The Muted Bravado of a SMG

We should take it personally

A friend recently sent me the url of an interesting site:The Religion of Peace.

I was going to write about how religion, apathy and violence seem to be inexorably linked. How the downward spiral of humanity, as evidenced in recent (and somewhat less recent) events, can be laid at the feet of what i consider to be one of the most beautiful aspects of the human spirit: Faith.

But I won't, because religion is a touchy subject. I'm not out to offend. I believe wholeheartedly that most religions are divine, wholesome and perfect in essense, and that all corruption lies in its practice by demented individuals (or groups, for that matter).

Especially since I don't deny that I do bear quite a bit of "righteous fury" towards those abovementioned practitioners (read: nutters) and I fear any discussion on my part will descend to a name-bashing tirade.

This is partly because I hate the way religions are run like money-grubbing capitalist conglomerates (I won't go into it, i promise). But nowadays also because every time I grab the papers and read about yet another bombing somewhere in the world, I take it personally. I suppose if I've gained anything from my NS vocation, its greater awareness and concern towards terrorism.

Admittedly, not all bombings are a result of a religious conflict. But by far the majority, as evidenced by, well, all the bombings reported on the papers, are because of some (desperately keeping myself from swearing here) fundamentalist radicals.

Since when was the killing of innocents justifiable, for any reason whatsoever? Any reason whatsoever. I believe that nothing short of God's will (or the will of a supreme being or fate or chance for that matter) should be allowed to take innocent lives. Nothing less than an Act of God.

All killers of innocents should die a horrible death in the tower of ravens. Or something equally vicious and painful. As a punishment and deterrent. Quick execution is too merciful for such scum.

Any crime against innocents is a crime that could have affected any one of us. I don't doubt that prior to 9/11, New Yorkers were apathetic towards terrorism. As amply demonstrated by various documentaries, they sure aren't now. But is that what it takes, before the masses start taking terrorism seriously? Taking it as the personal attack it is?

Terrorists, may they burn in hell, still persist in their chosen career because what they do makes a difference to them. They have publicity, at any rate. Their work keeps them busy, makes them feel needed, martyrs even. And it keeps them financed, so their wives and daughters have food on the table, I suppose. (Notice how I make no mention of terrorists trying to save their eternal souls or other such religious twaddle, because, I say again, not all terrorists work for religion.) And still, they don't face the widespread condemnation they deserve. Sure, world leaders rightly condemn terrorism. But to the common man, unless hes been affected by terrorism, it probably still feels a world away.

Its long past time to take it seriously. I mean, those in the know have been trying to spread the word for years, but most people really honestly don't seem to care. I'm betting if 99.9% of the world population was against terrorism, the 0.1% of terrorist sympathisers wouldn't dare to do shit.

This isn't a tirade against religions that spawn terrorists. This is a tirade against terrorists of any faith, race, nationality or colour.

I simply completely fail to understand why such subhuman trash could possibly exist. Or why they're allowed to exist, anyway.

Maybe just to show us that the world isn't a perfect place and isn't meant to be.

Or its a sickness of the human race that'll bring the rest of us down into oblivion.

Whatever. If wanton terrorism continues, I don't see how the future could be anything but bleak.

posted by Đirestraits @ 6:39 pm