoroughly re-investigated and that he should earn a reparational stipend from the Des Moines Police Department to compensate for their mistake!

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

THAT SIDE OF TOWN by Colin Mulholland

I grew up in white suburbia of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I hated it. I've always known my place was in the working class burbs of this city. My mom and dad are both working class people and come from that background as well so that is very well embedded in me. But my mom and dad worked their asses off so they could provide me and my brothers a nice house to live in and not to always be living in an apartment complex full of drug dealers like we were back in 1994. That being said, I currently live on Oakland road, predominantly a working class neighborhood on the outskirts of town it's nowhere near the SE side, it is more close to Coe College, but even more so, it is right on the outskirts of where the good side of town meets the bad. I walk past black people from that side of town all the time, they look like they dont wanna be here when they are, and I dont blame them. This part of CR is friggen white beyond belief. I lived on the SE at one point and actually got along with the people in the neighborhood well because they would see me around walking so they knew I belonged there. You need to show you belong where you are, and I think that's where alot of the racism in this city comes from. Uncomfortable african americans walking through sides of town getting gauked at because they dont feel welcome because how the people here proceive them. It's no different on the SE either. This world would be a better place if we dropped the borders of where people belong and end the whole "That side of town" thing, because if you live in a city it shouldnt be "That side of town" it's your town! It's their town too! If you live amongst one another you belong anywhere despite class or race. And that's a huge problem amongst the wealthy people, they wouldnt go near "That side of town" if we payed them. They dont care to understand the love and unity that side of town actually has and how much better it would prosper if the buildings and houses were shown a little more love, but instead of seeing all of that they just see is a ghetto. If the rich actually cared about their city they would open up their hearts and donate a portion of their disposable income to the cause of AFFORDABLE LIVING, and not just affordable living but the idea that people who make less can have a beautiful home. But that's the problem. Nobody wants to do that, especially for black majority parts of town. So the Black community become disgruntled, tensions raise, police get called, than innocent people start dying. Than the riots happen. Because nobody takes the time to actually educate themselves about what's happening in their community. They let the negatives outweigh the positives and it obscures their vision with a smoke screen preventing the change. And that is what we sincerely need in this country right now is positive change. Not just for black lives but for ALL lives.


Tuesday, April 28, 2015

BALTIMORE AND THE AMERICAN HISTORY OF RACIALLY TENSE POLICE STATES by Colin Mulholland

A riot is a disgruntled society's way of saying their voices are going unheard, you can only talk for so long before you've had enough. Words can go through one ear and out the other without question and they can be disregarded. A riot can leave outstanding amounts of emotions and that is why they are so effective. I may not agree with the lot of you about how you feel about the Baltimore situation, but I do agree that destroying businesses you consume at weekly is a bad idea if the owners end up recognizing you on camera footage. That is why rioters should destroy things like banks, social security offices, H&R Blocks and places of government. If you're going to jail for desecration and destruction, do so to the places that really matter. Businesses are not the problem, the problem is government and the fact you pay for the police's injustices. If you destroy government related institutions they will see it as a government problem not as a bunch of pissed off rioters and eventually something will have to be done related to the situation.


    
The whole of police States started with segregation in the 30's-60's it didn't escalate until the sixties when whites and blacks began banding together. Than the whole beat/ hippie thing happened and people started reading a lot more and opened their eyes and started questioning the government, so when the Vietnam war broke out and all the protests started and than the Kentucky student shootings happened with the national guard people started questioning the military. Riots like this have happened throughout our American history. But it hasn't been to any certain degree within a short amount of time like Ferguson did, than it was Oakland, now it's Baltimore. People everyday are starting to question the state of their nation and that's good. But if it takes til now to figure out that the military, the government, the police and the local governments are all in on Marshall law to enslave and destroy the american people, than it's about time to understand why people riot. If the government wants a war, they've got one. Citizens are already proving we can overrun the police. With more time we can overrun the national guard. Key example of somebody who's done this, Che Guevera. He and his guerillas overran many Cuban cities to try and dismantle the dictatorship. He failed but the lesson from him is never keep your back turned for one minute whilst in revolution. I don't support the military because it's just a matter of time before the war hits home and it's us against them. Blame the government and their pro war propaganda: "defend your country" bullshit. The states are another British empire. They only care about territoriality. And they use the military to do that by brainwashing the troops to kill and die for oil. Next it'll be kill or die to defend your government, which is corrupt as fuck.

