In case you were unaware, there is an important election coming soon. This year, Election Day happens to fall on November 6th, which of course immediately follows November 5th. You know, the infamous day of Guy Fawkes' Gunpowder Plot.
For those of you who don't know, Guy Fawkes was a man who conspired to blow up the British Parliament building in 1605 in an attempt to secure religious tolerance. The plot failed, and Fawkes was executed, but his mythology has lived on. Including serving as a primary inspiration for one of my favorite movies, "V for Vendetta."
This is one of my favorites for many reasons, but the reason I bring it up in this context is that I believe it is a relevant movie. Not just for aspects in our country, but for democracy as a whole. It is a movie I believe you should watch if you haven't already, and if you have you should watch it again.
Without going into spoilers, "V for Vendetta" takes place in a dystopian future where the United Kingdom is under the rule of an oppressive regime which took over after being peacefully elected. Our protagonist, a mysterious figure known only as the letter V, spends the film trying to inspire the people of Britain to rise up and take back their country.
Even though this movie is adapted from a graphic novel, "V for Vendetta" is so much more than a "simple comic book movie." It tackles important topics head-on, such as blind loyalty to a political party/ideology, the politics of fear, the powerful influence of the media, the importance of all forms of tolerance, and sacrificing liberty for security. This is a movie I firmly believe both liberals and conservatives can find multiple parallels to what is going on today.
On top of all that, there is one topic which rises above the rest. Ultimately, the overall theme of the movie is this: "People shouldn't be afraid of their governments, governments should be afraid of their people."
With that simple line, "V for Vendetta" reminds us what a fragile privilege democracy truly is. This is why I strongly recommend you watch this wonderful film. When people start forgetting the power they wield, the balance starts to shift against them. Democracy is a wonderful thing, but if we aren't vigilant we stand the risk of losing it.
So to you my friends, I simply urge this: do your homework this election cycle and participate. Please, get out there and vote. We as Americans may view voting as an inherent right, but in the grand scheme of current events and world history, this is such a unique privilege.
Politics is not a spectator sport, and We The People need to start coming off the bench.
