Dec 18 2008
We’re all “John Doe’s”
This evening, I sat and watched an old 1940’s movie Meet John Doe with my husband. As we watched the movie, it reminded viewers of being a good neighbor. Throughout the movie, the main character, John Doe, went around speaking and posing for media to promote this thing called “John Doe Clubs” where every citizen in every town in every state across the nation got to know their neighbor. During his first speech, he said:
To most of you, your neighbor is a stranger, a guy with a barking dog and a fence around him. Now you can’t be a stranger to any guy who’s on your own team. So tear down that fence that separates you…You’ll tear down a lot of hate and prejudices…I know a lot of you are saying to yourself: ‘He’s asking for a miracle!’ …Well, you’re wrong. It’s no miracle!…I see it happen once every year at Christmas time…Why can’t that spirit last the whole year round? Gosh, if it ever did - we’d develop such a strength that no human force could stand against it.
Today, you are John Doe. Stand up and greet your neighbor. If the fence is too tall, a little scary, that’s OK - you can go around it.
