MMJ and The Other Side of Immigration

[SaraBananaBear]

Conor Oberst is taking on the immigration debate in full force: Not only has the Bright Eyes mastermind hosted a concert, recorded a new song, and written an open letter to raise awareness, but now his label, Team Love Records, is set to distribute a new documentary on the issue, as well. The Other Side of Immigration, which is based on over 700 interviews in Mexican towns, seeks to provide "a perspective on undocumented immigration rarely witnessed by American eyes, challenging audiences to imagine more creative and effective solutions to the problem." The hour-long film was written, directed, shot, edited, and produced by Roy Germano.

Pre-order a DVD copy of the documentary, which also features music from My Morning Jacket, Oberst, and Cuarteto Latinoamericano, over on Team Love's website right now and check out the trailer below:
[media]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh8biWzG0Wo

[/media]

Words cannot express how much I love Conor and MMJ for getting involved with projects like this. [ch9829]

[blucas]

Thanks for the shout out for an important issue SaraBananaBear (and thanks MMJ for the san diego show).  Sorry to get vitriolic, but I must...

As a resident of AZ, I am embarrassed by our politicians' grandstanding and exploitation of the immigration "issue" in order to maintain their privileged status through the next election cycle.  Mexican immigrants are human beings who risk their meager life savings and their lives to get here, with some leaving their families behind for extended and unpredictable periods of time.  We should all ask ourselves just how horrible conditions would need to be before we could ever make such a decision...take such a leap of faith.

Our immigrants in the 19th and 20th century had a defined path towards citizenship.  The system today is purposefully confusing and deeply veiled in red tape.  There is no Ellis Island to provide a defined system for these humans to gain a safer situation for their families.

The lack of such a system has allowed the opportunity for human smugglers, one of the most despicable 'brands' of criminals, to prosper...with a proper system, they would be unnecessary.  We have maintained a cold shoulder towards the situation, and as a result, the best option for truly desperate and poor people is placing their lives in the hands of those who brutally prey on the most vulnerable.

Politicians are all becoming fake tough guys. To be truly tough, we must lead without compromising the humanitarian ideals that are so ingrained into who we are supposed to be.  

I hope that AZ can restore some dignity by voting out Jan Brewer (who intentionally and publicly tried to create hysteria by manufacturing the  lie that Americans are being beheaded by illegal Mexicans within our own country...she later recanted, but her ratings actually went up...unbelievable!) and Russel Pearce, who are poster children for the fear mongering, chest pounding, hate spewing ways of today's new breed of politician.

[JPV]

Great post blucas!!!!!!! i agree wholeheartedly with everything you said.
8-)

[SaraBananaBear]

I agree, great post indeed. I've only just now started to read more about the Arizona situation, so it's very interesting to hear more about the issue and the opinions of those living in AZ!  :)

[e_wind]

i just watched the trailer to this movie. seems really interesting, and i'm hoping the locally owned movie rental store will carry this.

[blucas]

For those interested, read the following 2 part story by npr...shocking, disgusting, etc...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130833741

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130891396

[SaraBananaBear]

For those interested, read the following 2 part story by npr...shocking, disgusting, etc...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130833741

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130891396

Oooh, will check that asap. I got the dvd a while back and watched it and it was really good. I think it gives a further understanding of the complexity of the situation and shows the human side of it up close and personal. The music fit in really well too, enhancing the experience (but then again, when doesn't MMJ music enhance something?).

[Ruckus]

Thanks for the links Blucas.  Sadly, this is standard operating procedure for federal and state governments alike now, but the topic is what makes it that much more disgusting.

Privatization of government functions was accelerated by the Clinton administration in the 90's to maximize efficiency in government.  Trimming the fat was the goal.  Unfortunately, the undesirable yet inevitable result was the blurring of the divide between private and public, thus resulting in compromised intentions.  The Arizona example is a perfect model for this, kind of a mini Haliburton if you will.  

Typically, when a government function was privatized, a long time bureaucrat who specialized in that function would leave his/her post then start a company that fulfilled the same function or become a consultant for some big corporation that was looking to fill the vacuum created by the now defunct public arm.  Many of these functions were areas where there existed little to no private competition due to the previously existing government monopoly.  So some new company or new arm of a corporation with a former insider with them gains a huge upper hand in becoming a single source contractor.  I mean, where else is the competition gonna come from?

This brings me to the Corrections Corporation of America.  I don't know the history of this company but it fits this aforementioned model.  I'm not familiar with too many private correction facility creating companies.  The lines are blurred and the question of who generates legislation is even shadier at best.  Everybody wins right?  The jails are cheaper than they would have been, CCOA makes money, and all those politicians get health campaign donations.  Democracy at work in 2010 baby!  Hooray Safe Neighborhoods Act. [smiley=vrolijk_26.gif]

[Nikkogino]

I'd rather just listen to MMJ and not talk about immigration.  If I want to hear about shit like that I will go watch the news.

[blucas]

I think the band would appreciate the dialogue.  MMJ's fall 2010 tour skipped AZ (for the first time since I have been a fan)  in protest of the human rights issues surrounding immigration.  I can't quote the source, but that was the buzz anyway.

I agree that politics can get hairy/divisive and this site is about music and harmony :-) but based on the band's position and the fact that I had to travel to see them this time... it is certainly relevant to this site.

