Today, I am 30 years old. 30. The big 3-0. The age when – if Hollywood romantic comedies are any indication – you’re supposed to start settling down. (Although, as a woman, I think I’m the one who’s already supposed to be settled down, while my man-child boyfriend/fiance/husband is supposed to be the one with the life crisis that can only really be tamed by a new baby. At least, these are the life lessons I’ve taken from Hollywood films.)

So why would I make today’s video selection?

Well, dear readers, it’s because I share this very special day with a very special prisoner of the Pennsylvania prison industrial complex. I know, you’re sitting on the edge of your seat, biting your nails and wondering who would get the pleasure of sharing their birthday with our spunky little Drunkenatheist?

That’s right, the one, the only: Wesley Cook, better known as Mumia Abu-Jamal.

Why on Earth would I celebrate the birthday of an omg! cop killa? A lot of it comes from the lack of critical dialogue from both sides (but mainly the pro-Faulkner side), but more of it comes from a combination of the fact that many Philadelphia Police officers are – in my most humble and not legally binding opinion – jackbooted thugs who care more about exerting their dominance over the public than actually protecting and serving them, the fact that the pro-police side tends to act like blood-thirsty psychopaths when a cop is killed…despite the fact that it is an occupational hazard and NO ONE should EVER get involved with any sort of security or military work without accepting that death in the line of duty is a realistic risk and, frankly, the fact that I don’t see a cop’s death any more sad than the millions of civilians’ deaths that occur every year. (I’m not citing anything here on the jackbooted thugs claim because quick google searches for “police corruption philadelphia,” “police brutality philadelphia,” and “Officer Jeffrey Cudjik” all turn up a plethora of links for your reading pleasure.)

So on this fine day, I wish myself a happy 30th birthday and wish Mumia a happy 55th birthday, because you’ve always got to pay it forward to your birthday buddies.

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