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I’m searching for a word but can’t quite nail
it. Disdain? Condemn? Disregard? No, not quite. Overlook? Forget?
I have a deadline so I’ll settle for “ignore,”
though that’s not exactly right either. Anyway, here goes: While we Americans
enjoy the right to freely express our opinions, we also have a duty to ignore a
goodly share of them. Not by pretending certain views don’t exist; some are too
dangerous. However a small number of folks are getting entirely too much
attention.
Take the Berkeley city council, which should be
noted only for their entertainment value in any event. Berkeley is the lone
city in the nation to have passed a resolution condemning U.S. military action
in Afghanistan, on a motion by Councilwoman Dona Spring. Spring believes the
terrorists should instead be brought to justice through the legal system.
How would you like to serve the
subpoena on that one? Spring continued “My colleagues are incredibly brave to
be willing to vote on this,” demonstrating an even looser grasp on reality than
I would have expected. Fact is, you can say any goofball thing you want in
Berkeley and the worst that will happen is you’ll be elected to the city
council.
Also to be ignored are the major
news outlets. We may have to look to them for information, but as to their
opinions, remember that two large news services will not call the September 11
attackers “terrorists,” deeming the word too judgmental. At least one
television network has forbidden its employees from wearing flag pins or red,
white, and blue ribbons on air, lest anyone mistake them for Americans. Besting
that, several media organizations have expressed indignation over not receiving
advance notice of U.S. military strikes.
The cake-taker is CBS, which is
seriously considering a romantic comedy about a couple who fall in love after
losing their spouses in the World Trade Center collapse. The plot originally
had the pair meeting under other circumstances, but CBS entertainment president
Les Moonves thinks the situation calls for “relevance when it’s appropriate.”
“Is it exploitive to do something
like that?” Moonves asked rhetorically. “Not if it’s handled properly.”
This came before an assistant to
CBS anchorman Dan Rather fell ill with anthrax after opening sabotaged mail
intended for Rather, so Moonves can be excused for being a little out of date.
So try this, Les: The widow of a CBS news personality falls in love with the
terrorist who sent her husband anthrax-laced mail. Call it “Infidel-ity.” It
should be a real hoot, properly handled of course.
Topping the “ignore” list would
have to be the peace movement. I hardly know where to begin, but I still have a
deadline so I’ll settle for righting certain misunderstandings of history and
human nature.
Friends, here’s how it works:
Tyrants bent on intimidation can’t be negotiated with and I’ll bet a lava lamp
that an example can’t be found to prove me wrong. That’s why this has nothing
to do with revenge. Our military action won’t cause zealots to hate us and lash
out because they already do and have. Those so intellectually bankrupt as to
call U.S. actions racist or a war against Islam should be shunned even by other
peaceniks.
Afghan children won’t inevitably
grow into new bin Ladens because of their indoctrination and our bombing.
Remember the Hitler Youth and Germany? That’s about as indoctrinated and bombed
as it gets and that country today seems perfectly happy with democracy and
affluence.
And therein lies the key. Defeat
the Taliban, al Qaeda, and their allies, but build the Afghan people and they’ll
be no more a threat than the former Axis.
Now ignore everything else.
© 1997- 2002 Brent Morrison
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