Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Primal Man v. Civilized Man

This video may not last long according to the individual who uploaded it.  It is a great dramatic scene that illustrates a conflict that has to be resolved in the heat of the moment.  There are no guides, except conscience, which is symbolized in the character played by Ronny Cox. The primal man- with no conscience- is depicted by Burt Reynolds.  The man who is symbolic of the conflict itself- as the conflict between morality and primal urges as they rage inside himself- is played by Jon Voight.

I thought the conflict was applicable to our current political situation.  You, I, and everyone living may be required to make some fundamental decision about your future.  That future may depend on how you deal with morality and the primal forces that morality has to deal with.  In this scene, primal forces win.  Civilization loses, but nobody but the men involved know about it.  The audience is allowed to peer inside the event from the detached view of the screen.  We are not in it.  But that won't be the case in real life.  In real life, you have to make decisions like this one.  We are confronted by such a choice now. Will civilization win, or will primal forces win out?  So far, real life has proceeded as in the movie.

Not very encouraging.

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