California State Senator Ted Lieu has just been shown to be the empty headed reactionary politician that he really is. The California Supreme Court has disallowed his proposal from being placed on the ballot for the November election. The senator, who is running to replace long time U.S. Representative Henry Waxman on the Westside, wanted to put Proposition 49 in the state general election. Prop 49 would merely ask California voters whether they approved or disapproved of the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United decision allowing businesses to spend unlimited amounts of money on campaign donations. That is probably the most populist and vacuous proposal ever granted a place in California elections.
The CA Supreme Court rightly stated that California's proposition system allows voters to directly decide new laws of the land, since our state representatives are too cowardly to make any laws on their own that might be deemed controversial ie/ Prop 8. It is not there for any Tom, Dick, or Harriet to put up bogus statements simply for grandstanding. Even California's governor disapproved of this nonsense. Said Gov. Jerry Brown, "we should not make it a habit to clutter our ballots with nonbonding measures, as citizens rightfully assume that their votes are meant to have legal effect."
Of course none of this is a surprise for anybody who has followed Mr. Lieu's career. He has trademarked the qualities of being a politician who has no personal convictions, somebody who uses his position as a lawmaker to make up whatever bills he deems popular at the moment that will bring him votes. Remember his anti-swatting bill from last year? At the time there was a rash of celebrities getting prank calls to 911 and having a platoon of emergency vehicles show up at their front doorsteps. Mr. Lieu, sensing an opportunity to curry favor with Hollywood and getting his face in front of the cameras, wrote this bill to increase criminal penalties of anyone caught swatting. Ironically, his own residence was swatted shortly after he introduce this bill. Of course it was another one of those faddish activities like the Harlem Shake that people got tired of quickly and nobody bothered with a short time later. Mr. Lieu's bill just prolonged the publicity these stunts craved and helped it gain more life than it otherwise would have.
While Mr. Lieu is the favorite to win his election in November, since he is the Democrat running in a heavily Democratic district, the voters should know what kind of person they are getting. He has already shown his jelly spine to the Asian American communities who used to support him strongly until he stabbed them in the back by supporting affirmative action for University of California student admissions. I have no doubt that he will do the same thing in the future to any future constituent if he thinks he can get more votes or publicity by supporting a cause that runs directly against his voters' wills. Caveat emptor.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Monday, August 4, 2014
Is Global Warming Pessimism A White Man's Conspiracy?
What I find more profound was how cold California has been since 1900. While the Times wants to look at only the red bars from the last twenty years, it appears to me that about 80% of the time, the state has been running below, way below, the mean temperature of 57 F. In fact, in the mid 1950's, the state's average temperature dropped to 53 F, four degrees below the mean. That makes it the polar opposite (pun intended) of today's climate which is only three degrees above the mean. Yet I don't think there were screaming headlines sixty years ago about the need to reform the world economies to compensate for the cold weather they were experiencing.
I have a theory about why that is. Is it because white people, who control the major political parties and media companies of the developed world, like cold temperatures? Most of the WASPs who hold the levers of power came from northern European climes, and thus prefer frigid cold temperatures. Look at any ski slope during winter. Virtually every face up there is as white as the snow they are standing on. Who hold stupid polar bear swim meets in the dead of winter? White people. The rest of us brown people are shivering our asses off and looking at these pinkish white idiots incredulously.
We brown people love warm climates. My father used to wear long sleeve flannel shirts in mid summer during the hottest days of Missouri. Town folks used to think he was crazy. It is 95 F outside with 90% humidity but he was driving around town in long sleeves and no air conditioning. In the meantime, white people were dying by the hundred every summer from heat stroke. But when the seasons changed, we would have on our thick jackets and gloves at the slightest chill while Caucasians were still running around in T-shirts and shorts. Most non Caucasians come from warmer countries. We love our days warm and nights cold. Who wants to walk around wearing a sweater in August like they do in Seattle or London?
