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6. February 9, 2001 The PatriotTwo nights ago, I rented a video. The Patriot is a historical fiction set in the
American Revolution, loosely based on the real-life character Francis Marion
a.k.a. "The Swamp Fox." This
drama, punctuated with gruesome violence, brings to life to the conflict of
values felt by peace loving people, confronted by a brutal oppressor.
Watching this movie provided my final call to action against violence,
and inspired the creation of Your1voice. The link below is outside Your1voice.com. Use the back button on your browser to return to Your1voice after viewing these links. The
Patriot, film synopsis: cinephiles.net In the film, Mel Gibson, portrays Benjamin Martin a father,
who faces choices he doesn’t want to make.
The film delivers many powerful thematic messages, but like other works of
historical fiction, it twists facts to suit its storyline. I was literally shaking after watching The Patriot from the combination of graphic violence and the themes contained in the film. I’m not advocating that you go out and rent this video. I allowed my (almost) 16-year-old son to watch with me, but after a couple of bloody scenes, he walked out of the room. The video ended at 10:45 pm. I was tired after a long day, but I couldn’t sleep.
My pulse and my mind were both racing after the movie.
I was left thinking; I’m so blessed, not to have been faced with going
to war myself. I’m in my early
40’s. I was too young for Vietnam, and too old for Desert Storm in the Persian
Gulf. The draft for Vietnam ended a
couple of years before I turned 18. I
have two sons. I pray they never have to face war. One of the messages in the film that pushed me to action
was the choice faced by Benjamin Martin. He
was a widower, and father of seven children.
Having seen bloody conflict first hand, as the “hero of Fort
Wilderness” in the French-Indian war, Martin advocates using every means to
resolve differences with Britain to avoid war.
Martin refuses to fight until the English army, reaches his farm and
shatters his family. Through the
remainder of the film, Martin blames his own inaction for the loss of his sons
at the hands of the British. I will not be silent any longer. My voice will be heard, and I will find strength in the voices of others, who like me will not quietly accept the destructive influence of violence in America. The next day, February 10, I registered the domain Your1voice.com. Since then, the concept has grown to a non-profit corporation advocating for peace, life and responsible citizenship by applying market pressure. Please join Your1voice, and make a difference today. Click "Up" to go back to the list of six
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Your1voiceSM is a service mark of
Your1voice, a non-profit organization incorporated in the state of Rhode Island,
USA This page was last updated March 31, 2001 Web site created and maintained by www.CoolSpark.com |
