The "300" Hollywood Can't Stomach

I never did make it to see the movie "300," or the sequel, but I remember seeing the short version spoiler: 299 die. Given the previews, that sounded about right. The movie seemed like a typical ancient-soldiers-on-the-march-for-blood-and-glory type epic. I have no problem with that. I have no trouble distinguishing between theatrical violence and real violence.

I sometimes wonder about those who actually make the pictures, though. I'm not referring to those who accuse movies or television of inspiring real acts of violence, though I suppose it might occur in a very small segment of the population. My problem is with the much larger number of people who respond to real violence as though it were happening in a movie, as though all of the shooting and killing and torture were make believe. Camera stops filming, victims get up, go home, and call it a day.

The story of the 300 girls recently kidnapped in Nigeria has made quite a splash in the media. The first lady is tweeting. The president is addressing the situation ("If I had some daughters, in Nigeria, they probably would look a lot like those kidnapped girls...) And don't get me wrong. I'm glad the world is paying attention. This is an important story, and one that deserves it. I'm just wondering why it had to come to this.

Aside from the sheer brazenness involved, there's very little new here. Muslim extremists have been kidnapping and enslaving people in Africa for decades, centuries even. They have been murdering Christians by the thousand, with totals probably into millions now. Boys have been routinely kidnapped, conscripted into Muslim militias, and subjected to physical and mental abuse until they accept a life of violence and Islam, and make it their own.

All of this, and so many people just seemed not to notice. They certainly would not name the perpetrators, lest they be deemed racists, or bigots, or worse yet: sympathetic to "the oppressors." And every time they looked away, every time they spoke of how this was the result of "poverty" and "colonialism," and whatever else they said to ease their consciences, those who do violence were emboldened, knowing that no one in the west would lift finger to stop them. We scarcely even noticed until it came to our own shore, and even now, many still believe that a policy of negotiation is the only way. And others are tortured, enslaved, murdered.

At the moment, those in authority in the west at least seem to be noticing. That's something. It remains to be seen whether or not any effective action will be taken in this case. Our record on such things lately is not encouraging. And even if we do, will it involve any lasting changes, or will we simply demonstrate our high tolerance for outrage? "Three hundred is over the limit. Sorry. You need to keep it under 200." The only thing I know for certain is that, as long as the group and philosophy remain, there will be a next time.