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It's Rated R For A ReasonMonday, Mar. 19, 2007 2:27 AMOn Friday, I went to see "300" ��the R-rated film based on Frank Miller's graphic novel about the battle of Thermopylae. I was shocked to see a young girl, perhaps no more than 7 or 8 years-old, in the theater. "300" is not for the faint-hearted. There's lots of slashing, stabbing, and spilling of blood, plus several decapitations and various grotesqueries to underscore the twisted majesty of Xerxes' Persian Empire. It is an ambitious retelling of a critical moment in history. It is, however, in my opinion, unsuitable fare for young children. And this was at the AMC Metreon's IMAX theater, making everything several stories tall. Add the sepia tones and motion-control effects, and things take on a slightly surrealistic tone. A ready-made nightmare for a young, impressionable child. So now the White House says cleansing the ranks of U.S. Attorneys wasn't really All Harriet Miers Idea, it may have been Karl Rove's. But they're not sure, because, well, everyone's memory is kind of sort of hazy. Not only does that sound bogus, it should also sound familiar. No one could remember who hung the Mission Accomplished banner aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, either. The White House desperately tried to pin it on some unnamed naval officer who'd suggested it during a conference call. The banner just happened to match the font and thematic look of those nifty backdrops in vogue at the time. But the White House doesn't know. They never know. They don't remember. It's hazy. They tend to forget little things like, you know, dismissing ninety-three attorneys. Responsibility? Accountability? At first, Alberto Gonzales insisted nothing wrong had been done. Then, well, maybe it could have been handled better. Then, well, that whole comedy routine about the firings being an issue of performance wasn't really true. Alberto Gonzales has been caught with his hand in the till, his finger on the scale. We should not be so naive as to imagine that his corrupt and unethical behavior is limited to this one instance. Rather, we should recognize that he has done the bidding of the White House from the moment he was sworn in. It is not enough for Alberto Gonzales to step down or be removed; the Bush Administration must be held accountable � actively so ��for events that happened on their watch, under their guidance, and with their permission. That means impeachment. And, because Cheney and Bush have worked so closely, it means both the President and Vice-President should be held answerable for their actions. This isn't a burger franchise, it's the United States of America. We're talking about willful, progressive disrespect for the Constitution. We're talking over 3,100 soldiers killed, thousands more injured and then 'cared for' in deplorable conditions like Walter Reed. We're talking trillions of dollars in debt, and a major corporation ��associated with none other than the Vice President ��seeking to move its corporate headquarters overseas to avoid investigation of its no-bid contracts and possible fraud. They don't know. They don't remember. They snicker and laugh when asked about troops facing their fourth and fifth tour of duty. But they sternly chide us for not supporting the troops when we question their wisdom. Their credibility is on a par with their memory. Hazy at best, and generally nonexistant.
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