13 replies to this topic

[donald]

For Immediate Release

Contact: Kimber Lanning

Kimber.lanning@gmail.com

(602) 312-4203


A Plea to the Music Community From the People of Arizona

A case for Go-Cotts instead of Boycotts



As bands across the United States line up to boycott Arizona to take a stand against racism, the youth needed to make change throughout the state, along with the Latino population, are either leaving or being pushed into the shadows.

The boycotters are weighing in against something we all inherently know is wrong, but they still don’t have the complete picture. Their hope is to cause the Legislature and Governor to be devastated by the “pain in their pocketbooks”, but the amount of money pouring in from the supporters of the legislation (Google “Buycott” to see hundreds of sites) will quite easily prevent those who are in power here from ever hitting the bottom. And in the meantime, the boycotters will contribute to the absolute economic collapse of the small businesses within the state, which will allow the extreme right to come here to rebuild.

Kimber Lanning, small business owner in Phoenix, feels that cultural boycotts are created by those who mean well but don’t understand the big issues at play. “Sadly, those bands who are boycotting us are actually helping the extreme right gain footing here in Arizona”, she says, “Good people are already leaving in droves- this is the wrong tactic- what we need is for bands to come here and encourage young people to get involved in the conversation- to speak out and register to vote.”

This is a national crisis that can only be addressed with a call for unilateral immigration reform. Are the polls claiming 70% of the US public supports SB1070 blatant lies being spread around by every TV station in the nation? Or are most Americans in need of an education about what it means to give up civil rights? Either way, our country is falling apart. We need to have very public discussion rather than closing doors in each others’ faces.

Economic boycotts are one thing, but cultural boycotts are something altogether different. “I wonder who they think they are actually hurting”, Lanning muses, “all they are doing is playing into the hands of the Tea Party, and let me tell you, once they win our state, they will be coming for yours next.”

Boycotts generally attempt to achieve two things: they empower the people who are being demonized, and they create a strong economic blockage that brings a specific industry to its knees. “This band boycott of Arizona is accomplishing the opposite on both points”, Lanning states, pointing out that 260,000 Latinos have left Arizona in the past 18 months, partly out of fear and partly because of a lack of jobs. “And the only industry being brought to its knees are small, creative businesses who might be the only ones that can help guide the community to sanity.”

Should the courts decide that SB1070 is, in fact, constitutional, there will immediately be at least 10 other states working to pass the same type of legislation. One wonders if the boycotters are prepared to boycott them too. Wouldn’t we be smarter to get organized and make a national plan to prepare for what’s next?

Joey Burns from Calexico and David Slutes of the Sand Rubies have started a website, www.vivaarizona.org, where bands can get the support they need to come to Arizona to channel their voices into productive calls to action. This is an important election year for Arizona- let’s work together to stop the hate.






You can get to the actual Doc file from https://docs.google....uthkey=CIzIqdcC

[jhealy]

billy bragg activism

use your words for good. by silencing yourselves you are just perpetuating the silence and ignorance that many people already feel. it's just a few people that make the change, and you artists are the ones that speak to people.

this website is simply an example of how a well respected hard-core musician is making change. billy bragg is not here yet. but he's been many places to speak and sing his word. shying away from your artistry does not help the people at all, you're actually falling into the hands of the people who you're trying to boycott.

[Rial]

so if I boycott hawaii this fucking song will eventually cease existing?

[chadk]

billy bragg activism

use your words for good. by silencing yourselves you are just perpetuating the silence and ignorance that many people already feel. it's just a few people that make the change, and you artists are the ones that speak to people.

this website is simply an example of how a well respected hard-core musician is making change. billy bragg is not here yet. but he's been many places to speak and sing his word. shying away from your artistry does not help the people at all, you're actually falling into the hands of the people who you're trying to boycott.

isn't billy on the list of bands who are boycotting az?

[jeremx]

so if I boycott hawaii this fucking song will eventually cease existing?

hey! i like that song.

