Art is needed because art heals the soul

I finished the book Under the Big Sky by S. Bryan Gonzales. This is the story of Cash McCollum’s senior year in high school in Miles City, Montana. When not in school Cash is an impressive performer in high school level rodeo events. When Cash was a sophomore a new kid at the school, Travis Hunter spotted Cash in a classroom and locked eyes. This year Travis, a well built football player, cornered Cash at his locker and made a big impression. Cash wondered why this big hunky football player was pursuing him when he could have anyone in the school. It didn’t take long for Cash to realize well, I guess I’m gay. Actually I thought that shift took way too little time. There was little homophobia. Cash’s mother was accepting. His older brother Clayton said a few embarrassing words and his father said little. Mom said just give them a bit of time to get used to Travis (oh, is that all it takes? – sometimes yes). It helped that Travis liked to come from town to the ranch and help with chores. Even with little homophobia Travis and Cash don’t want the strength of their relationship to be common knowledge at the school (though it sorta already is). I got annoyed with Cash because he usually looked at incomplete evidence and assumed the worst (I think that’s a teenager thing). The first big issue like that was seeing Travis with a stack of college catalogs and a lot of them were not in Montana. Then Lee showed up. He also performed in rodeos and was Cash’s nearest competitor, though from the other end of the state. Cash had a hard time saying no to Lee even though Travis made his jealousy well known. This book is over 500 pages. The last 100 set things up for the sequel, though this one did have a satisfying conclusion. The online description of the sequel (400 pages) fit nicely with the ending of the first one. There is a third book (500 pages) and the description of the second says there is a fourth, but I can’t find that one online. I was interested in the series because in the second book Cash is given custody of a young child. I’m interested in reading about gay couples as parents. But this setup sounds like Cash and Travis would spend a great deal of time arguing. So I’m not yet sure I want to buy it. As for the third... Barnes and Noble sometimes allows a shopper to read the first 20-30 pages of a book. This one has ghosts. No, thank you. One other small complaint of the book – Cash is described as having strawberry blond hair. So I was disappointed that the model whose photo was used for the front cover had brown hair. My Sunday movie was Viva Maestro! a documentary about orchestra conductor Gustavo Dudamel. He got his start in El Sistema, a music program for disadvantaged youth in Venezuela. He became an international sensation and at age 28 appointed musical director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He has kept ties with orchestras in Venezuela and has added the Paris Opera to his duties. El Sistema (The System) was started in 1975 by José Abreu with government support. He believed “music has to be recognized as an agent of social development in the highest sense because it transmits the highest values – solidarity, harmony, mutual compassion” and it had the ability to "unite an entire community and express sublime feelings.” Students were provided musical instruments and given training in music and in life. They learned that when they work together they could produce beautiful music. By 2015 there were more than 400 music centers across Venezuela and 700,000 young musicians (I think that is through its history). There are some wonderful videos online of Dudamel conducting the National Youth Orchestra of Venezuela. The kids definitely have the energy. An example is them doing the Mambo from Bernstein’s West Side Story at the BBC Proms (after the music much of this video is an interview with Dudamel and the BBC host). At the time the Simón Bolívar Orchestra was a youth ensemble. It looks like they matured together and became professional, so the youth ensembles had to be renamed. Here’s another video of the Simón Bolívar Orchestra after they could no longer be called a youth orchestra. This one is of Danzón No. 2, by Mexican composer Arturo Márquez. It is a style these young adults would be familiar with. I had heard of El Sistema and I’ve seen a documentary about one of the many partner organization in the US (perhaps Baltimore?). At one of the international handbell events I attended there were rumors that people from El Sistema attended to see how they might fit handbells into their program. I haven’t heard anything about that since. When the movie opens Dudamel is rehearsing the professional Simón Bolívar Orchestra ready to take all nine Beethoven symphonies on tour. A very large chunk of the group is still those who came through El Sistema. While they are on tour violence broke out in Venezuela because of an economic crisis. Huge crowds of protesters call for the fall of the government. Several people are killed, including a child in one of the youth orchestras. Dudamel’s actions and discussions with the camera show he is someone working to uplift those around him, to provide beauty for the world. From his success on the podium the world will agree he does it well. Of the violence he said the flowers could be cut off but the roots are strong and beauty will return. Art is needed because art heals the soul. Dudamel stayed out of politics considering music to be above such things. But after seeing the violence of his home country he had to speak out. He writes editorials in such papers as the New York Times. Now a spoiler alert for the rest of this section in case you want to watch it yourself. There were times the movie was a bit vague. It didn’t say whether Dudamel was barred from returning to Venezuela. However, soon we see him monitoring rehearsals of the youth orchestra from a remote location, adding comments to the young conductor on site. The youth orchestra’s international tour is canceled. The professional orchestra started losing a lot members, though again the movie was vague as to why. Some of them flee the country, such as the concertmaster who is able to get a job with an orchestra in Berlin. And their big tour is canceled. There are threats the government would end its support of El Sistema, which Dudamel decries as shutting down beauty. Others call on the government (and that should be all the governments of the world) to recognize musical training as a human right, not some elitist thing (I agree with that!). Dudamel organizes an international youth orchestra to assemble and perform in Mexico City with members from across the Americas. It includes a few from the Venezuela Youth Orchestra with their participation funded by the Dudamel Foundation. Then Dudamel’s mentor and dear friend Abreu dies. He isn’t able (allowed?) to attend the funeral. Again (because it is what conductors do) he assembles an international orchestra in Santiago, Chile for a memorial concert. This includes members of orchestras in Europe where he had conducted, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and professional and youth orchestras of Venezuela. A brief update on the war in Ukraine. Mark Sumner of Daily Kos reported that Ukraine is making progress around Kherson at the southwest end of the Russian held territory. But don’t expect the liberation of Kherson anytime soon. “At Kherson, Ukraine is working to retake a large city without doing to that city what Russia did in Mariupol or Popasna.” Let’s take a look at the progress of passing new gun restriction laws in the Senate. It’s going as well as it usually goes. Joan McCarter of Kos described the “Cornyn Con.” When something big comes up that Republicans want to make sure doesn’t pass, Moscow Mitch sends in Sen. John Cornyn of Texas. The phrase was coined by America’s Voice:

