Hello Concentrate Media,

I’m writing with a quick question. Why don’t you allow comments on your stories? As an Ann Arbor resident, I have a lot to say about today’s story “A2D2: Evolution Or Status Quo” — and not just about the subject matter. The article reads like an opinion piece, but it’s presented as a feature. Jon Zemke clearly supports further urbanization in downtown AA, but there’s no substantial evidence that this would equate to “evolution”… except for the opinion of the author and the A2D2 committee. For example, Jon asks:

“How can the city continue to compete with surrounding communities, let alone across the nation, if it has to surrender political and economic clout because of stagnant growth? ”

Ann Arbor can be improved in a multitude of ways, none of which involve increasing the population density downtown. Just off the top of my head…all surrounding highways (I-94, 23, and 14) need to be widened. They are constantly overcrowded, and that would only get worse with more development. Not to mention that the pathways in and out of downtown are already slow and riddled with traffic. (I could talk all day about the trials of driving in AA, from people running red lights in alarming numbers, to the unnecessarily low speed limits on roads.) Or we could focus on development. Except for west of downtown, all other surrounding neighborhoods are dilapidated and revolting. Of course much of this is student housing, but that doesn’t change the basic fact.

I want to know who would benefit from these huge buildings you hope to see go up downtown, because it sure wouldn’t be the residents. I’m under the impression that most residents would favor the height restriction on buildings, or even hope to see it dropped below 180 feet. I visited London last year, where most buildings are less than eight stories tall. It was remarkable to be in one of the world’s epicenters, yet constantly feel like I was in a village. Ann Arbor needs to capitalize on it’s village character, not try to pretend that it’s more of a city than Grand Rapids or Detroit.

Regardless, unless you provide a space for audience response and interaction (one of the primary strengths of online publishing), you’re just doing public relations. And if that’s your goal, you should make that clear instead of giving the audience the impression that you’re doing journalism.

Best wishes,
Nick Meador

Today I received a mass email from my grandmother that made me feel nauseous. Since I’m sure whoever authored it has no intention of keeping it private, I’ll paste it here:

“>> HOW LONG DOES THE USA HAVE?
>>
>> This is the most interesting thing I’ve read in a long time. The sad
>> thing
>>
>> About it, you can see it coming. I have always heard about this
>>
>> Democracy countdown. It is interesting to see it in print. God
help
>>
>> us, not that we deserve it.
>>
>>
>>
>> How Long Do We Have?
>>
>> About the time our original thirteen states adopted their new
>> constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor
at
>> the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the
>> Athenian Re public some 2,000 years earlier:
>>
> ;> >
>>
>> ‘A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as
a
>> permanent form of government.’
>>
>> ‘A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters
>> discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public
>> treasury.’ ‘From that moment on, the majority always vote for the
>> candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury,
with
>> the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose
>> fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.’
>>
>> ‘The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations from the
>> beginning of history, has been about 200 years’
>>
>> ‘During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the
>> following sequence:
>>
>> >
>>
>> 1. From bond age to spiritual faith;
>>
>> 2. From spiritual faith to great courage; 3. From courage to liberty;
4.
>> From liberty to abundance; 5. From abundance to complacency; 6. From
>> complacency to apathy; 7. From apathy to dependence; 8. From
dependence
>> back into bondage’
>>
>> >;
>>
>> Professor Joseph Olson of Hemline University School of Law, St .
Paul,
>> Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the 2000
>> Presidential election:
>>
>> >
>>
>> Number of States won by:
>>
>> Gore: 19
>>
>> Bush: 29
>>
>> >
>>
>> Square miles of land won by:
>>
>> Gore: 580,000
>>
>> Bush: 2,427,000
>>
>> >
>>
>> Population of counties won by:
>> ;
>> Gore: 127 million
>>
>> Bush: 143 million
>>
>> >
>>
>> Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by:
>>
>> Gore: 13.2
>>
>> Bush: 2.1
>>
>> >
>>
>> Professor Olson adds: ‘In aggregate, the map of the territory Bush
won
>> was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of this great
>> country.
>>
>> Gore’s territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in
>> government-owned tenements and living off various forms of government
>> welfare…’ Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between
>> the ‘complacency and apathy’ phase of Professor Tyler’s definition of
>> democracy, with some forty percent of the nation’s population already
>> having reached the ‘governmental dependency’ phase.
>>
& gt;> >
>>
>> If Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal
>> invaders called illegal and they vote, then we can say goodbye to the
>> USA in fewer than five years.
>>
>> >
>>
>> If you are in favor of this, then delete this message. If you are
not,
>> then Pass this along to help everyone realize just how much is at
stake,
>> knowing that apathy is the greatest danger to our freedom. Thanks
for
>> reading.
>>
>> >
>>
>> ps. Most of us grew up with the saying ‘history always repeats
itself.’
>>
>> The American people really need to think seriously about WHO they
will
>> be voting for.”

