The recent shooting rampage at Fort Hood is the supreme test of what it means to be a real American! This is our moment to shine! This is the time to reflect on the diversity of the melting pot we call the United States of America. This is the time to rise above the prejudice, the mistrust, the hatred, the religious dogma and all the pettiness that has detracted from the great experiment of our Democratic Republic.
The man who killed 13 innocent people was a human being first. As we are tempted to focus on his name and his religion, we should focus not on what he did, but on what good Muslim/American citizens are saying about what he did. As we are tempted to focus on the dogma of Islam to support the anger and fear we feel, we should focus instead on the positive aspects of Islam that call for peace, love and understanding. As we are inundated with the rants of fearful, hateful people who call for revenge, we should focus instead on the race, religion, ethnicity and nationality of others who have committed similar atrocities, realizing that we are not separate, but all the same.
In the world of us and them, we are all equally guilty of atrocities, but also capable of compassion and love. In the present moment the US has all the elements of what have historically led other cultures to their darkest hours. If we truly are in the process of reclaiming our respect in the world community, then all good peace loving Americans of all faiths need to stand up today, embracing our peace loving Muslim brothers and sisters around the world, standing together against prejudice, hatred and violence!
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Comments
It stops with me!
I don't recall anyone making an issue of Timothy McVeigh's Christian upbringing.
I'm angry that this happened, very angry, but I don't care about his religion. I do care about his state of mind, and maybe we will find out more about that.
The same goes for me. And I'll tell anyone who asks that what we don't know about Islam, in our stupendous fear-filled ignorance, should shame every damn one of us into silence. I would gladly choose a peaceful Muslim as a friend over a militant Christian any day of the week.
The man is a killer. That's inexcusable. But punish him on that basis, and no other.
A very thoughtful post, Spirit Man.
I get what you were saying.
I still think this bastard needs to swing, and that he personally was a coward and a scum bag, but that says nothing about the religion of Islam, and you drew attention to the fact that people need to realize that.
Rated.
I meen it may have had not a damn thing to do with religion or what ever,it may have just been a mental melt down.
I know people of the Muslim faith. I was engaged to one. The problem here isn't all anything. It's never all anything. The problem I have is when something anti Muslim happens CAIR and the like come out of the woodwork to condemn what happened. Now that a Muslim shouts their garbage and kills lots of people where are they? My problem isn't with the Muslims of the world it's with groups like CAIR.