Saturday, May 13, 2006
My Thoughts on United 93
I just got back from seeing the movie United 93. Wow, what a powerful movie. A few big thought have been bouncing around my brain ever since I left the theatre.
My first thought was that I was looking at pure evil in that movie. All international-politics and religious beliefs aside, the men portraying the highjackers were portraying pure evil. Most of us in this country will never come face to face with such villains; however, I believe that by seeing this movie you will be allowing yourself to see the underbelly of the real world.
My second thought was about the people on the plane, the victims, the heroes. Since most of us will never be in such an opportunity, we can only ponder what we might do in such a situation. While the actual highjacking was sad to watch, the reclaiming of the plane made me proud. Watching those men fight back, accepting their probable death, and choosing to go out on their own terms. I only hope that if given the same opportunity that I too will rise to the occasion and be a hero. The truest hero is not the person who chases the opportunity; it is the person who rises to the occasion when not expecting it.
My third thought is that this movie should be shown in schools. I remember in school watching the entire mini-series “Roots,” and coming face to face with the evils of slavery. In this visual age of TV and internet, that movie was able to reach us, in some ways, better than a text book could have. The same can be said of watching “Saving Private Ryan” or “Schindler’s List.” While “The Diary of Anne Frank” and “Night” are still popular reads in school for educating the youth on the horrors of the Holocaust and the real-life evil of Adolf Hitler, the movies help. “United 93” should join that list of books and movies as school-appropriate topics. This movie should be used to show the youth of America that evil still exists in this world. Evil people, nations and leaders work every day to defeat America. We must use movies like this to make the horrors of Islamic-Extremists real and tangible to Americans, just like “Roots” and “Schindler’s List” did for me in school.
My first thought was that I was looking at pure evil in that movie. All international-politics and religious beliefs aside, the men portraying the highjackers were portraying pure evil. Most of us in this country will never come face to face with such villains; however, I believe that by seeing this movie you will be allowing yourself to see the underbelly of the real world.
My second thought was about the people on the plane, the victims, the heroes. Since most of us will never be in such an opportunity, we can only ponder what we might do in such a situation. While the actual highjacking was sad to watch, the reclaiming of the plane made me proud. Watching those men fight back, accepting their probable death, and choosing to go out on their own terms. I only hope that if given the same opportunity that I too will rise to the occasion and be a hero. The truest hero is not the person who chases the opportunity; it is the person who rises to the occasion when not expecting it.
My third thought is that this movie should be shown in schools. I remember in school watching the entire mini-series “Roots,” and coming face to face with the evils of slavery. In this visual age of TV and internet, that movie was able to reach us, in some ways, better than a text book could have. The same can be said of watching “Saving Private Ryan” or “Schindler’s List.” While “The Diary of Anne Frank” and “Night” are still popular reads in school for educating the youth on the horrors of the Holocaust and the real-life evil of Adolf Hitler, the movies help. “United 93” should join that list of books and movies as school-appropriate topics. This movie should be used to show the youth of America that evil still exists in this world. Evil people, nations and leaders work every day to defeat America. We must use movies like this to make the horrors of Islamic-Extremists real and tangible to Americans, just like “Roots” and “Schindler’s List” did for me in school.
