Undercurrents

Check out this montage of Hartbeat Ensemble’s scathing new satire about the so-called war on poverty, “Rich Clown, Poor Clown, Beggar Clown, Thief.”  Plays this weekend and next at 233 Pearl St. in Hartford.

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Free all-day gathering for activists and the curious!

Saturday, November 8^th 12pm-11pm
Co-Sponsored by the Area Radical Reading Group of Hartford, Hartford Food Not Bombs, and the Hog River @ Collective, this all day event features panels on diverse topics such as feminism, anti-racism, anti-capitalism, radical queer politics, and domination of all kinds and their relationship with contemporary anarchist practice. We still see mostly misinformation and distortion as norms when people talk about anarchism or anarchist-inspired projects. This event seeks to dispel some of these myths, as well as build bridges between activists throughout the region by engaging in dialogue about this diverse movement—and, perhaps more importantly, what anarchism can offer other activist perspectives towards the creation of a free and egalitarian world. Thus, this event is not just about anarchism, but centered on strategies to create justice and resist structured inequality.

Activist groups throughout New England will be tabling and holding panel discussions throughout the day. This will be followed by a free community dinner provided by Food Not Bombs (from 7-8). Finally, we will finish the event off with music by local groups dedicated to social justice.

For more information please see www.myspace.com/spotlightonanarchism, call 860.978.3562 or email hartfordfnb@gmail.com.

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Check out Hartbeat Ensemble’s new play, “Rich Clown, Poor Clown, Beggar Clown, Thief” Thursdays through Saturdays until Nov. 1 at their new performance space in the Pearl Street Arts Center, 233 Pearl St., Hartford. Enjoy slapstick song and dance while swiggin’ on a little somethin’ somethin’ from the cash bar. And don’t miss cameo appearances by the last eight U.S. Presidents.

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Before considering a curfew to stem violence on Hartford’s streets, Eddie Perez should beg our people, our leaders, our industry, our media to end the sanctioned violence we do in these senseless wars we’re having.  Does anybody think that the lessons of war and tyranny are lost on the criminals who walk among us?

It stands to reason that a corrupt and warlike government will produce an intractable criminal class.  The natural inhibitions against violence are overcome when a nation resolves to rain bombs and bullets on people in distant lands, and a willingness to offend is indispensable when all transactions are fixed to favor the “haves” over the “have-nots.”  

It doesn’t help that we tolerate all this unwillingly.  We have the power to destroy the thuggish government that brought us to this point, but we don’t do it   The violence on our streets is truly an expression of our paralysis in the face of atrocity.  Nobody doubts that criminals in government have compromised our moral authority, and this must harden and embolden predators of every kind.   

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Last night, August 11, the Hartford City Council voted unanimously to
adopt an ordinance effectively removing Connecticut’s capitol city from
the business of enforcing federal immigration laws. Though the
ordinance must still be signed by Mayor Perez, the vote is an enormous
step forward for the immigrant rights movement here in Connecticut. (more…)

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It’s a pretty well-known fact if you’re one of the millions of people who read your daily newspaper online. Many papers, including the Courant, provide some form of “public forum” that allows readers (or anyone) to post comments on a specific news item. Some are tightly moderated, or require that you register before you can post. Others, like the Topix forums to which the Courant articles link, can be used and abused by just about anyone. (more…)

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I spent eight minutes with Dennis House in an interview that will be aired Sunday morning at 11 on WFSB’s “Face the State.”  I think I was able to keep my seething core from blowing on camera, but I did manage to utter ”thug” and “fascist.”  Check it out.  And if you haven’t signed my petition, drop me an email at sfournier1945@yahoo.com  and I’ll pay you a visit. 

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I guess the verdict is in: we who live in Hartford are hideous. Look away!!

There is a dissenting voice though, here and there.

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I just watched the infamous Park Street hit-and-run video and I didn’t reach the conclusion that the victim was ignored by bystanders. Less than a minute after the man was hit, several bystanders walked out into the road towards him. Less than ninety seconds after the accident a police car drove to the scene and he was attended to. It is true that several cars continued to drive by. You have to wonder what they were thinking. I chalk it up to the fact that some people have the notion that someone else will make the 911 call. But to me, the video clearly shows that a group of people walked out into the road to help this man before the police car pulled up.

What I would like to know is how did this incident take on the spin of callous city dwellers ignoring someone in distress? I see this more as the media creating a story where there was none. And then there are the wingnuts who take the distortion and add their own coat of slime. To call the hit-and-run accident a “Genovese moment” is breathtakingly stupid.

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“Over and Over again we told them, and they still don’t want to listen” said Claude Holcomb to Richard Nelson of Queers Without Borders. Claude is the founder of ADAPT CT, an organization that has been working for 7 months attempting to get the city of Hartford and the Hartford Public Library to fix a big mistake: The city of Hartford spent $42 Million on expansion and renovation of the main library. A state of the art expansion where they even put in a fine new ramp to get from street level up to the entrance ~ but guess what? They forgot to make the doors accessible for people in wheel chairs. No button. No automatic door opener. Claude told Queers Without Borders that in researching this issue, that the cost of a button and automatic door is around $2,000 dollars. Not very much at all. Yet the city says that they can’t put in a button because the door is glass (an engineering conundrum?, we don’t think so). To add insult to injury, those needing accessible access are being told: “Go around to the back, that’s accessible.” Makes sense, beautiful front door for everyone (oops, unless of course you happen to be in a wheelchair!) All are welcomed to come to the meeting on May 23rd at 4:30 pm. The meeting will be held at 24 Park Place which is Park Place Towers, the 2nd building from the street. After reading this blog entry, we encourage you to contact Susan McMullen City of Hartford Director of Constituent Services (757-9525) and express your outrage at this clear violation of making all City space fully welcoming and accessible to all peoples. Separate but equal access cannot be tolerated. (more…)

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