The best stories have a beginning, a middle, a violent climax, a deceptive resolution with a hint of worse to come, and finally a satisfying, ironic punchline. This one (via Richard Bennett) has it all. I can't wait for the movie version:
If there had been a cultural dictionary of Portland during the 1980s, the definition of "Progressives" would have been Steve and Marcia Moskowitz.He was a brainy Reedie lawyer who left the city attorney's office to become a top aide to mayor Bud Clark. She was a spunky blue-collar Chicagoan who worked as a city planner. They went to potlucks hosted by the New Jewish Agenda and volunteered for left-leaning causes--hippies who became yuppies without selling out.
In 1992, however, the couple split up. Later that year, Steve began seeing another woman--and Marcia snapped. On Oct. 17, she drove to his Northwest apartment, knocked on his door, pulled out a .22 caliber pistol, and fired four shots into his chest, stomach and groin. Then she knelt over him and fired three more.
"That's what happens when you shoot a gun," she told him. He went to the emergency room. She went to jail.
Fourteen years later, Steve has a new calling. He's now a rabbi at Temple Israel in Long Beach, Calif. He's also got a new wife, Ana, whom he met at Congregation Beth Israel in Portland. Contacted by WW, he said he still follows local politics but was not eager to discuss the shooting.
Marcia served 18 months behind bars. She, too, has remarried (to Gary Suttenberg, a college friend of her ex-husband's). After working as union organizer for several years, she is now executive director of the Portland Women's Crisis Line--a job where, she says, her background is an asset, rather than a liability.
"I tell clients, 'Right now you may feel like you've hit the bottom,'" she says. "'But you will come up.'"
UPDATE: Here's the Portland Women's Crisis line website, practically every word of which is at least slightly ironic in view of the background of the Executive Director.
Straight from the website:
"The Portland Women's Crisis Line is an organization with a feminist philosophy, working to end violence against women and children. "
Doesn't mention anything about preventing violence against ex-husbands who've decided to move on.
Posted by: Dave not Bug at November 20, 2004 06:59 PMIf you click on the box at the bottom of the left-side panel, you get a pop-up window with a list of Dear Abby-style questions and answers about domestic violence. It is at least mildly amusing to read them and mentally insert data from the Marcia Moskowitz story.
Example:
Change "dad" to "mom", replace "him" with "her", and instead of "hit my mom" read "pump my dad full of bullets at point blank range" in this one:
"My dad used to hit my mom. What are the chances that I will turn out like him?"
Also this one: "Does my relationship have the potential to become violent?" which leaves out one of the telltale signs, i.e., attempted murder.
And, finally, perhaps the most interesting one: "What does gun control have to do with domestic violence?"
hmmm...complicated to the point of idiocy(the
entry not the comment)but it might be entertaining on some level. Or at least better than National Treasure...i had such hopes for a good treasure hunting movie when i saw the theater
preview. Then it looked more and more like it would suck.
I have chosen to not see it.
Posted by: just me at November 20, 2004 08:50 PMthat is i would rather see it if it became a movie,as i leave out important details.
Posted by: just me at November 20, 2004 08:54 PM