"The Constitution" by Michael Stokes Paulsen and Luke Paulsen (2015)

Finally; a book about the Constitution which doesn’t have an agenda! I had almost given up hope. The only complaint I could possibly have with this highly informative and unbiased look at our Nation’s most sacred document is the same as with most books about the Constitution; they don’t include a copy for reference. Since the authors refer to Articles and Amendments on just about every page, it would have been convenient. Fortunately I have several copies strategically located throughout the house and 2 more in the car. Beyond that oversight, this book is a refreshing look at the Constitution; absent of any political bent.

The authors begin at the beginning; a very good place to start; and then take us chronologically through the history of the document itself and it’s remarkable life through over 2 centuries of tumult, chaos and division. The resiliency which the Founding Fathers built into this document is clearly on view; and easily understood in the treatment afforded it by this book.

Different readers will favor different parts of this work; but all readers will take away new insights and understandings from reading it. So nuanced is the Constitution that; in many ways just as with the Talmud;  you can read something several times over, only to have the apparent meaning change with each successive reading. Add in over 2 centuries of social change and you have quite a range of interpretations!

From the beginnings of Marbury v Madison; all the way through the latest controversial Supreme Court rulings; this book, and these authors, have presented us with a gift for these tumultuous times. To avail yourself of the wonderful fruits this gift offers, you need only open the first page.

"Land of the Blind" with Donald Sutherland and Ralph Fiennes (2014)

Ralph Fiennes plays a freedom fighter named Joe in this film about failed revolutions. Joe tells the story of  a man named Thorne; played by Donald Sutherland. Thorne was a terrorist who was jailed and tortured for his crimes against the state, which only served to make him a hero to his countrymen. Joe; who has seen the brutality suffered by Thorne; is recruited by the terrorist for a coup to overthrow the tyrannical government for which Joe actually has been working.

But Thorne proves correct the old adage that violent revolution does little more than to replace the corrupt regime with another corrupt regime. This leads to a cycle in which Joe must now overthrow Thorne.

This was an excellent script, with superb acting. The only thing which could have been better about this film is the direction. The movie seems to drag in spots where it should be getting the audience pumped up; or even angry. There is so much to like about this film; two veteran actors in roles that are deep and meaningful. Perhaps that is what kept me watching the film all the way through.

This film is worth watching; even just to reinforce the lesson that sometimes the devil you know may the same as the devil you wish for. One caution before watching the movie; don’t let it spoil your revolutionary spirit.

John Lennon at 73

Today would have been John Lennon’s 73^rd birthday. Not a landmark one; like 70 or 75; but still an important milestone in life had he lived. It’s about the average age for men in the United States, which is where Mr. Lennon had been living for several years at the time of his all too soon passing. I can’t help but wonder what he would be doing now? Not just in music, but in the hotbed of the political discourse which engulfs us at the present time.

I love You Tube, it is a window into the past; and at the same time that past can often be a glimpse of what the future may have held. Think about President Eisenhower’s vision when he warned us against the “military industrial complex.” It was years before anyone really took him seriously, and by that time it was too late to change course. This got me thinking about many of the things John Lennon had said in his hundreds of interviews in the years before his murder. And that took me back, once again, to You Tube to see what I might find.

Most of the meatier, and lengthier interviews were audio only, so I just picked one from the early 1970’s when John and Yoko had only been in New York for a few years, taking up residence at the Dakota as they fought their battle with immigration, ultimately winning their Alien Registration (green) Cards in time for the Bi-Centennial in 1976. Had he lived, he would have become a Citizen of the United States in 1981.

Life in a fishbowl could not have been easy for Mr. Lennon, and yet I am always proud that he chose my hometown in which to live out his last days. For all of its complexity and seeming vastness, New York is a safe haven for many artists. In a city of 8 million people you rarely expect to see anyone of importance, and so it is easy for the famous ones to walk about with a minimum of fanfare.

John Lennon reveled in that freedom, but also took advantage of the proximity to the media which life in the Big Apple afforded him. During his time there he appeared on every talk show there was, both on television and radio, where he frequently arrived unannounced, but was always welcome by the surprised DJ’s.

