Matt Damon and I had been born in the identical normal space – he in Cambridge, me in Dorchester – however come from radically completely different worlds. He was born into relative financial consolation whereas I used to be born into huge dysfunction adopted by years of abject poverty and homelessness.
As a result of life is nothing if not ironic, quickly after the movie “Good Will Searching” got here out – brilliantly written by Damon and Ben Affleck – I had a number of individuals examine me and my life experiences to the primary character in that movie. Sadly, as Damon and Affleck really do perceive, there are far too many younger women and men in our nation who possess the psychological presents of Will Searching whereas additionally affected by his displacement and drawback. Because the film fortunately confirmed, the best mentor on the proper time could make all of the distinction. Sadly, such mentors are in critically quick provide.
However, I digress. What brings me now to jot down about Damon is a short clip I watched of him being interviewed at a premiere of the brand new Netflix movie “The RIP” starring Damon and Affleck. In a response to a query from a reporter from USA At this time about him sporting a “Be Good” pin within the reminiscence of Renee Good who was shot and killed throughout an interplay with ICE brokers in Minneapolis, Damon answered: “I believe like hundreds of thousands of individuals across the nation, we’re actually involved with what’s happening. And I believe it’s about elevating consciousness about what’s taking place in our cities and on our streets and hopefully will promote a bigger dialogue about this.”
Damon’s anti-ICE and anti-Trump emotions could run a lot deeper than I’m conscious, however I’m going to purposefully cherry-pick a part of his reply within the hope of discovering constructive commonality. I couldn’t agree extra strongly with Damon when he says: “I believe it’s about elevating consciousness about what’s taking place in our cities and on our streets and hopefully will promote a bigger dialogue about this.”
Amongst different issues, I’m a columnist for The Hill information website in Washington, DC. My most up-to-date column for that website touched upon the tragedy in Minneapolis. Inside my column titled: “The Final Responsible Social gathering for the Tragedy in Minnesota” I identified a fact misplaced on many on the left in search of to demonize those that work for ICE: “The women and men who work for ICE usually are not monsters. They’re fellow Individuals in search of to serve and defend our nation. Greater than that, they’re fathers and moms attempting to supply and look after their very own youngsters, and to discover a little bit of happiness in their very own lives whereas now being consistently smeared, focused and attacked.”
Possibly Damon really does have an open thoughts or perhaps upon studying that assertion, he may assume “precisely what I’d anticipate a Trump and ICE apologist to say.” Ah, however “Will Searching,” the character he created, may remind Damon that human beings are usually far more difficult and nuanced than that.
5 weeks in the past for The Hill I wrote a column titled: “Republicans should be cautious with the optics of Trump’s ICE raids.” I stated – and warned: “Just lately, whereas visiting a buddy in Florida, I took a break to stroll round their gated group. As I did, I got here throughout what turned out to be a household from Mexico: a mom, father and their 16-year-old daughter. As I walked as much as them, I requested in Spanish in the event that they spoke Spanish. The person politely answered, ‘Sure.’ After I subsequent requested the place they had been from, the lady quietly answered ‘Mexico.’ Simply as she did, I observed their daughter backing away from me, with tears welling up in her eyes. In lower than a minute, she was sobbing uncontrollably. I’ve been informed greater than as soon as that due to my measurement and demeanor, I can come throughout as ‘imposing,’ usually trying extra ‘regulation enforcement’ than not. That’s exactly what occurred that morning. The younger daughter of the couple from Mexico, who had been portray homes locally to make a dwelling, immediately assumed I used to be from ICE and was there to remove her mom and father. She was terrified, and I used to be heartbroken.”
I’ve been arguing inside and outside the halls of energy for the final 12 months that the optics of the ICE raids are working towards the Republicans in actual time and in actual methods. “Notion is actuality in politics.” Whereas tens of hundreds of thousands of Individuals do help shutting down and securing our borders whereas rounding up harmful criminals who’ve entered our nation illegally, many are additionally deeply troubled to see mothers and dads being pulled out of a Dwelling Depot or a Walmart in sight of their crying youngsters. These most bothered being Hispanic Individuals. Many who voted for Trump in 2024.
Damon is right. Tens of millions of individuals in our nation are involved concerning the techniques of ICE. Simply as hundreds of thousands of Individuals imagine their high quality of life and even security had been jeopardized when the Biden Administration inspired hundreds of thousands to cross our southern border illegally.
I can solely assume that “Will Searching” was a fan of Sir Isaac Newton and believed Newton’s Third Legislation of Movement – which said “For each motion, there’s an equal and reverse response” – to be right. I’d suggest to Matt Damon that what desperately must be mentioned in an earnest and civil means are these “actions” and “reactions.”
If such conversations do happen, I’ve little question that frequent sense and peaceable options might be discovered…and acted upon.
Douglas MacKinnon is a former White Home and Pentagon official; a former principal on the two largest regulation corporations on this planet; and writer of the ebook: “The 56 – Liberty Classes From These Who Risked All to Signal The Declaration of Independence.”
