about 50 years ago the extension department of harding college produced this mid-length cartoon as part of a series of films. the purpose of the series was to help to illustrate to, and create a deeper understanding with, the general public of what made america the finest place in the world to live.
in this film, "make mine freedom", we go from the opening lines acknowledgement that 'america is many things to many people' to the listing of several of our guaranteed freedoms to the statement that "it is these freedoms that have made america strong, to the disagreement between management and labor, politicians and regular folk. same old same old, eh?
enter dr. utopia's sensational new discovery "ism". the answer to all the problems. how prophetic a cartoon this is. how sad that it is so prophetic and that we americans didn't fight against this tide harder. too bad so many signed the "itty bitty scrap of paper" without the permission of the rest of us and we did nothing.
no, our system of free enterprise wasn't perfect, but it sure served us well for a good many years. it made not only our industry but our educational system the envy of the world! can you imagine anyone envying our education system today?
john q. public was right when he said "anyone who preaches disunity; tries to pit one of us against the other through class warfare, race hatred or religious intolerence you know that person seeks to rob us of our freedom and destroy our very lives." this is exactly what has happened over the course of the last 40 years.
especially in the last presidential election. no matter where you look or who you listen to in the msm all you hear is the obamantra of "everything is fine. everything is fine." fine for who? not fine for me, and i'm betting not fine for you either.
we used to know what to do about those who would rob us of our freedom and destroy our country. i wonder do we still? i wonder is it too late to chase the usurpers out of town?
I'm still trying to wrap my brain around a bunch of college kids making something like this.. ..THOSE were the days.
I'd like to take that tall skinny guy with the flat hat on and kick him to the moon, once and for all. Is that city in the background CHICAGO, per chance?
I think it IS too late, those 'usurpers' are now Americans who don't understand what they're doing.
We have to show them how they're wrong..We have to be a bridge back to AMERICA (heh)..
great find, HA..thanks.
Posted by: Z | Sunday, 21 June 2009 at 22:30
I'm not sure e're currently fighting an -ism so much as some -ties. We're trading our freedoms for "financial" safety and equality.
Posted by: FJ | Monday, 22 June 2009 at 11:46
"we used to know what to do about those who would rob us of our freedom and destroy our country. i wonder do we still? i wonder is it too late to chase the usurpers out of town?"
We used to have fortitude, but I don't think we as a folk have that same grit any more. We have suffered generations of deprivation. We have been deprived of "need". Our forefathers have made such a safe haven for us here that we have not suffered enough lately to remind us that we must be vigilant, self-reliant, resilient and boisterous. Because of that we've slumped into mediocrity. Political correctness has stolen our voice, leaving us unable to amply cry out expressing our anger. Decades of government subsidies have stolen our ability to stand unmitigated upon our own two feet, point our defiant face into the buffeting winds of adversity and prevail.
So to answer your queries... Is it too late? Probably not. Will we? Probably not... And more's the pity for it.
Posted by: G-Man | Tuesday, 23 June 2009 at 12:32
FJ..good way to put it!
G-Man...."WILL WE?" Don't count us out yet!
Not much to add to your excellent comments...
Except we need to have an honest media again, too..if we're EVER going to get the American people thinking, get the TRUTH out.
Posted by: Z | Wednesday, 24 June 2009 at 10:45
z, you are so right - i don't think there are many college kids that could create something of this caliber. actually i can't conceive of many who would care.
Posted by: heidianne jackson | Thursday, 25 June 2009 at 09:21
boy, you've said a mouthful fj- but i'd put the " " around "safety" and "equality"...
Posted by: heidianne jackson | Thursday, 25 June 2009 at 09:23
g-man! so glad to see you here!!! you have said so eloquently what people need to recognize. thanks!
Posted by: heidianne jackson | Thursday, 25 June 2009 at 09:26
z - it's all about getting people to THE BRIDGE that will allow us to close the gap on these things. don't count us out, indeed!
Posted by: heidianne jackson | Thursday, 25 June 2009 at 09:28