American Politics – Page 9 – The View From Sari's World

Fact: On December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza, a young, mentally unstable white male, walks into an elementary school and begins a mass shooting spree, killing 26 people, the majority of which were children.

Fact: On July 20^th, 2012, James Holmes a young, mentally unstable white male, walks into a Colorado movie theater and begins a mass shooting spree, killing 24 people.

Fact: In March of 2014, Curtis Reeves an elderly white ex-cop shoots a man in a Florida movie theater for texting while watching the previews.

Fact: In July of 2015, a middle age white “drifter” with mental issues stands up in a Louisiana movie theater and begins a shooting spree, killing 2.

Fact: In October of 2015, Chris Harper- Mercer a young white male walks onto an Oregon college campus and begins a shoot spree, killing 9.

Fact: In December of 2015, a young Middle Eastern couple walks into the husband’s California office and begins a mass shooting spree, killing 14.

These are the mass shootings I can remember off the top of my head. Only the dates and number of victims were looked up for accuracy. There are many, many more but I think you get the point. At least I hope you do.

By now, many of you may be rolling your eyes and sighing. There she goes again about the need for gun control. No, not today. It’s not to say I don’t think we should regulate gun sales, I do. But if the idea of mentally unstable people, people with little to no gun safety training, or suspected terrorists having access to fire arms doesn’t scare you, then I am not sure how we can even begin to have a conversation. Why would I want to?

What scares me, and why I made this list, is of what has happened in the days following the California shooting. I am talking about the incendiary talk by those who are seeking higher office, and those who follows these idiots.

You see, these are the same people who defend the rights of the mental unstable, the irresponsible, and possible terrorist’s rights to own weapons; these same people who scream about their 2^nd Amendment right as if God himself, decreed it to be so. These same people, who will not even discuss sensible gun laws, are now declaring that ALL people of the Muslim faith are our enemies and should be treated as such. Never mind that the real threats to Americans, according to statistics, are mentally unstable men and toddlers. Yes, toddlers! More Americans have been killed this year by accidental discharge by toddlers than Muslim extremists, yet we are now being told we must fear ALL Muslims, even though the majority of American Muslims have never commit a crime.; even though thousands are serving in our military. This type of talk must end! For it is this type of talk that incites violence and gives meaning and a voice to bigotry. It is the type of talk that led to 6 millions Jews to suffer in concentration camps, to suffer torture and death. It is the kind of talk that divides a nation that is already on the brink of social collapse.

If these self-styled defenders of the Nation want to talk about keeping us safe from violent extremists, why then are they pandering to American extremists? For it is these Americans, the people who fear the unknown, the unnamed assailant, who are their target audience. The majority of Americans do not buy into this madness (at least not yet) but as history as shown, time and time again, violent speeches lead to violent deeds. How can this make us any safer?

It would be laughable if it weren’t so insidious. Statistical data shows us that in the last year alone, there have been more mass shootings by white American males than there have been by outsiders ,yet it is the “outsiders” who are now our scapegoats for all of the bloodshed on American soil. This has got to stop!

If we don’t want to have a conversation about common sense gun laws then we have no right to point a finger at one group and declare “they are the problem”, not when so many of the modern mass shootings have been orchestrated by another group, one that will not be named. Not because we can’t but because if we do, then we will be forced to concede that our policies and 2^nd Amendment may be flawed.

Just a few days ago, the Republican led Senate voted to defund the Affordable Health Care Act and Planned Parenthood but defeated a bill that would prohibit firearm sales to people on the No Fly List. Let me ask you a question, which makes you feel safer? Knowing HCA may be dismantled leaving millions without health insurance, knowing PP has no more money for cancer screenings for the poor or knowing a person of interest can walk into any gun store and buy a firearm?

When asked about gun safety laws Jeb Bush shrugged and said, “stuff happens”. This was said after an American born male went on a shooting spree. Here is his Tweet about the California attack.

His Tweet would seem innocent and kind enough had just weeks earlier he said, “I pray for the victims and their families” instead of “Stuff happens”. He was being asked about an American caused shooting spree and all he could muster was “Stuff happens”. When it came time to say something about a possible terrorist attack he shows more compassion. Hum.. I wonder why Jeb?

Yes Jeb, stuff does happen, and it will continue to happen, and possibly escalate if the candidates for higher office, the media, and the sitting congress continues to react as if only terrorists, if only the “others”, are to blame for American deaths.

We can’t have it both ways America. We can’t shrug our shoulders and say, “Don’t blame me for the few crazed Americans with access to guns”, all the while screaming, “Blame all Muslims for the few extremists with access to guns!” This has got to stop. We are better than this. At least, I hope that we are. For if we are not, well you know, stuff happens.

After posting this I came across an article in which a Fox news commentator said this:

Now, certainly Stuart, we could use more intelligent approaches to keeping guns out of the hands of psychotics. The Founding Fathers did not intend for every drunk psycho to have a machine gun collection. But law-abiding Americans owning guns is not the problem here. The problem is Islamist terrorism.

