RazCat

I’ve felt awful this past year. Aside from all the unneeded stress I’ve been piling up in my life, I haven’t been reading. What? How can I not READ?! Well. I’ve been doing tons of writing (that is beyond awful, I assure you.) But I haven’t been really reading. I do have a few books here and there that I started but haven’t gotten around to finishing. Remember that episode of Are You Afriad of the Dark where this kid never finished a book and the characters came to life? Well, if it’s true then expect a news report of my death at the hands of a samurai and a computer hacker off stage of a auto-biographical school play of a very flamboyant teen. Throw in some zombies for good measure and a very hot detective for the NYPD.

However, the other day I was at Target. A quick “in and out” shopping day (pffft. yeah right). I needed my command strips to hang a few new wonderful posters. I know the layout , and I knew to weave around the stationary (I LOVE PENS!) and past the book section towards the kitchen stuff, then the toys to get to said strips. (Everyone has a “route” right? or am I the only one?) And of course, I kept my hands in my back pockets through the ink filled wonders (COLOURED SHARPIE PENS ARE NOW IN PACKS!! AGH!) but took them out too soon when I reached the books. Hunger Games for $7!! HELL YES!

I’ve heard great things of this series. Nothing specific. I knew the very VERY simple premise. I had grown weary of Young Adult fiction since This Crap Came Along. (it shouldn’t have made it past the publisher. What drunk intern thought this crap was pasible for the public, I’m not sure.) But yeah. I read the first chapter, and was immediately HOOKED.

(more…)

May the 4th be with you.

Sorry, that was a small distraction. In contrast to the past few years where there was nothing but distraction in the news. You know, big issues like the recession or Health Reform being pushed aside for stupid little “Are you sure you’re an American, Mr. President?” It’s weird. Since Sunday night no one has focused on anything else besides Osama bin Laden, his death, the compound he lived in, it’s location, his body’s disposal (he’s sleeping with the fishes now). Political Pundints have been taking their Ritalin! Finally, they’ve only had the subscription for years…!

I’m not saying that it isn’t big news. It is! The face of evil of our generation has fallen.  If you’re fortunate enough to know someone who was alive during Hitler’s reign and remembered the day he finally fell, you’d probably hear similarities between how people reacted then to how they are reacting now.

“But where are the photos?” I don’t think we need the photos. It’s a shame that we’ve become so cynical of a society where there is no more faith in words or trust. Even if the President did release the photos, there will be the conspirators that shout, “shenanigans!” (Edit: Actually heard a good argument for showing the photos from Jon Stewart on the Daily show. It is important that we be exposed to the gruesome aspects of war. We haven’t been. All we have are video games where the bodies fade away “and a gold coin appears”. Hah, Agreed Jon.)

Though, as an American and a Human Being, I’m quiet pissed at how some people have been acting and what others are saying. I love social media, but the gossip and misinformation that spreads is a poison that must be dealt with. Not censored. I’m not one for censoring, I mean just plan untrue facts and one-sided truths that friends and family mindlessly copy/paste from each other. It spreads faster than wildfire and my twitter and facebook feeds are filled with this sludge. Though, If I didn’t want to get angry, I’d stay off the internet. But it’s unfortunately the only way to access the truth and whole story behind the misleading dribble. Fox news is the worst. CNN hasn’t been much better lately. Everyone has their own agenda.

If we wash our hands to help stop the spread of disease, why not do the same with misinformation?

But the comment that have inspired this post has been this joke that has lately invaded my feeds-

So, Osama bin Laden is standing before God waiting to hear his punishment, when God gets a tap on the shoulder.
Behind him stands 343 firefighters, 72 police officers, one K9 officer, 3,000 American citizens & over 5,000 soldiers. “Don’t worry, God, we got this!”

Why does this bother me? Besides the obvious disregard for religious belief,  it’s another hint at how self-centered American are. Al-Qaeda has been around since 1988. Since then it has inspired many other terrorist groups such as the Taliban. bin Laden was the founder of Al-Qaeda and thus inspired the radical ideals that caused the death of THOUSANDS more than the sum given in that statement. Does anyone else care?

Do you?

Because I haven’t seen or heard anyone point out the total death toll of this man.

And finally, here is my cynicism – No one has mentioned the hate he has inspired in all of us. The almost unnoticeable quick glance you gave someone at the airport? Suspect. Paranoia. The racism and the names. Osama did more than just plant hijackers on planes and smash them into buildings, or send suicide bombers into markets. He has done more damage to us mentally and emotionally than any body count. And that has not died. No. It still lives and continues to grow and spread. His Death toll is high, but those he infected is higher.