But yet with all this evidence to prove police departments across this country's injustices, people still support the idea that it's all okay. So by that means you must also think it's okay to go to war with other countries for oil and other stupid and unjustified reasons, destroy buildings with bombs but yet it's not okay to actively make a statement? I agree though that what we are seeing now is nothing but mindless violence, that is what the media wants everyone to see. People just robbing and looting because it's "acceptable" during this sort of chaos. There is no real agenda. And that is stupid. But what I'm saying is the smart thing to do is make real statements not just mindless violence. By taking out the institutions that fund this mess of cop on citizen mentality. And still people like to say that "This is America! Stop rioting! Act the way Americans are supposed to act!" the fact "this is america" is everything fundamental to what is going on. They're saying it as if though that because we are Americans we need to behave a certain way. If we acted that way with the British there would be a union jack on our flag. Not stars and stripes. But fuck the flag, it represents all of this unjustifiable tyranny that this police state america supports. So therefore by taking action with an actual mindset will be of use. But there's no point currently because they won't listen to reason. Save the maps of revolution for the next time.

Monday, April 27, 2015

LAMENT FOR A BLOSSOM by Colin Mulholland

  
I

The silence of winds, harsh and chill from the night past have overall vanished. I awake from slumber's grimmace under not of the greatest conditions, but digression insists for I am alive. Not a bit of light exists in the musk of my room, it is too dark here. But the insightfullness of a young girl's playful scream rouses the senses to awaken, the obviousness of this omen is clear: Today is anew. In the tunure of my twenty-three years of life, I've finally began my journey into the world of artistry as a writer, of sheer independence from collegial institutions for I need them not. The lessons of life and nature are not embedded in the walls of institutions but rather in the atmosphere of nature's embrace of a beautiful sunday afternoon. No plans, just the decadence of spontaneity. A quick shower to keen the senses, but I fast as punishment for dietary sins. Like Buddha under the Bodhi tree, I am the Buddha under the Bodhi tree of neglect. I step into the sunlight, there is no preperation for this-for the sun has been absent for the sum of one week. April is a drearily bleak month, in preperation for May flowers (the addage goes). But from here, the sky is nothing but blue. As I reached the final set of stairs I spoke not a word, I am silence. I bid a short farewell to the elegance of my apartment in the Irish district I find appeasing my needs.

The concrete stairs are no longer under my feet, but under my feet they shall remain, as by my feet (and as by everybody else) the matter of all things are connected. I am you as you are me-and I am the imagery to which my camera does capture the still of life as matter. For keep's sake. I take the path that leadeth me to the familiarties of conscious thought, it is simpler to remember the things you cannot forget. I cannot forget the first of many encounters, with which my aquintence to the scent of cherry blossoms would meet me on this day until the very end. The first to mask the unruly scent of charcoal brickettes that upset the senses briefly amongst the field I walk of green and purple lilac. The air was heavy for that brief moment but then came, laden, in all it's glory-the redemption of the senses. The tree overgrew from the gentleman's yard and, lo, dangled over the property. I reached out my gentle hand to embrace the tree's might-if not, for the serenity of one brief interval. Then the interval exceeded it's length and I kept true (North) and proceeded to tread upon the hill that overlooked the Irish neighborhood in it's entirety, gave the overall structural integrity one last glance and didn't look back.

