Hasta La Gadget!

This article was originally published on xoJane.

As it becomes more possible that Hillary Clinton could well be our first female president, sexism in the United States is made apparent to me in ways it never was before. The majority of the men in my life — as friends and family — are straight, socially liberal, white males, and all say they are at least pro women’s equality if they are not willing/able to identify themselves as feminists. But every straight white man I know is either supporting Bernie Sanders or Donald Trump. None are supporting Hillary. And therein lies the sexist rub:

I know lots of young women who are voting for and vocally supporting Sanders. I don’t know any straight white men who are voting for nor vocally supporting Clinton.

Whether you’re a woman for Bernie or a woman for Hillary, I ask you to just please pause for a moment and think about the straight white men in your life. Do you personally know even one straight white man backing Clinton in this election?

In February of this year, feminist luminaries Gloria Steinem and Madeleine Albright were publicly shamed for asserting that young female Sanders supporters are siding with Bernie because the boys they know have sided with Bernie. Steinem and Albright were calling attention to our country’s cultural history of men’s opinions (you know, the ones that shape almost all our news, entertainment, and politics) influencing women’s opinions, especially when women are young and have not yet “woken up” to all the ways men affect their lives much more than they themselves or any other woman does. However, they retracted their statements when — in a twist no one saw coming — people actually had the nerve to call Gloria Steinem and Madeleine Albright‘s comments sexist. Three months later it’s time to reassess exactly where sexism lies in this election.

As The New York Times reported in March, white men have been the only demographic to consistently resist voting for Hillary during the primaries. Suggesting that difficulty securing the white male vote comes from a place of sexism, The Times noted this particular issue for Hillary is, “a sharp turnabout from 2008, when she won double-digit victories among white male voters… when [she] was running against a black opponent…”

Eight years ago white males were more okay with the idea of a white woman as president than a black man, but in 2016 they still prefer both white male contenders Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump to a potential female president. The Washington Post verified these statistics last week, stating:

One of the groups that votes against Hillary Clinton most consistently is white men. In 20 of 23 contests for which we have exit poll data, white men have preferred Sanders to Clinton…In Vermont, Sanders saw one of his most dominant demographic performances: White men in the state favored him by 83 percentage points over Clinton.

We can look at it another way. In 2016, white men are the only gender-race combination to overwhelmingly favor Sanders over Clinton. White men back Sanders by 26.4 percentage points more than do white women (who prefer Clinton, on average). In 2008, white men voted more for Clinton than Obama — but were 20.6 points less supportive of her than white women.

The Times also asked the men they interviewed why they are not supporting Clinton and, “a few said they did not think a woman should be commander in chief.” The men who said that, very surprisingly, were registered as Democrats and Independents.

Veteran Democratic pollster Peter Heart added, “Her most serious relationship problem is with white men, on a policy issue front but also stylistically, and she is at real risk for running worse than the average Democrat with white males.”

What could that “stylistic problem” be? We have to include the possibility of Hillary reminding straight white male voters of their wives, moms, and sisters (if only on a subconscious level) — people who perhaps they traditionally did not consider serious contenders for the presidency, let alone as people who might be able to truly hold office over them in any capacity.

Before you say this is bullshit, please consider that these anti-Hillary “because she’s a woman,” conscious-and-subconscious feelings are not only coming from straight white male Democrats and Independents, they are also coming from straight white male Republicans. Thus, the common denominator is not political party, but being a straight white male.

Furthermore, a new poll on Politico suggests that 25% of Sanders supporters will not support Hillary should she secure the nomination, but will instead support Trump.

One such Bernie backer is Spencer Thayer, a straight white male who started wontvotehillary.com (I refuse to link to it because that sexist shit does not need more traffic). Thayer is encouraging Sanders supporters to vote against Hillary at all costs, even if it means a Trump presidency.

I find it hard to believe that a straight, white young man who so adamantly supports Sanders would be happy to have an insane billionaire for president, unless he, like Trump and so many of his supporters (male and female alike), simply can’t fathom a woman in the Oval Office. (PS: Thayer is a self-described activist and artist who very well could have just made the website for personal PR purposes.)

