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Some Terrible Ideas
NMB, Florida September 30, 2001 A.H. Schectman
THINKING ALLOWED
Essays on Issues, Ideas and Reflections on the Times. Published Now and
Then. Opinions Pro or Con Are Welcome.
SOME TERRIBLE IDEAS
In a time when terrible things have happened and more terrible things and
events will surely take place it might be helpful to look at some terrible
ideas that have been floating around. Instead of reflexive striking out we
should, I believe, do some serious thinking. Thinking should be allowed!
The awful idea that kicked off this rumination was the terrorism against
unarmed civilians, women, children and the elderly. The targets were Jews
and Americans. It doesn't matter to a terrorist - but then, again, it does
matter - the spreading fear and distrust among people aids his cause. He
believes his cause is just and we all are his enemies.
One terrible idea is to absent thought in favor of waving the flag. It is
easier to pin on a flag, wear it on clothing, erect it on a pole in front of
your house and talk patriotism - how yours is more patriotic than any one
else's - than to think. Thoughtless behavior feeds into the modus operandi
of terrorists. One of their main ideas is to get us to think we victims are
to blame for the punishment they mete out to us.
A terrible idea is xenophobia - fear of strangers. We all have been
strangers at one time or another. Strangers are new and the new is often
fearful. It is a terrible idea that we should fear those whose ideas are
new and different. Closing your mind to thought aids your enemy.
Putting a lock on criticism in a time of crisis is a bad idea. It is
terrible to contemplate doing here what is done in those places that spawn
the terror that has rocked us so. Criticism that is meant to be
constructive and a brake on excess is desirable while defamation or sedition
are terrible ideas. The intelligent person should know the difference.
A terrible idea is to tell someone who is different or new that he or she
should go back to his or her third world restrictive country. A good idea
would be to see how we look to others who find our freedoms dull our
awareness and cause us to neglect our security and good sense.
Carol's Evaluation: 9 out of 10.
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