Living in southern California is a really difficult proposal for a Midwestern punk. The other day someone looked at me when told by someone else that I'm a punk. After an odd look they said, "Well you don't look like a punk", to which I responded, "Where I'm from you don't have to dress the part to be a punk it's about your ethic and view of the world.". Their response: "Well here if you're a punk it's kind of about dressing the part", My response: "Well there's a difference here, (whispered) I'm a grown-up.".
That being said I came to a great realization. I'm living amongst a generation of punks in Southern California who never had to grow up with the persecution of an older more conservative generation. Think about it, the Republicans in California are akin to Democrats in Kansas. Shit, Republicans even have tattoos here. They support issues that Republicans in the Midwest think are "Crazy Talk", STEM CELLS CAN DO WHAT!?!, "We can't do that those are gods babies! Let's send some more of "god's babies" off to die in order to save some Muslim heathen souls y'all, yee haw!
I'm just waiting for the day that:
1.) Fred Phelps is convicted for child pornography and caught masturbating to tapes of gay men having anal sex.
2.) For the Daughters of Jim Ryun or Sam Brownback to have a child out of wedlock that they no doubt conceived after being drunk at some vomit stained frat party and having sex in a hot tub in front of a bunch of other guys (hey it happened to a Mayor's daughter in Texas). Let's see how they deal with that situation, when she can't tell them who the father is.
All humor aside, what I'm really trying to say I think is that this generation of punks in California never had anything to fight against. I'm not talking about their parents, or saving a beach (which is a very important fight nonetheless). In Kansas and the surrounding Midwest we are still fighting the most Conservative Republican crazy people in the United States we are the home of Sam Brownback, Paul Barkey, Fred Phelps, Jim Ryun, and John Ashcroft (he actually thinks Calico cats are the "devil). We fight for reason and intelligence. We come from a magical land where evolution is considered a "fairytale" and we are all going to hell for being ourselves and succumbing to human nature, and where the arts are supported by severely limiting them. It something we fight Yearly, Daily and Hourly in an infinite flux.
A very smart man once said "On the coasts you have these great rivers of culture flowing in, the Midwest however has no river, so you have to dig the well yourself" in essence we created our own punk culture one not held by the bias of fashion or music. But rather it's founded on ideals, and I for one am proud to call myself a Midwestern Punk, and to be able to say that I'm still a punk, not because I'm following the latest MTV fashion trend. I'm a punk and played in punk rock bands because I still have something that is important to me, something that I'm willing to fight for. The punks I know protested unjust wars, marched against Fred Phelps and the rest of the anti-gay conspiracy and went to bat for too many more issues to list here.
I'm not saying that these folks aren't capable, they just haven't ever been faced with the issues that Midwestern punks had to grow-up through, one day they'll be hit by a very rude awakening. Just remember everyone, it is not morning in America, it's Midnight.
That being said I came to a great realization. I'm living amongst a generation of punks in Southern California who never had to grow up with the persecution of an older more conservative generation. Think about it, the Republicans in California are akin to Democrats in Kansas. Shit, Republicans even have tattoos here. They support issues that Republicans in the Midwest think are "Crazy Talk", STEM CELLS CAN DO WHAT!?!, "We can't do that those are gods babies! Let's send some more of "god's babies" off to die in order to save some Muslim heathen souls y'all, yee haw!
I'm just waiting for the day that:
1.) Fred Phelps is convicted for child pornography and caught masturbating to tapes of gay men having anal sex.
2.) For the Daughters of Jim Ryun or Sam Brownback to have a child out of wedlock that they no doubt conceived after being drunk at some vomit stained frat party and having sex in a hot tub in front of a bunch of other guys (hey it happened to a Mayor's daughter in Texas). Let's see how they deal with that situation, when she can't tell them who the father is.
All humor aside, what I'm really trying to say I think is that this generation of punks in California never had anything to fight against. I'm not talking about their parents, or saving a beach (which is a very important fight nonetheless). In Kansas and the surrounding Midwest we are still fighting the most Conservative Republican crazy people in the United States we are the home of Sam Brownback, Paul Barkey, Fred Phelps, Jim Ryun, and John Ashcroft (he actually thinks Calico cats are the "devil). We fight for reason and intelligence. We come from a magical land where evolution is considered a "fairytale" and we are all going to hell for being ourselves and succumbing to human nature, and where the arts are supported by severely limiting them. It something we fight Yearly, Daily and Hourly in an infinite flux.
A very smart man once said "On the coasts you have these great rivers of culture flowing in, the Midwest however has no river, so you have to dig the well yourself" in essence we created our own punk culture one not held by the bias of fashion or music. But rather it's founded on ideals, and I for one am proud to call myself a Midwestern Punk, and to be able to say that I'm still a punk, not because I'm following the latest MTV fashion trend. I'm a punk and played in punk rock bands because I still have something that is important to me, something that I'm willing to fight for. The punks I know protested unjust wars, marched against Fred Phelps and the rest of the anti-gay conspiracy and went to bat for too many more issues to list here.
I'm not saying that these folks aren't capable, they just haven't ever been faced with the issues that Midwestern punks had to grow-up through, one day they'll be hit by a very rude awakening. Just remember everyone, it is not morning in America, it's Midnight.