What’s the Cornyn Con? The silver-tongued, silver-haired Senator from Texas pretends he wants a breakthrough on immigration reform on his way to scuttling immigration reform. He positions himself as a conservative who wants to make common cause with Democrats, and after igniting hope and attracting positive press, he pulls the rug out on Democrats so he can blame them for failure.

In these situations the Democrats are desperate to get something passed so are willing to talk to anyone who will talk to them. In this case there were reports of “rapid progress” and “intense negotiations.” But even that signaled massive capitulation to Republican terms. Say goodbye to expanded background checks and restrictions on high capacity magazines. A couple provisions remained and there was an announcement of a framework with ten Republicans (amazing!) signing on, enough to break a filibuster. Then Cornyn moved the goalposts – he said he needed to attract 20 Republicans. And blaming the Democrats has begun. Along the way votes were scheduled and abandoned. On June 12, Lauren Sue of Kos reported the details of that framework. It includes money to help states pass red flag laws (notably not passing such laws at the federal level), money for school safety and to build community mental health clinics. It closes the “boyfriend loophole” so that guns can be taken away from an abusive boyfriend, not just an abusive spouse. There are provisions to prevent gun trafficking and enhanced background checks for purchasers under the age of 21 (though not a ban to selling to those so young – these background checks would have slowed the Uvalde shooter but not stopped him). It isn’t everything, but it is meaningful progress. At the time Mitch sounded positive. Which is worrysome. On June 13 McCarter reported that Republicans, Mitch among them, started saying, yeah, the framework is great. But we need to see the actual text of an actual bill. McCarter discussed what people outside of Congress are saying about the framework. Yeah, mental health clinics are great and needed but tying them to a shooting stigmatizes those who are mentally ill. Countries around the world have people with mental illness, but only the US has an epidemic of mass shootings. As for hardening the schools – more police in schools make black and brown students feel less safe and criminalizing kid behavior pushes them into the criminal justice system. These students see these cops arrest their friends. On June 17 McCarter explained the importance of the “boyfriend loophole.” And Republicans started arguing about the definition of “boyfriend.” One even said Democrats must use the Republican definition of the word or drop the whole provision (at this point who had which definition doesn’t matter). McCarter wrote Schumer should stop the negotiations and call a vote on the bill passed by the House plus hold votes on assault rifles, universal background checks, and high capacity magazines – everything voters want. He should get Republican votes on record. I suspect that won’t make much difference because voting no will delight a big chunk of the Republican base and the rest of them won’t vote for Democrats no matter what. Yeah, we’ve seen this theater before. Rebekah Sager of Kos reported a jump in gun sales since George Floyd’s murder in 2020. What is notable is who bought a big chunk of those guns. The National Shooting Sports Foundation reported gun sales to black Americans jumped by 58%. They feel the need to protect themselves and their families. The National African American Gun Association has gained a thousand new members a month since 2020. And there is a group called Black Guns Matter. Even so...

researchers at the Pew Research Center found that 75% of Blacks, 72% of Asians, and 65% of Latinos felt that gun laws should be stricter, compared to only 45% of white people surveyed. This is also no surprise; Black people are disproportionately affected by gun violence, especially when it comes to police brutality and homicide. According to research from Everytown USA, 68% of homicide victims in cities are Black.