So maybe this whole notion that the world is about to end because of global warming is another way for white people to stay in control. They don't like warm temperatures so they are demanding that developing countries, who are mostly of browner complexion, curb their industrialization to decrease the release of greenhouse gasses. This of course will slow down their economies and keep the developed countries superior, who just happen to be mostly run by Caucasians.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Marijuana Vs. Gay Marriage. Liberalism's Conundrum
This week the New York Times is publishing a lengthy editorial on why the regulation of marijuana should be taken out of the federal government's jurisdiction and handed over to the states. They note that marijuana is legal in one form or another in 37 states. They can be used as everything from "medicinal" purposes with a doctor's prescription all the way up to free-for-all recreational use in the states of Colorado and Washington. The NYT ridicules the Drug Enforcement Agency's classification of marijuana as a Schedule One substance, as dangerous as heroin or LSD with no known medical use.
The paper wants to decriminalize the sale and use of marijuana by the U.S. by allowing the individual states to decide for themselves how pot should be regulated. They obviously see the hypocrisy in their position by noting the difference between marijuana and other liberal ideologies. Says the Times, "Consuming marijuana is not a fundamental right that should be imposed on the states by the federal government, in the manner of abortion rights, health insurance, or the freedom to marry a partner of either sex." They go on to restate a mantra conservatives have been making about the right to decide whether gay marriage should be allowed, "(Marijuana legalization) is a choice that states should be allowed to make based on their culture and their values."
Since when did the Times rediscover states' rights? Gay marriage has been banned in 31 states by their citizens and their state representatives. Some of these laws are even enshrined in their states' constitutions. Yet the federal judiciary has been slowly dismantling the states' rights to self determination one court district at a time. The NYT have been one of the loudest proponents of this destructive fiat by unelected officials. Yet when it comes to drug use, suddenly the states have the right to decide which of their citizens can get a legal high? Last time I checked, marriage is actually an official function of the state government, "By the power invested in me by the state of X, I now pronounce you husband and wife." Marriage is not mentioned anywhere in the U.S. Constitution but that hasn't stopped the third branch of government from imposing its values on the general population. Meanwhile drugs are clearly regulated by federal laws. Otherwise this country will have fifty different rules for drug manufacturing and distribution. Yet we should make an exemption for pot?
The problem with labeling something as a universal right, like their classification of gay marriage, is that universal rights mean different things to different people. Homosexuals may believe that same sex marriage is a universal right, but more than half the American population would disagree. I would bet that more people believe owning guns is a universal right than believe in gay marriage. And possessing a gun is actually something that is specifically written in the U.S. Constitution, not any of the other "rights" the Times lists as universally desirable. Yet the Times would be the first to sign on the dotted line if it ever has a chance to repeal the Second Amendment.
So come on New York Times. Try to stay consistent with your message. You say citizens should have a say in how they are governed, but only if it conforms to your liberal viewpoints. If they prefer a less progressive state, then somehow they need to be educated about what is right or wrong by the feds. That kind of condescension is what makes people suspicious of liberal motives. At least conservatives in general are consistent with their opinions. Individuals are allowed to decide for themselves how they are to be governed. A government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Conservatives don't deviate from this principle based on the subject at hand. If the citizens of the states have the right to decide how they want to deal with marijuana drug laws, then they should have the right to determine how they should live with all state laws that aren't superseded by the U.S. Constitution.
The paper wants to decriminalize the sale and use of marijuana by the U.S. by allowing the individual states to decide for themselves how pot should be regulated. They obviously see the hypocrisy in their position by noting the difference between marijuana and other liberal ideologies. Says the Times, "Consuming marijuana is not a fundamental right that should be imposed on the states by the federal government, in the manner of abortion rights, health insurance, or the freedom to marry a partner of either sex." They go on to restate a mantra conservatives have been making about the right to decide whether gay marriage should be allowed, "(Marijuana legalization) is a choice that states should be allowed to make based on their culture and their values."
