Pages

Aftermath of the shootings in Arizona

The shootings in Arizona killed or wounded (among others):
* a Congresswoman who was friendly and collegial, well-liked by many but vilified by powerful, jingoistic people who didn't like some of her political positions

* a firm but fair Federal judge, a guy who was well-liked by everyone who knew him

* a 79-year-old grandmother, originally from New Jersey, who knitted shawls and caps for shut-ins and hospital patients, often knitting in the logo of the New York Jets

* a 9-year-old girl, brown hair and brown eyes and cute as a button, born on September 11, 2001, recently elected to her grade school student council, and granddaughter of Dallas Green, a former manager of the Philadelphia Phillies
Aside from the obvious and initial aspects of the horrific shooting, what really makes me sad is that all across America, scripts were being hastily written all weekend for made-for-TV movies about one or more of these people. They're charismatic, compelling, and tragic. It's Monday morning, so even as we speak, some of these scripts are being green-lighted, on the assumption that they can write in the endings once more facts are known.

The mills of schlock grind quickly, and they grind exceeding small-minded.

===== Feel free to comment on this or any other post.
Like it? Tweet it!

5 comments:

  1. I just heard about this. Horrifying news. My prayers go to every victim struggling to survive.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I was shocked to hear about this. It was a definite tragedy for all involved.

    ReplyDelete
  3. A truly senseless act of violence, Tony. On my way to work this a.m., I listened to the father of the little nine-year-old girl talk about what it was like for him waking up this morning to the absence of his daughter bedside telling him it was time to get-up. Heartbreaking.

    Thanks for posting this.

    ReplyDelete
  4. As I write this, blame is being assigned, accusations and denials are being thrown back and forth, every nuance and gesture of response or lack thereof is being scrutinized and cataloged for political import.

    I'm so sick of it all, and angry that one of the consequences will inevitably be a walling off of our elected representatives. They will live even more securely within a bubble echo chamber where they only hear themselves and the shrieking voices of those whose business it is to make Our Side hate and revile The Other Side.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dude this crap is serious f-ed up. You can't even write fiction this damned.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for leaving a comment. The staff at Landless will treat it with the same care that we would bestow on a newly hatched chick. By the way, no pressure or anything, but have you ever considered subscribing to Landless via RSS?