Dex and the Pity: Willa's Only Hope

Poor Willa. A mistake turned into a night to not remember, a girl simply trying to fulfill a dream of finally being with the most attractive guy in the entire school. It’s amazing what people, especially girls, will do to just get attention from someone. They tell us that the number of guys or girls they like you doesn’t measure your worth or beauty, yet the feeling of satisfaction that follows some display of flirtation or attention often feels so gratifying. Though I haven’t been in a situation remotely close to the one Willa found herself in, I can understand why she went through with going, and why she didn’t have any hesitation.

Unfortunately, the majority of her friends and the rest of the town aren’t being as understanding. Coming from a small town in rural Texas, everyone knows everything and thinks the same way. Their strict conservative views make them conclude that Willa’s actions were a reflection of her own inner demons and that because she went through with it, her physical and emotional injury were 100% her fault. This is absolutely ludicrous. Being conservative often comes with patriarchy, and Cully was no exception to this notion. Because he has a bright future ahead of him (*cough* sounds familiar), we can’t simply ruin his ambitions by something as little as getting drunk and engaging in sexual activity with an unconscious 15 year old girl. She should’ve known better 🙄 *eye roll*

The only person that could ever speak on her behalf is Dex. No matter what others say, he still holds a lot of faith in her ability and her persona. She’s not just any girl to Dex, and refuses to speak lowly of her in any given situation. He was at the party she went to, and out of denial and maybe a little bit of jealousy, in a crude way, he left because there was word that she was upstairs with some guys. He never could have imagined something so terrible happening to Willa, and was absolutely enraged upon hearing the real truth behind the situation. Being drugged, she was totally helpless.

This situation is a somewhat similar to the dynamics between Clay and Hannah in 13 Reasons Why. Clay was kind of like Dex, a bit more on the quiet side but ready to voice his opinion when necessary. Clay was the only one that really stood by Hannah's side and spoke for her to everyone that wronged her. A character in the show named Bryce actually had raped her at a party, and Bryce was the captain of the football team, very similar to Cully's status. However, no one wanted to acknowledge it and get Bryce kicked off of the team. Hannah didn't have anyone else to speak for her except Clay. And he did just that, and suffered the consequences of it <https://youtu.be/3Sg-kg77eQc>. Aside from being a good person, Clay also harbored some feelings for Hannah, which only intensified his efforts. With that being said, Dex has plenty of reasons to speak on her behalf, considering that he is also one of the few people in that town that actually thinks for himself.

Mathilde on Morality Watch: The Necklace

To be completely honest, I don't think what Mathilda did was wrong. Mathilde definitely showcased a great change of heart, the only dynamic character in the story. She started off being so stuck up and feeling so superior to everyone else even though she was not even close to being of high class. However, when posed with a situation that tests her loyalty and morality as a person, she took so much time to work hard and make sure that you didn't upset her friend, literally using her entire life's worth of money to pay for a brand new diamond necklace. And I truly believe that her intentions were genuine because 10 whole years of hard work is not worth it for a friend you could care less about.

But was what she did the right thing to do? It really depends on who you ask. In reality, what she did wasn't wrong, just a bit foolish. I definitely think that there was a better way to approach the situation. Knowing myself, as much I dislike hurting people's feelings and putting people in unfortunate situations, an entire diamond necklace is not a situation that you can just avoid. The moment when Mathilde realized that the necklace was no longer on her neck, she should have already considered telling Madame Forestier and coming up with the money to replace it. It was a huge crisis for Mathilde but it actually wouldn't have been that serious if she had just been honest with her from the beginning. If it were me, I would definitely have brought up the situation to my friend and offered to replace it to get an idea of how much money I would need to do so. Just this simple exchange of communication would have shaved a good 32,000 francs off of her bill.

And to be totally honest, I don't think Madame Forestier deserved all that hard work because once Mathilde explained to her why she looked so old and worn out, she provided some comic relief to the story by smiling and nonchalantly saying that her necklace was fake and probably worth a mere 500 francs. Now, I have no idea how Francs would translate to modern day currency, but 500 francs is a hell of a lot cheaper than 36,000, especially if you're already poor as it is. Though Mathilde had a rather shitty attitude regarding herself and her perception of others, she did not need to spend her youth and beauty trying to make up to a woman who cared little of her in the first place. That's just a waste of time and energy. <https://youtu.be/ESkyMeYNLus>

Kaepernick and Bennett: Is it Right?

