Chavez passes.

I have been following Hugo Chavez’s, president of Venezuela, for some time now. He’s been struggling with cancer for some time, and spending a lot of time in Cuba seeking treatment. Now it’s been confirmed he’s died in Cuba, after having been out of sight for some time.

Online, and on cable news, I've seen a lot of excited talk at his death, giddiness to see him gone. Others are quite upset to see him gone. Me? I’m ambivalent.

I first really noticed Chavez way back during an attempted coupe to remove him. Unsurprisingly, it wasn't being covered for awhile on US news, so I had to rely on Univision for news. As they actually had reporters in the country, while the US services had no one remotely close. And I remember the talk afterward about whether the US and Bush had anything to do with the attempt to remove him. I've never seen any evidence to prove that.

But since then he’s become more known for being a pain in the side of the Bush administration. During his second term he cemented the friendship with Cuba. He made deals and offered oil at times to aggravate the White House. He was friendly with nations that the US was in diplomatic fights with. And he would make speeches to meant to mock and piss off the US (Remember the, “I smell the devil speech”?).

And if you had your troubles and dislike of GW Bush and the policies of his administration, you may have enjoyed his cajoling some. I may have, or I at least didn't seem overwhelmed by his jeers.

Still, I have never been a fan of the concept of the enemy of my enemy is my friend, even if we are talking about “‘enemies’”, “frenemies”, or the current party in power with who I disagree. Remember how hostile Alex Jones was to the White House during Bush? A lot of liberals enjoyed listening to his wild conspiracies then. And Chavez has told some amazing stories himself.

But important is what he brought to the country. Going back to the coup against him. he’s been facing off with business interests. This includes oil execs. And with the history in Central and South America of multinational business pushing governments around, or having the US do it, it’s hard to not like seeing them not get their way. Though it seems, here in the US, some are salivating now at the chance to get back in.

Now, Chavez’s legacy will stand on more than this. And it’s important to get past the conservative pap. Past the ties to Cuba being damning, or the fact he played at being the great socialist, or talking back to America.

So, if you want to consider some of the issues that have arose in Chavez’s time in power, that maybe we should hope will change with the Vice President coming power. try Think Progress’s piece.

It is worth noting how he treated some groups in Venezuela, how he used the media, how the poor fared, how long since international monitors were allowed to watch elections,  and how much power he consolidated in the executive.

And a more positive view.

On the tragic events in Aurora, Colorado *UPDATED*

It is never easy for me to talk about visceral scarring events. I seldom feel equipped to suitably address the topic. But the shootings last Friday in Aurora, Colorado, unsurprisingly, still haunt most of our thoughts. Those in Colorado are mourning and recuperating. And people there, and around the country, are trying to wrap our minds around acts like this.

I can only, on my part, hope for and give my condolence to all those both physically, emotionally, and psychologically harmed. You are in my thoughts, I will try to remember those lost, and I hope we all will act to help now and in the future. Give blood. Be there for those around us that need someone to listen to them, or reaffirm the value of humanity.

Now, I am going to be a little less thoughtful. So, if you aren’t interested in that now, feel free to click off to other interests.

One thing I didn’t want to see then, or maybe in many cases just yet, are attempts to turn this tragic crime turned into a bully pulpit for ideologies. There are some serious questions that should come out of any event like this, lessons to learn. But now is not the time. People need to mourn. The police need to investigate. And everyone else needs to take a breath.

Now, I will concede that some worried about gun control raced to jump in the hours after the shootings. But, the Religious Right, bless them, just doubled down with hyperbole and insulting talk, some of that insulting talk for those now dead.

Let’s take a look at the highlights in the most galling statements imaginable, and, maybe, learn how not to respond to tragedy:

The American Family Association made sure to let us all know that we should blame liberal churches and the liberal media for these shooting, along with the ACLU. Apparently, there’s not enough God (They mean Jesus, you non-Christians heathens.). And without having their bible beat in your head, guys like this will go on killing spree. I guess, we should all be ashamed and read out bibles then. …In Colorado! Evangelical central. Like the sleazy con men they are, any tragedy is good for business. Right, sanctimonious asshats?

Then Rick Warren jumped in. Well, he tweeted in, saying, “When students are taught they are no different from animals, they act like it.” Slow clap for Mr. Warren. You managed to look like a real ass here. Then, he deleted the tweet. But we’ve all seen it. Now, what Rick was explaining is, first, no God in school. Second, we teach evolution, which, apparently, leads people to kill. No further comment needed. But, remember this the next time he gets brought on a news show.

Next, we have Louie “Goober” Gohmert, an actual, no joke here, member of Congress. He looks like an idiot, talks like an idiot, and has a vote in the House of Representatives. He explained what happen, as people were murdered. It’s all about the sinister “attacks on Judeo-Christian beliefs.” He wanted to make this about his imagined persecution of Christianity, by which he really means his social agenda, instead of those that were hurt and killed. It’s unbelievable. It’s inconceivable.

Also, Gohmert complained that no one in the theater had a gun to open fire in the dark smoke filled room. He wondered why no one was packing, or acted. This implies that those that survived lacked the courage to stand against the shooter, which plenty of armchair heroes seem to have started doing. If you weren’t there, shut up! It’s all just more “common sense” from the Resident Chamber Fool. I’d bother calling him an idiot, but I do that most days anyways.

