Or so most filmmakers and crusaders would have you believe.
But for the next few minutes, let's pretend that they're right.
There are two types of people. The good and the bad.
Working in the film industry, as I do, I watch a lot of films. I call it research. It's awfully convenient that my "research" is called "entertainment" by the rest of the world. It sure beats hitting the libraries. I've been doing this for years. There's a pretty solid chance that if you name some classic film, I've seen it...and that list is growing constantly.
But I've noticed something different lately. I find myself identifying more and more with the villains...and I don't think that I'm supposed to.
Now, I'm not saying that when I went to see "Inglourious Basterds," I walked away thinking, "When I grow up, I want to be just like that man with the funny mustache." But, I am saying, that -- even with some of the cruelest -- I find myself forcing myself to see things through their eyes.
The types of movies I'm watching aren't changing. I watch a pretty solid variety. I think that my philosophy's are changing.
I like to think that this is a good thing -- so that's what I'm going to do. I officially declare this philosophy change to be directly related to all the research I've been doing into love, and the implications of attempting to force myself to love more. Not that any philosophy switch-up I've gone through has anything to do with my own willpower toward enlightenment. We are all influenced by the company we keep. I'm lucky to have good company. And I'm even luckier that much of that company points me toward reading good books, and listening to enlightening speakers. Furthermore, I've been reading my Bible a lot, and praying far more than is usual for me. I'd say that those two things have had the most impact on this brain transplant I've undergone, but that might step on the toes of people who disagree with my theology. So, I'll tell the truth. This theology is mine, just slightly different than anyone else's and therefore unique to me. I like to think I'm right and you're wrong, but then...I am biased.
So.
There are two types of people. (Or three if you count the ugly)
We grow up in a hard world, where the fairy tales have grown up a bit. We know that the good guys don't wear white, and the bad guys don't all wear Darth Vader helmets. So, it is up to us to figure out who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. And then, we must join the team of the good guys, because according to the laws of the movie -- they will win.
So, in movies, we are presented with this dualism. There is a person, the hero, who believes in X (the value presented by the writer). This hero is also virtuous, like-able, self-sacrificint, and brave. Then, there is the villain, who vastly disagrees with the hero about X. He, however, is ruthless, evil, cowardly and dislike-able in every way imaginable. So, we come to agree with value X, and propaganda is born. Whatever you may think about your invulnerability to propaganda...you are wrong. All film is propaganda. You have been exposed to it since before you could talk, most of you...to the point that you have been immunized to most propaganda which contradicts your original messages. In other words, the only reason you RECOGNIZE propaganda is because some earlier propaganda message taught you NEVER to trust ANYTHING that says that X is true. The fact is, writers know how to make you believe something, and they have made a living off of doing exactly that since longer than you and I have been on this wonderful planet.
The nice thing is that it's not "the man" who's controlling this propaganda. It's artists, visionaries, writers...and also business folk. But all of them, or at least most of them, only seek to tell the truth as best as they know it. Very few people are purposely trying to turn you into sheep.
The problem is not in value X. If it was, then how exactly are we to be sure that X is wrong at all? How do we know it isn't value Y that is wrong...the value that taught us to never, ever, under any circumstance EVER believe value X. Or what if value Q is the REAL problem, the one that says that we should keep our ears open and be receptive.
But here's where I think the problem is: there is no hero and there is no villain. We all cling to X or Y or Q or A or B or whichever value...oftentimes, not because we respect or believe in the value itself, but because we idealize the hero that stands for that value. It is because we demonize that villain.
How many times do we change churches because we find out that our pastor has flaws? The church is in error on a hundred things, therefore, they must not be the hero. Maybe they're not the villain, certainly not the hero. So we move on to another church. They too, always turn out not to be the hero. Many of them pretend to be the hero. Many are honest and open about their failures, but that doesn't stop us from believing that they are the hero. For many, this goes too far, and they abandon one religion in search of another, where the real heroes exist. They assume that if the Christians are not the heroes, then their value must be incorrect. Therefore, another, opposing value must be the truth...where the true heroes lie.
Let me tell you the truth. There are no heroes. None. Not one exists on the face of this entire planet. We are all liars, hypocrites, cheaters, thieves, and assholes...each in our own unique way. Some may be a smidge more loving than others, but every last one of them will let you down.
