eithical revolutionist – Ethical Revolutionist

by David T. Bruce

As on the day that al-Qaeda terrorists took over 3,000 lives, my heart today – the day that Osama Bin Laden, the founder and leader of the al-Qaeda was assassinated in response to these attacks – goes out to the family members who mourned the loss of those they were close to. Maybe today they will find some peace of mind, some peace within. I truly hope they do. For the rest of us, I worry.

Those families who lost loved ones sought justice, at least in an honorable sense. I struggle within myself as to what the rest of us America sought. Is our pride so easily wounded? Our response to the successful attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon (and the failed attack on the White House) was a knee-jerk reaction. Up until the terrorist attacks on our country, we lived behind a veil, submersing ourselves in “reality” shows, living a fantasy funded by credit and caprice. Al-Qaeda opened our eyes to true reality. This reality, however, is not one that can be turned off or pre-empted.

While we can enjoy a measure of success and comfort in at least incapacitating the Al-Qaeda by permanently removing Bin Laden as the head of the terrorist organization, we are foolish to believe that we have stopped al-Qaeda or any other extremist group. Like the multi-headed Hydra, a new leader for al-Qaeda will replace Bin Laden, and the cycle of events pitting one ideology against another will begin anew.

We must ask ourselves “what have we gained by assassinating Bin Laden?” Outside the Capitol, citizens chanted “USA, USA,” reacting to the news they had heard about the death of Bin Laden. How is this different from the throngs of people in the Middle East who cheered at the collapse of the World Trade Center towers? Do our different ideologies, religions, skin color, or clothes make us all that different? We are all still human, and the taking of any life diminishes us as humans. The celebration of taking a life strips us of our souls.

Hypocritically, to some extent, I do feel a sense of relief that this chapter has come to an end. Almost ten years to the day that Americans were reminded that they were a part of a larger community, we may enjoy some closure. At the same time, I feel a sense of apprehension that we will again become complacent, retreating into our “reality.” Will we learn from this chain of events?

The al-Qaeda will not turn the other cheek, and their convictions will carry them into the future. We must adapt to this reality, not necessarily fighting a war that we cannot win by conventional means, but instead living cautiously, with our eyes wide open instead of wide shut. We do not need to remain on the offensive to remain safe; we do have to safeguard our home by adopting a lifestyle and strategy that deters future terrorist attacks. We have Guard and Reserve units who may best serve their country at home, not in the Middle East. By conducting ourselves proactively instead of reactively, we stand the best chance of winning the war against terrorism every day.

by David Bruce

Citizens of Egypt asked for change and then demanded change. When change did not come, the citizens of Egypt forced change and forced former President Muhammad Hosni Mubarek from office. In turn, and almost in unison, other countries in the Middle East and northern Africa demanded likewise of their leaders. Protestors in Libya seek to remove Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi from power, opponents of Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh are demanding that the leader relinquish his power, and thousands of protesters march in Jordan to affect political and economic change long planned for and summarily forgotten.

Meanwhile back in the United States, the Democratic and Republican parties continue their ongoing political sparring at the expense of the American people. Current legislation threatens to eliminate funding that will ultimately lead to the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs. Proposed cuts threaten job training for unemployed workers, teacher training, community health centers, and assistance for low-income families and children. The billions of dollars saved are coincidentally offset by the extension of the Bush Administration tax cuts.

Across the states, the impact of government intervention, spending (or lack thereof), and legislation affects citizens to one extent or another. People are still losing jobs, homes are still being foreclosed on, and food and fuel prices continue to rise. At the same time, the government is proposing cuts that will threaten those least likely to compensate for the rising prices. The changes proposed by the Obama Administration over two years ago have not come to pass, either as a result of political obstruction or executive incompetence is immaterial. The end result is the same and affects the lower- and middle-class citizens of the United States adversely and often irreparably.

At what point do we get so fed up with the dogmatic assurances of change and the continued erosion of hope for a future that at least allows for the average American to maintain an unpretentious existence that we march in the streets in front of our state capitals, demanding from our governors and representatives a true change that works in favor of the citizens of the country and not the political and business empire that dominates our nation?

We have become so focused on reality shows that we have overlooked the reality outside of our homes. We have become so enraptured with the latest electronic toys that we forgotten what the idea of freedom is, having become slaves to advertisements, big screens, and bright lights. We are mesmerized and hypnotized, becoming blind to what our leaders are doing. Will we wake up when it is too late, or will we take a page from the book of those peoples in Egypt, Yemen, and Jordan who have said enough is enough. The change must come from us, or change will not come at all.

An Unrealistic Vision of Reality

The Reality of Change

Navigation