by Tina Grazier
Reading the Sunday news made me feel hopeful for the future, even with the so called “mess” in Iraq. I perceive a slight change in attitude. Loud screams of protest are quietly giving way to acceptance by some,
and a strong will to fight in others. Ordinary people are beginning to envision the ugly repressive reality of a terrorist win. The following quote by one man, speaking the truth about his personal irresolute tendencies, reflects what has been the general attitude of many others:
…writer Oscar van den Boogaard from the Belgian paper De Standaard, reflecting on the accelerating Islamification of the Continent and concluding that the jig was up for the Europe he loved. “I am not a
warrior, but who is?” he shrugged. “I have never learned to fight for my freedom. I was only good at enjoying it.” quoted from Mark Steyn’s Chicago Sun-Times article, “Only Choice in War is to Win or Lose it”
The turning, or changing, of a situation is often experienced by a simple telling of truth. We in the west have been good at enjoying our freedom, so good we have become complacent. Could it be that the world is now prepared for a turning in this war on terrorism? Is it possible that freedom loving people around the world are awakening to the gravity of the situation and re-evaluating their own specific attitudes and truths?
Freedom has provided us many luxuries both material and social in nature. One such luxery is tolerance and we have taken this virtue to an extreme that may be harming us. Writing on his blog “Doc’s Talk”, Dr. Don Morris illuminates the problem of political correctness in a world plagued by terrorists:
“We have created a social consciousness that has invented “political correctness” as an operational behavior in our daily speaking lives. People are fearful of upsetting someone else or goodness gracious offending someone. This has lead to “passive acceptance” of others behavioral practices. We are not standing up to or by our internal
behavioral principles. The consequences to each of us are enormous. The regretful results are dangerous to our country. Curiously political correctness does not seem to be part of other peoples’ culture and thus they are not bound by it. However, it is used against us and has highlighted our Achilles heel.” G.S. Don Morris, Ph.D. Oct. 16, 2006 writing on his blog “Doc’s Talk”, Find the fill article here
It’s not easy to move people away from “passive acceptance” to active participation. The fear, I suppose, is that we might be asked to do something we don’t want to do or are afraid to do. We might find that our principles are being challenged. The voice of one very courageous woman acts both as reality check and inspiration. Find her article, Muslim Women are the Key to Changein the UK Sunday Times:
Ayaan Hirsi Ali lives under a death threat for daring to challenge the Islamic patriarchy and says the West must support women like her if it wants to spread freedom. “Ideas can be dangerous. I have learnt that the hard way. But I know that when it comes to freedom and human rights these precious ideas, so valued in the West, are worth fighting for.”
“In Islamic societies the veil functions as a constant reminder to the outside world of a stifling morality that makes a Muslim man’s honour entirely dependent on the respectable, obedient behaviour of the female members of his family.’
“I am living proof that Muslim women in the West can only benefit from turning away from the principles in their faith that justify subordination and embracing those of liberty in their host cultures. But there is a high price for urging Muslims to examine their beliefs. I have received death threats for becoming an infidel and two years ago
the airing of a film about the oppression of women which I made with the director Theo van Gogh resulted in his murder by an Islamic terrorist.
Right now the only thing being asked of a majority of Americans is that we provide the energy to create an unyielding force to defeat this enemy. Even as some continue to be pessimistic, there are clear signs that others are awakening to the need for a unified front and an unbending formidable will. It’s a small price to pay for our continued freedom.