DARKEST SIDE OF THE FORCE

His column is printed occasionally in our newspaper. On May 2nd, the first line of his column started: "On Fox's 24 action drama show..." Then it continued on from there to suggest that since the tortures in this TV show saved millions of people, that torture should be allowed. http://mediamatters.org/items/200505040003

Usual Conservative logic, you say? Sure, but let's see if it passes the smell test. What 'ol Cal didn't write was that the entire 24 hours, of the show, 24, told of a man, Jack Bauer, who is working out of a crack counter terrorism unit -- CTU which is under the highest alert.

Lots of great talent in that CTU but only one person, Jack Bauer, could actually do all the really important and dare devil things needed to save the U.S. from one nuclear catastrophe after another.

If the show makes torture right, Cal, then surely we should be very upset that we only have one person in this whole country capable of saving us. And surely even a superhuman person like Jack must sleep sometime and then what?

Another thing, Cal -- Jack brings in a badly wounded terrorist to the medical area of this under high alert, crack anti-terrorism outfit and there is only one doctor! And that doctor was trying to save the life of an American citizen who had just saved Jack's life.

So Jack forces the doctor at gunpoint to treat the terrorist while the American patient dies. Cal, you never told us that our homeland security ACU has only one guy capable of saving us and only one doctor to patch up all the bullet wounds suffered by the unit because that is what is portrayed in this drama.

Well, no wonder you love to point out how "24" handled terrorists, Cal. Conservatives are known to cherry-pick in their religion and politics -- that is, pick the things they like and ignore the rest.

So dig this, Cal. Ya ever notice how much alike Darth Vader and George Bush are? Sure, Vader did it on an intergalactic scale while Bush is just now reaching for conquest in space, but that said, think about it.

Both are from the Dark Side. Both tell lies easily and think nothing of exterminating thousands of human beings.

Vader strode majestically along the deck of the Death Star with his light saber, ordering the death of planets. Bush struts along the deck of an Aircraft Carrier sporting a pneumatic package apparently inflated to the bursting point, bragging about the destruction his bunker-buster-bombs caused.

Both make really weird sounds and strange vocalization patterns: Vader spoke in a scary whisper that was nearly unintelligible and his raspy breathing was both loud and weird. Bush uses English words but seldom in understandable context. When he attempts to laugh, he sounds like a distressed dog panting -- just a-huffing and a-shaking all over.

Of course there are some differences between Vader and Bush, for example: Vader sought to conquer a galaxy, destroying worlds for power and freely admitted it. Bush seeks world domination and destroys countries for power. He claims he is liberating them and bringing freedom to the people.

Vader vaporizes underlings who make mistakes or fail outright. Bush promotes and honors them.

Oh, Jedi Knights, we Earthlings are so screwed! May the force be with us.

Lea, Han, Luke, Chewy, C-3PO and R2-D2 ~V where are you? HELP!

gapperserve@peoplepc.com

2005-020

Copyright 2005 Renee T. Louise and Ruth M. Sprague, Ph.D. These articles may be republished for noncommercial use only, provided that they are copied intact, and that this copyright notice is attached. Address all queries to: gapperserve@peoplepc.com.