Really Deep Thoughts

NEWT

My mommy always said there
were no monsters. No real
ones. But there are.

Ripley's expression becomes sober. She brushes damp
hair back from the child's pale forehead.

RIPLEY
(quietly)
Yes, there are, aren't there.

NEWT
Why do they tell little kids
that?

Newt's voice reveals her deep sense of betrayal.
She's seen that the world can be just as terrifying
as her most primal child's nightmare if not more
so, and that's a lot worse than finding out there is
no Santa.

RIPLEY
Most of the time it's true.

(from the film 'Aliens')


Hi All,
You probably noticed that when I write about serious topics, or when I make long rants about things, I call it 'Really Deep Thoughts.' I started with that quote above because: 1) 'Aliens' is my favorite movie ever, aside from the Star Wars Trilogy, and 2) Although they were talking about literal monsters (still the most awesome and twisted idea for an alien I've seen), that dialogue might occur between a mother and her abused child.
I finished Terre's book, Tell Me That You Like It, over the weekend. If you like suspense/mystery/crime type novels, you should like this book. The plot: Joanne Harris is a mother whose daugthter vanished five years ago. Joanne is given her daughter back (through means I'd rather you find out on your own), and they struggle to pick up the pieces. Maggie (Joanne's daughter) has been scarred emotionally and physically by a madman who kept her hostage and abused her as part of an underground child pornography operation. As the police try to protect Maggie and her mother, they have to try to reconnect while staying safe from the madman who is still out there.
The protagonist, Joanne, is someone you love to root for. She's the mother who just wants to be close to her child again, and who wants to heal. The antagonist, aka "Evil Bastard" (my term) is a very strong character; stronger to me than any other in the book. He's very well-written. He's so deluded and fargone, at times I almost yelled at the book. I just wanted someone to slap the Holy Hell out of him when he spoke of being God. But much worse, I wanted to do unprintable things to him when his crimes were described.
Which brings me to my serious commentary. This novel included violence against children and women. It was realistic, and it got me to thinking about how abhorrible I feel this type of crime is. I'm against violence of any kind, but I'm especially inflamed when I think about the violence that is rape. I don't fear death, but I fear rape. It would be very hard for me to separate my body from my spirit, and I don't think I could ever recover from something like that. I have a lot of faith, above all else, that would probably carry me through something like that. But it really does make me sick to think about it.
There was a question at imdb about, 'What's the most disturbing thing you've seen on film?' At the time I didn't think of this to add, but I had to leave the room during the gang rape scene in 'The Accused.' I can't watch rape scenes, in any movie. I get really, really upset. Why? Because I can't imagine such a horrible thing. And I don't want to see it acted out.
Of course, this type of violence occurs against men, women, and children. Which is beyond sad. This is one reason I admire Tori Amos so much: she's a Survivor. I have the highest respect for Survivors of violence. The highest. Tori founded RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network), and as a part of her own healing, wrote 'Me and a Gun,' which is a first-person account of the crime she encountered. She sang it at every concert for years, a cappella. I can't listen to that song anymore. I get really angry knowing that the person that violated a truly beautiful human being was never caught or punished. I don't get angry about much, truth be told. But that, I get a little miffed about. I envision me and him in a dark alley, me with my baseball bat in hand. I just hate it when bad things happen to good people. It happens all the time, though. But my attitude about this is not very Christian. I pray all the time for more peace about it. It just angers and upsets me, is all. But I doubt I could ever really be violent against another person. That's why it bothers me so much; I don't understand it, and it's the antithesis of everything that I am.
The French film 'Irreversible' offers commentary on just this very topic of violence. I haven't seen it, but I read about it. A woman is brutally raped and her boyfriend goes after the attacker, killing him in the end in a brutal scene involving a fire extinguisher. The point was, according to those who saw it, that one form of violence does not beget another. Like, putting a killer in the electric chair is a violence on him, no better than his crime. But, we don't want killers and rapists running free either. That's a hard debate.
I just was thinking about all of this after reading the book and wanted to comment.
I know one day, every violent thing will be gone for good, and our feelings about violence with it. I'm not sure how that will work, but I can't imagine anyone having painful memories in Paradise. Will God just wipe our memories, like we're robots? haha I don't know. I just know, there won't be pain. Thank God.

But the real question is: Can I end this post on a humorous note? ha
Sure I can.
My mind switches from serious to humorous in a nanosecond. Bonus points to Star Trek fans who smiled when I wrote 'nanosecond.'

Things I'd Like to Have Responded to Ripley
1) Well? Which is it?? Are they real or not? I'm confused.
2) What a shame! All you mothers are frickin' liars!
3) Who cares about monsters. Let's hug for about three weeks. (Love Rip. Love her!)
4) What about Frankenberry? Is he real?
5) I hope wolfmen ARE real. They're just cool.

Have a good day.
I'll try not to be so serious tomorrow.