Mr. Lennon was larger than the life he led. His willingness to take chances and to seemingly wear his heart on his sleeve, have made us all a bit more free in the long run. I still wonder though, what he would be doing if he were still with us today.

The Declaration of Independence - Under Siege

                                               

Today is my wedding anniversary. I usually post a loving tribute to my wife, Sue, and our ability to make it through the minefield which all marriages are at some point or another. It was 27 years ago today when Sue and I took the vows, and though it hasn't always been easy, we are still together, relying on one another more and more with each passing year.

So, it was with great regret that I asked her if it would be okay for me to skip doing a post about our anniversary in order to  address a more pressing issue; our rights as citizens in our own land. Those rights include the freedom to speak our minds; assemble peacefully without penalty; and to enjoy the freedom from unwarranted intrusion into our personal lives. It is with sorrow that I have to state these things are all under assault at the present time.

I was a bit uncomfortable with the NSA news; that they have been reading our e-mails and listening to our phone calls; but since I have nothing really important to hide, I was almost willing to chalk it up to “national security”; trusting that our government “by the people and for the people” would be capable of making the distinction between terrorists and ordinary individuals.

I was also comfortable with the “leaks” generated by Messrs.’ Assange and Snowden; it gave me the feeling that this kind of information should be available for the public. Just as the government tells us that if we “have nothing to hide, then we have nothing to fear”, I make the same claim against them.

What are they afraid of? “Leaking” the truth? If I had “leaked” the truth to my Dad, rather than answer his questions on the first shot, I got punished. It was a great lesson to me, and one that reverberates this July 4^th, on the heels of the latest revelation about Obama’s 2 year old “secret” (until this week) program dubbed the “Insider Threat Program.” 

The IRS scandal, along with the NSA nonsense, still don’t worry me as much as this latest infringement of the rights which we all seem to take for granted, even as they are being slowly whittled away by both political parties.

This “Insider Threat Program” is the most disturbing to me because it goes against the very grain of the Whistle Blower Protection program. Just the very name says it all; “Insider Threat Program.” Think of what the term really means. It’s not a program designed to stop national security “leaks” and keep us safe from foreign enemies; it’s a program specifically designed for government employees to identify; and punish; the people who work in government agencies and may see something wrong going on.

All this brings us to the vaunted document displayed above; the Declaration of Independence. It was 237 years ago today when the last of the signers affixed their signatures to the document which gave birth to a nation founded upon the principles later codified in the United States Constitution. I wonder how many of our politicians have read; or even understand; the document. In light of all recent events, I would venture that, even if they have read it, they think of it in terms of antiquity; almost as if it were no longer relative. For those who share that view I am printing the text of the Declaration below, in the hopes that you will read it.

When you do, substitute all of the recent scandals for the things which the Declaration accuses King George the Third of. You may be surprised to discover that we have as much to complain about now, as we did 237 years ago.

So, here is the text, and after that a bit of music, which; although calling for change; does not require anyone to kill anyone else in the endeavor. Happy 4^th, and don’t forget to make those phone calls to your Representatives and Senators in Washington when the holiday is over. Let them know how angry you are at their attempt to rob of your birthright. 

And, whatever you do, wave that flag proudly today – it belongs to us, the people. And that’s something we can never afford to let them forget.

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. 

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

 He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an

Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. 

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Happy Anniversary Sue. 

I love you more than ever - as if that were even possible...

Kent State - 1970

On the night of May 2nd, 1970 demonstrators had burned down the ROTC building on the Kent State Campus. This led to the National Guard being called in to preserve order. What happened on Monday, May 4th, 1970 did little to restore that order. Instead, it locked both sides into a struggle that would cleave our nation into 2 halves for decades.

Extremism begets extremism. History is filled with examples. We are living through some dangerous and fractious times right now. The most important thing to remember is that any position, when taken too far, will always lead to the same thing, disaster.

The Vietnam era was a volatile time in our nation's history. Families were split along political lines. Friendships were formed and broken over the issue of the Vietnam War. We became a nation divided by our politics, rather than a nation united by our political system. And we have remained so. And the people at the top want it that way. It's the only way that they can continue to run the show the way they see fit.

