A Pacifist
Repents
by Kathleen Davis
In the Name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful, someone bring
me the head of Osama bin Laden.
Do any of us really have a single thread of doubt about who is behind
the Sept. 11th attacks? Could it be the same man who declared war on
all Americans in the Middle East? Could it be the same man who told
the world that he was going to send the U.S. a message by shipping home
both American military and civilians in an unending stream of coffins?
But, as Americans who still feel angry and shocked at the unfeeling
brutality of yesterday’s attacks, we cannot make the mistake of
assuming the Koran is behind this action. It is not Islam who has angered
the Great Satan. It is not Allah. It is only Osama bin Laden. (He’s
a freak under any religious context.)
And this Great Satan, Sir, is very, very angry.
I cannot fathom what he was trying to accomplish with this complicated
act of “jihad.” Surely he did not think that brutally murdering
thousands of American men and women calmly going about the daily life
of work and family would be the primrose path to his version of enlightenment.
I can’t believe that anyone is that egotistical—well, actually,
I can believe that bin Laden is that egotistical. I’ve read the
interviews.
I guess I just never thought he was this moronic. And, even more than
the tenth level of evil that this act reverberates, the “attack
on America” that occurred yesterday is, in fact, just plain stupid.
Let’s line this up into a sense of perspective:
1.) You’ve taken a nation who was vaguely aware of your name as
you occasionally flitted across the international news, and you’ve
made them all aware of your existence. Some might say this is brilliant;
however, you now have 250 million people combing internet sites, reading
background, exploring documents—all to get a sense of who you are.
And they are getting a sense of who you are so that they will know exactly
who they hate.
2.) You’ve created an American hatred so heavy, so thick and so
strong that any single one of us when confronted by you personally would
be more than willing to strangle you with our bare hands. We’re
choking on this hatred, and we want nothing more than to spit it back
in your face.
3.) You’ve taken a nation that hasn’t reacted in mass support
to a military action since World War II, and you’ve congealed them
into one massive cudgel just awaiting your turbaned head to pop into
view like a giant military whack-a-mole game. There will be no sympathy
for you here, and, therefore, there will be no compassion.
4.) You’ve made us the victims, and we have all the sympathy.
It’s ours; we own it. And through your dissident and pathetic response
to the crisis (“It was some American group, not us.”), you’ve
shown the world your true heart and black soul. If this act of terrorism
had happened in your homeland of Saudi Arabia, we would feel sympathy
and send aid. We would grieve with you, no matter your beliefs. This
is the difference between us: not religious or social, capitalistic
or militant, just human. Humanity is precious to us (even if we do occasionally
stray on the individual level). Your humanity has been erased by hatred
and bigotry (in fact, you wear your bigotry on your sleeve), and you
try to couch that dark chasm in terms of Allah. I cannot wait for you
to actually meet Allah, the bringer of peace. He will spit on your selfish
interpretations of his words; he will disown you as his son. And then
you will finally, truly meet the real Great Satan. (Here’s a hint:
You’re not getting a free trip to Disneyland.)
5.) To sum this all up for you: Your ass is grass, and the U.S. is
the giant lawnmower right on your tail. Stay alert, and stay awake.
NATO has us fully gassed and ready to go. Your blades will soon be severed.
See, you’ve changed us all, on a personal level. Right now, we
may still be clinging to the last fingers of fear that you’ve clawed
into our hearts. But it will pass, and when it does, you will finally
realize just how idiotic that attempt to trump the only remaining superpower
really was, for you’ve changed us fundamentally and we’re
not the weaklings you think we are. We have the military might; we have
the tough, American work ethic. We have the economic support, and we
have all the cards.
And I think there are more than 250 million people who would whole-heartedly
agree with me. 250 million people willing to go to war, to invade countries
and to personally take up arms to drive you and yours up from the crevices
you cower in. How many supporters are in that rag-tag “army”
of yours, and just how loyal are they? When it comes to this cockfight,
I’m willing to bet that you don’t have spurs big enough to
take us on.
Let me sum it up for you this way: I personally never supported the
Gulf War. I didn’t agree with our participation in either Vietnam
or Korea. I never considered war a good solution to any crisis. But
right now, at this hour, I pray that the Texas cowboy we mistakenly
elected president turns over every Middle Eastern rock—for only
monsters and cowards are afraid of the light—until he drags your
nasty, vampiric soul out into the blazing sun and exterminates you like
the vermin that you truly are.
I guess my pacifism was just a phase.
