In every instance of terrorism that exists, at its core lies a fundamental difference in beliefs. Okay, perhaps it is stretching the term a bit to say it's always racism... but it is a difference in religious beliefs and cultural attitudes that perpetuates hatred for those who differ. This hatred always leads to violence and in extreme cases genocide or the attempt to eradicate all of those who do not agree.
Keeping this in mind, is there any real hope for peace? Not unless EVERYONE can somehow agree that peace is in the best interest of all, and that we do not have to exterminate one another to coexist.
As long as ideologies based upon hatred continue to be perpetuated, so will terrorism. From the nooses in Alabama to the World Trade Center and beyond... it is up to all of us to choose tolerance for each other's differences and peaceful coexistence over bloodshed. Each of us as individuals must make this choice.
Nature is violent. In nature only the strongest survive. But civilization is not nature. Are we civilized creatures or just a world full of beasts?
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Saturday, September 22, 2007
What IS terrorism?
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
ter·ror·ism Pronunciation[ter-uh-riz-uhm]
–noun
1. the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, esp. for political purposes.
2. the state of fear and submission produced by terrorism or terrorization.
3. a terroristic method of governing or of resisting a government.
[Origin: 1785–95; terror + -ism]
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
******************************************
If we are using the first definition, there is no doubt at all that the activities of the boys in Alabama who hung nooses as a “prank” are terrorists. This was a threat intended to intimidate. It is clear to me and to anyone else with any intelligence. Anyone who argues otherwise is delusional at best and evil at worst.
Americans are so hell-bent on finding enemies abroad that we fail to see the seething cancer within. Racism is the most insidious and dangerous force that we have to contend with, and if we are not careful it will destroy our country.
It is important that we do not ignore the huge beam of wood in our own eye while we try to remove a small speck from someone else’s. There is a fine line between honesty and hypocrisy and anyone who denies that the nooses in Alabama are acts of terrorism needs to have their sanity or ethics questioned.
What's going on in Jena isn't an isolated incident. To treat it as such is an insult to all who would try to make our world more civilized.
ter·ror·ism Pronunciation[ter-uh-riz-uhm]
–noun
1. the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, esp. for political purposes.
2. the state of fear and submission produced by terrorism or terrorization.
3. a terroristic method of governing or of resisting a government.
[Origin: 1785–95; terror + -ism]
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
******************************************
If we are using the first definition, there is no doubt at all that the activities of the boys in Alabama who hung nooses as a “prank” are terrorists. This was a threat intended to intimidate. It is clear to me and to anyone else with any intelligence. Anyone who argues otherwise is delusional at best and evil at worst.
Americans are so hell-bent on finding enemies abroad that we fail to see the seething cancer within. Racism is the most insidious and dangerous force that we have to contend with, and if we are not careful it will destroy our country.
It is important that we do not ignore the huge beam of wood in our own eye while we try to remove a small speck from someone else’s. There is a fine line between honesty and hypocrisy and anyone who denies that the nooses in Alabama are acts of terrorism needs to have their sanity or ethics questioned.
What's going on in Jena isn't an isolated incident. To treat it as such is an insult to all who would try to make our world more civilized.
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