[SaraBananaBear]

If you don't want to discuss and/or read about immigration, this thread is probably not for you. I think the title is pretty clear about the subject though...  so maybe just not read this thread? :-? I think it's a very important subject and I'd like to learn more about it and discuss with others now and then :)

[Nikkogino]

If you don't want to discuss and/or read about immigration, this thread is probably not for you. I think the title is pretty clear about the subject though...  so maybe just not read this thread? :-? I think it's a very important subject and I'd like to learn more about it and discuss with others now and then :)

ok, well that is not what "The Music" forum is for....maybe try the "off topic ramblings."  K, thanks.

[SaraBananaBear]

If you don't want to discuss and/or read about immigration, this thread is probably not for you. I think the title is pretty clear about the subject though...  so maybe just not read this thread? :-? I think it's a very important subject and I'd like to learn more about it and discuss with others now and then :)

ok, well that is not what "The Music" forum is for....maybe try the "off topic ramblings."  K, thanks.

I would agree, but it's about the music being featured in the movie, so that's why I thought it fit better here.

[Nikkogino]

If you don't want to discuss and/or read about immigration, this thread is probably not for you. I think the title is pretty clear about the subject though...  so maybe just not read this thread? :-? I think it's a very important subject and I'd like to learn more about it and discuss with others now and then :)

ok, well that is not what "The Music" forum is for....maybe try the "off topic ramblings."  K, thanks.

I would agree, but it's about the music being featured in the movie, so that's why I thought it fit better here.

Fair enough...what MMJ songs are in it?

[Ruckus]

If you don't want to discuss and/or read about immigration, this thread is probably not for you. I think the title is pretty clear about the subject though...  so maybe just not read this thread? :-? I think it's a very important subject and I'd like to learn more about it and discuss with others now and then :)

ok, well that is not what "The Music" forum is for....maybe try the "off topic ramblings."  K, thanks.

Dude, we get that your politics don't align with the majority of this board or with the band.  That's cool.  I just think it's sad that nowadays you come on this board just to say negative shit and give a hard time to one of the nicest people on this board.  Go share your hate elsewhere.  

[AMightyCaporal]

If you don't want to discuss and/or read about immigration, this thread is probably not for you. I think the title is pretty clear about the subject though...  so maybe just not read this thread? :-? I think it's a very important subject and I'd like to learn more about it and discuss with others now and then :)

ok, well that is not what "The Music" forum is for....maybe try the "off topic ramblings."  K, thanks.

Dude, we get that your politics don't align with the majority of this board or with the band.  That's cool.  I just think it's sad that nowadays you come on this board just to say negative shit and give a hard time to one of the nicest people on this board.  Go share your hate elsewhere.  

for realz!

[Nikkogino]

If you don't want to discuss and/or read about immigration, this thread is probably not for you. I think the title is pretty clear about the subject though...  so maybe just not read this thread? :-? I think it's a very important subject and I'd like to learn more about it and discuss with others now and then :)

ok, well that is not what "The Music" forum is for....maybe try the "off topic ramblings."  K, thanks.

Dude, we get that your politics don't align with the majority of this board or with the band.  That's cool.  I just think it's sad that nowadays you come on this board just to say negative shit and give a hard time to one of the nicest people on this board.  Go share your hate elsewhere.  

Cool....anyway, I was asking what songs did they contribute.  I was trying to get the thread on track to "music."  No hate.

[SaraBananaBear]

If you don't want to discuss and/or read about immigration, this thread is probably not for you. I think the title is pretty clear about the subject though...  so maybe just not read this thread? :-? I think it's a very important subject and I'd like to learn more about it and discuss with others now and then :)

ok, well that is not what "The Music" forum is for....maybe try the "off topic ramblings."  K, thanks.

Dude, we get that your politics don't align with the majority of this board or with the band.  That's cool.  I just think it's sad that nowadays you come on this board just to say negative shit and give a hard time to one of the nicest people on this board.  Go share your hate elsewhere.  

Cool....anyway, I was asking what songs did they contribute.  I was trying to get the thread on track to "music."  No hate.

I was going to post that sooner, but I didn't write it down when I was watching it and then it took me a while to get around to watching it again. I remember which songs of course, but they highlighted certain parts of the lyrics, so wanted to get that right.

The songs played was The Way That He Sings (x2), Strangulation (x3) and I'm Amazed (x1).

The Way That He Sings was played in the background while people were talking, but brought back full on during these parts of the lyrics:

Why's it so strange when they say that the world's movin upwards?
Why's it surreal when my hands feel they cant roll the dice?

And:
Why's it so soft when the cannons unload on the others?
Why're we so loud when we say it won't happen to us?

Which really fitted in well with the movie and the themes of the stories told, they had one Bright Eyes song (Four Winds) and one COMVB (Cape Canaveral) song which fitted in perfectly as well. For me it kind of gave the songs another meaning or a expanded... elaborated... ? (okay, my english fails me here, I hope you understand what I mean anyways) meaning.

Strangulation was also played in the background, but not the whole song, I think it was mostly the end of the song, the only lyrics heard was:
And you won't feel a thing. You won't feel a thing.

At the end of the movie the whole of I'm Amazed was played, all lyrics included, which again, fits perfectly.

[Nikkogino]

Was it live or studio versions?  Strangulation live is the shit.

[Crispy]

Was it live or studio versions?  Strangulation live is the shit.

Could you be a bigger dick? K, thanks.