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Posts Tagged ‘Justice’

Ours Used To Be: “Equal Justice Under The Law”

Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , on April 22, 2026| Leave a Comment »

People need a sacred narrative.
    —     E. O. Wilson
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Click here (22 April) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Call Me To Escape

Posted in General Comments, Movie Review, Movies, Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 30, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Today’s review is for the 2018 female action / drama film:  “A Vigilante” staring Olivia Wilde as Sadie (abused wife / “vigilante”) and Morgan Spector as Sadie’s husband (abusive husband / villain).
Background:  I bought this movie as one of a group of random-pick “action” movies.  I knew nothing about the film and assumed it was going to be similar to Charlize Theron’s “Atomic Blonde” or Jessica Chastain’s “Ava“.  In fact, it turned out to be more like Jennifer Lopez’s “Enough” or Jennifer Garner’s “Peppermint“.  That is, more of a female revenge / action film, but this movie is long on troubling story (drama) and short on action (Queen Latifah in the TV show “The Equalizer” – lite, but an even “lighter” version).
Plot:  After escaping her own violent domestic relationship and seeing her son die at the hands of her husband, Sadie dedicates her life to help victims of domestic violence escape from their abusers while also tracking down her own abusive spouse “for justice”.  She trains in martial arts for some unspecified amount of time, joins a support group to gain leads to women she can help and then proceeds with her “mission” of delivering justice.  Sadie helps both women and children victims of domestic violence.  She doesn’t “ask” for payment, but she accepts whatever the person helped can give her.  Sadie lives out of a room in a run-down motel and keeps a map of a national park on the wall.  The map contains a grid map of the park and she colors in each grid square as she completes a search of that grid.
The movie is slow!  Intense, but slow.  Most of the movie is spent in the support group meetings to provide the background “justification” for Sadie’s violence.  Sadie promises herself she will never kill anyone, but after beating up an abuser she threatens that if he / she ever goes near the victim or a child, she will kill him / her (sometimes the abuser is female).  She ends with:  “I WANT to kill you.“
In a flashback to one of the support group meetings, Sadie opens up to her therapy group about her husband, a brutal / violent, manic survivalist, who stabbed Sadie repeatedly, and killed their son when the son tried to protect her from the knifing.  There is a another flashback to discovering a book about Krav Maga (a martial art) and leaving a note for the group counselor saying Sadie will help other women if they are referred to her in confidence.
Unknown to Sadie, she is recognized in her park-search by her sadistic husband, who tracks her back to her room, overpowers her and takes her back to the his cabin in the wilderness / park for continued torture / abuse.  Sadie escapes and (ultimately) kills her husband.  Sadie is called by her attorney, who tells her the police found her husband’s body but no other evidence of an obvious murder and they don’t intend to look further into the case.  With a body “found”, her life insurance claim is processed, and she leaves the attorney to go back to helping others.
Is the movie any good?  So-so for me.  If you need an introduction to (or a reminder of) the subject of domestic (spousal or parent-to-child) abuse, this is a profound (if disturbing) movie.  If you are looking for an “action” movie where the bad-guy gets justice meted out, this ain’t it.  If I were just reviewing this film as an abuse “faux-doc”, I’d say the movie was outstanding to excellent.  But, I am not, and it isn’t.  It is ridiculous (IMHO) to give folks (particularly women) the impression they can learn a martial art from a book in a short period of time with no training partners or and with no experienced trainer.  To get around this, the movie has only two “fights” which combined total about one minute (maximum).  Not to belabor the point, but the climatic fight with her abusive spouse never happens.  One second they are facing off and the next they are on the ground and she crushes his throat.  There was NO fight shown AT ALL.
What about the acting?  I have never seen Spector in anything else but he makes quite a creditable maniacal / threatening abusive spouse.  In my mind, it is Wilde who makes or breaks this movie with her performance.  Precisely because there is so little martial action in this film, it has to be evaluated by the performances of the women in the support group sessions and (by extension) our ability accept Wilde in this role.  The supporting cast of women are excellent and Wilde is on a “near” Theron / “Monster” level in this performance.  Seriously!  Wilde is THAT good.  Other than the “House” TV series, TRON (sequel) and some Rom-com (I don’t remember), I don’t recall seeing much of her work.  I will definitely need to re-evaluate any future roles with this one (film / role) as her new standard.
Final recommendation:   moderate to strong.  This movie is rated “R” – appropriately, for subject matter, not for violence (little), sex (none) or language (a little swearing).  If you can get past the disturbing nature of the subject (domestic abuse), all of the supporting role performances are very good to excellent.  And, again, Wilde in particular is excellent.  I am a bit surprised I’d heard nothing before about this film or her performance.  As background for this review, I noted the “professional” critics generally felt it was (to that date) the best performance of her career.  The general audience reviews seem to have been less impressed.  I’m not sure why, except that it’s definitely a “drama” movie and not an “action” movie, so it may have been just audience expectation.  One last observation:  This is not “great” cinema.  It’s slow-ish, a bit disjointed in the timeline / flashback scenes and unrealistic in the “action”.  But I was surprised by Wilde’s performance and moved by the women’s stories in the support group meetings.  In other words:  the movie is moderate for entertainment, but the performances are strong for emotional delivery.
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Click here (30 May) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Pick Box Number Three

