Open Thread * Heroes v. Boors (there are plenty of both in the human race)
By Lena Grove aka nasuS on November 28, 2008 at 5:00 PM in Open Thread
Why am I sometimes Lena Grove? Because I read William Faulkner’s Light in August at age 20 and knew that I was she and that her story would always and forever be my life story. I knew.
Her innocence, her aloneness, her endurance in living through crisis after crisis, her primal connection to nature. And so it has been. And will always be.
When my most precious loved one was reading Faulkner’s novels, loved one sent me the speech that Faulkner gave in 1950 when he received the Nobel prize for literature. Here is an invaluable link to everything about that speech, (from OleMiss.edu) including video and audio. Here are the first words:
I feel that this award was not made to me as a man, but to my work — a life’s work in the agony and sweat of the human spirit, not for glory and least of all for profit, but to create out of the materials of the human spirit something which did not exist before. So this award is only mine in trust. It will not be difficult to find a dedication for the money part of it commensurate with the purpose and significance of its origin. But I would like to do the same with the acclaim too, by using this moment as a pinnacle from which I might be listened to by the young men and women already dedicated to the same anguish and travail, among whom is already that one who will some day stand here where I am standing.
Our tragedy today is a general and universal physical fear so long sustained by now that we can even bear it. There are no longer problems of the spirit. There is only the question: When will I be blown up? …
This is an essential question today, as evidenced by events in Mumbai and our nation’s 9/11. It is VITAL that you read what William Faulkner said after he asked that question.
Wow. And what else is going on?
(small, medium and large sizes; for both dogs and cats)
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[...] Open Thread * Heroes v. Boors (there are plenty of both in the … by Hillary Rodham Clinton. Gusher of Lies: The Dangerous Delusions of Energy Independence. Seen on 60 Minutes: daltonfury160.jpg · Kill Bin Laden: A Delta Force Commander’s Account of the Hunt for the World’s Most Wanted Man … [...]
http://www.nydailynews.com/money/galleries/walmart_stampede_captured_in_pictures/walmart_stampede_captured_in_pictures.html
A man dies for someones greed.
(from your resident conservative)
What a great quote. I once visited Faulkner’s house in Oxford, MS. You can still see his penciled book outlines on the walls.
“You can still see his penciled book outlines on the walls.”
wow. My mother would have knocked me into next week.
my God, what kind of society have we become to mow down a Walmart worker just to get the best deals? That is unconscienable. There obviously is no limit to how low alot of people will go out of pure and simple GREED. This is absoultely DISGUSTING.
The worst part…the absolute horror of what happened didn’t even faze the shoppers in their quest. You’d think that they would all stop, take a step back back and realize what they had just done? No, they simply stepped over and around the poor man to get into the store and shop.
oh my God…..I just can’t believe people can be that heartless. This is another example of our society not holding people responsible for their actions. No personal accountability.
It is also all about crass materialism, as well. This is shocking but not truly unexpected.
Advertisements telling the public how cool they’ll be with the newest gadget (and how uncool those who don’t get them are) get people all lathered up and slobbering. Then the companies that sell them have non-stop 24/7 commercials which tell people to hurry down before it’s too late to get the product and voila–a genuine stampede of the herd.
A lot of people have no sense of shame anymore. Some have absolutely no sense of being responsible to anything other than their own selfish drives. It’s a complete disgrace. My friend always tells me, the best place to study dignity is where it’s missing.
My friend always tells me, the best place to study dignity is where it’s missing.
Wise friend.
Thank you for the informative gathering of this news. It’s very much appreciated. I just think so many are away for Thanksgiving, or shopping, or recovering from the shock and horror of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, to comment.
My son and I were just talking about the crazy greed of our country and are just shocked at the all the news—the Wal-Mart story—what has our nation become? Materialistic greed—our karma is coming, unfortunately, or it’s already here with the financial and economic crises.
you’re right about that, this economic crisis is all about greed, dishonesty, people trying to get something for nothing. And believe it or not, those are the ones that will suffer. “you reap what you sow” and that is the truth.
That was brilliant Susan. What an incredible find most especially right now. Thank you. I had never seen that quote and it really inspired me. I actually book marked that page so I can revisit those wise words. Now you have me hankering to read that book as well.
Maybe a lot of usual posters have eaten themselves into a coma Susan and just haven’t come to yet in time to post a comment.
i think i should post the rest, don’t you? It is essential that people read it all. Because what he says after that question is the most important part.
That man had so many personal demons, including drink, but I am so glad he received that award and that he gave that speech. He is truthfully and will forever be a man for all seasons.
- susan
What a great juxtaposition of items. And how base that a person would be killed by stampeding shoppers at a Walmart. I find it hard to understand that this could happen in this country. Then the soaring language and amazing grace of Faulkner’s words.
I have always found that day Black Friday stampede absolutely disgraceful. I don’t understand why we not only allow such a thing, but that the media then plays the spectacle every single year. It’s really as bad as the running of the bulls. Really quite awful.
We have become liike the Romans and this is part of the Emperor’s show.
His griefs grieve on no universal bones, leaving no scars. He writes not of the heart but of the glands.
