Writer’s Rant for 2/11/14
In 1958, Walt Disney made a move titled “White Wilderness”; rightfully titled as it took place in Alaska. It featured what was commonly known as the “lemming death plunge” in which hundreds of lemmings followed each other off a cliff into the sea. This propagated the myth that resulted in the saying “like lemmings to the sea” which remained popular for decades afterward. Lemmings are actually rodents and there is some truth to the myth. Overpopulation resulted in mass migrations of the critters, which resulted in groupings who chose to jump into the water seeking a new, less crowded place. Unfortunately, they weren’t great swimmers and many drowned in the process. For the human species, this phrase became a way of symbolizing people who unthinkingly follow what the crowd is doing, often with dangerous, if not downright fatal, consequences. Kind of like people and politics. We are like lemmings, or even sheep, blindly following the crowd over the cliff in search of a better existence. Half of the sheep will leave and the other half stay behind. There will be no winners as we continue in our divisive pursuits. Now is a good time to stray from the flock. Become an Independent. I personally am not going to follow blindly anyone who could take me over the edge. I hope there are others out there like me; independent thinkers and doers. For you lemmings however, go ahead and choose sides. It’s hit or miss. You can follow blindly toward a “better” place and risk going over the edge or just stay behind, dig a hole and hide your head in the sand. In either case, it could be your final resting place. 2/11/24