LEGITIMIZING LUNACY

Who knew that giving women the vote and the freedom to raise their hemlines above their ankles would lead to a modern day American holocaust 80 years later! Who knew that accepting, however grudgingly, the same sex partnerships of consenting adults would lead to the surreal destruction of life, limb and skyline! And who knew that a normal desire to heat our homes, drive our cars back and forth to work, church, family outings and the occasional vacation would result in the cataclysmic inhumanity to mankind perpetrated in the name of biblical prophecy.

Yet on September 12, 2001 such were the inane ranting that echoed from pulpits and soapboxes from American coast to American coast. "Abortion," cried one evangelist. Our refusal to condemn homosexuality cried another. "We use too much gas!" So it's our own fault? "We should be trying to figure out why they hate us."

Balderdash! What credence should one give to a lunatic who turned his back to his sister-in-law because she greeted him at her door without head covering and veil? What credence does one give to an advocate of "death by stoning" to women who exit their homes without a male family member? And why give credence to a fanaticism that demands the torture and/or murder of women who work, and girls who go to school?

Since the compelled departure of Richard Nixon, the Fourth Estate has spawned a destructive culture of celebrity journalism. These very same journalists that bring us the news as a constitutional obligation have become more obsessed with seeing their name in the paper and hearing their name cross the lips of their colleagues than challenging the party lines, talking points and political agendas of the subjects they interview. Journalists who inform us that agents representing actors and athletes are a major reason that outings to the arena, theater and stadium are prohibitively expensive are themselves represented by agents. Loyalty is no longer a standard practice. Their primary interest is to follow the money and the profile rather than the story. And it is they who give voice to much of the irrelevant ranting of those who would attempt to legitimize the actions of the mind oppressed minions on their maniacal jihad. We deserve better.

The latest Osama bin Laden tape tends to garner a well covered 48-72 hour news cycle of critique and analysis by experts of every governmental and political persuasion. Yet in all of the ensuing Al Qaeda bombings between the 1993 World Trade Center bombing up to the bombing of the USS Cole in October 2000, Osama bin Laden and his many victims seemed a mere afterthought. Bill Clinton was the story.

These highly paid, self aggrandizing defenders of American freedom sat around news tables amongst themselves and the requisite Washington politicians praising the magnificence of Bill Clinton's latest speech as he greeted the arrival of body bags and flag-draped coffins at Andrews Air Force Base. And though each speech was peppered with a serious looking, "We will hunt them down and make them pay," you would be hard pressed to find any interviews with those requisite politicians, Clinton included, about any plans, meetings or strategy sessions engaged to bring about the capture and destruction of Osama bin Laden. With the aftermath of each bombing, the press was more content with publicly stroking the ego of Bill Clinton. The extermination of the master terrorist and his far reaching global network was never discussed with the verve given the press' adulation of Clinton.

Having "serious" journalists capitulate to the outrageous attacks on the modernity and culture that defines America by our misguided fellow citizens only serves to bolster those fringes of fanaticism who murder recklessly and wantonly and legitimizes the lunacy that "We asked for it!" Ironically, the religious fanaticism of the likes of David Koresh, Jim Jones and their followers solicited no denouncement of America's culture or way of life. However, non-American terrorists who indiscriminately murder any and everyone from innocent school children to churchgoers draw endless hours of introspection as to what we did wrong.

In fact, if Osama bin Laden and his murderous ilk were American citizens we would never think to entertain any of these reasons, (excuses), given as to why he authorized the September 11th massacre. We would demand that they be locked away in a rubber room and fed a daily dose of psychotropic drugs for the remainder of their miserable existence. And we would never subject them to the death penalty because no American jury would consider them sane enough to believe that the voice of God compelled their obscene journey to martyrdom.