queerbychoice (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
queerbychoice) wrote2001-09-11 07:38 pm
queerbychoice) wrote2001-09-11 07:38 pm
Further Thoughts on You Know What
I had no idea that the famous Mimi Nguyen, who owns the fabulous Worse Than Queer website and has been a sort of idol of mine for a couple of years now, was on LiveJournal - but I've just discovered she is, and she's posted some interesting thoughts on today's events.
In other news, Liz pointed out that the official Taleban website has been hacked. I wish the hackers could have made more interesting use of it, though. I mean, as Liz also has already said, how many years have the Taleban been committing atrocities on Afghanistan's citizens (particularly the female ones)? - but all the hackers or the president or pretty much anyone else outside of Afghanistan seems to have taken any notice of is when people on our turf start getting hurt.
Whenever human rights abuses take place anywhere in the world, regardless of whether it's in a foreign country or in American prisons or in an abusive suburban family or anyplace at all, no matter how small, those abuses cultivate a culture in which the people there become accustomed to violence as a way of life and they may become ever more ready or more driven to resorting to greater violence in the future.
I think what irritates me most about the media response right now, though, is all the perpetual displays of Christianity. Bush quoted the Bible, the people in Washington D.C. sang "God Bless America" on national television, the California governor went and prayed at a Christian cathedral in downtown Sacramento, and the families of the plane passengers killed were met at the Los Angles airport by so-called "grief counselors" who all, as far as I saw on the news reports, just happened to be Salvation Army officers - members of a Christian (and homophobic) organization whose presence I personally would find extremely uncomforting in a time of grief. The whole false notion that the only people on those planes or in those buildings or grieving over those who were in there were all Christian people or that publicizing solely Christian expressions of grief on television is anything other than a slap in the face to those among the victims who were not Christian.
I bet you anything there were some people of Islamic faith in those buildings or on those planes, too. Let's hear some of their stories on television. Better yet - let's hear the president of the United States quoting some of their scriptures to comfort them. Let's have him cross his own cultural boundaries and make an effort to speak equally to all.
Yeah, right.
In other news, Liz pointed out that the official Taleban website has been hacked. I wish the hackers could have made more interesting use of it, though. I mean, as Liz also has already said, how many years have the Taleban been committing atrocities on Afghanistan's citizens (particularly the female ones)? - but all the hackers or the president or pretty much anyone else outside of Afghanistan seems to have taken any notice of is when people on our turf start getting hurt.
Whenever human rights abuses take place anywhere in the world, regardless of whether it's in a foreign country or in American prisons or in an abusive suburban family or anyplace at all, no matter how small, those abuses cultivate a culture in which the people there become accustomed to violence as a way of life and they may become ever more ready or more driven to resorting to greater violence in the future.
I think what irritates me most about the media response right now, though, is all the perpetual displays of Christianity. Bush quoted the Bible, the people in Washington D.C. sang "God Bless America" on national television, the California governor went and prayed at a Christian cathedral in downtown Sacramento, and the families of the plane passengers killed were met at the Los Angles airport by so-called "grief counselors" who all, as far as I saw on the news reports, just happened to be Salvation Army officers - members of a Christian (and homophobic) organization whose presence I personally would find extremely uncomforting in a time of grief. The whole false notion that the only people on those planes or in those buildings or grieving over those who were in there were all Christian people or that publicizing solely Christian expressions of grief on television is anything other than a slap in the face to those among the victims who were not Christian.
I bet you anything there were some people of Islamic faith in those buildings or on those planes, too. Let's hear some of their stories on television. Better yet - let's hear the president of the United States quoting some of their scriptures to comfort them. Let's have him cross his own cultural boundaries and make an effort to speak equally to all.
Yeah, right.
no subject
Peace!
Pekky
no subject
-- for lack of a better word, amen.
no subject
(Anonymous) 2001-09-11 10:43 pm (UTC)(link)no subject
We are not talking about a citizen on the street here, nor are we talking about George W. Bush's prayers within the privacy of his own home. We are talking about the president of the United States and he's speaking in his role as the president of the United States, quoting scriptures on national television to the entire United States. When he's speaking in a public capacty as president of the United States, he has a responsibility to reach out to all citizens of the United States - particularly when failing to acknowledge the pain of Islamic U.S. citizens at this time could put the country at greater risk of anti-Islamic prejudice and hatred such as yours.
"Not to mention it was Islam that got us into this in the first place."
THAT is a prejudiced, hateful statement and it's no wonder you don't dare show your name in my journal when making comments like that.
These plane crashes were perpetrated by specific human beings. Not every single Islamic person on earth is responsible for them or feels anything other than overwhleming horror at them!!!! Statements like yours are unfair and prejudiced and contribute to an atmosphere of continued hatred.
no subject
I befriended one back in Charleston
Peace!
Pekky