My youth pastor talked to me today about the email I sent out to some church friends. She hadn’t read the email but heard complains about what I wrote and therefore wanted to talk to me.
I don’t know why they would complain about my email. Ok, actually, I think I know why they would complain. Some complain that I support Osama – don’t really know how they could have got that from my email, but then again when people don’t like what you say, they would accuse you of anything.
Some probably did not like what I said about the American President being the true coward! Yet, others (Americans) have said that too – nothing to be too worked up about unless you can’t stomach the truth in:
How many times on Tuesday did we hear someone describe the terrorist attacks as “cowardly acts”? But as misguided and despicable as they were, they were anything but cowardly. The people who committed them knowingly gave their lives for whatever stupid beliefs they held. But what about the American Presidents who order bombings of innocent people – while the presidents remain completely insulated from any danger? What would you call their acts? (Harry Browne)
Where is the acknowledgement that this was not a “cowardly” attack on “civilization” or “liberty” or “humanity” or “the free world” but an attack on the world’s self-proclaimed superpower, undertaken as a consequence of specific American alliances and actions? And if the word “cowardly” is to be used, it might be more aptly applied to those who kill from beyond the range of retaliation, high in the sky, than to those willing to die themselves in order to kill others. In the manner of courage (a morally neutral virtue): whatever may be said of the perpetrators of Tuesday’s slaughter, they were not cowards. (Susan Sontag)
We have been the cowards lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away. That’s cowardly…Staying in the airplane when it hits the building, say what you want about it, it’s not cowardly. (Bill Maher)
Some probably felt that because I was trying to get to the “root” of the terrorism problem and seek to understand why the terrorists and so many Muslims all over the world hate America – that I am justifying the terrorist acts. But to explain is not to excuse. Most people just don’t get that. The moment one tries to explain the cause of the hatred for the sake of getting to the root of the problem, people will accuse him of providing an excuse for the terrorism. But that’s of course not what I’m trying to do…but they just don’t get it…
I still get some friends thinking I support terrorism eventhough I have said I condemn terrorism so many times. This is because I try to focus on other issues. I try to get to the root of the problem and seek to point out the horrible atrocities that America has carried out in the Middle East. I try to point that out to help us all understand the reason why people resort to terrorism. My stand is simply – get to the root, rectify the problem at the root, then we will see less terrorism.
But that won’t do for most people. They think I support terrorism or try to justify it because of what America has done.
I condemn terrorism. I condemn those who are responsible for September 11. But equally so, I condemn the biggest state terrorist nation in the world – America.