One of my favorite movies of the past 10 years was that great epic trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, “The Lord of the Rings,” directed by Peter Jackson. Here, I will endeavor just to randomly cite some of the poignant scenes and episodes that were meaningful to me and draw an analogy or two about lessons we might learn as Americans as we struggle through our own battles with forces of evil: Sauron, Saruman and the ever-present Orcs in the Age of Obama.
The passage in question is from Part 2, subtitled, “The Two Towers.” In this scene the battle for Middle Earth has come to the outpost Kingdom of Rohan. King Theoden, realizing that his position is exposed against the massive overwhelming forces Sauron and his puppet, the corrupt wizard Saruman, will unleash, he feels compelled to move his people to the mountain fortress of Helms Deep.
Prior to their departure, the king’s niece, Princess Eowyn, is practicing her swordplay when our hero and future king of Rohan and Gondor, Aragorn, sneaks up to her from behind. Our Valkyrie-like princess (who secretly is in love with Aragorn) is not amused as her sword strikes his with force. At this juncture the following dialogue takes place:
Aragorn: You have some skill with a blade.
Eowyn: The women of this country learned long ago, those without swords can still die upon them. I fear neither death nor pain.
Aragorn: What do you fear, my lady?
Eowyn: A cage. To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them and all chance of valor has gone beyond recall or desire.
Aragorn: You are a daughter of kings, a shield maiden of Rohan. I do not think that will be your fate.
Eowyn: Women of Rohan learned long ago that those who do not hold swords can still die by them. I fear neither death nor pain.
Aragorn: Then what do you fear, my lady?
Eowyn: A cage. To live behind bars until all chances of valor and bravery have fallen beyond possibility and want.
First allow me to state emphatically that all lovers of literature should thank God that Tolkien wrote this great epic, “Lord of the Rings,” in the 1930s, 40s and 50s before the miserable, anti-intellectual hags of the feminist movement got their claws into this literary genius. Eowyn isn’t some myopic, shrill, angry caricature of a woman like Hillary Rodham Clinton, Michelle Obama, Sen. Barbara Mikulski, Rep. Maxine Waters, or Bella Abzug.
Eowyn is stunningly beautiful, yet not a shrinking violet. She needs no government program to affirm her gender. She earns her respect on the battlefield and through years of military practice. In Part 3 she will use subterfuge and cunning to disguise herself as a man so that she and her hobbit friend, Merry, will fight a pivotal battle while performing many valiant acts.
Eowyn said to Aragorn: The women of this country learned long ago, those without swords can still die upon them. I fear neither death nor pain. That one sublime line should put to shame any so-called pacifist or “conscientious objector.” History has repeatedly shown that when the savages have breached the wall they will not care about your race, gender, age, or if your conscientious objector status is current. Eowyn knew from experience in past wars that women, children and the elderly die upon swords just as easily as men. She would not become a hapless victim.
Sensing to delve more deeply into Eowyn’s psyche, Aragorn queries: What do you fear, my lady? Eowyn retorts: A cage. To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them and all chance of valor has gone beyond recall or desire. This is one of my favorite lines in the entire trilogy of Tolkien.
I wonder if we could turn back the clock on the World War II generation, could someone have convinced those brave Americans not to buy into the welfare of FDR’s “New Deal” programs, including Social Security and LBJ’s “Great Society” programs, particularly Medicare? Am I beyond to pale to suggest that reliance on the government for anything outside of Congress’ enumerated powers contained in Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution destroys our precious freedoms? Everyone who accepts “welfare” casts away a measure of their liberty forever and places himself in the “cage” Eowyn spake against, “until use and old age accept them and all chance of valor has gone beyond recall or desire.”
When I view the passion, anger and fury of the town hall meetings currently taking place all over America, I cannot help but hearken back 75 years ago to the advent of FDR’s “New Deal,” which turned out to be a Faustian deal with the devil. More and more of our God-given rights and liberties our forefathers bravely gave their lives to protect are laid at the feet of Big Brother government like nickels and dimes at the feet of a whore.
Is this what the Founding Fathers gave their lives and sacred honor to protect – universal death care, where some government hack can pull the plug on grandma?
Aragorn pressed Eowyn once more: Then what do you fear, my lady? Eowyn replied: A cage. To live behind bars until all chances of valor and bravery have fallen beyond possibility and want.
America, I truly believe that the World War II generation was one of the greatest generations of American history, yet their acceptance of FDR’s and LBJ’s Faustian bargains have led America to the precipice of bankruptcy and societal chaos. Their Achilles’ heel was fear. Fear and insecurity in part drove this generation. Fear of the bread lines of the Great Depression.
Progressives like Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, FDR, LBJ, Bush-41, Clinton, Bush-43 and Chairman Obama will always prey upon the primal fears of the people. Nevertheless, let us all be valiant like Eowyn; break free from the cages of welfare, universal health care, government-controlled Social Security, policies advocating the stealing of money from one group and giving it to another group who didn’t earn it, and let all Americans boldly face our destiny with courage, individual effort and the power of God.
