How do we end terrorism without being impolite to Muslims?
Culture/Society Front Page Editorial Keywords: MUSLIM DISCRIMINATION
Source: Disgust at the news in general......
Published: 9/28/01 Author: HairOfTheDog
Posted on 09/28/2001 11:00:41 PDT by HairOfTheDog
How do we end terrorism without being impolite to Muslims?
Subtitle: Why are we so messed up that BLIND political correctness is our priority right now?
I am sorry that Muslims are being shouted at from pickup trucks... because shouting from pickup trucks is unseemly and ineffective. But constantly tripping over ourselves apologizing to Muslims who are just "normal Americans" is going to ensure that we lose.
These terrorists make an art of coming to this country, making friends and seeming very normal for many years, taking full advantage of our political correctness, our free right of travel, our education in universities, our flight training, and while they are here they study our weaknesses, not the least of which is our desire to be completely trusting and accepting of them.
The hijackers who did this did not wear "Terrorist in Training" T-shirts. They looked very much like those who claim to be unfairly treated now, and also look like those that I have seen walking through Seattle trying not to make eye contact with anyone... I am very vigilant at watching them now.... I wonder what they think, whether they know one of them, whether they are one of them. I know they feel me watching them, and I hope they are getting mad... Not mad at me, but mad at those among them that are causing my fear.
I guarantee that my mistrust of Middle-Eastern Muslims will grow and not diminish, until there are long lines of Muslims waiting at police precincts to report suspicious behavior among them, and until the interviews shown on television are NOT people of European decent full of guilt at their own mistrusting thoughts telling us how to behave and what to think.
My mistrust will diminish when those Middle-Eastern Muslims here in America are the most vocal about rooting out this problem. The problem is that those that are speaking up so far are those that feel victimized unfairly, or offer vague references that Islam is a religion of peace, and not terror. Clearly there are lots of Muslims who have read something else. Where are those that have overheard discussions, but did not participate? Where are those that have been approached to participate or give money, but chose not to? Where are those that were trusted enough to confide in, but did not decide to join? Or those that joined ethnic or Muslim groups they believed to improve people's lives, only to find out that the real mission was something very different? Where are those that are vocal about exposing those among them that are the problem? Until they speak up, I will continue to mistrust all of them without feeling an ounce of guilt, because I refuse to feel guiltier than they do about these attacks on our country.
Remember grade school, when the teacher needed to know which student in the class had stolen Suzie's crayons? And all students were forced to stay after class until the guilty party confessed, or his friends ratted him out? Everyone in the class faced equal suspicion until the common desire to go to recess was greater than the embarrassment of confession. The peer pressure to end the detention of everyone turned toward finding the evil-doer within. Well, I for one will continue to blame the whole class rather than be made a fool of when they strike again while we do our best to be polite.
I have no doubt that America can take out all the terrorists and supporters that they find. But killing them from the outside will never really solve the problem. Weaken it maybe, make money harder to raise maybe, keep them running maybe, but we do not have a lock on craftiness and talent. Outsiders can never get them all, and will probably create more enemies as we try. Only "they" can solve this problem, and it is imperative that we compel them to do so, or assume they are guilty if they do not.
We should be very afraid that Muslims here and abroad that have been our friends when we could help them are only quietly and half-heartedly helping us now, trying not to be overly offensive to their own. We should be very afraid that Muslims in this country are silently trying to keep their heads down. I am very afraid that many Muslims in this country know more than they have admitted, and yet want the benefit of the doubt from me.
Let us not seem hysterical by shouting at them from pickup trucks, but let us never let political correctness allow us to be blindsided again...
If we go overboard with political correctness, it will be the rope they end up hanging us with. We will lose this battle against terrorism RIGHT HERE with the minds of our citizens, if predjudice is worse than terrorism.
Thanks.