distant fireworks

[Terrance F. Flaherty]

calbert at pop.tiac.net wrote:

> Lachrymosa from the ivory tower:
>
> > >With each passing year, as U.S. citizens sleep with
> > >Television providing the stuff their dreams are made on,
> > >like children too excited by the bangs and bursts of rocket
> > >celebrations, a public ignorant, apathetic, and  generally
> > >complacent, gazes with a false nostalgia at the trivialized
> > >memory of a Revolution, while its Executive subverts
> > >constitutional balance, exerting force in over 70 foreign
> > >conflicts, and writs of habeas corpus are suspended by state
> > >governments. This is one of the things Pynchon hopes we will
> > >pay attention too--the smell of Distant fireworks.
>
> I hope to G-d that TRP is a little more sophisticated than that; I
> PRAY some of his readers are.

One of Pynchon's major themes is the ignorance, apathy, and general
complacency of the American public. To say they are stupid, would
undermine his point. From the SL stories through M&D, Pynchon outlines
the erosion of U.S. Constitutional rights. Zoyd is a hard working
American, why is he imprisoned? What about these imprisonment's in
Pynchon's fiction--each one involves a violation or suspension of Habeus
Corpus. Not only that, each one has an historical counterpart, if you
look it up, check it out. Who was V.allandigham? What happened to this
member of congress during the War--the civil war in this case? Every
student in the NYC school system is now required to take a Regents
diploma. To receive one they must pass several jeopardy exams. Every
student knows that "Lincoln freed the slaves," how many know that
citizens were arrested during the civil war in violation of the
fundamental principles of the Constitution? None! Not many! This has
nothing to do with being stupid. This has everything to do with
ignorance, apathy, and general complacency, Sloth! And btw, every time
some one insults me, with get out a little or your an elitist or
whatever, I think, boy wait till they meet me.

Yours,
A hard working American gypsy roofer who's never been in nor on an Ivory
Tower

> Power that bullies will always suck, always has - as does any
> suggestion that it has a national identity. I spent the 4th working a
> small town carnival, and I am pleased to tell you that your fellow
> citizens are neither stupid nor indifferent. Any suggestion to the
> contrary is grossly patronizing. Most of them work hard, raise
> families and care about their neighbours - get out a little bit, you
> might be surprised.
>
> And to Kosovars returning from their diaspora - Live long, prosper,
> and leave your serbian neighbours in peace.
>
> love,
> cfa