SHEsaysWITHaSMILE.blogspot.com

Because of Winn-Dixie... by (me!) sandra, tvgp

part II

***

when I searched my own memory  -no online research, I would describe my memories of because of winn dixie as follows..

a young gregarious girl..    who united a group of misfits in a neighborhood somewhere.

and that would have been about all I could remember.


when I asked my daughter, her memory/no research:   I remember the girl naming the dog after a grocery store and some blind lady with a bunch of bottles hanging from a tree.

allegra/no research:   -don't know if im thinking of the write book, but some part about the girl being abandoned

***

and we are all accurate to a degree; each person with vague details.. images


***

when I re-watched recently, I realized how much my age, life experiences, passing of time contributed to my seeing the entire movie through a drastically different lens of perspective and understanding

and as I watched, I just became more and more upset.

instead of seeing it as I did many years ago..   when my focus was on the friendly young girl helping strangers in a community befriend each other

I now saw it as YET ANOTHER AWFUL AND LONG ANTI-COP COMMERCIAL

            /forcing myself here to not start writing about all the prisoners/criminals being released because of covid 19..       or about the noble law enforcement officers being forced to work overtime, without any mention in media of their health risks.    I will not go on and on here about how this whole 'jail time shouldn't equal a death sentence' for criminals  -will in fact equal a death sentence for innocent people as drug addicts/thieves/violent criminals go free    -while there is no mention of any threat for the police officers/deputies mandated to supervise the criminals.   /and re-arrest, re-arrest

and I wont go on and on here about how..   really?!?!  we have jail releases going on at alarming rates for actual convicted criminals but you want our already limited number of over-stretched officers enforcing social distancing ordinances among otherwise law abiding and very unthreatening citizens

***

I have never lived through a more pro-criminal/anti-cop culture in my entire life...   and I desperately pray we return as immediately as possible to a pro-cop, anti crime culture;  -remember?  how many times I've told you

culture is malleable!   and we need to mass media, social media our way back to, or permanently towards:
                                               crimes with consequences & punishment for criminals
                                                respect with support & rewards for those who serve & protect

duly noting/regarding a corrupt cop is in fact, a criminal   -we do not justify; we weed out!
and equally aware; innocent until proven guilty..

-see what just happened...


k, so, back to Winn-Dixie,  -a film which blatantly, and yet, so subtly contributes to planting anti-cop sentiments in audiences hearts & minds

when I watched it, age 54..   it's almost all I could see:  this horrific message that children and adults should mock, disrespect, ignore and avoid anyone who is uniformed to serve & protect.

in because of Winn-Dixie..  the deputy, policeman character is presented as stupid, pathetic, weak and very mock-able

***

and, there is this noble message going on, about not judging people based on...   but, the way it is written, that 'let us not judge but get to know' noble sentiment applies to every person in the movie EXCEPT the police officer.

    /there was a missed opportunity here to INCLUDE the police officer, but


instead, we see opal befriend, an old grouchy, controlling & mean landlord; who gets an invitation to the neighborhood party..

we see opal befriend, a lonely librarian, who gets an invitation to the neighborhood party at the end of the movie

we see opal befriend, two brothers who bullied and taunted her earlier in the movie, but who get an invitation to the party

we see opal befriend a snobby school girl, and a shy school girl,

and we see opal befriend a blind, recovering alcoholic..   invited/co-hosting the party

and, my favorite, based on my own life experiences   -we see 10 year old opal, befriend Otis, an adult male in his 30's?, recently released from jail    -and there is zero adult supervision-  of any kind

opal's father, a preacher, never even goes to meet/see/introduce himself, to this 30 year old male, who is alone in a store, with his 10 year old daughter     -her dad knows nothing about him, and yet..

when the police officer goes to assess things; he's made out to be the idiot.

the way it is written   -the audience is influenced to have complete compassion for Otis, and zero respect for the police officer

               but let me tell you...   any parent in this day and age, who is comfortable letting their 10 year old hang out alone with a 30 year old they've never met..

so, it was hard for me to stomach the movie this time around.

we each bring our real life experiences to the fiction and non-fiction movies, books, programs we watch.  we each have a real life lens, based on our age, gender, family, neighborhood..

and it is 'just a movie'

but, my real life experiences include being kidnapped/raped by predator(s) released from jail.  ex-convicts; released to repeat their crimes..

my real life experiences include polly klaas, amber alerts, megan's law   ` remember
https://www.petaluma360.com/news/2219178-181/family-friends-remember-life-legacy


my real life experiences include good guys being police officers, D.A.'s, judges..

and three strikes you should be out!   that might be too many...

my real life experiences include watching noble, hard working, honest, men and women who are earning a living and raising good children by serving and protecting, while they are utterly disrespected, unsupported, and over-worked  -and simultaneously held personally responsible for the ugly actions/decisions/behaviors of criminals serving time in jail  -FOR CRIMES.

my real life experiences include watching movie after movie, show after show, news report after news report place an ongoing magnifying glass on corrupt cops, while good cops are non-existent.





so, this time, when I watched because of winn - dixie,   -and every single person in the movie was invited to the party at the end, except the pathetic/mock-able cop

when I saw  'let us not judge'   -it's okay to be a recovering alcoholic, okay to be out of jail after assaulting an officer with a guitar, okay to be lonely, okay to be mean/controlling, okay to be snobby due to a death in the family..     okay to be bullied/taunted..    on and on, etc., etc.

but not okay to be a cop?  -cops are not worthy of an invitation to the 'we're all just human/we're all sinners looking for forgiveness and friendship party'


well, I thought, how can I forgive the terrible underlying message in this movie?

and, it came to (me!) in know time at all    /that was on purpose.


in the sequel..      we have Winn-Dixie as a K9! dog...  partnered with noble, heroic police officer(s).


in Jesus' name I pray for....      hallelujah! & amen!


****


part I:      You WINn- Dixie

posted by SHE @ 11:26 AM