Alva Review-Courier -

I am terribly saddened by all the argumentative discourse that seems to be going on in today’s world. Today’s article is not about addressing who is right or wrong, but instead wondering out loud if a scene from an early John Wayne movie may give a suggestion on how we can turn down the heat.

In today’s world, it seems as though it is no longer enough just to disagree on certain issues. We are expected to classify someone as an enemy if they don’t always agree with us on all issues, lest we be considered weak. To make things even worse, because those who disagree with you are now considered enemies, the sentiment seems to be that it is only fair and proper to destroy them, because they are the enemy, again with the fear of ridicule for being weak if we don’t fight.

With all that said, and seemingly unrelated, I am a big John Wayne fan. From watching him dive into his role as a cowboy, to marveling at his time portraying a soldier, or appreciating his acting gig as a sailor, there is seldom a week that goes by without me watching at least one (but sometimes several) John Wayne movies, either being aired or via my DVR. My favorites, without question, are his “B” Westerns from the early 1930s. A lot of John Wayne fans don’t even know these exist.

If you have never seen them, the way they make the horses go faster is by speeding up the reel. Sadly, I don’t think any of them were ever nominated for any type of award for this stroke of genius. Also, in contrast to his later movies, John Wayne is a much more laid-back, easy-going guy, often giving a full-faced smile.

One of my favorites, for the sheer entertainment value and also to illustrate the point I want to make today, is called “The Dawn Rider” from 1934. Without spoiling the plot, there is a scene in which Wayne is in a fight, and it is clear that he has won, but his opponent is not quite ready to give up. The opponent asks if Wayne is going to fight, and John Wayne responds by saying, “You got me licked, but I know what we both need,” and Wayne suggests they go to the saloon to settle their differences over a beer. Before the first beer is drunk, the two former adversaries become the best of friends.

Maybe it is me being cynical, but if someone said that in a movie today, I think they would be considered weak and criticized for not completely physically destroying their opponent. Bear in mind, at the beginning of the fight, a gun was pulled, further giving a sense of justification to completely destroying the opponent.

I know it’s a movie, and it can have any plot the screenwriter wants it to have, but wouldn’t it be cool if we didn’t think we needed to destroy someone who doesn’t agree with us? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just sit with someone with whom we don’t see eye to eye, suggest we share a beer or some other beverage, and find out they aren’t such a bad person after all? If it worked for John Wayne, maybe, just maybe, it could work for us.