UPDATE: Another reader writes:
The timing’s particularly interesting since Kinsella just reminded everyone for the umpteenth time that he “was in Montana in 1996 when the Freemen brought the state to a standstill”, and some loser identifying as a Freeman just murdered an Edmonton policeman.
What’s the difference between the Freemen and the Red Brigades? The Red Brigades has a much bigger body count, for one.
And, I guess, cooler t-shirts.
Ah, but what my reader doesn’t understand is that the Red Brigade was “anti-fascist,” so that makes them OK!
***
A reader asks:
I don’t suppose W. Kinsella will ever be forced to apologize to Aldo Moro’s family for wearing a t-shirt bearing the name of his murderers because it’s so kewl, will he?
Warren Kinsella is wearing a “Red Brigade” shirt because Joe Strummer wore one in 1978.
At the time, Joe Strummer was half Kinsella’s age.
He was also not a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada.
Here’s the rather you-had-to-be-there story of why Strummer (says) he wore the shirt.
(And remember: Joe Strummer is like Chief Wiggum’s Bible — He “says a lotta things…”):
I’ve also heard (as I’ve written elsewhere) that Strummer stopped wearing the shirt after he met someone who’s father had been killed by the Red Brigade, but it may be just that: a rumour.
Anyway, there was admittedly extremely half-assed semi-demi-reason for the shirt-wearing, by a 20-something guy, ten days before Moro was kidnapped.
In fact, Kinsella presumably wouldn’t approve of Strummer wearing it to deliberately annoy the “old hippies” who ran the Rock Against Racism event.
(Or the part where, at the same event, he and the other Clash members reportedly called openly gay headliner Tom Robinson a “queer.”)
I look forward to hearing Warren Kinsella’s reason for wearing one now.
