Clifton Pollard
May. 4th, 2011 09:11 am1.
If God exists, and is worthy of worship, sie loves and forgives Osama the same way sie loves and forgives me.
The crazy comments in response to the NYT's story on how the government narrative of bin Laden's killing has changed make me feel pretty bad. I understand that all 3000 people in the towers were unarmed. So was my neighbor Paul who was vaporized, with all his parents' hopes, at the Pentagon. Noting that bin Laden was also unarmed when he was shot has nothing to do with bleeding heart human rights. It has to do with the fact that killing is forbidden, first of all; and second of all, that bin Laden should have been brought to trial. A fair and transparent trial, with humane and honest jurists including Muslims, would have changed the world. That change is what the trigger-happy SEALS have postponed -- if in fact Tahrir Square has not made terrorism, and bin Laden's life or death the oldest and most irrelevant possible news.
I also understand that bin Laden might have been thought to be wearing a suicide vest and so on. But they were trained for that -- which is why they shot him in the head, and not the chest -- and I doubt very seriously that bin Laden posed any threat to them.
2.
The NYT yesterday had a number of stories on just how beleagured and harmed the city has been since 9/11. Worth thinking about. I know New Yorkers don't feel alive unless the agro is high. I know there's a lot of rock-ribbed Italo Irish "stand up guys" on ventilators as the result of the work they did on the towers. And I know that the politics of resentment among angry white blue collar guys would -- and will -- and has -- found itself another scapegoat to fasten upon.
But this was the grace note. In a shimmering display of great journalism lightly worn -- the fruit of Jimmy Breslin's immortal story on Clifton Pollard, JFK's grave digger -- the Times sent reporters to the landfill where all the debris from the towers was sifted for human remains, to the Islamic cafes and halal butchers of the great cosmopolis. And to the hospitals, where two babies were born Sunday evening as Osama was being killed.
JaDon Freddrick Jackson was born on Sunday to Tanisa Williams, a lawyer, who wondered if the world would really be a safer place for her second child.
And Zain Mosher Littles was born on Monday to Cassidy Mosher, who works on costumes for films and television.
Mothers and sons were reported doing well.
“I hear there’s a lot of celebrating going on,” Ms. Mosher, 28, said. “I must say this person did horrible things to thousands of people. But it’s hard to celebrate someone’s death when you have life coming into yours. No matter what somebody does, taking a solemn moment when somebody dies is important.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/nyregion/joy-at-bin-ladens-death-is-mixed-with-sober-reflection.html?pagewanted=2&sq=arrigo&st=cse&scp=2
3.
And the great phoenix city extends its love and generosity -- five months after it closed Off Broadway, "The Scottsboro Boys" -- Kanter and Ebbs' last collaboration -- gets 12 Tony nominations (bypassing Robin Williams in "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo", Daniel Radcliffe. Chris Rock and Kiefer Sutherland, all pretending to be Broadway actors this nominating season).
http://youtu.be/icIQQj0C_b0
And the beat goes on. Here's hoping in 80 years there will be twelve nominations for "The Killing of Osama Bin Laden" with music and lyrics by Justin Bieber and Willow Smith.
I love New York.
If God exists, and is worthy of worship, sie loves and forgives Osama the same way sie loves and forgives me.
The crazy comments in response to the NYT's story on how the government narrative of bin Laden's killing has changed make me feel pretty bad. I understand that all 3000 people in the towers were unarmed. So was my neighbor Paul who was vaporized, with all his parents' hopes, at the Pentagon. Noting that bin Laden was also unarmed when he was shot has nothing to do with bleeding heart human rights. It has to do with the fact that killing is forbidden, first of all; and second of all, that bin Laden should have been brought to trial. A fair and transparent trial, with humane and honest jurists including Muslims, would have changed the world. That change is what the trigger-happy SEALS have postponed -- if in fact Tahrir Square has not made terrorism, and bin Laden's life or death the oldest and most irrelevant possible news.
I also understand that bin Laden might have been thought to be wearing a suicide vest and so on. But they were trained for that -- which is why they shot him in the head, and not the chest -- and I doubt very seriously that bin Laden posed any threat to them.
2.
The NYT yesterday had a number of stories on just how beleagured and harmed the city has been since 9/11. Worth thinking about. I know New Yorkers don't feel alive unless the agro is high. I know there's a lot of rock-ribbed Italo Irish "stand up guys" on ventilators as the result of the work they did on the towers. And I know that the politics of resentment among angry white blue collar guys would -- and will -- and has -- found itself another scapegoat to fasten upon.
But this was the grace note. In a shimmering display of great journalism lightly worn -- the fruit of Jimmy Breslin's immortal story on Clifton Pollard, JFK's grave digger -- the Times sent reporters to the landfill where all the debris from the towers was sifted for human remains, to the Islamic cafes and halal butchers of the great cosmopolis. And to the hospitals, where two babies were born Sunday evening as Osama was being killed.
JaDon Freddrick Jackson was born on Sunday to Tanisa Williams, a lawyer, who wondered if the world would really be a safer place for her second child.
And Zain Mosher Littles was born on Monday to Cassidy Mosher, who works on costumes for films and television.
Mothers and sons were reported doing well.
“I hear there’s a lot of celebrating going on,” Ms. Mosher, 28, said. “I must say this person did horrible things to thousands of people. But it’s hard to celebrate someone’s death when you have life coming into yours. No matter what somebody does, taking a solemn moment when somebody dies is important.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/nyregion/joy-at-bin-ladens-death-is-mixed-with-sober-reflection.html?pagewanted=2&sq=arrigo&st=cse&scp=2
3.
And the great phoenix city extends its love and generosity -- five months after it closed Off Broadway, "The Scottsboro Boys" -- Kanter and Ebbs' last collaboration -- gets 12 Tony nominations (bypassing Robin Williams in "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo", Daniel Radcliffe. Chris Rock and Kiefer Sutherland, all pretending to be Broadway actors this nominating season).
- Best Musical
- Best Book of a Musical
- Original score
- Actor, Musical: Joshua Henry
- Featured actors, Forrest McClendon, Colman Domingo
- Director, Susan Stroman
- Choreography, Susan Stroman
And the beat goes on. Here's hoping in 80 years there will be twelve nominations for "The Killing of Osama Bin Laden" with music and lyrics by Justin Bieber and Willow Smith.
I love New York.