We took The Girl and The Middle One to see The Karate Kid at the theater yesterday. I thought it was fantastic and except for a little fidgeting in the middle, the kids sat at rapt attention for most of the film. My kids don’t sit at rapt attention for much of anything, so I consider this the highest endorsement of the movie.
What struck me most (besides how freakin’ cute Will and Jada’s kid is) was how the lessons of the movie are exactly as important in 2010 as they were in 1984.
Focus, discipline and respect will get you far. Bullies may bother you, but in the end taking the high road and not falling to their level, makes you the winner. These are ideals that I would like to believe are universal truths. I try to practice them in my home. I think.
Then I watch the news and Joren van der Sloot is in my face, seemingly showing remorse only for having been caught, not for taking two lives. His mother says if he’d only listened to her and went for psychiatric help this could have been stopped. She knew? She waited for him to listen to her? That’s curious.
Next I read an article about privileged young boys who are rating girls according to their “hotness” then inviting them to a “sex” party to try that hotness out. These young men are from the same fine institution that produced many of the Duke Lacrosse players who thought they were innocent because they ONLY had prostitutes at their underage drinking party. They didn’t actually rape any-so they’re all good. Right?
And let’s not forget George Huguely, who was allowed to get away with his drunken bullying for so long that he eventually killed someone-because she wouldn’t bend to his will.
Respect. Discipline. The High Road. Where were these at Landon? At Duke? On the Virginia Lacrosse team? In Joren’s home or the courts that let him “allegedly” commit two crimes? More importantly, is it the fault of these boys or of the adults in charge of their formation. After all, without Mr. Han in the movie, young Dre might have just simply fought back. Then no one wins. It took someone older and wiser to teach him the lessons that allowed him to prevail over the bullies and hold his head high.
I would like to believe the principles my kids saw in the movie are universal truths. But it seems that many of our young men today are missing these lessons, or perhaps we are just allowing them to skip that class.
Well said!! As an adult I found it hard to take the high road a lot of the time. I can't imagine a child doing it without the help and guidance from someone older and wiser!