Sith vs. Jedi

Star Wars is my favorite movie of all time. I remember very vividly seeing the movie on a Sunday afternoon when I was six years old. My family saw the movie at Cobb Center theater and it rained while we were in the theater. That night at church I told all my friends about the movie. It made an impression.

In the original trilogy I was amazed by the Jedi. They were a cross between wizards and Samurai. A mixture of knights and magic re-wrapped in a sci-fi setting. I wanted to be Luke Skywalker and pilot a X-wing. The Jedi were the good guys. But early on there were a few disturbing things about the Jedi. In The Empire Strikes Back we learn that the Jedi are truth challenged. Obi wan lied to Luke about his father. In Return of the Jedi, we find out that for the Jedi truth is a matter of perspective. But those were minor concerns. The Jedi were cool.

Then came the revisionist history of the Prequels. I was actually excited when the announcement was made for the movies. We would finally see the power of fully trained Jedi at the height of their power. Unfortunately we also got Jar-Jar (a member of a race that can manipulate energy fields, but cannot master proper communication). From the prequels we learned some significant truths about the Jedi. Truths that led me to root for the Sith.

The Jedi live in a world of moral relativism. Truth does depend upon the point of view in their world. They do not wish to eliminate the Dark Side, only to bring balance to the force. They can not possess anything, but are supposed to give up everything. They take monastic vows and purge themselves of anger. They fight only to protect and defend. What a happy, fuzzy world - galactic hippies.

Arrogance blinded them it did. Qui-jon could have saved the Jedi a great deal of trouble had he heeded the council's warnings about training Anakin. Obi wan could have prevented a great deal of strife by saving Anakin's mother at the first convenient opportunity. Instead a small child is told, "Hey, let her go. Get used to it. It's the Jedi way to abandon family. Don't make attachments."

Perceptive they were not. The Jedi were so confident in their abilities that they let Dooku roam free for years. They could not detect the presence of a powerful Sith Lord right in their midst. And they didn't know they had a contract for an army of clones built from a questionable character.

Also consider: The only one who ever told the truth to Luke was Lord Vader. Obi wan lied to him. Fear and anger are only on the Dark Side. However, Obi wan looked somewhat angry when he avenged his master's death. Mace Windu was not calm and collected when he faced Darth Sidious. Yoda yielded to his anger during his fight with Darth Sidious - it was the only way he could hold his own. It was a Sith Lord that destroyed the Emperor, saved the last Jedi and brought balance to the force.

I deal in absolutes. Fear, anger, aggression - these are a part of being an SEC fan. Romance, passion and relationships are not a part of the Jedi handbook. Thus, no way I want to be a Jedi. Sith also understand true human nature. Plus, Sith were represented with Dark Chocolate M&Ms. Sith costumes are far better - I prefer black over earthtones. And who wouldn't want to shoot lightning from their hands?

So, join me on the dark side. We have cookies.