Changing Social Ideas

I am watching Guess Who's Coming to Dinner http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061735/.   I think maybe every time I watch Guess Who's Coming to Dinner I blog, but maybe not.  It was a very brave, heroic, and dramatic topic to address in 1967.  It tells a great story, has great actors and actresses, and gives us hope for the future.

I went to a workshop today. Slightly off the topic, but making a comment about social values, the presenter mentioned that 30 years ago, Iceland elected the first woman president of the world.  So, a generation of Icelandic people have grown up knowing that women can do anything they want to do .  She added that the Nordic people have no concept of racism, sexism, (and something else.)

The point is, she talked about the social change that can occur because of events in our lives.  We cannot legislate changes in emotions and ideas, but we can legislate changes in behavior, and those behavior changes can lead to changes in ideas and emotions.  

I have seen so many changes in my life time. I am so grateful that so many changes have occurred. I am so grateful that we have made so many strides for a more just and fair and equitable world.  I know we have a long way to go.  But I am glad to be living in these times.

I mean, we have an African American President, Barak Obama.  He was elected for a second term, so we know that his election was not a fluke.  He was elected a second time, so his biggest accomplishment during his first term, the Affordable Health Care Act, was not abhorred to the extent he could not get re-elected.

I am getting ready to watch Schindler's List http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108052/.  I had no idea that is was made 20 years ago.  It is a heart wrenching and moving movie, and another movie that addresses social change. Only this was horrible, wretched social change: the genocide of Jews in Germany during World War II.  And, the way one man defied the authorities.

There are other movies about saving the enemies of Germany in Europe during World War II.  One of my favorites is The Scarlet and The Black http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086251/, about a Roman Catholic priest who saves prisoners of war, downed pilots and Italians from the Germans. 

Recently, I read an article about South Pacific http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108052/.  The article said that when it played in Atlanta, Georgia, the reaction to the song "You've Got to Be Taught" was so outraged and negative that there were many who wanted it outlawed in Georgia. 

It is Oscar season.  This is the time of year when the TV channels show wonderful past Oscar winner movies. I really appreciate the movies that are about social change.