Is Adam Putnam Pretending to be Mike Wellington from The Stepford Wives?

If you haven't seen the video of Adam Putnam announcing his run for governor, here it is. He does a great job of broadcasting his candidacy.

Let's also congratulate Adam Putnam for his candidacy as the Florida Governor. He has been working very hard in the political arena for a very long time. He is also a long time Floridian, as am I. So it is nice to see him finally get this opportunity. Plus, he seems to be a Christian. That is always cool with me. Let me also add that I was looking forward to hearing what he had to say. I was hoping I would be able to support him. I wish him well.

Now that we have that out of the way....

The Stepford Wives

His speech is so interesting because he presents a 2017 version of the 2004 movie The Stepford Wives. in case you haven't seen movie let me give you some video clips that encapsulate the gist of the movie.

And my personal favorite....

The movie brings the viewer back to the 1950s (imagine Leave It to Beaver if you will). When men and women had their own separate roles. When whites and blacks had their own separate parts of a town. On a deeper level, the film also points out how boring life would be if only men ruled the world. It also provides a comedic approach to what can happen when one group of people dominants everyone else.

In his speech, Mr. Adam Putnam provides a similar story for what Florida could be if he became governor. Case and point is in his opening lines. He says, "Some people say this doesn't happen anymore. Flags flying. High school bands playing. Prayer on the court house steps. WW2 veterans and children standing shoulder to shoulder." It is tough for me to deny this beautiful picture. This image reminds me of the 1950s and 60s. It reminds me of the type of house Mike Wellington would live in. Despite the beauty of the picture, it isn't reality anymore in the 21st century. For some people that have lived in America all of their life, this has never been there reality. W A true leader creates a picture for everyone, not just a privileged group.

Space Program of the 50s and 60s

Mr. Putnam continues his speech by reminding everyone present about Cape Canaveral. This is where space missions took off from during 50s and 60s. This includes the notorious Apollo mission that landed a man on the moon. What a great achievement for the people of America! We have gained so much in terms of science and technology as a result of these space mission. However, I don't want to go back to that time. I don't want to go back to the 1950s and 60s. I like my iPhone. I would like to keep it.

Putnam and Education 

He continues his speech by explaining how Florida will get good jobs. He says "We need a well educated workforce." and "we need 3rd graders that can read and write." He presents his description of what it means to be educated. His number one priority is reading and writing. A well educated workforce only needs those skills. (Of course I disagree) By only focusing on one subject area, it is easier to control what is taught. This also prevents those pesky kids from exploring other areas of learning. This includes, but is not limited to the following: math, science, engineering, chemistry, history, art, video production, theater, dance, spoken word, music, calligraphy, and the list continues.

Once again, Mr. Putnam is reminding me of The Stepford Wives. In the movie, all of the women (or subordinates) are programmed using a computer chip. The women were programmed so that they would all serve the same purpose (please the husband). Mr. Putnam is behaving the same way as Mike Wellington. He is encouraging students to only be strong at reading and writing. Just like the infamous Mike Wellington, Mr. Putnam does not value diversity . The only way to tackle extraordinary achievements (such as the space missions) is by tapping into the diversity of our each American. We must use all of our strengths in order to succeed. Just like in 1 Corinthians 12 were Paul mentions that the body of Christ is made up of many parts, we are all Americans made up of many parts. Every parts is needed.

"To give each parent the right to chose the right education for their child." - Mr. Adam Putnam 

The only way to achieve a society similar to the one in The Stepford Wives, is for citizens to be segregated (similar to the 1950s and 60s). The best way Mike Wellington, I mean Mr. Putnam can segregate a society is by allowing middle-class families the ability to leave the public school system and its' marginalized families. How are we supposed to work together if we are segregated?

Army of People

In case you (the reader) are not sold that Mr. Putnam, as a leader, does not support public education and the people involved with it, allow me to further develop my argument. Later in his speech, he praises the military and first responders. (I also support them as well as other industries.) He even goes so far as to say, "Let's give all of our military and first-responders a round of applause." No teacher and no public school employee was given a round of applause. We were only told that there are problems with education.

Toward the end, Mr. Putnam says, "I need you on my team. You are my day one supporters. You need to tell your friends, your neighbors, your classmates, your colleagues...." - Don't worry Mr. Putnam, I'm taking care of that right now. I am trying to tell everyone!

Final Thoughts

I am very concerned with how Mr. Putnam is advertising himself as a potential leader of the great State of Florida. As a potential leader he is not open to the diverse population of our state. I have made that abundantly clear. We must stand with and for a leader that has love and compassion for everyone as we have been called to do. We must stand with a leader that will fight for and represent all people of the State of Florida.