Sisters of Color United for Education

Antonio C. Valenzuela

Sisters of Color United for Education; agents of change

Redecorating the walls of his 13th and Cherokee design studio with building plans for Sisters of Color United for Education’s recent art fundraiser “Bubbly,” Alex Degelman used Mayan architecture to reflect the people they represent; mind, body and spirit.

Degelman donated the space of the usual design studio to display the work his Denver Institute of Art inters did creating the design for construction of the new community SOCUE building saying, “I have fell in love with the work Sister’s is doing since the first day I walked into their little office in West Denver.”

“Sister’s has helped to educate the urban communities about dangerous health disparities by offering alternative methods to the people,” issues Degelman openly supports SOCUE for.

Addriena Corrales described the work of SOCUE in one word; Promotora.

“The word means promoter. In this case a promoter of health for the community…a defender,” Addriena explains, “There are promotoras of education, food and other areas that protect the people with knowledge…it a model of leadership.”

SOCUE’s programs and methods used are atypical in the U.S. and SOCUE aims to empower their community members with alternative methodologies they believe can help with issues like drug abuse, mental health, sexually transmitted infection, and education.

Corrales spoke specifically about the role media plays in perpetuating stereo-types, “blinding people to the systemic issues in the community”

“One out of every Five teenagers in the urban communities of the U.S. will get Chlamydia according the CDPHE,” Corrales cites.

Informative media in the form of cartoons, commercials and video are some of the avenues SOCUE sees are pathways to use to get their message to the Denver metro area and beyond.

Therapies like Body Talk Colorado, Zumba, counseling, suicide prevention, therapy for former drug abusers, ESL, Yoga and many other services are other ways they seeks to change the culture in these communities.

Heather A. Holden, a Certified Massage Therapist, Film Maker and supporter described the role of SOCUE informing the public saying, “If you don’t know that your options are, you don’t have any.”

In regards to offering different health modalities she said, “People are the mercies of the medical system… these are people helping people.”

Universal languages like art, music, and dance are conduits that SOCUE wishes to use to appeal to people from all walks of life.

Working together with other non-profit organizations and media entities like; The Prodigal Son Initiative, Pay It Forward, Speechless Magazine, Unidos en Orgullo, 2Kool, Tidwid Entertianment and many others, SOCUE has created a media collaborative dubbed Arteculture.

The goal of this collaborative will be to educate through media about physical, mental and social wellness. Aiming to achieve this through values like promoting stronger local economies, sustainability, health alternatives, community readiness and cultural awareness making issues they support viral.

The biggest obstacle all non-profits like this face one common enemy regardless of the demographic they represent; funding.

Corrales describes the problem as, “disparity dijour,” Referring to the ironic situation that her company faces trying to help people in communities with health disparities while looking at their own financial disparities.

Eudamonia Green a Body Talk practitioner and collaborator in Arteculture said, “It is important people know their health is not dependent on drugs and that the medical industrial complex is more about money than health,” referring to the work SOCUE is doing to bring education to the people.

SOCUE’s mission in the community embodies this perspective using a strength based method to, “creating health equity for strong mind, bodies, and spirits.”

More information can be found about some of the measures being taken by SOCUE including the current 100 foot mural being painted on their 8th and Clay facility at http://www.socue.org/

Financial turmoil evidence of flawed system

Today my class was graced with the presence of Amy Imse a veteran journalist formerly with the AP press. Imse spoke to our class about the Colorado Public News Station she has spear headed this year but that was not what I took from the experience.

I inferred two main ideas from her. One; that the media's revenue was in a complete overhaul because of the system of add based print is being undermined.

Two: Those traditional journalists are going to have to adapt to find opportunities.

In reference to the first matter she also revealed a conflicting position newspaper editors and media face in the U.S. The fact that due to the faltering revenue newspapers have less reporters at their disposal. Therefore only so many stories can be covered; creating a scale of relevance.

She gave an anecdotal example saying that an editor may have two stories and only one reporter. Then the editor must make a decision based one readers interest on which one to send his resources to.

Having been an editor for two publications I can see how this creates a conflict of interest and a dilemma. Let me explain.

In the mind of an editor there is always that underlying position of having to have enough money from ads to pay every operation and deciding what stories to run. This creates a problem.

Because publications are already losing money they covet the buyers of ads money even more.

Now add to that the fact that you want to cover a story that you want the public to be interested in. This leaves one with a question to ponder...

Is the public more interested in Lindsay Lohan going to jail or the international Copenhagen energy summit? The answer is easy.

She also eluded to the fact that financial contributor want to see a big reader/viewership. The more people you get to read your paper the more money you can get from ads essentially.

So editors are in the position of choosing frivolous stories of no informational value to keep there paper alive or cover a story of informational importance which could anger one of their big corporate supporters.

