The True American

The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas by Anand Giridharadas is a gripping account of a horrible crime in Dallas almost 15 years ago. On September 21, 2001 a Bangladeshi  immigrant, Raisuddin Bhuiyan, who worked at a Dallas convenience store, was shot in the face by Mark Stroman, a poorly-educated, self-appointed avenger. Though Bhuiyan loses vision in one eye and has multiple pellets in his face, he survives, succeeds, and decides to forgive his assailant. It was a thrill to hear Bhuiyan himself speak on Sunday, January 10, 2016, at the First Unitarian Church in Dallas that my daughter Shelby and her family attend. He has taken forgiveness to a new level. Here is a video of his conversation with Reverend Daniel Kanter. Here is the PBS News Hour’s Hari Sreenivasan interviewing Giridharadas, the journalist who wrote the book, a year and a half ago.