"Kill the Messenger" with Jeremy Renner and Andy Garcia (2014)

This film; based on the true story of reporter Gary Webb; exposes the machinations which take place in our society; often by our own government; to stifle the truth even as they accelerate the decline of that society in some of the most callous and insidious ways. Such is the history of the crack epidemic which began with the Reagan Administration taking an end run around the Boland Amendment to arm the Contras in Nicaragua in the 1980’s.

Though the actual events of the story took place in the 1980’s it wasn’t until the 1990’s that Gary Webb was able to piece together all of the events and publicize the story. It was the beginning of an arduous and dangerous road for the young journalist.  Although the seeds for the story had been sown in the public’s mind for several years already, he was the first one to go public with the story. And when he did, he incurred the wrath of the Intelligence Community and his own government.

The story is a very simple one, the United States; through the operations of the CIA and it’s contacts in the world of organized crime; began to import cocaine in huge amounts to fund the not so secret war against the Nicaraguan government. The money from the cocaine was to be used to fund the Contras; which was the rebel army. Actually, this was nothing new; it had been done before; but never on such a large scale. This is the operation that brought Governor Bill Clinton and Vice President George Bush together in an unholy alliance which later made it possible for Clinton to become President. The transport of the arms and drugs went through the state of Arkansas, with the full knowledge of the Governor.

As is often true with any operation of such scope, things quickly got out of hand. When someone discovered that cocaine could be “cooked” with baking soda to form what is known as “crack cocaine”, all hell broke loose on the streets of Los Angeles; most notably in the Compton area, which was decimated by the epidemic. A whole generation was destroyed, along with the economic viability of the area, bringing problems with crime and addiction that persist to this day.

The reward for Gary Webb’s efforts was that he was driven to the point of suicide by the government smear campaign launched against him. His sanity was called into question as he was called upon to defend the facts of his story; an impossible task due to the very nature of clandestine operations. They are cloaked in layer upon layer of secrecy and subject to the effects of “sheep dipping” and the use of “cutouts” to throw off chance of real detection. There can only be speculation; and no one goes to jail for “speculating”.  Just look at Wall Street.

This film delivers on several levels, beginning with the story itself. As we struggle to fight crime; much of which is caused by drug addiction; it is hard to understand the motives of a government which, on one hand, calls for an all-out war on drugs and terror; and then fuels the former with an influx of drugs; all while helping to fund the latter.

The casting of the film is also notable. Jeremy Renner plays Gary Webb, the ill-fated reporter. Veteran actors Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta and Tim Blake Nelson are also expertly casted in their roles as some of the faces behind the scenes.  

Gary Webb’s “Dark Alliance” articles sparked the book “Kill the Messenger” by Nick Shou which became this film of the same name. Directed tautly by Michael Cuesta it will both inform and infuriate you.

"Disunion" - Edited by Ted Widmer (2013)

Even for a Civil War buff like me, this book holds unknown treasures. From the files of the New York Times blog of the same name; which chronicles the Civil War; Mr. Widmer has drawn upon the 106 most poignant articles; each of which illustrates a point about the conduct of the War Between the States, as well as the men who waged it.

The subjects represented here form an eclectic view of our nation’s most trying conflict. From Lincoln’s furtive trip through Baltimore to Washington for his first Inauguration; and on through the first years of the War Between the States, the editors have given us a comprehensive view of not only our own internal struggle, but also a look at what was happening in the rest of the world at the time, and how it affected us all. We were not alone in our struggles.

In Russia the serfs had just been freed, even as we were first going to war over the same issue. The differences in geography and how that affected the Russian serf are explored in a thorough manner, with the author taking only a few pages to make his point.

In Europe the Germans were struggling over the question of whether or not to be Germany or the Austrian Empire. Otto Von Bismarck was in charge and opted for a smaller Germany. The question of what would win out in the end would not be fully decided for 3 more wars and almost 100 years.

Mexico was mired with debt to the European powers; a debt which they decided not to pay. This decision brought the fury of the French down upon them. Maximilian was the designated President but he only lasted until 1869.

