Final Writing Assignment

Drop Beats Not Bombs

another day of spectacular people watching in the district.
only one thing is special today. the outfits may be something more than a black top coat.
protests mean at the very least more than one color on K street.
dont mistake that comment. the blasé coats will still be here today.
there just may be some rainbow to break up the sea of black.

youre too young to loath hate.
its impossible.
i watched you and your six girlfriends follow your big brother across the street.
you love him. he loves this scene. you can see it in his eyes. so you love it too.
but you dont loath anything. not even hate.

and you. you look like you would prefer a nap.
the drums dont inspire you to dance?
the death metal isnt inspiring you to rage with the mass of young crazy a yard from your feet?
alright then. say no to war. say yes to naps.
moving on.

i wonder if you care about the protest. the war. the president.
you probably have more pressing concerns. its just a guess.
but you look like you were misplaced in this event.
and i even get to see george today. although there is something a little too big brother about this sighting for me. eerie.

and you bother to mask your message now?
we've already heard your quote of the day shouted on loudspeaker at the law lining the sidewalks.
"Fuck you. We dont fucking trust you. We bring our own power."
good. its nice to see that you are okay with the first amendment.
i respect that.

but step outside the square and the scene becomes more powerful for me?
in the fray i cant shake the cynicism. outside the group i find something moving about their chants.
but i still cannot help but think that it will mean very little. why? because all around them...
K STREET FUNCTIONS JUST AS IT DID YESTERDAY.

heaven forbid the traffic should stop

or the walking should slow.

i wonder what they would be doing if they were at home.
do they have jobs, or volunteer positions.
or would they just be knitting at home in a more comfortable chair?
if so this doesnt seem like such a grand gesture.

and the weather today seems to be on the side of the fence that remains orderly.
the color of the sky only reinforces their presence.
and the spitting rain divides the boys from the men. only men protest in inclement weather.
everyone else disappears underground and goes home.

but im well versed in my generations news casts.
i know how this is supposed to make me feel.
i am supposed to be sad and reverent. disgusted and appalled. haunted and disturbed.
but all i feel is guilty.

guilty that i dont feel much of anything for Hani's or 3990, now 4011, US military deaths.
and that is the most powerful emotion i've felt all day.
guilt.
guilt that i dont even feel guilty.


and im scared for the world when even I cannot muster reverence or disgust.
instead ill look at the blooming flowers and go home to feel better about myself.

Drop Beats Not Bombs + Waterboarding?

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To be honest this event is the most convenient for my schedule. The infamous SDS. I really am not sure what to expect as far as demonstration goes. High school US History courses dont really spend a significant amount of time discussing these types of things but thats the only place I can draw my information from. I can only assume that there is a sort of ritual procedure that goes with these types of protest. I mean there must be some portion of these protests that are fairly standardized, fairly procedural. Again though, Im going into this experience without a clue of how a group of young empassioned people express themselves through civil disobedience. How will they use ritual, ideology, security, and authority. Ill let you know once I find out.

Technologies' Contribution

An audience (or at least a large readily accessible one). That’s the most powerful contribution to the world of art from technology.

Technology has allowed artists to edit and adapt pervious works, compile ideas and images, and create surreal mathematically based forms, all with a speed that is unmatched by any other medium. But from my perspective at least, the networking ability that has become so prevalent in the cyber world is the most powerful tool available to modern artists. With the click of a button a piece and its message can be viewed (potentially) by hundreds of millions of people. Try doing that with a painting!