By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. | Remember the words of these two songs and ask: which song represents America: “Come together” or “Rich men north of Richmond?”
One, from many decades ago, is about acceptance of differences. The other is a modern country hit that screams class conflict.
Recently I was at a men’s group presentation and saw a fine but little-known movie entitled Devotion. The theme of the movie is brotherhood, which is appropriate, given the group.
Although it is a Baptist-affiliated group, and I am not a religious person or a Christian, but they have always made me feel very welcome. And although we may differ politically…my assumption given that they are almost all white, older men who tend to be conservative, yet our discussions are always civil.
The movie is based on a real story, as detailed in a 2015 book entitled Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice. In any case, although it does not have a well-known star cast, Devotion is a great flick. And the movie shows humanity as it really is, not just how it is supposed to be.
The key protagonists are two Korean War Navy pilots, Ensign Jesse Brown (a black man, a rarity for a pilot back then) and Lt. Tom Hudner, a rather typical all-American white guy. The movie was realistic, showing the racism that existed in the military at the time. Further, Brown and Hudner were real folks, heroes who fought a bloody war against invading North Korean and Chinese troops.
However, the movie did not portray either man as a saint. They were both flawed human beings, as we all are. But in the final analysis, the men came to respect one another and became true friends.
In the later part of the movie, Brown’s plane goes down over North Korea. Hudner tries to rescue him but is unsuccessful. Hudner ends up getting the Medal of Honor from President Truman. But Brown’s remains have never been recovered.
As the group discussed the movie, it became clear that Devotion meant very different things to different people in the room. I can only express what it meant to me.
I viewed the name of the film as meaning devotion to our nation, to humanity as a whole and to the equality of all men/women. In a nation that has been so divided for the last half dozen years, and will be for the foreseeable future, it is important to keep in mind that we as Americans have more things that bind us together than drive us apart.
As Hudner and Brown learned, we must judge each person based on their actions, not on the group that they are born into. All people are not racist. Most white people, especially younger folks, are becoming much more accepting of cultural differences in our population and diversity. All black people are not anti-police, despite what right wing social media constantly portrays. Not just African Americans, but all of us want police to ensure that neighborhoods are safe. But we also want police that are well trained and not likely to violently overreact when they see a non-white person possibly committing a misdemeanor.
The bottom line is that we are all Americans and must learn to love and respect one another. We must resist those who seek to drive us apart for their own political or financial gain. Devotion to each other and our great nation must bind us together.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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