JUST CAUSE

STANDING UP TO HATRED

    It was a coincidence of human rights and history and it hit me with an emotional wallop.  
    We saw 42, the Jackie Robinson story and the next day saw a well staged production of the classic, Fiddler On The Roof.

    I don't need to dwell on Fiddler as it has passed into the realm of theatre icons.  It's crossing lines of change, challenge, and a running argument with the Divine on matters of fairness and justice, coming less than 24 hours after being pummeled by the brilliant 42, delivered a kind of knock out punch.

    Perhaps I'm just an overly sensitive boomer made a little more so by 4 decades of journalism. I've seen too much human misery delivered by injustice, prejudice, hatred, bigotry, narrow-mindedness, ignorance and mean spiritedness. 42 moves you from rage to tears to heart pumping pride. History has validated that courageous passage of breaking the color barrier in major league baseball, but the hatred and ignorance of those depicted there are alive elsewhere.

     The battle for full human rights is as current as the latest headline. Slavery, integration and women's rights were not only predecessor fights, they are still battles on this planet as now we also fight intolerance against people for how they were born or who they love. The same poisoned evil that would discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, spiritual or faith practice, gender or birthright continues as a tireless enemy of evolution of the human race. It is a hard evil to change and vigilance is important.  
      Seeing two remarkable creative efforts simply reminded me how fortunate we are to have courageous writers, film makers, photographers, artists and activists. 

HEMINGWAY AND THE BROOM
easily amused in California
Oh, that feels good-

and finally, the big yawn and stretch.

    See you down the trail.

MAHER'S MOUTH AND SELF INDULGENT MIND &SANTA ROSA CREEK

PROFESSIONAL WISE ASS 
LOOSES COOL AGAIN
If TV whiner Bill Maher had said about a Muslim and
Mohamed what he said about Tim Tebow and Jesus,
there would be a fatwa issued and a price on his head.
If you've not seen the tweet in question you
can read about it here.
Fortunately we live in a democratic republic where even
insensitive and offensive comments are tolerated.
I don't care for Maher, don't think I'd like to spend anytime with him, though I watch his HBO program REAL TIME.
Why do I watch a smug and self absorbed, sometimes humorous and occasionally clever, tiresome, trite, smarmy, pretentious, pseudo hip master of snark?
For the sometimes and occasional referenced above plus
the better moments which almost always come from
one of his panel of guests. He at least invites
differing points of view and he lampoons political
pomposity and fools.  He also explores the edges of
social humor. Years of journalism have prepared me to know
it is important to consider a divergence of views.
Nothing is gained by burying our heads in the sand.
I am comfortable enough with
my views and beliefs not to be rocked
by coarseness, vulgarity and mocking. 
It is here on this point that the wise ass betrays 
his own Achilles heel. Often, usually always with
religion, spirituality or faith he is a tired old act, sure not to
listen nor conceptualize on a deeper scale. He
insults, demeans and belittles. He is as 
tiresome as the nutty old Madeline Murray-Ohare
got to be, like a rusty old gate making a useless noise.
Still there is a place for him in the public square, even
if it is to be pitied. And there is a place for those
who wish to boycott his network.
What there is no place for is intolerance.
Even the Jesus who Maher demeaned said
we should forgive our enemies.
DAY BOOK

REFLECTIONS ON SANTA ROSA CREEK

See you down the trail.