Posted in Movie Review, Movies, Quotes, Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 19, 2025| 2 Comments »

Today’s review is for the 2004 period-piece “romance / drama” film:  “The Merchant of Venice” staring Al Pacino as Shylock, Jeremy Irons as Antonio, Joseph Fiennes as Bassanio, Lynn Collins as Portia, and Zuleikha Robinson as Jessica.  According to Wikipedia, the movie is the first “big-screen” adaptation of the play.
Background:  This is (yet) another of my steps to experience / obtain a little English literature / culture.  I have viewed multiple Shakespeare films (plays) and so far reviewed:  “A Midsummer’s Night Dream“, “Romeo & Juliet” and “Shakespeare In Love“.  The last being a fictional portrayal of Shakespeare’s actual writing of “Romeo & Juliet“ and not a “work” of Shakespeare.
Plot:  This movie has two main themes:  1) antisemitism / revenge / justice, and 2) love. Young Bassanio seeks to marry Portia and borrows funds (from Shylock) to woo her.  Shylock (a wealthy Jewish / merchant / lender) loans the money with a guarantee / contract from Antonio (the “true” merchant of Venice and Bassanio’s benefactor).  Antonio is confident he will be able to pay the money back because he has multiple ships carrying goods from which he expects a tremendous return.  The contract stipulates if there is a failure to pay, Shylock can request a “pound of flesh” from Antonio.  The romance angle is Portia has multiple suitors and her father has devised a “three-box-test” for them to see which is the most deserving of her hand in marriage.  There is a sub-romance of Shylock’s daughter (Jessica) falling in love and running off with a Christian (and stealing some of Shylock’s wealth).  Blah, blah, blah…  Bassanio wins the test, but it takes too long to settle / marry and by the time it’s all said and done, the contract has expired and Antonio has failed to pay back the funds.  Antonio’s ships are presumed lost at sea.  The contract goes to court because the “pound of flesh” Shylock wants is from Antonio’s heart.  Blah, blah, blah, big trial – Shylock wins but is “denied” his prize via a legal loophole – he can take “flesh”, but not blood.  Blah, blah, blah…  Happily ever after.
Is the movie any good?  The movie was critically well received, but a box-office failure earning back only 2/3rd of the production costs.  Okay, but did I think it was “good”?  I had a lot of problems with the movie’s unresolved antisemitism and Shylock’s forced conversion to Christianity, but this movie was the “best” of the plays / adaptations I’ve seen to date.  Yes, I still had problems with the “Olde English” language and social references, but the dialogue / plot movie seemed to make sense and work (for me).
Is this a good romance / drama movie?  Yes, for me anyway.  Drama:  the court scene was pretty well done and I enjoyed the dialogue.  It wasn’t particularly “realistic” to have a female lead pretend to be a male, but I guess that’s a Shakespeare “thing”.  Romance:  I felt there was more “chemistry” between the two leads than in any of the other movies I’ve watched so far.  I don’t know if that’s down to the actors or the writing being better.  I guess I’ll have to see at least one other version before I can make that call.
As a period piece, this movie is well shot for atmosphere and costume.  The camera was sharp without being harsh and the costumes were neither too grungy nor too elegant.
Is the movie entertaining?  Again, I like this movie and I was entertained.  Other than the English problem, my biggest negative is “personal”.  It’s hard to “enjoy” and be “entertained” by a movie when you are concentrating and listing for famous lines (which may never materialize).  Maybe I just missed them, but I didn’t find that many “well known” lines.  The most memorable for me:  “If you prick us, do we not bleed?”  This is part of a Shylock soliloquy which had multiple phrases I recognized.
A plus was this film had an intro which served to set the table with a bit of narration / explanation / background.  The opening scene shows Antonio spitting on Shylock’s face and a near social riot as the Jewish population is forced to live in a Venice ghetto and are hated because they charge interest on the loans they provide.  Way back when, interest was considered “usury” and condemned by the Catholic Church.
Final recommendation:  moderate to strong.  If you want to “see” this play in a movie setting, this seems a good option.  I don’t think of this play as “top tier” Shakespeare, but I found this movie version interesting, entertaining and worth watching.  Again, it’s the best of the few works I’ve seen to date.  Final note:  I don’t know if it’s unique to this version or not, but I’ve always heard the joke about “you know it’s Shakespeare if everybody dies at the end”, but not everyone dies at the end of this movie.
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Click here (19 March) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Truth And Justice Benefit Humanity

Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, tagged , , , , , on March 16, 2025| 2 Comments »

I’m for truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.
    —    Malcolm X
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Click here (16 March) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Grinding Away (Update)…

Posted in History, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 11, 2024| 2 Comments »

…The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.
    ––     Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The wheels of justice turn slowly, but grind exceedingly fine.
    ––     Attributed to multiple sources

Image of Fulton County Inmate P01135809

Image of Fulton County Inmate P01135809 taken on 24 August 2023
Step 9:  Freedom or Incarceration  (Pending)
Step 8:  Release or Sentencing  (Pending)
Step 7: Jury Vote – Innocent or Guilty  (Check:  Guilty;  New York State trial) 1 of 4 (3 Still Pending;  Georgia, Florida, and D.C.)
Step 6: Trial by Jury(Check:  Guilty;  New York State trial) 1 of 4 (3 Still Pending;  Georgia, Florida, and D.C.)
Step 5: Preliminary Motions and Discovery  (Check) 1 of 4 (3 Still Pending;  Georgia, Florida, and D.C.)
Step 4:  Arrest and Booking of Accused  (Check)
Step 3:  Indictment Decision by a Grand Jury  (Check)
Step 2:  Presentation of Investigation results to a Grand Jury  (Check)
Step 1:  Criminal Investigation  (Check)
Donald J. Trump will go down in history with another of many firsts…  Including being the first convicted felon to be nominated by a major political party to be their candidate for President of the United States.  Of course, this is “only” a state felony conviction, and not a Federal felony conviction (yet).
[Please keep in mind that in the United States a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law by a jury of their peers.  Investigation, indictment, arrest and booking do NOT make a person guilty.  That is for the jury to decide after the presentation of evidence and the evidence must be sufficient to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
We live in a country subject to the rule of law.  It isn’t always fair or just, but it is far better than the rule of the mob or that of might over right.  We are living in an unfolding moment of history and the eyes of the world are watching us…  This post is updated as of: 11 August 2024.     —    kmab]
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Click here (11 August) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Grinding Away…

Posted in History, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 24, 2023| Leave a Comment »

…The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.
    ––     Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The wheels of justice turn slowly, but grind exceedingly fine.
    ––     Attributed to multiple sources