A letter to President Lincoln from the ruler of San Marino; a small country nestled in the northeastern corner of Italy which is the world’s oldest Republic, having been founded about 1300; is an interesting event all in itself. It took Lincoln 2 months to prepare the reply which he deemed proper enough to send.

The role which the railroads played in the Union victory is also explored, making the reader fully aware of the new power to get supplies to the front in an expeditious manner. What used to take months now took mere weeks, and sometimes just days, to accomplish. This “progress” made the killing faster and more numerous. And, for those who love the story, the Great Locomotive Chase is not ignored in this all encompassing book.

Here at home the authors tackle such subjects as the hundreds of women who disguised themselves as men to fight in combat. Children were also involved in the conflict, one of the most famous being Johnny Clem, who at the age of 9 years, held the dubious distinction of being the youngest person in the war to have killed a man. Clem was a Union drummer boy, a veteran of quite a few campaigns before he shot the Confederate officer who demanded his drum in surrender.

Abraham Lincoln is at the center of almost every article presented here, giving us more insight as to who he really was as a person versus the legend we have come to know. His relationship with a man named Mr. Johnson, who did some work for the President in Illinois and then accompanied him to Washington, is a wonderful example of Lincoln’s attitudes concerning race.

Mr. Johnson was an African-American man. He cut Lincoln’s hair, and even nursed him to health in late 1863 when the President was stricken with a mild case of smallpox while travelling to Gettysburg for his famous speech. As a result of ministering to the President’s needs, Mr. Johnson himself came down with the pox and passed away as a result. Lincoln had him buried in Arlington National Cemetery. The President felt that, while it could not be proven that Mr. Johnson died as a result of exposure to his illness, it was a strong possibility. He took this burden literally, which is why he paid for Mr. Johnson’s funeral.

Rose Greenhow, a woman who lived around the corner from the White House, was a spy for the Confederacy. She was successful in passing the plans for the Battle of Bull Run to the enemy. Her late husband’s military contacts and her own social circle, allowed her to hear bits and pieces of information which she passed through the lines via messenger.

When she was discovered, Allan Pinkerton, who was in service to the US Government at the time, had her placed under house arrest. She then used her window shades to pass messages to other agents strolling by. At that point Pinkerton had the windows boarded up and Mrs. Greenhow removed to a military prison. She was so much trouble there; where she was the only woman; that she was exiled down South for the remainder of the war.

One of my favorite articles in this book was written by Mr. Widmer and concerns Sarah Bush, Lincoln's stepmother. He saw her for the last time in 1861 on his way to Washington. He gave her a black dress on the occasion, not knowing that she would wind up wearing that dress for his funeral. This is the woman who introduced him to books, and in doing so changed the course of history. This is also one of the finest pieces of writing to grace the pages of an already wonderful book.

The authors also explore the many famous names we have come to associate with the Civil War and give us a little more information about them. For instance, we meet Grant not as a General, but as a failed soldier working in a dry goods store. His star was yet to rise.

Filled with descriptions of everything imaginable about the War Between the States, this book will complement any literary collection about the Civil War. With so many subjects presented in its pages, the book will have the effect of making the reader look even further than ever before in an effort to understand the war which nearly drove a stake in the heart of our young nation, and in so many ways still divides us today.

""El Cartel" with Jose Luis Franco (2009)

When a young and naïve journalist approaches a major Mexican drug lord for a story about drug trafficking, he gets much more than he bargained for in this tense, well-constructed film about what happens on our Southern border. José Luis Franco plays drug lord Angel Santana, and Freddy Douglas plays Jules Land, the journalist.

Angel had been a priest, but the lure of the money to be made, along with the indifference of the authorities, have turned him into one of Mexico’s most notorious drug lords. He has, along the way to his success, developed a set of rules which he now teaches to Jules.

Soon, Jules realizes that he is in way too deep for his own health, but knows too much about the operations of Angel’s cartel to quit with his life. Complicating matters are the advances of Angel’s wife, a beautiful woman whose father was murdered by Angel when his father-in-law threatened to turn him in for trafficking in narcotics.

