Merry, Mary, Merry,... Guadalupe... her special day is actually so close to the Winter's Solstice that it is time to be Merry that those longer days of light begin around December 21st.
Because red-suited fat guys are not all that this season represents. In the land of deserts and conquerors, another honored person still exists, called Nuestra Senora or Virgen [ meaing pure, not a sexual state ], but always Guadalupe [ and with the familiarity and maternal warmth in her projected image].
December 12th is another way to celebrate our winter holidays. December 12th is the celebrated day of "Our Lady" or "Virgin", actually Tonantzin... and only later called "Guadalupe" by the Spaniards.
For a change, away from credit-eating stores trying to sell us more stuff, discounted or just so-advertised, we need to try another version of celebration. Go downtown to the church at La Plazaita, across from the commercialized Olvera street and enter where the hearts of Mexicans press together - families who bring their prayers, their flowers and candles, and show their beloved children to honor Nuestra Senora ["de las Americas", added later] Guadalupe.
Don’t wait for the commercialized, consumerist, propagandized, later day in December to celebrate. Next year you too can bring your own family down, by bus if you prefer, to La Plazita Church across from Olvera St. in downtown LA in the late afternoon and immerse yourself in an allied culture from near our own borders. Bring your children, your cameras, your appetite, and your curiosity. And a candle or flowers, too. Parking is in nearby lots. The experience is exquisite. And fun!
But who is this special woman, the Guadalupe, the iconic image seen everywhere else also in LA ?
The story is essentially told like this =
that a special devotion to Guadalupe started almost 475 years ago when the image of a beautiful brown-skinned woman appeared to an Indian, Juan Diego, on Tepeyac hill near Mexico City.
Although it was December, the apparition, [later named ] "Guadalupe", told Juan Diego to take the Castilian roses she produced right there for him -- those roses which were out of season and not found in those arid lands in the cold winter. She told him to gather the beautifully blooming flowers in his cloak and to present them to the high Catholic bishop, to show them as a sign of her presence. She also requested that a temple be built in her name by the Catholics who were dominating the religious countryside.
Juan Diego had to return to the Spanish Bishop 3 times before he was given any credence. Then, finally, when the poor humble Indian unfolded his cactus-fiber cloak, the actual beautiful roses fell out and at the same time, miraculously, Guadalupe's image was emblazoned on his tilma - shirt -- and showed the dark-skinned Aztec princess, standing in front of the sun and on top of a crescent moon.
Juan Diego has been depicted as just one plain and humble man from the native population, those who were preferably seen by their Spanish lighter-skinned rulers as ignornant peasants - being just a devout, and submissive people who repeatedly were only there to carry out orders.
He was just allowed to deliver a message man-to-man to the ruling conquerors and their religious counter-parties. The princess apparently did not deign to appear or make herself known directly to those who now ruled these Mexican lands.
The Catholic version likes to claim that seven years after Guadalupe's apparition, some 8 million Indians were converted to their religion. Conversion may be the most important aspect of a religious group appropriating another group's apparitions, or a relevation, a visitation, and an actualization of a venerated figure, now a female ... and of more color.
Many people now still pray to her as a miracle worker no matter what they think about the formal Church where she has been appropriated. They will pray to Guadalupe even when they ostensibly must also pray to a grey-bearded God. Many mix their own traditional beliefs with the overlaid dominant Christian versions of who [all] rules the earth and heavens.
In 1754, 200 years after her noted sighting, Pope Benedict XIV declared that Our Lady of Guadalupe then patron of what was then called New Spain. Much later,
in 1946, Our Lady of Guadalupe was also decreed as the Patroness of the Americas by the Catholic all-male hierarchy. In 2002, Juan Diego was canonized in the Basilica in Mexico City.
It is not clear if Guadalupe was ever herself actually canonized, or made a 'saint' instead of her messenger. However, she has obviously been fully appropriated as if she is a saint or part of the religious iconography. How else could you explain the churches that continue to incorporate her images and utilize the veneration given to her in their own religious masses and prayers?
Some assume she must be the Virgin Mary of European depiction which seems to give more credence to the taking - of what was not actually Christian at all - as theirs. Who now is to say who Guadalupe actually is or was?
