Batman, if only…

My father doesn’t care for the Nolan ‘Batman’ movies, and his angry critique of ‘Dark Knight’ was actually the best I’ve heard from anyone.
‘Batman is supposed to be for kids! Not for overgrown children who don’t know how to let go of their toys! It’s too dark and violent!!’

I don’t know exactly why his voice echoed through my head this morning when I saw the news about the horror in Colorado, but I can’t help but feel he’s on to something.

Right now there are people suffering incomprehensible grief and  irrevocable loss because of an armed madman who stormed a movie theater full of families and kids who went to watch a movie about Batman and I wish there was some comfort I could give them.

In a bit I’ll write about guns and social services. Next week I’ll write about ‘The Dark Knight Rises’.

I had already planned to take a small group of my younger brothers and sisters to the movie today for the matinee, so I spent the afternoon watching the Dark Knight Rises with them. We talked a bit about what happened in Colorado and their mood was subdued enough that they didn’t gorge themselves on popcorn and candy, but they enjoyed the movie and so did I. We stepped into the light of a beautiful day, blinking and laughing with joyful camaraderie. The folks I was with were familiar with grief and loss, but they also know about fighting for survival and bearing the burden of suffering, and they have greater strength than any superhero. Life is good, even when evil slithers amongst us.

 

 

 

If God Has A Plan, It Does Not Involve Shooting Children.

I have refrained from writing about the lying child killer George Zimmerman because I have strong opinions about him and until evidence is presented in court there is little for me to say that isn’t biased speculation and there’s already enough of that out there. However, last night the lying child killer was given a platform on the FOX News Puppet Show with Sean Hannity for an entire hour of coddling. Please indulge me and attempt to imagine Hannity trying to help America understand the point of view of a black man in his 20’s who shot a white teenager he thought didn’t belong in his neighborhood; yeah, funny enough, I can’t either.  However, in light of his assertion that he is a victim of God Zimmerman has given me something that I can address with authority.

George Zimmerman is the only entity that made any plans that led directly to the death of Trayvon Martin; he is the one who disregarded the instructions of the 911 operator, he is the one who decided to stalk and accost Trayvon Martin, he is the one who brought a loaded gun with him. It is difficult for this observer to see the Hand of God in any of these events as they are completely mundane and explainable in human terms. I find this defense to be more offensive than just crying ‘the devil made me do it’ because while it is overtly an evasion of responsibility it is also a backhanded attempt to slip a halo over his own head. While it may be true that he felt out of control of the situation and unable to comprehend his actions in the heat of the moment, this is because he is a panicky idiot who had no business walking around with a gun playing pretend cop, not an instrument of the Divine. He primed himself for a violent confrontation and found one; there is nothing extraordinary about that at all.

My True Familiar Friend (Requiem For Emma)

This morning I found her in her favorite sleeping spot,
paws crossed in comfortable repose
but this was not the stillness of sleep
but the stiffness of her final pose

constant companion full of faithfulness
longtime warmer of my bed
loyal confidant, elegant and prissy
my true familiar friend

my grief was sharp when I felt the lump
and I ached when you were sick
and now I am filled with relief
to find you here in peace

in this huge world of importance
she was so small in the end
lightly cradled in my arms
my true familiar friend

Thank you, Andy.

It’s Constitutional. Bitches.

The night before the decision I was having dinner with the Mayweathers (Miss M had concocted a delicious main dish of basmati rice and toasted pine nuts with these incredible meatballs that had a seasoning of Arabian flavors in a cherry sauce that all became an exquisite blend of savory, tart, and sweet in a sublime combination with many subtle undertones, while all being healthy and satisfying at once. Also, the cherry frozen yogurt was mind-blowing.) and Miss M asked me how I thought the Supreme Court would rule on Obamacare (I am going to embrace this term because if the Republicans are going to be generous enough to credit the President for such an important law, let’s run with it.). I was pessimistic not because I think the law is unconstitutional, but because I don’t have much faith in this court to not let partisan political concerns shape their decision.

Justice Antonin Scalia embodies what is wrong with this court; he assumes a pose of mystical infallibility that claims the authority of the Founding Fathers while acting on his contemporary political views. There should be no doubt as to his political preferences; his arrogance is so tremendous that he cannot contain himself from parading his politics in his decisions. Justice Scalia is the quintessential ‘judicial activist’ and that he is held as the gold standard by conservatives only displays a depth of hypocrisy that is only comparable to height of irony achieved by conservatives tweeting about moving to Canada after the decision was announced.

It is sweet that Roberts had an emergence of conscience and did his job; if he were an elected official he would face harsh music, so the wisdom of the Framers is reaffirmed. Sadly, the wisdom of the modern Republican party  has long fled as they are going to put all their energies into repealing Obamacare despite it being none of the things they claim it to be. They certainly aren’t working to figure out what to do about those without insurance or jobs; they’re too busy trying to shut down health clinics. So I savor this rare moment knowing that nothing is over.