Islamiphobia

I can't help but feel part of the problem I detest while posting this blog entry. Rehashing on the topic of the New York mosque only adds to the insanity that is the islamiphobic dialogue polluting our media. In reality people should have left the incredibly narrow minded opinions of a bigoted minority die in quiet solitude. This post is then generated in hopes that the chaotic hate spewed in America may one day be extinct. My own words fail me in describing how such unreasonable hatred is shredding America apart and I feel that I must borrow on Charton Heston's speech. Below is an abridged version of Heston's NRA speech he made in Colorado shortly after the Columbine tragedy. I think the truth found here about the NRA issue speaks just as well for the mosque issue:

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They say, "Don't come." I'm sorry for that. This is our country. As Americans, we are free to travel wherever we want, in our broad land. I guess what saddens me the most is how that suggests complicity. It implies that you and I and 80 million honest gun owners are somehow to blame. That we don't care as much as they do. Or that we don't deserve to be as shocked and horrified as every other soul in America mourning for the people of Littleton. Don't come here. That's offensive. It's also absurd. Because we live here. There are thousands of NRA members in Denver and tens upon tens of thousands in the state of Colorado.

I see our country teetering on the edge of an abyss. At its bottom brews the simmering bile of deep, dark hatred. Hatred that is dividing our country. Politically. Racially. Geographically. In every way, whether it's political vendettas, sports brawls, corporate takeovers, high school gangs and cliques. The American competitive ethic has changed from "let's beat the other guy" to "let's destroy the other guy." Too many, too many are too willing to stigmatize and demonize others for political advantage, for money or for ratings. The vilification is savage.

This harvest of hatred is then sold as news, as entertainment, as government policy. Such hateful, divisive forces are leading us to one awful end: America's own form of Balkanization. A weakened country of rabid factions each less free, united only by hatred of one another. In the past 10 days we've seen these brutal blows attempting to fracture America into two such camps. One camp would be the majority, people who believe our Founders guaranteed our security with the right to defend ourselves, our families, and our country. The other camp would be a large minority of people who believe that we will buy security if we will just surrender these freedoms. This debate would be accurately described as those who believe in the Second Amendment versus those who don't. But instead it is spun as those who believe in murder versus those who don't.

But we're not the rustic reckless radicals they wish for. No, the NRA spans the broadest range of American demography imaginable. We defy stereotype, except for love of country. Look in your mirror, your shopping mall, your church or grocery store. That's us. Millions of ordinary people and extraordinary people. War heroes, sports idols, several U.S. presidents, and yes, movie stars. But the screeching hyperbole leveled at gun owners has made these two camps so wary of each other, so hostile, and confrontational and disrespectful. On both sides. It is forgotten that we are first, Americans. I am asking all of us on both sides to take one step back from the edge. Then another step. And another. However many it takes to get back to that place where we are all Americans. Different, imperfect, diverse, but one nation, indivisible. This cycle of tragedy-driven hatred must stop. Because so much more connects us than that which divides us. And because tragedy has been and will always be with us. Somewhere right now evil people are planning evil things. All of us will do everything meaningful, everything we can do to prevent it. But each horrible act can't become an axe for opportunists to cleave the very bill of rights that binds us. America must stop this predictable pattern of reaction, when an isolated terrible event occurs, our phones ring demanding that the NRA explain the inexplicable. Why us? Because their story needs a villain. They want us to play the heavy in their drama of packaged grief. To provide riveting programming to run between commercials for cars and cat food. The dirty secret of this day and age is that political gain and media ratings all too often bloom on fresh graves.

Reporters perch like vultures on the balconies of hotels for a hundred miles around. Cameras jockey for shocking angles, as news anchors race to drench their microphones with the tears of victims. Injury, shock, grief and despair shouldn't be brought to you by sponsors. That's pornography. It trivializes the tragedy it abuses. It abuses vulnerable people, and maybe worst of all, it makes the unspeakable seem commonplace. We are often cast as the villain. That is not our role in American society, and we will not be forced to play it. Our mission is to remain, as our vice-president said, a steady beacon of strength and support for the Second Amendment, even if it has no other friend on this planet. We cannot -- we must not -- let tragedy lay waste to the most rare and hard-won human right in history. A nation cannot gain safety by giving up freedom. This truth is older than our country. Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." Ben Franklin said that.

Now, if you disagree, that's your right. I respect that. But we will not relinquish it or be silenced about it, or be told, "Do not come here. You are unwelcome in your own land." Let us go from this place, from this huge room, renewed in spirit and dedicated against hatred. We have work to do, hearts to heal, evil to defeat, and a country to unite. We may have differences, and we will again suffer tragedy almost beyond description. But when the sun sets on Denver tonight, and forever more, let it always set on We, the People. Secure in our land of the free and home of the brave.

