Good Quote

I was just flipping through some channels and saw
1) A U.S. Citizen's head being sawed off by a bunch of terrorist animals
2) U.S. soldiers abusing prisoners while laughing
3) U.S. soldiers involved in a bloody battle with a terrorist organization
4) The rapper eminem dancing around with a bunch of thongs and panties
5) A T.V. anchorman questioning a religious person's "right to conscious"

When faced with such depressing stories, I think its apt to reflect on the following passage from the Lord of the Rings:

"At first he could see little. He seemed to be in a world of mist in which there were only shadows: the ring was upon him. Then here and there the mist gave way and he saw many visions: small and clear as if they were under his eyes upon the table...Northward he looked, and the Great River lay like a ribbon beneath him, and the misty mountains stood small and hard as broken teeth...

But everywhere he looked he way signs of war. The misty mountains were crawling like anthillsL orcs were issuing out of a thousand holes. Under the boughs of Mirkwood there was deadly strife of elves and men and fell beasts. The land of the Beornings were aflame; a cloud was over Moria; smoke rose on the borders of Lorien.

Horsemen were galloping on the grass of Rohan; wolves poured from Isengard. From the havens of Harad ships of war put out to sea; and out of the east men were moving endlessly: swordsmen, spearmen, bowmen upon horses, chariots of chieftans and laden wains. All the power of the Dark Lord was in motion. Then turning south again he beheld Minas Tirith. Far away it seemed, and beautiful: white-walled, many towered, proud and fair upon its mountain-seat; its battlements glittered with steel.

Hope leaped in his heart. But against Minas Tirith was set another fortress, greater and more strong. Thither, eastward, unwilling his eye was drawn. It passed the ruined bridges of Osgiliath, the grinning gates of Minas Morgul, and the haunted mountains...Darkness lay under the sun. Fire glowed amid the smoke. Mount Doom was burning, and a great reek rising. Then at last he gaze was held: wall upon wall, battlement upon battlement, black, immeasurably strong, mountain of iron, gate of steel, tower of adament, he saw it: Barad-dur, Fortress of Sauron. All hope left him.

And suddenly he felt the eye. There was an eye in the Dark Tower that did not sleep. He knew that it had become aware of his gaze. A fierce eager will was there. It leaped towards him; almost like a finger he felt it, searching for him. Very soon it would nail him down, know just exactly where he was...he threw himself from the seat, crouching, covering his head.

He heard himself crying: Never Never! OR was it: Verily Verily I come to you? He could not tell. Then a flash from some other point of power there came to his mind another thought: Take it off! Take it off! Fool, take it off! Take off the Ring!

The two powers strove in him. For a moment, perfectly balanced between their piercing points, he writhed, tormented. Suddenly he was aware of himself again. Frodo, neither the Voice nor the Eye: free to choose, and with one remaining instant in which to do so. He took the Ring off his finger."