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Thursday, April 30, 2009

The Soloist

I treated myself to a matinee this afternoon. Haven't in awhile, what with participating in the recession and all. But this movie looked really good, I didn't have anything else I absolutely had to do, and I did have over five dollars in cash on me.

I may get kicked out of the Guy Club for admitting this, but I teared up a couple of times. Partly for the obvious things, the scenes where this broken street dweller has his moments. Partly for the all-too-believable portrayal of LA's skid row.

Before the ACLU won the right of people who can't really make it in the world on their own to live like this, almost everyone depicted in these scenes would have been institutionalized whether they liked it or not. You can say that would be bad and I could agree with you up to a point.

I hate the idea of basically incarcerating people who are no harm to anyone but themselves. Where do you draw the line? Dysfunction is a continuum. I could probably find the place where I'd draw the line, and it would not be where it's presently drawn (imminent danger).

Because while I'm big on freedom in a real way (even when that freedom is squandered), I wouldn't wish that kind of squalor and mayhem on an enemy.

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