I Am Almost Ashamed To Be Human
Sep 13 '01
The Bottom Line Now is the time for compassion, not violence.
Do not read this if you are sensitive to harsh language, racial comments or graphic violence
Before I get to the meat of this article I would like to say that as a newly made citizen of the United States of America I am utterly appalled at the senseless violence perpetuated against the innocent and undeserving American citizens at the World Trade Center and Pentagon. While I still struggle to comprehend the events that I watched unfold I hang my head in shame that I share the same planet with money grubbing warmongers that seek to kill in the name of religion – albeit a religion that they changed the rules to .
Why am I ashamed? Because these are human beings capable of planning, organizing and putting into effect a blueprint of mass destruction with no other reason than the downfall of the United States on every single level. To call this a disaster would be a slap in the face of every man, woman and child that died as a result of these planned actions.
No one has been left untouched by this event – firefighters, police officers, transit officers, volunteers and emergency services personnel have all seen their brothers and sisters forsake their own safety and ultimately their lives to save just one victim. And outside the scope of the World Trade Center and Pentagon deaths there are those that were killed on the United and American Airlines flights used in the attacks. These people spent the last minutes of their lives knowing – without doubt – that there would be no tomorrow, no next week, no chance to say I Love You again.
What Can You Do
Unlike most people who will tell you to donate money or blood, I will not give you the same basic run down of numbers, places and charities. What I seek is something that costs nothing. I would like for everyone who is sitting at home saying, “Nuke them”, “Fuc_king ragheads” and “Bomb the Middle East” to understand the echo of their words.
What you are saying may just be your way of venting anger, but without your knowing it, you are setting the footsteps of the future.
In America today there are people under attack for their skin color, religious beliefs and country of origins. In Texas several Muslin Mosques were vandalized, windows shot out and messages spray-painted on the front doors. Armenian restaurants in several cities closed their doors after they received death threats and bomb scares. Muslim, Iranian and Afghanistan web sites were closed after they received hate mail, death threats and generally heated remarks. Smaller business run by Muslims, Indians, Iranians and Pakistanians were forced to shut their doors as well after their business were vandalized.
This social unrest has to stop before more innocent lives are lost. A vast majority of the people who came to America from foreign countries did so in search of a better life. A better life for themselves as well as their children. They fled their countries – some knowing that if they were sent back they would be put to death – in the hopes of a better life in the United States of America. Land of the free, home of the brave.
Now these same people are facing the same violence – only from people who they had once called friends, neighbors and associates. Anyone named Muhammad gets a dirty looks, Muslims are fearful of going to their place of worship and even school children are scared to death of leaving the house.
Today, I Hung My Head In Shame
Today was my own personal ‘ground zero’. I’d been watching the television for hours on end, trying to find some type of peace within the madness. My two oldest boys watched with me for a few hours and had more questions that I could answer honestly so I sent them to the internet for the information.
The numbness was massive. I couldn’t cry – my tears were long gone having shed them time and time again in the early morning hours of initial attack. The lump in my throat wouldn’t go away – no amount of water or soda could help me get rid of it. I decided on the spur of the moment that we needed to get out of the house for a while. A short trip to the grocery store might just be what I needed to help boost my spirits just a little.
24 hours after the attack and the effects were just starting to hit. Tempers were at an all time high – and that is something to be said when you consider the amount of road rage we deal with everyday in this area. Everywhere I went someone was making a racial slur against someone else. Ragheads, sand nig_gers, camel jockeys, towel heads… and the list goes on. No matter where I went the slurs continued. It wasn’t until we ended up at Wal-Mart that I reached my own personal limit.
Several young men, no more than 16 or 17, were gathered around the television in the electronics department. They were watching the non-stop coverage along with about 40 other people – but something set them apart from the other individuals. They were loud, obnoxious and shouting for revenge. They were swearing and shouting that all “sand nig_gers will pay”. Security did nothing to stop them, the manager of the electronics section looked away from the scene not wanting to get involved.
As the conversation between the youths progressed I heard the same phrase over and over again, Well, my father said they are all dirty pigs that need to be bombed” and “My dad said…..”. The anger that one person felt – and decided to voice in a fit of rage – could have caused a potentially dangerous situation in a public place. I can only imagine what would have happened if someone who happened to be Muslim or from any of the Middle Eastern countries would have been within arms reach at the store that day. I care not to think of what might have happened but I know all too well the common results of bigoted comments spewed forth before a fight breaks out.
