“How many bullets are left, Chino? Enough for you? And you? All of you! You all killed him. And my brother. And Riff. Not with bullets and guns. With hate! Well, l can kill too, because now l have hate! How many can l kill, Chino? How many, and still have one bullet left for me?”
I was thinking of the final scene from West Side Story today because Arthur Laurents (the man who wrote the book) passed away yesterday. This is probably one of the most famous scenes from any American musical, and one of the most quoted - often in jest. I mean, seriously, who can resist? "How many bullets are left, Chino?" I certainly can't ... but anyways ...
Maria (actually Laurents) makes some really good points though. Tony and Maria couldn’t make their love work out not because of their personal differences or normal relationship boo-honky, but because of prejudice, hate, and violence. I could be wrong but I don’t think they are the only two people who’s lives have been affected by those three things.
Sadly, I think those three things are hallmarks of American culture, and they've become exceptionally pervasive in the last year and a half. It’s not good folks. Not good at all. I’ve been thinking about this a lot in light of the national reaction to Osama bin Laden’s death (didn’t think that’s where this was going, did you?).
Dr. King once said, “Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him.” I’m not saying that bin Laden should not have died, I think it unrealistic to think that he could have been captured and rehabilitated, but reveling in the violence of his death does nothing to heal the soul and it won't bring anyone back. We have all been hurt by this individual’s actions, but one of the worst injuries of all is the amount of hate that has filled people’s hearts and minds ever since. Sure the nation has been unified of sorts, but there has to be a better way to bring folks together.
We will never know how the 21st century would have unfolded without 9/11 and the subsequent military actions. But we can chose to not let one individual’s prejudice, hate, and violence teach us to hate and kill. That is a sad and awful legacy - one that is not worthy of the men, women, and children who have lost their lives because of bin Laden’s darkness.
Stick with love, my friends, because as Dr. King also said, “Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
Peace, Peeps.
Speak Up and Speak Out.
also enjoy the fun subtitles ...
I was thinking of the final scene from West Side Story today because Arthur Laurents (the man who wrote the book) passed away yesterday. This is probably one of the most famous scenes from any American musical, and one of the most quoted - often in jest. I mean, seriously, who can resist? "How many bullets are left, Chino?" I certainly can't ... but anyways ...
Maria (actually Laurents) makes some really good points though. Tony and Maria couldn’t make their love work out not because of their personal differences or normal relationship boo-honky, but because of prejudice, hate, and violence. I could be wrong but I don’t think they are the only two people who’s lives have been affected by those three things.
Sadly, I think those three things are hallmarks of American culture, and they've become exceptionally pervasive in the last year and a half. It’s not good folks. Not good at all. I’ve been thinking about this a lot in light of the national reaction to Osama bin Laden’s death (didn’t think that’s where this was going, did you?).
Dr. King once said, “Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him.” I’m not saying that bin Laden should not have died, I think it unrealistic to think that he could have been captured and rehabilitated, but reveling in the violence of his death does nothing to heal the soul and it won't bring anyone back. We have all been hurt by this individual’s actions, but one of the worst injuries of all is the amount of hate that has filled people’s hearts and minds ever since. Sure the nation has been unified of sorts, but there has to be a better way to bring folks together.
We will never know how the 21st century would have unfolded without 9/11 and the subsequent military actions. But we can chose to not let one individual’s prejudice, hate, and violence teach us to hate and kill. That is a sad and awful legacy - one that is not worthy of the men, women, and children who have lost their lives because of bin Laden’s darkness.
Stick with love, my friends, because as Dr. King also said, “Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
Peace, Peeps.
Speak Up and Speak Out.
also enjoy the fun subtitles ...
