The Enemy In The Mirror

Published by Political Grind - October 9, 2007
http://politicalgrind.com/2007/10/09/the-enemy-in-the-mirror/
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"...we all need to apologize to future generations for living a life of comfortable ignorance".
-- Faultline USA
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In a recent article in Pajamas Media, Danish PM contributer and Jyllands-Posten editor Flemming Rose revealed the disturbing news that he had been targeted in 2006 for a possible terrorist bomb attack. Mr. Rose, it will be remembered, is the courageous editor who first published those highly-volatile Mohammed cartoons in September 2005. This is just the latest in a long series of threats made since then against the newspaper in general and Mr. Rose in particular.

To date, unlike Salman Rushdie, Ayaan Hirsi Ali or Michelle Malkin et al, Mr. Rose and his family have not yet been forced to relocate and go into hiding. To date, unlike that other high-profile Muslim critic Theo van Gogh, Flemming Rose has not yet been murdered.

This leads me inevitably to that troubling but unavoidable question, that elephant in our living room: Isn’t there something fundamentally wrong with a society where an editor’s decision to publish some controversial cartoons can be justly characterized as being “courageous”? Is this what our once proud and advanced Western Civilization has come down to? Is this the awful price we have paid for our blind adherence to some delusional multicultural PC agenda? Has our highly-developed, but increasingly culturally diluted, Western Civilization become so weakened, so impotent, so pathetic that it can no longer protect the lives of its finest citizens? Our newspaper editors, our authors and our columnists are now living in fear for their lives for daring to objectively comment on a foreign religion in their own country. Are you outraged yet?

I am personally becoming ashamed to consider myself a member of this cowardly civilization. Not only do we not fight back against this encroaching evil — and yes, folks, it is evil, evil incarnate — we turn against those amongst us who do have the courage to fight back. We call them racists and bigots. We emasculate them. One by one, our weak-kneed liberal Western governments are succumbing to the Islamists’ demands and intimidations. One by one, in the most ironic of ironies, we are losing our freedoms of speech in the name of some deceptive ideal of religious tolerance.

Where will it all end? How did we let this happen? Who fell asleep on guard duty? Who are the enemies amongst us who are responsible for allowing our defenses to erode away and for letting these deadly vipers into our nest?

And I look in the mirror and the enemy is me.

The enemy is complacency, naivete and ignorance. And it’s all there in my mirror. And all I can do at this late date is apologize to my fellow citizens for my complicity in this national crisis. I apologize for allowing my petty self-interests to blind me to the inevitability of these approaching horrors. I apologize for living my little life in comfortable ignorance, for ignoring all of that accumulating evidence, for not studying the issues earlier, for not listening more closely to the jihadists’ well-publicized and deadly goals, and for not heeding the frantic calls of our alarmists.

Finally, I apologize for waiting until three thousand of my innocent fellow citizens were slaughtered before I even began to acknowledge the enormity of this threat.

Now that I’ve admitted my culpability — how about you?

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Comments cross posted from Political Grind:


Cyber Pastor
Roger, outstanding post! We can't change the past, and it took 9/11 for many of the people to realize the "real" threat against us. You correctly state that this is a war against that which is evil. A spade must be called a spade if we are to make any headway against the evil ones in the world. While we can't change the past, it is people like you Roger who are going to help those who want to know the "truth" to be able to learn what the truth is! God Bless you my brother - Cyber Pastor
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Enough Cowbell
I second Cyber Pastor in his assertion that the post was in fact outstanding. Defending free speech is the most important (and never ending fight) an American can be involved in. The past few years have been trying times in the life of free speech, but I hope that the continuing suppression of free speech will cause a rebound effect in which people realize how important it is and demand it again. Cross your fingers and keep swearing.
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Evrviglnt
Yes - well written and poignant at this time in the battle. You're a valuable voice here, Roger...
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Snooper's blog: Take Our Country Back
Well, I don't want to be read as pompous or anything but I have been and will remain to be one of those alarmists.

I have been ever vigilant to the threats since my first encounter with this "new" enemy in the 1970s.