However is was JFK Jr. in his infamous address to the media April 27, 1961, that said newspapers should, "not to simply "give the public what it wants"--but to inform, to arouse, to reflect, to state our dangers and our opportunities, to indicate our crises and our choices, to lead, mold, educate and sometimes even anger public opinion." A job more and more newspapers and media outlets are failing to do.

Another problem with the American model of media is that the major corporations and most the most powerful people have become the foremost investors in the U.S. media world.

Bill Clinton’s signing of the Telecommunication Act of 1996 allowed for quicker consolidation of power by corporations instead of doing the opposite, as he boasted it would. Since 1983 the 50 companies own 95% of the U.S. Media compared to 6 companies by 2006.

So you have people like Rupert Murdoch owner of News Corporation who owns entities like Fox News, Myspace, The Wall Street Journal and many many more. And Ted Turner who owns CNN, TNT,TBS and thousands of other stations. These two guys have acted as bitter rivals like professional wrestling and American politics in true Hegelian dialectic fashion.

However: Both worked closely Rockefeller family which is working to create global governance. As Rockefeller has admitted in a speech to the Tri-Lateral Commission saying, ""...conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global political and economic structure...one world, if you will. If that's the charge, I stand guilty, and I am proud of it."

So our informational source of news has been taken over by the people who wish to make profits and perpetuate consumption of products. Once again this reminds me of what great President said about the corporate powers... that "corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow...working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed." - U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 21, 1864 (letter to Col. William F. Elkins)

Editors in the U.S. Media are pawns in this corporate corruption like it or not. Because they must adhere to the "prejudices of the people," when selecting stories and with the pressure of their corporate funders to print what more people will read. Pepsi or coke... constantly blasted in our faces making both companies superiorly rich with more investment to make to our sources of information.

In regard to her second position I will elaborate tomorrow.

Global Warming Fraud

People like the mildly retarted Glenn Beck make the case against anthropogenic global warming hard to side with, simply because who wants to agree with a man like him.

However if you haven't heard of Climate Gate in the last year then you must simply just be watching American news coverage (excuse me while I chuckle).

Any psuedo science claiming to prove anthropogenic global warming has been almost completely shut down. Here is a story from last year when it broke in the UK Guardian..

people really believe there is a consensus on the issue of global warming when nothing could be further from the truth. 30,000 of the worlds top scientist dispute those "facts," including John Coleman the founder of the Weather Channel.

When in doubt follow the money...you will find a list of names behind it .. namely Maurice Strong and Al Gore.

Don't get me wrong, we need to clean up the planet and find alternative means of energy but arguing that humans and carbon dioxide are heating the planet is like saying the world is flat... its simple made up science.

The Main college University of West Anglia in England has colluded data and guided the IPCC into complete and utter disgrace.. hence Phil Jones the head "researcher" of that university stepped down after the discovery of the emails.

However if you ask the typical American they will tell you man made global warming is real and we need to cap and trade carbon to save the polar bears... a complete CNN regurgitation.

Don't fall for the second biggest lie in American History...

Not Red and Blue.... Corporations v. The People

After writing the story pertaining the current election races in Colorado I realized something that bothered me even further about politics. And I like to open cans of worms so here we go...

The media and campaigns do a great job in each state, city, town, and even down to the district of dividing the people. Division has been burned into our very nature through sports, school, and even competition for jobs. Based on peoples very tribalistic nature it is easy to see why campaigns use this mental game of mudslinging to irk the spirit of people.

But one division that is lost up in the rhetoric, slogans, and constant purposeful reminder of "Red" and "Blue," is the dividing line between the NEEDS of the people and the WANTS of the Corporations.

Failing to hear the warnings of past presidents like Abraham Lincoln who had the fore-sight to see the corporate corruption disease about to plague our wonderful country saying, "I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. . . . corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed." Nov. 1st, 1864.

Yes some people are euphoric about the "Republicans" taking back the house and so called balancing power. There is no barometer that measures influence in each candidate in which to see how much each of them serve the corporations as opposed to the blue collar working class of the U.S.

Corporate influence is rampid and knows no bounds. In almost every case you can see in American politics there is a financial backing of campaigns and promises those candidates must deliver to those investors.

In every campaign meeting there are lobbyist who serve the best interest of the banks and corporations who are purposely de-industrializing the U.S. For as Maurice Strong Chair of the UN said in the Rio De Janero Earth Summit meeting of 1992, ""Isn't the only hope for the planet that the industrialized civilizations collapse? Isn't it our responsibility to bring that about?"

Read Larry Flint's(who a huge propnent of the 1st Amendment and a billionaire) article pertaining to the corporations entitled Common Sense 2009 which was published in the Huffington Post.


While the average American understands very little about the concept of a paradigm shift, politicans, lobbyist, and globalist understand the concept very well.

While some may say conservatives are isolating a large population of people who do not share their views. I say the value systems of people in "Red" states greatly reflect the nature of their state. In states with high city populations and mega cities like California, New York, and Massachucets it is easy to see how values and morals are constructed due to the lifestyle.

