The World According to Liberty Valance

Late one night/early one morning, I had a pretty deep political conversation with one of my friend's new boyfriends. After the night's festivities he couldn't drive home so I offered my roommate's couch to sleep on. We spoke about a lot of things including religion, civil rights, gun control and of course healthcare. It became obvious we held beliefs on the opposite ends of the modern American political spectrum.

Near the end of the night I summed up the conversation in the same contexts I usually do; by alluding to movies. I asked him if he's ever seen The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). He said no, then I explained that he was like John Wayne and I was like Jimmy Stewart.

For those of you who don't know the movie, it's a western starring Jimmy Stewart as a Senator famed for killing a notorious outlaw in self-defense. Returning to the birthplace of his political career, he attends the funeral of an apparent nobody (John Wayne) and tells the local reporter his connection to the man.

Be honest, is the flag too much?

The rest of the movie is told in flashback with Jimmy Stewart first getting to town and being beaten and robbed by the outlaw (Lee Marvin). Saved by John Wayne and nursed back to health by a young Vera Miles, Jimmy is shocked to find the whole town lives under the constant threat of Liberty Valance and his gang of thugs. To anger them or the rich ranchers they serve meant harassment and death. The only person quicker on the draw than Valance is of course John Wayne.

Within a few years Stewart's character becomes a man of distinction, setting up his law practice, helping to teach the locals to read and write and eventually becoming a delegate for the statehood convention to the agitation of Valance and the powers that be. He does this all without ever holding a gun but as we all know from the title, eventually Liberty Valance and the future Senator have to duke it out.

This is what non-violence looks like

I tell you all this because it is a great American western that should be seen by all. But when I say the statement “you are like a John Wayne, I am like a Jimmy Stewart,” you can probably guess my meaning even if you've never seen Liberty Valance. Like in Destry Rides Again (1939) and It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Jimmy Stewart fights to do the right thing while holding to a strict code of ethics and conduct. He endures many abuses and humiliations at the hands of Liberty Valance but his staunch determination pays off through direct non-violent action.

Like Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne also fights to do the right thing in his movies but in a much different way. Like in True Grit (1969) and Hondo (1953), John Wayne is the self-appointed protector of the innocent in Liberty Valance. Even at the cost of his personal happiness he, at times begrudgingly, helps those who need it the most in the best way he can; through the power of a cocked Winchester. As represented by his everlasting screen persona, he's a man's man. The best representation of a strong-willed, plain spoken, American male who can be called upon to kick ass and take names. In that order.

Face upon hearing his brother died

Both characterizations can have their drawbacks. I, like Jimmy Stewart have a doltish naivety when it comes to many things including the human inclination towards violence and self-destruction. Conversely if you consider yourself a John Wayne, you may only see the negative side of human nature and are suspicious towards anyone besides yourself and God.

So how do we plug this all into today's political landscape specifically towards the subject of healthcare. While I'm not a big fan of Obamacare, I feel it is better than what we had ten, five even one year ago. I believe everyone should be insured. Everyone should be able to afford the healthcare they need and anyone with preexisting conditions shouldn't be denied coverage period.

Any reasonable opponent of Obamacare would probably agree with those statements, they just don't believe government should be a part of the solution. Fair enough. They are naturally suspicious of the federal government and fear the system may be abused by politicians who will mismanage funds and by those who don't contribute to society. After all, why should my premiums go up because someone who has had two triple bypasses can't get his lazy ass off the couch or lay off the bacon flavored lollipops?

I wish I could make a living talking out of my ass

The majority of the people who make those points are the same people who donate their time and money to charity on a regular basis and the same people who would gladly help a neighbor in need. I say this to underline the fact that those who don't share your point of view aren't necessarily idiots or monsters despite what talk radio says. We live in a time when the conversation is dominated by those who care more about stirring the pot than actually solving problems. They are not John Waynes or Jimmy Stewarts, they are the Liberty Valances of the world.

If I have a point its this: with the election season heating up we need to realize that at the end of the day we all need each other to solve the problems we face. We need the John Waynes of the world for they see our society for what it is, flawed. We need the Jimmy Stewarts of the world for they see what society can become.