The KONY Question

What is it about Joseph Kony that makes him impervious to public opinion in the Western World?

Last weekend’s “Cover the Night” campaign fizzled.  An attempt to show how social media could mobilize support for a cause only demonstrated the apathy that seems to be epidemic in our society.  Was it the fact that the leader of the Invisible Children was arrested for indecent exposure?  Or perhaps the questionable nature of the organization’s finances?

I don’t think it was either.  During the week that the story broke I often encountered people talking about the Kony 2012 campaign, while standing in line at movie theaters or sitting in a restaurant.   I have to say that I overheard at least half a dozen conversations.  In most of them there was always somebody arguing against the Kony campaign.  Listening to them I always got the same impression.   They wanted to feel superior to any kind of charlatanism on the part of the Invisible Children organization.   They wanted to show that they were too skeptical to be taken in by what they claimed was a bogus cause.  They were often smug in their righteousness in judging and dismissing a social media campaign.  Never, however, did I ever hear them come up with alternatives to address the actual issue.  They were too busy playing the role of dilettante and demonstrating their savvy about world affairs.

As a result, while 25 000 Tweeted their support in Vancouver, less than 25 are estimated to have actually shown up.  The same story played out in every city.  I was downtown in Toronto and saw virtually nothing in the way of posters.  In Newmarket, a few hand drawn posters were taped to telephone poles.  Personally I did not hear one reference to the Kony campaign in the media on the day before or the day after the night campaign.

At TIFF last Fall, I had a chance to see Machine Gun Preacher.  I didn’t remember it being about the Kony situation until I saw it again last night.  It’s a pretty decent movie in my opinion.  It may or may not reflect actual events.  Based on the interviews I’ve read it seems to be fairly accurate.  Popular opinion was reasonably good, but it was ruthlessly panned by Rotten Tomatoes, which is just a reflection of the most well known reviewers.  It certainly didn’t deserve a 23% rating.  It’s an entertaining movie with a lot of emotional depth and some interesting moral dilemmas.

What is it about Kony that we don’t want to face?  Why do attempts to bring the issue into the light meet such resistance and criticism?  Why has there been no movement to address the issue in more favorable terms if these other attempts are so unsatisfactory?   Could it be that , like the situation in Syria, we don’t want to admit our helplessness?  Could it be, as the movie suggests, that the fact that we know that children are being treated in this horrific way, and that we don’t do anything, is indicative of some kind of social pathology, like the person who knows that the child next door is being abused and doesn’t do anything about it.  In our guilt we look for ways to trivialize the situation, …to pretend that it doesn’t exist.

And when someone puts it in our face we come up with fancy reasoning to dismiss it.

Walk The Moon – Anna Sun

And the last one.  Once again a nicely diverse and original album.  Sounds kind of like a cross between Vampire Weekend and the Killers (-both of whom have largely faded into mush).

Of Monsters and Men – King and Lionheart

Here’s my second offering of new music.  I’ve heard this one on the radio a few times.  The whole album is great.  From Iceland, you know…

This is the live version, which is a little less dynamic than the studio version, but still great.

Fun – We Are Young

I don’t know if this is a new band for other people, but it’s a new find for me.  Great song.  this is the acoustic version.

 

I’ve made a few other interesting discoveries in the past weeks which I’ll try to highlight here in the coming days.  Again, maybe not new to all, but I’m always excited about new music.

ENDER’S GAME MOVIE

A few posts back I got excited about a Monkey Wrench Gang film.  Now I’ve stumbled on up to date information about an Ender’s Game movie, which has been kicked around for nearly a decade.  Ender’s Game is a novel by Orson Scott Card which won both the Nebula and Hugo awards for best SciFi novel.  This is at least the second attempt at producing it, and this one seems to be into scheduled filming so the odds look good.  Reports are showing it with Harrison Ford and with Asa Butterfield as Ender.

Once again I have to caution myself about expecting too much from a screen adaptation of one of the best SciFi books ever written.  Dune went through more than a decade of being kicked around until it was finally snagged and directed by David Lynch.  That first version of the movie was a disaster.  It wasn’t until the multi-part TV series that Dune was adequately portrayed.  I fear that Ender’s Game may be the same.  The nuances and the depth of the book may defy a single film.