-------- Charlton Heston, April 1999

Response to Dan

I'm sorry to break the tradition of making a response in the form of a comment to the original post but I find jumping to the comments to read further about a discussion to be too tedious so I'll defer from normal practice tonight. Also since this blog is hardly being populated enough to be crowed I don't think it matters much.

First and foremost I'd like to make clear that my interpretation of Dan's post as more of a display of disgust of bureaucracy rather than government itself. I feel like Dan's point could have been made much stronger if he had used the many factual stories of bureaucratic failure that already exist in history rather than conjure a lop-sided story. I can concede to Dan's argument with the many examples where government bureaucracy has failed American citizens terribly- the Katrina hurricane, the healthcare for 9/11 responders, and many more.

It is the form of Dan's argument, however, that causes my disagreement. I could go on and on about his exaggerated examples and stories and attempt to counter them by ridiculous examples of my own. I could give examples of how large government bureaucracies have provided me extraordinary services that counter his desires of community providing my needs. (Oh how I would love to sarcastically turn Dan's debate on it's head by giving the example of student loans). But rather than falling tragically into the pitfall of shouting our own rational points at each other I would rather lend to this conversation my beliefs on the "morality" of taxes and my thoughts of my opposition.

From my limited ability to understand the position of those whose opinions are opposite of mine I believe that their opposition spawns from desire to protect their personal freedoms and maintaining fairness. I can understand how one may feel that their personal freedoms are being restricted by increased taxes. No one ever cares to see their hard work taken from them and taxes definitely impose the restriction of choosing where your money goes. I can also understand the want to not have the money that you earned fairly spent in a way that you do not wish it to be. And, to the point of fairness, I can strongly support the upset caused when injustice is left to stand. There are several examples flaunted by the media of undeserving people siphoning off money from governmental support. Perceived unfairness drains my natural ability to be a productive worker at my job as I work with a person creates a large difference between the ratio of the amount we work and the amount we each get paid. But the extent of my ability to empathize stops here.

In my mind these "restricted freedoms" and unfair leeching are more than bearable in exchange for what I am getting in return. I live in America- it is a gift that I can not fully conceive how advantaged I am for having it. To have the privilege to live in this nation is something I wish I'll never stop appreciating. It is the knowledge of this privilege and how I have never "earned" this privilege that causes my desire that more people, people that are undoubtedly more deserving than I am, come to have the same privileges. This want makes me believe taxation is moral. How else are those less fortunate than me ever to come to know the pleasure of knowing that they will have a meal every night, the comfort of having a roof over my head, the ability to seek any career that I can possibly desire, and the knowledge that someday I'll be able to provide these same privileges to my own children? I believe that my part in keeping this system working is to become a hard working individual who returns the resources which he used to get his success back to the society which enabled him to get there. Rather than view tax as a despicable restriction I view it as a token of appreciation for all that I have gained with out any effort for I know I will earn more than double than what I do deserve.

Further I feel like my philanthropic views of taxing should strike a chord of my christian brethren. Why insist on narrowing your vision to those who are unfairly benefiting from your tax money and not rather appreciate all those who truly benefit from taxes? Even if I am wrong about the number of people who abuse the system I'm still convinced that helping even just a few of those in great need is far better than thwarting a majority who are stealing. I can agree to trying to find ways of preventing injustice but I refuse to believe that there is any benefit in doing so if it even harms one soul in need. I am willing to give up one latte per week, a video game a year, or even wait a few years to get that flashy sports car if that means someone gains the opportunity to even start thinking about "sacrificing" the same things that I am now.

What really causes people to hold dear to fairness and their material gains? Is it fear of bureaucratic blunders or fear of unfairness that provide doubts to a system that strives to provides equal privileges? Let there be bureaucratic mistakes. Let there be those who succeed by stealing my charity. I would rather live with those errors and live in a nation that hopes to provides opportunity to everyone.

With all my disagreement of Dan's post there is one thing that he wrote that sings with truth: the need to strengthen community. I have always admired the LDS's ability to build strong, helpful communities and I can only hope that this ability will seed to the rest of the nation. I believe that you can hardly strive to build a better nation with the relief that tax money brings alone. However, the combination of strengthened communities and governmental help can be the effervescence that raises this nation to greater heights.

So why Dan- why everyone else- why not start now? Besides Dave being a text messaging buddy with Obama, not one of the people I know are either politically or socially active in their communities. If there are injustices in the political world or in your communities that disgust you I assure you that actions are far more powerful than words.