The park is hilly and deep, old and rugged. Beautiful with it's age. Trees provide shade where necessary, sunbeams of amber and Boston cream through the leaf like crevices. The brick pathways repetitive "MISSOURI BLOCK, MISSOURI BLOCK, MISSOURI BLOCK" all the way down the set of hills until sand embanks the end and the rest is bastard concrete. It is there my journey leads me northwestern, it is amongst this criteria where the ruins of old Irish industry lays waste. The sight of abandoned factories, aged by rust in all it's obtuse girth-spells the history of this neighorhood's industrial past. The neighborhood's sorroundings gives me a clearer percentage to the downfall of an Irish majority district to which the only remaining industry of the Irish is the pathetic strip of pubs that allign one another on the same street. My Irish blood boils when I dwell on the thought of all the jobs my fellow bretheren lost. As the street curves back North I cut a right, at first in the eastern direction, followed by another curve back into the direction of Northeast where history has repeated itself on many occasion.

The letters read "TKE", the fraternity of frat boy Nazi's on the 14'th street block in which I've made myself known by the minor desecrations of property in the matter of broken glass. A young lady in obvious nightly wear grabs the mail, she stops and gazes upon me for a quick second, she is a fine looking lass with raven hair and pale skin. An obvious victim to the life of frat house chaos for it is written in her exausted features. Me in my blue shirt, black beret (with yin yang button on top), tartan (plaid) blue button up (unbuttoned) black pants, thick black glasses and thong sandals-shared a relatively short exchange of eye contact with her, then it was gone. I made my way to the campus of the college a short walk ahead. I made my leave from the desolate wasteland of drunken frat debauchery. It wreiked of eletist sex and bad decisions. How I longed to regain the scent of cherry blossom, with great decadence my longing was short lived. For it appears, my friends, there are no shortage of these trees in this part of town and, lo, I beheld the elegance of that second tree. In it's might, I held that moment for as long as one could and once more I proceeded onward, bidding farewell twice to the elegance of the pink and white petals and tiny flowers.

One way street heading northeast, I stand on the corner as I wait for oncoming automobiles to make their leave and gain access to cross the street. As I reach the campus of the college I take note to the drastic change in appearence. In the aforementioned frat boy wasteland, the barrens of macho insecure males in their poorly kept houses, painted a picture of the clear desolation and lack of care-over the well being of their environemnt. And "their chosen whores" for the night, reign supreme in anti feminist stupors, clans of young women giving up self preservation and dignities for a night of carelessness. Sexually diseased by the cruel joke of this pathetic culture. The scenery now is one of determined young minds in all their glory buzzing like the busy bee's of great Athenian descendency. Beautiful young ladies in springtime clothing carrying books in one hand and cups of coffee in the other, some with blushing young smiles of such virginity of the mind. While the others scurry across campus in haste, either worried by time restraints in fear of tardiness, or sheer eagerness to make it to their dorm to enrich her young mind in knowledge. I make my way across the campus but stop to capture the gaggle of geese waddling their way across the campus grass with my camera. Their large beaks lapping up puddles of still fresh rain water leftover from the rains this past week. I check my camera to make sure the shots were perfect. I regain compusure of my unplanned objective and carry on, but stop to mentally to remind myself to never forget what I had just witnessed.

 
II


Young men skateboarding by the tire store. Jumping the median which seperates the store's property from church parking lot (Funny commentary on church and state). The big red Firestone sign blazes in the sun with bright reflection. One of the young men is wearing a cowboy hat, couldn't stick the landing on board but lands on his feet. Cameraman films it all in hope he captures something astounding. Guy in background across the street watching it all is me, nothing astounding about what I am seeing. Impressive? Very, but I've seen better from friends of mine. I'm standing on the corner of sixth street and second avenue. Waiting for the light to change. Cedar Rapids lights are the fucking same.

