As my readers know, I’ve been working in the Los Angeles County Court Schools for quite some time now (18-years to-be-exact) – and I’ve met my share of folks wanting to help out the disenfranchised L.A. County youth — but I’ve never been visited by a Big-Wig director who has directed some Big Hollyweird names and Big-title Hollyweird movies.
The director in question, however, seems to be on a Messianic mission. He looks a bit like Jesus (therefore, a bit like me), and, brings a strange message to the incarcerated African American and Mexican American lads I attempt to educate on a weekly basis.
This director is all about The Power of One – as he looks at Christ and Christ-like figures (Gandhi, MLK and Mandela being part of his Power-of-One lexicon). But he’s asking something very strange of my students – who tend to be incarcerated for trying to make money…this very successful director is trying to tell my juvenile incarcerees NOT TO WORRY about money! This is a guy who has made it to the upper echelons of Hollyweird — but has elected to give up his private jet and his Porsche to pursue a more austere lifestyle…like Gandhi, or Jesus, or, the life of austerity forced upon Mandela (MLK seemed to live pretty well, and, also seemed to have his share of women…so I can’t put him in the ‘austere’ category). But like you or me, my students would like to see if money might buy us happiness before giving up on it! Yet this multi-millionaire is asking my kids to forget about money before they’ve really tasted it.
Thus, I find the talented and well-meaning director a bit daft – and, in his daftness, believing that he can communicate his message to kids whose families have never tasted the sweet life – aside from good marijuana and/or champagne dealt out at some of the weddings they’ve been to.
Let’s have a closer look at those wielding the Power of One:
- · Jesus most likely came from a royal family and probably only endured 3 years of “unroyal” treatment…
- · Gandhi saved India for the Indians by kicking the British out…
- · MLK definitely helped his people – but I have always been more impressed by Malcom X…
- · And Mandela, well…Mandela IS A GOD in Africa – but he utilized the resource of South Africa to solve its own unique problems…
So what is this director guy up to? What is he trying to accomplish by wearing the same t-shirt day-after-day and riding a bicycle to work instead of arriving in his Porsche? Is he going to get Americans to eschew their love of money in favor of dialoging with-one-another and getting along with-one-another? I think not! Everyone else I’ve mentioned was trying to liberate “their” people who were being oppressed by, well…by Whites!
Is he going to get young juvenile incarcerees to quit their quests for “bank” in favor of meaningful relationships and rich conversation? I doubt this very much: particularly when he’s poised to make some more money on-a-couple-of-upcoming movies.
Nah. I think he was merely “touched” by that spirit that truly pervades those with the Power of One, and, like Richard Gere and Sharon Stone’s Buddhism – this temporary enlightenment should prove to be a passing fancy…cuz one thing you can’t do with my Bad Boyz is to act your way by them. And, unfortunately for-those-of-us who teach them – you gotta walk-your-walk and talk-your-talk – cuz everything else is bullshit…and they’ve been bullshitted by the best.