For a town that never existed, Mayberry seemed more grounded in truth than the real world is today.
Look no further than a 1961 episode of “The Andy Griffith Show” titled “Opie’s Hobo Friend.”
It’s about a likable drifter who becomes a bad influence on Opie, a young star of the show played by actor and director Ron Howard, according to the Mayberry Historical Society.
Things come to a head when Opie’s father, played by actor Andy Griffith, confronts the hobo and gives him a lesson that still rings true today.
The clip from the season 2 episode can be viewed on YouTube below.
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“Who’s to say that the boy would be happier your way or mine? Why not let him decide?” said the hobo, played by actor Buddy Ebsen.
“No, I’m afraid it don’t work that way. You can’t let a young’un decide for himself. He’ll grab at the first flashy thing with shiny ribbons on it,” said the protagonist, Andy Taylor.
“And when he finds out there’s a hook in it, it’s too late.
Is the trans movement finally on the retreat?
Yes: 67% (2 Votes)
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“Wrong ideas come packaged with so much glitter, it’s hard to convince ’em that other things might be better in the long run.
“All a parent can do is say, ‘Wait. Trust me,’ and try to keep temptation away.”
When David Browne (Buddy Ebsen) told Andy he should just let Opie ‘decide for himself’ how he wanted to live… Andy had these words of wisdom.
‘No, I’m afraid it don’t work that way. You can’t let a young’n decide for himself. He’ll grab at the first flashy thing with shiny… pic.twitter.com/ncSUW0vJBT
— Mike Netter (@nettermike) April 25, 2024
Taylor likely couldn’t have imagined how true his words would become, or how sinister the alternative of ignoring them could be.
The parents’ role in deciding what is best for their children has become supremely important given today’s woke ideological climate.
The public school system, medical institutions and the media at large have essentially taken the hobo’s position on parenting: “Why not let the children decide for themselves?”
This is especially true as the transgender movement has been pushed on minors by those in positions of influence over the last several years — advertised as a way to belong, to be ones true self, to even gain attention and acceptance.
But it’s up to the parents to reveal the hook underneath all those shiny ribbons, as Taylor admonished.
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