Highlander!

Highlander is probably among the most 
important of television shows ever made, along 
with the Star Trek episodes and Kung Fu.  The 
constant effort to raise social consciousness to a 
higher level is what I base this statement on.

In one episode, Duncan McLeod says, "not 
everybody is a racist..., not everybody hates".  I 
find this extremely important.  Everyone, from 
the moment they are born and first learn to see, 
has a certain aversion to the unknown.  
Mistaking this aversion to the unknown with 
racism causes people to avoid the subject, for 
fear that they have found racism in themselves.

Knowing we all find comfort in familiarity and 
resist change is not racism is extremely 
important.  Racism is hate.  Duncan here tries to 
remind us not to confuse a natural human trait of 
finding comfort in familiarity, with racism, which 
is linked to hatred and the result of mindless 
refusal to adapt to that which is new simply out 
of pampering fears and laziness.

In another episode, Duncan shines light on 
racism and hatred within police organizations, 
and how by using the color of law said racism in 
implemented.  In the episode I am recalling, 
there are two cops.  One is dirty, planting drugs 
on kids, beating kids up, and so on.  Of course, 
it is all justified by feelings of racism: hating 
people because of their race.  Duncan tells the 
rookie cop about his partners activities, and the 
rookie doesn't want to hear it.  

This illustrates a looming world-wide issue in 
today's societies of policing the police.  This 
rookie, charged with upholding the law, is afraid 
to uphold the law when it is being broken by 
another cop because of the repercussions.  This 
is probably one of the greatest flaws and biggest 
loopholes in the entire criminal justice system, 
which allows ultimately the whole system to 
degrade into fascism and a new caste system.

Duncan tells the rookie, after he has been 
ignored, "I thought I was talking to a cop."  The 
rookie finally comes around and catches the 
corrupt officer engaged in crime and arrests him.  
Seemingly insignificant, this episode addresses a 
major theme of our time.  If these problems are 
not addressed now, they will be even more 
difficult to address as economic and 
environmental problems cast ever darkening 
shadows across civilization, and justify greater 
extremes in the erosion of civil and human 
rights.

Highlander of course has the great music of 
Queen adorning the episodes, and other great 
music as well.  In one episode, as Duncan is 
recalling his life with Tessa, the song, Dust In 
The Wind is sung.  I call this one of the spooky 
songs, as it causes my skin to tingle every time I 
hear it.

In another episode, Draco is speaking "Men die, 
history goes on".  In an ominous reflection for 
the modus operandi of those who rewrite history 
to maintain the Machiavellian corruption that 
underlies and erodes our values of justice and 
humanity, Duncan replies, "sometimes the truth 
dies too".


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Eoroneth

Eoroneth@hotmail.com
California
United States