Sean Astin offered 'Lord of the Rings' words of peace in response to Orlando shooting
The tragedy that befell Orlando early Sunday morning, in which at least 50 people died, left many unable to comprehend such acts occurring in our everyday lives.
The sheer brutality and disregard for human life took away the words from many. Actor Sean Astin wanted to grieve publicly for Orlando and found the words to do so in his own work.
Astin, perhaps best known from his turn as Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings, offered up a bit of solace Sunday, using inspiration taken from that very character. He posted a photo and a short bit of dialogue on his Facebook page from the second movie in the trilogy, The Two Towers.
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Here is the message that Astin posted:
FRODO: I can’t do this, Sam.
SAM: I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy. How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened.
But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. Because they were holding on to something.
FRODO: What are we holding on to, Sam?
SAM: That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.
That "good in this world" is already apparent in the outpouring of support and solidarity to those in Orlando and in the many ways that have been set up for people to help those left injured.
And seeing how his message was already shared more than 30,000 times, it's clearly resonated with many.
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I have done neat stuff all over these United States from sailing lessons on the Puget Sound to motorcycle maintenance on the backroads of upstate New York. My professional experience extends from newspaper reporting in the mountains of Eastern Oregon to fixing espresso machines throughout Kentucky. I also have kept a cat alive for 10 years.
