Seminar 7

Kat Thompson
Seminar 7
729 Words

Triggering Passages:

“It was sweet, but Florida 7907 had one big flaw that made a variety a nonstarter for commercial production: It was too spherical. Florida growers like their fruits to have defined shoulders and slightly flattened bottoms. And that’s only one item on a list of must=haves. Because producers are paid strictly by the pound, plants first and foremost must produce high yields of large, uniform fruit. They have to be able to resist diseases and tolerate extremes of heat and cold. And their tomatoes need to have a long shelf life. Taste enters the equation, if it enters at all, only after all those conditions are met.” (Estabrook, 143)

A pregnant woman and a child ewer among those who suffered dog bites; both went to the hospital. The attack dogs were so out of control, one of the mercenaries was even bitten by their own attack dog. (Deets, 2)

“The last time I made this pork roast was in February of 1965. I was having a dinner party and my dear friend Larry Neal was one of the invited guests. Everyone on the list was special to me, so I splurged for this expensive cut of meat. When the roast came out of the oven it was beautiful, but Larry had still not arrived. Then the phone rang. It was Larry, and he spoke only three words “Malcom’s been shot”.

YAKIMA, Wash. — A Pierce County sheriff’s deputy took his life Friday while investigating a case in Yakima, according to Yakima County coroner Jack Hawkins. (http://komonews.com/news/local/pierce-county-deputy-takes-own-life-while-investigating-case-in-yakima-05-13-2017)

Reaction

This week’s readings have me thinking about oppression.

I feel that there is a connection with the first quote and the expectations that we put on women. This quote reminded me of “The angel in the home” theory. We expect women to be attractive, keep a clean house, raise perfectly behaved children, get a college degree, have a meaningful career, maintain a social life, and be a sex machine.

The second quote makes me think of the lack of value that women have in our society. I remember reading the news in tears as this happened. Women are not valued in our society. Women of color are especially not valued. Women of color standing up for their rights, even peacefully, are not valued. Women are targets. I have to speculate that those who are focused on profits at all costs would have a direct conflict with those who are focused on the continuation of the human race and the health of our offspring-which is inherently connected to the health of the earth.

Those that try to stop oppression-especially those in marginalized groups-are at great risk. Those who refuse to sit down and be quiet as the rights, health, and security of their communities are often public enemy #1. The third quote, from Vibrational Cooking made me think of the dichotomy of responses that Malcom X’s death likely provoked. From the quote I could almost feel the floor drop out from underneath Vertamae’s feet. I have to wonder the response of the people who were profiting off of the racism that Malcom was actively fighting. While Vertamae’s heart sank, were they elated? Did they celebrate a victory?

The third quote about the officer who committed suicide triggered me for two reasons. The first is I wondered if there were any who celebrated his death. Secondly I wondered if his suicide were preceded by the kind of dirty “law enforcing” that we saw at the Sacred Warrior Camp. I wonder if he felt bad for the years of death, oppression, and pain that others in his uniform had caused. I can’t imagine in the wake of recent police misconduct that being a police officer would induce many feelings of pride in the minds of people who are compassionate or educated. Maybe he could not live with himself for what he has done. Or maybe he was one of the few to cross the thin blue line and stand up to his comrades. Maybe he was devalued and abused by the same system that he swore to uphold. Maybe this death that was deemed a suicide was really a murder. Maybe this is another life ruined, stolen, desecrated by overt showing of force by a corrupt system and those who still feel a loyalty to a sinking ship.  We may never know.