As the federal government preoccupies itself with fighting the war against terror, it must not neglect the terror that Americans can inflict on one another at home. At the same time, we should be circumspect about our rhetoric as we affirm our commitment to the ideals of freedom by debating our government’s policies. The recent spate of hate crimes across the country – about 1000 incidents, some of them fatal – calls for two responses. Congress and the president should pass and sign national hate crimes legislation. On the local level, each of us has the obligation to refrain from provocative remarks that embolden and reinforce the bigots’ view that we are engaging in a war against a particular culture or religion.
Whatever contributions economic or political injustice may have on the support for terrorist regimes, those organizations ultimately thrive on a zealotry borne of group thought. This is evident in the terrorists’ calls for all people of a certain group to take up a jihad against the ‘infidels’ who cannot claim the same group membership. In contrast, the battle that the United States is now waging is not directed at any group except for the people who commit mass murder under the influence of group identity. Americans are individualists at heart. We eschew the politics of racial division and ethnic pandering. We abhor discrimination, which violates another’s individuality by ascribing to him a group identity and subsequently mistreating him. We are especially appalled when the maltreatment escalates into assault, battery and homicide.
Thus, in the 1993 Supreme Court case Wisconsin v. Mitchell, the justices unanimously upheld Wisconsin’s hate crimes statute, which imposed additional penalties for perpetrators motivated by animus toward another’s race. The Court reasoned that judges and juries routinely consider a perpetrator’s motives as aggravating factors. For example, premeditated murder is punished more severely than random killing. Considering the criminal’s bias in sentencing is consistent with our juridical principles. However, it is not enough for a handful of states to consider bias as an aggravating factor in sentencing. We need to express the nation’s consensus that, as a liberal society, we condemn the illiberal thoughts that inspire hate crimes. Treating people differently on the basis of perceived group identities, which derive in turn from superficialities like physical appearance, is the greatest unfreedom. While an orderly society cannot tolerate crime, a free society simply cannot tolerate crimes borne of ignorance and group thought.
Free Essays on Terrorism: Give Peace a Chance
Give Peace a Chance
Since the horrible tragedy that occurred on September 11th, Americans are brainstorming for ideas on how to fight terrorism. Minds are collaborating on what can be done to reconcile the West in the minds of Islamic nations. Many strategies for attaining peace have been introduced, and steps are being made toward the appeasement of differences. The ideas for peacemaking that have already been set in motion will be discussed in Section 1, and new suggestions for reconciliation will be introduced in Section 2.
SECTION 1:
Both political and private associations in the United States have introduced wonderful ideas that have begun the process of reconciliation between Islam and the West.
In the political faction, Bush visited a mosque after the terrorist attacks to show support for American Muslims. He declared that terrorism “is not the true faith of Islam. That’s not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don’t represent peace-they represent evil and war.” (http://www.beliefnet.com/). This act gained Bush the support of American Muslims who had been persecuted since the attacks. It also served as a testimony for other Muslim countries that this war was not a religious matter. Unfortunately, since Bush’s demonstration, Osama bin Laden has misled Muslims into believing this is indeed a jihad. In a speech he gave on November 3rd, he declares, “It is a question of faith, not a war against terrorism, as Bush and Blair try to depict it” (http://news.bbc.co.uk/).
One of Osama bin Laden’s top lieutenants explained, “The root of terrorism is in the conflict in Palestine.” It is believed that if war stops in the Middle East, more than half the battle of ending terrorism is won. Previously, the United States has sided with the Israelites over the Palestinians. Secretary of State Colin Powell made a speech indicating that Bush is taking a more diplomatic stance in bringing peace to the Middle East. Instead of being exceedingly pro-Israel, the speech was directed at both sides and created an emotional appeal each could relate to (New York Times Nov. 15th). This new position will allow each side to feel comfortable in the negotiation process and will hopefully get a step closer to peace.
When the United Stated defeated the Taliban, it gained the respect of Afghanis. Although there were a few mis-hits in the bombings, Afghanis realize that all the targets were directed at military sites.