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Saturday, May 16, 2015

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Young-violinist-at-17th-and-Walnut-on-5-15-15--Center-City










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5 comments:

Ali said...

Did you speak with her? What is up with these young folks on the streets with their musical instruments?

Ali said...

Are they really there for the money? Or is this some kind of 'project' and they are really fine after all?

I'm not sure why I'm asking this question. I feel like I already know the answer even though I don't want it to be true.

Linh Dinh said...

Hi Ali,

I didn't talk to her. She looks like she might be in high school, as did another violinist at the same corner three days earlier.

If they're in high school, then they're busking for pocket money, which I think is great. It's good for young people to learn how to make money, whether by cutting grass, delivering newspaper, working at a fast food joint or busking at a street corner. Kids shouldn't work in factories, but there's nothing wrong with them learning how to make money.

In Boulder, I ran into a kid no older than nine playing a kazoo and a thumb piano for money.

I have a friend who has a 15-year-old working in her restaurant, which is technically illegal, but the girl loves her job and is excellent at it. In fact, she's the best worker my friend has ever had. From Mexico, she's going to school and doing fine, and her parents are also fine with her working. She's learning how to be responsible, and no one is pressuring her into this job.

Speaking of initiatives, check out this horrible story of a young black man who was searched on an Amtrak for no reason, and since he had $16,000 on him, the government stole it on the completely baseless assumption that he was a drug dealer. Though he was never charged, much less convicted, his life savings are still gone. The fact that this is even legal proves, yet again, that we're living under a criminal government.


Linh

Ali said...

What the fuck, seriously? How can they just take someone's money WITH NO REASON? Wow, I mean, just wow. I mean, criminal government and everything aside, WHAT THE FUCK is wrong with the person who actually did the deed?

Elizabeth said...

Hey Linh and Ali:

Linh, that was an excellent answer to Ali. What a lovely young woman! Was she good? I'll bet she was good. And I did enjoy the picture of the white girl doing the same thing. I wonder how long before the police put a stop to their sweetness.

Cripes, what a story about the police stealing that guy's life savings. I have a similar story from one of my students that I'll tell you someday.

So I want to know how much for this picture.