A sixty-nine degree day, the sun is beaming down, smiling on the whole park. Kids are playing in the sandboxes, up and down on teeter totters, basketball and tennis on warm courts, parents and nannies looking on, talking about the soccer games, the latest gossip on American Idol, and what is what in the neighborhood. There are no cares, to be seen, as I get out of my car and start to stretch for a jaunt around the park's outer rim. Good times to be had by all. The worry of work and the daily grind not in the mind of anyone. I am taken aback by the blessings of the day, when I get done doing my stretches and step out of the parking lot. On the sidewalk, before I get to the pedestrian track, I see a beautiful dark, olive skinned woman, happening to be just up on the sidewalk. She stands out, not only in beauty, but with her radiant smile. Not seeing me yet, I walk by, our eyes meet and smiles break out. I say, "hello," to this exotic beauty, still wearing long running pants and a long sleeve shirt. Although, she says nothing and smiles, there is something very wrong. Just a feeling I have, but It was like she knew a secret. Her smile went from one of courteousness, to one of a mischievous child. As she slowly pulled her hand out of her pocket. She raised a cell phone, high into the baby blue sky.
One second, on a sunny day, in a public park, with eight hundred people living out lives of meaning, two complete strangers have completely different actions. Yet, we both have the same thought, mine stays inside my head and she lays out two words, to the wind, like a banshee. I think, "Please God no!" She screams, the takbeer, "Allah Akbar!" Before she can actually push the button, I realize two things. She is actually standing in front of a van (she obviously drove to the park, but I assumed she was going into the park on foot, driving a nice car, left behind in the parking lot, somewhere) and then just a flash of light. Everyone in the park, gone, or seriously wounded. All in all, a lone wolf, who happened to be a Muslim woman, just executed one of the worst terrorist acts on American soil.
This is not a real story, and is not a tirade on extreme Muslim beliefs and/or Muslim people. If I take out the Muslim woman above and substitute a white male (in an Oklahoma City parking lot), the same story could have happened, as his name was Timothy James McVeigh (who blew up an FBI building, I was just not there, obviously). He was Caucasian, a straying Catholic Christian, and was acting "for the constitution" and/or what happened in Waco, Texas (where FBI agents raided the compound of David Koresh). Then again, the same story could have happened, a handful of years ago, with my walking past an Irishman, in a bar. When the IRA was bombing and performing terrorist activities, against Britain. It does not matter the color of skin, the foundation of beliefs and religion, or the political affiliation of the person who is detonating the bomb, sneaking in the materials, funding, or any other part of terrorist activities. Only two things matter in terrorist acts. The actual will to be the sacrifice and the extreme reasoning/belief system for executing heinous the plan, are the only real things to be combated and debated.
Sharing this beautiful world, having a veritable treasure trove of people who are devout in their own beliefs, whether religious and/or political, who would never strive to hurt another soul is a blessing. Yet, there will always be those who will do evil/be evil, will become the actual definition of "extreme" and will vet out plans of execution and chaos. However, the look into a person's eye cannot tell their story, label them to stop them, and speaking to them (as rational people) fails every time. When a person believes the definition of their own devoutness, is actually true evil (in which no sensible person can debate), the only chance people have is to try to stop them before they will push the cell phone button, expelling Anthrax into the subway channel, or delivering the suitcase nuke. President Obama, the leaders of the world, and people of the world must look to instill in themselves, what they wish others to be, without compromise.
The debate is not about torture, GITMO, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Palestinian conflict, and the countless other trite pieces of a discussion, residing in us all. We are all in a world where evil shows itself, thru twisted, misguided, or hijacked ideologies and struggles, as far as the human time line goes back. Instead, of isolating portions of the problems of different kinds of evil (Hitler's Germany, the Crusades, Muslim Extremists, Terrorists, etc...etc...), to a no end conclusion. The time is now for the 98% of "non-evil" people, not indulging their own acidic and destructive belief systems, by living out their lives (by whatever beliefs, religion, or moral code) to the maximum, becoming the best person for the world. The trite, yet still relevant, "actions speak louder than words" is where it starts. In addition, people need to come to the conclusion, 2% of the world's population should not be holding the other 98% hostage, speechless, and in fear.
As if the world is making an enormous sword, to combat and defend itself against the "terrorists" and "evil people" in the world, is the only way to start down a path of healing, recognition of differences, but also pulling heads out of the sand and looking the evil straight on. People should be smelting themselves together, over and over (learning about others and stepping out of their own comfort zones) thru their own actions of good will, living for the best possible moments (for themselves and others) and love for all people (regardless of color, religion and political affiliation). There will always be various types of people of color, religious affiliations, and overall opinions. Expanding the lens, in which a person views other people, allows the tolerance to see people are all the same, their actions are what is different
The only thing to remember is we are not different in body and soul, just thought and action. Therefore, change is possible and it starts with every single person, now. It is not "pie in the sky thought" to achieve peace, change, and a better world for everyone (not a world with like people, a better world, thru understanding the differences in people). It is a case of wanting the change, making the change inside ones own self, and only when these are achieved, people speak out and complete the circle. Allowing the smoking of the minority of evil, into the open. Countries cannot change the world, but individuals banding together will. This is what President Obama must convey, to the Muslim population in Cairo, Egypt today, and to the American people, every chance he can get. The Middle East trip will be a complete waste, if not.
