Although JFK was set in the past and the real life event of his assassination is over the message of this movie still applies to us today, in my belief more than ever. Yes, JFK assassination is shrouded in mystery and could have been a conspiracy; however, the message I took away from this is to search for the truth in everything and how the seemingly smallest thing can lead you to the truth. Today confusion, lies, and deception are everywhere and the real truth isn’t to easy to find. People misconstrue or manipulate something in order to show you what they believe whether they do it purposely or not. This is not to say that withholding the truth isn’t necessary sometimes, like when Obama set out to kill Bin Laden. All this movie did was make me want to find out the truth more in things and how the truth is harder to find than one would think. And that point is what I believe to be the worst part of society today, that the truth is not right in front of you. Which brings me back to my original point of this movie sending a relevant message to us today, the truth is worth searching for.
I agree with your comments on the importance of searching for truth in a society where our beliefs are so easily manipulated by the media and by politicians with agenda’s of their own.
I think that our post 9/11 society is less focused on arriving at the truth and more focused on maintaining a perceived sense of security. We are more inclined to relinquish our rights and to happily consume the information that is fed to us, the assumption being that our government is best-suited to deal with most issues. When events like 9/11 take place, along with a whole host of other atrocities that have occurred since then, I think its easier to adopt more of an ‘ignorance is bliss’ mentality. We can’t possibly hope to be informed of the in-depth mechanics that mediate the complex politics of both domestic and international issues. Its deeply unnerving to imagine all of the attempted acts of terror that have been foiled by our government, as well as those that will inevitably take more lives on American soil in the years to come. Its easy to step back and try to ignore things that we have no control over. However, as history has taught us, society can not become complacent in its scrutiny of government. To accept things as they are is to invite the corruption and manipulation that thrive in the absence of criticism and informed evaluation. Oliver Stone’s JFK definitely centers on these themes and invites the public to form their own opinions while holding those in power accountable for providing the truth. The ideas presented in JFK are not in any way dated; they will continue to be relevant in the context of any political setting. Human nature dictates that there will always be individuals in power who seek to benefit from the ignorance and suffering of those below them. Its our duty to be informed, educated and vigilant as American citizens. It is only through these practices that we can hope to maintain any kind of democratic liberties for generations to come.