The Trial of the Chicago Seven | ★★★★★★★★☆☆

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This is the story of 7 people on trial stemming from various charges surrounding the protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. You may enjoy it if, like me, you are a fan of courtroom dramas. I remember that turbulent time and honestly I had not viewed any of the defendants in positive light at all. In that sense I found the movie to be a bit educational. Here are a few quotes from it.

We want to underscore again, that we’re coming to Chicago peacefully, but whether we’re given permits or not, we’re coming. -Tom Hayden

We carried certain ideas across state lines. Not machine guns or drugs or little girls. Ideas. When we crossed from New York to New Jersey to Pennsylvania to Ohio to Illinois, we had certain ideas. And for that, we were gassed, beaten, arrested, and put on trial. -Abbie Hoffman

This is the Academy Awards of protests and as far as I'm concerned it's an honor just to be nominated. -John Froines

The Riots Were Started By The Chicago Police Department. -Ramsey Clark, former US Attorney General

I'm the head of the Black Panthers, Sondra. When the hell am I not gonna be in trouble? -Bobby Seale

There are civil trials, and there are criminal trials. There's no such thing as a political trial. -William Kunstler

It's almost hard to believe the seven of us weren't able to end a war. -Lee Weiner

Since This Trial Began, 4,752 Us Troops Have Been Killed In Vietnam. -Tom Hayden

Found the movie to be thought provoking. I liked it and, on a scale of ten, give it ★★★★★★★★☆☆.

 

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The White Tiger | ★★★★★★★★☆☆

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This is a dark movie with dark themes and dark characters. It showcases the hopelessness of growing up in the poorest areas of India where, as the main character says, there are two visible castes - “men with big bellies, and men with small bellies”. The film is a story about the haves and the have-nots.

The way that the poor live in India was absolutely heartbreaking but the resiliency of Balram Halwai, the lead character played wonderfully by Adarsh Gourav, was darkly beautiful. Balram was the rare white tiger of the story - a rare Indian who broke the rules, and the law, to succeed.

Though the story, from the novel of the same name, is fictional, I think that the theme is a relevant one. Images of coercion and manipulation by the powerful over the powerless is compelling. I think that it could be a movie that awakens hearts and minds to the suffering of the poor among us.

I liked the movie and, on a scale of ten, give it ★★★★★★★★☆☆.

 

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prayer and spirituality

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The word “prayer” has often been trivialized by making it into a way of getting what we want. But I use “prayer” as the umbrella word for any interior journeys or practices that allow you to experience faith, hope, and love within yourself. It is not a technique for getting things, a pious exercise that somehow makes God happy, or a requirement for entry into heaven. It is much more like practicing heaven now.

Such prayer, such seeing, takes away your anxiety for figuring it all out fully for yourself, or needing to be right about your formulations. At this point, God becomes more a verb than a noun, more a process than a conclusion, more an experience than a dogma, more a personal relationship than an idea. There is Someone dancing with you, and you are not afraid of making mistakes. -Richard Rohr

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