Living in The Matrix

"Do you want to take the blue pill or the red pill?" 

I'm a big fan of The Matrix. I own the trilogy and watch them often.  This was the question that Morpheus asked Neo.  Neo chose the red pill and it freed him from the Matrix.

The question for us today is are we living in a modern day matrix?   Have we become complacent and satisfied with self-gratification?  Have we allowed ourselves to be lulled into a false sense of security?

We have our houses, cars, careers, and all of the gadgets that we can possibly get our hands on. We have broken most of the barriers that existed in the sixties  We have leaders in almost all aspects of industry. We even have an African American president.  We also have ALEC, voter suppression, "Stand Your Ground" laws, and no reduction in Black on Black crime.

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We have made great strides in the last forty years.  We should feel proud of all our accomplishments and embrace our successes.  We should continue to press forward and achieve. We must also remember that there is much work to be done.  

"Dispersing information on a large scale quickly is no longer a challenge; a video clip can go viral virtually overnight.  We can leverage social media to promote social awareness and social responsibility.  We can create a place where information can be shared,  issues discussed, and programs promoted." [1]  

We live in an age of social media.  We have the means and technology to accomplish far greater things.  We need to understand the difference between social awareness and social responsibility. Websites like Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and others are vehicles that can be used to promote social awareness.  They will not make us socially responsible.  Have we allowed ourselves to be lulled into believing that by "liking" a facebook post or sharing a news article that we are being socially responsible?  What are we actually doing?

Social responsibility does not mean trashing the white man, it means cleaning up your own house. There are many areas where work is needed and there are many good people who are tirelessly working to get it done.  They need our help, they need our time, and they need our money. There are 730 hours in a month. Can we commit 4 hours per month to help them?

Morpheus: I know exactly what you mean. Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. What you know, you can't explain. But you feel it. You felt it your entire life. That there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there. Like a splinter in your mind -- driving you mad. It is this feeling that has brought you to me. Do you know what I'm talking about?
Neo: The Matrix?
Morpheus: Do you want to know what it is?
(Neo nods his head.)
Morpheus: The Matrix is everywhere, it is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window, or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, or when go to church or when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Morpheus: That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else, you were born into bondage, born inside a prison that you cannot smell, taste, or touch. A prison for your mind. (long pause, sighs) Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself. This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back.
(In his left hand, Morpheus shows a blue pill.)
Morpheus: You take the blue pill and the story ends. You wake in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. (a red pill is shown in his other hand) You take the red pill and you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes. (Long pause; Neo begins to reach for the red pill) Remember -- all I am offering is the truth, nothing more.
(Neo takes the red pill and swallows it with a glass of water) [2]

It's your choice. which pill do you choose?

[1] Welcome to the "Marketplace"
[2] The Matrix. written by Andy Wachowski & Larry Wachowski