One second, on a sunny day, in a public park, with eight hundred people living out lives of meaning, two complete strangers have completely different actions. Yet, we both have the same thought, mine stays inside my head and she lays out two words, to the wind, like a banshee. I think, "Please God no!" She screams, the takbeer, "Allah Akbar!" Before she can actually push the button, I realize two things. She is actually standing in front of a van (she obviously drove to the park, but I assumed she was going into the park on foot, driving a nice car, left behind in the parking lot, somewhere) and then just a flash of light. Everyone in the park, gone, or seriously wounded. All in all, a lone wolf, who happened to be a Muslim woman, just executed one of the worst terrorist acts on American soil.
This is not a real story, and is not a tirade on extreme Muslim beliefs and/or Muslim people. If I take out the Muslim woman above and substitute a white male (in an Oklahoma City parking lot), the same story could have happened, as his name was Timothy James McVeigh (who blew up an FBI building, I was just not there, obviously). He was Caucasian, a straying Catholic Christian, and was acting "for the constitution" and/or what happened in Waco, Texas (where FBI agents raided the compound of David Koresh). Then again, the same story could have happened, a handful of years ago, with my walking past an Irishman, in a bar. When the IRA was bombing and performing terrorist activities, against Britain. It does not matter the color of skin, the foundation of beliefs and religion, or the political affiliation of the person who is detonating the bomb, sneaking in the materials, funding, or any other part of terrorist activities. Only two things matter in terrorist acts. The actual will to be the sacrifice and the extreme reasoning/belief system for executing heinous the plan, are the only real things to be combated and debated.
Sharing this beautiful world, having a veritable treasure trove of people who are devout in their own beliefs, whether religious and/or political, who would never strive to hurt another soul is a blessing. Yet, there will always be those who will do evil/be evil, will become the actual definition of "extreme" and will vet out plans of execution and chaos. However, the look into a person's eye cannot tell their story, label them to stop them, and speaking to them (as rational people) fails every time. When a person believes the definition of their own devoutness, is actually true evil (in which no sensible person can debate), the only chance people have is to try to stop them before they will push the cell phone button, expelling Anthrax into the subway channel, or delivering the suitcase nuke. President Obama, the leaders of the world, and people of the world must look to instill in themselves, what they wish others to be, without compromise.
The debate is not about torture, GITMO, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Palestinian conflict, and the countless other trite pieces of a discussion, residing in us all. We are all in a world where evil shows itself, thru twisted, misguided, or hijacked ideologies and struggles, as far as the human time line goes back. Instead, of isolating portions of the problems of different kinds of evil (Hitler's Germany, the Crusades, Muslim Extremists, Terrorists, etc...etc...), to a no end conclusion. The time is now for the 98% of "non-evil" people, not indulging their own acidic and destructive belief systems, by living out their lives (by whatever beliefs, religion, or moral code) to the maximum, becoming the best person for the world. The trite, yet still relevant, "actions speak louder than words" is where it starts. In addition, people need to come to the conclusion, 2% of the world's population should not be holding the other 98% hostage, speechless, and in fear.
As if the world is making an enormous sword, to combat and defend itself against the "terrorists" and "evil people" in the world, is the only way to start down a path of healing, recognition of differences, but also pulling heads out of the sand and looking the evil straight on. People should be smelting themselves together, over and over (learning about others and stepping out of their own comfort zones) thru their own actions of good will, living for the best possible moments (for themselves and others) and love for all people (regardless of color, religion and political affiliation). There will always be various types of people of color, religious affiliations, and overall opinions. Expanding the lens, in which a person views other people, allows the tolerance to see people are all the same, their actions are what is different
The only thing to remember is we are not different in body and soul, just thought and action. Therefore, change is possible and it starts with every single person, now. It is not "pie in the sky thought" to achieve peace, change, and a better world for everyone (not a world with like people, a better world, thru understanding the differences in people). It is a case of wanting the change, making the change inside ones own self, and only when these are achieved, people speak out and complete the circle. Allowing the smoking of the minority of evil, into the open. Countries cannot change the world, but individuals banding together will. This is what President Obama must convey, to the Muslim population in Cairo, Egypt today, and to the American people, every chance he can get. The Middle East trip will be a complete waste, if not.
Copyright. "The Thought Spigot"
No comments:
Post a Comment