|
July 28, 2006
Why do they shoot us?
This looks like domestic terrorism to me: SEATTLE – One person is dead and five others have been injured in a shooting at the Jewish Federation at 2031 Third Ave. in downtown Seattle. One suspect has been taken into custody.I just sat down at the computer and saw this, but it's been news around the blogosphere for at least a couple of hours. Via Glenn Reynolds, Pajamas Media has a big roundup with lots of pictures. There will probably be a strained effort to say this was not terrorism because it was a lone individual. Well, Timothy McVeigh was a lone individual. I live in a neighborhood that's about 50% Jewish, in which there is a Saudi madrassa. It worries a lot of people that someone from the madrassa might just lose it and flip out like this one of these days. This reminds me of my post on Wednesday about eliminationist rhetoric. Here's a guy who put his into practice. If only there were some way to require that immigrants to this country learn American civics and assimilate. I have no idea whether the gunman was a citizen, but if he was, I wonder whether he really believed in this country, or considered it an enemy to be defeated along with "the Jews." If he thought these people were Jews and not Americans, if he thought he was a Muslim and not an American, he had no business calling himself an American. I'm sorry, but "Why do they hate us?" is not a question which we should have to ask of Americans -- or for that matter, people on the American street. UPDATE (07/29/06): Via Glenn Reynolds, I see that there's quite a hurry to declare that the shooter suffered from "mental illness." Not that this would make him any less a terrorist than any other nutcase who believes in shooting Jews in the name of God, but aren't such issues normally raised by defense lawyers? posted by Eric on 07.28.06 at 11:07 PM
Comments
-You are correct about religion. However, to limit it to religion is ridiculously limited in vision. The truth is, most people believe things ("Global warming does/doesn't exist," "Monopolies are bad," "Matter must be either a particle or a wave") based on intuition and as little evidence or real thought as the religious. All policy should be based on science. No one should be deprived of life, liberty, or property unless they commit a real crime, depriving another person of those same rights. Jon Thompson · July 29, 2006 02:03 AM "Line them up...and you can fill in the rest." Aparently one doesn't need a make believe god to condone violence in the name of righteousness. Mick · July 29, 2006 12:01 PM Clarification: Frank · July 30, 2006 01:28 AM I guess I'll buy that. Although, I think putting a pox on all religion is painting with a too broad brush. You dont see many killings in the name of Y_w_h. Mick · July 30, 2006 02:08 AM If you re-read your post, you will se that you were at the ready - before all the facts were in - to somehow blame the media for this. Or at least blame the media for not inciting anti-Arab violence. BTW: There's a Black church in a largely white neighborhood in Minneapolis. Residents (the white ones) are "nervous" about being attacked by Black people. Is the solution to the anxiety Black-hate? RayButler · July 30, 2006 10:58 AM Ray-What utter crap. You really think that a Saudi-funded madrassa in a Jewish neighborhood is the same as a black Christian church in a white neighborhood? Jon Thompson · July 30, 2006 01:21 PM Ray-Also, while we may be racists, you have sex with dolphins. Yeah. Try and reply to that almost meaningless, worthless statement that does nothing but attack the messenger's morality. Jon Thompson · July 30, 2006 01:23 PM While I don't know anything about the "Black church in a largely white neighborhood in Minneapolis," I seriously doubt it's comparable to the Saudi madrassa. Was a Megan's Law sex offender living there? Were there code violations and an unlicensed school and unlicensed summer "retreats" run by people about whom the director admitted he knows nothing? Did they feature amplified outdoor events without permission? Did they advocate the destruction of Israel? Was the director of its parent organization deported for connections to terrorism? I don't see what "Arabs," or "anti-Arab violence" have to do with this. The arrested man was a Pakistani, and Pakistanis are not Arabs. As to the Saudi madrassa, while it is run by Arabs, many of the congregants are American converts to Islam who are not of Arab descent. The neighbors are worried not because anyone is an "Arab" -- or even a Muslim. They're worried (rightly, in my view) about anti-Semitic fanaticism. Eric Scheie · July 30, 2006 03:31 PM |
|
March 2007
WORLD-WIDE CALENDAR
Search the Site
E-mail
Classics To Go
Archives
March 2007
February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 May 2002 See more archives here Old (Blogspot) archives
Recent Entries
War For Profit
How trying to prevent genocide becomes genocide I Have Not Yet Begun To Fight Wind Boom Isaiah Washington, victim Hippie Shirts A cunning exercise in liberation linguistics? Sometimes unprincipled demagogues are better than principled activists PETA agrees -- with me! The high pitched squeal of small carbon footprints
Links
Site Credits
|
|
A pox on ALL religion. By definition, religion is belief without reason, faith in the absence of empirical evidence.
There were those few who founded this country calling themselves "Deists" or were out and out non-belivers like Sam Adams. They were indeed Enlightened.
The curse of this century, and this world, are those who justify any action in the name of their make believe god, and call it righteous.
Line them up...and you can fill in the rest.
Frank