Reflections on a Recent Hickory Tragedy

As August came to an end this year, so did the lives of two families here in Hickory.  Only one person was killed but many lives were tragically changed in a vehicle accident involving two 17-year old boys.  The police have determined the boys were driving at high speed, well above the speed limit, both apparently intoxicated with alcohol, neither supposedly wearing seat belts, and both drinking from open containers.  The car hit a curb, spun out of control, turned over several times and one of the boys was killed.

The accident brings thoughts to my own mind of a movie, ironically named "Begin Again",  that I recently saw in the Footcandle Film Society, also in Hickory.  The "hidden message" of that movie was that Real Men, can Smoke cigarettes, shout profanity constantly, Drive fast and Drink.  And they can do ALL of these things at the same time.  And all the good people love them.  Men like this become hypnotic beings!

I can't help but wonder if either of those two boys saw "Begin Again", and realize in the same thought that it really doesn't matter because those concepts are perhaps being woven into the fabric of many of our young men by other stories and perhaps songs, and now have become part of the process of achieving Manhood.

I ended that comment  by writing:  " . . . we don’t know what . . . else we could possibly do.  And I really don’t either.  That’s why I am writing this.  Can anybody help?

Anybody got some good ideas?" 

http://thecelebration.blogspot.com/2014/08/hidden-messages-buried-in-new-movies.html