I finally cross over to the Margerette Bock Housing Unit where friend lives. I havent talked to him in weeks, last voicemail I got said his old lady was fucking boss. Left him. Cheating was weak. Not her fault, kid's an asshole. Not his fault, kind of mental anyways. Both at fault. Both have anger issues up the ass. I rang his buzzer, no answer. Continue this ritual til I grab a phone and call him. Phone's off. Leave the kid a message. Hang up. Bastard anyhow. Old man let's me in. Much obliged. Knock on his door. No answer. Knock louder. Drunk next door coughs up tobacco smoke. Knock once more. No answer. Bastard anyhow.

Leave the apartment building in pissed mood. Never around when I need him. I head down second avenue towards same interesection I was before. Different side. Same difference. Skaters are still there trying. Determination. Not suiting them well. Head down second ave til' I hit the corner by Art Museum. Wonderful place. Great Anti-War photo exhibit in February 2014. Standing at stoplight by Cedar Rapids Gazette. Scumfuck newspaper I hope to write for some day. Don't ask why. I cross street and hit a hard left. Libraries open today. Had no clue. Try checking out book on Charles Manson and another on evolution (Another funny commentary on humanity). Give card, rejected. I owe money, how? Never late, never overdue. Systems trying to fuck me. Labeled delinquent. Put books down and walk out. Retrospective was kinda fucked anyway.

Gather thoughts. Pick self up and head back home. Made one last stop before hand. Scottish Rite Temple. Free Masons. Gave'em the finger. Walked away. No blossoms in this concrete jungle.
III


The sandals on my feet had officially started to hurt, the painful blistering can drive a man mad if this journey had lasted days-but I can handle a few hours. I reached once more the bend where the pathetic industry of Irish pubs still remain. The sun was high and I was sweating through my beret, I was glad this long walk was finally reaching it's end but deeply troubled by it's end as well, for as I reached the park with it's brick pathway I had once walked before-I remember that I had once stood atop of this park with it's steep and high hills and looked upon my surroundings with admiration and had not looked back. At least not for very long, for I knew this path of mine would only bring me back. Rather than take the park back home, I therefore decided it would be a great distinction to walk among the neighborhoods behind this Irish district to see how the other half lives. I had to advance over one more roll of hilly streets before I reached this modern colonial village. I breathed in the air it had to offer. The air hinted the old cedar of the houses in which they were originally constructed, I savored that scent. But there was still the one scent that remained amiss in my journey. Twice I had this pleasure, but I had nary a thought in my head that thrice an accounter would present itself. The notion was immediately cut bait.

Never before had I once been presented the attributes of this neighborhood in daylight, at night I had wondered but night does not always hold the key beauty of imagery. Night holds the beauty of slumber, in that dialect, the beauty of seclusion presents itself. Seclusion is great, but seldom to an extent. It is not wise to be secluded for long. Just when it is needed. In light the neighborhood gleams, black iron gates, and white pickets merely enforce this majority white stereotype. The architecture merely fabricates laziness with every second house looking the same to the prior. It is no surprise to me in this aspect of Americana. I glance upon these nice homes in their silent glory. I notice one home has a busted lamp post, to which my mind produced a theorem that even in decadence there is a sliver of poverty. Amongst that poverty, thrice into my tale, the saddest of sights thine eyes could see. Barren of it's branches, the cherry blossom's petals had ceased to remain amongst the tree. It's scent no longer sweet, it's scent reigned a vain stiffness. The stiffness that comes with age, the one we all must face as it is the cross we are to bare. I gently treaded across, giving my journey it's innevitable end, more importantly, I gave the petals one last glance, and didn't look back.
END

Thursday, April 23, 2015

MIRRORS by Colin Mulholland

My theorem: What if you're not the face in the mirror-but the mirror itself, so your appearance is not actually yours but the person you were replicating? Therefore in theory, are we actually the faces mirrors project or the images our mind perceives us as? In return our face is what others see us as and therefore replicating the same theory to the individual human being?