Since when did the Times rediscover states' rights? Gay marriage has been banned in 31 states by their citizens and their state representatives. Some of these laws are even enshrined in their states' constitutions. Yet the federal judiciary has been slowly dismantling the states' rights to self determination one court district at a time. The NYT have been one of the loudest proponents of this destructive fiat by unelected officials. Yet when it comes to drug use, suddenly the states have the right to decide which of their citizens can get a legal high? Last time I checked, marriage is actually an official function of the state government, "By the power invested in me by the state of X, I now pronounce you husband and wife." Marriage is not mentioned anywhere in the U.S. Constitution but that hasn't stopped the third branch of government from imposing its values on the general population. Meanwhile drugs are clearly regulated by federal laws. Otherwise this country will have fifty different rules for drug manufacturing and distribution. Yet we should make an exemption for pot?
The problem with labeling something as a universal right, like their classification of gay marriage, is that universal rights mean different things to different people. Homosexuals may believe that same sex marriage is a universal right, but more than half the American population would disagree. I would bet that more people believe owning guns is a universal right than believe in gay marriage. And possessing a gun is actually something that is specifically written in the U.S. Constitution, not any of the other "rights" the Times lists as universally desirable. Yet the Times would be the first to sign on the dotted line if it ever has a chance to repeal the Second Amendment.
So come on New York Times. Try to stay consistent with your message. You say citizens should have a say in how they are governed, but only if it conforms to your liberal viewpoints. If they prefer a less progressive state, then somehow they need to be educated about what is right or wrong by the feds. That kind of condescension is what makes people suspicious of liberal motives. At least conservatives in general are consistent with their opinions. Individuals are allowed to decide for themselves how they are to be governed. A government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Conservatives don't deviate from this principle based on the subject at hand. If the citizens of the states have the right to decide how they want to deal with marijuana drug laws, then they should have the right to determine how they should live with all state laws that aren't superseded by the U.S. Constitution.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
My Asian Privilege
There's been a lot of talk lately about white privilege. However, race privilege is not confined to white people alone. While minorities like to bemoan their lack of white privilege they too have qualities that only white people can dream of. Here is a list of my Asian privileges that makes me superior to white people.
Asians are rarely suspected of being criminals. When I go to L.A. International Airport, I am usually allowed to breeze my car right by the security stand at the entrance to the facility. I have never been asked to drive to the side to open the trunk of the car. Passing through the TSA is also effortless. Though we have to remove our belts and shoes like everybody else, the TSA agents couldn't be more bored when they see an Chinese-American family walk through. East Asians couldn't possibly be terrorists, right?
We Asians are also very unthreatening. When I walk down the sidewalk at night, no woman is clutching her purse tighter to her body. No one is turning around to see if I am following them. The police car cruises by without giving me a second look. At the mall, no security guard or camera is focusing his attention on me as I browse through the shops. In essence I turn into the tall blond white guy with the preppy shirt and chino pants that couldn't possibly be out ready to commit a crime.
When I walk into a room, people instinctively assume that I am smart. While some Asian Americans consider this an offensive stereotype, I personally consider it a compliment. I would rather strangers think I am smart than not.
Yet, Asian Americans are also frequently mistaken for being illiterate in English, even if we have advanced postgraduate degrees from Ivy League universities. While that may not sound like a privilege, one can use that ignorance to his best advantage. When I get phone calls during dinner time trying to sell me something or asking me to vote for a certain candidate for the next election, just for fun I just start talking in Chinese and pretend I don't know what the caller is trying to say. This usually results in an awkward silence on the other end then a quick dial tone. Ha, the joke is on them.
Asian Americans are also privileged to know where the best ethnic restaurants in town are. Through a tight network of Chinese American friends, the best Chinese restaurants are frequently discovered and the information propagated. This informal structure can't even be replicated on rating sites like Yelp. In the meantime, white people think the best Chinese restaurant in town is the local P.F. Chang, or worse, Panda Express.
