Sunday, January 18, 2015

Selma (movie review)


MLK Day is tomorrow, a national holiday. Yay.

I've just launched a new listserv named MMM-PSC for use within the meeting, others invited to join, and since it's a Google Group, I'm learning more about the calendar feature.  I'm to set up another Google Group for Pauling House, which will also need to use that feature.  So far so good.

I put down the 3:05 showing of Selma at Regal Lloyd 10, as a first test event for the community calendar. Then I hopped in the Nissan and high tailed it to the show.

I'd use this film to talk about "reflex-conditioning" and the need for "upgrading".  Christians pray for "divine grace" which means upgrades from God, the ultimate in Cloud Services.  But when push comes to shove, falling back on old reflexes seems easiest, and Alabama becomes a scene from Walking Dead, with white people really scary.  I mean zombie scary.

You have to empathize with the president, needing to work with these "people" (they have the right to vote).

The religious people in funny clothes show up after it's already too late, on cue, and Dr. King does the religious thing and prevents super duper violence.  Those nut case zombies had something up their sleeve for sure.

Later, with US Army protection, they make it to Montgomery.  The Army always gets drafted into protecting lost causes it seems, "tricked" by the Constitution or a Federal treaty into doing the right thing.

Great acting, well researched.  Not like I was there or anything (in Selma, myself).

If you want to understand my timeline, my parents were Chicago-based activists who wanted to live in a "mixed" neighborhood and not be gentrification agents when moving to Portland.

Dad was somewhat disgusted with US culture (too militaristic) and yearned for a more ethical sense of professionalism i.e. planning for "developing" (so-called "third world") nations.  So when Dr. King was murdered, we were already out of the country.

Nixon started bombing Cambodia soon after that, the White House going through another "episode" (picture an epileptic seizure, known as "governance" on the east coast).

Hey, the new Terminator film looks fun.

I want to say (and it's true):  the audience applauded sincerely at the conclusion of this film and I found myself filled with admiration for the cast, and of course for the true heroes this film hopes to faithfully render for newcomers.

Thank you for a great re-enactment of a terrible chapter in the North American territories, when the "freed" slaves still had an uphill battle to get any recognition for their status as full citizens and competent governors.

In 2015, with a so-called "Negro" (black) president, we're manifestly a long way down the road, but still have a long way to go.  Racism is a deeply rooted meme virus.  We should have black presidents from now on maybe, but with more women butting in.  It's not up to me, just I wouldn't mind that outcome.  Native Americans have dual citizenship so vote in both local and Federal elections.