Playful Aggression

When the South Americans came last year to teach at Berkeley, they scoffed at the Castro's Halloween. Eventhough it is one event San Francisco's proud about for its roudyness, for its festivity level. There are a lot of drunk drag queens with colorful colors and lots of street dancing.

It's true what the criticisms are... The street festival is tame compared to any street festivals in Brazil. Afterall, Castro's got a curfue. It really calls to attention the lame-ness of American cities... Too much order, not enough rebellion.

July 4th in the Mission, San Francisco, though, was a sight that I have not encountered ever in my whole life. Rebellion for sure. Illegal smuggled fireworks that filled a whole room. And people shooting it off at random, to anything. It was the residential neighborhood near 26th and 28th streets that participated in such blatant act of playful rebellion. Yes, was quite like chaos.. or sounded much like a battle ground. Cops were around, but didn't know what to do. Cop cars did get targeted and were damaged.

It's just very strange that such a thing would happen on July 4th. It's a little confusing if it was really an act of rebellion or festivities.... I think in a lot of ways, people were looking for ways to playfully release their anger and frustrations.

In France, the rebellion that recently happened there wasn't a group act. It was anti-representation. It's interesting... it lacks a sort of group unity that comes with the traditional riots...