The main shrines of Guadalupe in Mexico D.F. had been preceded by the more indigenous temple on Tepeyac hill, honoring the earth and fertility goddess Tonantzin of that land - She represents our lady, our mother as earth is our mother, who, like Our Lady of Guadalupe, was also associated with the moon. In pre-Hispanic times. That temple in Mexico D.F. has been the site of large scale pilgrimages for a long period of time.
The original temple, which was dedicated to the Queen of Tepeyacac, was built near where Juan Diego had said he had seen her apparition,it is said. Tenochtitlan also was the Aztec capital city prior to the arrival of the Spanish. The area was known then as Atzacualpa or Atzacualco.
It is written that most Mexican Catholics believe that Guadalupe was a manifestation of the semitic Virgin Mary in their land, now the Americas, yet this was not found to be written down then by those same Mexicans.
So we now have to ask :
"how did the natives record this event or even make known her appearance or presence?
What media was used then? Where has it been preserved and recorded ?
Who depicted Guadalupe before the Catholics conquered and overlaid their story with their patriarchal dominant religious views and beliefs and with their parchment and ink ?
What was written over any original native recordings ?"
Though Guadalupe is NOT recorded as a saint nor raised to special religious status, she is still defined, re-framed and utilized as a duplication and apparition of the same Holy Mary that Catholics already own for their own religious stories and carefully crafted histories of special December winter events. All female deities are frequently defined by the Christian stories of a mother with child, named Mary...all later ones related to their original venerated woman.
Guadalupe is also seen and described as the sorrowful mother, a figure who embodies the suffering of Mexican & Latina populations. Many woman identify with this image as understanding their sad and difficult lives ...in a patriarchial male-dominated world. Even still today.
Interestingly, stories & controversy abound about the credibility of proof of Guadalupe’s visit. Some consider it miraculous that the tilma maintains its structural integrity after nearly 500 years, since replicas made with the same type of materials lasted only about 15 years before disintegrating. In addition, the tilma resisted an ammonia spill that made a considerable hole, which was reportedly repaired in two weeks with no external help. (It is not surprising to note that the Catholic bishop kept the original tilma containing the sacred image in his private chapel. Upon completion of the main church, he then transferred the sacred image so that all others too may see it...taking the now sacred object for only Catholic use, and also keeping the valuable icon safe from and for the native people of whom she belongs.)
In 1921, an anarchist placed an offering of flowers next to the image. A bomb hidden within the flowers exploded and destroyed the shrine. However, the image suffered no damage. So, there seems that perhaps there are also supernatural physical “proofs” and forces that are still in existence, reminding us all about of her presence and relevance in Mexico City.
For further information to be learned on Guadalupe, you can visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Guadalupe
(c) MariaJ 2008
original posting at: http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/08/30/police_raids/
by "Glenn Greenwald Saturday Aug. 30, 2008 12:44 EDT
Massive police raids on suspected protestors in Minneapolis
Protesters here in Minneapolis have been targeted by a series of highly intimidating, sweeping police raids across the city, involving teams of 25-30 officers in riot gear, with semi-automatic weapons drawn, entering homes of those suspected of planning protests, handcuffing and forcing them to lay on the floor, while law enforcement officers searched the homes, seizing computers, journals, and political pamphlets.
Last night, members of the St. Paul police department and the Ramsey County sheriff's department handcuffed, photographed and detained dozens of people meeting at a public venue to plan a demonstration, charging them with no crime other than "fire code violations," and early this morning, the Sheriff's department sent teams of officers into at least four Minneapolis area homes where suspected protesters were staying.
Jane Hamsher and I were at two of those homes this morning -- one which had just been raided and one which was in the process of being raided. Each of the raided houses is known by neighbors as a "hippie house," where 5-10 college-aged individuals live in a communal setting, and everyone we spoke with said that there had never been any problems of any kind in those houses, that they were filled with "peaceful kids" who are politically active but entirely unthreatening and friendly.
Posted below is the video of the scene, including various interviews, which convey a very clear sense of what is actually going on here.
In the house that had just been raided, those inside described how a team of roughly 25 officers had barged into their homes with masks and black swat gear, holding large semi-automatic rifles, and ordered them to lie on the floor, where they were handcuffed and ordered not to move. The officers refused to state why they were there and, until the very end, refused to show whether they had a search warrant.
