What do abortions and cruise ships have in common? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. You probably thought it was a set up for some twisted joke, but no. The only sick, twisted joke is us really. People who like to cast their judgements onto others because what someone else is doing does not fit their lifestyle. Pro-lifers, Anti-LGBT, or even that one women that yells at the Chinese woman for talking to her Chinese friend in Mandarin Chinese to "Speak American!" because they are in America. The cognitive dissonance that results with a hypocritical person is often left ignored. When does a facebook post of "Live and let live, we're all God's children" become "You can't do that because it is against my religion."
Where's the line?
A simple question calls for a simple answer. It's where ever they damn please. Because the same person defending Mario Salcedo for his different lifestyle online, can be the same person who berates women as they walk into the planned parenthood clinic. But wait, who is Mario Salcedo? Well, he is the happiest guy in the world. Mario Salcedo, aka Super Mario, is a man who has not step foot on mainland in 20 years. Since before I was born, he has been hopping from cruise-ship to cruise-ship, enjoying his catered life out at sea. He doesn't have to cook or clean or do laundry. He has "Eliminated all those non-value added activities" as he says. As Mario is talking about how he loves his life, how he is the happiest guy in the world, the happiest person in the world, the music begins building up, the bass is getting louder and Mario begins a little chuckle. But almost immediately, like whiplash, Mario takes a 180 spin and he finishes by saying "(While) Being alone". Mario stops talking, stops laughing, the music stops playing, and across a large dining table you see Mario at the head of the table sipping a glass of wine. The table is set, but the wine glasses are turned over. Not only is there no one else there with him, but there are no signs of someone there before the shot. And there probably wasn't be someone there after. Why is it the Lance Oppenhiemer, the maker of the documentary, decided to put this scene in? Many comment that it was his way of judging Mario's lifestyle. Doubting that he was the happiest guy in the world but I disagree. I believe it was to spark thought and conversation. Questioning whether or not what Mario says is what he actually feels. But many people say "If he says he is happy, then he is happy. If he wasn't he wouldn't stay". This what they say to this man and his choices. Once again, that "Live and let live" mentality that people love to go on about when it is convenient. But when it comes to a woman's choice of having an abortion.
How hypocritical.
Because when a woman wants to have an abortion, it becomes a socio-political issue that must be debated and decided upon by anyone and everyone else besides the woman herself. Even though the United States Supreme court has cut and closed this debate in 1973 in the landmark case that abortions were indeed a constitutional right and that laws against a woman having an abortion were illegal and unconstitutional. But that didn't stop Louisiana, and many other Conservative Republican states from passing every restriction they could think of in order to prevent a woman from having an abortion. From force closing several planned parenthoods, to where the closest one is 50 miles away, to limiting insurance coverage on the operation, meaning many of which have to pay out of pocket. Actually getting the abortion is harder then deciding to have the abortion itself. Women, who are not named, are interviewed on their stories. One was raped and got pregnant, one is just too young to be a mother, and one is already a mother, but believes that having a second child is not only unfair to the second one, but to the first one as well. These women forced to not show their face are in order to protect themselves are outcasts in their towns, families, peers simply because they know they can not take care of the baby they are growing. They know what is best for themselves, but that simply isn't good enough for many people. It is illegal to face jail time for having an abortion, but feeling like a prisoner in your own home, because leaving the house results in nasty stares, and horrible comments are perfectly within the rights of others. So when someone says "Live and Let live" 90% of the time, you know they don't mean it.
This was a very interesting to read! The way you connected these two op-docs was truly creative and I thought they fit very well together. Also, I liked how well you conveyed your message, it can really make you think about the hypocrisy you might have in your own views.
ReplyDeleteThe story of the man on the ships, calling himself the "happiest man alive" really presses question about what people really want nor need to remain happy. I mean yes I understand that everyone has their own happiness'sin life, but for me it would be hard to not step a foot on land for that amount of time. I do find it interesting that this is his livelihood,but honestly it could never be me.
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