Sanders and Trump supporters have continuously fallen back on the same two talking points when it comes to knocking Clinton: Taking money from super PACs, and using her family’s email server over the State Department server while Secretary of State. While Bernie himself has said he’s sick of talking about the emails, both Bernie and his supporters will not let the super PACs go. It is an argument that inherently brings up the question of sexism when Democratically beloved President Obama has also swung to the side of super PACs but has not been criticized for it.

It is also important to note that Hillary has been gunning for president at least since college, if not her whole life — meaning longer than Obama could have been before she ran against him in 2008, and longer than Bernie has been, at least in total number of years spent campaigning for the presidency. Hillary is a pre-Bernie and pre-Trump politician. Could she be where she is today if she hadn’t played by the same rules every man did up until this point in time? No.

And if she were suddenly a dark horse former First Lady springing onto the scene, declaring she was running for president as a no-super PAC candidate, would anyone take her seriously or give a shit? C’mon. No. Bernie’s campaign is a campaign he is able to run because he is a white male. Our first ever white female candidate does not have such privilege.

The hardest thing about laying out these points in one place is not the thought of sharing them with the Trump and Bernie-supporting men in my life, who I actually think will listen to and consider each point fairly. It’s knowing that each point will be brutally and aggressively attacked by young female Bernie supporters. Just ask Lena Dunham: When it comes to sexism in this election, which has been created by both men and women, the people who have wanted to see it least have been women.

It goes back to Gloria Steinem and Madeleine Albright’s point: Young democratic women who do not yet appreciate how much straight white males (consciously or subconsciously) resist change that pertains to the advancement of women do not yet fully understand the difference in being a woman who has fought tooth-and-nail her entire life for the presidency vs. being a straight white man running on a ticket that’s pretty much cut-and-paste Obama’s broad campaign promise of “Change.”

They do not yet understand that the information that they’re being given for Bernie and/or against Hillary is coming from bros of all ages like Spencer Thayer (who mostly just wants page clicks to pay for his DJing equipment, betch).

They don’t yet know that the disrespect and hate they feel for Hillary is disrespect and hate that will soon be coming their way if real feminist “Change” doesn’t move through the United States post-haste.

And they definitely don’t get that a straight white man “fighting for the rights of women” will never, ever mean as much as a woman earning the opportunity to fight for the rights of women, the opportunity to lead both men and women, and the opportunity to run the country.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

I am an admirer of art whether it hangs on a wall or ceiling or graces the pages of a book. Lately, I have become more appreciative of its presence when the human body is the canvas. I have many friends who have become the creative platform for the artistry of skilled craftspeople. As someone who is pain avoidant, my fantasies about indulging have been satisfied with the occasional henna tattoo.

When my son Adam turned 18, he informed me that he had gotten his first one. He showed it to me and reported that it was Chinese calligraphy for power (or strength), not sure which at this moment. I waited for three days, before sharing the thought that to him (and I held up a closed fist) this was power or strength, but to show someone his tattoo, since it was on his right forearm, he needed to extend his hand. He shook his head and replied, “Oh, mom… do you have to ruin everything? Does everything have to be spiritual with you?” I nodded and smiled. A year or so later, he came home with yet another arm embellishment. This time he exhibited the Egyptian Eye of Ra which is said to be symbolic of the sun. Playing dumb, I asked him what it was for and he responded, “Protection.” My answer to him, with a teasing lilt in my voice, was, “Spiritual protection?” He rolled his eyes. On April 23rd, Adam turned 29 (hard to imagine that I am old enough to have a son who is nearly 30) and when I asked him what he wanted as a gift, he said that he was planning on getting a third tattoo and asked if I would be willing to chip in, along with his girlfriend Lauren. I agreed. His choice of design is another Egyptian symbol — a scarab which connects to the concept of eternity. At his birthday celebration, he showed me the rainbow hued image he planned on placing as a bridge between the other two.