Sometimes, we also base our morals and philosophies on what the villains AREN'T doing. Equally wrong. There is no soul so dark that it is totally devoid of light. Now, this is just my hypothesis here -- I don't know any of these people personally...I'm just guessing. But I'm betting Adolf Hitler did one or two things over the course of his life that were GOOD. I'm betting the people who formed the KKK may have genuinely loved SOMEONE, even if it wasn't black people. In fact, for every horrible dictator that has ever existed...I would bet you that every single one of them believed that what they were doing was right.
I recently watched an episode of House M.D. featuring the brilliant James Earl Jones. Mr. Jones played the tyrant king of a small African nation. He was allegedly responsible for multiple genocides. Throughout the episode, more and more evidence was brought forward that this man was a plague on humanity. He tells one of the doctors a story about his childhood, when the people who were in power went on a murdering rampage. Now that he is in power, he plans to crush these villains before they have the opportunity to rampage again.
As Gandhi said: an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.
Why does this villain commit genocide? If you said hatred or revenge, I think I disagree with you. Now, you may be right. I am even slightly unsure myself about this one. My theory is: fear. The tyrant is afraid that if justice (his own definition of justice) is not upheld...further murderous rampages will occur. Therefore, by committing genocide himself, he prevents future genocides committed against the people he loves. One could argue that he commits this genocide out of love. However, you would more accurately argue that he commits his genocide out of fear. I was recently reading about a disagreement between Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky over whether or not to go to war with Hitler. The problem was that they too wanted to conquer Europe. They believed so strongly in the ideals of communism, and it's care for the proletariat that they believed that the only way to protect their own country was to conquer all of Europe. Why? Did they hate the rest of Europe? No. Did they seek revenge for previous wrongs? No. They were afraid. If Germany hadn't beat them to the punch, Joseph Stalin probably would have started World War II.
Under misguided attempts to protect, humankind has been known to commit terrible atrocities. Saddam Housein was a terrible dictator and needed to be removed from power. I agree with this statement fully. But America only decided to attack and forcibly remove him from power after he was alleged to be in possession of nuclear weaponry.
The unfortunate thing is, we're already the villains in the story. You and I, we naturally protect what we love...or to use a more precise term...what we covet. But when love for the attacker is taken out of the equation, protection quickly turns into fear.
Imagine an armed man in a mask breaks into your home and threatens you. What they don't know is that you have a gun in your back pocket. While they are not paying attention, what do you do? Kill them? How do you know that they really would have hurt you in the first place? How do you know it wasn't an empty threat? Do you even know why they are robbing you?
Now imagine this: your mother is dying. There is a disease which cures her illness, but you are too poor to buy this cure. Furthermore, you do not have enough money to eat. Across the street from you lives a wealthy family. They are arrogant rich-folk. They have made their money standing on the backs of those less fortunate. They treat people poorly. They are villains. So your brother breaks into the home of these villains, with a toy gun...so that he can steal enough money to save your mother's life. But the villains kill your brother, who was, in fact, the hero in the story...who only sought to save the life of his mother. Now what? Do you take vengeance?
And so...an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.
Our friends are all heroes. Our enemies are all villains. But all our villains have their own friends and family, all of whom view them as the hero. You may even be the villain to some.
The truth is, this is one type of person:
the villain.
You're the villain in the story. I'm the villain in the story. We're all the villains. We all end up hurting people we shouldn't.
So stop the vengeance. Stop the fear. Stop the eye for an eye cycle. Stop believing in heroes and villains. Stop worshipping heroes and demonizing the villains. Just start loving people. Be willing to sacrifice yourself and everything that you love for anyone...even the people you consider the villains. Even when they attack you. Even when they deserve punishment. Jesus says to turn the other cheek.
I have friends, who I think are wonderful people, who have concealed carry licenses -- these allow them to carry guns with them wherever they go, and not in plain sight. These people mean well, I want to say that over and over and over: they mean well, and their desire is GOOD. They desire to protect either themselves or those around them.
Jesus, I'm fairly certain, is slightly more powerful than a gun. And he didn't lift a finger to stop his own crucifixion.
Turn the other cheek. You are the villain.
Anyway, I gotta say, this particular post isn't very well written. I suppose I'll rewrite it at some point.
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