Yesterday, and today, the media inveighed against Mel Gibson because he drove drunk and after getting arrested, yelled, "Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world". Funny he got so drunk he actually thought George Bush was Jewish.
Yesterday, Judge Christina A. Snyder said: "It's a tragedy for the victims, a tragedy for the defendent's family and a tragedy of it's own making for the defendant. She was talking about Gabriel Gonzalez, a former L.A. County Sheriff's Deputy who had just been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Yesterday my boss went over a few things with me about the new position I am taking over since the last guy quit. He wanted to make sure I knew I was going to be responsible for even more work and that I needed to hire someone to take over my old job and that this person, as well as myself, would be responsible for doing his personal things in addition to handling the work involved with a ramped up slate of projects in development.
This is the 3rd or 4th day news articles and tabloids have run in the paper about Gibson's anti-semetism, despite the fact that nothing new happened yesterday, nor the day before.
The articles stopped being about Mel Gibson the man as soon as the first article went to print. The articles are about something far more supercilious than a man getting a DUI and revealing an uncreative hatred.
At work I am getting a sort of promotion but this means I will be making less money for more work and responsibility in a company that hasn't made a single dime since it came into existence.
Gonzalez sexually assaulted three women while on early morning patrol in Compton and surrounding areas. It is not news that he was punished- that is just a relief. The news comes from the testimony of the women he actually raped. The ones who came forward and testified against him.
Daily, I submit resumes to prospective employers on the UTA joblist and Craig's List but so far I haven't gotten a single response. So many people look for jobs online that in order to even be considered, a person has to send off a resume and cover letter the second the job is posted. I work 45-50 hours each week and I make a flat salary of $340 with no overtime pay.
"This sexual predator will never be able to imagine how hard its been for me to resume a normal life. A part of my body and life has been stolen from me. However, I want him to know my spirit is stronger than his," she said, adding that she is no longer afraid because he will be locked up.
The public, still reading these articles, seem to be trapped in an illusion of significance. The words "Mel Gibson" no longer refer to the man but to an idea of suspicious underlying truths about a subconcious we can no longer trust and yet can't help being facinated by. The ideas behind these articles about Mel Gibson refer to an idea that is clouded and indistinct and malleable.
I need this job to pay my rent and to feed me and I have had this job for long enough that I am so hard up for money I can't afford to leave early and be unemployed for the time it would take to get another job.
One woman, a prostitute, said that her life was in a shambles. She lost 40 pounds, failed her classes at school and started taking anti-depressants. She said she had forgiven Gonzalez. She said: "You don't hold me prisoner anymore".
The trap is to discuss and think about clouds of hatred in a soothing and self-righteous way. Meanwhile, reality continues on and on, like the cars driving by on the 101, outside my window.