In a recent Vivid Life interview on my show called It’s All About Relationships, with Noah Levine who himself is a canvas for colorful art, I shared a story about meeting his mother, spiritual teacher Ondrea Levine when she and his father Stephen, who recently passed, were speaking in Princeton, New Jersey many years ago. We were both washing our hands at the bathroom sink. Her sleeves were rolled up and I noticed several tattoos on her forearms. She explained that she had received numerous cancer diagnoses and with each one, she acquired another ‘victory tattoo’ as way of letting the cancer know it wouldn’t defeat her.

Two friends, Yvonne Kaye and Tom Ziemann, both who were guests on my show, also have beautiful artwork on their bodies. Tom’s tats were included over time, while Yvonne’s are recent additions. At 82, she is rocking them and wants the world to know!

They graciously answered my questions about the experience. Yvonne’s answers are first.

Edie: What inspired you to get your first tattoo?

Yvonne: I’ve always admired tattoos as long as there is a theme, never thinking I would have one myself. When John (her husband) died and was cremated, I purchased a small plaque that is in the garden he loved and we all know that passionate gardeners are a breed apart. They find their solace in the soil. I went to see my doctor and told him about this thought but didn’t know where to start. He told me his wife had a tattoo of the last words her father wrote in a birthday card to her before he died. That was an AHA moment for me. I went home, looked through the massive collection of cards from John and found the last one he wrote to me. It said, “You are my love, Yvonney. John. 8.8.88 “which is the date we seriously started our delightful life together, a small infinity symbol with which we always ended our letters and cards — infinity and beyond is what we usually wrote — and a small heart (even though he had a big one).

Edie: What are the designs and what do they represent to you?

Yvonne: I believed that would be the only one but I am honoured and privileged to be accepted into a group of First Responders, Veterans with PTSD. I have it from the Second World War during the Blitz on London. When I told them about the tattoo they all shouted – you’re going to get a sleeve! ‘No I’m not’ I said huffily, really believing it but when I got home I thought about it more and realized that one sentence didn’t tell the story. Some years ago my son designed my notepaper and on it is a Phoenix. It is my symbol. I rose from the ashes in London as did that city during those frightening years, so the next tattoo was a multi-coloured Phoenix. Of course it added more to the significance this time as John was cremated and in my heart and soul rose from the ashes. More laughter from THE GROUP and the sleeve potentials. As I left the tattoo salon I decided that was it and then hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Maybe another symbols we both shared. A bumble bee. This was our attitude to life. Aerodynamically a bumble bee can’t fly but nobody told it. So I added a bumble bee. I thought that was it until I realized how important a little black feral cat was to John. This cat who was very nervous ate from John’s hand so I added a little black cat. I really thought it was over but then a friend sent something on my Facebook page and said, “As soon as I saw this I thought of you’. It was the infinity symbol additionally in the shape of a heart and in it is written — John. 8.8.88 forever. In other words, I have John’s memorial on my arm so it goes everywhere with me and my first responders and veterans love it!!

Edie: How would you measure the pain level on a 1-10 scale? Were some more intense than others?

Yvonne: The pain was far less intense than I thought it to be. I have been told it depends where on the body the work is done. The black cat was probably the most painful because it had to be filled in with a lot of black ink. I would say my experience was from 4 – 6 scale.

Edie: I know that some folks meditate or otherwise distract themselves. Did you do any of that?

Yvonne: I did none of that. I was very relaxed and feel it was because I was creating something that would last until the day I die, that it would not be affected by weather conditions and that it was unique. Every so often if it stung more, I would take myself off to Ireland with one of the favourite cottages at which John and I stayed.

Edie: I have also heard from friends that it is a spiritual experience or ordeal. Did it cross over into that type of paradigm? Some also said that it was transcendent. Holy ink?

Yvonne: I suppose it was spiritual in a way. John was ever present and I did feel his presence very strongly. It was as though his hands were on my shoulders whilst he whispered his approval. The funny thing is that I am not sure he would have approved in life, but then, there wasn’t a purpose for it whilst he was living.

Edie: Tattoos are more than skin deep. You mentioned that even though I don’t have any visible ones, they are still there beneath the surface. Do you feel like you have some of those as well?