Most of us Chinese Americans are shorter than the average white American. While this may not sound like a privilege, it does produce certain advantages. In an airplane's ever tighter seating arrangements, I can still sit in my seat without bumping my knees up against the back of the chair in front of me. I can also lower the tray table without having to suck in my gut, not that I have one since Asians are all thin anyway, correct? At the movie theater I don't have to worry about squeezing down the rows of seats or accidentally bumping the one in front of me with my giant boats for feet. I can even comfortably cross my legs without hitting my foot or knee on the person's head in front.
Finally, Asians always look young for their ages. In a country where youth is so highly prized and billions of dollars are spent on drugs and surgery to look younger, my naturally youthful skin tone is a major privilege. Asians are infamous for looking years, sometimes decades, younger than their real ages. Asian women can be deceivingly girlish looking, especially in the eyes of other races.
So there you have my list of some of the privileges Asians enjoy over other races. Why should privilege be the domain of white people alone? Every race has its advantages and disadvantages. If white people want to trumpet theirs, we can certainly publicize ours. We should be proud and proclaim loudly we are the smartest, youngest looking, safest race in America. That's a privilege we should never apologize for.
Asians are rarely suspected of being criminals. When I go to L.A. International Airport, I am usually allowed to breeze my car right by the security stand at the entrance to the facility. I have never been asked to drive to the side to open the trunk of the car. Passing through the TSA is also effortless. Though we have to remove our belts and shoes like everybody else, the TSA agents couldn't be more bored when they see an Chinese-American family walk through. East Asians couldn't possibly be terrorists, right?
We Asians are also very unthreatening. When I walk down the sidewalk at night, no woman is clutching her purse tighter to her body. No one is turning around to see if I am following them. The police car cruises by without giving me a second look. At the mall, no security guard or camera is focusing his attention on me as I browse through the shops. In essence I turn into the tall blond white guy with the preppy shirt and chino pants that couldn't possibly be out ready to commit a crime.
When I walk into a room, people instinctively assume that I am smart. While some Asian Americans consider this an offensive stereotype, I personally consider it a compliment. I would rather strangers think I am smart than not.
Yet, Asian Americans are also frequently mistaken for being illiterate in English, even if we have advanced postgraduate degrees from Ivy League universities. While that may not sound like a privilege, one can use that ignorance to his best advantage. When I get phone calls during dinner time trying to sell me something or asking me to vote for a certain candidate for the next election, just for fun I just start talking in Chinese and pretend I don't know what the caller is trying to say. This usually results in an awkward silence on the other end then a quick dial tone. Ha, the joke is on them.
Asian Americans are also privileged to know where the best ethnic restaurants in town are. Through a tight network of Chinese American friends, the best Chinese restaurants are frequently discovered and the information propagated. This informal structure can't even be replicated on rating sites like Yelp. In the meantime, white people think the best Chinese restaurant in town is the local P.F. Chang, or worse, Panda Express.
Most of us Chinese Americans are shorter than the average white American. While this may not sound like a privilege, it does produce certain advantages. In an airplane's ever tighter seating arrangements, I can still sit in my seat without bumping my knees up against the back of the chair in front of me. I can also lower the tray table without having to suck in my gut, not that I have one since Asians are all thin anyway, correct? At the movie theater I don't have to worry about squeezing down the rows of seats or accidentally bumping the one in front of me with my giant boats for feet. I can even comfortably cross my legs without hitting my foot or knee on the person's head in front.
Finally, Asians always look young for their ages. In a country where youth is so highly prized and billions of dollars are spent on drugs and surgery to look younger, my naturally youthful skin tone is a major privilege. Asians are infamous for looking years, sometimes decades, younger than their real ages. Asian women can be deceivingly girlish looking, especially in the eyes of other races.
So there you have my list of some of the privileges Asians enjoy over other races. Why should privilege be the domain of white people alone? Every race has its advantages and disadvantages. If white people want to trumpet theirs, we can certainly publicize ours. We should be proud and proclaim loudly we are the smartest, youngest looking, safest race in America. That's a privilege we should never apologize for.
Monday, May 12, 2014
Is Being Racist The Worst Crime In America?
