Category Archives: civic commentary

city life; local color;

The Cold Holy War.

July 18, 2019arts education, civic commentary, commentary, family history, human behavior, political commentary, politics, psychology, religious belief, slum culture, social behavior, social commentary, sociology, UncategorizedAC360, Bernie Sanders, cold holy war, CuomoPrimetime, Elizabeth Warren, Hurricane Katrina and the Creole population, immigrants., immigration, inflitrating terrorism, Islam, new world order, old vs archaic, old world segregationism, religious persuasion, Richard A. Clarke, segregation, self segregation, Send Her Back, separation of church and state, Trumpruth ann scanzillo

There are many layers to the oppression of immigrants, in our time.

Because of 9/11, both the cause and perpetrators of which have never actually been proven, immigrants of a particular religious persuasion are regarded as suspect by those who assign terroristic activity in a broad swath to anyone to which the alleged 9/11 terrorists’ religion ascribes – namely, Islam.

It isn’t immigration the objectors resist; it’s the threat of infiltrating terrorism, driven by a belief that those who practice Islam are intent upon destroying everyone who does not.

They falsely assign the threat of terrorism to every immigrant woman wearing a head covering, every immigrant whose skin is a particular shade of brown, and every immigrant whose surname begins with Al.

What we are embroiled in, presently, is the secondary effect of a not-so-cold, holy war.

Never before has the separation of church and state been more relevant, been more vital, been more required, if we as Americans are to survive as a nation.

As for the holy war, we must leave that to those who practice religion.

If the government attempts to assign value to anything based in religious persuasion, it is already out of its lane; unfortunately, such assignments are being made, every day, by those in power.

President Trump was described recently by the news media, following his obvious tacit acceptance of the rally chant against the Congresswoman: “Send Her Back!”, as an “old-world segregationist”.

Perhaps society needs to take a straight ahead look at itself. To what extent do cultural groups self-segregate, and to what end does doing so protect and sustain culture itself? People of similar ilk stay close together. When they do not, or when they are forced apart – such as when Hurricane Katrina scattered the Creole population in the Gulf of Mexico – how do they survive?

Many old world beliefs, discarded by progressives intent upon a new world order, had value. Educated people can distinguish between what is old and worthy, vs. what is archaic and outmoded.

But, President Trump represents neither.

littlebarefeetblog.com

The Capriol Suite.

July 17, 2019arts education, civic commentary, classical music, classical musicians, commentary, contemplation, dance, Deep Thoughts, drama, grief, human behavior, musicians, nostalgia, poetic prose, political commentary, professional musicians, prose, psychology, social behavior, social commentary, sociology, truth, Uncategorizedamplifying outdoor concerts, brushburns, compressed videos, Eiji Oue, elitism, honoring principle, maestros, maestros batons, outdoor concerts, palpable memories, Peter Warlock, public concerts, revoking contracts, serving self, The Capriol Suite, Thymus gland, Union musiciansruth ann scanzillo

Strains of Warlock, piped across the live night air; amplified, then compressed: a posted video, momentarily searing the thymus. A fresh brushburn.

Wax;

wane;

philosophize.

Before that which honors principle, do most choose that which serves them?

Remembrance of the glory days, decades past, under the town’s most celebrated maestro’s baton, integral to these. The house, always full; the town, equally filled, with its talk. Performance, live, virtually every weekend. Inside; outside; running out, further, by bus. To most ears and eyes, everybody fully involved, equally satisfied.

Except not.

One handful, older musicians, heretofore secure, contracts unceremoniously revoked, scheduled to drop out of sight from month to next.

These, positioned, in the back desks of string sections, barely noticed by the teeming and energized, that complement rallied close to the stick to be among those increasingly closer.

The lesser talk, of discontent, unnoticed; no warning, no choice; mutterings, whisperings of master contract terms, incongruent with the surrounding ebullience. Such exchanges not self sustaining, lacking gravitas, generating remote, averting eyes, fading like irrelevance…

Now, among these, to float, beyond the stage

to dance

the Capriol Suite.

littlebarefeetblog.com

Pride, not Prejudice.

June 30, 2019civic commentary, commentary, family history, Fundamentalism, gratitude, healing, health and wellness, human behavior, love, personal testimony, political commentary, psychology, relationships, religious belief, social behavior, social commentary, sociology, thoughts, truth, Uncategorizedbias in the workplace, gay pride, hiring practices, humanity, inherent bias, merit, merit and value in human choice, relevance of sexual identity, sexual identity, social acceptance, social bias, straight pride, subconscious biasruth ann scanzillo

I’m so happy and encouraged that everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, can feel loved and accepted now, at least in theory and, increasingly, by law.

Now, I hope that straight people and gay people alike can befriend, hire, promote, and even fire without regard for sexual identity.

Nobody ever likes to feel pre-empted because of sexual identity. Women hate it when men do it; men hate it when women do it; minorities hate it when majorities do it; majorities hate it when minorities do it; gays hate it when straights do it; straights hate it when gays do it.

Let’s choose our friends, our colleagues, our employees, our managers, our leaders, on inherent merit and value, alone.

Please.

Let’s at least try, and see if we can.

love XO,

Ruth Ann Scanzillo

littlebarefeetblog.com