Comment Re:Saddens him most? (Score 1) 181
I have a good friend that almost died in the twin towers bombing. I know how his wife, daughter and son waited in horror until they received his call. I have family that served in Iraq. I have put up with heightened security at my company when we were worried that our building might be on some kind of "bombing list", and I have had to console my kids about going to work. I have every reason to be incensed by terrorists, but I will aim my outbursts toward those that deserve it.
Yes, there are fanatic Islamic terrorists who happen to be Arabs. Yes, the Arabic nations are predominately Islamic. Western nations are predominately Judeo-Christian and don't seem to understand alot of the Islamic culture. Western people (and western media) wield the ignorance surrounding that culture like a verbal sword.
Timothy McVeigh (Oklahoma Bomber for those who first programmed in java) was around long before the "Arab terrorists" reared their heads and surprisingly enough had nothing to do with Islam. A number of other fanatic people and groups have blown up things long before the Arabs were brought into the media like this. Christian fanatics have been blowing up abortion clinics for years. Western nations have had a long history of terrorizing people based on race, creed and nationality. You can look to the Catholic/Protostant conflicts in Ireland, race issues in the US, or how about that German Nazi movement in the 40's. If you want to really go back, the crusades was obvious stupidity aimed in the exact opposite direction.
We have fortunately, as a culture, generally moved beyond that shortsighted view but it still pops up with this kind of garbage once in a while. We can't afford to associate the actions of a group of braindead psychopaths with a single nation, culture, race or even creed. These twisted people pop up in every culture and nation.
All this proves is that stupid people are universal.
At the risk of being labeled a troll: Do you even have any idea what the terrorists have stated concerning WHY they are doing what they have done? Has the media addressed why they are so pissed at the west or even more shocking, suggested ideas that we might be a little more cautious of our media and corporations trampling other people's values and culture in our race for money? I may not agree with them but at least I have some interest to know. It is easy to point fingers but it is quite possible that there are "grains of truth at the core" of their attacks on the west also. (preflame: obviously not to validate the extreme violence and loss of life - just not to be oblivious)
The western media caters to its own opinion of what the public wants and does not portray Arabic nations with any balance. When was the last time that you saw a piece on something good happening in the Arabic world? Do you really think that nothing good ever happens there? These are moms and dads with kids and most of them (if the one Muslim family in my neighborhood are any indication) are caring, sharing people with high values that are struggling to teach their kids values and responsibility, and trying to make ends meet. They do denounce terrorist activities ("shut up, sit down, and stop killing people"), fight against them and even cooperate with other countries to stop these international criminals. The fact that you haven't heard these denouncements is probably more revealing than anything else.
The terrorist are morons. He can't stop them or even expect them to be anything else. But he has enough belief in humanity to expect more of the western media and is saddened by his disapointment.
You are dead wrong in one thing: Not everyone is bright enough to figure out that "not every arab supports the terrorists". People who post on Slashdot for the most part, enjoy thinking. A large percentage of the populous however don't. They just react and follow media like sheep. The media will happily pass off its responsibility to balanced journalism as "just giving the people what they want".
Decent people in the Arabic nations know how militarily powerful western nations are, how blinded by the media we can be and have every reason to be concerned that someone might come looking for non-existant WMDs and risk their lives and that of their children.