Osama bin Laden is dead.

Vague tweets suddenly filled my twitter feed tonight. It was weird, not only for the vague “I guess i’ll watch this instead” comment from a friend, but because twitter is never in a flutter on a Sunday Night. Ever. So I turned on CNN.

BREAKING NEWS! No one knew what was going on, but there was going to be a speech by The President of the United states. and like that, worry, fear and excitement grew in my chest. Sunday night. What would happen on a Sunday night? What couldn’t wait for a Monday just mere hours away. Suddenly, just like that one jerk at the opening night of the greatest movie ever (the thursday night/friday morning, everyone cosplays, waits in line for hours before hand,  leaving the theater at 3am forever changed) the news caster spoils the announcement by leaking the Ring gets destroyed by an unsecure 2.5 meter airshaft. wait. what? no.

A U.S. manned operation in which the leader of the radical terrorist group al Qaeda was finally brought to justice.

As an American, for me, this is justice for 9/11. Thousands died, many more suffered (First Responders STILL have NOT recieved a proper “thank you” mind you…) But this isn’t just for me. This is for the Millions of Muslims whom are judged because of their beliefs. This was for those sons/daughter/husbands/wives/sisters/brothers whom were brainwashed by his terrible views. Suicide bombers, innocent bystanders, people of different faiths/ideals, those suspected because of racial profiling, all suffered because of this “man”. (I’m not sold on the fact that this scum-bag was a person.)  He has committed numerous, unspeakable crimes against humanity- all peoples. Americans aren’t the only ones who’ve suffered. And unfortunately,  his legacy, what he created, the hate he seeded within all of us, is still a threat to all living peoples.

Am I glad he is dead? Yes. And I hope he gets his 72 virgins, only read virgins as hellish, teeth-gnashing, acid-dripping demons. I hope they rip his soul into 72 pieces and each piece still connects with the other as he is tortured 72 different ways. It still does not rectify or reverse the damage (physically/emotionally/mentally) he has done. But the thought of him suffering all he has dished out a thousandfold certainly helps a bit…

I am also very glad of how gracefully the news was delivered by President Obama. His speech was short, to the point, he took credit, gave credits where it was due. He also took care to point out that bin Laden was the leader of a terrorist group. “…that our war is not against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims.” Thank you, Obama.

But also… there is an indifference in me tonight. I’m not jumping in the streets like many Americans are. But that’s because I wasn’t truely angry on 9/11. I was at a loss. I was sad. My safe suburban bubble was popped and I saw the pain and anguish, and sadness in the faces of my teachers and peers. I watched the images and video on TV and my heart fell into a darkness.

Like many, I will always remember where I was that day. A sophomore in High school in second period Social Studies. I sat in my seat drawing my daily comic- A routine I started since I always had time before the bell, and a healthy outlet where I usually insulted the teacher and made the class bearable.  It was spirit week and that day was Look-Alike day. Two seniors, twins, having the period off came to visit the teacher before the bell and show off their costumes. They wore boxes painted to look like the twin towers (one even had an antenna on his head). Half an hour later, they came back. I was close enough to overhear them- the Principal told them to take off their costumes. Something horrible happened to one of the towers. “Something about a plane hitting the building”.  Minutes passed before the Pricipal came over the loudspeaker instead of the normal announcements and told us about the planes that crashed into the World Trade center, and two others still hijacked.

The rest of that day everyone sat silent in class, watching the news on TV, or listening on the radio. Some teachers spoke about what happened, and answered questions as best they could but not with anger or bigotry or zealousness. The office hallway was filled with students trying to hear from their parents, family, anyone, as they worked in or near the Towers. Teachers sat and tried to hide tears while they prayed for friends, spouses, family. One of my sisters worked in Penn Plaza and had a day off. But I didn’t know until I got home…  The custodians of the school went up to the roof of the building and saw the smoke and ash of blood, sweat, tears, steel, concrete, life and death  in the distance.

“The American people did not choose this fight. It came to our shores, and started with the senseless slaughter of our citizens. After nearly 10 years of service, struggle, and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war. These efforts weigh on me every time I, as Commander-in-Chief, have to sign a letter to a family that has lost a loved one, or look into the eyes of a service member who’s been gravely wounded.

So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when our people have been killed. We will be relentless in defense of our citizens and our friends and allies. We will be true to the values that make us who we are. And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al Qaeda’s terror: Justice has been done”

Justice has been done. The fight is still not over but this is one giant step to finally putting an end to the war and finally seeing our troops come home. I’m happy but not dancing in the streets. I’m remembering.