I realize that Ender’s Game and Orson Scott Card are the subject of a lot of controversy these days.  Card has, in recent years, come out with some pretty extreme right wing social and political beliefs.  Many liberals see his work, especially in the light of his professed convictions, to be praising totalitarian ideas.  There’s no doubt that the society depicted in many of Card’s books seems to glorify a military state, although is most recent books, Hidden Empire and the others, seem to be directed more at warning about the dangers of a military and over-partisan run government.  Robert Heinlein or John Sclazi for that matter are no better or worse in that department. The controversy around the idea of children killing children has probably become more of a non-issue after The Hunger Games.

A novel titled Hamlet’s Father raised a storm over perceived anti-homosexual statements.

In actual fact, the record of Card’s views on politics and sexual orientation seem to be confusing, inconsistent and seem to have drifted to the right and become more extreme in the past ten years or so.  It is to be noted that during that time Card suffered a stroke, from which he seems to, at least apparently, recovered.  I have to state that his outspoken comments on sexual preference seems odd, coming from a writer who has included the issue, with a reasonably favorable and even hand, in many of his novels, including some involving the exploitation of children.  One can’t help but speculate on unresolved issues here.  Dare I also say that Card is a fervent Mormon, which in itself shows some suspension of reasoning ability.  (Yes.  I know.  That did slip out.)

But it doesn’t matter.  I loved Ender’s Game, it’s four sequels and the Shadow series that followed it.  People who say they’re not well written, I think have their own ulterior agenda.  And I’m really looking forward to the movie, albeit with some trepidation.

BTW, none of the listed movie trailers on YouTube are real (at least at posting time) or I would have included one.

THE CABIN IN THE WOODS

Interestingly (for me at least) I’ve got this string of blog entries coming up which all have to do with new stuff from some of my favorite artists.

The first is Joss Whedon, who you may or may not remember as the creator and chief writer for Buffy The Vampire Slayer.  People who know me well know that Buffy is a strong guilty pleasure for me.  I enjoyed it particularly because if the witty banter and great story writing from one Joss Whedon.  When I occasionally watch reruns, I’m still struck by the excellent writing.  The later series by him, Serenity, had the same flavour, but wasn’t as striking because the scenario was a lot more tame.  (Just space pirates.)  Whedon does best when he’s writing a story that’s right out of the ballpark.

Such a story is The Cabin In The Woods.  Soaked in dark comedy, drenched in irony, and constantly taking you one a wild trip through a unique story, Whedon does what he does best.  Dialogue has that same witty banter and nothing is spared in shaking up your take on the story.  Right to the very end.  The cast, drawn mostly from TV shows (including some old Buffy actors) does a great job and pulls you into the classic horror scenario which you know from the beginning isn’t what it seems to be.

Cabin was a fun romp, and it is great to see Whedon back in form after having dropped the ball a bit on his past few projects.

I would give this film a B+.

Canadian Majority Government Does Not Reflect Any Majority

Once again I’m going to question Canada’s Parliamentary system, where a political party can hold a majority government when more people voted against it in the most recent election than voted for it.  Also, in current polling, only 32% of the population say that they approve of the government, while the NDP can claim 33%.

Any governing party that does not represent the majority of Canadians should not have unrestricted power to inflict their ideology on a country.  But how do we compensate for a democratic system flawed because it is designed for two parties, and where seats won, not popular vote, determines the balance of power.

I’ve made the recommendation before that, since we’re wanting to reform the Senate anyway, why not do it in a way that will provide a more equitable distribution of power.  Leave the House of Commons the way it is, albeit flawed, but balance the system out by changing the Senate.  Have the Senate consist of 100 members, appointed by the various parties based on popular vote.  Appointments would have to be revised after each election.  That way, if the popular vote resulted in 45% of the vote going to the Conservatives, they would only have 45 seats in the Senate.  If the Green Party had 8% of the vote, they would get 8 seats in the Senate.  This would insure that a party that does not represent the majority of Canadians would not be able to ram through offensive legislation, taking maximum advantage of an opportune but unjustified majority situation.  Legislation would have to compromise, being more accommodating to the full spectrum, or else it would get sent back by the Senate.  (The Senate powers might have to be tweaked a little so they become more than a rubber stamp.)

