Properly Subversive/Sherman R. Frederick
It’s part of human nature to lay blame in times of tragedy.
Chunli Zhao, 66, a Chinese national killed seven people when he snapped at the mushroom farm he worked at Half Moon Bay. It stemmed from a beef with his supervisor. A day before, Huu Can Tran, 72, killed 12 people at a dance club in Monterey Park. Jealousy appears to be the trigger
Modern American culture doesn’t like mundane explanations for these kinds of tragedies. Instead, we look for suspects that reinforce our biases of the moment.
Consider the strange idea from an L.A. Times story last week that “discovered” the victims at the mushroom farm were paid $9 an hour and living in shipping containers. Rich Silicon Valley people have snapped up real estate to erect McMansions on the coast, leaving the mushroom people to live in squalor. The headline read: “Shooting exposes deplorable conditions.”
Gov Gavin Newsom stood at the scene of the crime, clicking his tongue in front of the national media cameras, and calling the conditions “simply deplorable.”
Did the shipping containers somehow play a role in the shootings? Was Gov. Newsom unaware of how farm workers in California live?
Or, hey, in the Monterey Park shootings could these late-night dance clubs be part of the problem?
Look, my friends, there are no magic answers to the human condition, and that is certainly frustrating. But can we please stop searching for factors that fit into the popular political narratives of the day – skin color, weapon choice, alcohol, drugs come immediately to mind – and simply focus on justice for these victims.
Seems to me that’s the job at hand and it’s about all we can do.
APOLOGY DUE?
The Marin County Office of Equity sent out its January newsletter. In the context of celebrating MLK Day, the newsletter slipped in this explosive claim:
“The recent murders of Keenan Anderson and Tyre Nichols at the hands of police upholding a white supremacist institution are traumatizing examples of the real and true hunting of Black bodies in this country.”
Whoa. If those who run the Office of Equity believe that statement to be true, they should demonstrate their conviction by holding a public meeting to tell Marin police officers that to their faces.
WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR
A Lenten newsletter I subscribe to points out that all Christians are required to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. This Lent the newsletter will meditate on “Who Is My Neighbor?”
This could not be more timely.
STRAIGHT-UP SUSPICIOUS
Even though it has political overtones (let’s be honest about that), there are legit reasons for Congress to want to know more about the sales of five pieces of art by Hunter Biden. The buyers are anonymous (what could go wrong?) and the prices were, well, extraordinary. Five Hunter Biden paintings went for $375,000.
I’m sure all Marin artists will agree with me when I point out that $375,000 for five works is a nice return for a first-time painter.
Look, this has “influence peddling” written all over it. The people have an interest in knowing who the buyers were and where’d the money go.
A BAD LOOK
In case you missed it, “First Partner” Jennifer Siebel Newsom has come under Hunter Biden-style scrutiny for her amazing good fortune with public schools.
The story is this, according to the the Washington Examiner:
Jennifer Siebel Newsom has raised nearly $1.5 million from film licenses and nearly $1.7 million from sales since 2012, according to the watchdog group Open the Books. Her nonprofit, the Representation Project, charges schools an average $270 to license documentaries like The Great American Lie, which says sexism causes economic inequality, and Fair Play, about women who want to do less housework. While the group does not specify how much it earned from schools, Open the Books says it could easily account for all or nearly all her $1.5 million in streaming revenue.
It is a bad look. It might be better for Jennifer Siebel Newsom to waive these charges?
WHAT’S THE POINT?
We’ve all seen this little dog walking trick in Marin. Can anyone – anyone? – please explain to me why we do this? And, please, don’t tell me the hiker circles back to pick up their dog’s poop because we know that doesn’t happen.
ONE MORE THING
– Cinderella should have lived happily with her animal friends rather than settle for a man who had to try on her shoe because he didn’t recognize her without her makeup.
– I work at a factory making plastic dracula statues. There are only two of us on the line, so I have to make every second count.
– YouTube, Twitter and Facebook are merging. It will be called YouTwitFace.
Thanks, dear readers, for taking the time with our publication. Please remember to avoid soreheads, laugh a little and always question authority.
(“Properly Subversive” is a commentary written by Sherman R. Frederick for Marinscope Community Newspapers, the “mother ship” of the Novato Advance, San Rafael News-Pointer, Mill Valley Herald, Ross Valley Reporter, Twin City Times and the Sausalito Marin Scope. Mr. Frederick is an award-winning journalist and co-founder of Battle Born Media, a news organization dedicated to the preservation of community newspapers. You can reach him by email at shermfrederick@gmail.com.)
Having trouble finding the LA Times article you mentioned—can you link to the articles you’re criticizing?