Life of Pride
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Last night I used up my last summer longings for freedom. I skipped TKD class because I was slightly sick and didn't want to make myself worse by overexertion. Instead, I drove to the mall in order to go to Bath & Body Works and a sports store. I bought myself new, shiny, green & silver sneakers. I like them a lot! I can feel the spring as I walk, unlike with my old, run-down pair.
Then I drove to the movie theatre to use up the free movie ticket I had earned on my MVP movie value card. I wanted to see The Island, but the show was not until 10:20pm. I got my ticket, and then headed back up the road the theatre is on, through the little homey town that houses a number of my favorite stores (our equivalent, in appearance, to downtown Leesburg, though less pretty), and down, down, down, past the Headquarters branch of the St. Louis library, to the new Starbucks with the cushy chairs. I bought a green tea with lemonade, sat in one of the cushy chairs, and finished reading The Great Gatsby just in time to drive back the six miles or so to the movie theatre. :)
I liked The Island, though not enough to buy it for my own personal collection. It is a good story, but not a great story - not deep, like Gattaca. Acting was excellent. Action scenes, unfortunately, occasionally stretched the realm of the plausible, and undercut the "value of human life" theme displayed in the rest of the movie by causing explosions and crashes that undoubtedly killed many innocent bystanders. There were occasional "God-phrases" tossed in - one negative ("You know when you want something and you wish for it really hard? He's the guy who ignores you.") and two neutral or positive. The major thrust is evolutionary/humanist, with "human curiosity" and "human will to survive" being the most positive traits espoused. For this reason, the philosophical unity of the movie is disturbed. We care for these two very attractive and likable blond people and don't want them to be killed, but we're not given any solid reason for our natural feeling. The client's reaction to his clone thus seems just as logical and morally neutral as the clones' desire not to be "sent to the Island."
The main problem with this movie is that in getting as many things right as it does, it misses the point entirely. We in America are not dealing with a hypothetical future cloning issue. The future is now! There is no difference between the callousness displayed for clones in this movie and the current situation with abortion. The parallels were so obvious to me. Never once in the movie did they bring up the question: "At what point does the 'thing' in the artificial womb become a human life?" The clones are all unquestionably human, from beginning to end. In the scene where they slice open the sacs, everyone watching in the theatre knows the people on the screen are murdering.
If you watch the movie or have watched it, think of it all the way through with this parallel in mind. The clones are babies too, only in adult bodies. They are innocent and lost, in a world in which nobody gives them half a thought, except to kill them. Think of the babies even now tossed into dumpsters behind abortion clinics. Embryos, harvested for stem cells. The future is now.
Then I drove to the movie theatre to use up the free movie ticket I had earned on my MVP movie value card. I wanted to see The Island, but the show was not until 10:20pm. I got my ticket, and then headed back up the road the theatre is on, through the little homey town that houses a number of my favorite stores (our equivalent, in appearance, to downtown Leesburg, though less pretty), and down, down, down, past the Headquarters branch of the St. Louis library, to the new Starbucks with the cushy chairs. I bought a green tea with lemonade, sat in one of the cushy chairs, and finished reading The Great Gatsby just in time to drive back the six miles or so to the movie theatre. :)
I liked The Island, though not enough to buy it for my own personal collection. It is a good story, but not a great story - not deep, like Gattaca. Acting was excellent. Action scenes, unfortunately, occasionally stretched the realm of the plausible, and undercut the "value of human life" theme displayed in the rest of the movie by causing explosions and crashes that undoubtedly killed many innocent bystanders. There were occasional "God-phrases" tossed in - one negative ("You know when you want something and you wish for it really hard? He's the guy who ignores you.") and two neutral or positive. The major thrust is evolutionary/humanist, with "human curiosity" and "human will to survive" being the most positive traits espoused. For this reason, the philosophical unity of the movie is disturbed. We care for these two very attractive and likable blond people and don't want them to be killed, but we're not given any solid reason for our natural feeling. The client's reaction to his clone thus seems just as logical and morally neutral as the clones' desire not to be "sent to the Island."
