Ideas, Ideas, Ideas--- and a review of the movie "Crash"

I've just come back from a month-long vacation, split between England and France, and participated in all sorts of things, from an Earthwatch environmental program to chilling in France speaking only French for 2 weeks. The bottom line is that this summer has really opened my eyes up to what my oldest brother has been talking about for a while: the free flow of ideas.

The basic idea is this: in order for the world to become more in touch with itself, and the people of affluent nations to be in touch with the situations and cultures beyond their own, we have to allow for the free flow of ideas.

Democracy isn't enough, though it definitely helps. For an example, the real reason racist stereotypes exist is because those who believe them haven't been exposed to many people of different cultures. They see one or two and base their judgements about the rest of the people from those cultures on what they see from those individuals. However, if they lived in a very multicultural society, where they would be often exposed to people of many different backgrounds and with different frames of mind, they see beyond stereotypes and learn to view people of different skin colors, faiths, and ideas as simply different from themselves, and nothing more. I like to think that people are people, no matter who they are, what they do, where they're from, or how much money they have. All that really matters to me is if they're interesting, and fun to be around. Personality over labels.

On a related subject... Coming through England on my way back to the States, I saw the new movie Crash, about peoples' lives in Los Angeles colliding both figuratively--that is, intertwining--, and a literal car crash. The style is reminiscent of Pulp Fiction, or even Memento, as it begins at the end and the flashes back to the day before, can constantly flipping back and forth between each set of characters. One of the opening scenes introduces the movie's main issue of racism in its purest, black-and-white form, literally, with two black characters discussing stereotypes. The characters point out that because they are the only two black people among a sea of white faces, a white woman becomes uncomfortable as she and her husband pass by, because of the criminal stereotype of black people. From there, though, the concept is expanded to all backgrounds, even touching upon the mis-labeling of some people. At one point, a Middle Eastern family's store is ransacked and slandered with anti-Arab graffiti, and the father asks why 'they' make no distinction between Arab and what they are, which is Persian. I won't go much more into detail, for fear of ruining too much of the content and plot, but I do give this movie a very high rating, say, 5 stars and two thumbs up, ebert and roeper style. Though be forewarned that it will make you cry at some points... it has a good deal of emotional drama in it.

That's all from me this time, I believe... peace.