Where, except for the blogosphere, is there any furor over the news that Representative Foley (R-Fla) has resigned, or of its implications for the Republican leadership of the House? It's huge news on blogs, but I haven't seen or heard it in any of the primary media, television or newspapers. Blogs are already calling this Predatorgate.
I did hear something on "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me", an NPR radio program today about Sydney McGee, the Texas fifth grade school teacher who has been fired because on an approved field trip to a Dallas art museum some of her charges saw a nude statue. Earlier, I had heard about this from a friend and followed the link to see what it was all about. Not believing what I was reading, I Googled the story and found other sources. What do you suppose is behind this? Are parents in Texas truly that narrow minded?
So, admittedly from early in the life of both stories, it seems that firing a school teacher for, essentially, broadening her students minds, is news that immediately make the comedy shows where a real predator in the nation's House of Representatives is a story for one day. My, my, we sure have changed our minds about what is allowable in the halls of government since President Clinton's impeachment.
I actually don't believe we have heard the last of Predatorgate. This story will, if there is any justice remaining in DC, resonate. And sadly, that bothers me as much as the story itself. We have, it seems to me, reached a point in which maximum and minimum political coverage depends on whether the subject is Democrat or Republican, respectively. No news is ever straight news, except for shootings or sports, and sometimes they are both. Everything else is spun by both political parties.
I subscribe to The Sun, a literary magazine published without advertisement [The Sun Publishing Company, 107 North Roberson Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516]. We received our October issue today. I've read quite a bit of it already. One of the articles I did read was "You're In Prison", by John Purugganan. Mr. Purugganan is:
"... serving a life sentence in a California prison. He is the author of the play Let's Keep Dancing which won the first annual Arts in Correction Playwriting contest in 1992 ..."
The Sun article is very good, and I enjoyed it. I have, however, one serious gripe. Purugganan got hooked on cocaine, and while under it's influence killed a man. His description was:
"Carl T. did not see his thirty-fifth year. He did not marry his lovely fiancee. He never fathered the children he'd hoped to have one day. His dreams were never realized because you went over the edge. You took Carl T. with you. You did not bring him back."
Nice writing. But it escapes the complete truth and it sets the murderer of a man in the third person "you". And that "you" did not kill Carl T. That "you" merely went over the edge, taking him with "you", and did not bring him back. I find this nauseatingly circumvents the fact that Purugganan is that "you", and that he killed a man. The tone leaves me cold. Even with that though, I enjoyed reading his story. It is interesting, well written, and informative. I can see why he has won awards for his writing.
Am I being judgmental there, or overly critical? Perhaps, since the possibility comes to mind, I am. I don't think so, but could be wrong. I wonder whether Carl T's family would think me overly critical, or Purugganan's. And, honestly, what difference does the tone make? Purugganan has obviously accepted responsibility for his act, and is making a life for himself while serving his sentence. Who am I to tell him how he should write about it? The fact is that he has accepted responsibility, and how he chooses to write about it in a literary magazine is completely up to him.
While I am here, let me give a strong recommendation for The Sun. It's an excellent magazine, liberal in view, but not stridently so. The editor, Sy Safransky, doesn't accept any advertising, depending solely on subscriptions. I understand his monthly printing, including libraries and subscriptions, is over 50,000. The writing is excellent. They have a web site. Go visit, and see for yourself. Perhaps you would like to subscribe too.
I think I've pontificated enough for one evening. G'night.
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