The video snippet above is from the movie American History X and is cut from the scene where the lead character Derek Vinyard has just been attacked and sodomized in prison. While he is recuperating in the hospital, his mentor from high school Bob Sweeney drops in to visit about his younger brother, Danny . Derek dismisses Bob and tells him that what ever happens to Danny is none of his business plus he can’t do anything about it in prison. The following conversation ensued.
Bob Sweeney: There was a moment, when I used to blame everything and everyone for all the pain and suffering and vile things that happened to me, that I saw happen to my people. Used to blame everybody. Blamed white people, blamed society, blamed God. I didn’t get no answers ’cause I was asking the wrong questions. You have to ask the right questions.
Derek Vinyard: Like what?
Bob Sweeney: Has anything you’ve done made your life better?
Ask yourselves that very same question. Reflect back on your past. Has anything you’ve done made your life better?
Or to make thing clearer, has anything negative you’ve done made your life better?
Has all those revolting teenage years made your life better today?
Has all your participating in street protests and being locked up in detention made your life easier now?
Has all that negative energy in the past contributed to improving your current state of being?
If you have answered YES then probably you were the lucky one. Do not end up like Derek Vinyard where he came to realization after it was too late.
Do something about it. Change your life for the better. If you don’t, no one will do it for you.
American History X is an eye and mind opening movie which highlights the struggle of a former neo-Nazi skinhead who tries to prevent his younger brother from going down the same wrong path that he did You can watch it on YouTube here. Caution – This movie contains profanity, nudity and racial elements. For mature audiences only.