Yvonne: Without doubt. These tattoos have such an impact on my heart and soul. When I doubt myself, question what was, I see the arm and all is well. It was a risk. I am a ‘respectable, well liked professional woman’ and now that summer is coming I can no longer hide them. What has been amazing to me is the effect they have had on young people with whom I work in the recovery programmes. They yelled, shouted and totally approved of me and my arm. It has crossed all boundaries.

Edie: there are anything else you want to share?

Yvonne: Most people have been delighted and my grandchildren are impressed. What better compliment. I am going home to England shortly for the first time in ten years and the cousin with whom I am staying could care less and her son thinks I should get the stick ons and cover my whole body. Why? Because most of my family will be uncomfortably surprised. Some are very religious and will disapprove which brings me back to Dr., Seuss. “Be who you are, say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind. As I said before, I love reading tattoos and in my work many people are covered. However, I don’t stop there. I was in Wegman’s one day and I saw a young man with a tee shirt on — I followed him through the produce department and asked him if I could look at his tattoos. They were spectacular. He told me he was in the Navy and that his mother hated them. I said they were a work of art at which point his mother came round the corner and saw me. I told her I thought they were magnificent and she said, “Really?” and softened a bit. At that time, I had no tattoos. As he walked away I noticed he had shorts on and his legs were also covered so I yelled across Wegmans — “Wait, I haven’t read your legs.” He stopped and almost fell down laughing and the miracle was — so did his mother. I have tons of stories. The young woman artists who did the first two asked me if I minded if she told people about me, an 82-year old woman who came in for her first tattoo. I said, “You go, girl. Then my pain management doctor asked the same thing. Hilarious. I took my car in and a mechanic saw the Phoenix. He said they were great stick ons to which I rose to my majestic 5.4inches and said, “THEY ARE REAL!”
~ ~ ~ ~

And now Tom…

Edie: What inspired you to get your first tattoo?

Tom: When I was in the Navy, most of the other Enlisted folks got tattoos as a rite of passage; some to merely fit it, some to prove they could handle the pain. Both of mine were quite small, one on each shoulder and only visible if I wore sleeveless shirts or tank tops. They still hold deep spiritual meaning to me.

Edie: You mentioned having several. What are the designs and what do they represent to you?

Tom: I have a total of four. They can become quite addicting, just ask folks who have more than one. My first Guru Johnny Norman ran a Martial Arts school named; “East West Martial Arts” He promulgated “Eastern Philosophies with a Western Mind”. He had profound effect on my life and was responsible for my reason to write my book, The Department of Zenitation. On my right shoulder I have Yin/Yang (East) On my left shoulder I have an Orthodox Cross (West) I have an anchor on my right forearm, my homage to my Navy days and Ganesha on my back, my all-time favorite Hindu Deity.

Edie: How would you measure the pain level on a 1-10 scale? Were some more intense than others?

Tom: The three smaller ones were quite tolerable, all in the 3 range. It truly it depends where on the body one gets them and how many colors are used. My first three were all on my arms. The last one I recently had inked, no doubt a fricking 10!!!! Ganesha is on my back adorning my right shoulder blade. It was a seven-hour excruciating ordeal. It took two sessions and a month to complete and heal. It boasts over eight different colors and is quite ornate and intricate; some folks have mentioned it looks like a photograph. I’m very pleased with how it turned out.

Edie: What got you through it to the other side?

Tom: For millennium, many cultures have had different rites of passage, typically for the males… when they move from boys to men. Many involved tests of bravery, vision quests, tests of strength and endurance and pain rituals.

Some even involved hand to hand fights with wild animals and others to the death. As I mentioned, Ganesha was by far the most miserable pain I’ve ever dealt with. I found it more painful than my tonsillectomy I had at 40 or my vasectomy. What helped me endure my suffering was focusing on my breath, having great music playing in the background and Saad the great ink artist, (Owner of Pussycat Tattoo in Milwaukie, Oregon) who discussed a myriad of different spiritual ideas. Plus, he was funny at times… humor definitely took my mind off it. During the 4th hour, the pain was becoming intolerably miserable… I looked up at him and said;

“Saad, you’re the best artist on the planet… however I am NEVER Getting another tattoo, mark my words” He stopped digging his deadly daggers aka needles into my swollen back, looked directly at me and let out a huge belly laugh. He smiled and said; “Dude, like I’ve heard that before” All the onlookers also laughed.

