Broccoli and Green Peppers... Not Going to Happen!

It was 1977...a long time ago, in a theater far, far away... a kindly old man with sparkling blue eyes calmly uttered the words that ignited a fire in my imagination. For over a thousand generations the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times. Before the Empire.

The Jedi. The Force. The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, penetrates us, it binds the galaxy together.

All my life I'd struggled with the inability to have faith in anything I couldn't see or touch. I accepted the possibility of almost anything being possible, but while not disbelieving, I couldn't accept anything on blind faith.

So there before me was the idea of a higher power that one could touch, and feel and use... and heroes with the power to do wonderful, good things...to protect and serve, so to speak. That kind and wise old man sacrificed his life to save others, and he did it without fear or regret.

Then came Master Yoda. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. Yoda taught us that anger, fear and aggression were bad, and the power of the Force should only be used for good. The idea of inner peace was irresistible.

Then a mature, heroic Luke Skywalker saved Darth Vader from the dark side and caused the destruction of the evil Emperor. The Empire crumbled; people were freed, good triumphed over evil. A Jedi was willing to die for what he believed in. I went to see the movie over and over because it made me feel so good.

At my workplace, we tagged anyone who was particularly good at their job as being '"Jedi." We kept a Yoda figure on the computer so the Force would be with us! When I was calm in a crisis, my boss would say I was like a cool breeze of the Force.

The Jedi are heroes. I like my heroes to be good guys. Is it some damn fool idealistic crusade? Possibly. But it's fiction. It's a fantasy world. It gives us hope that good things can happen, even in the face of evil. I'm quite cynical in real life; I don't need it in my entertainment.

So, what do have against the Mandolorians? Nothing in general. I see them in the GFFA along with Bothans, Duros, Hapans, Mon Calamarians, Ithorians, Sullastans, etc. Each could be the basis of an interesting story, but none of them are a major part of the story line like the Jedi are. (The Clone Wars story line would have been the same if the clones had been Corellians or Chandrilians or some previously unheard of group, so don't even go there.)

What I don't like is having them shoved in my face at every possible opportunity. They just aren't that important. They're like broccoli... not particularly pleasant, but an occasional change of pace from string beans... but I don't want an entire head of it, and I don't want it at every meal. It's boring.

And, I don't see why it has to be served with such anti-Jedi sentiments. That's like green peppers... no apparent nutritional value and they leave a bad taste in my mouth. And, I'm certainly not going to make heroes out of the traitorous, murdering clones; nor do I care to revere bounty hunters and mercenaries who sell themselves to the highest bidder without loyalty to anyone but themselves.

So, I'm narrow-minded because I know what I like and what I don't like? I don't think so. At this point in my life there's very little that I have to do that I don't want to do. I read enough stuff I didn't like while I was in school; I see no reason why I should do so now for entertainment. I don't enjoy it; it offends me, and makes me angry.

And a Jedi has no use for anger... Fan your flames up someone else's chimney.