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| "La Soldadera" by Enrique Alferez (National Museum of Mexican Art) |
Since you're here, I assume you are a regular reader of newspapers, just like me. I get the Sun-Times and New York Times delivered at home, going through each pretty much cover to cover. I also subscribe to the Washington Post online. And the Tribune, though I don't always get to it.
Many, many news stories. Most, you glance at the headline and move on. Others, you read a few paragraphs and quit. A few are worth finishing. Most are forgotten forever two minutes later.
But every now and then, you read a news story, something clicks and you think: "That's it!" And you know the story will linger with you for a long, long time.
I had that thought reading Emmanuel Camarillo's story (headline: "Ring of Ire") in Wednesday's paper. A story well summarized in the first sentence. "Advocates say the owners of a building across from a Pilsen migrant shelter have installed a loud noisemaker to deter shelter residents from gathering outside."
But that isn't the really interesting part. The really interesting part is conveyed by two salient facts lower down. Two facts that might be missed.
First, the building with the high-pitched noise device on the roof is used for storage but mostly vacant. So it's not an apartment building, where the baby can't sleep because the migrants are blasting merengue music.
Elaborate spite projected against a notional harm that isn't actually being experienced by the aggrieved party — how much current American life can be explained by that? The desperate refugees arriving at our border are damned as "an invasion." No, what they are is an inconvenience. A logistical problem. A temporary challenge and permanent boon.
Let's use a metaphor. One night trucks start pulling up in front of your house, offloading building supplies: stacks of lumber, bags of cement, boxes of nails, metal bracing, rolls of insulation. The stuff piles up and is unsightly. You can't give it back, so you grumble and hire trucks and rent warehouses and store it all, which is expensive and and bothersome. Until time passes and you start using it to build houses and make money.
That's immigration. Raw material that built our country in the past and will continue to build our country in the future, unless we go crazy and seal the borders. Which lots of people want to do, even though it would be national suicide.
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How cruel can people be? Purposely installing an stress-maker to affect recent arrivals is beyond sick. I’d say I’m surprised, but nothing surprises me anymore. I am alarmed at the general heartlessness of the noisemakers. I sure hope that they don’t trip back to their gated communities.
ReplyDeleteWho even thinks of stuff like this? I hope they get shamed into removing this noisemaker.
ReplyDelete"An immigrant can crawl onto shore, stand up, towel themselves off, get their card stamped, then turn and spit on the people following, step on their fingers as they try to haul themselves up the ladder."
ReplyDeleteGreat wordsmithing, Mr. S. That's worthy of a Royko.
And it's also exactly what's been happening since the middle of the 19th century. Anyone who's ever studied American history knows the story already. The Germans did it to the Irish, and then the Irish did it to the Italians, who did it to the eastern Europeans, who did it to the Hispanics, who did it to the Asians, who are now doing it to the latest waves of Hispanics. And, of course, everybody hated the Southern blacks...and the Jews.
"Truong Enterprises did not respond to my requests for comment. Which is a pity. Because I’d really like to hear what they have to say. I wonder if their customers know how the company treats people not so different from themselves. They know now."
That's some good snark, Mr. S. As good as my mother used to make. And it's also some great shaming. Shaming often works, even though it's frowned-upon in some stick-up-the-butt online circles as "harassment" and "bullying." But, hey, whatever works. Although i don't think it will start any protest marches or boycotts. The way things are these days, most people will say "That's really too bad.." and shrug. Assuming they even give a shit about the welfare of the new arrivals at all.
It should be declared a "public nuisance" and the States Attorneys (your district attorneys) in the civil division should cite Truon Enterprises with stiff fines and seek a court order for the removal of this public nuisance.
ReplyDeleteThat would seem to be a sterling example of becoming a monster in order to fight monsters.
Deletejohn
There are a number of Walgreens that play classical music outside their doors to keep the gangs away. Until the late 60s, Walgreens also had small ceiling fans above all the entrance doors to keep bugs out.
ReplyDeleteHey, whatever works, and keeps the trash away. Classical music works...ask the man who knows.
DeleteA number of my neighbors are inconsiderate a-holes...They drink out in their backyards and garages (why not on the porch or indoors?) and get louder and more argumentative and more obnoxious as the night wears on. Classical music (from a boombox) works for me...and it drives them indoors--where they belong.
No patience or tolerance for alcohol abusers anymore. If that makes me a crabby old grandpa, and one of those damn Boomer geezers, so be it. The right for you to make excessive noise ends where my ears begin.
You're lucky you can still hear at your age. People shouldn't be in THEIR yard having fun? Maybe it's you that should go inside.
DeleteLoud drunken arguments about sports and cars and and which sibling daddy liked best? Every complaint and curse word heard clearly, even across the street or several houses away, sometimes even through closed windows? You might call it fun. I call it being an asshole. And I'll keep doing what I've been doing, fighting fire with fire, because it works. And maybe it's you who needs to put a sock in it, pal.
DeleteOh, and thanks for the ageist snark, Steve, No patience or tolerance for ageist haters anymore, either. If I were the proprietor here, you'd be gone. I block multiple haters like you every goddamn day.
DeleteI've encountered businesses projecting amplified sound into and beyond the property they are trying to protect. The most interesting is at the 7 eleven on Jefferson near Taylor . they play classical music under the assumption unhoused people, pan handlers and teenagers won't be able to tolerate very long.
ReplyDeleteBefore the asylum seekers began arriving in such large numbers and swelling this population all over chicago. Based on fairly serious criminal activity at the 7 eleven recently it doesn't work. The owners of this establishment are documented immigrants who've poured their life savings into this business and are trying to have a secure environment for their employees and customers.