An Apology to Monty

I wish to apologize for my contemptible remarks to Monty in this [url=“http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=86605”]. I was completely wrong to use the words “traitor” and “coward”. I’m sorry.

We were all a little over the top the past few days.

No kidding.

Gobear:

Thank you.

Here’s the deal: I did not call you that. I said I was ignoring a comment of yours, the comment which I described in that manner. Just so you know, I also have friends working in the Pentagon. Also, my brother works for the State Department in DC.

I have kept a card next to my telephone for quite some time now. Here’s what it says on that card:

   Words can trvel thousands of miles.
   May my words create mutual understanding and love.
   May they be as beautiful as gems,
   as lovely as flowers.

On my desk for a couple of years now is this:

   Let none deceive another,
   or despise any being in any state.
   Let none through anger or ill-will
   wish harm upon another.
   Even as a mother protects with her life
   her child, her only child,
   so with a boundless heart
   should one cherish all living beings:
   Radiating kindness over the entire world
   spreading upwards to the skies,
   and downwards to the depths;
   outwards and unbounded,
   freed from hatred and ill-will.

The comment of yours which I described in the manner that I did was “Well, they’re not like us. Palestinians would be good folks, but they’ve been poisoned by hate and the Koran.” I trust you can see why that’s not exactly a good thing to say. In my personal opinion, reacting in just that way is a gain for the terrorists.

I do agree that the terrorists have been poisoned by hate. Sadly, those who do the poisoning are perverting the tenets of the very Quran they purport to revere.

What I am mostly glad to see, in the wake of this terrible disaster, is the huge number of people of all faiths and races who are joining together to show that the American Spirit is, as always, resilient and can not be vanquished by the acts of a coward. I am especially heartened to see that governments overseas which have been lukewarm at best to our government are supporting us in this tragedy.

I do not consider you to be a racist. I certainly do not think you are ignorant. But, please, do not let the terror rule you. I see that you are not doing so. Thank you.

My response in this email is also posted in your apology thread.

Thank you for your kind reply.
I am sickened by the hate and rage in my heart. This morning, I was horrified to see that cruel, unthinking people had violated mosques and made abusive racial comments to inoffensive Arab Americans. The feeling was made worse by the realization that, though I would never act out that way, an atavistic, bestial corner of my soul wanted to burn, to kill, to revenge.

Intellectually, I know that the Islamic world has divisons and diversity and that they do not all speak with one voice, and that the monsters that leveled the WTC and burned the Pentagon do not represent their people anymore than Tim McVeigh represented Americans. I know the differences among Shi’a, Sunni, Alawi, and Wahabi. I know the contributions of Islamic scholars to preserving Aristotle and Plato; the advances in mathematics and science of Averroes, Avicenna, and al-Kwarizmi, (‘algorithm’ and ‘algebra’ both come from Arabic); the religious tolerance of the Cordovan Emirs of Spain; the architectural glories of the Alhambra, the Taj Mahal, and the Blue Mosque of Isfahan.

And yet, I keep thinking in terms of “they,” “them,” “those people.”

How do I burn this poison out of my heart? Why am I so evil?
I want to be good, not evil, to love and be kind, instead being filled with rage and fear.

This is done by making realizations such as:

There are dark corners in all of our souls. We wish they were not there, but they are. We can only fight them, when we acknowledge to ourselves that they exist, and fight to overcome them. Take comfort in your emotional reaction to this realization.

Part of this fight is recognizing when those dark corners have affected our outward behavior, and making amends and learning from the lapse.

I apologize if that sounds preachy, this just struck a cord with lessons I am trying to implement in my life.

Time will help. Knowing that these thoughts are wrong and must be expunged will help. The realization that you and your loved ones are safe will reduce the fear and, along with it, the unreasoning hatred. Doing some volunteer work, maybe for the victims or their families, maybe for somebody untouched by this but who needs the help, will give you a positive outlet. Hell, even falling back on the religion of your childhood could help or, if they aren’t tolerant of Your Kind :wink: you could find one that is. Maybe drop by a mosque for evening prayers.

I’ve known you for a year and a half and I know that you are not evil by any stretch of the imagination. Because you are a GOOD person you can find a way to turn your rage in a positive direction.

DropZone is right. Your anger is not evil. Evil does not come from goodness. It comes from apathy. The opposite of I love you is not I hate you. The opposite of I love you is I don’t care what happens to you.

Lib, I usually disagree with you, but that’s one of the most perceptive observations I’ve seen here or anywhere recently.

It may help to contact a local mosque or Muslim organization to volunteer your support in this most trying of times.

Having gone through this experience, you may be in a good position to emphasise and explain in a way that reaches other Americans trapped in the same hate reaction, and bring them to understanding.

China Guy brings to fore an interesting thought: during the national day of prayer President Bush has announced, wouldn’t it be great for the Prez to attend a service at a mosque?

I was thinking the same thing, Monty, as I listened to this morning’s broadcast.

I find myself divided: The cynical side of me says it’ll never happen, because Bush identifies so strongly with Christian evangelism, but the hopeful side of me says he’ll do it because he recognizes it’s the right thing to do.

Maybe I just don’t know what to think any more.

Wow guys, that was pretty nice to read and really appropriate during this time when emotions have been under assualt and responses are not always going to be exactly as normal.

Sometimes I’ll see a person’s single comment and think naw, we don’t think alike only to later, after reading much more that they’ve written, realize that yeah, he’s a pretty righteous person.

Monty, gobear & others, you’ve got my respect.

“Fear leads to anger; anger leads to hate; hate leads to suffering.”

Well, the prez didn’t have to venture to a mosque. The 2nd prayer given at the National Cathredral’s memorial service today was given by an imam in both Arabic and English.

More and more, I like living in America.