There is a scene early in Grand Canyon (1991) where the car of an immigration lawyer, Mack (played by Kevin Klein) dies in a neighborhood he doesn’t know. He calls for a tow, but in the meantime a group of young men begin harassing him. Danny Glover’s character, Simon, shows up and calmly begins his job, asking about the car, hooking it up to his truck. Then he takes aside Rocstar, the leader of the young men. “Am I talking to the right man?” Skip ahead in the video to about minute 4 to find the scene. The really good part begins with Simon saying, “Man . . .”
Simon : I’ve gotta ask you for a favor. Let me go my way here. This truck’s my responsibility, and now that the car’s hooked up to it, it’s my responsibility too.
Rocstar : Do you think I’m stupid? Just answer that question first.
Simon : Look, I don’t know nothing about you; you don’t know nothing about me. I don’t know if you’re stupid, or some kind of genius. All I know is that I need to get out of here, and you got the gun. So I’m asking you, for the second time, let me go my way here.
Rocstar : I’m gonna grant you that favor, and I’m gonna expect you to remember it if we ever meet again. But tell me this, are you asking me as a sign of respect, or are you asking because I’ve got the gun?
Simon : Man, the world ain’t supposed to work like this. I mean, maybe you don’t know that yet. I’m supposed to be able to do my job without having to ask you if I can. That dude is supposed to be able to wait with his car without you ripping him off. Everything is supposed to be different than it is.
Rocstar : So what’s your answer?
Simon : You ain’t got the gun, we ain’t having this conversation.
Rocstar : That’s what I thought: no gun, no respect. That’s why I always got the gun.
It’s a great film, truly, but if you haven’t ever watched it or haven’t watched it recently, you might assume the story is dated. Stop for a moment, and consider the metaphor working here. [Or better, consider it an analogy, and also be sure to read the first comment below.] A weak person demands respect. Imagine Kim Jong Un is playing the part of Rocstar. A weak actor in a powerful world, striding to bully his way into respect. His position on the world stage makes more sense. [It’s far from moral, but understandable.]
That works, doesn’t it?
Now go the next step. Trump as Rocstar, accustomed to having what he wants by pushing others around? Maybe, except like Kim Jong Un he’s never had to reach for power, it has always belonged to him, a self-promoting, entitled person from the day he was born.
Try this: Maybe see how the concept of leverage and threats plays out with the abuse of any power, with the assumption that a right to act is automatic when there is the capacity to act. I can, therefore I should?
Surely not.
The way I see the lesson: The world is not supposed to work this way. Power is not supposed to trump liberty and justice for all. We are supposed to be better than that. Because we have the strength does not mean it’s moral to bully others. Just because we can.
Or, as my husband likes to joke: Didn’t you ever go to Sunday school? Or Temple, or the Mosque, or to your room for failing to listen to your parents explain why you should be forgiving and kind to others.
Surely someone taught us better?
I hear the voices saying, no, they didn’t. Some people do not operate that way and that’s why the rest of us cannot either. I think we might be wrong there too. We were all taught to behave ethically, only some of us find that inconvenient. Some of us did not listen at all. Some of us even believe our reasons or excuses for our deplorable actions. We get away with things we shouldn’t and then decide that getting away with evil makes it okay.
Getting away with it does not make it right.
The Grand Canyon is bigger than we are, grander in every way. Grand beyond our capacity to comprehend. It was born long before we were and should live long after we are gone. It should humble us, engulf our egos, and allow us to regain perspective.
IMPERFECT PATIENCE 
Jan, Kim Jong Un is a monster, not to be compared to poor black guys in the U.S. He’s a mass murderer, wealthy beyond belief while his people starve. He’s even had close family members executed if he didn’t like them. He deserves no pity and certainly no respect.
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Of course you are right about Kim Jong Un. It is the danger working with metaphor or analogy. I was not intending the comparison to apply directly and literally to the people, but I explained it badly.
I object to power as the sole determinator of what is right. I am increasingly troubled these days by the assumption that “being the bully on the block” means being in the right, by our common foolish line: May the best man [sic] win. Too often the worst win. There are many terrible actors on the world stage just now, and yet many Americans will forgive Putin before Rocstar. Rocstar has the excuse of his weak position, and Simon grants the possibility that he has not learned how the world should work “yet.”
Trump and the rest have never and will never learn how the world should work. They think they know—those who wield power have the right to do whatever they can get away with. Or, as Gary likes to say: It’s their world; we only live in it.
I think we agree that is not right.
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I admire your faith in humanity! Of course I have it, but not in such a good supply as you do. The older I get, the more jaded I feel about this stuff. It’s horrible, but seems like it’s always been that way and will continue to be. Trump is so revolting and immoral that it’s easy to feel sorry for anyone he takes on….I just felt I needed to point out that in this case, Kim Jong Un is more than his equal in Disgusting Human. He might be worse. Or perhaps Trump would be just like him if he could get away with it. And he’s not all that powerless on the world stage, either (KJO). North Korea is one of a handful of countries that has nuclear weapons. That makes him pretty powerful. Which is why no one has been able to deal with him or his father or grandfather. They have the nukes and they’re ruthless. They have a Stalinist type “communist” system–hard to imagine a worse place to have to live.
May we should be glad “we only live in it” as Gary says. That we know it’s not “ours”. (I know he meant that somewhat differently….but it seems fitting this way too.)
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And KJO’s absolute faith in power as earning respect . . . well, that is pathetic really, a weak man’s immoral notion. And we must not allow such notions to be admired as our president does. It is a shocking time.
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Have you ever been to Grand Canyon? I think this applies to children in detention in US surely the people who are responsible for their care know better. Surely the people who instituted this policy know better.
On Sun, Jun 30, 2019 at 10:14 AM IMPERFECT PATIENCE wrote:
> janpriddyoregon posted: ” There is a scene early in Grand Canyon (1991) > where the car of an immigration lawyer, Mack (played by Kevin Klein) dies > in a neighborhood he doesn’t know. He calls for a tow, but in the meantime > a group of young men begin harassing him. Danny Gl” >
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From what I understand, most of the people responsible for their care do know better.
People matter more than power. I think most of us know that. But some in power think their interests matter most.
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