As a mother, an American and someone who wishes for all the hate to “just stop” – I urge you all to choose your words carefully. Racism – on every level – is a learned trait. Kids aren’t born racists, it is something that they learn – and usually from the family unit. Even if your child is five years old – if they hear the same phrase over and over again – eventually it will be part of the vocabulary. That’s not to say that they will grow up to be racists, but take a minute and step back from the situation and think about the repercussions of your words, actions and anger.
“Hate” is nothing new to me. My brother was killed for being gay. Several friends were attacked for being black. I am no stranger to what words can lead to – and after the past 36 hours I can say this – things are escalating in this country to a frightening level. Much like a boiling pot of water with a lid on top – it is coming to a boil and there are only two outcomes – one is that it boils over causing a huge mess and the other is that the lid is removed avoiding the eruption. Use whatever analogy you need to – but make no mistake about it – if things continue at the current pace – there will be death and destruction lining the streets of this land.
I am not asking anyone to go out and start hugging their neighbors, stopping strangers on the street to shake hands or to become a better person overnight. People are just pis_sed off right now – but that anger needs to be kept in check – all it takes is one spark to start a fire and one fire to start a chain reaction of devastation.
How many other innocent people – American’s – are going to have to suffer because of the actions of religious leaders [if infact they were the parties responsible]? Now is not the time to point fingers at your fellow American’s – no matter where they came from, what God they worship or their manner of dress. It is the time for people – all people – to come together, bond and remain strong in the face of those who seek to destroy a dream. That dream being America.
Never Forget, Never Surrender
I might be a newly made American but I can say with pride that I raise the flag everyday. It is something that I look at as an honor rather than a chore. Granted, my flag isn’t huge, nor do I have a huge pole to fly it upon, but it does fly proudly on my front lawn. A neighbor asked me once why I have an American flag on display since I’m not “really an American”.
September 11, 2001 is a date that will remain forever etched in billions of people’s minds. From Mongolia to Korea, Russia to Australia, The United Kingdom to Ethiopia. It was more than a catastrophe; it was the utter annihilation of human life. Some people have said that we need to move on, to rebuild and stay strong. What we need to do is remember what we were doing the exact moment when we first got the dismal news – for that is a part of history. Without remembering it we will be doomed to repeat it again and again.
In the following days tensions will remain high all over the world. Wondering, waiting for another international incident to take place. It’s now that we – American’s – need to think with a level head and not attack the innocent people we once called friends based solely on the fact that they are ‘different’.
If I had three wishes, one of them would most definitely be that the attacks on Muslim Mosques, foreign businesses and college students would stop. These people did nothing – nor do they deserve to be harassed night and day. The people who were celebrating in the streets of Palestine represented an extremely small part of the population and have been called “an embarrassment” by foreign leaders who offer nothing but condolences and a promise of unity in the face of this grave injustice.
The United States is the melting pot of the world. It has welcomed generations of people from every foreign land, through famine and disparity to social and religious persecution. It is the “safe house” of the world – where someone can find refuge, peace and the ability to create a better life. However, that is in serious jeopardy when people feel the need to “take the law into their own hands”.
Donating money, giving blood, sending condolences and offering aid in any shape and form is a wonderful gesture. But more over, re-education and tolerance is needed. No one will benefit from innocent deaths, continued harassment and persecution based solely on their origins. They did not fly the planes, they did not plan the attacks, they did not aid these monsters in any way.
In the face of it all, I stand proud as an American. I only hope that the unity I have seen in the past 36 hours doesn’t fade away. In the wake of destruction, hundreds of New Yorkers lined the streets to cheer on the police and fire departments. Without a doubt some of them lost loved ones but they still managed to show their undying spirit to the world. If the people in the epicenter of the destruction can overcome the urge to lash out at the closest target, can’t we all?
I would like to close this rather dismal editorial with my own thoughts on the matter. What happened was a true display of the lack of value placed on humanity. If an organization or group can unleash such terror on unknown individuals, I can only wonder what they would do to their true enemies when encountered face to face. It is a grim reality to face, but these are the times in which we live. It is up to each person to carve out their own path in this world, and as teaches of the children, I hope that from this heinous series of events will come the fruit of understanding and the tolerance to those around us.
From the ashes of despair, some good must come.
As always, thanks for the read…
^V^ Freak ^V^
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