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After 9/11 America loved New Yorkers. Five minutes later the heartland went back to hating us again. Fox News had more invested in the hate part. They’re true heartlanders by occupation, though in their hearts their superstars prefer hitting on women and spending their millions in New York fabulosity.
In the wake of our little Halloween terrorist trick – 8 dead so far – our righteous right will offer the love and unity again. Until the next news cycle.
Save it this time. You have enough troubles of your own so don’t tax your hearts and prayers on our account. We’ll get over this attack sooner than you will. I suppose muslim hatred will amp up a few notches. But not here in New York.
9/11 happened in my neighborhood, 10 blocks south of home. We used to take our kid to the Borders book store in the Trade Center, sit on the floor and read to him. No, not Noam Chomsky – kiddie books. Family values. Really. Our neighborhood was mess of police barricades, militarized cops, dust and debris for weeks. We got over it and continued to interact with muslims every day since with no sense of threat or condescension. There were the clowns that flailed because a very decent, expansive person wanted to open a mosque/community center near Ground Zero. Pathetic. The terrorists won. No mosque/community center. Why risk having a place where muslims can mingle with their fellow New Yorkers at a time when mutual trust is precious.
I moved 15 years later. Even more muslims where I am now. No stress. Won’t be tomorrow either. Today’s attack occurred around the the same distance from our old digs, but to the north. Just 2 years ago I’d often ride my bike on that same bike path. A few blocks from where bands and other groups set up for the massive Halloween parade going on right now; where I used to meet up with the samba bands to play in the parades. At that point he went off the highway and onto the bike lane proceeded southward doing his damage.
Another lost fool in need of a mission worth living for. Lacking that, find one worth dying for. A wacko religion niche is the ultimate mission. If the deity wants a guy to get revenge for his misery, why wouldn’t he sign up. When we say terrorist acts are not about islam what we mean is: in this moment in history it’s islam that has that role. Not the religion itself but a tiny demonination that weaponizes it. How many tortures, ghettoizations and genocides were done for Jesus’ sake in the past. Though in some cases, not that far back. The KKK didn’t scream “Allahu Akbar.” They burned a cross. Now it’s done for Allah. In Myanmar it’s being done to muslims for Buddah’s sake. So, sorry, America – I don’t hate muslims because of today’s slaughter any more than I hate white Americans for the far greater damage done in Las Vegas and Sandy Hook.
The outrage flies when a leftie suggests that Trump supporters are racists. Making ugly assumptions about so many because of a few bad assholes. But many of those outraged by such a remark assume that I’m a bad asshole because I’m a New York progressive; and muslims are all terrorists who want to establish sharia law in the US. Each of those three assumptions are equal examples of bigotry – drawing conclusions about an individual based on stereotypes of that person’t perceived identity group.
So please – America’s patriotic conservatives – we don’t want your hearts and prayers tonight. As though the offer is any deeper than words. Have a look at those hearts and prayers and maybe a little housecleaning. Then we’d appreciate them so much more than you can imagine.
— Polar Levine, News Goo Dissection, October 31, 2017
© Polar Levine 2017 content should not be reproduced elsewhere without prior permission
