Amusing Ourselves to Death

 “What [George] Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What [Aldous] Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism … In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us.”

— Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

FOR MR RITTENHOUSE

 

Great Movies From My Youth
James Stewart as Charlie Anderson, scouring with several sons and a daughter the Shenandoah Valley, looking for his youngest son, accidentally taken prisoner during the Civil War.

Charlie Anderson : [a young Confederate picket has just shot one of Anderson's sons] Dead. Dead! How old are you? How old?
Young Picket on Road : Sixteen.
Charlie Anderson : [In a rage, but restraining himself] "Six - Sixteen. I'm not gonna' kill you. I want you to live! I want you to live to be an old man. And I want you to have many... many, many children. And I want you to feel about your children then... the way I feel about mine now! And someday, when a man comes along and kills one of 'em, I want you to remember! I want you to remember."

To young Mr. Rittenhouse, I hope you will remember.