Inhumanity and Unreality: Two views

Between the subway attack (for which Madrid was the test run, I suspect) and some excellent news about the Henry Darger documentary In the Realms of the Unreal, I can't sleep just now (big shock). There isn't much to say about the London attacks except to reiterate my feelings on terrorism in general: It is cowardly, it is inhumane, it turns the attacked and the attackers into animals, and it reinforces negative stereotypes about all radicals, whether they be militaristic religious zealots or political protesters or whatever. Some of these people are doing good work through appropriate, legal channels, but we tend to lump them all together as dangerous/violent ticking time bombs. In Scotland, the police treated some unarmed G-8 protesters like cattle because they're deemed threats. In reality, a little chick in Birkenstocks with nothing but a cardboard sign in her hand probably poses little or no threat to world leaders who are being protected round-the-clock by armed guards (although you never know, those vegan Buddhists can get awfully aggressive).
BTW: You Scots have produced a few of history's vilest villains. Don't see me burning your flag, do ya?
In short, the extremes of opinion that manifest in unprovoked acts of violence and terrorism are unhealthy in every way. Also, no matter how persecuted you may have been, no matter how hard you have fought to protect your way of life, and no matter how unfairly you have been treated - you have no excuse for ending the lives of bystanders just to make a point. Listen up, Bush, I'm talking to you too.

On to the good news! In the Realms of the Unreal, a fabulous (and short) documentary about reclusive writer/artist Henry Darger, is set to air on PBS's POV program on August 2. PLEASE TUNE IN!! If you regret it, you can bitch to me later. Not that I'll listen. This documentary means a lot to me. Darger's life seemed grim from the outside (and sometimes was), but his art reflected the best of the human spirit: Love of innocence and justice, appreciation of beauty, flights of the imagination, resilience and determination... These ideals and experiences may seem simplistic or even worthless, but to me they are the antithesis of the rage and irrationality that spawns terrorism. I could go on, but I won't because you'll all tune in August 2 to see for yourselves, right? Don't tell me you'll pay $15 to see War of the Worlds - which doesn't even make any sense - but you won't turn on PBS for less than an hour and half to see one of the most fascinating artists of the last century!!