All Kimmeling Aside for the Moment
Dedicated to the voice of Johannesburg’s Martin Machapa and his One Love friends
by The Ox

PLEASE DON’T PAY ANY ATTENTION TO ANYTHING ON THIS ARCHIVED SITE. EVERYTHING HERE IS QUITE DATED EXCEPT FOR THE FOUR ARTICLES RELATED TO JIMMY KIMMEL. This is NOT one of those articles.

“The world stands out on either side
No wider than the heart is wide;
Above the world is stretched the sky,—
No higher than the soul is high.
The heart can push the sea and land
Farther away on either hand;
The soul can split the sky in two,
And let the face of God shine through.”
– Words from near the end of Renascence which the poet Edna St. Vincent Millay recited to the author when he was not quite eight-years-old in 1950. [This unedited article makes good, in part, on a promise made at that time.]

I was tempted to post another gubernatorial article centered on comedy and Jimmy Kimmel ’cause last night (March 4, 2010) — in the space of about 15 minutes — he made a reference to Sarah Palin’s dropping out of the gubernatorial arena for reality tv, underscored New York Governor Patterson’s troubles, and heard Queen Latifah’s note, in passing, that she’d be giving out The Governor’s Award at the Oscars on Sunday. It all felt like an omen of sorts.

But I’ve got enough on the table for now for people like Enns Mitchell from the Comedy Union and Alex from the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre to consider*. [Pause.] I’ll try to be patient and wait. And… in the meantime… return to some serious thoughts along more traditional lines.

*Now (3/6/10), I’m also waiting to hear from Shang and a shitload of others. [Sing All Alone By The Telephone for me, will 'ya?]

[Pause.]

Usually, when I refer people to an argument which makes the case against thinking of WAR as being… a part of human nature, I send them to one or two pieces by the late great Howard Zinn. [Please see me regarding references.]

Here’s another angle.

Take lying. It’s easy to score points in conversation by cavalierly reminding people that everyone lies. Yeah, we all know what that’s about. But hold on. We don’t all lie on life and death issues. So… I submit that with regard to WAR there’s an analogy that’s meant to be held dear to your breast, embraced like LIFE.

We no more have to go to WAR than we have to lie on life and death issues.

Go ahead and rationalize having to walk down dangerous streets/prepare to protect yourself with guns (if you must), bless your weaponry by citing rights and hunting pleasure (if you want)… but going to WAR, that’s a whole different enchilada.

For WAR, all WAR, is based on lies (quite singular lies). And that statement has zero to do with PACIFISM. Pretty much zero.

All people do not lie when it comes to life and death matters. It is NOT in their nature to do so.

And WARS are built on major mendacity. [Pause.] Lies which go against HUMAN NATURE.

One Love with Marley and Manu in the mix,
Your Richard
P.S. Permit me to tell you who you’re dealing with with me… and to remind myself in the process. When I hear Fogerty sing about mothers losing their precious children, each time I hear the song above it’s as if no child were ever lost to war. My response is as if I just heard about such horror for the first time, thinking of it, feeling it like it was going on at that very moment around the corner from me, and having no doubt that I could put an end to the abomination, that I must do something right now. And without going overseas in my thoughts, I can see what needs (and can) be done for my brothers and sisters regarding life and death health care issues right here at home. It is not in human nature to not care. Our political representatives are — predictably — not even discussing solutions which beg to be addressed, which could be implemented in a healthy heartbeat. I love comedy in and of itself. That said, a huge part of me sees the whole Kimmel killer kitsch as a back door for entrance… upon a better world.

The last four lines of Renascence (which immediately follow the lines quoted above):

“But East and West will pinch the heart
That can not keep them pushed apart;
And he whose soul is flat—the sky
Will cave in on him by and by.”

I’m making you work here ’cause that’s what you’re going to have to do to make all this work.

I RECOMMEND THAT YOU GLANCE AT THE (very short) NEXT ARTICLE, WHICH WILL FOCUS ON HOW TRANSFORMING THE MILITARY COULD LEAD TO GREAT SOCIETAL CHANGE. Like top quality health care for everyone… virtually free. That being… one example.

Contact Ricardo at tosca.2010[at]yahoo.com.