What makes this movie work so well is the way it is put together. The film starts with what the viewer perceives to be the ending, and then the director uses flashbacks to each of the points which have led to the predicament Jules finds himself in; tied up aboard a fishing boat and waiting to die.

Along with the clever direction the film also moves back and forth between Spanish and English dialogue, giving an edgy real life feel to the film. If you do not use the close captioning, you can feel left out of some of the conversations, leaving you feeling just as uneasy and unsure as Jules would have felt in the same situation. The story is filmed flawlessly; with the heat of the desert by day, as well as the coolness of the night air on the fishing boat, both coming to life; adding to a sense of realism in this film.

Mexico is not the biggest producer of drugs, but the largest distributor of both the cocaine and marijuana which come up from South America. This film is a timely, and also fairly accurate, look at the drug cartels which rule our neighbor to the south; as well an insight into what makes all of this possible to begin with.

"The BangBang Club" with Ryan Phillippe and Malin Akerman (2011)

When you open your morning paper; or turn on your TV for news; you are confronted by images that, while they may be unpleasant, represent the reality of the world in which we live. This film tells the story of the men; and women; who take those photos; and the people who buy them. The subject is deftly handled by director Steven Silver, who explores the difference between journalism and opportunism, in war torn South Africa in the early 1990’s, as Apartheid was dying.

As the vacuum of leadership under the Mandela rule, the new country was plagued with tribal warfare, largely in the area of Soweto, where some of this story takes place. The ANC, the African Army, took sides in the tribal warfare that erupted between the newly freed South Africans, and their Hutu rivals, who had come to South Africa for jobs. This warfare required the newly formed government to take sides, aiding the native Zulus against the immigrant workers, resulting in massacres.

Into the middle of all of this comes fresh faced photographer Greg Marinovich , played by Ryan Phillippe, who fearlessly goes where no one else has dared to go before; inside the Zulu camps to hear their side of the story.  He is then befriended by the local photographers who freelance for the leading publications of our time and call themselves the “BangBang Club.” When Greg witnesses a man being burned alive; and wins the Pulitzer Prize for it; he begins to question his own motives; as well as his colleagues; in their pursuit of the news.

A very realistic look at the side of the news we do not ordinarily see, this film is contemporary and speaks to the inhumanity of man against man, as well as what drives those of us who stand on the side and watch, or the ones who take the photos.

"We Were There" Edited by Robert Fox

This is a perfect book for summer reading. It is a diverse collection of some of the best, and most famous, of eyewitness accounts from the 20th Century. Comprised, as it is, of a variety of historical events, some related, some not, allows the reader to pick the book up, or put it down, at will. You can start anywhere you want to in this book and still not disrupt the flavor.

I dove in on the accounts of the famous Christmas Eve Truce during the First World War. And I got a surprise - there were two such Christmas Eves, one in 1914 and again in 1915. These are eyewitness accountings of the earliest days of the war, when many of the soldiers did not want to be there. Fraternization with the enemy was forbidden, but when the British saw the lights from the candles on the German Christmas trees, all rules went by the wayside. The result was that the two armies, who only hours before had been trying hard to kill one another, gathered in "no man's land" for an impromptu celebration of a common holiday. The Germans provided the beer, the English brought the football.

Equally of interest to me was the account of Harold Bride, the wireless operator aboard the HMS Titanic the night she hit an iceberg and sank, with the loss of over 1,700 lives. Though I have read it before, and even own a copy of it, has never diminished the awe which this piece inspires in me.

The world of science is also represented here, with accounts from the Wright Brothers first flight at Kitty Hawk, as well as Madame Curie and her discovery of radium, which would rock the field of medical science for decades to come.

Social Revolution was very much in the air in the years leading up to the First World War, and that subject is covered with accounts of the pre-war protests which shook England at the time. I was blissfully unaware of just how many people did not want to go to war for the "glory" of the empire. Whole families were involved in this endeavor, and many were jailed for their beliefs.

The birth of the Soviet Union, and the fall of Tsar Nicholas, which would come to color the entire 20th century, is a primer in the rise and fall of Communism. The effect that the Soviet Union had upon the world, for better or worse, cannot be discounted as it continues to color the events of today.