[donald]

billy bragg activism

use your words for good. by silencing yourselves you are just perpetuating the silence and ignorance that many people already feel. it's just a few people that make the change, and you artists are the ones that speak to people.

this website is simply an example of how a well respected hard-core musician is making change. billy bragg is not here yet. but he's been many places to speak and sing his word. shying away from your artistry does not help the people at all, you're actually falling into the hands of the people who you're trying to boycott.

isn't billy on the list of bands who are boycotting az?

yes

[chadk]

we should send billy this letter from kimber, i think he would agree with it. he's pretty sharp

[chadk]

just sent billy a email, i would suggest more people to do the same, the squeeky wheel gets the grease

office@braggcentral.com

[donald]

just sent billy a email, i would suggest more people to do the same, the squeeky wheel gets the grease

office@braggcentral.com

Right on dude, I will send momentarily.

[jhealy]

wow! i had no idea. ill-informed. i can't believe this. sorry i posted his site, i thought more of the guy, and just assumed. this pisses me off. i'm emailing now.

[jhealy]

this type of boycotting is so fucking dangerous. he goes to communities that have no hope or money to help and he's boycotting a state that needs his help. fuck.

[chadk]

this type of boycotting is so fucking dangerous. he goes to communities that have no hope or money to help and he's boycotting a state that needs his help. fuck.

There is so much info and misinformation its hard to keep up don't get down on yourself

[degrae]

Arizona actually doesn't need people to support us or endorse us. Our artist's work speaks for itself, our farms and people produce for themselves. If the political comunity would like to postulate on the the well being of the Latino community, let them postulate on this. I have hired more than three hundred "Qualified" carpenters in my career. It took 20 hirings to find one man that could understand the marks on a tape measurer. Of the 15 people that actually knew that they would need to understand a tape measurer AND show up to work, one hundred percent of the remaining two people that would actually lift, measure, and cut wood, were more Mexican than the Mexicans that live legally in the USA. Every single white guy I hired was above the work at hand, or was in a begging state because of addiction. The very smartest caucasian I ever hired was never to be found, except when we heard he had been prosecuted for embezzling from the company he helped to form. I'm a white guy, I'd like to think that white guys have something to offer, but from my experience in the real world, where real work turns into real money, we need real Mexicans, that don't argue about unions, that just want their $60 bucks for the day of work they put in. If you find yourself in another country one day, you might be treated the way you treat your local Mexicans. If that means you welcome them and give them what you can, including the respect you would expect for yourself, you will probably have an easy time, remember, citiczens, we by law and by force imposed ourselves on this land, not everyone will like it.

[skeksis]

Every single white guy I hired was above the work at hand, or was in a begging state because of addiction. The very smartest caucasian I ever hired was never to be found, except when we heard he had been prosecuted for embezzling from the company he helped to form. I'm a white guy, I'd like to think that white guys have something to offer, but from my experience in the real world, where real work turns into real money, we need real Mexicans, that don't argue about unions, that just want their $60 bucks for the day of work they put in.

I agree with you that hardworking immigrants are the foundation of several industries... we'd not manage without 'em.

Here's the thing about labor markets, though: if you're only paying a white guy $60/day for hard/dangerous work you're bottomfeeding. Better quality workers will move to where the compensation is fair. Immigrants have serious disadvantages and relatively fewer options, though. So basically you're comparing a sample the worst of the local white population with a sample of above-average migrant workers doing jobs for which all involved are seriously underpaid... When I did carpentry (some years ago now, mostly custom/historic restoration jobs), I never worked for less than $100/day & other guys (mostly white) on the crew were making a good deal more.

If you're gonna compare, though pointless really, it ought to be the worst against the worst (westside!) or the best against the best (hard to wrap my mind around). Who makes a worse junkie or a better professional, Mexican or American? who cares?

Basically, if the business model could support a living wage for a quality worker, whatever ethnicity, or if the customer were willing to pay the real price of quality work, I don't think there'd be any need for comparison. You'd draw good workers either way.

And yeah, it's a good idea to remember that until relatively recently this WAS Mexico (new spain, etc) :-)