In contrast the states with higher rural populations like Georgia, Wyoming, Montana, and Kansas have historically favored conservative values that reflect their lifestyle.

Regardless of political affiliation what all people must realize is that there is line in the sand. On one side stands the corporations, globalist, and their Mc Donald fed zombies, and on the other stands the heart of the American people and the movement for localization, smaller government and less corporate influence.

Corporations share the same rights as a human being for over a millenia, which to me will never make sense or be justified... thank you 14th Amendment.
http://money.howstuffworks.com/corporation-person1.htm

My point I leave to you is that beneath all the hoopla and distraction of the elections, are fundemental differences that know no party lines. Corporate power has waged war on the American public and politics has taken up their marketing mantle of the Hegelian Dialectic: Pepsi v. Coke, Burger King v. Mc Donalds, AT&T v Verizon, Yankees v Red Sox, Dark v Light, Black v. White, Gay v. Straight, Red v Blue all while serving it up as a lovely plate of delicious entertainment for us to feast on "playing on the prejudices of the people."

While people have forgotten the warning of MLK Jr., "I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a "thing-oriented" society to a "person-oriented" society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered."

Allowing the corporations to rule has pulled us close to a "thing oriented society," while racism, materialism, and militarism have plagued our country.

Antonio C. Valenzuela
National Honor Socitey in Psychology
contributor to The Metropolitan
Political Atheist
ontoneyo@hotmail.com

Telecommunications act of 1996

cont...

Look into it. This Act allowed communication companies to own multiple varieties of services which resulted in severe monopolization....

Hence the reason all Clear Channel Stations suck. The Trilateral commision has helped to consolidate power in the media as well... think about it.

Because companies have multiple mergers.. When a Label drops a single, they blast it through their owned stations across the country, sell it through their merger with a phone company as a ringtone, and play it on MTV and BET non stop.. .

It's Like ... You are going to like this song if you like it or not.

This is why it is imperative we support independent media like Infowars.com, Livewireurbanradio.com, marijuanaradio.com and any other independent radio you can.


http://www.fcc.gov/Reports/tcom1996.pdf

Ode’s de Mari Juana
Here are some Hip-hop marijuana specialist who have created some of the classic Mary Jane Anthems;

Gangsta Pat – A relatively unknown 1990’s rapper from ....Memphis.... who spawned the cult classic rap hit, “I Wanna Smoke.”

Styles P – One of the members of the L.O.X. rap group, the self proclaimed “ghost” capitalized on the simple production of “Good Times” and created a hip hop classic and ode to Mary Jane. With lyrics like, “I smoke like a chimney/ I smoke like a gun when a killer see his enemy/ I smoke like Bob Marely did.”

Scarface- The classic cut Mary Jane was an underground hit in ’96. The song starts off with Face whispering “I don’t remember feeling like this.” I’m sure it’s because of you were high Face.

Afroman- How could we forget the classic funny song Because I Got High. I guess he forgot about his rap career because he got high.

Mystikal- The rapper that sounds like he is on fire already, made tree different versions of his Still Smoking track. One in which he depicts the tale of getting busted with pot in his car, another a tale of smoking in hotel room, and the last just an ode to Mary Jane.

Young Buck – So in Love with Bob Marley and claiming “He smoked so much people think I’m Jamacian,” buck hooked up with Bob’s son Kymani Marley and spawned the reggae-esc song “Puff Puff Pass.”

Bone Thugs N Harmony; The quintet of gangster rappers who first popularized fast rapping and harmonizing albums laced with lyrics with references to the refer, but also have some of the classic songs to listen to while partaking of the canibus; Bud Smokers only, Buddah Lovers, Blaze It, Bad Weed Blues, and The Weed song. “If everyone smoked a blunt the world could be a better place,” once rapped Krazyie Bone… I wonder.

Cypress Hill – The first Latino rap group to go platinum, and one of the first to blatantly make ode’s to the green plant. Song’s like Hits from the Bong, Spark Another Owl, I Want to get High, go perfect with their heavy bass production and odd sounds. Frontman and lead singer (rapper) B-Real once said, “First it started with a nickel/ then a dime/ then a twenty/ spending up all my money.” Their new album “Rise Up,” will also drop on 04/20/10. coincidence?

Snoop Dogg or Dr. Dre– They weeds no introduction, Snoop the ....America....’s beloved gangster pot smoker and Dre spawned the hip hop classics The Chronic,and The Chronic 2000 . Snoop has been in High Times, several times, in the movie Half Baked, The Man Show, and even His own show Fatherhood, expressing his love for the herb. Then you have songs including weed lyrics..almost all his songs, but specifically Gin and Juice, Smoking Smoking Weed, My Medicine, The Next Episode, And don’t forget their infamous Up In Smoke Tour...in the words of crooner Nate Dogg “Smoke Weed Everyday.”
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