In memory of Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandy Scheuer and William Schroeder; 4 young people; caught up in a sea of rhetoric, going too far and coming face to face with another group, equally caught up in their own rhetoric. When each side is so right; when each side claims the high ground; where do the little people go? When both sides cling so tightly to their beliefs, that they are willing to burn; or kill; those who are in opposition, then it is time to step back and re-examine the cause and its worth.

Today, on the 43rd anniversary of this tragic event, I hope that we will all take the opportunity to look inside of ourselves and our respective political positions. And in tribute to these 4 young Americans, let's all take a step back from the edge of division and look to re-unite ourselves as a nation. I really think that is what these 4 victims would have wanted us to learn.

Errol Flyn and Fidel Castro (1959)

I never really know what I am going to post from day to day. Sometimes I get lucky and have 2 or 3 things done ahead of schedule, but mostly I just wing it. That explains the topic of today’s post. I was a bit bored and so I decided to watch the Bonus Materials on the 2^nd disc of one of my favorite movies, “Robin Hood”, with Errol Flynn and Olivia DeHavilland. I had never looked at the 2^nd disc before, and  decided to take a peek at it.

Aside from the usual cartoon, and newsreel, was a short film called “The Cruise of the Zaca”, which is a 20 minute film written and directed by Errol Flynn himself. The film concerns his yacht and a trip he made with the scientists and marine biologists from the California Institute of Oceanography in California. His father, Theodore Flynn, who was a Professor of Marine Biology in Ireland, was also aboard for the voyage to the South Seas. There, they would collect various forms of marine life, which would then be compared to specimens taken from other parts of the world. The goal, of course, was to prove the connectivity of the various life forms irrespective of their separate environments.

The film is actually a composite made of several short trips which were taken over a period of a year and a half. The film is so interesting, and the man so different from the Errol Flynn we know from the screen, that I was going to post it. So, off I went to You Tube. Alas, the film is only available on the bonus disc for “Robin Hood”.

But I did run across this very interesting piece of film from a TV show circa 1959, apparently just after Castro seized power from Batista. Errol Flynn seems to have been along for at least part of the struggle that ended with Castro’s victory in January of 1959. (Errol Flynn passed away from liver disease shortly after that.) From the interview it appears that he was an “observer” of sorts, and he is very specific that he was a non-combatant. This was also interesting to me as his son became a photo journalist and went missing in the Vietnam War.

This is a very unique piece of TV journalism; encompassing, as it does; not only Mr. Flynn’s celebrity status, but also his views of Fidel Castro and his fight to free Cuba from a puppet government. Of special note are his views on the reports of executions without trials, which he excuses as sometimes being necessary to accomplish a nearly impossible goal.  He is, of course , referring to the execution of scores of soldiers still loyal to the ousted Batista.

Contrasted with today’s views on the subject of Human Rights, it is, at first, hard to fathom. But, when you come right down to it, Batista was a puppet dictator, living off the fat of the Mafia and the CIA, both of whom had substantial blood on their own hands concerning Cuba.

Errol Flynn was an enigma. From his torrid affair with Olivia DeHavilland, to his alleged homosexual trysts and drug use, he was a very complicated man. This is not an excuse on my part for anything Mr. Flynn did; or didn’t do; just an observation. Anyway, if you have never seen, or heard about Mr. Flynn’s involvement with Castro, and the Revolution in Cuba, you’re not alone. This is one story I will be looking into further, and I will be sure to pass on whatever I do find out.

"Midnight Rising" by Tony Horwitz

The best way to begin a review of this book is to quote, as the author has at the beginning of Chapter 3, from Henry David Thoreau, who, in remarks contained in his "A Plea for Captain Brown", said that "He (John Brown) could not have been tried by a jury of his peers, because his peers did not exist." After reading this account of John Brown and his remarkable life, I could not agree more.

