A/N: This is not really a story, but oh well.
It is an attempt at Juvenalian satire.
And now, I would like to rant about the children's series called Redwall.
Redwall is a children's series by Brian Jacques. It takes place in a fantasy universe, where, instead of humans, there are personified woodland animals walking around on two legs. They have medieval technology. Pretty cool, huh?
Too bad it hides something more rotten beneath. The sweet scent is always masking a foul, stinking stench, is it?
There are two species "groups" in this world: the woodlanders, and the vermin. The woodlanders consist of mice, squirrels, moles, voles, otters, hares, badgers, and hamsters. The vermin consist of rats, weasels, ferrets, stoats, wolverines, cats, pine martens, and a made-up animal called Wearat. And you will find that these species groups play a big role in the story, my friends. Oh yes you will.
For everything is decided by these groups. Everything.
I've noticed that, in this world, the "good" side and "bad" side are decided almost soley by the species groups. If it is woodlanders, it is 100% good, generous, never wrong, never evil, perfect, wonderful, pure, innocent, educated, wise, polite, etc.. If it is vermin, it is 100% evil, never right, never kind, evil, spiteful, crude, sadistic, doesn't care at all about others, murderer, uneducated, cowardly, rude, etc.. No exceptions, none at all. Your friends, enemies, side, personality, reputation, and your very life is decided by your species. Your species alone. No one gives a crap about your personality, thoughts, actions. Why should they? They only see your species, your surface. Because who gives a crap about equality and acceptance, huh?
I find that the woodlanders generally tend to be more judgmental than the vermin. The woodlanders stick to an iron belief that "all vermin are evil, evil, EVIL!" and if anyone says otherwise, that person is instantly scorned, laughed at, and called "immature, naive, too hopeful, etc." . So very accepting, huh? So very open-minded, right? Definitely behaviour worthy of such wonderful, pure, perfect little protagonists, yes?
For example, in the book High Rhulain, the main character accidentally murdered a rat who was unfortunate enough to be on the outside of their home's wall. The main character was sad at first (oh, I don't know, maybe because you just COMMIT MURDER, you bastard?), but her father told her that "all vermin are evil and deserve to die. Don't feel bad for those monsters." even though they didn't even know who the rat was. Right, go ahead. Go ahead and murder someone you don't even know just because of his species. Go ahead and judge him and call him a "monster that deserves to die" just because he is a rat. Go right ahead and be a racist jerk for all I care. All of you wonderful, pure, perfect little woodlanders don't care either, don't care at all. You can all watch murder without flinching. Why not go and become even bigger of a total jerk?
Another time, in the book Outcast of Redwall, a ferret died to save the life of his caretaker, who was a mouse. The mouse was sad at first, but then said "he was just a ferret. He probably wouldn't have done it if he knew he was going to die. After all, all vermin are evil". Yes, my friends. She said that. Yeah, go diss the person who saved your life. Yeah, go and dismiss his death like you are brushing off a fly, and claim you love him while you're at it. Yeah, go and judge him into oblivion because you can. Because you can, right? And all her dear little woodland friends called her "wise" for this. "Wise" for dissing the person who died to save your life, "wise" for talking of your "loved" one's death as if it held no more significance than the weather, "wise" for being so judgmental and disgustingly simpleton. But it's totally fine, right? Totally reasonable, yeah? After all, she is the protagonist, and everyone knows the protagonist is always right. And in her, the wonderful protagonist's, eyes, he's just vermin. Just vermin. Scum.
So, in this messed-up world, one's side, personality, friends, enemies, surroundings, and reputation is not decided by his/her actions or words. Those are ignored. Instead, one's very life in this "fantasy" universe is decided by his/her species and species alone. It doesn't matter how this person acts, how this person speaks, how this person thinks. If he/she is woodlander, he/she must be 100% good. If he/she is vermin, he/she must be 100% bad. Because why bother getting to know the person inside when you can just categorize them by their species? Why bother being equal when it is so much easier to judge? Why bother with equality and acceptance, two such cumbersome things? Why bother?
This, my dear friends, is more commonly known as racism.
Yes. Racism. Hear me now.
So how did something so disgustingly simplistic and idiotic end up between the pages of a children's book? I suppose the author wanted to create a simpler world, a black and white world. Simple enough so us uncomplicated, lesser, foolish little children would be able to understand. So we would be able to enjoy. So we would not be confused. So we would not have to think.
That is foolish.
If you really cared about us children growing up educated and smart and understanding, you would not try to censor everything for us. You would not try to simplify things so our "foolish little minds" would be able to understand. Children learn by seeing something more complicated than their brain understands (at first), but as we observe more and more, we come to understand it, thus gaining more knowledge. We do not learn by reading stuff that is oversimplified and racist. If you try to simplify everything for us, we will never learn anything, will we?
And the blatant racism in the series is bound to have a negative effect on children. This teaches children that it is okay to judge people based on race. This teaches children that it is okay for people of a certain race to die, because they are part of that race. This teaches children that the world is black and white, simple as hell, and everything is based on not their actions, not their words, not their thoughts and feelings, but their race and race alone.
But this is just my opinion. I just happen to think that you should not teach children to be racist. I just happen to be able to, oh, I don't know, think. That's just my opinion, okay?
Please don't kill me for having an opinion, my dear, judgmental friends.
A/N: Very bash-y indeed. The LawlClanners should be coming about...now.