Glad to see that you have joined the fray.
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Michelle
You? Pompus Snoop??????? Spree would never say you are so neither would I. You're just a good guy is all.
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Right Truth
You ask, "Is this what our once proud and advanced Western Civilization has come down to?" The answer is yes. Just this week, Hollywood, Fox, and CAIR had a get-together on how to present Muslims in the media/movies/TV/ etc. Wouldn't want to offend them by portraying them as terrorists or anything, would we? CAIR praised FOX. When CAIR praises anything, then I'm against it.
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Blandly Urbane's blog: DeMediacratic Nation
Well Roger, looks like you're the only one - "Now that I%u2019ve admitted my culpability %u2014 how about you?" I'll throw mine in there as well.

The sad thing about CAIR (I should say ONE sad thing), cartoons etc. is that it attempts to pave over truth. No, they don't all have to be evil or bad, but at the moment the misfits from their ranks are causing some nasty waves. CAIR and others wish to paint this as non-existent or minimal rather than do something to show that the extremists are not the norm. Attempting to hide this or ignoring it is far from honest.

It's kind of a re-write, like that which makes Che appear the honorable champion. Meanwhile a society like ours that does appreciate free speech is put down as racist or intolerant because we feel an odd need to bring it up....hmmmmm

I believe CAIR in particular is more a part of the problem than it is a means of resolving the problem. Piss Christ and all the rest did not lead to bloodshed and death, but more an honest voicing of disgust and disrespect, for which those offended were painted as religious zealots.

The cartoons or as I like to refer to it, the "Ink-quisition" were furthermore pathetic in that so few in the "free" press chose to stand up to it and denounce the reactions as despicable.

But as you said we can't just sit back; unfortunately I guess we can't just turn the other cheek and hope our fellow man will do the same. They are ready, willing and able to take advantage of that commendable attribute that we posses and not doing anything will allow it.
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Cyber Pastor
I find it interesting that someone here in America would show such concern over a racist cartoon in Europe, when I saw a picture several days ago of an American taking a crap on an American Flag. I guess Roger was correct when he said that is what this country has come to. Don't offend the enemy, but crap on the flag (not that you said that was ok), just my words there.
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Cyber Pastor
And for the person that thinks that Christianity is the enemy, I would say that you are reaping some pretty good rewards that are a result of many Christian Patriots who helped make this country great!
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Lew Waters
Another really good article, Roger.

To our atheist friends, how absolutely sad to see people who think they are so enlightened, yet have nothing in life to lean on when they need to. One need not be a Bible thumping Holy Roller to look about and see the absolute beauty by design in the earth and our bodies could not have happened by accident.

I especially have to pity those whose life is so void of any true meaning that they feel the need to cruise the internet searching for others who speak of a Higher Power just so they can claim it doesn't exist.

It is almost comical to watch those who claim no belief that cry out to the one they don't believe in when the chips are really down, to save them. As we learned in the Army, there are no atheists in the foxholes.

Keep up the good work, Roger. Man has fallen asleep at the switch and changes crept in around us, virtually unnoticed. Our foundations have slowly been being chipped away and we now face the challenges we do. Then again, it was all prophesied long ago to happen this way.
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Spree
Excellent piece and well said Roger.
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Evrviglnt
Spree will be joining us on Political Vindication Radio next week!
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Chris C
What concerns me is the upcoming war between Islam and Christianity. The latter won the first one, but the media will help Islam win this time because it works with their playbook. If you think I am nuts, just look around the globe at the places where communism once stood as the ruling power. You will find they are all replaced by Islamic government or a major islamic movement. Almost every major conflict in the world in the last decade or so has involved muslims. Bosnia, Russia, both Iraqs, Darfur, Somalia, the list goes on.

This is not all coincidence, it can't be.
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Blandly Urbane's blog: DeMediacratic Nation
"If you think I am nuts"

I don't know if any of these guys would think you were nuts with that comment. Sorry, I think I tend to speak for other comments when I should shut up and just add mine.