In a segment from two weeks ago Sam Gringlas of WABE in Atlanta and NPR discussed advertising by gun companies and how that affects the policy debate. Much of this is about the company Daniel Defense, who made the gun used by the Uvalde shooter. Gringlas said Daniel Defense has been pushing the advertising envelope to stand out. They’ve been accused of targeting ads to teens and lawsuits about that have been filed. They’re also pushing fake machismo patriotism, the idea that one must own an AR-15 to be a good American. They glamorize the gun, battle style clothing, the whole tactical lifestyle. Now many times when Republican candidates for office, especially for Congress, talk to voters the top question is “What are your views on the Second Amendment?” Campaign contributions to lawmakers aren’t making the big difference in how a member of Congress votes. The big pressure comes from voters, soaked in the advertised tactical lifestyle, demanding candidates protect their gun rights or they’ll vote for someone else in the next primary. Greg Dworkin of Kos tweeted:

So officers in Uvalde didn’t want to shoot for fear of hitting a kid… but teachers are supposed to be Annie Oakley?

Hunter of Kos reported the Texas Republican Party is creating a new campaign platform at a convention attended by 5,000 delegates. Sen. Cornyn attended and was booed for pretending to be bipartisan in order to derail gun legislation. That’s how devoted this party wants to be. Hunter listed some of the provisions in this full fascist campaign platform: Biden is not a legitimate president. Texas has a right to secede from the union as it demands a rewrite of the constitution of the country it wants to secede from. It asserts homosexuality is “abnormal” and a “lifestyle choice.” It wants to punish providers of gender-affirming medical care. It bans teaching of “Critical Race Theory” as well as sex education and sexual health (no teaching what to expect during puberty or what molestation is). It requires teaching life begins at conception. It demands a provision in the state constitution that the legislature cannot enact any gun restrictions.

To you, this might sound like a document produced by child molestation advocates in conjunction with seditionists to encourage mass murders before turning full traitor, but this is just what Texas Republicans are now. Yes, even the ones that claim to be against these things while voting for the Republicans that support them. It's a party of conspiracy freaks and treason, a party in which even the most far-right members aren't safe from attack in their own convention if they dare, even for a moment, go against the militant seditionist base.

Kerry Eleveld of Kos reported that Republican colleagues of Rep. Liz Cheney are puzzled by her. She’s the vice chair of the January 6 Committee and serving on that committee is damaging her re-election bid in Wyoming. Mitch said her focus on taking down the nasty guy doesn’t help anyone. Cheney has said at campaign events has said her motivation is the fear that the peaceful transfer of power (and democracy) may come to an end. She wants her sons to live in a democracy. Wrote Eleveld:

What Cheney’s GOP counterparts are really marveling at is the concept of principled leadership—of placing the good of the whole above the immediate concerns of oneself.

Today is Juneteenth, a new holiday to celebrate the end of slavery. This is the day that slaves in Galveston, Texas found out the Emancipation Proclamation was signed 2½ years before. Michael Harriot tweeted:

If Twitter was around on June 19, 1865 you know someone would have tweeteed…

Here are some of the responses: Courtney McCain: “What was the June 19th 1865 equivalent to ‘What about Chicago?’ ” WeartheMask: “... two YEARS ago?!!” Cincy Sensi Star: “These white folk betta not be playing about our 40 acres and a mule.” Tasha Mack: “We can't find enough good employees. Nobody wants to work anymore.” JMon, replying to Mack: “Black people have been stereotyped as lazy ... Ever since they stopped working for free.” Craig: “What about Hunter Lincoln's Laptop??” Tanya Callendar Moncur: “Juneteenth brisket! 20% off with the Emancipation flyer while supplies last.” Howard Frazier: “Freedom night at Club Plantation. Ladies get in free. Bucks half price till 9. Sunday Best only no Field clothing allowed.” Kyle: “They weren't slaves. They were dependent contractors.” Kedrin Bell added: “Unpaid interns.” Mitchener Howell: “Under Jefferson Davis’s administration, blacks had the lowest unemployment rates in Confederate History.” Matthew Talicska: “ ‘Really though, weren't you happier not knowing you were free?’ - Jesse Helms”