Image of Fulton County Inmate P01135809

Image of Fulton County Inmate P01135809 taken on 24 August 2023
Step 9:  Freedom or Incarceration  (Pending)
Step 8:  Release or Sentencing  (Pending)
Step 7:  Jury Vote – Innocent or Guilty  (Check:  Guilty)
Step 6:  Trial by Jury  (Check): 1 of 4 (3 Still Pending)
Step 5:  Preliminary Motions and Discovery  (Check)
Step 4:  Arrest and Booking of Accused  (Check)
Step 3:  Indictment Decision by a Grand Jury  (Check)
Step 2:  Presentation of Investigation results to a Grand Jury  (Check)
Step 1:  Criminal Investigation  (Check)
Donald J. Trump will go down in history with another of many firsts…
[Please keep in mind that in the United States a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law by a jury of their peers.  Investigation, indictment, arrest and booking do NOT make a person guilty.  That is for the jury to decide after the presentation of evidence and the evidence must be sufficient to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
We live in a country subject to the rule of law.  It isn’t always fair or just, but it is far better than the rule of the mob or that of might over right.  We are living in an unfolding moment of history and the eyes of the world are watching us…  This post is updated as of: 11 August 2024.     —    kmab]
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Click here (24 August) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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It’ll Be Based On The Green / Benjamins

Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , on August 13, 2023| 2 Comments »

I believe that there will be ultimately be a clash between the oppressed and those who do the oppressing.  I believe that there will be a clash between those who want freedom, justice and equality for everyone and those who want to continue the system of exploitation.  I believe that there will be that kind of clash, but I don’t think it will be based on the color of the skin…
    ―     Malcolm X
[And I believe the revolution will be caught on video…   —  kmab]
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Click here (13 August) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Imagining Justice

Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, tagged , , , , on January 17, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Imagination governs the world.
    ―     Napoléon Bonaparte
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Click here (17 January) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Sometimes It Does Matter

Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , on October 27, 2022| Leave a Comment »

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.
    —    Confucius
[In many things, this is true.  But, I, on the other hand, believe:  “justice delayed is justice denied” to be equally true.   —    kmab]
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Click here (27 October) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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The Arc Of Justice Sometimes Bends Too Slowly

Posted in Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , on August 9, 2022| 2 Comments »

Rivers know this:  There is no hurry.  We shall get there some day.
    —    Winnie the Pooh
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Click here (9 August) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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The Invisible Community

Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 19, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Although I am a typical loner in my daily life, my awareness of belonging to the invisible community of those who strive for truth, beauty, and justice has prevented me from feelings of isolation.
    —    Albert Einstein
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Click here (19 April) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Where One Goes

Posted in Other Blogs, Philosophy, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , on March 1, 2022| 2 Comments »

If one really wishes to know how justice is administered in a country, one does not question the policemen, the lawyers, the judges, or the protected members of the middle class.  One goes to the unprotected – those, precisely, who need the law’s protection most – and listens to their testimony.
    —    James A. Baldwin
[This quote was found on one of the blogs I follow:  I didn’t have my glasses on….
Located at:  https://ididnthavemyglasseson.com/
The specific post is located at:  https://ididnthavemyglasseson.com/2021/04/21/justice-begins/
Please visit the original site when you have a spare minute.    —    kmab]
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Click here (1 March) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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The March Continues…

Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , , , on November 24, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[The verdict] upholds a sense of accountability, but not true justice.
True justice looks like a Black man not having to worry about being harmed — or killed — while on a jog, while sleeping in his bed, while living what should be a very long life.  Ahmaud [Arbery] should be with us today.
    —   Sen. Raphael Warnock ,  D-Ga.
We must double down on our efforts to fight hatred, and we will not stop until no American’s life is cut short due to bigotry or reckless vigilantism.
I am praying for the Arbery family as they continue grieving their insurmountable loss, for Brunswick as the community works to heal, and for the country as we carry on in the march towards justice.
    —    Rep. Nikema Williams
Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia
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Click here (24 November) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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Facing The Headwinds

Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , , , on February 25, 2021| Leave a Comment »

We all live in the same house, we all must be part of the effort to hold down our little house.  When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just…  do something about it.  Say something.  Have the courage.  Have the backbone.  Get in the way.  Walk with the wind.  It’s all going to work out.
   —    U.S. Representative John Lewis
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Click here (25 February) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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#IncompetentDonald Is A Clear And Present Danger

Posted in Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on October 30, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Every time we turn our heads the other way when we see the law flouted, when we tolerate what we know to be wrong, when we close our eyes and ears to the corrupt because we are too busy or too frightened, when we fail to speak up and speak out, we strike a blow against freedom and decency and justice.
     ―     Robert F. Kennedy
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Click here (30 October) to see the posts of prior years.  I started this blog in late 2009.  Daily posting began in late January 2011.  Not all of the days in the early years (2009-2010) will have posts.

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