Here is my response:

This is strange Republican propaganda. The beginning makes sense. The reason a democracy only lasts 200 years is because a real democracy is impossible. The democracy envisioned in the USA was based on Thomas Jefferson’s lifestyle, consisting of small agricultural towns where everyone saw each other regularly, shared news and information, and helped each other out.

It could take a book to explain how we deviated from this, but in short, the industrial revolution moved most of the country’s population to urban areas. We are all now psychologically separated from each other, even if we are geographically piled on top of one another. Second, even if you could get all 300 million Americans to vote in a presidential election (only 100 million voted in the 2000 election), the only way for an election to matter is if people are making educated decisions. In modern times, people would rather jump on a political “team” and let their first emotional response to controversial topics (like abortion and gay marriage) dictate their vote. In other words, they make decisions about their involvement in culture, society, and politics, without ever really learning how our nation works and what their action (or inaction) means.

This is a good time to look at the REAL information from the 2000 election, conveniently organized on Wikipedia (Wikipedia is a great example of how the internet can transform our general state of ignorance into one of knowledge — and by the way, it IS a dependable source of information, as dependable as Encyclopedia Britannica).

Bush was elected because he had more electoral votes, but Gore won the popular vote. That means more human beings voted for Gore (48.4% to Bush’s 47.9%), but, because of our outdated and dysfunctional electoral college system, Bush won. All these statistics about “square miles of land won” and “population of counties won” are useless and probably phony. We’ve all gotten pretty used to the red and blue map on the Wikipedia page, which depicts states that are more Democratic or more Republican. For example, it’s easy to see that the largest states (by square miles) are the ones like Texas and the Great Plains, where Republicans usually win.

The point is that our “democracy” has dwindled to senseless arguing over a few trite issues that have nothing to do with “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Most people are satisfied with this. I am not. The most ironic thing about the previous message is that the Republican camp has manipulated and benefited the most from the “abundance, complacency, apathy, dependence, and bondage” in that checklist.

That’s not to say that the Democrats are any more effective. Neither party currently serves the unification needs of the country. We’re at a stalemate, and we’re starting to fester. But the previous message is really a disguised Republican message expressing the fear over immigration issues — even though our country was founded by immigrants, and has been further populated by immigrants over the past two centuries. Whether the legions of Bush lovers like it or not, we live in a global society. Although the government will benefit from scaring you into to thinking our jobs and families and lives are being invaded — either by immigrants or terrorists or aliens or giant pandas — I prefer to look through the charade.

(On a side note, yesterday I heard an ignorant man in Traverse City exclaim that, “if we sent the Marines in there, we’d get them gas prices down.” He was apparently unaware that the actions of the Bush Administration in the Middle East have cost us around $2 trillion, some of which is creating this $4/gal gas price. Cheney and friends sustained and worsened the chaos in Iraq in order to maintain our occupation of the country. Cheney and the Bush family are also under suspicion for their business involvements with the oil industry in the Middle East, since it’s highly likely that they will benefit financially from having a military presence in the region. Watch the documentary “No End In Sight” for more information on the endless mistakes they’ve made, from the mouths of US govt officials, diplomats, and armed forces. I enclosed this section in parentheses because critics will undoubtedly call it “liberal propaganda.”)

Apathy IS the greatest threat to our personal freedom. However, joining a political party, becoming a racist or bigot, and believing in falsified mass emails…those are not going to help us regain freedom.

