Are You The Doctor, Or One of The Mob?
By: Chris Vaughn
The movie Frankenstein has and will always be one of my favorites for so many reasons, and the one I choose above all others is Young Frankenstein. The perfect blend of film noir, tragic story, and great comedy!
No matter which version you watch from Young Frankenstein and back there always the staple scene of Dr. Frankenstein shouting and yelling to the masses with pitchforks that the creature isn’t dangerous, but in a state of infancy. And in every one of the films, there is the mob with angry pitchforks and torches ready to burn down everything in their way.
The Doctor knows the truth and tries to share it. The mob in fevered pitch parrots each other’s fears and dissension only affirm the fear in each other never allowing truth to pierce their thoughts.
That image has always stayed with me!
One person with the voice of truth trying with desperation to tell the truth to a mob, yet the mob only wants to hear what they want to hear. For them they let the truth be damned because it doesn’t fit into their wishes.
Such is ever more the day we live in. Make a comment, a post, a blog post, etc., of the most innocuous topic, and the mob turns. They are satisfied with your apology but only want to use the pitchforks on their tongue and the fire of hatred to destroy those who dare oppose the collective.
Mobs gather their strength, not from the greatness of truth, but the affirmation of those they identify with around them. The Doctor, on the other hand, stands in the strength that what he knows and says is true and has the audacity and bravery to stand before the ones who do not have the ability to comprehend. Well, it’s not that they don’t have the ability, but it’s an ability they won’t exercise unless everyone else around them does too.
Today the choice before us every day is to choose which side of the platform to stand on.
You choose either to stand before the mob taking their slings and arrows while speaking the ageless truths of love, life, liberty, integrity, courage, a sense of humor, intelligence, common sense, education, kindness, self-confidence, self-discipline, open discourse, acceptance, self-reliance, and generosity.
Or you choose to surround yourself with only those of the same mind, shouting down every opposing voice, crying out for their silence, arguing they are right in spite of reality, and disputing anything that those around them say they should dispute.
At this point in life and culture I choose to stand with the Doctor, even though I know that in that place our comments are misunderstood, our intentions questioned, and your honesty maligned; but it’s better to have the approval of truth and righteousness that lasts for the ages, that the acceptance of a mob that changes their convictions with the latest opinion poll.