Aah, but which came first, the chickens or the eggs? When this book was first written, much, if not all, of what can be read in a season for redemption was entirely this writer’s imagination, and fantasy. Killing a politician to make a point? Totally absurd! Right? Asserting the defense of justifiable homicide to excuse such a heinous act? Nothing more than David Kelley’s Boston Legal frivolity! Right?

But books take time to write, even for the likes of James Patterson, who seems able to turn them out between lunch and dinner! Editing them, publishing them and marketing them takes even longer. Funny how the world has a way of catching up. And so, the lines of fantasy and reality begin to blur.

When this book was being conceived and written, it was hard to imagine that elected members of Congress would publicly confront a sitting POTUS (President of the United States) by screaming “You Lie!” to his face or by accusing POTUS, quite literally, of criminal extortion. But both have happened before this book could be completed and brought to market.[1]  And the visiting of actual physical violence on our elected political officials as a means of making a point is now being advocated and condoned in at least some real world circles.[2]  Even an outright, premeditated, calloused act of murder has been “defended” (thankfully unsuccessfully!) in the name of justifiable homicide–precisely as employed and debated in a season for redemption.[3]

Blurring the lines of fantasy and reality indeed. Whatever happened to the notion that the pen is mightier than the sword? Write a book instead. Really, it’s great therapy!

Footnotes:

[1] On September 9, 2009, during the course of addressing a joint session of Congress on then pending health care legislation, President Obama made the statement that the legislation would not provide benefits to illegal immigrants. From the floor, South Carolina Republican Representative Joe Wilson shouted out “You lie! On June 28, when President Obama recently cajoled British Petroleum (BP) to create a $20 billion escrow account for current and future damage claims arising out of its Louisiana Gulf Coast oil spill, Texas Congressman Joe Barton, ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, accused the President of a “Chicago-style shakedown” and apologized to BP. The issue was not that Congressman Wilson had his facts wrong, but that he conducted himself in this manner. It’s unclear whether Congressman Barton’s remarks were more harmful to the Democrats or the Republicans, but what is clear is that the Congressman’s remarks were impolitic. This kind of behavior invites more of the same, and potentially worse. There are better ways for our political leaders to express dissent. Arguably not the same, when Marine General Stanley McCrystal was recently critical of the POTUS, he was promptly relieved of his command. All too infrequently are our political representatives held accountable for their misconduct.

[2] Threats against lawmakers and their families are up 300% so far this year, causing Capitol Police to dramatically increase security efforts, and ask for a bigger budget. http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/05/25/threats-against-members-of-congress-on-the-rise/.

[3] On May 31, 2009, Scott Roeder killed abortion doctor George Tiller. Roeder was tried for murder shortly after the limited first edition of a season for redemption was copyrighted and published in 2009. No doubt pure coincidence, but nevertheless blurring the lines of fantasy and reality, in his subsequent Kansas murder trial, Roeder asserted the defense of justifiable homicide, just like Cliff Norman did in a season for redemption.