Wednesday, April 21, 2010

NEWS FLASH! Another Jack Attack!

My fictional anti-hero, Jack Erslager (or as screenwriting teacher Bobbi said, No! He's not the anti-hero; He's the nemesis!) in East Garrison can't get a break. He continues to rub a certain person (let's just call him Dick) the wrong way and thus, since Jack ain't around, I get blamed for his bad behavior. Well, I guess I created him, so why not blame the writer? You're wondering here, what the hell is she talking about? Hey, it's a long story…I'll cut to the chase; Jack is a little mixed up. He's delusional from pickling his brain with alcohol + his vacation in Vietnam. He can't stop smoking that wacki-tobaki and obsessing about what he believes is suppressed information about that most misunderstood symbol, the swastika.

Another wacko, Dick, a live, educated middle-aged man, has confused me with a "bad person who posts Nazi swastikas" on my blog. He's already blacklisted me to a library committee and the local chapter of the California Writers' Club. Now he's trying to kill anything I try to get the papers to print, even if it's not about me. Example: me and another woman are trying to get a monthly local writers' open mike started at a great spot on Fisherman's Wharf called Paluca Trattoria. Our first night shined on our little corner of the pier. Of course, since I was the featured reader, Dick didn't want word of our new monthly event supported in any way by the paper he works for (as a journalist!). I have a friend who works at the same paper, so I got the inside scoop. My initial impression is--IGNORAMUS! Would this person think the same thing if he saw a Buddhist monk wear a swastika? Would he point and shout, "Bad person! Nazi swastika!" In Buddhism, the swastika signifies auspiciousness and good fortune. The swastika is an ancient symbol found worldwide, but it's especially common in India. It can be seen in the art of the Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, Celts, Native Americans, and Persians, as well as Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists. (http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/symbols/swastika.htm)

I'm disturbed by this "knee-jerk reaction" to the swastika. I swear, I'm not a bad person, and I don't post Nazi swastikas on my blog. So, if I catch wind again of anything remotely resembling defamation of my character, and not fictitious Jack, I'm going to get happy with a lawsuit. So stick that in your pipe and smoke it, Dick.

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