Going Down in Flames

           Omnipresent in the news media today is the mention of religious zealots fighting for ideals, be it terrorism struggling to rid of the establishment in Iraq or in America’s own backyard. In a country that is supposed to stand for freedom, equality, and justice, this infringement on our constitution by a pastor from Florida or by a group of protesters on the streets of New York City has not only created doubt about the future of our country, but has impacted me by sowing fear and distrust into my worldview. I can only hope that the world can move away from this current mindset of self-serving need for a uniform society before we progress into drastic decline.

            America was founded on principles of religious equality and freedom for all. Although it has taken awhile to reach equality with the civil rights movement taking place only 45 years ago, I fear that the rise of radical ideas like uniform English language usage in America and the burning of the Koran will only work to undo this. When one person can threaten to burn a book in pure spite of another’s religion the cohesiveness of our world falters. I believe that if we continue down this path it can only lead towards contempt for the differences in our fellow citizens, ignorance to culture, and a failure to be open, accepting, and welcoming in the future.

            Growing up during the War on Terrorism, I have seen firsthand how fanaticism can lead to destruction. One only needs to look back 9 years to see how a couple of radicals can tear down towers along with the dreams and emotions of a nation. I have grown up in an age that was afraid; afraid to fly, afraid to travel, afraid of differences. Sadly it is a reality that kids my age are scared of Muslims even though they aren’t at all comparable to the radicals represented in Al Qaeda and in the Iranian government. It is much the same as my parent’s generation and the Soviets or of the contempt towards the Germans during the World Wars. I feel that through this process of healing as a nation in the aftermath of the attacks we need to be open-minded and move away from stereotypes in order to move forward. Sitting at home listening to the news I worry about our troops and about the backlash an act carried out by a Florida pastor would create. Without change in our attitudes as a nation I fear the future will be filled with more tension and resentment.

            In a world of instantaneous communication, of a global network of information, in order to coexist with hundreds of different ideas and pasts it is imperative that we allow the variety in people to flourish. Difference doesn’t need to breed distrust if we stick to our values and ignore the attention grabbing actions of the few people that spread their ideas with dramatic actions.