Library cancels Moore movie screening in Enfield | wtnh.com connecticut

Library cancels Moore movie screening in Enfield | wtnh.com connecticut

Library cancels Moore movie viewing at Enfield, CT public library. This sterling example of contemporary American censorship has been sponsored by Mayor Kaupin in support of ignorance and hindering public discussion. Mayor Kaupin gave into ONE person's complaint and stopped Sicko! from being shown. This is what true minority rule is all about folks! The tyranny of the one over the needs or wants of the many. Violating the First Amendment is just such a sterling example of a person's leadership qualities, don'tcha think?

I'm guessing that the spin masters and local newsies will only say that this is just an "isolated" incident!

Cavafy

There was a time in my life when I wanted to be a poet.  I started small at a young age.  In time I went from juvenile to angsty and from there to sort of competent.  Martin Kravitz, a classmate at Jefferson Jr. High, was spot on when noted in our year book predictions that I'd be an infamous poet.  That's never what I got a name for.

When I was around 18, I met a fella from Greece who persuaded me that I should read Cavafy by gifting me with a copy of his poems translated by Rae Dalven.  I was always taken by the poem Waiting For The Barbarians,  I ran across a copy of it today and found how apt it was.

Thought I'd share:

Waiting for the Barbarians

What are we waiting for, assembled in the forum?

The barbarians are to arrive today.

Why such inaction in the Senate?
Why do the Senators sit and pass no laws?

Because the barbarians are to arrive today.
What laws can the Senators pass any more?
When the barbarians come they will make the laws.

Why did our emperor wake up so early,
and sits at the greatest gate of the city,
on the throne, solemn, wearing the crown?

Because the barbarians are to arrive today.
And the emperor waits to receive
their chief. Indeed he has prepared
to give him a scroll. Therein he inscribed
many titles and names of honor.

Why have our two consuls and the praetors come out
today in their red, embroidered togas;
why do they wear amethyst-studded bracelets,
and rings with brilliant, glittering emeralds;
why are they carrying costly canes today,
wonderfully carved with silver and gold?

Because the barbarians are to arrive today,
and such things dazzle the barbarians.

Why don't the worthy orators come as always
to make their speeches, to have their say?

Because the barbarians are to arrive today;
and they get bored with eloquence and orations.

Why all of a sudden this unrest
and confusion. (How solemn the faces have become).
Why are the streets and squares clearing quickly,
and all return to their homes, so deep in thought?

Because night is here but the barbarians have not come.
And some people arrived from the borders,
and said that there are no longer any barbarians.

And now what shall become of us without any barbarians?
Those people were some kind of solution.

Constantine P. Cavafy (1904)

Now, that's a real poet. 

On The Lunatic Fringe

I found this YouTube video segment of a conversation between Rachel Maddow and Frank Shaeffer discussing "Crazy for God" about the fundamentalist religious right.  It's worth listening to: 


We need civility in our government and society.  We also need a society that uses science, math, history, art and more to grow and develop.  People waiting for the second coming or Armageddon are fearful and suspicious of anything that is fact based and reject it outright.  Yet, the fundamentalist right has also subverted the Republican party in large part and, as Shaeffer states, no one is standing up to them. 

I want the light of reason having the strongest influences on our culture especially in government, medicine and science. 

Sarah Kruzan Clemency Request Approved

Schwarzenneger did the right thing granting clemency to Sarah Kruzan as one of his last acts as governor of California. Child sex slaves, always deeply, harmfully impacted by human trafficking in the sex trade sometimes find themselves needing to survive by killing the pimp who owned them. In my eyes, that is justifiable homicide and a victim of being trafficked should not have to pay an adult penalty for it.

Good on you, Arnie! Good on you!

A Satire On That Alaskan Quitter

Why Not?

I saw an article headlined "Pope denounces abuse of Christians."  Geez.  Why settle for part measures?  Why not go the distance and denounce abuse of people in general?

Dirty F@#*ing Hippies Were Right!

Random Thoughts As The Year Winds Down

As the year winds down, I realize I've blogged less.  The fact is, while there is plenty out there going on and while I have plenty to say, it's not exactly fresh and thought provoking.  It's more like whining since I don't have any solutions to put forth either.

Christmas was lovely.  We spent the day with friends, ate good food, and shared some nice gifts.


I've been following a lot of political news and my questions for the year are:

• Why have people come to conflate freedom with lawlessness?  
• Who is responsible for fundamentalists deciding that Christ was against bettering the lives of those who do without... the poor and disenfranchised?  Who decided that social justice doesn't matter?
• How to we embrace civility and good manners toward each other in a climate when people are being told by some pundits to get in the faces of people who disagree with them to "shout them down?"  This is a nasty tactic meant to silence discussion and to keep people from finding common ground and common solutions.
• Do you think we're approaching another civil war in the country?  I'm leaning toward "yes" for my own answer to that.   It worries me.  Its not a fight I want to be in.

I'm pleased that DADT was finally repealed.  Now I've been straight all my life, but gay issues got my attention early on when I served in the Air Force from 1974-1979.  It was an era when we literally had orders to report anyone we suspected or knew was gay to our COs. 

Back then a gay man or woman would either get a bad conduct or dishonorable discharge just because of their sexual orientation.  Because of the life-changing, negative consequences of such discharges, I deliberately chose, while still in basic training, that this was one order I would never obey.  While I served, I met and got to casually know a small handful of gay men & women who did end up being put out of the service and it saddened me.  The truth is that they were a whole lot more competent and talented at their jobs, winning awards & multiple commendations for their skills and service, whereas I was pretty much average in mine, didn't win any awards and only earned one commendation.

With the repeal of DADT, I hope these men and women can get their discharges upgraded to honorable.  They were honorable people then and were gravely misjudged and badly treated by their government and the military.  And I said so.  In the service, I said so even though I had to be discrete about discussing my concerns, keeping the conversation limited to those whom I knew had a progressive/liberal mindset. 

As a civilian, I said so to as many people as I could.   I didn't understand lots about sex preferences and all the things that go into it.  There was still a lot of discoveries waiting to be made in the areas gender and gender identity.  But as a kid who'd been an 'outsider' for very different reasons, I still "got it" that anti-gay bias was wrong and I exploited any opportunity I could to get that message out.  It was important, and it became even more personal when my brother Jay came out to me when he was 15.  A few years later, that message was even more personal when Jay joined the Army.  At least, in the 80s, when they discharged him for being gay, his discharge was a general, under honorable conditions, for the convenience of the service.  But it shouldn't have to have been that way.  Now, there will be a new generation of young men and women for whom it won't be.  I couldn't be more delighted.

So we have 2011 head of us in a few days.  I hope the New Year brings a lot of improvements to our lives since the last few years have been so damn tough.  I plan on doing a major housecleaning and selling off or giving away a lot of things I don't need or don't use anymore.  I want to lighten up that way.

Happy Holidays

Dear Readers,

This has been a hard year for us all to go through.  I suspect next year will also be challenging.

My holiday wishes for you are that you have plenty of love and laughter to comfort you; that you are able to do those extra things that let you take care of hearth and home, friends and family and prosper doing so, without facing any additional hardships.  I wish you good health.  I wish you strength and courage.  I wish you to receive generosity and to be able to give generously.  I wish you safety and peace of mind.

From my heart to yours.

Happy Solstice, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

No wonder Tom Tancredo didn't serve his country

No wonder Tom Tancredo didn't serve his country