American Jedi Page #9

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sexually, emotionally,

and mentally abused,

almost every single

day in the United

States Marine Corps.

It was so bad, for

four years, I literally

went to the Chaplin,

and I was like

I don't know if I

can do this anymore.

I think I need to be a

conscientious objector.

Because I can't defend

myself against this kind

of violence, and it crushed me.

I'm fighting guys who are three

times my size, and strength.

- So you'd have difficulty

in defending yourself,

you don't see that as

any kind of weakness?

- To be completely

honest, I would freeze.

- [Council Member] How

is that knight like?

- It's not.

There was a card that

was pulled, during mine,

that was greatly unfair.

If a random mugger,

a guy comes, yeah,

I'm gonna defend myself

against a random mugger.

But, in my experience,

it's never a random guy.

It's always somebody

that you know,

and it's not only

a physical attack,

it's a complete, and

total, mental terrorism.

I was a little

pissed though, man.

He pulled that sh*t

out, I was like...

(sighs)

- Opie Macleod was a

person who I heard about.

He was kind of like a

legendary character.

- For you, I think

the biggest thing

will be why the return.

Like, 'cause you have been

away from the community,

in one regards, for awhile.

Haven't been to gatherings

until pretty recently, and...

- Opie is sort of

part of an old guard

that's been around

for a long time,

those that were

involved in the online

activities, long

ago, know him well.

But he hasn't been

as active recently,

and so I think

those of us who are

newer to the online community

won't know him as well.

And so I think his

challenge will be proving

that he's a good

representative for our groups.

- You kind of get this build up,

and it's all part

of it, I suppose.

Walking in there, kind of tired.

Kind of frustrated, kind

of like what's going on?

You know, that's a part of it.

It kind of gets

you off your game.

- When you walk that

journey, you have

no idea whether you're

going to succeed or fail.

In fact, nobody knows.

You could fail.

It is a very real possibility.

- Well I present before

you, Opie Macleod,

and the reason I

believe he is a knight,

is he has done much

in the community.

He has been a long

standing member.

He has been around for

well over a decade.

He has been at

various academies,

and continues at the

Jedi Academy online.

He has presented

much curriculum,

and even a published

author himself.

- Opie, I would like

you to be able to make

a statement, as to

why you would like

to become a knight

in this order.

- Because it validates

a lifetime of work.

Not online, not done

through any sort of

misunderstandings,

but because they

see something of

quality, and where you're

going, and that you can

handle the responsibility

of that title, and

everything that it means.

- I know Hannigan

quite well, I've dealt

with him for a long

time, and in talking

with him, he said that

your story was just like

his, and you were just like him.

Tell me in what

ways that's true,

and in what ways

that's not true.

- [Council Member] That's

the best question all night.

- Okay.

I am like Michael

Hannigan in the sense

that there is a preceding

reputation with the name.

We both were kids, at a time,

who were hurt individuals.

We had very low

self-esteem, and what we did

is we covered that up

with this big bravado.

Of this...

Yeah, I'm a bad monkey.

I'm a bad man.

Watch out.

No one believed it,

we didn't believe it,

but that's alright, we

just kept going with it.

We're both skinny, white dudes.

(group laughs)

- If you sat on the

opposite part of the table,

if you were sitting there now,

what would you ask yourself?

- There was a time of

complete, utter loss,

and it was not too long ago.

I would ask...

And there was tags

along with that.

There was a little bit

too much of this in it.

Now at gatherings, my vacation,

you'll see one of these

in my hand at most times.

So if I was sitting

there, I would say,

dude you had a pretty

dark moment, where

that's all you did.

What are you still doing with

that bottle in your hand?

The answer, of course, being...

I went through some demons,

and had to face it,

and for me it wasn't an

absence, it was stability.

It was control, it was

learning to come to terms

with what had happened,

my own issues,

and the things that I

was using as a crutch.

And then to kick that

crutch out, and now

I get to laugh at it.

To me, this is laughing

at the dark side,

the weak side, the guy who

was down in the bottle, me.

(gavel pounds)

Thank you guys.

- [Council Member] Thank you.

(somber ambient music)

- [Opie] Jedi council

didn't end until something

like five, 5:
30 in the morning.

They decided to just wait

for the knighting ceremony,

and kind of do it as

one big group thing,

while everybody's

standing up there.

It's iffy 'cause

if you didn't pass,

do you really wanna be

standing in front of everybody,

in your nice getup,

all happy and excited,

and then they're like,

"Yeah, and you didn't pass."

- Now we're on our

way to find out who

actually passed, and who didn't.

(dramatic ambient music)

- Upon completion of the

trials of skill, flesh,

courage, mind and spirit,

displaying adequate

knowledge of the code, a Padawan

may then become a knight.

Michael Hannigan,

who has been around us

for a very long time,

and was a different

man, came from

a different side of

the tracks, and now

has proved that he can

become something better.

Next, we have Perris Cartwright,

who comes from a long time

of training, as a Jedi,

and now wants to be with us.

Opie, also a long term

member of the Jedi community,

and also has proved

to us that he has

earned his right amongst us.

Today we are here

to acknowledge what

the Force has proclaimed.

We are pleased to

authorize the knighting

of Opie, into the Jedi Order.

We are pleased to

authorize the knighting of

War Beauty, into the Jedi Order.

We are pleased to

authorize the knighting

of Reven Hannigan,

into the Jedi Order.

- I swear to act with

courage, and integrity,

in deeds, and in words.

- [Both] I will seek

knowledge and understanding.

- I will serve the Jedi

Order as best as I am able.

I swear to provide assistance...

- [Both] To those

who are in need.

- I will work for

justice, to relieve

the distress of the world.

This oath I give,

of my own free will.

- Bow.

I dub thee, Jedi Knight.

I dub thee, Jedi Knight.

I dub thee, Jedi Knight.

- We have given them

nothing, because

Jedi Knight is not a title.

It is not a gift,

it's something someone takes.

Something someone earns.

With hard work, and dedication.

But it is not a prize.

It is not a thing you

strive for, for recognition.

It is a job description.

It is saying that you

will stand up proud,

tall, capable, that you

will help the world,

and that while you will

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