To The Fallen Bloggers
Put forth on June 14, 2007 by XicanoPwr
Posted in Blogging, blogosphere
After a good nights rest, I really didn’t think my previous post held up to my standards and I am currently working on it as we speak. However, I felt I still need to pay tribute to the fallen bloggers of the true progressive blogosphere who have chosen to hang up their keyboards and walk away.
I have this feeling that the demise of Brittney Gilbert and her reason for quitting her job at Nashville is Talking due to a bunch of self-righteous self-aggrandizing faux “progressive” lynch mob is still rippling through blog land.
I have noticed there is a wave negativity spreading though the blogosphere, especially among people of color. This was of negativity have hit me too - feeling sad, feeling scared (who will be next, me?), and feeling defeated. Whenever this occurs, I am usually at a loss for words and the only way I know how to express how I feel about a certain situation is through a song. The only song that comes to mind right now is Don McLean’s American Pie. In fact, I genuinely think this song is very apropos for what is currently now in the blogosphere and in our country.
Initially inspired by his memories of the death of Buddy Holly in 1959, ‘American Pie’ is autobiographical and presents an abstract story of Don McLean’s life from the mid 1950s until when he wrote the song in the late 1960s. It is almost entirely symbolised by the evolution of popular music over these years and represents a change from the lightness of the 1950s to the darkness of the late 1960s. This is also very symbolic of changing America during this era. In Don’s life the transition from light (the innocence of childhood) to the darker realities of adulthood probably started with the death of Buddy Holly and culminated with the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963 and the start of a more difficult time for America. In this 4 year period, Don moved from a fairly idyllic childhood existence, through the shock and subsequent harsh realities of his father’s death in 1961, to his decision in 1963 to quit Villanova University to pursue his dream and become a professional singer.
I feel it is time that we come together as a community to support our fallen bloggers and those before them let them know that we are thinking of them and that they still have a home on our blogs. We must not let hope fade away and have to music die in all of us. Paz.
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Tags: American Pie, Brittney Gilbert, Don McLean, progressive blogosphere | 
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This is the blog of Edmundo "XicanoPwr" Rocha, a social worker, an activist, freelance writer and founder and editor of The Sanctuary. My interests include: immigration reform, critical race theory and it's interaction with equality/inequality and freedom/oppression as they relate to the experiences of people of color in the Americas.
Para Justicia y Libertad is a Latino-centered political blog focusing on the humanistic perspective of politics, history, and society as they relate to the Latina/o community throughout Texas and the United States.
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I saw this post in my Technorati links with the word “self-aggrandizing” as the link text to CRN, and thought “what now?”
Not that I’m not self-aggrandizing, you understand. I was kinda like “is XP secretly in my immediate family?”
But it was nice to get here and read the rest of your post and have that little relieved moment.
You’re doing great stuff here, XP. Thanks for the nice things you said here and at bfp’s.
Thank you Chris. Sorry about that, I can see why you would get the “now what” thought. The funny thing about that, I posted the wrong link on the word “self-aggrandizing” because I meant to use your Open Letter instead of your closed post.
I really hate to see you go, although we do not discuss the same issues, it is always nice to have allies to go on issues where we are limited on. And for me, I know the basics on environmental issues. Hopefully our paths will cross again my friend.
I guess I need to go read all those links cuz I’m pretty much clueless on what’s been transpiring. Hope you’re doing well despite the chaos, XP, we need you to keep slaying dragons. paz
And then there are the feminist bloggers who are hanging up their keyboards after increasingly personal attacks, like Zuzu and BitingBeaver.
Very discouraging, all of it.
I hope you are not targeted next, yours is far too valuable a progressive voice to lose.
No worries, XP. I’m probably just taking a break.
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