In the Bible there is a verse, I believe in Ezekiel, that asks, "Watchman, what of the night?". It certainly came to mind while viewing the movie, "Watchmen". This movie is a social, satirical, and philosophical commentary that speaks to us in several layers of meaning. It speaks loudly about the fact that those in leadership embody evil as well as good. There were flashbacks to the rationalizations used to justify Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I'm sure that the name Dr. Mahattan and the concept of the few dying to save the many was no accident. It is pathetic that, as was evident, creating a mutual enemy forces those that were warring with each other to cooperate against a nemesis in the interest of survival. If they can get along then, why not now?
The Comedian, a representative of irony, dies first. What happens if irony dies first? Do we stop seeing the warning signs in our lives? Do we become apathetic? Indifference to what goes on around us serves to make evil spin out of control and become more difficult to contain. The government wished to put a stop to anyone other than themselves being "keepers of the night", so legislated against the mask, which conveniently was the distinguishing mark of the Watchmen. Does this not ring a warning bell that when the citizen allows the government to be the sole guardian of society, that chaos results? It is our responsibility, as citizens, to accept the role of Watchmen in order to prevent evil as well as government from overtaking our lives. Who, may we ask, watches the Watchmen, the leadership of the country, or the groups that strive to power?
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