Not only does the current Conservative government not represent the will of the people, but it has more extreme right wing elements within it that threaten to dominate the party and exercise power.  These more extreme elements represent less than 20% of the Canadian population, but the only restriction on their power is the Conservative’s awareness that if they allow them obvious gains, they’re likely to feel the wrath of the more central conservatives, of which we have many more than do the U.S.  Our Parliamentary system requires more in the way of checks and balances.  We don’t have the vetting process that we’re seeing in the U.S. leadership races, where a lot of issue debate comes to the surface.

Balancing out the government with a Senate appointed according to popular vote would be an interesting way of improving the current system.

Gun Control Priorities

According to the latest Macleans magazine, Tampa, Fla. is gearing up for the summer Republican convention by banning weapons from the downtown area.  Things like slingshots, paintball guns and switchblades have made a prohibited list and will not be allowed.

However, state law prevents any city from regulating the possession of actual guns, and so they cannot be put on the prohibited list.  So, you will be detained for carrying a sling shot, but not a revolver.

The Monkey Wrench Gang

Oh, I guess it doesn’t take much to make my day, but I was absolutely ecstatic when I stumbled on the fact the The Monkey Wrench Gang is being made into a movie with a 2013 release date.  Finally, a reason to hope that the world doesn’t end at the end of this year.

The Monkey Wrench Gang is Edward Abbey’s classic comedy novel about environmental terrorism.  It has often been dubbed one of the principal inspirations of the Earth First movement and of radical environmental activism.  But the story is really a raging, irreverent comedy that doesn’t want to take itself too seriously, -kind of like Abbey himself, in whose works I always immerse myself whenever I visit his old stomping grounds in the American South West.

One troubling note is that the movie is said to star Matthew McConaughey and John Goodman, and is being directed by the guy who directed Twilight.  There is some hope in the inclusion of Jack Nicholson, although, who knows, it may be a quick walk on.   I guess that before getting too excited I should caution myself with memories of the travesty that was done to Youth In Revolt, -a great book that was mutilated almost beyond recognition when transformed into a movie.  Ah well, one can hope.

Deeper investigation has dampened my spirits.  It looks like this film was originally scheduled to be released in 2009 and then in 2011.  Maybe it’s run into a little trouble.   Read the book.  Please.

The Great Outdoors

So, as I said a few posts ago, I’ve been thinking about fishing, having bought a new rod and reel.  With the weather getting warmer, I’ve been looking forward to using my flexible time to hit the road and maybe go up to my favorite Crown Land site to do some fishing.

I figured that I should check out the fishing license requirements, so I went on line and was surprised to find that between the new “Outdoor Card” and the actual fishing license, I’d probably have to pay around $35 to be allowed to go fishing in Ontario.  The idea of grabbing a pole and heading out into the bush is tightly monitored by regulations, and you have to pay the government for the privilege.  Not only that, but when looking at the regulations for when fishing is allowed for certain fish, I found a book with two dozen fishing zones each have a dozen pages of regulation telling you when you can fish for a particular species, how big it has to be and how many you are allowed to catch.  The regulation vary over zones, and each zone has half a dozen pages of exceptions where the regulations are stipulated by a particular lake or river.  Thankfully they don’t require you to take a course, but careful study of the document (and probably keeping the document with you when you go on a trip) is really necessary if you’re going to do it by the book.  The regulations depending on species, location and time of year combine to make thousands of possible variations.

I’ve been in love with the outdoors for over 40 years.  I’ve probably spent close to a thousand days camping, hiking or canoeing.  I’ve introduced hundreds of youth to natural beauty and outdoor skills.  In all those years for some reason I never involved myself in fishing or hunting.  Now that things are winding down and I have more time for myself I have begun educating myself in those areas, and I’m beginning to realize why I never bothered with them before.