The Guiding Principle of Government

This post is largely the product of chats with Sui Sin Far, as well as a highly engaging and meaningful conversation Big D, Duane and I had recently around the kitchen table. The exchange of ideas was inspired by Russell's post (see "The only other thing as dependable as death…"), and initiated by the question, "What is the moral basis of taxation?" Our discussion touched on many things, but eventually centered on the the role of government. While I am far from feeling that my ideas are fully formed - and they are far from set it stone - I feel that they consolidated somewhat in my mind during and since our exchange and are worth sharing in the Salon. I earnestly hope that they will merit a sincere review, and that others will feel emboldened to share their own ideas. The ultimate goal, of course, is to initiate dialogue - in the belief that through the exchange of ideas the truth will become more evident.

What is the role of government? What are its obligations, its duties? How can it most efficiently be executed? The true answer to the these questions must be found on a case-by-case basis, and any attempt to apply unyielding, theoretical solutions to every problem is bound to be ineffective at best, and fail at worst. It is valuable, however, to develop a general framework - a lens, if you will, through which each problem can be analyzed and brought into focus. What follows is an attempt to elaborate such a framework, which is perhaps best accomplished by telling a story.

A farmer went into his fields to work one morning, eager to prepare for spring planting. So great was his zeal, however, that he broke his plow in short order, and was thus unable to continue his work. Fortunately, there was another farm very near to his, whose owner had been even more eager than he and had already finished plowing his field. Surely, the farmer said to himself as he walked to his neighbor's front door, surely my neighbor and friend will lend me his plow, seeing my need.
To his surprise, the neighbor refused, saying, "Don't you know? There's the regional storehouse; they will be able to help you. We all contribute a portion of our harvest each year to purchase equipment for instances just like this. You will be able to use the plow they have there to prepare your fields. Don't bother me for mine - helping you isn't my responsibility; I fulfilled my responsibility when I gave a portion of my harvest to purchase the equipment at the storehouse."
The farmer could only agree with his neighbor, and asked where the storehouse was located, and found that he now had to travel many miles to the provincial capitol.
Upon arriving, the farmer went to the storehouse and asked the foreman permission to borrow a plow. Go to the bureau of equipment management, came the reply. After addressing a clerk at the front desk of the bureau, the farmer was referred to yet another clerk seated at a desk in a different office. The farmer was there informed that the only clerk authorized to deal with plows was not in the city at the moment, and would not return soon. Having traveled long to reach the storehouse, the farmer was obliged to wait.
When finally the authorized bureaucrat arrived, he refused to grant the farmer's request on the grounds that his claim was unsubstantiated without an investigation into the incident. "We've had many like you requesting permission to use our equipment," the man said. "Many of them are only trying to avoid purchasing their own, and in order to ensure that only those who legitimately need aide receive it, we must conduct an investigation."
"But my plow broke," the farmer protested. "We'll have to verify that," the bureaucrat replied. An investigation will be launched to look into this."
"But I will lose valuable time to plow my fields."
"That can't be helped. This is the only way to ensure fairness. Fairness is our objective, and that demands that your claims be substantiated."
The farmer returned the next day, expecting to meet the investigation team and return to his fields. The bureaucrat looked at him in surprise and informed him that it would be many more days before the investigation was approved, and then available investigators had to be found. "Everything must pass by the appropriate channels" the bureaucrat said, with pride. So the farmer waited.
Eventually, the investigation team and the farmer returned to his fields, whereupon they called on his neighbor to substantiate the story of the broken plow. The neighbor promptly did so, and the team returned to the capitol.
Much time passed, and no word came to the farmer. Finally, a letter arrived, informing him that his request had been duly granted, and he could come and pick up his temporary plow. The farmer hurried to the capitol and returned to his fields in haste, but he arrived only as the first early snows of winter began to fall.
As the farmer looked on in despair at his fields filling up with snow, his neighbor came to him and remarked, "I suppose it might have been better to let you use my plow after all."

