There is a quote by actor-comedian George Lopez in the April 24th, 2006 article Stars don’t come out for this fight about USA immigration reform:
“I agree with them (Hispanic advocates) in saying we should get involved,” Lopez told The Associated Press. “I think the thing that frightens Hollywood right now is it’s such a powder keg they’re afraid of getting burned, as public figures.”
That really spoke to me. We live in scary times. I hear about so much with so many people on so many issues — some I am more involved with and some less. I know I can’t do it all but I try to keep up with a lot and started this blog as a way to share some of those things and my thoughts on them with you. (I promise it won’t be all scary hard stuff. I do have a sense of humor thank goodness, and will share good stuff and people too.)
The article reminded me of when the House Un-American Activities Committee did it before in what became known as the “Hollywood Blacklist.” It hit close to home because while my father was never exactly blacklisted that I know of, he was a Marxist & a member of the Communist Party in the 1950’s. I was told years later by my mother that our house was watched and that a friend of the family who was a pilot from England was questioned once at the airport about who he had seen while a guest at our home. And the FBI approached a company he was working for and tried to get him fired because of his politics.
This is from a Wikipedia Encyclopedia article: House Un-American Activities Committee
Later the committee held nine days of hearings into alleged Communist propaganda in the Hollywood motion picture industry. After conviction on contempt of Congress charges for refusal to answer some questions posed by committee members, the “Hollywood Ten” were “blacklisted” by the industry. Eventually, more than 300 artists—including directors, radio commentators, actors and screenwriters—were boycotted by the studios. Some, like Charlie Chaplin, left the country to find work. Others wrote under pseudonyms or the names of colleagues.
(also see the Wikipedia article on Joseph McCarthy)
Back to scary times and to my family. How could this sweet man I called my dad be a ‘bad man”? Why were we hiding under chairs in school incase “the commies” bombed us? That was the man I loved!
I sure don’t have all the answers about how to handle immigration but I believe that a lot of the issue is racism and classism.
Quoting Leonard Peltier
Silence screams.
Silence is a message,
just as doing nothing is an act.
So welcome to my blog and please make comments.
Gabi
Very cool blog here, Gabi! I like it. You’re taking on some significant issues.
I’m curious about your blog’s title, “Inside the Outsider;” I’m curious because one of my very favorite books of all time is “The Outsider,” by Colin Wilson – his seminal work on alienation. In it, Mr. Wilson explores the psyche of the “outsider,” including the outsider’s effects upon society and society’s reflexive effects upon the outsider. I wondered if you might have read it; pretty relevant stuff, even if written in 1956.
I was “written” in 1961, and hope to be relevant someday too… 😉
Thank you, Brett. I decided to do the blog as a different way of being online and there are so many issues I want to share and comment on.
I don’t think I ever read Colin Wilson ‘s book. It does sound good.
I did read Albert Camus’ “The Outsider” (also titled “The Stranger”) and this from Wikipedia.
I am interested in existentialism. I wrote this paper “Theory of Choice/Philosophy of Human Nature” when I was in graduate school working on my masters in counseling psychology. It’s here.
And the connection for me comes from from my family heritage something I was always proud of (although I lived in the closet about much of that when I was living in Mississippi.)
And ‘Inside’ means sharing who I am and what I read and listen to and care about.