Bedford Falls or Pottersville?

"Vice is a monster of such frightful mein,
As to be hated, needs to be seen;
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace."
~Alexander Pope "Essay on Man"

In my last post I briefly commented on the apathy of people towards their own healthcare and now I want to brush on a continually growing moral apathy of America.
Yesterday I was thinking about my favorite movie of all time (yes, I know I've posted about it before - It's A Wonderful Life), and this time I was looking at it from a social perspective and found some eerie parallels. I recommend watching it again, even though Christmas is still 8 months away. You'll see where I'm coming from. Look at the background: Economic crisis (a bank run during the Great Depression), greed, power, and an effort to take over businesses (Potter takes over bank and wants to take over the Savings and Loan), and the transformation of Bedford Falls into Pottersville, where the Emporium, Movie House, and other buildings become sleezy motels and exotic dance clubs. Citizens are unhappy everywhere.

Right now I'm finding a couple of recent topics a bit disturbing that makes me wonder if our country is going the way of Pottersville. Some may consider me a "prude" or an old "fuddy-duddy" twenty-something. Maybe I am.
The first has to do with the legalization of "sexting." This is a new term that describes people taking nude or other inappropiate pictures of themselves or others on camera phones and then sending or texting these pictures to their peers. Some people estimate that 20-25% of teenagers have engaged in this - either sending or receiving. When minors are involved, this is considered technically as child pornography, which in many states carries stiff penalties such as prison terms and being labeled as a "sex offender." Many promoters of the legalization of sexting argue that children should not be subject to such stiff penalties and that it's just another form of lame adolescent behavior such as mooning or flashing. Many do warn that, yes, these pictures of them will be out in cyberspace forever and can impact them years from now, but they don't stress any form of strong punishment other than conversation and taking away their cell phone. To me, child porn is child porn, and teenagers need to realize this and some sort of legal prosecution should be in order.

My next worry is the legalization of marijuana. Some proponents stress that marijuana crimes are not serious and plug up the justice system's courtrooms, lawyers, and jails. Others think of legalization as a solution to easing the tensions and violence between drug cartels, smugglers, border patrol units, and other law enforcement. One California representative offered the suggestion that California would prosper economically off of the legalization and taxation of marijuana growers. Hmmmm.... Marijuana is practically harmless, right?
According to my Current Pediatric Diagnosis and Treatment, low intoxication levels can lead to impaired thinking - sure, we could use more of that. Would you really like to see the driver next to you on the freeway smoking a joint? Chronic use can also lead to infertility (could be touted as an alternative form of birth control!) as well as apathy (after substitute teaching high school, I really fear an increase in this) and amotivational syndrome. Amotivational syndrome is characterized as "decreased attention to environmental stimuli and impaired goal-directed thinking and behavior" which is due to "destruction of hippocampal and basal ganglia nuclei." I think that anything that causes destruction of any part of my body would be cause for concern. Doesn't it seem that all that money spent of childhood Ritalin is going to waste? Not to mention the studies of marijuana as a "gateway drug" and the effects of toxic intoxication (i.e. psychosis...). Other studies have shown that the marijuana stashed under your teenager's bed is not the same kind their dad smoked at Woodstock. One analysis in the late 1990's proved a 3-5 fold increase in the concentration of THC since 1970's and 1980s. Not to mention the possibility of "hybrid" drugs (smuggling hard drugs like cocaine and meth with marijuana).
I fear that we're only a few months to a few years off from public service announcements urging us to "smoke responsibly." Sigh...

2 questions I have are these: Are we teaching the future leaders of this country that when confronted with problems and social issues, we throw our up hands, shrug our shoulders, turn our heads, surrender, and let them infiltrate our society? Do we just legalize all vices just to make "life easier," "save money," and not "tie up our justice system"?

One of the best movies ever!!

On Saturday after a college football game I caught the beginning of the cartoon version of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." This did surprise me a little because Thanksgiving was still a week and a half away. So I don't feel like I'm too premature if I share my love for what is often regarded as a "Christmas" movie. "It's a Wonderful Life" (IAWL) shouldn't belong in the same category of films such as "The Santa Clause," "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," or "Frosty the Snowman," only to be dusted off once a year. This movie is awesome year round and only part of it takes place during the Chirstmas season. The story and cast are fantastic (more on Jimmy Stewart soon to follow) and Frank Capra is an amazing director. Here are some more reasons to love it:

There are few movies that I know of that captures so many human emotions: love, innocence, discouragement, fear, unity, courage, passion, the list goes on...

There are those classic one-liners, like:
"Say Brainless, don't you know where coconuts come from?"
"He's making violent love to me, Mother!"
And of course, "Every time a bell rings..." yeah, you know it.

There's also those timeless messages, as recited by Clarence the angel, how each man's life touches so many other lives, and no man who has friends is a failure.

If you're a fanatic like me, you might catch some of the little bloopers, the improvisations, and other behind the scenes trivia. If you want to know some, just ask me.

And one of the best reasons of all: Jimmy Stewart. Oh, yeah. One of the greatest actors who has the gift of portraying the "every man," and he delivers here as the memorable George Bailey.
We see the serious side of George as he struggles to provide for his family, stands up to the greedy Mr. Potter, and continuously demonstrates sacrifice and integrity.
There's the humorous side of George as well. Trying to get Violet to go to Mount Bedford and start a scandal that the whole town would talk about. His threat to sell tickets when Mary loses her robe... Then there's the romance. Who can forget the passionate scene when George is at Mary's house: The tension escalates, and he looks into her tear-filled eyes, knowing that loving and marrying her will cause him to lose his dreams of world travel and other endeavors. Then there is the kiss: Jimmy Stewart's first on-screen kiss since he returned from the war.

If all men were like unto George Bailey...

If you haven't seen it, see it. If you haven't watched it since you were a kid, watch it again. If you want a movie night, let me know and I'll bring the hot co'.