From some conservatives, I have been hearing more and more comments and rumors that this killer was unemployed and on “food stamps.” Now, he, apparently recently left a doctorate program, so I have no idea if this is likely, or not. But it is being latched on to. In the wake of more than 10 dead and scores more hospitalized, some want to be sure to tell us guns don’t kill people, the social safety net does. Excuse me…FUCK YOU, YOU ASSHOLES!!! …Sorry, had to be said. This is wretched. Not happy to regularly mock the mythical “Welfare Queen driving a Cadillac,” we know see a new myth. Get ready to likely hear it more in Right Wing media. It’s sickening.

And, as we are thinking of people who will take tragedy, and make it worse, Westboro Baptist Church (Of God Hates fame.) showed up this weekend to protest. But they were countered nicely. Right Wing of America, you actually may have outclassed the Phelps Family in classlessness. How do you do that? Get a clue! This is how low you went, this is how low you’ve fallen.

But I don’t want to leave it there. Let’s talk about the media, because it has lessons to learn about actually being of service and use at times like this.

If you have been around as long as I have, you’ve seen how the media reacts to these tragedies. Like a dog that’s seen you’ve spilled food on the floor. They know it’s wrong, but they want their bacon. So we’ve got heavy coverage of this event, and aspects surrounding it. There are good ways and bad ways to do this. Charlie Brooker on his series Newswipe covered just how to do this horribly wrong, possibly inspiring copycats or just justifying similar sickening plans for another disturbed person:

And in what I’ve seen of coverage Friday, and this weekend, we’ve gotten pretty much all the mistakes playing out in the media yet again. And the media replied, “I can’t help it, it’s my nature.” On CNN, I see half the screen taken up for minutes on end by the face of this murderer. On ABC I see repeated video of this bastard at an old debate, or some event. We see ongoing coverage. We see the selling of murder and mayhem on a large scale as big news, and exciting.

News people? You aren’t doing us any favors! This is what he wants! He dyed his hair so you’d show it to us, to try and burn himself into our memories. He picked to attack a theater, he chose a major movie release, and he booby trapped him home, all to create a bigger story. He wanted you to cover him big time, and he wanted us to be terrified and think of him when we go to the movies for the rest of our lives. News people? You’re doing everything he wants, and patting yourself on the back for it. You are likely inspiring future copycats, and don’t seem to care.

Okay, I will credit the media that I have seen some coverage of those that survived, making the story somewhat about them. But they love their killers too much, and we don't have to follow suit.

So let’s be sure to move passed and forget this loser and bastard. When I see that the news wants, not just give us some facts, but roll in the slurry of this story, I turn it off. I won’t look at your sponsors, I want help your ratings. To hell with you, news media.

Instead, let’s remember those that did not survive that night. And let’s remember those that acted to save lives. Like Jarell Brooks, who was shot in the leg (and survived) helping get a mother with 2 kids out of the theater. These are the people who we need to keep in our thoughts. Just let the law have the bastard.

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ADDENDUM:

07/25/12
Just wanted to add a comment on twitter from a Wall Street Journal columnist.

"..."

 Sorry. I'm not going to quote him. In essence he questioned whether the men killed or shot in Aurora protecting girlfriends actually had girlfriends that were worth the effort...I...how does this occur to someone? 

But, as well, I forgot to mention before another part of the media's screwing up on this tragedy. They are calling it the "Batman Murders"...Great. Again, giving this bastard just a bit more immortality.

Remembering Ray Bradbury

It does seem hard to believe, but Ray Bradbury has passed on. It did seem, as some are saying like he was always here, and would always be here. Writing daily for years, he seemed like a dynamo. He seemed and was a have a tireless creator, with an ever youthful imagination.

Something Wicked This Way Comes, Ray Bradbury:

“Death doesn't exist. It never did, it never will. But we've drawn so many pictures of it, so many years, trying to pin it down, comprehend it, we've got to thinking of it as an entity, strangely alive and greedy. All it is, however, is a stopped watch, a loss, an end, a darkness. Nothing.” 

Like we all will, his watch stopped. Stopped, after long decades of producing real magic for his eager audience. His voice, his words, his visions, and those glasses, will accompany me for the rest of my life, as fond memories.

Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury:

“Books were only one type of receptacle where we stored a lot of things we were afraid we might forget. There is nothing magical in them at all. The magic is only in what books say, how they stitched the patches of the Universe together into one garment for us.” 

And he was a master of the patchwork. He was one of those unique voices that helped shaped many of our childhoods, with scares, wonder, and thrills. His was a very special voice that we all should try and carry on in hearts and on our book shelves

I know all of us old fans will be taking time to pull out an old favorite to peruse. But I hope as well, we can entice some more to give one of his books a chance, perhaps one of his beautiful short stories? Or, maybe take some time with one of the movies drawn from his work, or the TV series.

He had a fascinating impact on storytelling, leaving us an array of works and media to enjoy.

Something Wicked This Way Comes:


Or, listen to Bradbury himself: