Today I finished a pseudo biography of Lawrence Ferlinghetti. It's incredible. He recounted his youth somewhat, but mostly it was a stream of conscious illumination. We shared his journey through Greek mythology, iconic philosophers, beat poets, American politics, the digital age, business as usual, and social injustice. It's an amazing rant, a brilliant rant on materialism, capitalism, spirituality, religion, climate change and our ultimate demise. I was enthralled because he elucidates with humor and clarity all the ills of a society at perpetual crossroads. I envy his ability to rattle off these complexities, their essence, and expose them for debate. He speaks to me and says what I would if I could. I concluded reading it this morning and the last line was, "AND that is why the cries of birds now are not cries of ecstasy but cries of despair.'
As I closed my eyes to ponder and absorb what I just read, my wife interrupted my reverie informing me a young murderer, symbolic of our extremist home grown terrorists, had been acquitted. This form of right wing vigilantism steeped in racism no longer fears repercussions. The law, a term I use lightly because it doesn't work for all, has become absurd. White rage, white backlash, white power has been reinforced, and validated by a radicalized judicial system. It's only getting worse. Our government is torn in two and doesn't work, our society is torn in two and there's no overlap, violence in all it's many forms seems to be the only recourse. We are killing ourselves and we are killing our planet, not at all a rosy picture. Worst of all my golf game has deteriorated to have become boring and no fun!
See ya in the funny papers😎
