Past Editorials #5 - 10/2004

CSpan is like hitting your head against the wall for hours in that it feels so good when you finally stop. So why do I keep tuning to that channel? And why is it that us "common folk" can see the obvious, but the folks that are making the decisions cannot?  In all the discussions and analysis that have taken place over the months and now years since the attack on 9/11, I have never once heard anyone say that we should communicate with the people in the Middle East to learn about their history and culture. No one has suggested that we understand why there is so much hatred aimed at the USA, or that we should respect them as a people enough to incorporate their history and beliefs into our analysis.  I get the impression that it must be politically incorrect to give the Muslim world the right to be Muslim. Why else do we keep going into their countries with the goal of forcing them to conform to our moral codes and then expect them to embrace our Democratic values with no regard or understanding of what it is that motivates and defines who they are?

Recently, I found myself in conversation with a group of men that had not given a single thought to the culture or philosophy of the Middle East. I think this is because they believed that their moral and political beliefs are so far superior to anything else, that it doesn't matter what other people believe in, but that we (the USA) can "save" them by imposing our government and way of life on them.  Watching their faces when I told them I traded emails with citizens of Cairo and Jordan and other Muslim countries was pretty entertaining.  They had not thought about the fact that there are individuals with families, issues, and desires just like we have. They appeared to dismiss the fact that terrorists are NOT Muslims but rather radical fanatics not unlike some that live and grow in this country.  It had not occurred to them that there could be a common ground for communication, respect, and even affection between Americans and people of Islam.

These men are fortunately not prejudiced against my horses as so many in my area are (not because of where my horses came from, but rather that they are not quarter horses).  They looked as if they had been struck with an epiphany when I spoke about the mutual love of Arabian horses that I share with my friends in the Middle East, and how the horses are the medium in which pure feelings of love and respect wash away politics and hatreds. The best relationships that I have here or abroad are based on mutual respect and even the ability to agree to disagree on certain issues. . . even some pretty big ones. But those of you that love Arabian horses and treasure their history and heritage understand what it is like to talk horses for hours.  At those times, you don't care about political differences because you know you have found someone else that shares a feeling you understand very well.

Maybe the answer to some of our world problems is to give all the politicians and policy makers an assignment to research the history of our so-called enemies, and maybe there should be some kind of test given after their studies to make sure that they understand the events and philosophies that built the character and culture of those we have targeted for enculturation. Every person comes with cultural baggage, not just the other guy, but Americans also. Of COURSE, I do not condone terrorism or any other act that harms others, I should not even have to say so, but somebody will inevitably twist my comments to fit their own defense mechanisms. Why is it so hard for people to think outside the envelope, to open their minds to other peoples ideas?  I love this country as passionately as I love my horses which is why I resent it when things are done that will cause a backlash that will eventually do great damage to my beloved USA.  We need to stop labeling and try to understand each other. All of us. On both sides.

sw