Poor Donald Sterling. The owner of the LA Clippers was banned for life from being involved in the NBA after being recorded making racist comments to his girlfriend. Now he is trying to sue the league to retain ownership of his team. Unfortunately for him, it appears that no major law firm is willing to attach itself to this controversy.
Has being a racist in America become so toxic that not even a billionaire with nearly endless resources can find legal representation? While being a racist itself is not a crime, apparently having been stigmatized as one is worse than almost any other atrocity. None of the law firms wanted to be tainted with defending a racist as it might upset their African American and corporate clients.
For instance, murderers almost always get some sort of legal assistance in the courts, unless the accused refuses any. OJ Simpson had A-list celebrity lawyers on his side of the court bench for years during his trial. Music producer Phil Specter also didn't have any trouble finding an attorney to defend him in his murder trial. Seems like none of these lawyers were afraid of how these cases might have affected their reputations with white clients or musicians.
Confessed drug use is also not a crime so heinous that people can lose their jobs. Both Presidents Clinton and Obama have confessed to smoking marijuana during their youths yet they were elected to the highest public office in the country. Most infamously, former Washington, D.C. mayor Marion Barry was convicted of using crack cocaine yet is still working in public office on the Washington City Council.
Child molestation, like racism, is also highly frowned upon in this country. However that didn't prevent one of the most famous child molesters of all time, Roman Polanski, from winning an Academy Award for Best Director in a vote by his directing peers.
What about infidelity? Everybody's doing it so it can't be that bad, can it?
Even 9/11 terrorist suspects can find lawyers to defend them in court.
Being a racist in America is so bad that Shelly Sterling would rather have people think her husband is demented than to consider him a bigot.
So yes, being outed as a racist in this country is probably the worst thing that can befall an individual. Unless it is being called a right wing conservative. Then you don't even get a voice in public at all.
Has being a racist in America become so toxic that not even a billionaire with nearly endless resources can find legal representation? While being a racist itself is not a crime, apparently having been stigmatized as one is worse than almost any other atrocity. None of the law firms wanted to be tainted with defending a racist as it might upset their African American and corporate clients.
For instance, murderers almost always get some sort of legal assistance in the courts, unless the accused refuses any. OJ Simpson had A-list celebrity lawyers on his side of the court bench for years during his trial. Music producer Phil Specter also didn't have any trouble finding an attorney to defend him in his murder trial. Seems like none of these lawyers were afraid of how these cases might have affected their reputations with white clients or musicians.
Confessed drug use is also not a crime so heinous that people can lose their jobs. Both Presidents Clinton and Obama have confessed to smoking marijuana during their youths yet they were elected to the highest public office in the country. Most infamously, former Washington, D.C. mayor Marion Barry was convicted of using crack cocaine yet is still working in public office on the Washington City Council.
Child molestation, like racism, is also highly frowned upon in this country. However that didn't prevent one of the most famous child molesters of all time, Roman Polanski, from winning an Academy Award for Best Director in a vote by his directing peers.
What about infidelity? Everybody's doing it so it can't be that bad, can it?
Even 9/11 terrorist suspects can find lawyers to defend them in court.
Being a racist in America is so bad that Shelly Sterling would rather have people think her husband is demented than to consider him a bigot.
So yes, being outed as a racist in this country is probably the worst thing that can befall an individual. Unless it is being called a right wing conservative. Then you don't even get a voice in public at all.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Infidelity Vs. Racism. Lesser Of Two Evils?
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| The Other Woman |
Yet while all these denunciations are occurring over Mr. Sterling's racist rants, I find it disheartening that his other moral failing isn't even being discussed, much less condemned--his affair with his mistress V. Stiviano. Mr. Sterling has been married to Mrs. Rochelle Sterling for over fifty years. Yet there are multiple pictures of the mistress all over the internet of Mr. Sterling cavorting with his mistress in their court side seats at Clippers games.