Sorry for the outburst, but it’s my job to fight injustice. And it makes me angry to see people I care about being subjected to false, malicious material on the internet.

Please send THIS on to anyone who is tired of being fed lies, political or otherwise.

The band’s manager has contended that the name of the song was “F.T.U.S.V.D.,” as in, “Fuck the U.S. Visa Department.” This is a portion of my reply:

“If the band’s goal at the concert had been to criticize the USVD, I would have wholeheartedly agreed with them. But the band would not have an effect on USVD policies by making statements at a rock concert in London, England. The band could have done it more efficiently and responsibly by posting a notification on their web site to be read by fans and the press worldwide.

“However, the band did not make clear that this was their goal. Their intentions at the Shepherd’s Bush concert were simply to vent their angers and rile up the crowd. I was not alone at the concert, and my companion also only heard the words ‘Fuck the U.S.A.’ at the end of Gabriela’s visa story. Of course, the crowd was hollering belligerently by the end of her tale. Even if Gabriela had said, ‘Fuck the U.S.V.D.,’ the boisterous stage context and lack of clarity would have made it prone to unnecessary misunderstandings. Since I agree with the band about the shortcomings of the American government (I made this very clear in my letter), and I empathize with everyone working on their tour and purchasing their concert tickets, I would have applauded stage banter that unmistakably criticized the government. […]

“The point of the letter was to get clarification from the band, not only for their words that night, but also for why they would choose to take retribution in that manner. If you are insinuating that my ‘incorrect information’ holds the band in false light, there are no grounds. I am a journalist, and I hold myself to extreme ethical standards. If Gabriela’s statements were so indistinguishable as to whether they attacked the USVD or America as a whole, then there is a problem. I’m trying to eradicate the problem – as an American, world traveler, former (and possibly future) fan of Rodrigo y Gabriela, and proponent for the positive effects of music. I hope this alleviates your concerns.”

The manager claims that the same story was related to audiences around the world, but for some reason the band completely omitted the tale from their performance at Lollapalooza 2007 – less than three months after the London show.

He also says that he was at the same London show as I, and that Gabriela’s introduction gave perfect context for the song. The context was such that, when Gabriela simply told the crowd that they had recently been touring America, everyone booed loudly. Gabriela laughed at the crowd’s reaction, and continued in a manner that she knew would incite more aggressive responses.

The manager is most concerned about my allegation that Gabriela called the song “Fuck the U.S.A.” I’m saying that there’s more to be worried about than just the song title. If the manager speaks the truth, there is still a clear difference between the denotation and the connotation of what was said at the concert. If the denotation (i.e. – the direct surface meaning) was actually “Fuck the U.S.V.D.,” the connotation (i.e. – what Gabriela’s speech meant to the crowd) was still “Fuck the U.S.A.”

This was evident not only because of my heart-dropping pain, but because of the shrill yells and whistles coming from the crowd as the song started. It was probably the loudest moment of the entire show. Gabriela told the story the way she did that night because she knew that the Londoners would react that way. In other words, the manager is missing the point – but doing so at least somewhat intentionally, because he is distressed about possible backlash from the band’s partners and fans.

It took me almost a year to figure out what exactly about the events of 5/25/07 bothered me so much. Here is the primary conclusion: That night, I felt embarrassed to be an American, even though I was traveling the world in hopes of learning about other cultures and exploring the similarities between all humans. I felt like, if I had revealed my American citizenship after Gabriela’s speech, I would have been pummeled, or at least had a beer poured on my head.

I felt as though I had been grouped with the U.S. government – or the USVD, as the manager specified – as if there was no separation between that government office and me. But in actuality, I have absolutely no control over their policies concerning terrorist control. All I can do is criticize their mistakes – the same as Rodrigo y Gabriela had apparently hoped to do. In my efforts, though, I try to ensure that the only target is the government, and not anyone who is theoretically on my side. In reacting how they did, the band was no more virtuous than the USVD.

