When Tommy declared, "There should be a law that you have to speak English in America."
I ranted at him for half an hour. I didn’t force my view upon him rather made an effort to open his mind to another perspective. I used examples such as "if you went to Spain, you should have to speak Spanish"
and he’d retort "but I am not living there"
so we went through what-if scenario after scenario and using examples such as the nice people who work at CiCi’s pizza and do not speak a word of English yet they communicate with the patrons just fine. Eventually Tommy was begging to end the conversation and I released him content that maybe he’d heard something; more than likely, he will simply think twice before raising such issues in front of me again (which would be a shame).
Since Tommy will vote for our next President, and since he gets plenty of far right opinion for other relatives, I felt it prudent that he and Sarah begin their political education. How fortunate that R. Neal of Knoxviews.com offered up some tickets to Michael Moore’s Sicko! I’m sure their grandfather will deprogram them afterwards. It is not the point-of-view that I want to impress upon the children as much as I want them to appreciate that there are multiple ways to see a subject, multiple solutions to a problem, and that they should try to see everything as if they were in that other person’s shoes. See you at the movie tonight!
That’s just sick!
You machete murderer you!
Just wait until you see my version of the video!
I’m sorry, this whole “Sicko” preview thing just seems sad to me. The whole thing, Knoxviews hosting it, giving out free tickets, knowing full well that it’s a liberal gathering where conservatives might be welcomed but snickered at and talked about behind their backs….
It’s just sad and regressive. There will be plenty going on tonight at that movie that’s just like what people are upset Michael Silence wrote about today regarding liberals.
So, “Sicko” is a movie by Michael Moore. Michael Moore’s an unabashed liberal and a figurehead for the anti-war, anti-establishment, ant-whatever movement for liberals in America. Therefore liberals are expected to be there, and bring their kids – regardless what the subject of the movie is.
How much time have you discussed the healthcare crisis in America? How much time you have discussed it without mentioning politics? Is it possible?
What’s saddest is I’m more or less a liberal at heart but have had to move toward the center because the left moved farther and farther away. And the right’s done the same thing.
I just re-read the end of your post. “Deprogram”? My God.
Actually, Doug and I talk about healthcare ALL the time without talking politics. The conversation does always involve money. We are taking two teenagers, not small children. I recognize that this is a protest film and not a documentary. What’s with all this ‘think the way I think or we can’t be friends’ stuff going on today? And, as far as my strict Southern Baptist father is concerned, the entire family jokes in front of him about his attempts at brainwashing the grandchildren.
Allow me to clarify something.
Michael Moore is a liberal. He makes unabashedly liberal movies like Farenheit 9/11, 9/11-1/2, and Bowling for Columbine (which I don’t really disagree with). Therefore being one who subscribes to the liberal philosophy and political persuasion, when the new Michael Moore movie comes to theatres – especially when it’s free, especially when it’s being sponsored by a hugely liberal blogsite – you feel obligated to go and…hey, take the kids! Does it matter what the subject is? Naah. Healthcare reform, reproductive rights, immigration, welfare, environment….who cares. It’s liberal, I’m a liberal, I must go and my kids must go.
Do you not see that’s “programming” as insidious and close-minded as anything a grandparent might do? Nevermind you could take them to see Ratatouille tonight (and yes, pay money), or even see Suessical but hey – there’s a free event showing of the new movie by the liberal standard-bearer! Everyone in the car!
I would say the exact same thing if it were a conservative movie/movie-maker/family. It has nothing to do with liberal or conservatism, but everything to do with how we think and perceive the differences and similarities between each other, and how deep the divide is perpetuated.
I really, really like you guys and I so enjoy reading your sites and getting to know your family, even virtually. I just hate to see a mindset perpetuated that is (to me) just not productive….
Barry … there’s an excellent write up over at USAToday, that explains why “Sicko” should be taken with a huge grain of salt, and sheds light on the mistruths typical of Moore’s anti-American diatribe:
I find Moore to be so utterly repugnant, disingenuous and an outright liar that even if he were advocating something that I agree with, such as the healthcare crisis, I cannot give him any credibility at all or bear to watch any more of his garbage. He is nothing more than a schill and his movies are nothing more than his way of making a buck off the seething masses. It’s disgusting.
This is just silly. I don’t want to argue with you. You look too much like my baby brother. 🙂 We’re not brainwashing our teenagers. We have talked about the style of this movie with them already and encouraged them to do their own research and make their own opinions. No, we wouldn’t have paid for tickets to go see this. I’d rather be taking Amy to Ratatouille and the teens would choose a movie with their friends over us any day. Sometimes, we just have to take whatever opportunity we have. There are LOTS of movies I miss in the theater and see on DVD. This is also about socializing with other people. I will be friends with people on every point of the political spectrum rather than avoid the social pariahs. We’re all really moms, dads, sons and daughters who want the best for our families and not political labels.
First I need to clarify the word "deprogram." That was really a jest at the grandfather. An inside joke written in a hasty first draft of a post. Our family has a right and left demographic to it. Additionally one relative lives in DC and cannot vote. So political gabs are frequent and fun at all expenses.
Second, I’ve never a seen a Michael Moore film. Not one of them.
Third, We love going to movies. And free fits out budget so I’ll jump at it. And yes, I would like to see Suessical (I love the theatre – even if my spell checker doesn’t like the way I spell it)
Fourth and most importantly, Sicko touches me personally. The children are insured but Cathy and I are two of the 50 million uninsured Americans and we make sacrifices to our health because of it. (and yes, this past year I actually made efforts to end my 10 years of self-employment, specifically to get insurance, but have yet to secure a corporate job) I held far different views of our health care system when I was insured and having regular checkups and could hop into the doctor’s office for scratches, bruises and what not. I wondered why people didn’t take better care of themselves. Now I relate much more to the people working our fast food restaurants who’s employers do not provide them affordable health care, to the people who for health reasons or cap insurances plans cannot get the care they need, or the self-employed who’s insurance rates dwarf their mortgage payments. Try randomly asking the people around you what they think of their health care plan. I have. It is surprising when they respond with "I don’t have one."That’s how I know the person who made my Subway sandwich went into hock when she fell and hurt her hand. I’ve heard stories of people that got care knowing they’d never be able to pay the bills. And of people stopping their medicine just because it was too much of a burden on the family.
I know this is a propaganda film. My children will know this is a propaganda film and we will discuss it. But in the same way I want them to visit churches that are not the same denomination as theirs, I want them to see issues from different perspectives, I want them to education themselves and research, and I want them to be politically aware and active. This film will not harm them; it will expand their minds because I will not allow it to program them. Instead it will be discussed and debated.
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