Movie Reviews from the Dark

Note: this is quite a detour from the movie commentary one normally finds on this site.  Recent personal experiences and observations provided the motivation to veer from the typical content.

 Rural America is often fodder for entertainment writers.  The best, such as Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, provide such clear insight that we find ourselves connected to the characters and believe we understand the fabric of the community.  “The Andy Griffith Show” ran for more than a decade, stressing the humanity, humor and nuances of small town life.  Movies such as Deliverance, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Children of the Corn offer a glimpse into the dark side of those who are shut off from mainstream society.  The results, though often exaggerated by Hollywood, are often quite grisly.

My son recently lost his campaign bid to become District Attorney in a rural Texas community.  This is not a rant about his loss … it was a close race … but rather some observations about the wide chasm that exists with the citizenry, and why “community” is a misnomer when describing this area.  While our largest cities are celebrated for their convergence of varying cultures and multitudes of special interest groups, small towns thrive only if the community strives to keep up with the times, and not remain isolated from societal advancements.  To paraphrase … No Town Left Behind.

There are plenty of colorful debates to be had on whether a District Attorney, or even a Judge, should be a populace-elected position.  At the core, these are positions designed to uphold the existing laws, not draft or amend.  Logically, the optimal choice would be the best qualified candidate, not necessarily the best known.

Logic, objectivity and reasonableness seem to be the factors that divide this particular rural community.  There is certainly the group that pays attention to things such as experience, personality, endorsements, campaign platform and overall approach and vision.  This is the group that consists of individuals with whom most of us would enjoy conversing, even debating issues of substance.  Unfortunately, this group doesn’t make for interesting observatory writing.

 The “other” group is the one that so fascinates me.  What matters to these people, and why? Above all else, “one of us” is the top priority in selecting a candidate.  This was most evidenced in the State Representative race which had four candidates.  The local candidate dominated voting in this, his home county.  After all, he is “one of us” … as is his dad and his dad’s dad.  Despite his local landslide, this candidate received almost no support in the sixteen other counties that comprise this district, and did not qualify for the run-off.

What’s next on this community’s priority list?  Try church membership. Forget what you think you know about separation of church and state.  The strongest campaigning and political fundraising occurs within the church. This unspoken sphere of political influence could be exposed with minimal effort, and the sham of tax-free status would be gone for the offending church. How strong is the church bond?  When a local woman was arrested for murdering an infant by violent shaking, her fellow church members came out in mass support during the trial claiming she was a “good Christian woman”, and attended church regularly.  Of course, the jury also included some of her church members.  Do you think those jurors were strong enough to stand up to that almighty peer pressure?  Hardly.

 Surely experience and campaign issues are up next, right?  Stop thinking logically.  Next up would be marital status and procreation success.  In this area, you dare not be over age 18 and still single, lest the whispers begin about your sexual preference.  Unmarried translates into some type of character flaw to this side of the chasm. It matters not if you spent 7 frivolous years in college and law school.  The winning candidate in the DA race actually ran with his family as his campaign platform … well that, and a Dr. Seuss quote.  His obedient wife (by his side, one step behind) and four daughters were on public display and all the evidence many needed to determine he was worthy of a vote.  This despite his quoted importance of offering “a helping hand” to criminals who sometimes make a mistake.  Oh, I failed to mention that this is a FELONY-only DA position.   Second chances are fine for those with speeding tickets, but how many of us are in favor of lending “a helping hand” to those who sexually molest our child or murder our brother?

This area is filled with tough, strong people.  People who have survived tough times caused by the collapsed economy, the wrath of Mother Nature, the loss of farming and ranching income, and just an overall “land that time forgot” feeling.   Some in the area have found success by selling oil and mineral rights to their land.  Others manage to scrape out a living one way or another … or even multiple ways.  There is a group that has managed to maintain an ability to think and make mature decisions, while this other side wallows in closed-mindedness and refuses to consider any hint of progress. Drugs, especially Meth, have created an economy of their own. Luckily for those dealers, “a helping hand” is on the way.  It appears some small towns actually vote to be left behind … as long as it’s with one of their own.