The "right" thing to do in many situations is typically arguable. Depending on how you grew up, where you lived, what your parents believed, what your experiences were... your perspective on life can differ so much. So when it comes to the topic of Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem as a nod to Michael Bennett, is he doing the right thing?

 

Bennett says, "I have always held a strong conviction that protesting or standing up for justice is just simply the right thing to do". And I wholeheartedly agree.

 

The problem that lies here is that age old rule of not allowing politics to enter the workplace. When you're at work, you're supposed to leave your opinions, beliefs, and positions at the door. These things are not supposed to affect your behavior at work. But if we really think about it, what is the workplace exactly for these football players ? They don't have one set place for work, they're on different fields in different places all the time. They're celebrities, really. Their "place" is on our television screens, in front of our eyes. Doesn't it seem like the perfect platform to get a really important message circulating throughout the entire country? I think so, and it's definitely enough to justify his actions.

<https://youtu.be/gSwprUkiiAY>

Many people say that it's disrespectful to sit or kneel during the national anthem because of what the song represents. There are so many people out there fighting for our country and for our rights, and sitting during a song that supposedly represents all of this seems utterly shameful. However, what people fail to realize is what the kneeling actually represents. What good is it to stand and be proud of a country who fights for its rights if its own people can't even benefit from them? Should we really stand for a country that refuses to stand for us? Rights are not simply for one group of people. It often feels this way because people make it so, as they make it harder and harder for minorities to feel like they matter as much. Even so, rights are for all people. But we, as African Americans, simply do not possess those rights. People need to open their eyes and see the truth for what it is. Kaepernick is using his position to spread this message and help people understand the reality of the situation. There is nothing wrong with that, even if he is mixing politics with his job. His legal purpose is to only play football and provide entertainment nationwide, but his ethical purpose is to use his "leg up" to better the people of the United States. The issue is that people in general often do not like to hear the truth. And when it comes to racial problems, they'd rather turn their heads and pretend like they don't exist.

The first step in solving any problem is admitting that there is one. If we can't even do that, then I guess we'll be doomed forever. 

So... What IS the "Right Thing" exactly?

The debate between fighting opposition with force or with peace is exactly what separates Martin Luther King Jr. from Malcolm X. Fighting fire with fire has often been seen as the exact wrong way of handling any situation, but does simply turning a cheek and moving forward suffice if the aggressor is violent?

Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X

Sal about to smash Radio Raheem's boom box in Do the Right Thing

As a Christian, my method in dealing with aggression has always been a more passive response. I'm not a person who enjoys conflict; if anything, I avoid it altogether. But as I was growing up, my mom constantly reminded me that standing up for myself was just as necessary. Her favorite line was, "Don't be the one to start the fight, but be sure to finish it." Thankfully, I never found myself in any situation where I would have needed to exercise this notion. Lol.

With these things in mind, the peaceful approach is my go-to perspective when it comes to issues that require more thought and action to resolve, like racism and discrimination. I do sometimes feel as though using violence may perpetuate the negative stereotypes that many minorities possess, seen distinctly in this film. The quote by Martin Luther King Jr. really ties into the plot of Do the Right Thing because the progression of the plot is ultimately driven by the violence of the major characters, including Buggin' Out and Radio Raheem. King says, "Violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love...", and if love and acceptance are what we are trying to achieve, then why would we use force and violence to receive them?  Buggin' Out's persistence with trying to arouse conflict between Sal and the members of the community is what led to the unfortunate conclusion to the movie, where the pizzeria is burned to shreds from the outrage of the people. Of course, the actual rebellion would not have been sparked if it wasn't for Sal's final act of incompliance, or more specifically, smashing Radio Raheem's boom box to pieces. I'm not saying that Buggin' Out's motive was unjustified, as I do believe that appealing to your patrons is essential to receiving and retaining good business. However, his approach did more hurt than good for obvious reasons, but also because it was much too aggressive to receive any positive feedback in the first place. With that being said, Sal smashing the radio to pieces was incredibly important because this had been the only way of conveying such a powerful message for the community without speaking, and Sal destroyed this, representing our voices being silenced once again.  https://youtu.be/TQ4y7GPeFBY?t=1m15s