Movie Quote Friday

Today I'm going to talk about one of my favorite movies of all time - The American President starring Michael Douglas and Annette Bening. I loved the romance and yes, I love political based dramas.

I actually enjoy the theory of politics immensely but I don't discuss those feelings on this blog...to much controversy. However, yesterday I was talking to my mom about being open-minded. We discussed the fact that if you are TRULY open-minded...you must be able to see things from another persons eyes and it reminded me about one of my favorite quotes which comes from this movie.

See for yourself...

For the record: yes, I am a card-carrying member of the ACLU. But the more important question is why aren't you, Bob? Now, this is an organization whose sole purpose is to defend the Bill of Rights, so it naturally begs the question: Why would a senator, his party's most powerful spokesman and a candidate for President, choose to reject upholding the Constitution? If you can answer that question, folks, then you're smarter than I am, because I didn't understand it until a few hours ago.

America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country can't just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then, you can stand up and sing about the "land of the free".

I honestly am not posting this regarding anything political...only as an example about how everyone has an opinion and  that opinion deserves the exact same respect as another opinion--whether you agree with it or not.

Everyday my teenage daughter comes home with some new complaint or theory and just knows I am a terrible person. Anyone with a teenager knows how this feels. Every day, I stop her and say "put yourself in their shoes." Every day she says "it's not the same thing Mom." Then, before I do something rash, like oh, I don't know...rocket her to the moon, I stop and put myself in her shoes...remembering what it was like to be a teenager. Back when I was always right and everyone else was always wrong.

Now...if you ask her, she'll tell you she's the most open-minded person alive. And to her credit, she is. As long as it fits her unique views.

Yes, as much as this post is about being open-minded, it's also a way for me to complain about my teenager...who I love with all my heart and soul but...sometimes. :)