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| Strawbale Archive for September 2001 |
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| 284 messages, last added Tue Nov 26 17:42:12 2002 |
[Date Index][Thread Index]
No Subject
THE HATEFUL AMERICAN STEREOTYPE
[A new church-burning hoax.]
These are difficult days for members of the anti-American Left. At a=20
time of flag-waving patriotism, they're trying to channel their=20
anti-Americanism in ways that don't seem disrespectful of the 5,000=20
souls who lost their lives to anti-American terrorism on September 11.=20
To be sure, they often fail at this project. Witness Susan Sontag,=20
writing in the current issue of The New Yorker:
"The voices licensed to follow the event seem to have joined together in =
a campaign to infantilize the public. Where is the acknowledgment that=20
this was not a 'cowardly' attack on 'civilization' or 'liberty' or=20
'humanity' or 'the free world' but an attack on the world's=20
self-proclaimed superpower, undertaken as a consequence of specific=20
American alliances and actions?"
Someday, she may regret that quote. At least she should.
Yet there is one way the anti-American Left can express itself in ways=20
that don't seem harmful to the national interest: It will suggest that=20
hateful Americans are now engaged in a fit of anti-Muslim violence that=20
is only one-step removed from certified ethnic cleansing. What's=20
remarkable about the days following September 11 is how little of this=20
there has been. One hears of broken store windows and even a few more=20
serious crimes--but these are the exceptions that prove the rule.=20
Americans are a warm and generous people, and they have not embarked on=20
an anti-Muslim hate crusade. In how many other countries would this be=20
true, after September 11? To take a few isolated incidents and suggest=20
we're in the midst of an epidemic is just as bad as stereotyping every=20
Arab American as a terrorist.
But here is something to watch for: A new fraud perpetrated on the=20
public, along the lines of the church-burning phenomenon of several=20
years ago--when churches (usually ones with black congregations) were=20
said to be targets of arson at unprecedented rates. Objective observers=20
soon learned that this was basically not true, though the Jesse Jacksons =
of the world have not repented for engaging in it.
Arab Americans deserve the full protection of the law; those who try to=20
hurt them or their property should be prosecuted. But let's not kid=20
ourselves into thinking that we are in the midst of a national shame.
------=_NextPart_000_0011_01C141E2.FEAC3EC0
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>From a different =
perspective,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>By John J. Miller and Ramesh =
Ponnuru<BR><BR>THE=20
HATEFUL AMERICAN STEREOTYPE<BR>[A new church-burning hoax.]<BR><BR>These =
are=20
difficult days for members of the anti-American Left. At a <BR>time of=20
flag-waving patriotism, they're trying to channel their =
<BR>anti-Americanism in=20
ways that don't seem disrespectful of the 5,000 <BR>souls who lost their =
lives=20
to anti-American terrorism on September 11. <BR>To be sure, they often =
fail at=20
this project. Witness Susan Sontag, <BR>writing in the current issue of =
The New=20
Yorker:<BR><BR>"The voices licensed to follow the event seem to have =
joined=20
together in <BR>a campaign to infantilize the public. Where is the=20
acknowledgment that <BR>this was not a 'cowardly' attack on =
'civilization' or=20
'liberty' or <BR>'humanity' or 'the free world' but an attack on the =
world's=20
<BR>self-proclaimed superpower, undertaken as a consequence of specific=20
<BR>American alliances and actions?"<BR><BR>Someday, she may regret that =
quote.=20
At least she should.<BR><BR>Yet there is one way the anti-American Left =
can=20
express itself in ways <BR>that don't seem harmful to the national =
interest: It=20
will suggest that <BR>hateful Americans are now engaged in a fit of =
anti-Muslim=20
violence that <BR>is only one-step removed from certified ethnic =
cleansing.=20
What's <BR>remarkable about the days following September 11 is how =
little of=20
this <BR>there has been. One hears of broken store windows and even a =
few more=20
<BR>serious crimes--but these are the exceptions that prove the rule.=20
<BR>Americans are a warm and generous people, and they have not embarked =
on=20
<BR>an anti-Muslim hate crusade. In how many other countries would this =
be=20
<BR>true, after September 11? To take a few isolated incidents and =
suggest=20
<BR>we're in the midst of an epidemic is just as bad as stereotyping =
every=20
<BR>Arab American as a terrorist.<BR><BR>But here is something to watch =
for: A=20
new fraud perpetrated on the <BR>public, along the lines of the =
church-burning=20
phenomenon of several <BR>years ago--when churches (usually ones with =
black=20
congregations) were <BR>said to be targets of arson at unprecedented =
rates.=20
Objective observers <BR>soon learned that this was basically not true, =
though=20
the Jesse Jacksons <BR>of the world have not repented for engaging in=20
it.<BR><BR>Arab Americans deserve the full protection of the law; those =
who try=20
to <BR>hurt them or their property should be prosecuted. But let's not =
kid=20
<BR>ourselves into thinking that we are in the midst of a national=20
shame.<BR><BR><BR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
------=_NextPart_000_0011_01C141E2.FEAC3EC0--
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