Up until that point.
For
a brief moment, Americans were one people, in shock, in grief, but
together. The cruel attacks united us in a way that hasn't been seen
since.
This hasn't been seen since because of what happened next.
This hasn't been seen since because of what happened next.
The unity was cynically exploited by politicians and their sponsors to engage in an avalanche of inhumanity.
Two destructive wars that cost billions of dollars and tens of thousands of lives, both American and foreign.
State-sponsored kidnapping.
State-sponsored torture.
Inciting bigotry against honest, hard-working Americans.
So much pain inflicted.
In our name.
And worse still, encouraging "allies" to join in.
In our name.
And worse still, encouraging "allies" to join in.
We are not safer because of this avalanche of inhumanity.
And we are certainly not more united because of this avalanche of inhumanity.
The internal unraveling of America succeeded more spectacularly than the 9/11 terrorists could possibly have imagined. The mass murder was done by foreigners but the subsequent disintegration was entirely self-inflicted.
Bigotry always does as much damage those holding such views as it does to the objects of the hatred. This is true of individuals. And as the last two decades have shown, it is also true of societies.
Fires are only extinguished when they are deprived of the oxygen they need to survive. The fire of division is nourished by the oxygen of bigotry. It's long past time to starve that fire.
And we are certainly not more united because of this avalanche of inhumanity.
The internal unraveling of America succeeded more spectacularly than the 9/11 terrorists could possibly have imagined. The mass murder was done by foreigners but the subsequent disintegration was entirely self-inflicted.
Bigotry always does as much damage those holding such views as it does to the objects of the hatred. This is true of individuals. And as the last two decades have shown, it is also true of societies.
Fires are only extinguished when they are deprived of the oxygen they need to survive. The fire of division is nourished by the oxygen of bigotry. It's long past time to starve that fire.
You've got to be taught
To hate and fear,
You've got to be taught
From year to year,
It's got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught.
To hate and fear,
You've got to be taught
From year to year,
It's got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught.
You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,
You've got to be carefully taught.
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,
You've got to be carefully taught.
You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught!
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught!
-From South Pacific, Rodgers & Hammerstein
No comments:
Post a Comment