Random, by Martha Thomases – Brilliant Disguise | @MDWorld

July 30, 2014 Martha Thomases 3 Comments

This has been a terrible week for news.  I feel, in my grandiosity, personally responsible for the bad behavior of the government of Israel.  Every time I see a report from the broken streets of Gaza, I know I’m looking at not only terrible personal tragedy, but also the creation of a generation of new terrorists.  Simultaneously, I notice that the some of the same people who are (rightfully) outraged by this death and destruction are not criticizing the bombing Hamas is doing.  Sure, they seem to suck at hitting targets, but incompetence doesn’t make them right.

Jews behaving badly.  The premise for the worst reality show ever.

Anyway, I can’t bear to look.  Here are some thoughts about other things.

•  Last week, I mentioned the sparrows outside my apartment, and my mild obsession with their behavior.  It’s not new, this fascination.  There is a chipped brick about six stories up on the building next to mine, and the sparrows compete to see who can stand in the gap.  When one is victorious, he or she chirps defiantly to all who will listen, until that bird notices that no one else is looking and flies away again.

What do these birds talk about?  Is the bird on the wall the town crier of birds?  Is there some kind of status to this position, or is fighting over it a fun game?

Several years ago, I read something that says that sparrows in cities are louder than sparrows in rural areas.  They have to be, in order to be heard over traffic.  I can only assume that whatever they are shouting about is important, at least to them.

I find the sparrows much more companionable than the other major bird species in the neighborhood, the pigeons.  Pigeons don’t do much besides strut and crap.  The strutting is, I think, related to courtship rituals, which must mean there is a corresponding amount of coupling going on.  I find it annoying and self-centered on their part.  The least they could do is gossip about it.  Like the sparrows.

Oddly, the mourning doves, which look like the pigeon versions of the 97-pound weakling, do not bug me as much.  I don’t know if this is because they are prettier, or if they just don’t boss around any other birds.  Or maybe it is an bird-version of racism on my part.

• A few weeks ago, I called out religious conservatives for not speaking out to help the refugee children on our borders.  I’m delighted to report that I was wrong.  A lot of them are doing just that.  This includes Catholic bishops who used to spend much more time using their political influence to block safe, legal abortion and marriage equality, including my own’s city Cardinal Dolan.

Dolan is following the lead of Pope Francis, which is delightful.  I look forward to Congress enacting (and the Supreme Court upholding) laws to protect these kids as a defense of religious freedom.

More seriously, I hope we can all use this as an opportunity to find some common ground.  All of us, conservative and progressive, religious and not, can agree that terrified children, fleeing from life-threatening situations, can use our support and welcome.  If we can do it, maybe Congress can, too.

•  It must be nice to live in Italy.  Sure, their government is more of a mess than ours, they don’t feel responsible for everything that goes on in the world.  I mean, this is their big news story.

That’s what summer is supposed to be like.

Media Goddess Martha Thomases really enjoys a July day when she doesn’t need her air conditioner.