Hate Statements About the Hunger Games

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

I am hearing a whole lot of anger filled statements about the Hunger Games. There are posts upon posts online about people not liking the fact that Rue was portrayed as a black girl. This confuses me. I don't understand why people allow skin color to get in the way of enjoying a great film, a great set of books, and an overall story that touched on much bigger issues than skin color.

The first point I want to make is that Rue is described as dark skinned girl in the book, so the choice of actor for this part is fitting. There is no need to get mad at the choice. Second, the producers of the movie are trying to make sure as many people as possible can relate to the story, so they want to provide as much diversity as possible when choosing their actors.

Another quote that I like comes from Yoda in Episode 2 of Star Wars. Yoda says, "Fear leads to Anger. Anger leads to Hate. Hate leads to Suffering." Hate does lead to suffering. in this case, unneeded suffering. It is a movie. A completed movie at that. It's not like the producers are going to go back and make changes just because people are complaining or nitpicking the film. Take the movie for what it is. If you don't like it, that is fine, say you don't like it, but keep the negative comments to yourself, especially ones that are going to stir up anger and hatred. Lets enjoy a movie for what it is, a form of entertainment.

May the Odds be Ever in Your Favor

"May the Odds be Ever in Your Favor"
~ Effie Trinket, The Hunger Games written by Suzanne Collins

Little did she know that she would be giving Katniss a small glimmer of hope, hope that she would survive the Hunger Games. Effie liked Katniss. She did not want to see the young player lose her life to the annual event. It happened every year and to win would mean to live a life of luxury and fame.

Katniss didn't want the money or the fame. What she wanted was to save her family from having to live in a world where children would be forced to play in a game that would kill all but one. Being close to Katniss, prepping her for what she was about to experience, Effie felt a bit of pain and expressed it the only way she knew how.

If you can keep this thought in your mind, Think: "The Odds are Ever in My Favor." you will find the ability to do anything. You can be the hero of your own story. You can find a way to survive in a world that would love to see you fail. I don't know why people want others to fail. If we helped each other succeed, more amazing things would occur, making our world a better place to live.

Think of ways to say this to other people. Most people say things like, "Have a great day." or SciFi fans might say, "May the Force be With You." Religious people might say, "God Bless." I find myself saying many times, "Drive Safely." I feel if people think about driving safely, they will be less likely to get into trouble while behind the wheel.