Seriously?

This past weekend, January 27-28, thousands of protesters descended upon Washington D.C. to voice their opposition to the war in Iraq. They were led by such personalities as Jane Fonda, Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Jesse Jackson, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, and my personal favorite - Cindy Sheehan. They demanded the immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq and an end to the war.

They claim to want peace, but the anger and hatred expressed through their signs, sentiments, and speeches would seem to indicate something different. And this leads to what I was struck by watching the protests (besides the lack of intellectual weight or substantive discourse behind their arguments).

1. The truly irrational hatred on the part the people participating in the protests.

2. The visceral anti-American sentiment expressed by the a large number of the protesters.

And I believe these two things are connected. Its clear the president is the primary target of their anger, but what is less clear is where this irrational hatred comes from. In the case of these protesters, I believe there are several sources.

For some, I believe that guilt is a contributing factor. You'll notice that the overwhelming majority of those participating are white, and my guess is that a substantial number of them come from privileged backgrounds (certainly, the celebrities qualify). Our media and universities constantly remind us that we should feel guilty for our status, our wealth, and our country because they were all created at the expense of minorities, home and abroad. However, by taking up the cause of the minority or the little guy, by denouncing "the system," and by bashing America, a member of the "privileged majority" can be pardoned of their background, gain the moral high ground and alleviate that guilt.

Second, I think envy is involved. These people represent a fringe minority and the majority of Americans don't buy their ideas. Americans don't want to live in a socialist state, they don't believe America is evil, and for whatever objections they may have with George W. Bush, they don't think he's Hitler. The simple fact is, their ideas lose. No one of their ilk will ever win an election and their best days will be spent protesting like this, but accomplishing nothing. The bottom line is they don't have a voice. I think they realize this, and it infuriates them.

Ultimately, I believe, this guilt and envy find expression in their anti-American rhetoric. And let me just say, I don't believe that criticizing the government, or the president and his policies makes you anti-American. I do believe, however, that comparing our president to Hitler, drawing a moral equivalency between America and terrorists, and blaming America for the all world's problems is clearly anti-American. So is rooting for the enemy or hating the president so much that you hope America loses in Iraq. This kind of speech strengthens our enemies and hurts America. Regardless of whether or not you believe we should have gone into Iraq, reasonable people recognize that an immediate withdrawal would be a disaster for our country and the security of our people.

Blades of Glory

I haven't the words.

Church of Brunch

I just read an article in First Things about a story that recently aired on NPR. The subject of the story was the Church of Brunch, a congregation of believers and atheists that leaves religion, deities, and dogma at the door and gather for a non-god-centered Sunday ceremony.

Services begin an hour before noon as the community joins in song in order to stir fire into the hearts of the non-faithful. Any song will do so long as it is inspirational, nonreligious, and has the potential to invoke full, conscious, and active participation on the part of the assembly.

On the day NPR was visiting, Cat Stevens’ classic hit from Harold and Maude, “Sing Out,” was being playfully strummed on a single guitar while what sounded like a dozen or so voices filled the air with a spirit that found itself somewhere between a campfire sing-a-long and a Steubenville Youth Conference.

Since this is an entirely nonreligious gathering, the Torah, the Qur’an, and the Bible are deemed offensive, but there is always a place for inspirational and thought-provoking readings. Whether from Shakespeare, Kerouac, or Sexton, any and all can touch the human heart in some way and remind hearers that they are alive and that something has happened, something is happening, or something will probably happen in the future. And if anyone in the assembly feels called to offer some reflections on the reading, such contributions are most welcome and appreciated.

Quiet contemplation comes next. After hearing the word and allowing it to be broken open within the community, silence is needed to allow the word to penetrate the hearts of the non-faithful. Of course, as with any Sunday service, silence is easy for some and difficult for others, but, in the end, the community is better off after three or four minutes of quiet.

Finally, the community is just about ready to approach the table of fellowship—but not until they first raise their heads and join together in a Johnny Cash number. Seeing that his most recent albums have been coated in religious imagery and metaphor, reaching back into the vault and flat-picking a hearty version of “Folsom Prison Blues” is deemed more appropriate. After the song, there is the traditional sign of peace, and then it’s time to break bread.

There's nothing like singing "I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die," sharing a sign of peace, and then sitting down to a vegan potluck with your brothers and sisters in brunch.

Isn't there something just sad about all this? When I read this, all I see are lost and broken people, like all of us, trying desperately to find a sense of meaning and community. Unfortunately, they are determined to keep God out, so their search is a hopeless one. What do words mean, or songs inspire if there is no hope or truth? Where is the meaning in a world where humans are simply animals whose only reason for being is reproduction? And intelligence, conciousness, and creativity are simply to tools to ensure this? If so, what community can there be besides the herd? Why look for hope if we are no more valuable to the universe than cockroaches?

I see people wrestling with the innate longing in their souls to be in relationship with their creator. I see them reaching toward the sky for meaning. I see God with his arms open wide. And I see people turning away, looking instead for something that isn't there, choosing themselves and this world over Him.

Movie Reviews

One of the consequences of having kids is that opportunities to go see movies are far more infrequent. Consequently, I have been renting more movies and have been pleasantly surprised by my most recent choices.

The Illusionist

This movie blew me away, mostly because I didn't see it coming. I never heard much about it while it was in the theater, largely because I was looking forward to the other turn-of-the-century magician movie The Prestige. The Illusionist looked like a cheaper knock-off, in the hollywood tradition of releasing two movies with similar plots at the same time by different studios (Tombstone and Wyatt Earp, Antz and A Bug's Life, Deep Impact and Armageddon).

I haven't seen The Prestige yet, but The Illusionist is one of the most unique movies I have seen in a long time. Based on a short story "Eisenheim the Illusionist," by Steven Millhauser, this movie is thoroughly enjoyable and well acted. Edward Norton and Paul Giamotti are especially good. The plot wasn't terribly original, but the story is unlike any that I've seen before.

Invincible
This was yet another feel good sports underdog story by Disney in the tradition of Remember the Titans, The Rookie, Miracle, and Glory Road. That's OK becasue these were all good movies and based on true stories. Like the others, this is a well made movie with fine performances from everyone involved. Its also the first professional football movie endorsed by the NFL, so they can use real NFL teams and player names. And it does add and sense of authenticity to the movie. However, the movie isn't remarkable in any way and I cannot help but feel like these movies are becoming a bit formulaic. Even so, its well done and I enjoyed it.

Miami Vice
Although some look back on television show and laugh, I thought Miami Vice was a cool show. I saw the first episode of the show the other night on TV and was surprised how well it still holds up. Its obviously very 80s, but not campy or so dated that its distracting. Michael Mann created the show and moved on to make a lot of good movies such as Last of the Mohicans, Heat, and Collateral. So if figures that the new Miami Vice is in good hands.

The new Miami Vice is an excellent movie. Its also very adult, with plenty of violence and a fair share of sex, but its all in context and not for its own sake. This movie is so slick, both visually and dramatically that I was hooked immediately. Even better, the movie has a great pay off at at end in the form of a great shoot out. Just like the original show, this movie epitomizes "cool."