The “big men” are at one end of the court and the guards are at the other for about a third of practice. Whenever we shoot in separate groups like that Kevin loves to yell down at the guards and say things “How’s Club-Med down there at that end……we’re down here working….killing each other, and ya’all are down there chillin’!” Then when it’s just us “bigs” shooting we all talk trash to each other for fun with someone yelling out “Get out your hard hat!” or “Watch out below…” when one of us shoots. It’s pretty funny. So today after we had done all of this intense stuff, it got quiet while we were shooting free throws. Then Kevin looks straight at me and says, “Dog, you on MySpace.com?” I paused for a second and didn’t say anything while I thought back……..I remembered I had just signed up about five days ago…….me and Kevin both started laughing hard and I said, “KG…it seems like whatever I do, you know about it.” He laughed and told me that he has a lot of friends who are always telling him what’s going on.
On a basketball note, today coach Casey told the team that it was time to limit some of Kevin’s and Ricky’s minutes. We’re not going to make the playoffs so he wants to rest the big guns and be sure not to risk injury while allowing some of our budding young stars to have the chance to develop.
On a political note….
<<<I don’t view this blog as a political forum at this point, but this is one issue I feel VERY strongly about >>>
I lived in the Chicano/Latino theme dorm for my frosh year at Stanford. I liked it so much I stayed there for the next TWO years as well! When I heard about the protesting in the streets of LA on the immigration issue I wish I could have been down there in the downtown in support of all of the Latinos and immigrants that have come to CA ( my home state ) and other parts of North America. When I read today that lawmakers are going to do something so that illegal immigrants can take one of three paths to become legal here in the US I was very happy. Of course there has to be order to the immigration (which everone agrees on) and there must be excellent border control to reign in terrorists threats and to keep the unsavory out. However, when they were talking about making illegal immigration a felony I was in shock. Then when I read some of the quotes from some of the political leaders I went even deeper into shock. Here are some of the quotes I found short-sighted.
=========
Referring to a wave of demonstrations in recent weeks, Rep. Virgil Goode of Virginia said, “I say if you are here illegally and want to fly the Mexican flag, go to Mexico and wave the American flag.”
“Anybody that votes for an amnesty bill deserves to be branded with a scarlet letter A,” said Rep. Steve King of Iowa, referring to a guest worker provision in the Senate measure.
“I say let the prisoners pick the fruits,” said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of California, one of more than a dozen Republicans who took turns condemning a Senate bill that offers an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants an opportunity for citizenship.
=========
I am an independent and not currently affiliated with any party. I grew up in Northern California spent years in Southern California and have gone on family trips over what seems to me like every square inch of the state. I’ve met Latinos in almost every line of work from field worker to, college admissions director to Executive at major corporations and I can say that the Latino community–including both legal immigrants and illegal immigrants–has played a VITAL role in the robust development and the strong character of my home state and we should be thanking them for their contribution instead of having to read comments like the short-sighted comments above by certain elected governmental officials. I just read an online article that says that the US used to be a nation of immigrants, but it’s not anymore. To that author I would give the reminder to read Emma Lazaras’ words affixed to the pedestal of the stature of liberty:
From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Based on scientific theory and cultural/literay works even some of the native americans (which is the one group with the longest heritage here) likely came to this land via the Bering Straight or by some other sea-faring route(s). In the end aren’t we all immigrants?