It is such a surreal story that I can't imagine what it must have been like to be that family. It is not hard to say the airline pilot was out of control and abused his position of authority or even that the airline should think before showing a PG-13 movie on a flight that could easily have young children without providing a way for them to opt out. We could even bemoan our society that allows the making of a movie containing "violence including disturbing images and homicide, sexual content (including bondage - imdb.com), language (including using God's name in vain as well as the "f-word" - imdb.com parents guide), drug references, and nudity" or even worse thinks that it is appropriate for someone 13 years old.
Because those things are easy, they have been covered ad nauseam, but I want to ask some deeper questions of us. It is easy to point at everyone and there is always plenty of blame to go around, but I wonder - Would I have complained?, Would you have complained?, Would I have complained if my kids were not with me?, Would you have complained if your kids were not there? I am afraid that we have become so used to the entertainment mentality that we might just sit there and convince ourselves that we could just ignore it, or just watch it and think that it would not affect us. We might conclude in such a setting that there is nothing we could do and therefore do nothing. I have never been in this setting, but I should be able to decide before being there what I should and would do. It takes the pressure off in the circumstance if decisions have been made beforehand.
What decisions do you need to make today so that you won't be trying to decide under the gun?
- jp