They were forced to remain on the floor for 45 minutes while the officers took away the laptops, computers, individual journals, and political materials kept in the house. One of the individuals renting the house, an 18-year-old woman, was extremely shaken as she and others described how the officers were deliberately making intimidating statements such as "Do you have Terminator ready?" as they lay on the floor in handcuffs.
The 10 or so individuals in the house all said that though they found the experience very jarring, they still intended to protest against the GOP Convention, and several said that being subjected to raids of that sort made them more emboldened than ever to do so.
Several of those who were arrested are being represented by Bruce Nestor, the President of the Minnesota chapter of the National Lawyers' Guild. Nestor said that last night's raid involved a meeting of a group calling itself the "RNC Welcoming Committee", and that this morning's raids appeared to target members of "Food Not Bombs," which he described as an anti-war, anti-authoritarian protest group.
There was not a single act of violence or illegality that has taken place, Nestor said. Instead, the raids were purely anticipatory in nature, and clearly designed to frighten people contemplating taking part in any unauthorized protests.
Nestor indicated that only 2 or 3 of the 50 individuals who were handcuffed this morning at the 2 houses were actually arrested and charged with a crime, and the crime they were charged with is "conspiracy to commit riot." Nestor, who has practiced law in Minnesota for many years, said that he had never before heard of that statute being used for anything, and that its parameters are so self-evidently vague, designed to allow pre-emeptive arrests of those who are peacefully protesting, that it is almost certainly unconstitutional, though because it had never been invoked (until now), its constitutionality had not been tested.
There is clearly an intent on the part of law enforcement authorities here to engage in extreme and highly intimidating raids against those who are planning to protest the Convention. The DNC in Denver was the site of several quite ugly incidents where law enforcement acted on behalf of Democratic Party officials and the corporate elite that funded the Convention to keep the media and protesters from doing anything remotely off-script.
But the massive and plainly excessive preemptive police raids in Minnesota are of a different order altogether. Targeting people with automatic-weapons-carrying SWAT teams and mass raids in their homes, who are suspected of nothing more than planning dissident political protests at a political convention and who have engaged in no illegal activity whatsoever, is about as redolent of the worst tactics of a police state as can be imagined.
UPDATE: Here is the first of the videos [see original website] , from the house that had just been raided:
Jane Hamsher has more here, and The Minnesota Independent has a report on another one of the raided houses, here. [see original website]
UPDATE II: Here is the video we took from the second house as the raid was occurring. We were barred from entering but spoke with neighbors outside as well as with Bruce Nestor, the President of the Minnesota Lawyer's Guild, regarding these raids: [see original website]
Over at FDL, Lindsay Beyerstein spoke with the property owner whose house -- the fourth one we now know of -- was being raided while the raid was in progress, and Lindsay has details here ("About an hour and a half ago 20 to 30 heavily armed police officers surrounded the house. One of my roommates said 'I want to see a warrant' and she was immediately detained").
Meanwhile, [**} Indy Media {**} of Twin Cities -- an association of independent journalists in the area -- just told me that several of their journalists have been detained while trying to cover these raids. Their site, with ongoing updates, is here.
The Uptake also has several reports of the various raids, including video of the raid at the property whose owner Bernstein spoke with as the raid occurred. That video includes an interview with a lawyer from the National Lawyer's Guild who was detained and put in handcufffs, explaining that the surrounded house is one where various journalists are staying.
Additionally, a photojournalist with Democracy Now was detained at that house as well. So, both journalists and lawyers -- in addition to protesters -- have been detained and arrested even though not a single violent or criminal act has occurred.
UPDATE III: FDL has the transcript of part of my discussion about these raids with the National Lawyer Guild's Minnesota President -- here. [see original website]
The Uptake has this amazing video interview with the Democracy Now producer who was detained today. As the DN producer explains, she was present at a meeting of a group called "I-Witness" -- which videotaped police behavior at the 2004 GOP Convention in New York and helped get charges dismissed against hundreds of protesters who were arrested. The police surrounded the St. Paul house where they were meeting even though they had no warrant, told them that anyone who exited the house would be arrested, and then -- even though they finally, after several hours, obtained a warrant only for the house next door -- basically broke into the house, pointed weapons at everyone inside, handcuffed them, searched the house, and then left.
