Symbols Of Obscurity

So I was at my job and was a little bored and I was watching one of my fave movies "V for Vendetta" and I never realized how much of an impact this film has the potential to make on people when they really look at it and pay attention to the obscured symbols behind it.

Some of the quotes in there film were so impacting and thoughtful. "People shouldn't be afraid of their government; the government should be afraid of its people." "Blowing up a building is a symbol." Just those two quotes, although they aren't the exact quotes from the movie (lol) made me truly think about this year's presidential election and then some.

September 11, 2001: I'm sure we all remember that day, at least I do. The Twin Towers and the Pentagon were attacked by terrorists. In the film "V for Vendetta" the saying went "Remember remember the 5th of November...". It was on that day that a man tried to blow up Parliament. In the film the main character V later acomplished that goal. But anyway, the question was not why did this attack happen, but rather what did this attack symbolize. True, blowing up a building does not really accomplish much when it is just looked on the surface as an action and only an action. However, with enough people that action can become a life-changing symbol and that's just what the attacks on 9/11 did. The attack became a symbol for the American people. It became a symbol of unity. It was on that day that color, race, religion, gender and sexuality no longer mattered. All that mattered was that each one of us held hands and prayed together for our loss and that we all came together and stood as one people.

November 4, 2008: Well, that day is just around the corner and by now we all know what this year's presidential election is a symbol of - CHANGE!!!! When JFK was in office, there was a moment when he said that there was no reason why a black man should not be able to obtain the same position that he was in. I believe he knew what he was talking about. Here we are not with a black man running for President and he has a great potential to win. There should not be a reason why his color should even be a factor in him going into office. But his color and the fact that he is running is- like the other examples above- a symbol that can often be obscured by surface circumstances. He is the change that the Black race has been praying for. He is the symbol of opportunity that MLK, Harriet Tubman, Malcolm X, and even JFK had fought for. Why wouldn't we as Blacks go out and vote? This is too important. This is the one chance that we as a people have a positive African American male to look at and see that change has come. He is a symbol that is speaking out to America saying YES WE CAN!!!!

Don't let weather, tv shows, classes, or a job stop you from voting in this election. We have come so far as a people and still have such a long way to go. Don't let the journey toward change stop here. Get out there and VOTE!!!!!

Inspired by: "V for Vendetta"