It's about realizing that being a human being on this imperfect world is unpredictable and dangerous and there are aspects of that unpredictability that not only do we not have any control of but the attempt at control can actually mean creating more risk.

So you don't trust Iran. So what? What are you Jody the citizen going to do about it? Stay up nights without sleep worrying about being unlucky enough to be within the kill zone of that rogue nuke weapon that cost billions of dollars to produce that, against all odds and all historical precedence, gets given by Iran to some terrorist group, crosses the ocean and our borders undetected with no hint to the gigantic international intelligence agencies and happens to blow up the city you're living in? Are you going to also be equally as frightened about the much more likely personal possibility of being struck by a meteor?

I'm not saying that Iran will play by the rules and that they or some other rogue country in the future won't do terrible and horrible things within our borders. I'm just saying that one must keep it all in perspective, step back, and use their fucking brain a bit before they allow the panic of worst case scenario to rule their lives.

I am not more trusting than you are Jody. I pretty much despise and distrust a good deal of my fellow humans. I've studied them my whole life and have found the percentages of intelligence to reactionary thinking to be disturbing. However, I don't reserve my distrust only for persons that grow up in different cultures than I did. It's been my experience that I'm just as vulnerable to bigotry and cruelty from the people down the street as I am from some family in Syria. I've also found that the more I make it clear to people around me that I view them as a threat, the more self-fulfilling that becomes.

It's healthy for you to view the leadership of Iran warily but keep that same watchful eye on the authoritarians in your own neighborhood and within the borders of your own country.

But, in the end, live your life without fear. It's paralyzing and it forces you into actions that not only do not work but end up draining your soul and your creativity.

Art