Something remarkable happened on November 4, 2008. Despite economic distress, uncertainty and insecurity, voters went to the polls and chose hope over fear electing Barack Obama President of the United States.
I say remarkable because in all my doctoral and post-doctoral work studying societies under stress, the more typical response under such circumstances has been for social movements to emerge that, driven by fear, withdraw into chauvinistic xenophobia, glorifying an imagined past and striking out against threats real or imagined. It is rare that a society having endured a brutal attack against its homeland, living with two unresolved wars, reeling from a loss of confidence in its basic institutions and declining prosperity would listen to the angels of its better self. And yet, that is what we did. That was then.
Now, fear is back and is wrecking havoc.
Over the past year and one half, this emergent fear has taken many forms as opposition political leaders struck out on multiple fronts: questioning the President's religion, his origins and citizenship; accusing him of promoting "socialism" and Marxism; arguing that the health care reform effort would condemn senior citizens to an early death; striking out against "illegals" and pushing to deny citizenship to their babies; and now hysteria over Muslims and mosques.
Seen in this context, the hysteria about the Muslim community center being planned near Ground Zero is not just a protest against a building and a place. It is rather the latest chapter in this evolving campaign that exploits fear by preying on uncertainty and insecurity.
It is not about this mosque in that place. Right wing politicians across the country have made political hay objecting to mosques in other communities. And even in remote congressional districts where there are no mosques, Republican candidates are challenging their opponents to declare where they stand on building the mosque in far away Manhattan.
As the hysteria has grown, the rhetoric has accelerated, not only unchecked but egged on by leaders who vow to make the matter of the mosque a national campaign issue in November. And in the process the language has been transformed into sheer bigotry against Islam itself.
I remember in the frightening days after 9/11 how, after a month of horrifying backlash, the President, both houses of Congress and both political parties spoke in one voice denouncing bigotry and intolerance, reminding Americans that the measure of our patriotism was how we would affirm tolerance and respect for the rights of all. We were reminded then that "Islam was not the enemy. It was terrorists who had abused their faith who were the guilty ones." We were urged to be careful. And many paid attention and were careful.
But listening now to the hateful speech of some Republican political leaders, it has become clear that they have thrown caution, right reason, and decency to the wind. They have presented the very building of a mosque as a symbol of the victory of extremism over our values, while portraying Islam as a hateful ideology. And they have been given free air time on major networks, unchecked and uncontested. They are threatening the very fabric of our national unity. They are exploiting and fueling the fear of a distressed minority of white middle class Americans, alienating and creating enormous insecurity among Muslim Americans and profoundly tarnishing the image of America in the rest of the world (the consequences of this hysterical anti-Muslim campaign are worse than Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo combined).
Fear is back, with a vengeance. It rules the street and we have every right to be concerned. What is needed now are strong voices speaking again to our better selves. Voices that will speak directly to the Gingrichs, Palins, Cornyns, Becks, and Kings and say "Shame. Your bigoted appeals to fear and intolerance disgrace us all and put our country at risk in the world. In the name of all that is good, stop before it is too late."
Parvez Ahmed: What Would Our Founding Fathers Say About the 'Ground Zero Mosque'?
Michael Hughes: Ground Zero Mosque: American Intolerance on Full Display for Muslim World
This will not be an election year issue as much as Republicans will try to make it one. And in fact, if they do, it will only continue to paint them as the intolerant, small, petty, angry party that many moderate, independent voters, and importantly for the future of the GOP, many minorities already believe them to be. Americans of all backgrounds will look to candidates who they believe will help them with their economic situations. Kitchen table, bread and butter issues are what will decide this election, not the comments of a president who is simply stating what the Constitution already represents – though clearly many need to be consistently reminded.
What bothers them? Hispanic residents and Muslims-both of whom populate the US military in greater proportion than their ratio in the overall population- fighting these Israeli instigated wars. This is their- the Tea Baggers et al patriotism. These poor people are whom their patriotism is directed against.
future posts. I know they will be interesting & relevant.
Fanned & faved
Think it can't happen here?
Well, it's happening here!
May God have mercy on all of us, of any faith, should they succeed.
Voltaire
Another example -- President Obama has never forcefully repudiated either the birthers or those who say is not a Christian. He should say directly, without prevarication, who and what he is. Then he needs to bluntly tell the national audience that those who claim or hint otherwise are shamelessly perverting facts for their own political gain.
Until those who oppose this behavior directly confront it you can expect it to continue... because their political opposition is too timid to call them on it.
"Of course I am a Jew, of course I am a Christian, of course I am all of these things and MUCH MORE because I am an American president." That would have gone down in the history books as some of the bravest words ever spoken by an American president
You do not try to appease bullies like the Neocons and the rest of the Pro-Israel hatemongers - you stiff them right back in the face
Obama is too weak, too scared, likely 'over-advised' by his IDF Wormtounge - he needs to stand up like a man and start doing the right thing, tell Israel and her Neocons to eat dirt and die, and let the chips fall where they may
Obama and several greater Americans than he will need to go down swinging before we are able to overthrow this Neocon coup. That is greatness - not his pandering and appeasal of these Pro-Israel hatemongers
Because THEY the media are responsible for the ugly, divisive state that America is in right now. The bigots and hate mongers have always been out there; the difference is that never before have they been given not just a platform, but microphones and camera time in which to conduct their rants. The Walter Conkrites of the world would never have brought these people into the mainstream of American discourse the way the networks, CNN and MSNBC do. (Fox News, of course, is their sponsor). But the reach for RATINGS is what's behind it all. It's as simple as that. President Obama did change the country for the better for a short while; then the Right started calling him weak for it, and the media took up the chant of the Right. Things got worse after that.
Our corporate media is helping to destroy America. We'd better start complaining to them now or there'll be no turning back.
If they want to do something which will truly help the United States, then start with the Goldman Sachs execs and their building. Let the smurfs go and then get the big boys. That would give the rest of the CEO's who are refusing to hire some initiative to see that things improve in the job market.
-Sinclair Lewis
The MSM seems to do little to present a "fair and balanced" view of the very serious problems we have. I am saddened at the level of hate and bigotry our country is descending into but am frustrated at what to do about it.