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Saving Private Ryan Again
We cannot go back and change history. History is remarkable in that it defines who we are today. But we can learn from it.
I swore I would never watch Saving Private Ryan again after seeing it the first time almost 20 years ago.
And I haven't until today when my husband had it on and I reluctantly sat down to watch it with him.
"Everyday, I think of what you said to me that day on the bridge and I tried to live my life the best that I could. I hope that was enough. I hope that at least in your eyes I earned what all of you have done for me".
Americans, everywhere, should hope that they have earned what all of them have done for us. All of those brave men and women, throughout time, who honored their committment to the ultimate sacrifice, and gave all of us the right to exercise our First Amendment right.
But today, I sometimes wonder if we haven't taken it all for granted..what they've done for us.
You see, it's not just enough to pay lip service to those who died keeping our country free. We must learn to live up to the reasons behind what it means to give up your life for your country and it's freedoms. And we need to live our daily lives honoring those who died by honoring each other.
Our country and it's people have been given so much and it is because of the blood so many have shed over so many years...over so many wars.
I hope that all of those deaths and all of that bloodshed hasn't been in vain and led us to the place where we are now.
A place, and a country, I hardly recognize anymore.
"Tell me I'm a good man"
- Saving Private Ryan Ending Scene - YouTube
Final scene in which Private Ryan, as an older man, sees the grave of Captain Miller and says to his wife, "Tell me I'm a good man."
Comments
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For the most part, I agree about not liking most war movies. However, while Ryan did deal with the horror of WWII, it also wove human interaction into the movie so that it wasnt just about war.
I was 20 years younger when I first saw it and now that Im 20 years older, I honestly think it impacted me differently.
Sallie, I am with yo on not wanting to watch "Saving Private Ryan" a second time. I haven't as yet, but I am teetering toward it. I am not fond of war movies to begin with, but when I watched the movie I sincerely had the deep feeling that I was there when it happened. That must have been because the movie was well made. I don't believe in reincarnation, though I felt a very strong presence. I wasn't born yet when that actually happened so who really knows. I just know how stromg the feelings were when they were hitting that beach. Thank you for the inspiring write.