Shall Not Perish...

Amazons Attack made me angry. But not in the way many of you might think. I'm not angry that the Amazons were "made into villains." As far as the miniseries goes, they are the villains. And that's perfectly acceptable.

Nor am I angry at the bloodthirsty savagery the Amazons engaged in. Though in this case, I certainly should be. But whether it's a function of society or simply the realization that the people killed are fictional, I felt no rage at their deaths.

So what did make me angry?


Seeing the Lincoln Memorial decapitated had a profound effect on me. To understand exactly why, I think you need to know a little bit more about me. My story begins like most: I was born in a small town. The town itself has little bearing on what we're discussing here tonight. But the state does. I was born and raised in the Union's 21st state: Illinois.

Those who don't live or travel to Illinois probably don't understand the extent to which Lincoln's memory and legacy permeate the state. Lincoln's name and image are everywhere. After all, we're not called the "Land of Lincoln" for nothing.

For better or worse the stories of Lincoln -- be they fact or myth -- are instilled into most children in Illinois. We learn from a very young age the stories of the gangly railsplitter and the self-taught lawyer. We're regaled with the tale of Lincoln's beard and the account of his "almost duel." We hear everything, including the story of that fateful night in Ford's Theater.

From this, it should come as no surprise that most Illinoisans have great pride in both their state and Lincoln himself. Though "The Great Emancipator" was not born in Illinois, we know that where a person is born is only a tiny part of who they are. Superman taught us that.

So when the Amazons attacked the Lincoln Memorial, I felt like they were attacking me. Not only that, they were attacking my home, my beliefs, and my country. To an Illinoisan, Lincoln isn't "Just another man." He's the man who saved the Union. He's the man ushered in a "new birth of freedom." He is a symbol of everything that is right about America.

Will Pfeifer, I suspect, knows this. He is an Illinoisan himself, after all. As such, I don't doubt that he understands the power inherent in Abraham Lincoln's likeness. And what the toppling of that icon would do to some of us. I think Will Pfeifer wanted to make me angry.

And it worked.