Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Harper Lee and Dubya

Was anyone else nauseated by the sight of Alabama icon Harper Lee receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from George W. Bush?

As the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee wrote perhaps the greatest American novel of all, certainly the seminal work on justice in the Deep South. And to see her receiving an honor from a president whose administration has left our justice system in tatters . . . well, it was hard for these eyes to take.

I'm sure Ms. Lee respects the office and the profound nature of the honor. But you have to think she was struck by the incongruity of her brilliant work being honored by a doofus like Dubya, a president who seems to take pride in the fact he rarely reads books. And you have to wonder what she thinks of her home state's persistent support of Republicans such as Dubya, Bob Riley, and the Supreme Court yes men for ExxonMobil.

Makes me want to puke.

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