New York Times Op Ed
"Phan Thanh Hung Duc, 20, lies immobile and silent, his midsection covered haphazardly by a white shirt with an ornate Cambodian temple design. His mouth is agape and his chest thrusts upward, his hands and feet locked in gnarled deformity. He appears to be frozen in agony."
Born This Way
Artist and AO activist Debra Kraus, "LCI inspired!", has sent the following Nov. 24, 2011 blurb, which includes a moving "Born This Way" musical number, equally applicable to AO victims, that Lady Gaga performed at a recent President Clinton Foundation concert. Debra also posted some photos by the late Philip Jones Griffiths and her own thoughts on helping all poster child "superstars" needing assistance and by doing so making "Agent Orange history!":
"Thanksgiving to those foundations, governments, citizens, businesses and charities throughout the world for their aid in helping reverse the effects of dioxin-contaminated Agent Orange. Yes - We will go a long way to ending the poster child when our chemical corporations match all donated funds. Together we will make Agent Orange history!"
"Thanksgiving to those foundations, governments, citizens, businesses and charities throughout the world for their aid in helping reverse the effects of dioxin-contaminated Agent Orange. Yes - We will go a long way to ending the poster child when our chemical corporations match all donated funds. Together we will make Agent Orange history!"
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Photo credits: Philip Jones Griffiths (Source)
Born This Way
Singer: Lady GaGa
Songwriters: Germanotta, Laursen, Garibay, Blair
[Intro:]
It doesn't matter if you love him, or capital H-I-M
Just put your paws up
'cause you were born this way, baby
[Verse:]
My mama told me when I was young
We are all born superstars
She rolled my hair and put my lipstick on
In the glass of her boudoir
"There's nothing wrong with loving who you are"
She said, "'Cause he made you perfect, babe"
"So hold your head up girl and you'll go far,
Listen to me when I say"
[Chorus:]
I'm beautiful in my way
'Cause God makes no mistakes
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way
Don't hide yourself in regret
Just love yourself and you're set
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way
[Post-chorus:]
Oh there ain't no other way
Baby I was born this way
Baby I was born this way
Oh there ain't no other way
Baby I was born this way
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way
Don't be a drag ‒ just be a queen [x3]
Don't be!
[Verse:]
Give yourself prudence
And love your friends
Subway kid, rejoice your truth
In the religion of the insecure
I must be myself, respect my youth
A different lover is not a sin
Believe capital H-I-M (Hey hey hey)
I love my life I love this record and
Mi amore vole fe yah (Love needs faith)
[Repeat chorus + post-chorus]
[Bridge:]
Don't be a drag, just be a queen
Whether you're broke or evergreen
You're black, white, beige, chola descent
You're Lebanese, you're orient
Whether life's disabilities
Left you outcast, bullied, or teased
Rejoice and love yourself today
'cause baby you were born this way
No matter gay, straight, or bi,
Lesbian, transgendered life,
I'm on the right track baby,
I was born to survive.
No matter black, white or beige
Chola or orient made,
I'm on the right track baby,
I was born to be brave.
[Outro/refrain:]
I was born this way hey!
I was born this way hey!
I'm on the right track baby
I was born this way hey!
I was born this way hey!
I was born this way hey!
I'm on the right track baby
I was born this way hey!
[Fade away:]
Same DNA, but born this way.
Same DNA, but born this way.
LCI inspired! - Debra Kraus"
Born This Way
Singer: Lady GaGa
Songwriters: Germanotta, Laursen, Garibay, Blair
[Intro:]
It doesn't matter if you love him, or capital H-I-M
Just put your paws up
'cause you were born this way, baby
[Verse:]
My mama told me when I was young
We are all born superstars
She rolled my hair and put my lipstick on
In the glass of her boudoir
"There's nothing wrong with loving who you are"
She said, "'Cause he made you perfect, babe"
"So hold your head up girl and you'll go far,
Listen to me when I say"
[Chorus:]
I'm beautiful in my way
'Cause God makes no mistakes
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way
Don't hide yourself in regret
Just love yourself and you're set
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way
[Post-chorus:]
Oh there ain't no other way
Baby I was born this way
Baby I was born this way
Oh there ain't no other way
Baby I was born this way
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way
Don't be a drag ‒ just be a queen [x3]
Don't be!
[Verse:]
Give yourself prudence
And love your friends
Subway kid, rejoice your truth
In the religion of the insecure
I must be myself, respect my youth
A different lover is not a sin
Believe capital H-I-M (Hey hey hey)
I love my life I love this record and
Mi amore vole fe yah (Love needs faith)
[Repeat chorus + post-chorus]
[Bridge:]
Don't be a drag, just be a queen
Whether you're broke or evergreen
You're black, white, beige, chola descent
You're Lebanese, you're orient
Whether life's disabilities
Left you outcast, bullied, or teased
Rejoice and love yourself today
'cause baby you were born this way
No matter gay, straight, or bi,
Lesbian, transgendered life,
I'm on the right track baby,
I was born to survive.
No matter black, white or beige
Chola or orient made,
I'm on the right track baby,
I was born to be brave.
[Outro/refrain:]
I was born this way hey!
I was born this way hey!
I'm on the right track baby
I was born this way hey!
I was born this way hey!
I was born this way hey!
I'm on the right track baby
I was born this way hey!
[Fade away:]
Same DNA, but born this way.
Same DNA, but born this way.
LCI inspired! - Debra Kraus"
Love Beneath the Napalm - James D. Redwood
Notre Dame Press releases James D. Redwood’s collection of deeply affecting stories about the enduring effects of colonialism and the Vietnamese War over the course of a century on the Vietnamese and the American and French foreigners who became inextricably connected with their fate.
Vietnamese Fulbright Journalism Student
Cited in the Serenity in the Storm blog above, Fulbright Masters student Nguyen Thanh Tuan's clever, audio-visual story of Dick Hughes' "Vietnam journey" inter-weaves Hughes' early Shoeshine Boys Project years (1968-76) with four decades of humanitarian & acting career endeavors, compressing a complicated history into an engaging, fluid profile for Tuan's CUNY-NYC journalism class.
Pham Ngu Lao Project Staff Reunion
October 21-22, 2011, former Shoeshine Boys Project staffers Pham Van Tuynh [FL], Nguyen Van Quan [MA], Nguyen The Quang [NC] and Nguyen The San [NY] reconvened at the Loose Cannons, Inc.'s office in NYC to catch up on what has happened in their lives, recall their time with Shoeshine (1968-76) and discuss creating a memory scrapbook of the work with the "dust of life" [ "bui doi" ] street-children in Saigon & DaNang.