Letters to the Editor
little lord baltimore
Published Letters: 189 Editor's Choice: 9
-
"the bigger the lie, the more they believe"
[Read the article: Hot off "The Wire"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]M understanding is that David Simon wanted to use "The Wire" as a way to expose myths about American cities. It's convenient, and in some ways comforting, for us to believe that kids can escape their own personal combinations of drugs, violence, dysfunctional schools, poverty and racism, with hard work and determination. It's easy to think that if we put more people in jail, there will be less crime; and we all want to hold onto the notion that there are good guys and bad guys.
I think this season has been Simon's way of telling us that what it really takes to make a difference is hard work. There are no short cuts. If McNulty hadn't concocted his "homeless killer," Bunk's diligent case work and real case work by other officers would have brought down Chris and then eventually, maybe, the whole crew. Gus and the metro desk editor keep talking about how the paper needs to bring attention to the homeless by analyzing all of the multiple ways that the city is failing people; that many "homeless" are working men and women trying to survive a rigged system. Instead Klebanow wants to talk about the "Dickensian aspects," and Templeton is all too happy to oblige. Daniels tells Carcetti's aide that the only way to decrease crime is to make systemic long term changes. The aide tells them to "be creative." And then they're's Kima. We all knew that Kima would blow the whistle, but she seemed genuinely conflicted. Her tipping point though was when McNulty kicked back a real homeless murder because it wasn't the same MO as his fictional killer. I think Kima saw that McNulty maybe had good intentions but that ultimately nothing had changed.
That last scene with Dukie was maybe the saddest, most heartbreaking, thing I've seen on television. Of the 4 boys we met last season, Dukie was the one with the most potential and goodness. He's also the only one who had nothing, no family, no money, no talent for the game, no one looking out for him. Dukie desperately wants to be better than his circumstances. He is the one who has bought into the same myths that let the rest of us sleep easy at night. And he is the one who the city will destroy.
Just to touch on Omar's death. I've always been a little ambivalent about Omar. I'm mean in a show that prides itself on its realism, a character who was openly gay, robbed from the rich and gave to the poor, dressed like one of the kids from Columbine (even on Baltimore's 90% humidity days), and who favored honey nut Cheerios and doe-eyed Puerto Ricans, seemed a little out of place. I imagine that Simon might have resented that Omar as character seemed to transcend what the show was about. As such, I think that there was no other way that Omar could have died. Kenard saw him for what he really was, there was no romanticizing, and did what the game commanded. Although, it does seem like Michael is picking up where Omar left off. He's smart, both street smart and intelligent. He follows his own code of ethics. He is on the run and maybe for the rest of his life. And like Omar, he seems to be following a destiny that only he knows, not like the rest of the citizens of Baltimore, who seem to be stuck going down well worn paths.
-
It's just sad.
[Read the article: Quarter of Clinton supporters would vote McCain over Obama]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'm trying to pull back from my emotional involvement in this election and like 90% of Obama's supporters, I'm going to vote for whoever gets the Democratic nomination. But this post really saddens me.
Do Hillary's supporters not understand that McCain is PRO-LIFE. McCain is PRO-WAR. McCain is AGAINST healthcare reform. McCain is ANTI-the Kyoto Accords. McCain is PRO making tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans permanent. Meanwhile Obama and Hillary AGREE on 97% of their issues, policies and positions. Their voting records over the last 3 years have been IDENTICAL. They have CO-SPONSORED legislation.
Hillary supporters claim that Hillary is the only choice because the stakes today are so high; they claim that she has the right ideas and the right solutions, yet they are BOASTING that they would vote for McCain over Obama. Meanwhile, they are also berating and belittling Obama's supporters for being in a cult, for choosing personality over substance. Yet they are happy to keep the country mired in another 4 years of grinding war, of conservative economic policy, and of right wing bullshit, simply because they don't want Obama to win.
I really don't know who to lay the blame on for this: both Democratic candidates who have done such a good job of tearing each other down that their respective supporters only see their differences; McCain, whose "straight-talk express" ridiculousness has moderate Democrats thinking that "he's not so bad;" or Hillary supporters who refuse to put their own selfish spitefulness aside for the good of the country? I know I am disgusted by the fact that Hillary's campaign is now trumpeting this information, like it was a mandate that she should be the candidate.
I watched Meet the Press yesterday and Tim Russert asked Dee Dee Myers what Hillary would do if she lost tomorrow. Dee Dee replied that she would withdraw by Wednesday, March 5th, and that she would put all of her energy and her passion into making sure that Obama was elected president. I hope that's enough to convince her supporters that in voting for her they, were voting to make things better than they were under Bush II and better than they will be under McCain; that, yes, in fact, they were voting for change all along.