Susan,
I hope you read this. I have always been a bit intimated by Faulkner but because of you Susan … and these unforgettable words I am off to buy ‘LIGHT IN AUGEST”
Synchronicity is a beautiful gift when you’re paying attention.
Thanks Susan
“but because of you Susan … and these unforgettable words I am off to buy ‘LIGHT IN AUGEST”
Ha ha me too!!!
Susan,
This is a brilliant and heartrending post. I’m proud to be a member of the human race, and ashamed to be a member of the human race.
I read and listened to Faulkner’s speech. Like Indy Robin, I’m going to be buying Light In August.
“He must teach himself that the basest of all things is to be afraid; and, teaching himself that, forget it forever. . .”
Your fusion of these disparate stories is so enlightening. We are in a crisis of the soul.
Here’s a though I just had — when will the solution to terrorism be to ban all travel — world wide? 1984 — the book — to the real world.
Ban all travel — except for the elite — tightly control all movement. And then in a SciFi mode — consider how populations could be controlled by giving Authoritarians on the grass root community level complete control.
Within the US we can sort of freely travel from coast to coast. There are a few check points — and more could be quickly added to monitor travel from zone to zone.
To control the movement of terrorists — all populations must be monitored. Could this happen?
This is happening now in air travel. Of course ex-burger flippers are hired to carry out the “security”.
The longer the Patriot Act remains in effect, the more likely this might occur, imo.
The government forgot that the enemy is bin Laden–not the American public or the Constitution.
Re: Walmart death
As a healthcare provider certified in emergency care CPR - I cannot understand why they did not start non stop CPR until the ambulance arrived- Where the hell was the AED unit that Walmart, of all places should have? Why did they just stand there? These look like police officers - what the heck was that about??? There should be an Automatic Defibulator Unit at the store with multiple users qualified to use the unit - this family should sue the pants off this store. This is absolutely mind boggling.
I don’t disagree about the defibrillator, but I was wondering why they were only doing chest compressions and not mouth-to-mouth respirations. Being that the man was trampled, might he have had some obstruction in his throat, like blood? And if he was injured internally, wouldn’t the chest compressions have aggravated that? I don’t know the answers. Could it be that he was obviously beyond help and they were only going through the motions because people were watching?
In any event, it was sad and sick the way onlookers and shoppers were behaving.
ALSO: Fox News pointed out that that Wal-Mart did not have nearly enough security guards to handle the crowd. That makes sense — a row of security guards, rather than a young Wal-Mart employee — should have been handling that crowd.
BUT i didn’t realize they tore the hinges of the door off! GEEEEZ! People sometimes.
The new style of CPR doesn’t use mouth-to-mouth. It’s unnecessary, according to experts. Now where did I see that? I think it was Fox News’s medical doctor who gives out advice on Sunday mornings. And I’ve seen it elsewhere.
VIGOROUS chest compressions are the best. And there’s a song that one is supposed to think of while doing them — damn — what song was that? It gives the proper speed for doing the compressions. REALLY HARD is best — doesn’t matter if ribs get broken.
OH HERE IT IS!!!!
‘Stayin’ Alive’ has near-perfect rhythm to help jump-start heart …
In small study, people doing CPR chest compressions listen to old disco song; Doctors, students maintain close to the ideal number of compressions …
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/10/16/disco.song.health.ap/index.html - 7
oh! too perfect! “Stayin Alive!” to help someone Stay Alive!
the new guidelines for bystander cpr does not require mouth to mouth, figuring there is enough o2 in the blood to go for a while. When EMS arrives, they use a bag valve mask.
The thing with the AED is that even when you don’t get a pulse, you still have some electical activity in the heart for a while. You might have V tach happening, and that can sometimes be shocked into a rhythm that pumps. So, attach the thingeys as soon as you can, it will tell you if you should shock, and when to resume compressions.
Never worry about hurting a dead person, you could help.
sorry, meant V fib…
I could not see clearly, but I think they were using a bag valve mask for respirations. And if your dead anyways ( anyone receiving CPR is) you have no choice but to do chest compressions. The alternative is staying dead for sure. The hope would be that they get some blood flowing to the brain, and maybe his heart would kick back in.
The guidelines are to use the AED as soon as possible. If there is anything still sparking, they could possibly convert it to a perfusing beat…That is why the AED is so so important.
you’re not your. geesh.
What a great point. Wow. Even in Podunk, where i live, all kinds of public places have those nearby.
I cannot watch the video of the man at walmart it is so tragic….what a loss to his family they must be in total pain all for some shoppers rushing in tio get a cheap deal….. Guess these incidents this week just show us hiw many feel that life is cheap and can be taken for nothing but hate and greed…
It’s a sad world where living in a broken spirit and it is taking over one country at a time…
Lena Grove aka,
.
A Paradox?
You write better than yesterday and the day before. Last year?
And today? We re-learn.
I had books arraigned in the order I read them on my my book selves. My sane half decided to move them around in the process of re-arraigning her books, which are 2 deep…
I had to re-read them and put them back in order of when I read them. Otherwise, I would have no point of reference in time when I read them and found it a challenge to go back and find what I was looking for.
Is that re-learn? Or just crazy?
It should surprise no one if we see the same level of behavior on Jan 20 as we did at Walmart. What makes this whole thing even more insane is that the “goodie” they stampeded for will be in the garbage by next summer.