QUARANTINE ART IMITATES LIFE

I was watching one of my favorite classic TV shows. Suddenly the plot line seemed eerily relevant. 

Once again, ornery, armed mountain man Ernest T. Bass was causing trouble for the Darling family. Not wanting to take matters into their own hands, they sent for the law. Andy asked why Mr. Darling and his sons couldn’t subdue Ernest T. themselves. “We thought about killing him, but we hate to have to go that far.” Ernest T. came out of hiding and taunted and harassed them. “Take a shot at him, Sherriff. You got a legal right”, Briscoe said. 

It was all fun until Ernest T’s behavior began to annoy them; until he began threatening their safety, breaking their windows, and keeping up commotion in their neighborhood. One of their own had gotten out of hand and something had to be done. 

Whenever that happened in Mayberry, Barney was always ready to put his one bullet into his gun, and “Nip it in the bud”. Andy, however, never ignoring or encouraging illegal or immoral behavior, always had a wise, non-violent lesson and solution. He never shied away from correcting his own, or calling out injustice or error, even if he stood alone. He believed in consequences—primarily at home. Setting a good example for his son was important; so was admitting when he was wrong. Opey couldn’t help but be a compassionate, principled, even-tempered, honest, fair, helpful, civic-minded kid. His father was. 

It was fiction, but it taught a relevant truth: Children learn what they live. 

Look at the son’s face. He is bewildered. He can’t believe it. He was arrested, probably by people he knew. Didn’t his father tell him that everything was okay; that what they did was their duty? Didn’t they share a beer and have a good laugh about it? Haven’t they had over two months to craft a narrative? What happened? Didn’t his dad assure him that nothing would come of it—just like all of the other times? Didn’t his dad drill into him that he was superior, a true American, more precious to God, and above the law? Could it be that everything he was ever taught by his elders throughout his entire life, concerning his fellow man, was ignorant, backward, sick, twisted, and wrong? Where is his mom? What is she going through? Who’s going to guide him and be his hero now? He’s on his own. Who will save him? What stories could he tell; what open cases could he help close in order to avoid a harsh sentence? Is he feeling any remorse or simply stunned that they will have to answer for the crime they thought was sport?
I don’t know why, but I pity people who could have had such different lives if not for the misguidance of their parents.