Edie: I know that some folks meditate or otherwise distract themselves. Did you do any of that?

Tom: Deep breathing was my savior.

Edie: I have also heard from friends that it is a spiritual experience or ordeal. Did it cross over into that type of paradigm? Some also said that it was transcendent. Holy ink?

Tom: It was a spiritual experience which I will never forget; much like a woman having a baby, lots of pain until the joy of the birth. There were times when I was praying for it to end. At the end of the first session, I felt incredibly woozy, like I had gone 10 rounds in the ring, toe to toe with Mike Tyson. My whole body ached. I was not looking forward to the next session, yet I knew I had to endure it. The pain all washed away with seeing the end product, the gorgeous artwork I will proudly wear for the rest of my life. Even my friends who are not into tattoos marvel how intricate and beautiful Ganesha turned out.

Edie: Tattoos are more than skin deep. You mentioned that even though I don’t have any visible ones, they are still there beneath the surface. Do you feel like you have some of those as well?

Tom: Of course… mine hold deep significant meanings for me; each depicts a different part of who I believe I am, what beliefs I carry and thoughts which I hold dear, and what I am most proud of, what I cherish.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

The tide is turning on Arctic protection. Actors that you may not have expected to play a role, are now stepping up to protect the Arctic; to embrace it as global commons, rather than exploit it. Some of the world’s largest seafood and fishing companies like McDonald’s,Tesco, Iglo, Young’s Seafood, Icelandic Seachill, Russian Karat Group, Fiskebåt — representing the entire Norwegian oceangoing fishing fleet, and Europe’s largest processor of frozen fish, Espersen — have now committed to stop their search for cod in the “Galapagos of the Arctic”, a huge area in the northern Barents Sea and all the way up to the North Pole. This is big news which must drive governments to speed up the legal protection for the Arctic.

Let´s face it, in recent years, the Arctic has been in the midst of a real-world Game of Thrones. Arctic countries have rushed to stake claims of this fragile place for themselves. Corporations have exploited the tragedy of climate change — which results in more ice-free waters in the Arctic — to recklessly hunt for oil and fish. Non-Arctic countries have tried to get in on the game, too, not least by fixing their eyes on the “Northwest Passage” and dreaming of magical shortcuts for their commercial shipping fleets.

But, in recent years, this Game of Thrones plot has been disrupted by millions of people all over the world coming together to #SaveTheArctic as a common treasure of humanity. And now, finally, the plot twists. After many episodes in which things kept getting worse, we now see protection becoming a reality. Shell has left the Alaskan and Norwegian Arctic.

Now, worthy of a new season, for the first time ever, the seafood industry has voluntarily imposed limitations to industrial fishing in the Arctic. This means that any fishing companies expanding into unindustrialized Arctic waters will not be able to sell their cod to major seafood brands and retailers. This is not just a big step forward for the protection of the Barents Sea, this is a landmark move from a significant chunk of companies in the fishing industry, who have heard the calls of the millions of people to safeguard the ocean on top of our planet.

These voluntary measures are needed, because the Arctic Ocean, for all its beauty, lacks any significant legal agreements to protect it. Therefore, every piece of sea ice coverage lost is another piece of ocean open to reckless exploitation. Luckily, politically, too, there is change in the air.

Under the Unites Nations, for example, governments, have just started developing a new UN Ocean Agreement that could help protect two thirds of the world’s oceans and set up rules to create and manage ocean sanctuaries, including in the central Arctic.

The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR), meanwhile, is deliberating the creation of a Marine Protected Area roughly the size of the UK in the Arctic high seas. The upcoming OSPAR meeting, 20-24 June, will be critical in delivering this vital first step to an Ocean Sanctuary. Governments who have spoken up in favor of Arctic protection, such as Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden and Finland, need to show leadership and lead the way for the first marine protected area in the Arctic high seas.

