Real Hartford

Reflection on Rachel’s Words

I was born the same year as Rachel Corrie, the dead woman whose letters home I read at the Quaker Meeting House tonight. I am thinking a lot about parallel lives these days. Maybe parallel is not the right word for it, but I can’t think of a better one. When I watched Persepolis, I thought about how Marjane, only a few years older than me, grew up in a war zone. What I feel about this cannot be described as guilt. It’s more like awe. There are some overlaps between us, despite what would otherwise be lives defined by opposite sides of the planet. The punk scene seemed to interestingly save and alienate us both. Being headstrong and vocal got us both into trouble. Yet her adolescence was wrought with gender-based oppression, bombs, and just a generally stifling and dangerous environment. My run-ins with peers at school over pieces of my own identity were nothing in comparison. I never had to fear imprisonment for speaking out. Continue reading Reflection on Rachel’s Words…

No Racism in Hartford

At the Free Jena 6 rally on Saturday, several speakers spoke to how similar incidents can and do happen in Hartford. This is something that we know and understand, but the racism we see daily is usually delivered in such an underhanded way–environmental racism or having the city policed largely by non-residents.

But then yesterday, I had to deal with something at work. Continue reading No Racism in Hartford…

March for Justice: Greater Hartford Rally in Support of the Jena Six

• because the punishment does not fit the crime
• because racism is on America’s schoolyards
• because the disruption and hostility of a noose goes unpunished

This Saturday at 9 a.m., area activists will meet at the intersection of Main and Albany, at the old Firestone. After holding a press conference, they will march to Bushnell Park beginning at 10a.m. Organizers ask that activists wear black to show solidarity.

For additional information, contact Cornell Lewis or Thirman L. Milner at 860.246.4656

Cool Heads

It seems like logic trumped emotion for a change.

Continue reading Cool Heads…

Murderous Voyeurism

I’m not sure when the Courant, or any other local corporate media outlet, has given three pages of story to a rally or a crime, and yet, today that’s been done.

You could say that is a step forward. I wouldn’t.

I could not read past 1.5 pages of it. The details disclosed in it are not necessary for the public to know. What purpose does it serve by telling the public every lurid and horrible moment in the last hours of three females’ lives? Continue reading Murderous Voyeurism…

Audio from Monday’s Press Conference on Today’s RadioActive

You can hear a full 30-minutes of the Cheshire/Hartford press conference that was held on Monday on Main Street.

91.3 fm wwuh.org at noon

It re-airs on Tuesday at 1pm on wesufm.org 88.1fm

Media Complicity in Violence

CROSS-POSTED TO UNDERCURRENTS

As Josh reported, we have just returned from a press conference held on 2550 Main Street. The behavior of the media covering the event was just as telling as some of what was said by Cornell Lewis, Francis Davila, and Jerimarie Liesegang.Hartford Independent Media Center journalists overheard a WTNH employee ask the community activists to delay the press conference because his reporter was running late. Then, while waiting for things to start, the WFSB and WTNH photographers told each other that they were planning on taking a similar approach to covering the story because they could not figure out how else to deal with the absence of a speaker’s podium. Just as the conference was starting, Moses Price, an NBC 30 photographer, plowed into me, pushing me out of his way, as if he had more of a right to be in that space than I did. He apologized, but still, it’s unprofessional to do that, and I did not see him treat his mainstream media colleagues in that fashion.

NECN and FOX 61 reporters showed up much later than the 10am start time. Rush hour traffic had thinned long before and the location was easy to find. That only two news outlets (we are included in one of those two) bothered to arrive on time spoke loudly about how low of a priority this issue is to them.

Rev. Cornell Lewis did most of the talking, emphasizing to the media that this conference was happening to put out the message that “all life has value.” He said that when tragedy strikes the elite, it is viewed differently from when tragedy strikes the poor, people of color, and people in Hartford. Lewis said that when violence affects the non-elite, the response from society (including media and government) is to look at the victim’s environment to explain away why such a crime could happen.

Continue reading Media Complicity in Violence…

Everything is Politics

While I don’t agree with what Healy expresses in his post, I’m not finding anything wrong with it either. Speculating on where the legislative session will go is not much different from publicly declaring one’s support for the death penalty in response to the murders in Cheshire. In a kinder world, the family would be given time to mourn– the media wouldn’t print lurid details about the case that the public simply does not need to know. (Gratuitously divulging such information actually creates problems for the justice system, as we’re seeing in the Shefelbine case right now). In a perfect world, the family would not have been given reason to mourn.

But to pretend like politics isn’t remotely involved in crime is to boldly ignore the nature of violence. It’s not something created in a vacuum.

Fortunately, some people are speaking out about this.  Too bad the mainstream media ignores this.

It’s Only 9-to-5 If You’re Not In It

Today, to what must be the hurrah’s of many, the Courant writes:

 Keep an eye on downtown Hartford. Its transformation from a 9-to-5, roll-up-the-sidewalks city center to a 24-hour clean and safe neighborhood with a vibrant nightlife is moving fast.

At the Bullish discussion, a woman in the audience commented that she had moved downtown to reduce her negative environmental impact, and discovered that Hartford keeps the party going well into the wee hours of morn. Other residents can testify on this, yet our experiences are ignored. It’s frustrating to be constantly undoing the reputation damage that the media and ignorant naysayers are inflicting every time they imply that the city is either dead or dangerous. Life’s dangerous; get over it.

I’m all for making the city cleaner and prettier, but I am puzzled as to why all the energies are going into downtown when downtown is already fine. Enough rolling out the red carpet for that special chosen demographic, who gets lured in by the promise of a 24-hour city. Meanwhile, Hartford wants to make sure the bodegas close down during the night. Is there somewhat of a contradiction here?

Crime and Cocktails

First the bad, then the good.

I found out that a friend of mine had gotten arrested last week for no reason. The official charge was trespassing, loitering, and then disturbance of peace, but from his account (which I trust), he was doing nothing more than walking home from a corner store with a few friends. Why this is bad is that there is actual crime in Hartford that could be addressed. Monday night, right before I got back from yoga, a pizza deliverer was robbed on Congress Street, which is a stone’s throw from my place. While there was law enforcement there, I kept thinking about how lately there has been a bit of actual crime in this area (robberies, muggings, and I believe a shooting last week). Actual crime, as opposed to what my friend was taken in for–hanging around an area too long and then, after being approached by the cops, being a bit of a smart ass.

But Hartford is not just a bunch of people getting robbed. If it were, would anyone live here?

Tomorrow night is the monthly Creative Cocktail Hour at Real Art Ways. In the summer, they open up the doors and have music in the parking lot.  It’s always a good time.