No Love for the Pussy [Riot] in Mother Russia

Their tight, skimpy dresses clash with the brightly colored balaclavas that adorn their heads and mask their faces like armor as they charge head first into an arena where anything can and will happen. They see themselves as defenders and even, possibly, martyrs for their cause.

PUSSY RIOT may be an all female Russian punk rock band modeled after 90’s acts such as Bikini Kill and Riot Grrrl but their message is loud and clear. Pussy Riot takes to the cold Russian streets staging impromptu concerts on such subjects as the status of women in Russia and the importance of feminist discourse and a non-standard female image usually with politically loaded lyrics. And most recently they have set their angry eyes upon the recent election, namely their dislike of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Joining the growing protest of the fact that he [Putin] is once again re-elected to the top office of the country [Russia]. Staging a show at the at Russia Orthodox Church, The Cathedral of Christ the Savior, where the Maidens preformed a controversial punk prayer that contained lyrics saying “Holy Mother, Blessed Virgin” to “chase Putin out and mocks Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church back on February 21^st.

Alleged band members (the reason for the balaclavas is to keep their identities concealed for fear of prosecution) Maria Alekhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova were arrested on March 3^rd. Both women have denied being in the punk group or taking part in the performance. A third woman, Yekaterina Samutsevich, was arrested on March 15^th. All three women are facing up to seven years behind bars for the charge of Hooliganism. Police are saying that Tolokonnikova had committed an illegal act “in a cynical way in a holy place, setting herself against society.”

The arrests have set off protests around world including Australia and the United Kingdom, and just last Thursday some 20 protesters were detained when the Moscow court ruled that the women were to be held until their hearing which has now been pushed back until June 24^th of this year after the court had previously ordered the women held until April 24^th. Investigators arguing that Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alekhina, and Yekaterina Samutsevich “could become the targets of criminal acts” if they were released. Investigators also saying that they needed more time to search for witnesses and other participants in the unauthorized concert. Tolokonnikova asked the court to be released do to that she has suffered head pain while in jail and has not been given access to medical care at the detention facility and wanted to obtain a diagnosis before the possibility of being subjected to prison time. Also she argued that her 4-year-old daughter was suffering psychologically because of their separation due to her arrest. Mark Feigin, Tolokonnikova’s lawyer presented statements at the hearing Thursday from federal human rights watchdog the Public Oversight Commission and from members of the Moscow police's public chamber requesting that Tolokonnikova be freed.

Hundreds of demonstrators and members of the media converged on the Tagansky Court building in Moscow ahead of the 3 p.m. hearing, brandishing signs and wearing a T-shirt with slogans expressing support for the group. The jailing of the purported Pussy Riot members, who see themselves as political prisoners, has provoked outrage among human rights defenders and opposition activists such as Amnesty International and have held rallies in recent weeks to protest the detentions.

Although, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church have criticized the women and Pussy Riot's performance but have said they do not want them to receive prison time.

Gotta Love the Irony

Ah the irony of it all.

I have to laugh at what has become “The Year of the Protest”. Whether it’s the rise in the Arab world or the Anti-Wall Street protester that have seized upon the financial district; the Arabs and thier hate of almost anything Western (I’m not saying all of them or even most, they just happen to be the loudest), and the those that call themselves “Occupy Wall Street” and their hatred of corporate America, Big Business, and Billionaire CEO’s, of how the two groups have spread their word (Arabs) through via the (Western) internet and when you see the protesters along the streets of New York large portions of them have their iphones glued to their ears or are texting/tweating their agenda. I mean, really? If you hate corporate America I think the last product you want to use would be anything Apple, the corporation that happens to come out with a new version of the phone they are on every six months or so. Isn’t that feeding into the greed you are supposed to be protesting about?

And lets not forget the terrorists anti America/Western Society agenda that they spread through their Facebook/Twitter accounts.

I mean if you are so against all these things why use them. I can understand the terrorists, how they are using our technology against us, but with the “Occupy Wall Street” people I just don’t understand how they can stand there lecturing me or anyone else on the evils of corporate greed all the while having their iphone or Android or Tablet or whatever the latest tech happens to be in their pocket or bag or even sitting at home.

Not to say that I am totally against everything they stand for. I’m completely against the government propping up the banks and businesses with our tax dollars all the while we toil with high unemployment and foreclosures with nothing more than a song and dance and a pat on the back by the Administration. But I do have a problem with how this so-called “Grassroots” group can continue to support the Unions that wholeheartedly helped put us in the mess we now face with unsustainable contracts that they refuse to budge on when it comes to trying to negotiate something new. How can we continue to pay for people the kind of money they are getting in retirement. I’m not talking the 9 to 5 guy that put in his time busting their ass. No, I’m talking about the ones that didn’t and don’t that reap the same benefits.

Also I find it absurd that “Occupy Wall Street” isn’t put into the same category as another “so-called” grassroots group of the “Tea Party“. I mean when they came on to the scene that were vilified as racist -even though there are many ethnic supporters, and terrorists that have held the country “hostage”. What a fucking joke. So far I’ve seen far more Wall Street protesters arrested in the last couple of days than I have Tea Partiers ever. And I know for a fact that both the Parties have all kinds of skeletons in their closets. Not that I’m saying I like them either. Far from it. They seemed to be loud mouths like everyone else seems to be (with me included…lol).

There are no easy answers to the mess we are in. Obama has said so countless times already and will continue to do so until the next election where he and his party will blame Bush (again and again) for the problems that they have helped along for the last four years while the Republicans will blame the Democrats when they haven’t the slightest idea of how to fix as well. I just happen to find it funny from the irony of it all and of all of these groups of fools that say they know better than I do.