I remember watching The Running Man with Arnold Schwarzenegger about a reality show where folks had to fight “bad” super heroes to the death. I also remember thinking, this could never happen. We’d never become a society where that was allowed.
Then came the Hunger Games. (When I first asked my youngest daughter if she’d read it, she thought it was a diet book). Don’t ever tell her I told.
Anyway, my husband and I, my daughter and her husband went to see the movie Saturday night. Again, I made the comment about the direction of our society. And I admitted I didn’t think we’d ever get to this point.
Her comment? Society has already been at this point, Mom. The coliseums. People watching. People dying. People laughing as other humans fought to the death. She brought it to my attention that we don’t have to wait to reach that point; as a grand society, man has already been there.
Okay, so I can’t tease her anymore about that “diet book.” She had her finger on the pulse of the inhumanity while I was still laughing over her naiveté. She wasn’t, after all, the naïve one.
I was.
12 comments:
That is one of the reasons why people ignore the lessons of history. People may see things today that indicate we're headed in the same direction as some society in the past, but people always say, "we'll never get there; we're better than that; we'll never let that happen," not realizing the slippery slope the world is on.
OH, Tim, I couldn't agree more. I remember a "religious nut" teacher I had in 8th grade, or so I thought, and he predicted the US heading down the same road as Rome, and we all laughed at him. Said he was an alarmist, etc. (wish I could see him and apologize today). He was so spot on. How can any intelligent person look around us and not see what is happening? So frightening. I just pray those we've "raised up" in what we hope is a strong foundation, will be able to be leaders to a dying world. Sanity to beliefs gone crazy.
Linda, in answer to your question above, I've long considered that many otherwise intelligent people have succumbed to the snare of human blinders. By that word picture, I'm referring to the blinders that old-time farmers and modern jockeys place on their horses. The pupil of a horse's eye isn't round like a human's; it's a horizontal oval. Those eyes were created to have terrific peripheral vision. So, to keep them focused only what is directly in front of them, owners sometimes place blinders around the outside of their eyes. In a similar way, humans have allowed their vision to become narrowed by their own interests. Such an interest can be the pursuit of money, the pursuit of a spouse, the trap of pornography, a hobby, or almost anything that appeals. So many people seem to have self-created tunnel vision that they can no long see the big picture transpiring all around them. No wonder the apostle Paul advised Christians to "walk circumspectly" (looking around) in this world.
Thanks for the thoughtful post, Linda. May the odds ever be in your favor. ;)
May the odds.....
will forevermore cause a ripple of terror to spiral down my spine. yikes! I never knew that about horses, always wondered why the blinders. Didn't realize they had such amazing vision. We could learn from them...
That's why Jesus refused to give the crowds what they wanted--the free "bread and circuses" Rome offered (precisely the same phrase the Hunger Games author uses to name her society). Instead, He told them he was the bread of life--if they took what he offered, they'd live; if they chased the other kind, it was death. People didn't get it then; they don't get it now. But I do believe this younger generation is wiser than we think or know. I have a great deal of hope that they can reach their own in ways we don't even understand. Your daughter will be in the front lines!
The eye thing is interesting. A further note on it, animals that are predators have their eyes in front and animals that are preyed upon have their eyes on the side to watch for danger. You wouldn't think something as big as a horse would be in the 'preyed upon' category, but it is. But consider for a moment where OUR eyes are located. Can you say predator?
Maybe a large portion of our citizens today should have their eyes on the side!
Great post and comments this morning. "Hunger" is such a multi-faceted word. Hopefully through inspirational fiction, readers will "taste and see" that the Lord is good.
Have you seen this?
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/human_nature/2012/03/after_birth_abortion_the_pro_choice_case_for_infanticide_.html
I think that books like Hunger Games are important- a reminder of how easily society can slide into a barbaric future. Hopefully our kids will read, and be warned.
I read all three Hunger Games books, plus saw the movie, all within the span of roughly a week. I felt that the society portrayed was a Godless society. I've also seen it described as a dystopian(sp?) society - opposite of Utopia. I blogged about both the series and the movie:
http://ceceliadowdy.blogspot.com/search?q=hunger+games
When The Hunger Games first came to my attention, after our daughter had read the trilogy, I was aghast. I mean, come on. These are children. And they're killing children!
Not having the time to read this series, I decided to get the teenager's take on it. I asked for her thoughts. And boy did she give me some whoppers! And honestly, I was proud.
Her answer?
"This is what could happen when a government is out of control - WITH too much control" was her answer in a nutshell.
Yep. Wiser than her years. Somehow, there had been moments in her glassy-eyed stare during lectures, she had been listening.
And learning.
Hello! This is interesting. I will share this and pretty sure they will have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!
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