We checked out Harry Potter and Order of the Phoenix over this last weekend (wife and daughter saw it in theatres but I missed out) and I really liked it a lot.  I could wax poetic on how the special effects were great, the acting was definitely top-notch, and the story line seemed appropriate for the situations presented, but mainly what I got out of the movie was a happy, pleasant feeling.

I felt warm all over.

In fact, it was indeed a bit tingly.

I’ve finally watched a successful movie targeted at kids and WASN’T made sick by political agendas.

That’s right,

WARNING: the rest of this has some spoilers in it, so if you haven’t seen it, you might want to click away.

SPOILER ALERT!

Ok, now that I’m done with that spoiler alert part, I have to say how refreshing it is to have some common sense in kids movies every once in a while.  In the movie, Harry defends himself against a vicious attack by the Dementors with his magic wand (a “terrible WMD: weapon of magical destruction”) and then faces charges because he did so in the presence of a muggle.  The whole courtroom, Ministry of Magic, the new character Umbridge, and the incredibly pompous and liberal attitude of those in charge boiled my blood and for the screenplay writers to actually write in and display how ludicrous it all seems when faced with a dangerous situation deserves my sincere applause.

*applause*

When I asked my 13 yr old daughter how she felt about the court proceedings and how Harry was being persecuted for his actions, she agreed that he did what he had to do to protect himself.  It seemed common sense.  And she even got a little mad that the Minister moved the hearing up 3 hours in the attempt to make Dumbledore miss it - YEA AGAIN for the writers!  And who didn’t love Dumbledore’s response?

Dumbledore: Witness for the defense, Albus Percival Wulfric…Brian…Dumbledore.
Fudge: You, you got our message that the time and place of the hearing had been changed, did you?
Dumbledore: I must have missed it. But by a happy mistake I arrived at the Ministry three hours early.

Heh, “happy mistake”.

I did a little googling to see how many others caught this parallel between the script and gun control ideology and there are plenty.  Maybe this world isn’t going to hell in a handbasket after all - at least, as long as us gun-toting freedom lovers keep some common sense around.

If you’re wondering where I sit on the gun control debate, you can take a look at my bumper sticker collection

Seen on the Ford F150 in front of me –

I’d rather HUNT quail with Dick Cheney,
than CROSS a BRIDGE with Ted Kennedy.

Amen, brother.

It’s not really a bumper sticker but rather, emblazoned in huge white letters across the back window.

On my drive to work recently, I noticed some bumper stickers on the car in front of me.  I do this a lot - let my eyes wander here and there at my neighboring cars, bulletin board changes, new businesses that might have popped up recently, etc.

At first I noticed that the color scheme of the stickers was red/white/blue, well before I could read the text.  Those colors generally put me in a good mood.

The sticker on the left turned out to be

I don’t have to like Bush
to love my Country

And so I think to myself… “another hater”.  I truly don’t understand the extreme vitriol and hatred so many people have.  I mean, I can understand a little, and maybe even respect, someone protesting, or disagreeing with any current administration.  But there are just so many people who just… plain… HATE the man.  I just don’t understand it! 

I think it comes down to the fact that the hatred is initiated.  I mean, it’s one thing to ask someone a question, and then they give you an opinion.  Or maybe you ask them a question, and then the hate pours out.  But with Bush Haters, you don’t even ask.  They don’t wait.  They stick it in your face as much as possible.  They go out of their way to do blog entries, initiate conversations and then they spread the hate and fear with bumper stickers for 24-7 hatred.  I think they like hating things.  I think they’re so far removed from their emotions and actually performing services for themselves and the community that their simple act of hate gives them a sense of accomplishment they cannot achieve for themselves with normal means.

So I look to the other side of the car for the other bumper sticker and it says 

An Eye for an Eye
makes the whole world blind

Whoa.  On the face of it, it’s a cute, pithy remark that makes a witty point but as I think about it more, it truly describes the way liberals see the world.  I believe it’s originally a quote from Gandhi, but in general, it shows how liberals don’t want to punish criminals.  Instead, they want to understand them.  And give them another chance.  And another.  And yet another.  And blame anyone or anything but the criminal for what they did.  They’d rather put responsibility and accountability on someone else’s shoulders, like the government, upbringing, social pressures, etc.  And when you complain that criminals should be punished, they bring up accusations of intolerance. 

For one, an “eye for an eye” won’t make the whole world blind.  It’ll make all the criminals blind, as retribution for making the victims blind.  And to me, if I knew I was going to lose an eye if I took someone else’s eye out, I’d think more than twice about taking someone’s eye out.  Wouldn’t you?  So it seems to me that the criminals get their comeuppins, and then the number of criminals diminish over time. 

And some of them want to indoctrinate early

So I’m going to come up with some of my own pithy sayings.

• People who can’t… hate those who can.
• Think before you hate!
• Disagreement != hatred