thoughts on the gig

here at bhs, the students recycle their lunch trays and plates. bhs, our leaders say, cares about the environment. they babble about global warming, doing our part, being responsible citizens. bhs, like the town that houses it, is an example of corporate liberalism, which after corporate conservatism, is about as bad as it gets. maybe worse, because of its fundamental hypocrisy. for while the students recycyle their trays, not once, in five years, have i heard anyone at bhs mention the environmental destruction and human suffering caused by the u.s. military. not one speech has been made by a liberal bureaucrat at the school imploring the students to care about our earth by doing everything in their power to halt the u.s. war machine. even writing this seems silly, as if it were possible that a fine, liberal public school could actually educate its students.

here at bhs, while trays are recycled, i and my peers purchase sodas from the plethora of coke machines that line the hallways and lounges. the corporate liberals and arm chair radicals at bhs ignore what coke has done to the environment in india and elsewhere, all the while imploring the student body to care. speaking of the student body, how good can it be with soda and candy on the premises?

and the hypocrisy goes on. today, there was a moment of silence for the victims of 9/11. well, there has been nearly 8 years of silence at bhs for the victims of our bombing of afghanistan. no one acknowledges the carnage. likewise with iraq. no one gets on the intercom and humanizes their suffering. no one speaks of war crimes, depleted uranium, cluster bombs, burned babies, orphans, refugees. the moments of silence go on and on and on.

we here at bhs claim to value life and the planet. but it seems that only some life is valued, and it appears fine to kill the earth, as long as we get a good deal on the vending machines. we teach our children to recycle, as we drive in to school in our suv's. here at good old liberal bhs, i have heard teachers speak of "red china" and "the great jefferson davis." they too, surely have recycling bins in their classes.

so, we here at bhs recycle.

as the bombs fall. as the cars fill the streets. as the pesticides are sprayed.

we here at bhs recycle, as marines roam the hallways. in the new rome, they roam, looking for virgin bodies to drop their bombs. liberal bhs allows them entry, lets them table during lunch. they strike up conversations with working class and black kids. their accents shift, as they go street and slang to impress the students. once i yelled "don't listen to a word these fascists tell you!"

but, the rent was due in two weeks, so i didn't push it any further.

rather, i kept moving.

but, not before recycling my tray.

as i finished my orange soda, and prepared myself to withstand another day at the slaughter house.

this is fielding mellish, reporting live from the belly of corporate liberalism.