The main problem with this movie is that in getting as many things right as it does, it misses the point entirely. We in America are not dealing with a hypothetical future cloning issue. The future is now! There is no difference between the callousness displayed for clones in this movie and the current situation with abortion. The parallels were so obvious to me. Never once in the movie did they bring up the question: "At what point does the 'thing' in the artificial womb become a human life?" The clones are all unquestionably human, from beginning to end. In the scene where they slice open the sacs, everyone watching in the theatre knows the people on the screen are murdering.
If you watch the movie or have watched it, think of it all the way through with this parallel in mind. The clones are babies too, only in adult bodies. They are innocent and lost, in a world in which nobody gives them half a thought, except to kill them. Think of the babies even now tossed into dumpsters behind abortion clinics. Embryos, harvested for stem cells. The future is now.
Comments:
Thank you for your lengthy comment. No, I have never read that particular Manga, though I am unsurprised to hear that POV coming from a Manga. The Asian countries look at many things very differently than we do, because Western countries in general share a common Christian tradition that the East does not.
Of course, I have heard all that you are saying about abortion many times before. These are all things that most people I know assume as background for any discussion about abortion. Such assumptions of knowledge would probably cause problems if I was talking to most people, but I was also assuming my audience. :)
You are right. It is all about perceptions and priorities. People don't care if they are murdering or not, frankly, so long as it's convenient for them. Personally, I think the caution should go the other way. So long as there is doubt about the start of humanity, we should not tamper with it. Better to search down other pathways for Alzheimer's and leukemia cures than possibly to murder millions.
Better, for that matter, to live a short, poor, ugly life as a Christian than to be a gorgeous, wealthy, 90-year-old atheist.
Of course, I have heard all that you are saying about abortion many times before. These are all things that most people I know assume as background for any discussion about abortion. Such assumptions of knowledge would probably cause problems if I was talking to most people, but I was also assuming my audience. :)
You are right. It is all about perceptions and priorities. People don't care if they are murdering or not, frankly, so long as it's convenient for them. Personally, I think the caution should go the other way. So long as there is doubt about the start of humanity, we should not tamper with it. Better to search down other pathways for Alzheimer's and leukemia cures than possibly to murder millions.
Better, for that matter, to live a short, poor, ugly life as a Christian than to be a gorgeous, wealthy, 90-year-old atheist.
"nothing based in fact or reality..." Do you believe that, or are you stating it from their point of view?
Hi Sarah,
My name is Carrie and I'm Jonathan Brownell's wife. I found your site through a comment on Brooks Lampe's blog and followed the links. I rather enjoyed your blog (and found NATHAN's comments) and told Jonathan about it (and asked if you two were "the ones" and walla -- you are! Small blog world.
You can find US at www.anneofgreengbles1.blogspot.com
BTW, do you know Kristin Henderson?
CB
My name is Carrie and I'm Jonathan Brownell's wife. I found your site through a comment on Brooks Lampe's blog and followed the links. I rather enjoyed your blog (and found NATHAN's comments) and told Jonathan about it (and asked if you two were "the ones" and walla -- you are! Small blog world.
You can find US at www.anneofgreengbles1.blogspot.com
BTW, do you know Kristin Henderson?
CB
Carrie, good to "meet" you on Sarah's blog. :-) I know Kristin Henderson! :-) She's a great friend of mine.
Interesting post, I'll have to see the movie.
Hi Sarah, I found your blog from Carrie's blog. I'm Kristin Hendersons's little brother. It's neat to see some PHC blogs after hearing so much about it.
I've been trying to get Kristin to blog for about a year. Heh, email her and tell her to blog. ;)
Hi Sarah, I found your blog from Carrie's blog. I'm Kristin Hendersons's little brother. It's neat to see some PHC blogs after hearing so much about it.
I've been trying to get Kristin to blog for about a year. Heh, email her and tell her to blog. ;)
I am just amazed at what a small world this is indeed. First, to have Jon B.'s wife wander in when I didn't even know he was married...! heehee! And then to have other people who know people whom Carrie knows... This doesn't happen very often, but I like it. :)
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