Farenheit 911

We saw it yesterday, feeling it was the most patriotic thing we could do for the 4th. While I am closer to Michael Moore's philosophies than say, George Bush's, I went in prepared to be skeptical and conscious of the fact that this was a movie that was trying to persuade me of its point of view (Moore makes no bones about that.) I'm in the advertising business, I know how things can be edited. I know how goofy people look before the cameras roll when they think nobody's watching. I know about hyperbole. I can even pronounce it properly. That said, I left feeling profoundly sad and concerned about the people in charge and how it seems that we've gone astray. I don't blame simply the people in power, however. I blame myself, for choosing contented ignorance, not voting, not making more of an effort to be informed, not reaching out to help at least one other American do the same. I feel powerless and scared that fear is exactly what "they" want -- people who are paralyzed with fear of unknown terrors (I mean that literally) don't think for themselves, they just do what they are told. Now, 24 hours later, I have done more research to check the facts in the movie and feel more assured that the facts were mostly as reported. Now, it was easy to make Bush and his cronies look like jerks. None of them are the warmest of creatures, and some of them aren't the brightest. I recognize a cheap shot when I see it. Still, the facts are the facts and they ain't pretty, folks. On this 4th of July, though, I'm just glad we're talking about this stuff more openly. I'm glad that people of all political persuasions are seeing this movie, flawed as it is. Dissent, discussion, passion, honesty, openness, faith and skepticism--these are profound American qualities, part of the essence of our character. This movie reminds me of that. Elie Weisel also wrote something lovely in the Parade magazine today, that bastion of mostly pre-digested pap that makes us feel warm and fuzzy most of the time. He talked about how self-criticism is such a characteristic American value, and it's one of our saving graces. It's so quintessentially American to go cowboying off, convinced we are right...and at the same time, it's quintessential for us to nip at our own heels, question our motivations and try our best to make things right again. That makes me feel a lot better. The pendulum swings one way, then it swings back. Such is life. I personally think it's swung a little too far to the "conservative" side right now. But I have faith that it will swing back again. We do hit extremes on both ends, but most of the time we're somewhere in the middle... That's me, waving my flag. (Or as some would have it, "letting my freak flag fly." Whatever lights your firecracker)