Women's Suffrage is given it's due, as women in the United Kingdom, as well as the United States, struggled to gain equality under the law. One woman, Emily Wilding Davison, actually died for the cause when she ran on to the track during the Epsom Derby in 1913. Hoping to disrupt the race just as the King's horse was due to fly by, she was struck and killed by the horse.

The book chronicles the 20th century from it's opening days until the dawn of the 21st century. A perfect example is Ernest Shackleton's ship Endurance and the gripping account of her misadventure in the early days of Artic exploration.

The high flying days of the 1920's, when prosperity seemed to be on a never ending upswing, is explored through the stories of the people who first rose, and then fell, on the roller coaster ride of economics. The parallels of this era with our own current financial woes, is a blueprint of history repeating itself in a never ending cycle.

The bombing of Dresden towards the end of the Second World War, and the affect it had on Kurt Vonnegut and his future writings, notably "Slaughterhouse 5", is gripping. It actually makes me want to re-read that book.

The world of entertainment is given some space here as well, as this was the century which ushered in mass communications such as radio and television. The power that entertainment, and entertainers, would come to hold over public opinion, and it's roots, are examined through the words of those who lived it.

Through the Depression and the resultant Second World War and beyond, this book is a pleasure to pick up and just jump right in. The "Sources and Acknowledgements" section is a treasure trove of things to be read in the future.

History is a living thing, and contains lessons to be learned. You just have to pay attention, lest we make the same mistakes over and over again.

"By-Line:Ernest Hemingway" Edited by William White

I have never been a fan of Hemingway's writing, preferring the movie versions of his novels instead. I know that makes me illiterate in the eyes of some, but let's face it, his best work was his shortest one, "The Old Man and the Sea." In my opinion, Hemingway was best when he was brief. But that's just my opinion. Obviously, many people the world over revere his works as modern "classics."

But here is a book, compiled and edited by William White, which contain some of the earlier writings of Ernest Hemingway, and they are truly delightful. The first section is composed mainly of his columns in the Toronto Star Weekly from the early 1920's. These are gems.

Take the piece titled "Circulating Pictures", which deals with the upper crust women in Toronto who "lease" works of art from the artists, and then exchange them amongst themselves in a mini "art club." This allows the women to appreciate the artwork in their homes, and then return them to the artist at the end of the "lease." The painting has now been viewed and advertised for free by many patrons of the local art scene, which drives up the price. At the expiration of the "lease" period, the work of art is returned to the artist, who then goes on to sell it at 4 times the original price. All of this is done in an effort to keep commercialism out of art.

Hemingway's love of fishing is shown in it's earliest stages of reknown while the author is fishing in Canada. His love of the outdoors virtually pours from the 3 page article. There is more substance in some of these short pieces than in any of his later full length novels.

The 1920's were the days of Prohibition, and that subject is covered here in a piece called "Plain and Fancy Killings, $400 and Up." It seems that American gangsters were going to Ireland, by way of England, to assassinate local politicians, British Soldiers, or any of the Irish Republican Army members who may have run afoul of someone. A mere $400 paid for killing a soldier, of either side, while for $1,000 you could have a Public Official eliminated. The latter is the better deal, considering that the poor soldier wouldn't have to be there in the first place, were it not for the bungling of Public Officials.

The Barber College in Toronto, described so vividly in "A Free Shave", is a brilliant piece of work equal to anything by O. Henry. Barber colleges offered shaves and haircuts for free if you let a student do it. For 10 cents more you could have a senior student do the job instead, with considerably less risk involved.

This is a real treasure found in the stacks at the Mooresville Public Library. It was copyrighted in 1951 and then re-released in 1967. The book covers all of the years in between the First and Second World Wars, with stories from Paris, Madrid, Switzerland and even the 1923 earthquake in Japan. That piece is very timely, given the current situation in Japan.

The World War Two years are covered in a series of interviews with, and articles by, Mr. Hemingway, which explore every aspect of the war, from it's causes to it's proposed outcome.

