Vendor Writing: Jen A.

I Am Spartacus!

BY JEN A., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

During the time of the Republican Roman Empire's conquest of the Western World, life was pretty brutal for those who didn't accept the mandates of the ruling aristocratic class. Those rulers are the ones we read about in history books — though if you attended school in Tennessee where the teaching of accurate history is banned you may have to Google it.

Members of the ruling Senate were given high ranking military titles so that once their armies took over a territory, these aristocrats could move in to loot that new area of all its treasure. Graft and corruption ran rampant.

Republican Romans kept slaves. As a way to identify their slaves, each one was branded with a hot iron in the unique design of their owner. The resulting scar on a slave's body was called a stigma. As was the case with African slaves in The United States, the slaves were both branded and bought and sold at the pleasure of their owners.

By 71 BC, Republican Romans were out of control: led only by avarice, arrogance, cruelty and the total lack of respect for human life.

Spartacus had been a Roman soldier who somehow ran afoul of a military official and was sold into slavery to a gladiator school. The Romans enjoyed entertainment spectacles where gladiator slaves we're pitted against one another, and sometimes wild beasts, in battles to the death. Spartacus led a rebellion of his fellow slaves using only kitchen utensils, escaped the confines of the school, captured military equipment, and led subsequent battles against Roman troops in what came to be known as the Third Servile War.

Modern-day Republicans have shown themselves to be just as greedy, arrogant, and cruel as the ancient Republican Romans. Lacking any coherent policy, guided only by a shameful lust for power and greed they resort to creating social stigma that demeans and marginalizes any minority they arbitrarily choose to fix their cross hairs on.

They've corrupted Christians to the point that they aren't even recognizable any more. Need I remind the faithful that it was Imperial Romans who crucified Christ and fed Christians to lions for sport. You're being used in the most disgusting way.

There's a memorable scene in the 1960 film, "Spartacus" starring Kirk Douglas. Roman soldiers have captured Spartacus and a large group of his slave warriors. The Roman commander tells the group that unless Spartacus steps forward to give himself up, every man will be killed. Just as Kirk looks as though he's going to step forward, another man steps up and says, "I am Spartacus!" And then another steps up, and another, until all that can be heard is a rumbling chorus of, "I am Spartacus!"

The Tennessee legislature gerrymandered our congressional districts so the Democrats would lose one of their seats in Congress. Against those odds, candidate for Governor, Jason Martin, and Congressional candidates; Heidi Campbell, Odessa Kelly, and Randal Cooper have stepped up to say, "I am Spartacus!" They're running to restore integrity to our region and our nation. They aren't cowed by the threats from the violent Republican fringe.

Let's give Tennessee Republicans the shock of their life. Let's replace their aristocratic puppet candidates in congressional districts 5, 6, and 7 with some real legislators who will work for the good of all Tennesseans, not just those who lust after money and power. We are supposed to be a government of, by, and for the people. Let's prove it.

VOTE! Jason Martin for Governor

VOTE! Heidi Campbell for district 5

VOTE! Randal Cooper for district 6

VOTE! Odessa Kelly for district 7

From the Bookshelf

JEN A. RECOMMENDS:

Small Things Like These

By: Claire Keegan

Shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize, Small Things Like These is a genuine gem of a book: multifaceted, shining, and a priceless heirloom that will be handed down for generations to come. Set in small-town Ireland, it details the everyday lives of a middle-class man who owns and operates a coal and wood delivery business, his wife, and their four daughters. Keegan explores what it means to be family and masterfully sets the mood by telling us that it's coming on Christmas. There's a community Christmas tree to be lit, a traditional Christmas cake for the whole family to prepare, letters to Santa to be written, and a parental discussion about the affordability of the items on each daughter's list. The coal business is booming as the sacred day draws near. During a coal delivery at the convent on a rise just outside of town, the man makes a disturbing discovery that haunts him throughout the remainder of the story. Though Keegan's tale follows the path of a real-life happening, she personalizes it for us. We see ourselves in the dilemma these characters face. It begs the question: how long do we, as a community, as a society, allow cruelty and injustice go on until we have the courage to stand up to power and say, "ENOUGH!" Though small in stature, Small Things Like These delivers a powerful wallop. When you're finished reading, you should get yourself a "jigsaw of 500 pieces" to work on while you contemplate and puzzle out what you can do to make Tennessee and our nation a more humane and loving place to call home.