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The other night I watched a great movie from 1966 called "Born Free". It was a true story about a how a couple raised a Lioness, Elsa, and released her in the wild when she reached maturity. The story begins in Kenya when a a British game warden named George Adamson is tasked in hunting down a "Man eating Lion". George kills both Male and Female lion orphaning 3 cubs that he brings back to his wife Joy. Joy ends up favoring the runt of the litter, Elsa and build a special bond. The Adamsons tend to the three orphaned lion cubs to young lionhood, and, when the time comes, the two largest are sent to the Zoo, while Elsa remains with Joy. One day, Elsa frightens Elephants into stampede that destroys a village. John Kendall, The Adamson's boss gives the couple a few months to either release Elsa back into the wild, or send her to a zoo. Joy strongly apposes sending her to a zoo because she believes because Elsa was born free she should live free. They try and acclimate her to the wild with no success. She had been fed all of her life and was unable to catch food on her own. One day the Adamsons decided to leave Elsa alone in the wild for a week to see if she would get hungry enough to hunt on her own. The returned a week later to find an emaciated Elsa. They go-on through dialog which is the subject of this review: Joy Adamson: Elsa, Elsa [Joy cries sitting out on the hood of the truck as they ride in search of the young lioness] George Adamson: Let's try this. [2 shots ring out from his gun. George sees Elsa stumbling through the grass, approaching their vehicle] Joy Adamson: all my nightmares had come true. [Now Elsa rests in their tent as they argue over her] George Adamson: ...she can't make it. she can't think. she can't mix with her own kind... She can't do anything the wild animals do to survive. You've done too good a job on her. You've made her tame. It's too late to try to let her go wild now. All we're doing is making her miserable, torturing her. How could you be so cruel? Joy Adamson: You keep quiet George. George Adamson: I don't know what goes on in that head of yours anymore... What's wrong with a zoo, anyway? Joy Adamson: nothing. Except that she won't be free. George Adamson: and Is freedom so important? Joy Adamson: yes, yes, she was born free and she has the right to live free. Why don't we live in a more comfortable setting George? Other people do. We chose to live out here cause it represents freedom for us. Because we can breathe. George Adamson: Joy, tell me the truth. You just don't want to give her up. What you're really hoping is that she can stay out here, wild, but not too wild. That you can see her every now and then. Joy Adamson: it's not the whole truth. But I don't deny I'd like it. George Adamson: it's impossible. It cannot happen. Joy Adamson: ...at least she would be free. At least she wouldn't be in a cage for the rest of her life. George Adamson: even if she gets herself killed in the process. Joy Adamson: [stroking Elsa's leg] I'd never forgive myself I suppose. [Joy narrates] Joy Adamson: although at one time we were afraid she'd die, Elsa did recover. And when she did, she seemed somehow different. By different she was able to make her first kill and was now able to feed herself.... She was then freed! When I listened to this dialog I could only think of our current welfare state. The government, with intent to "help the poor orphans", takes away peoples ability to "hunt" and provide for themselves by making them more or less like a domesticated Animal that depends on the Master for food. Take the the American Indian community for example, at one time they rode the plains free hunting and farming, now they have been living on reservations for the last century collecting government checks and losing their culture of strength and self sufficiency. Childhood Obesity and Heart disease has become prominent in Indian communities. It is likely that this generation of children will die before their parents. These are all detriments of the inability and loss of desire to "hunt" ... Thanks to 200 years of guilt! Way to go Welfare State! Much like how dogs have been domesticated; people on government aid lose their desire and ability to provide, and willingly step inside cage that leads to the domestication of a once proud, industrious, and free species. "Born Free" is a good movie for the whole family, especially children enjoy. The movie is currently on Netflix if you want to see it.