A wonderful book, with a unique perspective on the history of the times in which it was written, this was an eye opener for me concerning Hemingway as a journalist. Like O. Henry before him, Mr. Hemingway seems to have done his best work in the short form.

"Enemies of the People" by Kati Marton

This is some book! It opens with the author, Kati Marton, a journalist and author, seeking information from Hungary about the events of her childhood and her journalist parents. She is warned by the case worker that she may not like all that she finds. Lucky for us that Ms. Marton forged ahead and delivers a gripping account of what happens when governments garner too much power.

Hungary at the end of World War Two was a country in the midst of radical changes. Before the war Hungary, especially Budapest, had been a cultural center. There were plays, movies, authors, great food and most of all, a belief in the future. When the war ended all that changed. The Russians were in control and the noose was tightening on all the social freedoms which we take for granted here in America.

Kati Marton was the daughter of Endre and Ilona Marton, two journalists who worked for the Associated Press and United Press, respectively. Endre's parents were Jewish and did nothing to hide that fact. Endre was the grandson of a Rabbi and a devotee of all things Western and he did little, if anything, to hide that.

When the war ended the Russians inherited Hungary as a part of their so-called "satellite" states. The intellectual and political freedoms which were once the norms of Hungarian Society began to fade away. Endre and Ilona Marton decided to ignore all this and continued leading open lives. They even owned an American car, a Studebaker, at a time when there were less than 2,000 cars in the entire country. Their children's clothes came from the hand me downs of the American Ambassador's residence. All this set them apart from the crowd. It also, undoubtedly contributed to their downfall.

When the Hungarian Government banned all foreign reporting, the Martons continued to show up for daily briefings at the American Legation. When the Communists ordered the Legation to cease showing American movies and hosting concerts, as well as shut the library, the Legation refused and the Martons, as reporters, continued to cover these events. This did little to elevate their position with the Hungarian government.

Kati and her older sister Julia, led a life of privlege amidst a background of increasing gloom as the Communists continued their march toward intellectual and political darkness. All around the Martons people whispered their private thoughts to one another. But the Martons kept on with life as if all this would soon pass.

When Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin died in 1955 many people expected that some normalcy would return to the Soviet Union and hence the "satellite" states. Nothing would turn out to be further from the truth. In 1955 Ms. Martons parents were arrested for "espionage", a convenient way to shut down the last remnants of freedom of the press. The children were present when the AVO (State Secret Police and sucessors to the earlier Arrowheads) came in the middle of the night to search the apartment and take the mother away. Their father had already been imprisoned.

To make matters worse, the family friends that had agreed to take care of their children if should something like this occur, backed out and left the children sitting on the sidewalk outside their home.

When Ms. Marton began this quest for the history of her family's ordeal she was told that she was opening a "Pandora's Box" and may regret what she learns. For instance, the file contains not ony the childrens artwork, but depositions by their nanny as well as neighbors. Her parents seperate affairs are recounted in detail in the reports of the agents assigned to watch them. There is no shred of privacy, or dignity, left intact. But sometimes things have unintended effects.

Ms. Marton is able to find solace in the fact that her parents were so human, that they were in some ways flawed. And she takes great pride in the fact that her parents fought, and paid dearly, for their beliefs. In the files of the Secret Police she finds descriptions of things she had forgotten. There are reports that showed how much love and attention the Martons heaped upon their daughters. Some of the most touching aspects of Ms. Martons childhood are restored through reading the files of the Secret Police. Talk about irony!

Eventually, by the early spring of 1956, her parents are released. The files show that the father had agreed to do some work for the Hungarian Government, but there is little evidence to support that he ever made good on that promise.

Eventually the family is reunited and they emigrate to America where Ms. Marton becomes an accomplished writer and author, as well as an award winning correspondent for NPR and ABC.

The lesson learned here is that sometimes the bad guys win, but sometimes they don't. There are no guarantees. But we all share a responsibility to resist the forces that attempt to divide and destroy us. It is evident today, even in America, that truth will always be under assault and that is the responsibility of us all to resist the forces that attempt to engulf the light of truth with darkness.