New American Resistance – 6 September

Congress is back in session and my little Resistance-writing recess has come to an end as well.  Unfortunately the chaos of the world we’re living in (also called “the news”) hasn’t taken a break.  That can make it hard to know where to pick one of these up after a hiatus.  However, the Trump Administration’s move to end DACA and once again disregard the basic rights to life and dignity of human beings can’t go undiscussed.  So we’ve got our starting point!  As usual, this series aims to a) help us stay informed on the events unfolding in America and b) urge readers to add their voice to the chorus calling out for justice.  We must be aware.  We must be vocal.  We must be active.  We must be loving.  This is how we will triumph and how we will transform our lives, our nation, and our world.

New American Resistance – A Win!

This post won’t be like the others in the series.  Rather, this is a short celebration/reflection on our win last week.  The GOP tried to push forward their bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.  It was a hasty move, driven by their desire to spite Obama, anchored in a dangerous plan that would rob millions of their health care.  But something happened.  First the vote was delayed from Thursday to Friday and then the bill was pulled because they knew they didn’t have the votes to get it passed.  This is proof that all of our voices calling out (both liberal and conservative alike on this issue) and saying it wasn’t the right move were heard.  When we struggle with our ability to bring about change, we need to remember this moment.  We spoke out.  We were heard.  And it affected what happened. This is an important victory!!!  This is why we need to stay informed and vocal.  Power to the people!

The Joker Examined – Heath Ledger and The Dark Knight (2008)

In my odd little salute to Halloween, I’ve been examining how the Joker scares me personally as well as how the character depicts the many facets of evil.  Now we’ve reached my favorite Joker, Heath Ledger’s turn in Christopher Nolan’s 2008 masterpiece The Dark Knight.  In October of 2014, Kalie and I had been dating for about a month.  She (obviously) wanted to do something scary for Halloween.  Having maxed out our haunted house options, we settled on a scary movie double feature.  She chose the original Ouija, then fresh in theatres.  I chose The Dark Knight.  My choice was scariest!  No matter how many times I watch it, Heath Ledger’s Joker – a perfect vision of evil incarnate – always haunts me.