The excellent animated movie, "The Lion King," will appear in theaters for two weeks beginning tomorrow. While you will be able to see it in 3-D this time, I suggest that you can see it with new eyes if you consider how I've used it as a learning tool with my best friend's son.
In October 2008, my friend's 8-year old son, Mark, told me that he and his classmates in school had "voted" for president and that he had voted for Obama. We discussed why he had voted as he had (mostly on the "coolness" factor, as kids are wont to do) but I told him that I would never have voted for Obama and that he would not be good for our country. I told him that you have to take a good hard look at the person's past and their experience and that's about as far as the conversation went.
Over the following months after Obama took office, Mark, who'd heard my and his father's conversations about Obama and congress, was fascinated with my anger about what was going on. So, he'd ask me questions and I tried to be objective and tell him how important it is to keep and open mind. But, as a way to analogize what was happening in the country I used the example of "The Lion King" which we'd watched together several times.
I told Mark that Obama was like the character Scar and that the three hyenas were Pelosi, Reid and Holder. I explained that a good kingdom was run by a good king (Mufasa, who could represent the American spirit) but it could be brought down by a bad one (Scar). It would be up to a new king (Simba, who might represent American voters) to make things better again.
While I am cognizant of those who'd call this brainwashing, I have stressed, and Mark understands, that this isn't something you go around talking about in public and that you keep your opinions, whatever they are, to yourself in polite company. I would feel guilty if the last three years had turned out otherwise, however, I think my political analogy has been pretty accurate.
In any case, if you watch "The Lion King" using it as a metaphor for our current predicament, I think you'll see how uncannily it parallels what has been brought on this country.
CF Rebel |
