La Orden 9066

El 19 de febrero de 1942 el presidente de Estados Unidos Franklin D. Roosevelt autorizó por medio de la orden ejecutiva 9066, redadas masivas contra los ciudadanos de origen japones y su internamiento en campos de concentración. Unos 110.000 ciudadanos fueron apresados solo por su origen étnico.

El teniente general John DeWitt lo justificaba de esta manera:

"La raza japonesa es una raza enemiga, y si bien muchos japoneses de segunda y tercera generación, nacidos en tierra estadounidense y ciudadanos de este país, se han americanizado, la raza en sí no se diluye. Por eso, podemos decir que actualmente, a lo largo de la costa del Pacífico andan sueltos 112.000 potenciales enemigos de ascendencia japonesa".

¿Queda claro?

Por su parte el periodico L.A. Time decía en su editorial:

"Una víbora es una víbora, dondequiera que nazca. De igual manera, un japonés americano, nacido de padres japoneses... crece como japonés, no como americano... Así las cosas, aunque pueda ocasionar unas cuantas injusticias tratar a todos como potenciales enemigos... estamos en una guerra contra esa raza".

Pues eso.

Mirando en algunos foros sobre la película Brokeback Mountain (que recomiendo por si alguien aun no la ha visto) he encontrado este comentario que me ha gustado, lo pongo tal cual:

Don't mean to overdo it here but it sure seems like a lot of the biblical imagery (sheep, shepherding, sacrifice, the spirit of the departed) resonate in this story and this film.

Being that the author of the story is a woman I get a strong sense of spiritual healling from woman and nature. The way Jack's mother puts her hand on Ennis' shoulder (the hand comes down from above) and the presence of Jack is so palpably real. It's like a holy spirit that feeds the soul. Jack's mother loved her son unconditionally and now she passes that grace on to Ennis.

Jack and Ennis even talk about the pentecost very early in the story and pentecost is the time when the spirit of jesus comes back (I was raised catholic so we called it the "holy ghost"). Please correct me if my religion is not quite right.

After Ennis has slept with Jack he goes back up the meadow and sees a slaughtered sheep. The first connection you make is the similiarity of the sheep and the guy Earl that Ennis saw killed. Then it's suggested that Jack was also sacrificed the same way although we're not sure.

There was a movie about 15 years ago called "Babette's Feast" about a Parisian woman who was a famous chef who took refuge with some austere, bickering old lutherans in denmark. After living with the lutherans for years the frenchwoman wanted to give thanks to the congregation so she prepared a luxurious feast. The lutherans had never seen such elaborate, elegant cooking and at first they were very reluctant to eat. But something magical happened while they were dining and their souls were fed and their spirits rose and they started forgiving each other for all their petty fights and enjoyed each other's company.

I never realized how much there was of a (female) christ figure allegory there was to this story until I read a film review of it much later. The frenchwoman (Babette) spent all of her savings on this elaborate feast which corresponded to the Last Supper. The theme of a female jesus figure is frequently used by female writers - especially joined with nature as a nurturing and healing element.

At the end of the story Jack's presence in the spirit is so strong that Ennis speaks to him, his mom keeps his room just as it was. I'm still turning over in my mind the significance of the ashes -- as catholics we burn palm ashes and put them on our forheads before the start of lent.

Another point that I'd like to add is when "The Passion of the Christ" was released a well know woman religion scholar (Elaine Pagels) spoke how the film changed the emphasis of Christianity from Easter (which is about rebirth) to the crucifixion. Easter is usually given the most emphasis... Christ has risen, trumpets blare, organ chords resound, REJOICE! The severity of "The Passion of the Christ" is that there is no happy ending in easter, you just have this austere, severe crucifixion story. The joyous aspect of the story of the sacrifice has been purged out. The Last Supper (which is celebrated as the mass) is a re-enactment of Christ's sacrifice where men's spirits are fed in the communion.

Any Baptists here want to join in the discussion? Some people have alluded to washing at the stream.

Una buena galería de fotos de la película Freaks (1932)

Ha estado muy bien el concurso de mates del All-Star que he visto por la tele esta noche. Ha ganado un tío que mide 1.75, lo cual me deprime un poco porque yo con 1.78 no rozaría ni el aro. Lo mejor ha sido cuando ha puesto a Spud Webb debajo de la canasta (Spud Webb es un exjugador que midiendo 1.70 ! ganó el concurso en 1986), y ha saltado por encima de él. Para el honor europeo queda que Nowitzki ha ganado el concurso de triples. Esta proxima noche es el partido All-Star, y Pau (¿jugará?) con amigdalitis, agggg.



Escuchando Dominion mother Russia, Sisters of Mercy