Dear People of the World (formerly Dear Americans)

I watched these films to understand the essence of America on the election day.

"She Wore A Yellow Ribbon " is a drama set in the Western frontier era, depicting the process of cavalry protecting moving people from Native Americans. It's a film that regards Native Americans as enemies and cavalry as heroes like the old-time notion, but since it was made after the second world war, in the final scene, the cavalry commander negotiated with a Native chief to try to prevent conflict.

What surprisingly attracted me was the equestrian skills of the cast. Even today, such a powerful horseback scene to the point where the moves that humans and horses became one, could never be filmed.

The film explains that Native American raids are an obstacle to westward expansion, but naturally, this theory does not hold true today. Since the invaders were European immigrants, such claims might not exist, but we must realize that America was pioneered and developed with such selfish thinking.

"Lincoln" is a drama about a president during the Civil War era, who amended the Constitution to ban slavery to achieve the liberation of Black slaves and the process of ending the Civil War.

Southern lawmakers and leaders claim slavery is their own tradition, but the film argues that such tradition cannot be granted as it was considered the right to oppress others.

The current president's thinking is the exact opposite, with an attitude that tends to tolerate discrimination. However, thanks to his missteps, the midterm elections resulted in candidates representing diversity in race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity from opposing parties winning.

Ironically, the current president's party, the Republican Party, was Lincoln's party that had been pushing for the abolition of slavery. Since the Democrats themselves were the ones defending slavery, the situation today has reversed.

While the elimination of discrimination is a given, America was a society where indigenous land was seized and developed, and clear discrimination like slavery existed. This is the very society where such injustice and the justice that counter it coexist — this is what America is.

I just happened to hear the song during work-out at a gym in my neighbourhood. 

It was a style of telling a fairy tale.

The lyrics were very impressive to me as it says “hate your neighbours and cheat your friends in the name of God.” Then it goes on telling how the aggressor went so greedy though their opponents were generous.

The song reminds us of what is going on in the Middle East and Eastern Europe currently. The aggressors are just arrogant and never compromise with anybody.

That was true when Japan invaded China in 1930's. Japan invaded China because China refused to give in to Japan's ridiculously selfish demands. So Japan determined China was evil breaking the peace deal and provoked the war. Japan occupied most of the land causing millions of civilian casualties. 

Their peace rests in bloodshed.

The song was released at the height of the Vietnam war so that war actually reflected the song.  But the same process is repeated in the current ongoing wars.

We all have to listen to the song until “Peace on Earth” is realised.  

I watched the film on my flight to Paris from Tokyo last week. The film helped me to kill time during the very long flight hours. 

It was a biography of the king of rock, Elvis Presley. He was born in southern state where seggregation was very common. But he grew up in a Black community so he had no prejudice against Black people but rather appreciate his experience with Black people who inspired him to sing in a new style. That is why he sang the requiam song for Dr. Martin Luther King "If I Can Dream" in 1968.

That may be a reason why he played a protagonist in the musical film "Blue Hawaii (1961)" in which he marries a native Hawaiian woman." 

His life was not always glorious nor very happy one because of his parents' treatment of him. He was mama's boy and his father was weak so he and his family were manipulated by a conman who managed his showbiz activities. The conman did not have a US citizenship so that is why he could not hold the world tour. I felt very sorry because if the conman did not stop him to go to the world tour, he could visit Japan and sing at Japanese audience. He said he wanted to do that. That was more profitable for him and his family but very bad for the conman. His life was shortened due to the hardwork imposed by the conman. 

His singing style such as waving his waist was affected by Black singers he was acquianted with. In fact, his singing is Black singers' style. That is why conservatives tried to stop him from singing in public. Black culture had been considered vulgar culture but created a very unique American culture. None the less, Black people have been oppressed in America. America took them to his land forcibly depriving of their human rights and treated them as slaves and second class citizens while gaining cultural advantage from them. 

Elvis Presley was a byproduct of America's cruelty. I felt very saddened to know such history. 

Entertaiment industry is grotesque everywhere in the world. In Japan, recently it was found boys being sexually abused by a big boss of the most influential entertainment agency. 

As I get older and learn more about such stories, I am losing interests and admiration to showbiz industry. I don't enjoy such shows any longer. I rather read books than films. 

I am hoping we will no longer need human singers or actors but Artificial Intelligence creates such super stars. 

I just saw the film at a small theatre in Tokyo. 

It was a biopic about the French politician who lived through holocaust and after the war became a lawyer and the minister of French government and became the first female president of European Union assembly. 

She helped promote women's rights by legalisation of abortion in France, 1970's. She contributed to improvement of prisoners' condition. Why was she so enthusiastic about human rights issues? 

The film started with her childhood in Nice with her family living in a happy condition before the second world war. Her family were Jews and believed France would never betray them. 

But later her family were arrested by German Gestapo. She, 16-year-old, her sister and mother were deported to Auschwitz. Her brother and father were thought to be executed. The three survived in Auschwitz but they were deported again, and then her mother died in other concentration camp.  

After the war, Simone married a man and gave birth to three children studying at a law school in Paris. But she had been traumatized by her experience in the holocaust and couldn't sleep on a bed. Even after the war, she could not tell others about her horrible experience during the war. 

But such experiences motivated her to help others in the world. In her old age, she came back to Auschwitz on 60th anniversary of liberation of Auschwitz. She spoke and wrote all about her experience. She insisted that Europe should get united so no more war happens. Surprisingly she had lived in Germany after the war. 

The film taught us it is the responsibility of living people to make the world better place and right the wrongs. Indeed, we are living in a better world, at least much better than what she experienced. 

I, myself have visited Auschwitz in Poland, and learnt what happened there. 

Such history should never be repeated. I felt it is MY responsibility not to let such horrible events happen again.  

Sadly, it is happening and very hard to stop that.