If I were to purchase a gun for hunting purposes, aside from the hundreds of dollars in courses and licenses to just purchase a firearm, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the regulations are even more complex and stringent for hunting.  Not to mention the fact that you need at least one hunting course (and in many cases more than one) to hunt, plus tags for the animal you may be hunting.  Even after going through all of that, for some species you still have to be part of a lottery system, and you may not receive permission to hunt at all.  The cost for many people would be outside their means.

If you purchased a .22 rifle and just wanted to shoot at targets, there’s no easy way to do that either.  Most municipalities have by-laws prohibiting the discharge of firearms within their boundaries.  If you go beyond municipalities into Crown Land for example, then you can be stopped at any time and charged if you have a firearm that is not permitted for hunting anything that is in season.  The assumption is that if you are carrying a firearm and not properly licensed for hunting, you’re poaching.  So taking a few targets out into the middle of nowhere and practicing your shooting, or calibrating your gun, is not an option.  Doing it on your own property in almost all cases is not an option.

The only real option is to join a gun club, which often costs you about $500 – $700 a year plus the initial membership levy.  And once again, you’re not guaranteed to be accepted.  If they have a high membership in a particular year, or just don’t like you, they don’t have to accept you.

So I thought I’d take my bow and arrow out to practice a little archery.  After seeing The Hunger Games, using a bow in a survival situation (and I am a survival instructor) may be the way to go.  However, being caught in the bush with a bow is the same as being caught with a gun.  They assume you’re poaching and so you can be fined.  At least there is no law (yet) saying that I can’t set up an archery target in the back yard of my own property, -well, unless you are in some suburban communities, which do have regulations against that.

So, in despair I decided to take my camera and go for a hike.  At least you don’t need licenses and courses in order to take pictures.  I’ve always wanted to do a photo study of the Bruce Peninsula part of the Bruce Trail.  Some of the scenery on the east coast of the peninsula is spectacular.  The problem is that the whole area has been designated as a National Park, so now I’m not allowed to legally camp anywhere other than the crowded public camgrounds.  I tried that last Fall and was disgusted when, on Fri. night, an army of drunk high school and college students invaded, staying up and partying loudly all night.  Years ago you could hike the Bruce Trail and camp where you wished as you ambled along its length.  Now you have to register for specific campsites in advance either on line or by going out of your way to a special office in Tobermory.  These campsites are spaced at long intervals, meaning that you can’t take your time in between.

Hell, maybe I’ll just stay home and watch TV.

 

BY THE WAY, I’M PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THIS IS POST #500 ON THIS BLOG.  I’LL TRY TO COME UP WITH SOME WORTHY COMMENT ABOUT THAT FOR #501.

O Canada

I consider myself to be well left of centre politically, but I have been thinking a lot lately about the extent to which the government imposes decisions and restrictions on us, supposedly for our own good.  I think that restrictions are important.  I think people should be required to wear seat belts.  I think a government requirement for medical insurance is justified to protect people individually and society as a whole.

But I have increasingly been thinking that there are misguided liberals in our society who go too far in telling us what we need to do.  Such was my thought today when I heard that Angela Kennedy of the Toronto Catholic School Board was concerned that too many students were only listening respectfully to the national anthem when played at the beginning of the school day and not singing along.  She therefor suggested that the anthem be sung without accompaniment and the students forced to actually sing.

As a former teacher who stood mostly before grade 7 & 8 students at the beginning of each day for almost 30 years, I think that this is a terrible idea.  My demand was that they stand respectfully during the anthem.  Students at this age, especially the boys, are very self conscious and reluctant to sing.  I often told my students, truthfully, that I was sparing them a painful start to the day by not subjecting them to my singing voice.  Adolescents who are in the middle of puberty and whose voices are in the process of changing are probably in a similar boat.

Telling students, “you must sing,” is disrespectful to their sense of individuality and autonomy.  You may argue that students are forced to do other things against their wishes, such as doing speeches in front of their class or participating in sports activities during P.E. class.  That is true.  It is also true that they come to despise those kinds of activities.  Do you want them to come to despise the singing of their national anthem?  What it reinforces is the government shoving a decision down their throats, -and in a way that most adults would never tolerate.  How many adults would swallow a law stating that attendees must sing the anthem at a hockey game?  Perhaps we should have police walking around to spot those people with “questionable loyalties” like they do in totalitarian countries.

