Some perspective

An old video of Tom Cruise spouting scientology nonsense gained notoriety this past week, and I thought it needed mentioning. It is essentially a Church of Scientology propaganda film in which Cruise discusses things that Scientologists “can” do - and seems to be arguing fanatically against “Society.” Let me share some of the juicier tidbits with you:

“We are the authorities on getting people off drugs. We are the authorities on the mind. We are the authorities on improving conditions…We can rehabilitate criminals…We can bring peace…and unite cultures.”

And, better still, and the one that I take major issue with:

“Being a Scientologist, when you drive past an accident, it’s not like anyone else. As you drive past, you know you have to do something about it. Because you know you’re the only one that can really help.”

Wow.

What Cruise says is nothing new, he’s merely using different words to express the same ideal that the jihadists, fascist evangelicals, and kool-aid drinkers have been saying for decades; they have the answer and you’re wrong if you don’t agree (there’s no way any mainstream religion would possibly hold such a ridiculous policy…that if you believe something else, you’re wrong…is there?).

I don’t mean this article to be an attack on Scientologists or even religion…heck, since I don’t know everything I can’t claim that L. Ron Hubbard was completely wrong in writing his book thingy. But, what I can say is this: the next time you’re in an argument with a friend or a stranger, a co-worker or a colleague, a professor or an underclassmen, think about what’s spewing out of your mouth. Does it sound anything remotely like what Mr. Cruise says? Are you so closed-mindedly sure that you’re right that you’ll go to no ends to prove your opposition wrong? Are you spouting off numbers and figures to prove a point to somebody who isn’t listening/is a bigot/is a social retard/is incompetent/doesn’t give a damn (which, by the way, makes you look like an idiot)?

This week, Rose celebrated the life of a great man, the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a man who picked and chose his battles to such great success that the United States’s society radically changed and finally started to fulfill Jefferson’s intent in the Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal.” Dr. King did not fight every battle that crossed his doorstep. Instead, he chose which battles would have the most impact, those which were truly important to get across his point: the Birmingham protests in 1963, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and the March on Washington. Much like Ghandi, Dr. King understood the importance of a firm, even stand, and “fighting” on a higher plane (versus fighting everything that crossed his path like a caged animal).

So, my fellow Rose-Hulmanites, allow me to offer this piece of advice: as the quarter picks up, your stresses mount, and your brain becomes more frazzled, please, pick your battles - don’t let them pick you. Take the higher road. Become a bigger person. Learn to tell the difference between when it’s best to let something slide and when you really need to open your mouth. Believe me, if you think Tom Cruise sounds crazy, you sound just as bad when you fight over which codec is better, whether or not D&D should be considered a sport, or if the Master Chief will ever emerge from his coffin.