U.S. Foreign Policy: October 2007 Archives

"Los Angeles is Burning" - Bad Religion

When the hills of Los Angeles are burning

Palm trees are candles in the murder wind
 
So many lives are on the breeze

Even the stars are ill at ease
 
And Los Angeles is burning

(Picture from NASA)
(Rest of the Lyrics)

It's strange.  Of all the recent happenings in Southern California and around the U.S., wildfire probably make the most sense.

While seven fires continue to tear through thousands of homes on the West Coast, Boston Red Sox fans are doing the "Papelbon Jig" on the helmets of riot police on the East Coast.  That's O.K. though, because a columnist in this morning's Boston Metro writes "let it burn" of the California wildfires.  Meanwhile, Governor Spitzer is back-pedaling on his heroic drivers' license stance and Tom Tancredo is retiring (tip JTD).  Compared to all of this, wildfire is sanity.

(Picture taken by Lisa Hornack / Boston Herald)

There's three things I want to convey about the California wildfires: Fire knows no borders and neither do Mexican firefighters, forgotten migrants are the real victims of the wildfires, and anti-migrant hate has reared its head, yet again, in the form of a hurtful fake news article.  I will, of course, finish the post with the best way to help out.

I've only started making videos this month, so my skills aren't anywhere near Nezua's, but this is my submission to be Massachusetts' reporter for MTV Choose or Lose '08.  I'm still using a digital camera that was ravaged in my adventures through Mexico, and it certainly shows. 

I'm completely riding on this idea of a pop punk report.  I think humorously horrible pop punk songs are a good way to appeal to a young demographic.  I only hope MTV News likes the idea enough to support it and invest in me.  I will cover issues beyond migration, it's just my best footage and pictures had to do with migration, and that isn't saying much. 

Enough talk, here's the video:

(Picture from CNN)

My sister was the first to email me with this CNN story, but since then I have been emailed by several people that are completely enraged by the story of Pedro Zapeta. Janna sent me one of the most heartfelt messages. Her latest post on Zapeta is titled "I no longer feel good about this country". Latina Lista sums up the situation very well in this post. Even my friend at Chromed Curses has come out against this one.