Most of us were taught a very simplistic version of the John Brown saga, almost all of what many of us know is contained in the lyrics of that famous song, "John Brown's Body". But there is so much more to the life of this man. He was, at times, what we would today call a manic-depressive. Indeed, some of his family members had been confined to asylums, and some had even committed suicide. Many people, even after a visit to Harper's Ferry, come away with the impression that John Brown was killed that day in October of 1859 when he stormed the Federal Armory there. He was wounded, and lived to face trial for treason, murder and inciting rebellion. He was found guilty within 2 weeks of the crimes for which he was accused. In that time he had 5 different lawyers.

Although mental problems ran in his family, John Brown was considered to be merely a fanatic, with views of grandiosity. In that sense, he was not legally insane. He had none of the hallucinations, or other problems which met the criteria for Virginia to judge him "non compos, or deranged", thus enabling him to avoid a trial for his crimes. He was found guilty and promptly hung.

This book gives the reader a fascinating look at the final year and a half leading to the Civil War. With such characters as Robert E. Lee, then a Union Colonel in charge of putting down the insurrection at Harper's Ferry, and Governor Wise, the author is able to paint a clear and unvarnished picture of one of the most compelling adventures to come out of the Abolitionist Movement.

In the aftermath of the attack, while he lay bleeding, and possibly dying from wounds received during the brief skirmish, John Brown, in great pain, parried with his interrogators, sparring with them, most times to a draw. Governor Wise proclaimed him "the gamest man I have ever met." Senator Mason, who was also present in the immediate aftermath of the fight, had the following exchange with the wounded man;

"How do you justify your actions?" queried the Senator. Brown replied, "I think, my friend you are guilty of a great wrong against God and Humanity. I say that without wishing to be offensive. It would be perfectly right for anyone to interfere with you, so far as to free those you willfully and wickedly hold in bondage. I do not say this insultingly."

Realizing that he would surely be hung for his crimes, he said, "You may dispose of me very easily; I am nearly disposed of now; but this question is to be settled - this Negro question I mean - the end of that is not yet."

In addition to exploring all the details of John Brown's early life, and his plans for the attack on Harper's Ferry, the author delves into the history of the "insanity" plea, which was just coming into its own in American criminal justice. Only months before John Brown's trial began, New York Congressman Daniel Sickles shot his wife’s lover in Washington, DC. He argued, successfully, that he was deranged at the moment of the shooting. He was found not guilty.

This is not the story we were all fed in grammar school. It is, at once, an account of the incident, and attendant crime, as well as a look into ourselves as a people, and our history as a nation. In his essay "Civil Disobedience", Henry David Thoreau pondered these questions; "Is it possible that an individual may be right and a government wrong? .....Are laws to be enforced simply because they are made?" These are pertinent questions, even today.

"Revolution"

In America today, it is time. Time to stop the politics as usual and demand a change in the way in which our elected officials conduct themselves to our detriment.

It is time to cease the partisan bickering which has this nation so divided, so mired in debt, that we cannot even imagine being solvent again.

It is time to cut the staffs and office allowances of ALL Congress persons and Senators.

It is time to stop all Congressional and Senatorial pay until such time as they have produced a budget.

It is time to stop subsidizing the Senate Cafeteria, where lawmakers earning hundreds of thousands of dollars a year have their meals subsidized by your tax dollars, as they debate whether or not to fund school lunch programs for the needy.

It is time to end the Health Care Debate and make available to all Americans the healthcare which our elected officials enjoy. With the bureaucracy already in place, this is a no-brainer. Any other proposals are just smoke and mirrors.

It is time to clean house in Washington, where Congress gets an automatic raise each year, unless they vote against it. (See the 27th Amendment to the Constitution, which took 203 years to ratify.)

It is time to stop Cost of Living increases for Senators and Congress persons while the elderly and disabled, subsisting on far less money, are denied the same.

It is time to draw a line in the sand, not just with the terrorists abroad, but also the homegrown ones in the Tea Party, who are empowered by the apathy of those who are presently in power.

It is time for the People (remember them?) to take back America. We don't want to change the Constitution, just the folks who are administering it so ineptly. I was born in a country that was the richest on the planet, yet today we are one of the largest debtor nations in the world.

It is time for action, yet also a time for restraint. We do not want to burn cars in the street, like the French, but we can. And so we demand an end to the gridlock which has seized the minds of our representatives in Washington. And we demand it now, not after next year’s election.

