Lessons Learned Series: Han Shot First

• Lettering

Han Shot First, the third piece in the Lessons Learned Series of paintings, quotes a controversy about who shot first, Han or Greedo, in the Mos Eisley Cantina scene in Star Wars Episode IV. In the original cut of the movie, Han—with unchecked aggression—shoots first, without Greedo getting a shot off. In the 1997 re-release, the scene was changed showing Greedo shooting first, and Han killing him in a less-villainous, self-defense kind of way.

It's more than that, though. It really means the best defense is a good offense. You can't always wait for things to happen. It means shoot first, ask questions later. Ready, fire, aim. It means be decisive. Which—fact in point—has been a struggle for me at times.

So, the lesson goes, shoot first. The next intergalactic battle awaits.