In the band’s attempted course of action, they alienated not only fans that loved their music, but also fellow global citizens who are aligned with them politically. The fact that Rodrigo y Gabriela are also global citizens – natives of Mexico living in Ireland – makes the situation even more ironic. I have spent extended time in both nations, and I celebrate their culture and natural beauty.

Frankly, this whole situation has begun to nauseate me. We should never have found ourselves in opposition. I wasn’t trying to establish that the band is anti-American. Even if the song was titled “F.T.U.S.V.D.,” what happened that night was wrong. I paid to see a concert, and for that I was victimized. Of all the aspects of this debacle, it’s most difficult to describe the actual experience of standing in that venue and witnessing what was going on. It was the most viciously angry moment that I’ve had in many, many years. The incident was so blatant that I cannot listen to the band’s music anymore, lest I’ll have flashbacks of terror.

For a short while, I even mistakenly considered that all of London was filled with insular, ignorant buffoons. “Cross-cultural misunderstanding” would be a vast understatement. Luckily, I came to the conclusion that any such thought would be just as useless as the crowd booing at the word “America.” But later on in the show, the mob booed almost as loudly at the mention of Manchester. So instead of generalizing them, maybe I’ll just consider it to be at least a small part of British culture to boo at various things mentioned during public performances.

The manager claims that Rodrigo y Gabriela’s song title was a suitable response to their tour delay. By that logic, it would have been acceptable for me to call newspapers and radio stations when I flew home last June, to immediately share the story of my experience. Instead of feeding them a sensational story, I chose not to. I waited months until I was more certain of the meaning of the incident. No matter what the manager hopes to prove, he cannot disprove the truth inherent in my experience.

Naturally, the manager will continue to argue that I heard the song title incorrectly, and attempt to spin this in favor of his camp. With that in mind, anyone who wishes can consider the original letter a formal complaint from a former fan who was extremely disappointed with the band’s conduct in a sensitive matter. I could have sought vengeance, but I didn’t. I hoped for justice, but apparently there is none to be found. Likewise, I cannot even procure comfort for my ailment.

I can only maintain my grip on the slim chance that this will not happen again. Music is supposed to be a force of unity, and a way for us to overcome the repressive nature of modern society. I wrote the letter because I expect Rothbury to be the greatest event of music culture in Michigan’s history. I want to do my part to make sure that the majority of people there have a genuine interest combining our energy to make a positive difference in the world. I have no control over Rodrigo y Gabriela’s scheduled performance at Rothbury, but I wanted to let them know that I will be in the crowd – documenting as much as possible, searching for the truth, and having the time of my life regardless of any irreverent behavior from performers. At this point, whether they take advantage of the opportunity presented by the festival, and in what manner, is completely up to them.

On May 25, 2007, I attended your concert at Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London, England. During the show, Gabriela announced that you had recently experienced trouble in obtaining work visas to tour in the United States. She explained that Mr. Sanchez had been mistaken for a terrorist, and this delayed your tour plans, resulting in some cancelled shows. You then played a song entitled “Fuck the U.S.A.,” and everyone in the venue cheered.

However, you haven’t avoided further touring in America, as is evident by your scheduled performance at the inaugural Rothbury Festival. I also saw you perform on August 5, 2007 at Lollapalooza in Chicago, IL. At that show, you thanked Chicago radio stations for their support in playing your song “Tamacun” — a song I have heard on Detroit radio as well. In fact, it seems that you’ve been building a pretty dedicated fan base in America, even though you have committed to decrying our country abroad.

I am not writing you now to seek revenge. I have battled with my anger and frustration over the past year, but I have forgiven you. Instead, I have two goals. First, I want to explain the current state of the U.S. Government, and how that is related to your unfortunate tour interruption. Second, I want to ask you for an explanation for your actions, which — given that you bashed the U.S., but then continued to play shows here — are hypocritical.

By many standards, the American governmental system has reached an all-time low of integrity, honor and accountability. George W. Bush is the latest in a long line of buffoons who have made a mockery out of the Executive Office, but he very well might be the worst. He has exemplified the anti-intellectual deterioration of our nation’s leadership. He has dismantled the separation between church and state by setting forth a decree of Christian Fundamentalism. He has initiated and sustained a war on an invisible enemy in order to secure the financial interests of himself and others in the Middle East.