National moves have also made headway. The United States has facilitated a moratorium on unregulated fishing in the Central Arctic Ocean among the Arctic coastal states. They are now working to bring in other nations, too. More recently the US and Canada agreed that commercial activities like shipping, fishing, and oil and gas exploitation, should be based on scientific evidence and be in line with global climate and environmental goals, as well as Indigenous rights. Of course, full Arctic protection requires action by other Arctic nations, like Russia, Denmark and Norway, who are still a bit of a stone in the shoe when it comes to Arctic protection.

It’s clear that “Winter did not come” [s1] to the Arctic this year as Arctic sea ice just hit a record low maximum in winter. With the extreme loss of sea ice, large areas of water are left open for longer periods and the need for legal protection to replace the protective ice-shield is urgent.

Science tells us that all Arctic oil should stay in the ground if we are to live up the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change. As for fishing, there is plenty of evidence that shows that trawling the Arctic spells disaster for the sensitive seabed of the high North.

Coming back to the Barents Sea; Norway must now react to the momentum created by industries agreeing to end the exploitation of significant ocean areas. Voluntary action can only be the beginning. Norway needs to legally protect it’s own most sensitive Arctic waters in the Northern Barents Sea, including Svalbard. These areas are home to a wide range of whales, as well as cold water corals and tiny creatures like the mystical sea butterfly. Doing so could make Norway deserve its own episode in “Protect the Arctic” (Anti)-Game of Thrones. Especially, if Norway delivered on their their international commitment to protect 10% of their oceans. Shamefully, right now Norway is moving in the opposite direction, allowing yet more oil to be drilled in the Arctic, and is still not on track to achieve its 10% commitment to marine protection by 2020, neither in the Arctic nor elsewhere.

Which is just another sign that, ultimately, we need a global agreement on an Arctic Sanctuary.

When we started to call for such a Sanctuary a few years ago, many called us unrealistic. But the tide is turning. As Bob Hunter, one of the founders of Greenpeace, observed: big change looks impossible when you start, and inevitable when you finish. In a few years, I trust, a day will arrive when the Arctic is safeguarded and we will no longer be thinking of a Game of Thrones, when we think about the Arctic.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Science says, “Yes!”

Have you ever wondered what happens inside an egg as a chick develops?

A video has popped up on the internet recently, and it is a must watch for science-lovers.

The video is entirely in Japanese, but it showcases Yutaka Tahara and Katsuya Obara’s technique used in their 2014 study ‘A Novel Shell-less Culture System for Chick Embryos Using a Plastic Film as Culture Vessels’.

Here, I will show you exactly what it looks like when a chick is developed in a shell-less environment.

First the students prepared the eggs, which were store bought. The eggs were cracked and placed into the artificial culture vessel.

The egg is artificially fertilized and then it is placed into an incubator.

Next, a heart beats.

The chick starts to develop; its features become identifiable. Here you can see the eye and the beak as the bird rests inside its artificial shell.

In the next shot, the chick is nearly fully developed.

Finally, here is one of the little guys running around.

Why Does It Matter?

According to their 2014 research paper, the shell-less method has multiple benefits, most notably concerning the preservation of rare birds. This technique can be applied when trying to save eggs that have been broken or are at risk of breaking. Broken eggs mean fewer birds, but the shell-less technique means those eggs can be recovered.

Science. You never cease to amaze!

Acknowledgments
This work was supported by a Grant-in-Aid (No. 23924002) from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Copyright Ⓒ 2014, Japan Poultry Science Association. http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/browse/jpsa doi:10.2141/jpsa.0130043

Sarah Caroline Bell is a writer based in Seoul. She is contactable at http://www.themscript.com

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

In honor of the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War, I organized a 13-state funeral for the Confederate flag on March 25, 2015–three weeks before the Emanuel A.M.E. Church shootings in Charleston, South Carolina. This in turn led to my call to burn and bury the Confederate flag in all 50 states on the following 4th of July. Both of these actions were very successful, with widespread participation and media coverage across the country, from Alaska to Florida, due to an incredible team of activists, artists, and poets. It was great to see so many Americans of different backgrounds confronting this divisive symbol with a powerful statement of creative resistance. This art project produced several things: a contribution to a national discussion, a group eulogy poem, the Burn and Bury music video, and a free digital kit that included an 8½” by 11″ printable Confederate flag for folks who would not buy or could not find a Confederate flag. But most importantly, it helped identify a community of folks who understood the intersection of culture, art, and activism as it related to the Confederate flag, white supremacy, and the complexity of Southern heritage.

