Do You Know A Jake Spoon?

One of my favorite movies of all time is Lonesome Dove. My favorite character is Capt. Augustus "Gus" McCrae. I love Gus's sense of humor, his love of life, and his principle's. I also love Gus's qoutes...some I can't repeat.....

Gus is very fond of women, workless days, and "the pulling of the cork." Throughout the whole movie though, Gus has a standard of respect for others, the ladies, and the law.

One of the most interesting characters is Jake Spoon. Jake Spoon is also very lazy and loves women, gambling, and whiskey as does Gus. The difference between the two is Jake cares only for himself.... unlike Gus. Jake always takes the "easy way out".... which is most always the easy way out the door.

In a saloon playing cards with a bunch of outlaws, Jake follows the crowd or takes the easy out by riding along with the group. The gang of outlaws come across some farmers. They kill the "sodbusters", rob them, then hangs them, and then burns their hanging bodies. Jake, now Jake does not harm anyone, but he does nothing to stop the atrocities and continues riding with the outlaws in return for safe passage through the territory.

Gus and his business partner, Capt. Woodrow Call eventually catches up with the gang, along with Jake Spoon.... their friend and former fellow lawman. Gus and Woodrow hangs the murdering gang along with their friend Jake Spoon. Now Jake did not kill anyone, Jake did not rob anyone... Jake was no criminal.

Jake was guilty of one thing.... he was a follower and not a leader. Jake went along with the crowd. He offered no backbone, no objection to the killings, and no help for the victims. He simply turned his head and allowed for the evil to take place in exchange for his own selfish goals. Jake was hanged not because he committed the crimes, but because he refused to do the right thing and stop the crimes. His refusal to help the weak for fear of getting killed, still led to his death, and to the death of his own self-respect.

How many Jake Spoons do you know? Are you a Jake Spoon? Take time to think.... who is more to blame for the Holocaust, Adolf Hitler or those that turned their heads in exchange for temporary security and comfort?....in the ends they all suffered the same fate.

And that's the way I see it.......