Thoughtful Thursday

Rumour has it that we Canadians, with our healthcare system, have somehow - through the magic of lobbyists and media - transgressed from being merely socialistic in the care of our population to now being labelled Communist.

Well.

I do like vodka. And cozy fur hats.

I was also quite fond of not paying $100,000 to have the cancerous tumour in my colon removed.

Pay the Stoly, comrade.

It then goes without saying that I would have a keen interest in watching the latest in the 'American Masters' series on writer Dalton Trumbo.

Trumbo, in case you are unaware, was one of the movie industry's 'Hollywood Ten' during the McCarthy hearings, and refused to testify as to whether or not he was a member of the Communist Party. He subsequently did jail time for contempt, and for years was outcast from the filmmaking community.

If one could, however, magnanimously put aside these pesky little political leanings of his for a moment, one could clearly see that this man was one hell of a writer.

Throughout the course of the show, portions of his personal letters were read by a Who's Who of amazing actors: Brian Dennehy, David Straithern, Liam Neeson, Joan Allen.

For me, at least, to listen to his work was a mesmerizing experience. It appeared that Trumbo's passionate, well-crafted words were as much of a delight to read as they were to hear.

One of the letters was a scathing missive to one of his daughters' school principals; it seemed that the young girl had been set upon by classmates, parents and teachers alike to suffer for the transgressions of her father.

For all of the charges against him, Mr. Trumbo did have at least a couple of things going for him: a sense of justice, and a deep-running love for family. He was at once feral and the epitome of bilious civility:

"This slow murder of the mind and heart and spirit of a young child is the proud outcome of those patriotic meetings held by a few parents under the sponsorship of the PTA and the Bluebirds, ... It is a living test of the high principles of both organizations - principles noble in word, ignoble and savage in application ... I should like you to watch how decently and bravely our daughter tries to supress her bewilderment at her first encounter with barbarism parading as American virtue. Barbarism which began at your school among adult persons."

It is true that a father with alternative beliefs must have some inkling of an idea as to how his offspring may have occasion to shoulder his burdens.

Yet at the same time, attacking the parent through a child is an inexcusable act of cowardice.

All that being said, I'm off for a bowl of stroganoff before I go stand in line to buy some toilet paper.

Happy В четверг, everyone.