I’ve always wondered why it’s considered bad luck to say “Macbeth” in a theater, or why production companies often refer to the play as, “that Scottish play”. Actors and directors will tell you the play is cursed; yet oddly this doesn’t stop them from producing it.

Why do we think the play is cursed? I’ve tried in vain to find the origin of this myth. My research led me to several stories that are purported to be examples of this curse, yet no one can say where theses stories originally come from. Even Harvard Professor Marjorie Garber, a well-respected Shakespeare scholar, adds to the myth without bothering to cite any sources. If she is to be taken at her word, the three witches use an actual spell in the opening scene. This supposedly has cursed the play right from the start.

And again if she is to be believed, the first young actor to play Lady Macbeth died during the play’s opening night. Apparently a real knife was used instead of a prop. The problem I have with this story is that there is no scene in which Lady Macbeth is faced with a knife. If you can’t trust a Harvard scholar, whom can you trust?

Another story has King James hating the play and this in turn upset Shakespeare so much that for the rest of his life he would only refer to the play as “that Scottish play”. We can only hold this to be true if we had a document that contained Shakespeare’s thoughts. So far we have none.

Each source I looked at mentions “they” or “it is been said”. Who are they and who said it?

There are also several mentions of disasters and deaths that occurred over the years during the plays many productions. It has been said, apparently by the mysterious “they,” that in the late 1800’s seven actors died in one week during a production. Who these actors were or how they died is unknown.

One theory for the play’s many mishaps is that during the 19^th century it was not unusual to replace a poorly received play with Macbeth. Substituting Macbeth for another play did not allow much rehearsal time. The play involves a lot of sword fights and without proper time to rehearse, actors were routinely getting hurt during the fight scenes. Are we to assume from this that actors who had no idea how to use them wielded real swords? Did no one tell them not to use the pointy end?

We don’t need to be statisticians to understand that the likelihood of someone getting hurt goes up proportional to the amount of times a play is produced. Macbeth just happens to be a very popular play. It is no wonder there are reports of deaths and accidents. It would be odd not to have heard of any mishaps. But this does not explain the curse, as there have been a lot of reported mishaps during Hamlet, yet you don’t hear anyone calling it “that Danish play”.

But as much as all of the above sounds like urban legend, there is one well- documented account of something that went horribly wrong during a production of Macbeth. And of course, it had to happen in America. By night’s end there would be a mass riot and twenty people would lose their lives. All because of one American actor’s giant ego.

Edwin Forrest as Macbeth http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/brady/gallery/35gal.html — Edwin Forrest as Macbeth
http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/brady/gallery/35gal.html

Edwin Forrest was the first great American born tragedian. By many accounts he was America’s first celebrated Shakespearean actor. Other accounts say he was hammy to be anything other than an American actor. In other words, the Royal Shakespeare Company wouldn’t have wanted him. But to Forrest, he was the only man in America who should have been playing all the great parts. So when in 1849, Charles Macready, a well-respected British actor, came to America to play Macbeth, Forrest was outraged.

Forrest had already made his feelings towards Macready known. While visiting Europe in 1846, Forrest was invited to see Macready play Hamlet. Forrest, for reasons unknown, hissed “in the most marked and offensive manner”, according to a letter Macready would write to a friend. This marked the beginning of a professional rivalry, though from all accounts it was very much one sided.

Macready was invited to play Macbeth in the new Astor Opera House. The Opera House was a showcase of New York culture and fine taste. Having a British actor play Shakespeare was just what the upper crust wanted. This may have been the catalyst for Forrest’s rage. Not to be outdone, Forrest decided to play Macbeth in a Broadway theater. This was not enough for Forrest, he convinced some of his fans to attend Macready’s performance in order to disrupt it. The ploy worked. A few scuffles between opposing fans caused the play to be stopped (and you thought sport fans were a nasty lot).

The press had a field day with this American vs. English rivalry and fanned the flames of resentment towards the English. When it was announced the play would resume in three days time, the stage (pardon the pun) was set for disaster. The curse of Macbeth would tragically play out.

The night of the play saw thousands of protesters surrounding the Opera House demanding the play be stopped. Demonstrators for both men added to the anger and resentment. By the time the play was finished there were those calling for Macready’s head. The New York State Militia was called out to calm the riot, while local police escorted Macready out and away from the building. Not able to calm the rioters by their mere presence, the militia fired upon the crowed killing 20 people and hurting several others. Sadly, none of the rioters would be killed. Those who died were bystanders or people who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Macready fled America never to return. Forrest’s reputation was ruined and by 1852 he was a self-imposed hermit, spending the rest of his days in his Philadelphia mansion. I think we can all agree that if we want to lay the blame of the Scottish curse on anyone, Forrest deserves most of the credit.

Jennifer Lee Carrol, The Curse of the Scottish Play

Marjorie Garber Macbeth: The Male Medusa

James Shapiro, Shakespeare in America

Tag: American Politics

The Astor Place riot, or why we don’t say Macbeth

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