There have also been extensive legislative movements to lessen our American civil liberties, including the Homeland Security Act and the Patriot Act. The worst part is that most citizens aren’t even aware that these acts were passed, let alone understand their negative effects. For example, the government can now enter our homes without a warrant to search our belongings, and detain a person without trial if they are suspected of terrorist activity. Now, the federal government wants to cooperate with communication companies so they will help to spy on citizens without court approval. This compromise will alleviate the companies’ legal concerns, but leaves much room for abuse of privacy.

My point is this: AMERICANS ARE ANGRY, TOO! We are already missing the freedoms we so clearly took for granted. We are tired of being lied to by people that we should be able to trust. We, as a national community, are disgusted with the domestic conduct and foreign policy of our government. We don’t want to be the enemy of the entire world, but we haven’t known how to change things.

The Internet has helped. It is bringing people together to exchange ideas and educated ourselves in ways never before accomplished. Even music festivals like Rothbury are a product of the interconnectivity, since we’re realizing how good it feels to congregate for constructive causes, like sustainability and carbon neutrality. We’re also remembering that music is one of the strongest and most pervasive types of human culture.

If you were addressing our government alone, then I thank you and I ask that you continue to do the same — if only after refining your language. But if you were blending the American government with the American people, then I ask you to reconsider your statement. America is a beautiful place with a strong spirit and an indestructible heart, and the people here are waking up from the haze of ignorance laid over us by our leaders.

Rothbury is an opportunity for us to come together and make a positive difference in the world, by aligning our ideas and actions towards similar goals. When we assemble like this, it shows us that the things we have in common are far stronger and more real than our differences. And, most importantly, it gives us a chance to celebrate music, when we truly align with the beat of Earth’s heart.

But first, every one must admit to their mistakes and consciously choose to walk towards a better future. I ask that you clarify or apologize for what you said. Then, we’ll all meet at Rothbury with cleansed psyches and emotions, and have the biggest festival the state of Michigan has ever seen.

Sincerely,
Nick Meador

This letter was also sent to the band’s manager, press agent, and U.S. record label (ATO Records), as well as Rothbury Festival organizers.

Apparently Bush is rushing to secure his spot as (possibly) the worst president in American history. As reported in a New York Times article (entitled “Senate Votes to Expand Spy Powers” on 2/13/08) about two weeks ago, the U.S. Senate approved a bill that would drastically and permanently increase our government’s spying abilities. On its front, the bill is designed to help intercept dangerous foreign conversations that come through the U.S. If it were solely intended to prevent terrorists from operating withing our borders, this would be a positive concept. But that’s not the case here.

Currently, the government needs a warrant from a surveillance court to eavesdrop on private conversations. This is an expected check on the federal government’s power in a land that values civil liberties like FREE SPEECH and PRIVACY. The first major change associated with this bill would be to remove the warrant process. In essence, the government would be able to eavesdrop on whomever they choose. Then, if the surveillance court senses a problem afterwards, they can investigate. Words from 1984 are echoing in my head like a stone bouncing down the walls of a deep, dark well. DOES THIS NOT EQUATE TO BIG BROTHER?

This bill would be open to interpretation as to what “terrorist” means, and which foreign correspondence is “dangerous.” Especially because, over the past seven years, “terrorist” has meant anyone that can be targeted to benefit the Bush agenda. (Forgive me for not speculating on issues relating to 9/11. I highly recommend that you watch the many documentaries being created on the subject. Then you, too, may start to question whether those “Islamic Fundamentalists” were really that, or if they were hired and trained by the Bush Administration…).

The second major change created by the bill would be immunity for telecommunications companies. In other words, the ones supplying the phone service will not be liable for cooperating with the government’s spying program. But here arises another gray area. What if a phone company spies on someone in an instance that is not directly tied to federal investigation? Will they still be invincible to lawsuits?

Even worse, what if this type of legislation eventually extends to all communication? Email? USPS? Sparrow messenger? When does it stop? All this really amounts to is executive control over the population. After all, McCain could potentially be filling Bush’s shoes soon. So it’s convenient then that the Republican Senator from Arizona approved this bill…