... I hate to burst your bubble and wreck whatever you remember from your World Studies classes in junior high school. But it turns out that the Crusades ain't over. And as much as I'd rather that the holy pissing contest about whose God is the best God would be settled, it's not ... and there doesn't even seem to be a light at the end of this divine tunnel toward what is starting to seem like the dark end of days.
Before I say another word, I should disclaim that I'm not necessarily anti-religion. However, I am somewhat anti-religious-institutions (whether they be the tainted-by-money ridiculousness of the multinational corporation known as the Catholic church with its CEO-Pope, or an extremist power-hungry killing machine caliphate attempting to bully nations into taking the fight to their holy lands, where they likely plan to suicide-nuclear-bomb everyone into absolute annihilation). It may be that I've seen too many hours of television on OWN, but I believe that we've a personal calling into a relationship with a higher power, and that it can be celebrated and practiced on an individual basis, and that there is a fine line that gets crossed more often than not when religion gets organized beyond a local level.
I've said it before and I'll say it again ... I tend to think that there is a societal sickness, now seen globally, that fears "the other", and that serves as the spreading agent for the hatred. And the twisted takes on religion ... they soak it up and magnify the evil and spew it forth for maximum harm. Or, in another word ... Paris.
But let's be clear about something. There are radical extremists that pervert religions to advance their own agenda in all corners of the world. As is all too horrifically clear, the jihadists' tools include destruction of innocents in soft targets via random acts of violence ... but don't think for a minute that if the folks at the Westboro church could figure out a way to bypass the mental illness clauses that must be keeping them AK47-less, they wouldn't do the same thing. (For historical perspective on more death and destruction in the name of institutionalized religion ... see "inquisition", or just about anything else related to war in the last few centuries.)
Another quick tangent ... why is it that the *leaders* of these consecrated cults never volunteer to be the suicide bombers? If they all got together and sacrificed themselves for their cause, sure we'd have another terrorist event with which to deal ... but the snake would kind of cut off its head itself.
Back to Paris. I've never been. I don't even think I've known a person who spent any substantial amount of time there (other than this one guy-linered kid from work who was a touch too fond of les liaisons dangereuses). The most French I've heard in one setting is someone I know well who is fond of reciting the pledge of allegiance translated to that tongue once he gets a buzz on. I'm not saying that I was one of the haters who renamed his fries back in the day when it was actually PC to rename all things that started with the word "French". However, I'm a sensitive person (after all, I am the child who was mercilessly mocked by the stepmother for tearing up when all the sheep got sick and died on a classic 'Little House on the Prairie' episode) ... one who can grasp the hurt in the world, so even if my only French connection is that I once saw parts of the Gene Hackman movie of the same name on late night television, I can still participate in the prayers for Paris being offered up to the heavens.
Speaking of prayers for Paris, I've seen the backlash against that suggestion as well ... stating, as I did, that it's religion that got us into this mess. Except, there's the nuance that I offer about how it is the *institutions* of religion that created this crisis, so I reject that the hashtag, or the meme, or the status update that includes that phrase is misplaced.
What I think IS misplaced ... the extensive attempts to place the blame, particularly by those advancing a political agenda stateside ... and the reactive knee-jerk response to round people up (America's been there, done that [see "Japanese internment camps"] ... and come to think of it, Europe's been there, done that as well [and I don't want to be a cliche and invoke Godwin's Law, so I'll just leave it at that]) ... and the pervasive paradoxical cries to simultaneously fortify the walls toward a new century isolationism whilst also returning to fill in the void in foreign lands where we have no business (or is it that we have too much business, in our insatiable need for the natural resource of the region).
Plus it wouldn't be a rant of mine if I didn't take to task the twenty-four hour news cycle, and it's ongoing overwrought response to the events. The need for talking heads to bloviate led to *this* most cringe worthy moment of the last two days, when one of them asked a child that survived the concert massacre whether it was the first time he had seen a dead body. Facts -- sure, after they've been checked ... summaries -- yes, when there is new news to report ... but constant yammering that gets dangerously close to glorifying the gory activities in the coverage -- please please stop.
What are the forward looking next steps, knowing full that well that evil will not ever be totally eradicated?
First ... let's respectfully mourn. There are nearly ten dozen stories to be told of those who perished -- at a minimum -- and they deserve to be heard.
Second ... let's respond. But let's revive the so-called coalition of the willing. This is a battle in which all should participate ... including Arab countries so as not to feed the west vs them mindset that permits whole civilizations to become targets.
Third ... let's remain vigilant. It is naive to think that the same thing couldn't happen here. The *only* thing that *might* save us is that we're already numb to mass killings by lone wolves. We have yet to come up with an effective way to respond when elementary school kiddies are killed or when participants at a constituents' meeting are gunned down or when multiple midnight moviegoers are murdered. These crazy terrorists are going to have to do something much more shocking to pierce our hardened hearts when it comes to senseless violence. as our culture is apparently all too comfortable in grasping that a certain percentage of our population is expendable.
Fourth ... let's also remain global citizens. It's not the olden days ... we live in a global economy and we have an obligation as the last surviving superpower to engage with the world's response ... and yes, that includes a plan for refugees. Fully vetted refugees ... and a call to caution for sure ... but we can't close up shop and expect this problem to just go away. [Full disclosure ... since switching divisions within my company earlier this year, my livelihood depends on the international community, so I have a vested interest in this bullet point.]
Fifth ... let's remember the words of G.W. Bush the younger after 9.11: "The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don't represent peace. They represent evil and war. [America] counts millions of Muslims amongst our citizens, and Muslims make an incredibly valuable contribution to our country. Muslims are doctors, lawyers, law professors, members of the military, entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, moms and dads." Despite my opening reference to the Crusades, we are NOT at war with Islam.
Finally ... let's recognize that a world already full of loathing feeds off of the hate in each of our hearts, whether hidden or shouted from the social media. Let's stop fearing "the others" ... let's get connected ... let's learn the *stories* of those not like us. I'll repeat my sincere belief ... humanity withers or thrives based on whether we keep our connections one to another. Please consider reaching out and connecting with your loved ones, and then expand your circle and grow your compassion and understanding. It's how I believe each of us can save the world ... by saving humanity.
If you made it to the end of my time on the soapbox, I have one summarizing statement for all that has come before. At the risk of incurring a personal fatwa, I just want to deliver my own sermon on the mount, the text of which is straightforwardly this: "Hey Jesus ... hey Mohammed. You're both pretty. Now can we *please* stop your followers' slaughter of each other in your names?"
IMHO, THE TIMELINE NEEDS TO BE UPDATED TO REFLECT MODERNITY:
http://www.usna.edu/Users/history/abels/hh315/crusades_timeline.htm
TO CHECK THE HOLIER THAN THOU FOLKS REGARDING ATROCITIES FOR GOD:
http://www.truthbeknown.com/victims.htm
THE SOURCE FOR THE BUSH QUOTE CONTAINED HEREIN:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/09/13/zelizer.bush.muslims/
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