I have seen The Rainbow Fish in many family homes lately........I'm sorry, but that's pathetic. It's bad enough that our children are force-fed socialistic views at school, but then they come home and are inadvertantly brainwashed with such nonsense--the pretty pictures are the book's only redeeming qualities.
Here's the skinny: The beautiful fish we see to the left was envied by many other fish and sea creatures for its colorful scales. Basically the fish was coerced and manipulated to give its shells to everyone around it, because only then would the fish experience true happiness. Yes, sharing is nice.........but here's how I would have written the book:
I would tell all of the twerp beggar fish that you don't need stupid colorful scales to be happy!!!! The same thing goes for us--we don't need nice cars, the latest fashion clothes, or extensive plastic surgery to be happy. Why can't we just appreciate the gifts and talents we do have and realize our vast potentials? My kids are going to be taught that they are children of God and that no one can quantify their potential--and that it's okay if they aren't as gifted in something as somebody else.
Another way I would have written the book--the rainbow fish actually does end up giving all of his shells away, but it was because of charity--not because he was essentially forced by society to do so.
The Rainbow Fish is like the "Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors" story in reverse........who were the bad guys again? It MUST have been Joseph. Shame on him for having that coat!
Besides the "you're special even without pretty scales" message I'm trying to relate........I was also concerned that the pretty fish had to become ugly to be accepted and liked--what message is that sending out? This is communist stuff........pure and simple. If you agree with the reasoning behind The Rainbow Fish, please consider leaving the country--I appreciate my freedom too much.
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Though I do agree with the concept of being happy with what a person might or might not have, here is another question: what if I wanted a nice car and decided to work hard to get one? What if someone had a great talent I was jealous of and because of it, wanted to develop a new talent for myself? I think you meant that in saying, "...realize our vast potentials." I think by teaching that we are children of God, we are inheritently teaching that we should not settle for just what we have and that we should expect to live with that. It is about talent creation and development, skill sharpening and acquisition and happiness pursuing and refining. God wants nothing more.
The Communist way of governing is completely flawed if the expectation is that we must give all we have to level the playing field. It should be the other way around in that, all should enhance their stance in life to raise the playing level. More people need to buy into this concept Staff, or else you and I are screwed. This is why Romney needs the WHite House, he gets it. Now that Russia is playing the nuclear game again, I am freaked out.
The comment about sharing is of course what everyone hangs their hat on regarding this story. Most people probably feel that's what it's about. And that would be fine, except the other fish ostracize the Rainbow Fish because the RF has an innate specialness that they lack. They demand it through some sense of entitlement, and basically force the RF to give up its scales in order to "be friends". That is not sharing. It's jealousy. It's the root of what Rand wrote against in Atlas Shrugged. I think her head would have exploded if she knew we were raising our kids on these "innocuous" messages.
At least Pixar managed to get The Incredibles out there. How does the quote go? Something to the effect of: Saying everyone is special is another way of saying nobody is.