No To Lies, Jingoism and War Mongering
By Craig Martindale
Posted: 29 Jamad-u-Thani 1422, 17 September 2001
Dear Albalagh,
I am a white, Christian, Middle American, born in New York City and living in
Indianapolis. I am saddened by the events of the last week. But, before the attack, I
actually saw the beginning of balanced reporting about the ongoing Middle East conflict,
and I had noticed a vague acknowledgement by others in my community that we in America
should give more credence to the cause of the displaced Palestinians. I fear that that
this attack, performed by a small group of cruel extremists, jeopardizes the fragile state
of American sympathies toward the Arab world.
I feel strongly that living in a country founded on the concept of religious tolerance
requires us to investigate and try to understand points of view beyond the obvious, or
more importantly, beyond those that are being sold to us by those seeking a profit for
providing the information. It is extremely important that we realize that the recent
terrorist attacks in this country were a response from an angry, oppressed group of
suffering people.
Before the attack, I actually saw the
beginning of balanced reporting about the ongoing Middle East conflict. |
I know these attacks were not justified ... the people killed and injured did not
commit the oppression or cause the suffering. But we cannot hope to stop violence and war
without removing its cause. We no longer fear invasion and war from Japan and Germany
because they have been lifted from their unfortunate situations, and have been invited to
join in a world of mutual benefit and shared appreciation. Let's apply the lessons we
learned from World War II to the conflicts of today.
The evidence is already present: our best relationships in the Arab world are with
countries like Kuwait and Saudi Arabia that have higher standards of living and more open
trade with the world. We have chosen the role as world leaders in economic and political
liberty, and it is time to extend our assistance in a more effective way to the most
oppressed people in the Middle East.
We must begin by seeking to understand and sympathize with those who are the most
oppressed ... even though their lifestyle, religion and social structure is very different
from our own. We cannot afford misrepresentation of the facts, jingoism and war mongering
in the media.
If retaliation is inevitable, I hope it is swift, accurate, and targeted only on those
involved in the attack. We need so badly to get past this unfortunate point in history,
and move on to solve the problems of this world that cause these situations.
Sincerely,
Craig Martindale
Vice President
Project Media Inc.
Indianapolis, IN 46268
www.projectmedia.com
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