So, let's begin with a massive phone campaign to our individual representatives in the nation's capital. Below are the links for you to obtain the phone numbers of your Congress person and Senators. I strongly urge you to call them and hear for yourself the ignorance and detachment with which your call is received. And as you interact with these people, remember that you pay them. That's right, the Congress person gets about $189,000 per year from you, but you also pay the cost of each of the people you speak with on the phone. With most Senators maintaining several offices, all staffed by professionals, even with the help of some volunteers, the cost is staggering! And many of the most incompetent staffers are relatives and friends of the elected officials. At one time this was called Nepotism.

Let them know that you will stay away from the polls next year. Let every politician in America become a member of a government elected by a minority of its citizens. Let them walk on eggshells, knowing that their legitimacy is a facade.

I am open to any and all ideas, which will kick these people in the rear end and get them going, or get them gone.

For your Congress person's contact information go to;
http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/

For your Senator's contact information go to;
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

"The Wind That Shakes The Barley" with Cillian Murphy, Liam Cunningham and Padraic Gelaney

This was a hard film to watch. Taking place in Ireland at the time of the "troubles" in 1920, the film takes a hard and uncomfortable look at the violence and hatred, on both sides, in a struggle that would last for another 80 years. To this day there are still issues that threaten the peace. I could delve into the history of the conflict, but that would take days. And in the end my conclusion of whom is right, or wrong, would make no difference. So, I will confine myself to the movie.

Filmed in Ireland, in the towns Ballyvorney, Bandon, Coolea and Timoleague, all in County Cork, places the action right where it happened, lending a reality to the film that could never be achieved in a studio. The early morning fogs, the damp weather, all serve to make the viewer uncomfortable, which is just what Director Ken Loach had in mind when he made this film. This is not "A Quiet Man."

Damien O'Donovan, played by Cillian Murphy, is a young doctor on his way to London and a job in a hospital there. His brother, Ted, played by Padraic Delaney, is a leader in the local IRA militia. The two brothers are on opposite sides of the fence about the British occupation. While Damien feels that there is nothing to be done, save submit, his brother Teddy is busy organizing, and fighting, for Independence.

After a hurling match the brothers return home, only to be rousted by the British Black and Tans, who beat his friend Michael to death after he refuses a strip search. Still determined to leave Ireland he prepares to board the train to London. But an incident at the station, where the engineer refuses to transport the British soldiers, resulting in a brutal beating of the train's elderly conductor, changes his mind. He returns home and joins his brother in the fight for Independence.

Staging raids on the local British arsenal gains them a supply of arms, and the wrath of the British, as they search, house by house, for the culprits. When they find no men at home, they burn the houses down. When the women won't answer questions, they are beaten, and their hair is shorn and ripped from their heads.

After being captured themselves, the brothers are tortured, just as the Anglo-Irish Treaty is about to be signed. This treaty would only make Ireland a Domain of Great Britian. As the Irish Free State becomes the law of the land, some of the old militia, including Teddy, join up with the new, British backed, Irish Army. This only infuriates Damien. After all, he gave up his career to bring forth a free Republic, not a vassal state of the British.

At this point Damien begins his own war against the new Irish Army, directly fighting against his brother. When he is captured in a raid and sentenced to the firing squad, Teddy pleads with him to reveal the names and locations of the IRA members and their weapons caches. Damien, who never wanted to be in this struggle to begin with, refuses. He writes a farewell letter to his lover, Sinead, played by Orla Fitzgerald, stating his undying love for her and letting her know that he faces death unafraid. He is then placed in front of the firing squad, and Teddy, fighting back tears, gives the order to fire, killing his own brother. When Teddy informs Sinead of Damiens death she physically attacks him, and bans him from her life forever, underscoring the deep divisions that the "struggles" have caused.

At 121 minutes, the film can feel a bit long, but the acting and direction carry the day, as the viewer is compelled to see how this all ends. And when it does, you are find yourself painfully aware of the fact that this struggle continued for another 80 years, tearing families apart. A stunning portait of a very dark era in the history of both England and Ireland, Ken Loach has given us a truly realistic and disturbing picture of the darker side of human nature.