not I not I not I

I think this is true of all online social media, but the amount of bad asses on YouTube is really quite amazing.  This is evident on movies like Storm of the Century.  If you are not familiar, that's the Stephen King teledrama where an island community is terrorized by a wizard/demon/evil spirit (Andre Linoge) during a blizzard, forcing them to make the choice between: a) giving the evil wizard one of the town's children, and b) all dying, including the children (well, presumably.  They all believe this will happen because the evil wizard certainly seems to be capable of it).  In the story, the town decides by majority vote on Choice A.  Through random draw (maybe) the evil wizard takes the child of the one guy (Mike) who wants to do Choice B (while his wife Molly agrees on Choice A).  It's all very sad and tragic.  The narrative is sympathetic to everyone involved, and takes pains to explain why the townspeople made Choice A, even though it's the wrong choice.

But YouTube users want you to know that they would NEVER HAVE MADE THIS CHOICE NEVER EVER:

• I would have stood along with Mike. Good always wins out. The townspeople should have all taken a stand against the evil.
• I would walk off the end of the earth before I gave a kid away to demon
• i cant believe that these people would do something like that
• michael anderson you are the man!!! his stupid ass cunt wife didnt even stand behind him that shows you that she didnt love her son that hard. respect to michael at least your son will know that you stood behind him and these people are so stupid
• At least Michael did try to get his son out of this like any good father will.
• I`d say, better to all die there and then with the possibility of all going to Heaven, rather than living longer but knowing you sent a child to Hell.
• i would of took my child and left too he had a gun i would of shot my way out and she needs a good slap
• i would prefer let die my child and let it go with God to heaven, that play with his future might become the son of the devil!! that molly is an asshole
• Weak townspeople!!
• no way someone would take my kid without killing me first
• Fucking cunt Mollie. Of course it was fixed you dumb bitch. Mike should have fought harder and took his son before that queer Lenoge asked if they made their decision yet

I have to say, I have trouble believing them.  Yeah, of course there are a (very) few people like Mike around.  The great majority of us are not like Mike (and I think that's the whole point of Storm of the Century: how easy and common it is to make the wrong choice, how much easier it is to see things clearly in hindsight, when the stress and insanity of the moment is gone!).  I get that we all want to think we're the one exception to the rule, just like all our children are above average here on Lake Wobegon, but I do not think the point is that this town is just wretched and evil for choosing Choice A.  The town is excruciatingly normal and human.  We fit that definition as well.  Like my favorite quote from "Courage" goes, "The human tragedy consists in the necessity of living with the consequences."  See also the chorus: "Courage, it didn't come, it doesn't matter/ Courage, couldn't come at a worse time."  Here, just have the damn song.

I'd even go so far as to say Not In My Back Yard tough guy antics actually make people more susceptible to the moral trickery that Andre Linoge sets in motion... it's so dogmatic, so self-assured for no good reason, that it's like putting on blinders.

Anyway, this is ironic timing given that I saw the movie The Rapture last night, which resolves similar themes in a decidedly different way.