Just Sayin'

A Bug's Life is coming to mind this morning. It is an animated cartoon and parable about conflict and resolution against an impossibly powerful adversary.

Flik is the ant; Hopper is the head grasshopper and Bully; Princess Atta is the neurotic Queen-in-Training.

For as long as anyone remembers, the ants have gathered enough food for the grasshoppers and the Colony.  When the story opens, Flik has just been cast out for his innovative ideas, one of which backfired so badly that the entire winter food stockpiles were lost in the lake.

The ant colony is frantic to gather enough food for themselves and the grasshoppers before they return for it, and Hopper has given them a grim ultimatim that if it is not ready he will squish the Queen.

The ants realize there is not enough food left to pick even if they had the time. If they give the grasshoppers all that is left the Colony will starve.

Prior to the grasshopper's return, a few of Hopper's underlings suggest they head somewhere warm and not return to the Colony at all. Hopper drowns the dissenting grasshoppers in a pile of seeds, with this reply...

Hopper: "You let one ant stand up to us, then they all might stand up! Those puny little ants outnumber us a hundred to one and if they ever figure that out there goes our way of life! It's not about food, it's about keeping those ants in line. That's why we're going back! Does anybody else wanna stay?"

And when the grasshoppers return, there is a big showdown between Flik and Hopper.

Hopper: "Let this be a lesson to all you ants! Ideas are very dangerous things! You are mindless, soil-shoving losers, put on this Earth to serve us!"

Flik:" You're wrong, Hopper. Ants are not meant to serve grasshoppers. I've seen these ants do great things, and year after year they somehow manage to pick food for themselves *and* you. So-so who is the weaker species? Ants don't serve grasshoppers! It's *you* who need *us*! We're a lot stronger than you say we are... And you know it, don't you?"

Soon, everyone climbs onboard.

Princess Atta: "You see Hopper, Nature has a certain order. The ants pick the food, the ants keep the food, and the grasshoppers leave!"

Just because it's always been that way doesn't mean it ought to be. Just sayin'.