WTC/Pentagon Deaths Test Our Emotions--And Our Ignorance: Spare Our Own! Sep 13 '01 (Updated Sep 14 '01)    Write an essay on this topic. Tweet The Bottom Line As Americans, information leads to perspective and understanding, which can spare other Americans our ignorance and hatred. I won't go into detail about what happened on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. We all know what happened. But it's our response to those events that will determine if we can separate our emotions from the temptation of ignorance. What happened to humanity? For a civilization that has advanced so far technologically and socially worldwide, we still tend to regress to our more base, primitive urges in the face of tragedy. At the time of this writing, the perpetrator of the heinous terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon has yet to be found, though Saudi exile Osama Bin Laden has been suggested. We've seen footage of some Middle Easterners dancing in the streets, contrasting sharply with the tear-stricken faces of Americans whose loved ones have died. Some of those Middle Easterners interviewed argue that Americans have much to pay for, and got what they deserved. Some angry Americans now deface Muslim mosques, businesses and cultural centers, make verbal threats in person and over the phone, and fire gunshots at Muslims here in America. Many outraged Americans feel that not only should Bin Laden be destroyed, but Afghanistan as well. It is sad that millions who practice the three Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) worldwide commit daily acts of selfishness and inhumanity, from a feeling of superiority over others to killing in the name of religion. A lack of perspective, stifled by ignorance and emotion, is the culprit. As usual, ignorance is the easier tool to reach for in times of tragedy. But as human beings with the capacity for reason, we should step back and exercise it. America and the Middle East In the hotspots of the Middle East, atrocities against humanity are an almost everyday occurrence. Religious factions constantly quarrel--with blood--over sacred territory. Buildings get bombed with shocking disregard for those inside. Mothers see the deaths of their children, and vice versa. Violence and death are no strangers to them. Here in the United States, we often forget just how good we have it. Our quality of life far surpasses that of almost any other country. And yet we are indifferent to the violence and prejudice that wracks our country. This country suffers from severe prejudice over racial, religious, and sex issues (to name a few). Many of us don't even realize it when we see it right under our noses, because it has transparently become a part of the status quo, which seems alright to us as long as our paths and desires aren't obstructed. What it means to be American (a seeming tangent--but stay with me) For many of us Americans, our patriotism, like our religious side, doesn't kick in until tragedy strikes. As an American, how much do you know about the history of this country, its foreign policy and its scrapes with other countries over the centuries? Do you abide by the laws set forth by state and federal governments? Do you understand the political processes in this country and make an educated vote as often as possible? Are you up to date on world news and politics, as well as world history? As an American--or any human on this planet--you should be. I know I have much to learn, and much to catch up on. It's all about what you know, and the more you know, the clearer the picture you can have of such horrible situations as these, and the better you can turn away from the easy and hateful ignorant response. Justice must be served, though it is up to our elected officials to determine how it will be delivered, and to whom. (back to the main course) We are not the World On television, you see mostly Christians praying in American churches and then Muslims abroad cheering over American deaths. With our emotions already frazzled, it's easy to deny our reasoning ability and think "Christians good, Muslims bad"--we already have enough "superior Christians" as it is, even in times of peace. This is not perspective, but a distorted, inverted view of reality. As a country, we should never think ourselves above the possibility of violence inside our borders, and should certainly not see ourselves as superior to our international brethren simply because of our financial status. It is partially because of the latter that some Americans are outraged--they ask, "How dare they do this on our shores?" America's neo-isolationism needs to end, so we can better realize that we stand alongside other nations, not over them. America is not the world, but a part of it. Perspective is the Key Perspective can be had by learning as much as you can--each piece of info is a puzzle piece that completes The Big Picture. Knowing the details in The Big Picture helps you make a clearer, less emotionally clouded decision--which could spare another human being the hatred you might have otherwise lay on him. Arab-Americans and Americans who follow Islam are not to blame, and if you think they are (and worse, if you act on it) you have thought no more than the terrorists who believed that thousands of Americans had to die because of the narrowminded, ignorant views of the fanatic(s) who masterminded the horrific events that transpired on September 11, 2001. My solemn condolences and prayers go out to all affected by this tragedy, and the hope for swift justice for those responsible for the crimes committed.

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