However, the Confederate flag continues to fly across America, even after the Civil War ended 150 years ago, even after the Charleston massacre on June 17, 2015, and even after my 13 Flag Funeral installation, showing that history, mass murder, and art are not enough to get past the deep national wounds that have divided this country along the lines of race, culture, and geography. But perhaps these wounds are permanent, the price for building a country on a complicated mixture of both virtuous and immoral grounds: religious freedom and slave labor.

After the Charleston Nine tragedy, some will claim that progress has been made: the flag coming down in South Carolina, the city motion to remove a Confederate memorial in New Orleans, or the most recent House of Representatives vote to bar the Confederate flag from being flown at cemeteries operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs. These are rather small developments, considering that nine people had to be murdered in order to induce a national conversation about something that should have been resolved in 1865. This measured progress is counterbalanced by the recent Mississippi vote to keep their state flag (which has a Confederate flag in its design), the lack of federal legislation that could swiftly resolve this issue, record high sales of Confederate flags, and a strong movement to keep the Confederate flag and its whitewashed history alive. This can be seen with the seven state governments which have designated April as Confederate History Month: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia. The Civil War continues on so many levels with a visual terrorism/white supremacy protest on one side and the loss of white privilege protest on the other.

While I don’t expect this flag to disappear anytime soon, it must be divorced from taxpayer funding and all government buildings, branding, and support–with the exception of art museums and educational or historical spaces. After all, the secessionist Confederacy and its flag were created to defend Southern states’ rights to protect an economy and culture based on slavery. We are beyond the sitcom debates, academic conversations, barbershop banter, and disconnected art spaces. It is time to move beyond the Civil War, the Confederate flag, and limited views of Southern heritage. It is time to face American history directly, intellectually, emotionally, and truthfully so that a real healing process can begin. And if social change is to come, then it is time for some political intervention, federal legislation, and democratic weigh-in.

While politics and art can be very important agents of social change, it is the space where art and politics become ritual, where values and responsibilities are repeatedly shaped, reinforced, and sometimes transformed into a formidable collective consciousness for healing and inspiration. And when ritual, as a dynamic social system, goes beyond a one-time event, goes beyond the abstraction and protection of art, there is an opportunity to integrate the theme of the work into everyday life where it is needed most. From Juneteenth to Passover, we see how sacred rites of passage born out of trauma and pain can deliver a special call for purpose, social responsibility and leadership.

As an artist, I recognize the complexity and limits of art and politics to create and maintain social change. In fact, it is often critical loss, such as death or the fear of death, which motivates such discrete changes. We saw this play out with the Charleston situation. We saw this with Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner. We saw this with Kent State. But there must be a better way other than death or silence. Change happens when individuals like Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter-Gault stand strong and lead the way. Change happens through education, cross-cultural experiences, and in the ritual space. We see these changes on the dance floor, in the concert halls and college classrooms, and even in the military. We need more cross-cultural rituals that confront the pain of the American past. And more specifically, we need an American ritual to deal with the Confederate flag.

With this in mind, I propose that we Burn and Bury the Confederate flag every Memorial Day as a way to send a powerful message to ourselves as a nation that the Civil War is over, and the days of the Confederate flag and white supremacy are numbered. And, just as we honor the memory of our lost military soldiers, we must also celebrate our soldiers of social justice who fought against slavery, those who fought for Civil Rights, and those who continue to fight against contemporary institutional and cultural white supremacy. It is time to take the Confederate flag and use it as a symbol for cathartic action, giving birth to a new ritual for all Americans to engage in: a space of healing and transformation. So with great resolve, I am proud to present BurnandBury.org, a site dedicated to organizing a nationwide Burn and Bury ritual for the Confederate flag on Memorial Day.

To learn more and get your free Burn and Bury Kit go to www.BurnandBury.org

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