Invictus

Wow!  Saw it last night and it was SO good.  My daughter and I went to Redbox and didn't know what to get so we got Invictus mainly because it starred Morgan Freeman.  We have both been fans of his for years.

Nelson Mandela is S. Africa's MLK.  I found it amazing that after all he'd been through he was so ready to forgive.  He believed people should move beyond the hatreds and pains of the past and work together to make a good future for everyone.  He is an amazing human being. 

It was funny and at the same time sad that when we were watching the movie my daughter thought it had taken place decades ago.  It's so easy for us to forget that there are places in the world where people are still fighting for the freedoms we so often take for granted.

The title of the movie comes from a poem by William Ernest Henley.  I'd heard this line before but didn't know where it came from: 

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate
I am the captain of my soul

I read a little bit about Morgan Freeman as I was watching the movie and admire him now even more than I did before.  He says the only way to end racism is to stop talking about it, and that there is no "white history month".  Freeman once said on an interview with 60 Minutes' Mike Wallace: "I am going to stop calling you a white man and I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man."

I believe in this so whole-heartedly.  I don't think we should forget the past because it has important lessons for us.  But I do believe we should move on.  I think any time the question of race is raised, whether it's for good or bad, we are being racist.  To stop racism we have to stop differentiating between the races and judge people solely by their characters and abilities.

Now it's probably a good thing I only have 3 followers, only one of whom actually reads this blog because I'd probably have people up in arms on this issue!

Anyway, it's a really good movie and both Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon did really great jobs portraying their characters. 

Go watch it!