MURDER by Colin Mulholland

On the street, in your homes, in a school, in a movie theater, in the country side, at the office, at a bank, in any place or of any form = ILLEGAL But yet; Young men and womyn are signing up for the army each day in hope of a promised "Better future" into which they get shipped off to a foreign country with intent to kill for a cause, whether known or unknown (pending on if the government gives any liable cause) Whether it's "National Defense" or "Self defense" from the get go these young people are going in with the mindset "Kill" whether in the instinct of self defense or so called "Carried out orders to shoot on sight- shoot to kill" = LEGAL.
A man shoots, stabs, prods, chops the head off of etc.. an animal (Pigs, Cows, Chickens, Lamb, etc...) for the purpose that they want to use the "Meat" (aka muscles) and pelt to which in society is NOT labeled manslaughter because animals are not men ("Men") for the purpose of trade within or even outside of capitalism= LEGAL.
How is it that we can define murder between legal, and illegal? How can be murder be legal in the first place? Whether to a human being or to an animal, isn't the old adage "Thou shalt not kill"? Whether you are religious or not, even the stupidest of people can agree that murder is B, A, D, BAD!. With the depiction of murder in film, video games, and television being more constant these days it's not surprising that children who do not have these things explained to them and the mentally ill who are not supervised can take murder and have a terribly askewed view of it. (IE: The child who played halo for days straight without sleep and ended up murdering his parents, and the mentally ill man who shot Lennon because he was "Inspired" by 'Catcher in the Rye')
Recently I watched a documentary on the film rating system's fucked up policies called "This film is not yet rated". In it directors and writers such as Kevin Smith, John Waters, & Matt Stone, of the three Kevin Smith agreed that he finds violence and womyn in distress (about to be murdered or raped) to be more offensive than sex in film. The Europeans feel the same way, they allow more sensual sexual acts to be shown in films because it is a part of human nature. As opposed to murder which is immoral. Somehow America feels the opposite way. With stiff upper lip liberals, conservatives, and Christians opposing most forms of film because "Oh my god there's a woman's breast in this film!" Well try telling that to the Romans and the Greeks and the French who in the 1700's before film and picture was even invented painted pictures of nude women because it was a form of naturality and art. But this is besides my point...
My point is, why should one form of murder be acceptable and legal (such also as the death penalty) and the other form be illegal. All murder is immoral when committed in the act of hate and war. There are those who argue "animals kill all the time!" Though this is true, animals (Besides monkeys, elephants, dolphins and the Orca whale) have no sense of real morality. It's their nature. As for humans, we are the only species who are aware of our someday dying. Unlike animals who only know momentary death. Humans are more capable of evil, and the knowing of what they do. AND THAT INCLUDES MURDER.

"Murder" By: Colin Mulholland.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

I GONZO by Colin Mulholland

"I classify myself as a Gonzo journalist. In Gonzo you don't conform to the traditional aspects of journalism, which uses lies to tell the truth, or sources to back your claims. Everything you say is said because you know you've read it, or distinctly seen it and heard it. It has been circulating therefore the moment it is said the reaction you get is synonymous. In Gonzo things are done on the account that it needs to be done. You just go for it, you don't need a higher authority to give you permission, you are your own authority and need permission from no one. Anyone familiar with Hunter S. Thompson are sure to understand this ideology." -Colin Mulholland.

