As
I was walking out of the movie, I found myself thinking of another bit of
karma, seemingly unrelated to the film. We saw the flick at the Regal Cinema in
downtown Seattle. Security levels have recently changed. Some of the theater’s
doors no longer open from the outside, and my wife’s bag was inspected by the
ticket tearer before we could enter.
I
was reminded of a conversation I had more than 10 years ago with an Israeli
peace activist who was visiting the US for his first time. He worked with the
Tel Aviv Independent Media Center (IMC) and was in Seattle to visit our IMC,
the original one, born as part of the “Battle In Seattle” protests against the
World Trade Organization. Seattle’s IMC had spawned hundreds of media
collectives around the world and for a while our IMC drew activists like the
“original” Starbucks attracts more mainstream tourists.
As
we swapped documentary videos and chatted about the latest happenings in the
media movement, I asked his perspective on Israel/Palestine. He thought the big
picture problem was a fear of democracy by Israeli political leaders. Their
logic, he said, was that it was better to keep Palestinians as a stateless
people than allow them citizenship. Palestinians bear the brunt of disenfranchisement, but Israelis
can’t, my guest pointed out, send their kids to the movies without fear of a
terrorist act. I recalled Malcom X’s speech on “The Bullet or the Ballot,” as
my Israeli guest went on to make a simple point: “People don’t strap on the
dynamite vest if a petition campaign or an election might solve the problem.”
He
pointed out that the US was going the way of Israel in its responses to 911.
Instead of seeking the high road, and using the opportunity to strengthen
international law and dignity, the US launched not only a war against
Afghanistan (which was not responsible for the attack), but then spread it to
Iraq as well. Those existential acts, he said, with their Abu Ghraib,
Guantanamo, and all the rest, make even the ancient notion of “eye for an eye”
seem like a high standard.
Perhaps
in the judgment of history, this period will be viewed as a moment when America
missed a chance for greatness, in favor of the snarling dog. The world has
certainly changed, and I guess no parent who has taught their children “not to
settle things through violence” and that “decisions carry consequences” should
be all that surprised. All I know for sure is that now, we, too, have to worry
when we go to the movies.
Randy Rowland
