Different Perspectives

Raoul’s 2 cents

Challenging the Status Quo

If you don’t want to ponder, move on to the Jokes below.

I like honest, original, creative films where the director immerses the audience to a different world — a matrix world that runs parallel to our reality. Pride and Prejudice is such a movie. To be honest, I never read the book, and I thought it was chick flick (probably still is). I watched it because it was the movie choice of the women around me. I would have rather watched a blood and guts action movie.

Yeah, yeah, there was pompous dancing with embroidered hairstyles, upper-class British conversations — boring girly stuff. But then a scene of the heroine walking in the meadows came up. The scene lingered for what seemed like an eternity. Why did Joe Wright, the director, waste so much time on that? I realized the sophistication of this director. My antenna went up. He was a master storyteller who used all the tools of movie-making: cinematography, screenplay, music, acting, pacing — this was a celluloid masterpiece. In that subtle scene, the director told me that most civilizations walked at that time. No horses, no cars … people just walked for miles and miles. Only the rich had the luxury of moving to and fro without straining their muscles and perspiring (especially with all those layered clothing). The director was showing us class distinctions. This was the society Jane Austen (the author of the book the movie was based on) was born to in 1775 — a British society composed of the upper class, the lower class, and the middle class who struggled to climb up the social ladder. That was the status quo. Whether you’re born rich or poor you shut up and accept it.

Meanwhile, an Atlantic ocean away, George Washington and patriotic Americans were struggling for independence from England. The English empire believed they had every right to siphon off the wealth of these low life colonials in order for the British elites to continue to languor in early retirement mode. “How dare these Americans complain? We are the mother land. They serve us. Don’t they realize we have our own class struggles at home? Why break the status quo?”

This is why Jefferson’s inclusion of the phrase “inalienable rights” in the Constitution is so profound: Even if others don’t consider you their equal, their opinion cannot stop your right to live as you wish (just don’t step on the other person’s rights as well). Even if they don’t consider you human, in God’s eyes, you are. Can you read this article? Good! You’re human! Can you give me the square root of 741776 divided by 742026 in 3 seconds? Hello! You’re a robot! And sorry — you don’t have inalienable rights.

Disputes are inevitable in even the best societies. I’m currently dealing with parking issues in my neighborhood. I’m the president of the association. And, if you have neighbors, you know the small-scale Constitutional drama that comes with it. We’ve got the hot heads, the Yes Men and the legal experts. I’ve long wanted to withdraw from the responsibility and live a comfortable life and tend to my sheep and grow tilapia (in my dreams) but they keep on pulling me back in. Looky here! I’m George Washington in Bermuda shorts with British Cardigan and Pembroke Welsh corgis. No wonder I can appreciate what George did for us. I guess conflicts follow you everywhere. What I’ve learned is to determine what’s good for everyone, to be fair and consistent. And if they don’t behave — “Off with their heads!” Not.

This coming Independence Day holds more meaning to me now that I’ve watched many of the historical videos with new interest. I admire our heroes. Wish I could say the same about the British. Sorry Jane Austen, but you guys stepped on our inalienable rights.

Go grill those burgers and give a toast to 250 years of independence. Let’s honor those brave (yet imperfect) men who changed the British status quo and started the most ambitious political experiment the world has ever known. In God we trust.

But this is just me. TGIF people!

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Quotes of the week

“British people would die for their right to drink themselves to death.” — John Oliver

“The British are brave people. They can face anything, except lions, their mothers, reality.” — George Mikes

“British people don’t express themselves when they are with someone, at home, in pain. They don’t think it’s elegant.” — Monica Bellucci

“When you’re born you get a ticket to the freak show. When you’re born in America, you get a front row seat.” — George Carlin

“Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn’t block traffic.” — Dan Rather

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” — Romans 8:31

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” — John 10:10

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9-10