I didn't "know" you when you wrote this and to read it now brings tears to my eyes. Thank heavens you were not in that building... but such a shame all those others were.
I'm sorry, but must we all continue to participate in the Grief Parade? It happened, it's over, let's move on.
I'm sick of being forced to "remember" every fucking year. Remember who? The faceless handful that died? I'd rather waste my energy remembering actual people I've loved. All this enforced grief on a global scale is tiresome and, ultimately, works the opposite way you want it to.
They say that, when the economy tanks and you can't see any way through your pile of bills and are wondering who you'll look wearing one of those barrels with shoulder straps, women buy lipstick and everyone goes to upbeat, escapist movies to take their minds off their troubles. But I'm here to tell you that any lipstick worth having is nigh 'bout $20 or more and you'll just end up regretting it, and Hollywood has not caught up with the times yet. Plus, it's Oscar season, so once you've seen Slumdog Millionaire your choices are sexy Nazis seducing children, attractive suburbanites mourning the death of their dreams, and nuns and priests talking about child abuse. (That said, I hear Gran Torino is a good diversion with a message, and if you don't hate Brad Pitt as much as I do you could probably sit through that Owen Meany movie where he ages like he's from Ork .) And while I'm as big a Kevin James fan as the next person, you can't ask him
I've got two things on my mind today. First off, I really like Sonja Sotomayor. And I especially like that when discussing his selection criteria for Justice Souter's replacement, President Obama brought up empathy. Empathy is not the same thing as sympathy, compassion or emotion. Empathy is perspective. The idea that our laws have strict, specific definitions that should be considered without perspective is ridiculous. Laws mean something, but they must also be considered in context. That isn't to say they should be applied arbitrarily, or to advocate making exceptions left and right to suit a judge's whim...suggesting laws should be considered in context simply means that the courts must consider how our laws should be interpreted, and how they can make our society a better, more habitable, more functional one. How they can help Americans live their lives without impediment to their personal liberties. Empathy provides the perspective necessary to do this. Judge So
Comments
Hugs to you!
I'm sick of being forced to "remember" every fucking year. Remember who? The faceless handful that died? I'd rather waste my energy remembering actual people I've loved. All this enforced grief on a global scale is tiresome and, ultimately, works the opposite way you want it to.
Fuck Bush and double-fuck the fake war on terror.