With Props to Ms. Devine

When I was in the 10th grade, I took Advances American History with one of the best teachers I ever had in public school. Her lessons were creative and enlightening and often fun. She is one of the inspirations I cite immediately when people ask why I am so good at dealing with teenagers. Anyway, one of the units we covered was Labor Unions (and for a 37 year-old to still remember her Sophomore history class this vividly should stand as an example of how wonderful this particular teacher was). We started with Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, continued through various accounts of the Triangle Factory fire, managed to tie in a field trip to Norman High's fall production of The Wizard of Oz because we had studied the book's allegorical themes of cooperation between farmers and labor union workers (as the author originally intended it) and we ended it with an edited viewing of Sally Field's first Oscar winning role, Norma Rae. There is an exchange in the movie between Norma and her family pastor that's always stayed close to my heart. I've always been able to recall it pretty closely to word-for-word, and it's been running through my mind a lot this past week. So, I thought I would share it here:
Norma Rae: How long I been comin' to this church, Reverend?

Reverand: Since you were a little girl.

Norma Rae: That's right. I accepted Christ when I was six years old, didn't I? Well, would you call me a good Christian?

Reverand: With a lapse or two, I'd say so.

Norma Rae: "With a lapse or two."...Would you call yourself a good Christian?

Reverand: That's for the Lord to say.

Norma Rae: I want this church for a unión meetin' next. Saturday. Blacks and whites sittin' together.

Reverand: This is a house of God.

Norma Rae: I'm waitin' to see whether it is or it isn't.

Reverand: You're comin' mighty close to blasphemy.

Norma Rae: I've come here and said I sinned and I'm sorry, and I asked for God to forgive me. I wanna see what this church stands for. I wanna see if you'll stand up and say there oughta be justice, a unión, and if you're smitten, rise and the Lord'll be on your side. And if you don't, then I say there ain't nothin' good for me in that church, and I'm gonna leave it flat.

Reverand: We're gonna miss your voice in the choir, Norma.

Norma Rae: You're gonna hear it raised up someplace else.

(Though, strictly speaking, I guess I have to side with the Reverand since you know how I feel about mixing church and politics. Still this has always touched me. And you know what the Reverand's real reasons were for denying her use of the building anyway.)

Then yesterday while driving home and listening to yet more Harry Potter, Hagrid gave me this gem:

" 'Never be ashamed,' my ol' dad used ter say, 'there's some who'll hold it against you, but they're not worth botherin' with.' An' he was right."

~Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire p. 456

Isn't it nice when I can't come up with my own posts, Hollywood and J.K. Rowling have stepped up to the plate for me so beautifully? I think so too. :)