The moral of the story is that problems are best solved at the smallest possible level where a solution is available. When problems occur, our first resort should be to turn to our family and our friends. If they are unable to help, then we should turn next to our local communities, then local governments, then state governments. And then, if each of these is unable to provide an effective solution to our problem, after all else has failed we should seek a solution at the hands of the federal government - for in such a case only they have the power and the means to adequately address the issue. But this, of course, only happens rarely; and when it does, the issue has already been analyzed and discussed and various solutions attempted, so that by the time it reaches the level of the federal government, its role has become clear to even the most casual observer, and nothing remains except to effectuate the evident solution.
Law enforcement is a good example of this process. If a boy shoplifts at a convenience store in rural Arkansas, the best solution is not for the head of Homeland Security to appoint a taskforce to track the boy down, conduct a thorough investigation, wire-tap the home, and finally - after garnering sufficient evidence - move in and make the arrest. Nor should the Chief of Police for the State of Arkansas be involved. In all likelihood, it isn't necessary for even the local police to get involved. It is enough for the owner of the convenience store to speak with the parents of the boy and allow them to discipline their child, teach him about civic responsibility, and make restitution to the store owner. This problem is best solved without any government involvement whatsoever.

Now, I understand that there are indeed problems that cannot be solved at the family, local, or state levels. A mass murderer who travels quickly from state to state, or a crime ring that extends across the nation requires law enforcement at the national level - a Federal Bureau of Investigation. Indeed, some problems cannot be adequately resolved at the national level and require a global solution; terrorism and world hunger are two such issues.
But even in these cases, the principle remains: always solve problems at the lowest level where a solution is available. Governments are a necessary evil. At most, I believe they have but few responsibilities and obligations and should not step beyond them except under extraordinary circumstances. These are:

1. To establish a constitution which sets forth the rights of every citizen of the country, and to see that these rights are protected.
2. To create and promote peace and provide for the security of its citizens from foreign invasion and oppression.
3. To create laws according to the consent of the governed and to ensure their impartial enforcement.
4. To enact policies to ensure the well being of the economy.

Outside of these duties, the changing needs of each community are to be met at the lowest level possible - ideally, at the grassroots level.
History is full of examples of great leaders who met their society's needs in this manner. Martin Luther King Jr. saw injustice and took action himself, without waiting for the Federal Government to lead the way. He led a movement that caught the attention of the entire nation, and though he held no political office was one of America's most influential leaders. When necessary, the Federal Government did act to help solve the problem of racism and segregation; but it did so in response to the actions of members of the local communities where the problem was rampant. No policy maker in Washington cooked up a plan to end segregation and fight racism. Indeed, I doubt if the Federal Government possessed - or has ever possessed - the kind of power that Dr. King wielded; certainly no policy maker or government policy could ever have had the effect on American society and that Dr. King did.
Mahatma Gandhi never held public office after his return to India and the formal end of his career as a lawyer. Yet he was more powerful than any Indian politician could ever hope to be. Indeed, had he held office in the national government of India his influence may well have lessened, not increased. His solution to every problem was to appeal to the people - to work with them, pray with them, and seek solutions to India's problems in the vast, untapped power of each individual.
What we need today is less government, and more community. Fewer laws bureaucrats, policies and policymakers; more active communities and stronger families. There is power in the mantra, "be the change you want to see in the world." And I believe that in the collective efforts of individual citizens - all of us - to address today's and tomorrow's challenges in our families, our communities, and our states, the great problems facing our nation will be resolved - with less government, not more.
Just as we all too often look outside of ourselves to find the source of our problems, we too often look far afield for the solutions. In fact, both are nearer to home than we think. In the end, perhaps President Kennedy said it best: "ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

The only other thing as dependable as death...

I recently found this article from The New Yorker:

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/financial/2010/08/16/100816ta_talk_surowiecki

I'm mostly posting in hopes to get a response out of Duane. Duane was engaged in quite the conversation with Dave and I the night Dan flew in to see Melanie. I can only hope to revive such an debate as the one that died that night. I might be curious to see what my other, more "moderate" Blatters take from this article.

In Response to Sui Sin Far...

How interesting that they are so particular with grammar structure and use! It's ironic that in the more international (and one would perhaps assume more educated) Majuro, there is less exactness with their native language than in Ebeye. Or perhaps flexibility is actually a result of being slightly more international (though not necessarily more educated).

Improvement and development of a first and second language definitely makes other language acquisition so much more doable! It's like math - you build a foundation and you can progress from there ... but only after the foundation has been solidified. And the more sure that foundation the more you can add on top! I also feel that the study of more than two languages, especially of different grammar structures, really helps acquisition of them all and even more. This seems counter-intuitive because you might think there's only so much room in the brain, but now that I've been studying Korean a little, my French and (heaven knows how) my Russian are surfacing in weird ways. Language and the brain are so fascinating and bizarre and truly unpredictable.

Now as for those who claim they're supposedly "fluent" in 50+ languages, I wonder if they're quacks or if they follow the pattern of my last theory...

PS - I'll comment soon on my profile pick. If it's still the right fit... ;)