The enemy is in the eye of the beholder

Me with my editor

Like many of us this year, I’m continously on the hunt for good tv to binge. My latest ‘love’ is Tehran. An Israeli espionage series which revolves around a Mosad plot to take out Iran’s nuclear facilities, which is not a terrible idea for real life. But I digress.

The show allows us to get to know both Israelis and Iranians alike, through doses of Persian, Hebrew and English.

Besides being good tv, it reminds us that one person’s terrorist is another’s hero. Of course in the series, and in real life, the Israelis and the Iranians never agree on who is the hero and who is the terrorist. And as with all good tv shows, and life, it’s not black and white. Sometimes the ‘hero’ does bad things in the name of the cause, and the ‘villain’ does good things in the name of decency. (It’s also worth remembering that a villain, real or imagined, never sees themselves as the villain. They always have ‘good’ reasons for doing what they’re doing.)

And it’s even more confusing here in America. ‘Tehran’ limits itself to the two cultures duking it out. But here in America, dozens of cultures, with different points of view, make up our country. And this is what worries me…how do we make mulitculturalism work? How do we come together to create an inclusive and positive land when we can’t even agree on right and wrong?

On this election eve, I think it’s more important than ever to figure this out. Please let me know your thoughts!

Depending upon tomorrow’s outcome, I’ll need your advice!

RADICAL RESOURCES FROM THE LIBRARY: Big name speakers who can offer tools to help us come together, instead of pull apart. Case in point: A group of local Chicago libraries are hosting a free zoom event with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, a leading expert on anti-racism.

YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Found after I wrote this letter! One point of view on the tools that can help us make this country ‘great’ again. Click the image and enjoy.