FACEBOOK'S WAR ON JOURNALISM by Colin Mulholland

It shouldn't be too unknown of a fact that Facebook are THE capitalists of virtual egotism. It was even said by Mark Zuckerberg's character (played by Jesse Eisenberg) in the 2010 biographical film "The Social Network", "Who's having sex, who isn't having sex" was the original vision of Facebook's early beginnings as an underground web page for Harvard students (Zuckerberg's college before later dropping out). But what isn't a well known fact is, as of 2011 under president Obama's NDAA (National Defense Act of America) the United States government gave the NSA (National Security Agency) the okay to partner up with Zuckerberg and Facebook to start the surveillence and search and seizure of personal photos and messages. This came following the crisis over the NSA's partnership with Verizon Wireless and their tapping/ surveillence of customer's phones. If it were not for Edward Snowden, none of this information would have been leaked to  journalists allover the world INCLUDING the New York TImes who have had several of their journalists jailed for using said information and giving it to the public. But sadly you cannot jail the truth. Millions of people are being previewed to the truth every day and are finally standing up and doing something about it. Whether it's through protests, music or through writing books or blogs (like yours truly) the oppurtunities are endless when it comes to exposing the governments OBVIOUSLY not so well hidden phenomena.
According to Amber Lyon, author of the book "Peace, Love and Pepper Spray" President Obama's war on  journalism began on December 31'st 2011 when after lying to the public by stating he would "veto the NDAA's indefinite-detention clauses. Instead, he surreptitiously signed the NDAA into law while most Americans were distracted celebrating New Year's Eve." (Amber Lyon is a three time Emmy award winning journalist and photographer who use to work for CNN.) The NDAA has alot to do with cops seizing phones from Americans who are filming police brutality, including Ramsey Orta the 22 year NYC man who is currently serving time in Rikers Island Prison prison on drug and gun charges, which, are just a scapegoat for his involvment in filming the NYPD's involvment in Eric Garner's murder.  (I will not rest until my voice is heard, Eric Garner's death is avenged and Ramsey Orta is free from prison!) This is both the plus and negative side of social media. On the one hand you are exposing the system for who they really are, but it is the same system watching every move and breath you make/ take.
My first glimpse into the NDAA came at the point when the whole argument about the guy from Duck Dynasty dissapproving of gay marriage came about. People were so damn focused on that situation, that they weren't paying attention to the fact that at that very moment gun rights were being violated.  I have stated this many times to people I know, Obama supporters always crack me up. I remember hearing from several (un-named for safety) people I knew who supported him about how he's going to ban guns. And then there were all the jerks on random Facebook pages who would say things like "Obama's gonna take your fucking guns away you stupid rednecks!" (which mind you not all gun owners are rednecks). Then all of a sudden these off duty ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms) agents were coming to gun owner's houses unwarrantedly, and they would be the ones getting arrested. There were over a thousand of these situations being reported until one day it came to a cease fire (so to speak). Then the Obama supporters had new curtains on the house and were saying "Obama isn't trying to ban guns... why does everybody think he hates guns?" Now, I don't own a gun, nor do I wish to. But as a man who supports the very idea of all freedoms of our constitution, I do support the second ammendment, on this basis. You cannot support freedom of speech if you cannot support the right to bear arms. If you demand one be banned, than you are no better than the government trying to be rid of all our civil liberties. This small taste into the NDAA was what made me curious. Then the banners kept unfolding (more into that later in another piece I'm writing. "What to expect when you're unexpecting: The NDAA, Obamacare, and The War on Freedom").
This piece I am writing today is in response to my own experiance with not only Facebook's war on independent journalism, but Facebook's war on their members. For example, for unexplained and unjust reasons I have been restricted from creating more pages on Facebook. This comes after an unexpected and unforeseen error occurred after making a flyer for my friends Indocile/ Faces Turned Ashen's show last July (2014). Whilst on the FTA page my computer started acting funny than exited out of internet explorer altogether. Since, the only page I've been able to have is my music page for Mulholland  (Previously Fatty Talltree) my Colin's Punk Rock Central page, a page that interviewed bands and reviewed albums, which I worked my ass off on was taken away from me. I sent two appeals last year and have gotten nothing except my Mulholland page back. Which was a start. Today I have sent three appeals and will continue to send more throughout the next few years until my demands are met. This war on journalistic freedom needs to end!

"Facebook Kills Independent Journalists" By Colin Mulholland.