[see original website] Here is a blog post from one of the members of I-Witness asking for help during the time when they were forced to stay inside the house (see the second post -- it reads like a note from a hostage crying out for help). This is truly repugnant, extreme police behavior designed to intimidate protesters, police critics and others, and it ought to infuriate anyone and everyone who cares about basic liberties.
-- Glenn Greenwald "
KPFK has just kept silent for long about it's new GM, why?
12 July, 2008
this is also posted on
http://pacificana.org/2008/07/12/kpfk-has-just-kept-silent-long-about-its-new-gm-why
KPFK IS NOT NEWS, even when a New GM is hired? News not provided Tell Your Truth All Ways - please !
The KPFK website has just put onmention of a new general manager.
Even Google does not supply any press or announcements of the new manager. Here on this website, it was apparently copied from Sonali's website which said the mere minimum, and it has been said the the New GM complimented her program, and not others, so maybe that is why ? who knows ? And sure barebones information, even when Sean is googled, little is learned, other than he dealt with another costly legal case at another rade station.
the simple implication is that it must be his fault, but who knows what ??????
If there is a news release, it is not yet apparent in the LA local media that I can find....even on www.la.indymedia.org = which has lot of people complaining and explaining a bit of what they do know of KPFK's happenings & goings on....and on...and on.
That a get-real bio and description [and maybe even a pix ?] of this guy who now holds a lot of wattage power is missing and maybe the listeners would like and aural intro on air more than 1x even... to maybe only know who is the new controller over our radio station.... but how to find out ? only if they listen 24/7 to not miss an on-air blurb...
is that what is required to be an informed paid-up sponsor? Or is there something more put out that I have missed ? Is there somewhere else that gives us-who-care about the dysfunction opaque station - to get just the basic information, nothing that is 'secret !', just who is doing what and why at Our Station . Why is it sooo hard?
A blog has been set up that has had no further posts after the set up in May 2008... thus showing disinterest or lack of communications in the KPFK involved blogosphere ? it is :
http://KPFKcommentators.blogspot.com
The purpose this was set up was for were all those who are so desperate for actual factual information about what is happening at and with KPFK - to be able to join together and communicate further. Indymedia seems to be the only LA site so far as I've been able to find, by much researching and searching...which is how I found out about this site.
This website too is not known amongst most KPFK volunteers - who were asked in person what they knew. It appears to be limited to posts of the top echelon of Pacifica or elections officials or an occasional personal journal of happenings in a station or other.....not bad...but not open to posts from other sources...or is it ? That I have still not been able to find out who posts or what it takes and how this is set up...after many hours of actually reading some of the materials written in only the last 2 months.
Who insures that the KPFK audience is informed ? With more than an occasional blurb, because if it is so I have obviously NOT heard it, being eclectic and not able to listen consistently and constantly to the station.
While many valuable programs on air are good, many others are repetitious, very biased and vehement and appear even infomercial/commercial in their repeated 'sponsoring' or announcing events, artists, speakers, et al. Hard to listen to. At least NPR says "we are sponsored by...." and admit it. KPFK denies what it does. While topics and programmers are very varied, the quality or their own personal pushing their views makes some of the programs difficult to listen to for hours on end. You know. It happens a lot of places.
The KPFK website is not informative. [Look under LBS and CAB and how old any info, so very limited, is currently on it, even the calendar is limited and not up to date ].And then the webmaster was given a KPFK-sponsored event and/or a program to play ukelele ? huh? Can this be a merited move with all those others in competition to be KPFK affiliated or on-air ? It sure sounds like a break-in- of-staff-to-get-goodies not available to others. Is it ?
Writing here means ... telling about the secretive opaque paranoidal fearful atmosphere at KPFK. When anyone writes e-mail comments or leaves a voice mail to KPFK for staff or programmer, they are NOT responded to at all, and left wondering again, "where is the responsibility? " and "where is my money going to?"
So if Google cannot produce a news announcement of the new GM, and the KPFK website is not forthcoming, where is anyone suppose to dig out [of which dirt ?] the information?
July 16, 2008 12:50 PM