Another issue in demanding the singing is that not all people can subscibe to all of the lyrics in the Canadian National Anthem.  There has been considerable criticism of the line “…in all thy sons command,” which is regarded as sexist.  That argument has more weight when you consider the fact that there was no such sexist reference in the original lyrics; written in 1908, they had no such sexist line until the revision in 1968.  Perhaps more objectionable to some is the religious reference, “God keep our land, glorious and free”, which is becoming less and less a reflection of everyone’s personal beliefs here in Canada.  At least the English version maintains an inter-denominations religious tone, which cannot be said for the French version.  Occasionally we would play the French version at school or the French teacher would have the students sing it in French class.  I doubt that the translation has ever been offered to the students or to adults who have learned to parrot the phonemes of the French lyrics.  In those lyrics, which are considerably different from the English, there is the line, “As is thy arm ready to wield the sword, so also it is ready to bear the cross.”  Here, only Christian religions are represented.  I wonder how often the lyrics get sung by Montreal’s sizable Jewish population, or by other non-Christian denominations, or by the growing atheistic or secular population, for that matter.  I know several teenagers who would strongly object to being forced to sing about God in any context.  I know many adults who would cringe at a line about wielding a sword.

It is ironic that the suggestion to demand students sing the anthem was made by a Catholic trustee.  Catholics, along with many other religious worldviews, are used to demanding things on the grounds of righteousness.  They’re used to citing sin and invoking guilt.  They’re used to the analogy of shepherd and sheep.  Well, our students don’t appreciate being treated like sheep and I don’t think they should be encouraged to act that way.

You can’t please everyone, and I’m not saying that our national anthem shouldn’t be respected.  I am saying that singing it is a personal choice.  If I go to a dinner at a friend’s home and a prayer is said before a meal, or if I go to a wedding and a prayer is said,  I choose to not verbalize it, but I have respect for those who do and remain reverently silent.  I think that standing at attention during the playing of a national anthem is doing even more than that.  I would encourage a discussion of the lyrics at school.  I would encourage a study of the reasons we should be proud of our country.  I don’t think that students are going to feel more pride if a draconian rule is imposed forcing them to sing.

Chocolate, Easter, Child Slavery and Dumb Blindness

I was going to do an entry on child slavery being used to harvest the beans used to make Easter eggs.  Then, while researching the story, I stumbled upon something that just blew me away in its ignorance.

First the chocolate story, best summed up here in a CNN video.

There is another video, more specifically aimed at Easter that I found HERE.

At the bottom of this article, the author chose to add the following comment.

Certainly, this is a serious matter.

But does CNN have to bring attention to it four days before Easter?

As the network just aired a special about this in January, couldn’t it have been sensitive to America’s Christians by not addressing it again so close to such a holy day?

Or is that asking too much?

Yes, to answer his question, is is too much to ask.  I am dumbfounded by this individual’s offense for the following reasons:

1. The fact that chocolate Easter eggs are the issue in question has nothing to do with the true religious holiday.  To the best of my recollection, I’ve never seen a painting or depiction of the crucifixion that contained Easter bunnies or painted eggs.  Actually, Easter bunnies and eggs are a holdover from the Pagan rituals that were supplanted by Christianity when it wiped them out.
2. The idea that children kept in slavery should be ignored by Christians at a time that is celebrating the sacrifice made by Jesus for all of them so that spoiled kids won’t have to sacrifice their chocolate Easter eggs is beyond me.  The very nature of Christianity (at its best) should cry out against child slavery and should strive to avoid supporting such a dark industry.  The shallowness expressed by this man, and his relation to the true nature of his religion is a great example of what’s presently wrong with religion in the U.S.  They’ve absolutely lost thier way and have a narrow minded, selfish set of priorities which puts their child’s dumb Easter eggs above human suffering.

Please God, protect me from the suffering of others so I don’t have to give up my chocolate.  A new Easter prayer?