Why hasn't anybody ever condemned this immoral behavior before? Has infidelity become so commonplace that nobody wants to be accused of throwing stones at glass houses? You can almost take it for granted that practically all the NBA players have had affairs while on the road and away from their spouses (yes Kobe Bryant I'm looking at you). Probably most of the men in high power positions like NBA team owners also have had indiscretions with their girlfriends too. Is that why nobody has been willing to speak up about Mr. Sterling's blatant acts of shamelessness at every Clippers game for the whole world to see?
Adultery was once an act of unbearable indecency. It is after all one of the Ten Commandments as set by God. History didn't used to treat infidelity with such blithe disregard. Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic book "The Scarlet Letter" demonstrated the ugly consequences of committing an affair in early America. All the way up to the 1980's, having a mistress on the side was so reprehensible that it could bring down the careers of aspiring presidential politicians (I'm talking about you Gary Hart).
But in the last twenty years, with its freewheeling attitudes towards behavior, where anything goes as long as nobody gets hurt, infidelity has become not only accepted, but practically expected of people in certain positions of power. President Clinton probably set the tone when he literally lied to the nation about his affair with Monica Lewinsky and nothing happened to his presidency. He is practically a saint in the Democratic Party now despite all that baggage. Movie stars are in the news regularly for their sexual indiscretions yet the multimillion dollar contracts and fan adorations continue. The America of the 1960's could only dream of being as carefree as the 2010's. This is truly the era where one is allowed to live and let live, without judgement.
Unless of course you are accused of being a racist. Or use the N word (unless you're black). One can't even talk about the inner city without being accused of racism if the speaker is of the wrong color. Racism has truly become the untouchable subject of our society. Drug use? OK with that. Infidelity? Sure. Everybody's doing it. Out of wedlock births? That's the hottest Hollywood trend. But being stuck with the term racist is practically a societal death sentence. One automatically becomes a persona non grata of his former social circle.
So go ahead. Have an affair. Have one hundred. Nowadays nobody will look disparagingly at you anymore for that moral failure. Can it even be labeled a moral failure if nobody considers it immoral? But watch what you say about races other than your own. This will truly put the fear of God into the very fiber of your being.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Learning To Become An American Rebel
The United States was founded by rebels. From the very beginning of its existence, American colonists defied their British rulers and fought victoriously in the American Revolutionary War. Every single one of our country's forefathers who signed the Declaration of Independence could be considered an insurgent. To this day American media celebrate the dissident. From Clark Gable to James Dean to Harrison Ford we Americans love to see lone wolves take on "The Man" and win. We deify Americans who break the mold and step on other people to get to the top, people like Microsoft's Bill Gates and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg. That's the kind of heroes American love to worship--rule breakers and insubordinates.
However it can be difficult at times for an Asian American to adjust to this highly celebrated American culture of rebelliousness. Like any good kid growing up, but particularly in an Asian American household, I was always taught to obey the rules. I had to listen and follow my parents' instructions without question. Any deviation from the strict laws set by my parents, grandparents, or teachers would be seen as an embarrassment and bring shame to the family. To this day I am still trying to come to terms with my innate need to follow orders against the Western culture's expectations that to succeed one must make his own rules.
For instance, my elementary school daughter recently participated in her school's science fair. We had thought up multiple excellent projects she could conduct to show off her astute knowledge of science. But when we received the application, it said the project had to comply with this year's theme of environmentalism--another typical liberal brain washing subject. There went my ideas for studying things like thermodynamics in the kitchen or making astronomical observations, both of which I'm sure my daughter would have loved.
We searched through multiple science project books and came up with one that was healthy for the environment, easy to conduct, and understandable for elementary level school children. It took a few weeks to perform but we got all our observation data. We printed up multiple pictures and constructed a very pretty poster board for her presentation. We were all so proud of her hard work. On the day of the fair, we waited anxiously at home while the judges looked through all the experiments during school hours.
When we went to the public showing that evening, we were disappointed that our daughter's work was not recognized for its creativity nor appreciated for how much time she put into it. While walking around the gymnasium I started becoming disturbed by how few of the projects actually complied with the theme of environmentalism as spelled out in the rules. There were studies on how many Mentos candies does it take to blow up a soda bottle. Another project opened up multiple bags of Skittles to see the flavor distribution inside each bag. What the heck does that have to do with the environment?
