2012-The Grapes of Wrath

"Wherever they's a fight so hungry people can eat, I'll be there. Wherever they's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there... I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad an'—I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're hungry and they know supper's ready. An' when our folk eat the stuff they raise an' live in the houses they build—why, I'll be there."

Tom Joad, p.439

Thank God that we have such a movie now carved into our digital archives to reference in such compelling fashion a true human message which seems to inevitably fall out of popular favor every few generations, as the voices of the wealthy slowly grow louder until the voice of the masses is just a whisper.

Tell the young people to watch this movie and to learn the history and know the truth of it. I say watch the movie rather than read the novel foremost because the author John Steinbeck agrees. He too saw the wisdom of Ford and Zanuck's decision to reorder the chain of events in the novel for the film to remind us of his central message that through unity we can persevere and prosper.

The story of the movie's creation is uplifting as well. Producer Darryl F. Zanuck, head of 20th Century Fox, was a conservative anti-union 'One Percenter' of his time, so to speak. Yet he was so moved upon reading the novel that he immediately began negotiations with Steinbeck for the rights. Steinbeck questioned Zanuck forcefully about his intentions of representing the true reality and harshness of the novel. Zanuck told him that he had already sent private detectives to Oklahoma to confirm the veracity of the tragic conditions of poverty and desperation in the migrant worker camps as described by Steinbeck; Zanuck told him that the detectives proved the novel to be accurate.

Director Ford and Producer Zanuck  were wealthy conservatives and yet Steinbeck said after seeing the film that he felt the reality of his novel was so well captured that he felt at times that he was watching a documentary.

This film is a potent reminder to all Americans and especially to young people and wavering liberals, of how far we've come and how much we've gained, and to fight for what we've lost, and most importantly, never ever quit trying. The story of the making of the film reminds us all to change bad laws and not to hate rich people. For surely, this film, made by the rich, helped the poor.

Yes I stand for higher taxes on the rich. It's their fare share and is shown to be so by our history of taxation during times of necessity in the USA. But I am very proud of the American person of great wealth who stands with us, the masses, in times of need. Buffet, Gates, Jobs, Soros...I love them. Along with the rest of...us.

The United States is not Republican and Democrat. We are a mongrel nation which has become great through unity and respect and love.