One Answer For Ending Violence

As war rages around them, the women are fed up with burying their sons, husbands, brothers, and friends. They are bursting to do something to stop this deadly cycle of distrust, anger, and killing. This theme, which has been repeated all too often throughout history, is examined with humanity, humor, and sensitivity in the film Where Do We Go Now? directed and acted in by Nadine Labaki and produced by Anne-Dominique Toussaint.

Having missed its brief 2011 appearance in Chicago, we recently viewed Where Do We Go Now? on DVD. Some of the scenes are shot in muted dreamlike colors suggesting  that we view the film as an anti-war allegory. The story takes place in an unidentified village purportedly Arab. Nevertheless, it has happened in many places – Protestant v Catholic in Ireland, Muslims v Christians in the former Yugoslavia and the Arab world, star-bellied Sneetches v those without “stars upon thars”. It doesn’t matter where and therefore, Ms. Labaki deliberately left the locale of the movie vague.

In the movie, the Christians and Muslims in this village have been living at peace, but war threatens to rear itself up yet again. This time, the women get together across religious lines to end armed conflict once and for all in their village utilizing every means that they can think of. I won’t be a spoiler by telling you all the means employed because I strongly recommend that you see it for yourselves.

Perhaps Where Do We Go Now? can be an inspiration to Chicago and help to end the inter-gang wars that are plaguing our city now. As of February 4^th, the death toll is 42 and can only climb higher. Maybe we could do a One Movie Chicago event as has been done with One Book Chicago and encourage everyone to come together to see it at locales throughout the city. If nothing else, it would certainly spark some interesting discussions.

We need to have peace and so I am suggesting some peaceful food. Most people don’t object to chicken and here is a recipe for oven fried lemon chicken. Preparation time is short – 10 to 15 minutes – leaving plenty of time to write a letter to your representatives advocating gun control legislation.

                                                       Oven Fried Lemon Chicken

One chicken cut up or 3 pounds of chicken thighs, legs, or breasts

½ cup lemon juice
½ cup white wine
garlic, tarragon, salt, pepper to taste
1 tsp capers

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Clean the chicken parts and put in a baking dish skin side up.
Sprinkle and pour the other ingredients on the chicken. Baste the chicken pieces with the liquid every 15 - 20 minutes.
Cook for about an hour or until skin appears golden.