But one of the grand prize winners made it clear that following the rules in America is for losers only. The kid demonstrated how to turn a Wet-Dry Vac into a hovercraft. Granted it was a pretty cool project and certainly drew plenty of attention on the floor of the fair. But first of all, it was more like a shop project than a science fair project. Second, there is no way the child did most of the carpentry and electrical work. And third, it had NOTHING to do with helping the environment. Sure it was loud and flashy and made people smile just watching it in action but this contraption was a detriment to our air and noise pollution, not a savior. In the meanwhile my daughter's quiet little experiment was stuck in a quiet corner of the floor barely drawing any recognition or even a second glance from all the passerby's.
So what should I teach my children after this episode? I comforted my daughter's deflated ego as any good parent would. I told her I thought her experiment was great. Her work was original and her conclusions matched her premises. She has nothing to be ashamed of for not winning any medals. But inside I was still seething with resentment for the typical American attitude of rewarding the showiest and most ostentatious subjects regardless of merit. I still have a lot of learning to do to succeed in this country. I hope my children will understand this need to disobey the rules more easily than me if they hope to get ahead in life in the U.S.
However it can be difficult at times for an Asian American to adjust to this highly celebrated American culture of rebelliousness. Like any good kid growing up, but particularly in an Asian American household, I was always taught to obey the rules. I had to listen and follow my parents' instructions without question. Any deviation from the strict laws set by my parents, grandparents, or teachers would be seen as an embarrassment and bring shame to the family. To this day I am still trying to come to terms with my innate need to follow orders against the Western culture's expectations that to succeed one must make his own rules.
For instance, my elementary school daughter recently participated in her school's science fair. We had thought up multiple excellent projects she could conduct to show off her astute knowledge of science. But when we received the application, it said the project had to comply with this year's theme of environmentalism--another typical liberal brain washing subject. There went my ideas for studying things like thermodynamics in the kitchen or making astronomical observations, both of which I'm sure my daughter would have loved.
We searched through multiple science project books and came up with one that was healthy for the environment, easy to conduct, and understandable for elementary level school children. It took a few weeks to perform but we got all our observation data. We printed up multiple pictures and constructed a very pretty poster board for her presentation. We were all so proud of her hard work. On the day of the fair, we waited anxiously at home while the judges looked through all the experiments during school hours.
When we went to the public showing that evening, we were disappointed that our daughter's work was not recognized for its creativity nor appreciated for how much time she put into it. While walking around the gymnasium I started becoming disturbed by how few of the projects actually complied with the theme of environmentalism as spelled out in the rules. There were studies on how many Mentos candies does it take to blow up a soda bottle. Another project opened up multiple bags of Skittles to see the flavor distribution inside each bag. What the heck does that have to do with the environment?
But one of the grand prize winners made it clear that following the rules in America is for losers only. The kid demonstrated how to turn a Wet-Dry Vac into a hovercraft. Granted it was a pretty cool project and certainly drew plenty of attention on the floor of the fair. But first of all, it was more like a shop project than a science fair project. Second, there is no way the child did most of the carpentry and electrical work. And third, it had NOTHING to do with helping the environment. Sure it was loud and flashy and made people smile just watching it in action but this contraption was a detriment to our air and noise pollution, not a savior. In the meanwhile my daughter's quiet little experiment was stuck in a quiet corner of the floor barely drawing any recognition or even a second glance from all the passerby's.
So what should I teach my children after this episode? I comforted my daughter's deflated ego as any good parent would. I told her I thought her experiment was great. Her work was original and her conclusions matched her premises. She has nothing to be ashamed of for not winning any medals. But inside I was still seething with resentment for the typical American attitude of rewarding the showiest and most ostentatious subjects regardless of merit. I still have a lot of learning to do to succeed in this country. I hope my children will understand this need to disobey the rules more easily than me if they hope to get ahead in life in the U.S.
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