I DON'T THINK YOU'RE NUTS! If you are wrong at least it can be considered an example of thinking outside the box, which I suppose it is; just you have made a good point worth consideration. Post reply 10 weeks ago This comment has 1 hidden reply. Show it! Thread active 10 weeks ago Collapse thread Expand thread +2Vote upVote downrogerYou're absolutely right, Snooper. And it's to people like you and those other Paul Reveres that I address these apologies. I became "politically active" on September 11, 2001, and I've been trying to catch up ever since then. Hopefully, it's "better late than never".
Thank you and all of those others for your service and your dedication and your constant vigilance.
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Michelle
Hello Darlin!

I have always turned a bland eye to politics, but I can assure you those days are behind me. You are aware of how I feel regarding the apathy of the American people. I find it disturbing. If I were to believe in conspiracy theories, my favorite would be that the liberal run school system has systematically made our children dumber, which created dumber adults and that is how they are controlling us now (whew, do I need a tin foil hat.....perchance a decoder ring?).

But, I am not a conspiracy freak, I just think we have all gotten way too lazy. The 20 minutes of news the average American catches while channel surfing any given week, just isn't enough and no matter what happens, we can't seem to wake those people the hell up.
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FaultlineUSA
Roger you have written an eloquent essay that needs to be widely shared! As Europe now reaps the frightening fruit of its Dhimmitude, America rushes blindly into a deadly embrace with radical Islam. You wrote, %u201CNot only do we not fight back against this encroaching evil %u2014 and yes, folks, it is evil, evil incarnate %u2014 we turn against those amongst us who do have the courage to fight back.%u201D
Yes we must all share the blame. You pegged it. %u201CThe enemy is complacency, naivite and ignorance.%u201D Just recently, and for the first time ever, the U.S. House of Representatives, on a 376 %u2013 0 vote, passed a resolution honoring the Islamic holiday Ramadan and commending Muslims for their faith. Although several congressional representatives made themselves absent from voting, not one congressional representative had the courage to vote %u201CNO.%u201D
Again you pegged it when you wrote, %u201COne by one, in the most ironic of ironies, we are losing our freedoms of speech in the name of some deceptive ideal of religious tolerance.%u201D
Why is the ideal of religious tolerance deceptive? The answer is quite simple. America has yet to define what is or what is not a religion. Any ideology, no matter how inimical to our interests, can pass itself off as a religion. Islam has been hijacked by deadly radicals who want to destroy Western civilization. If there are moderate Muslims, very few have spoken out against the Islamists.
Like you, we all need to apologize to future generations for living a life of comfortable ignorance. I also would like to apologize for participating too heavily in the very technology that has led an entire generation into the fantasy of virtual reality. In a moment, with just the flick of some lethal switch, every written word could quite vanish along with the internet and all the bonds we%u2019ve forged with our virtual culture warriors will quite simply disappear. Now, Roger, please print off several hard copies of your wonderful essay and share it the old fashioned way.
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Ben
Islam has not been hijacked. It is intrinsically evil by design. Its purpose is mercenary and its method is martial. This war started in 623 with Muhammad's first razzia against a camel caravan. Enter the following into your favorite search engine: "Studies In Islam" "Know Thine Enemy" . Therein you'll find links to the scriptures which define & exemplify Islam. Read them and join me in cursing that most evil institution!!!
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Simmons's blog: Thoughts on the World
It seems like I'm in the minority here, but I think you're taking this a little too far. Those cartoons WERE racist.

Think about it this way: 1000 years ago, I'd say European Christians acted like modern Muslim extremists, without the weapons, of course. If you saw a picture of 'King Richard the Lion Hearted' (who led the third crusade, much like bin Laden is leading the intifida) with bomb coming out of his head, would you be offended? I think so.

Maybe that was a bad example. My point is that those cartoons were racist. I can understand the global protests of the cartoons, but the violence WAS unacceptable.
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Ben
Feces!!! Islam is a murder cult, not a race. It has enslaved people of many races. It imposes Arabian culture upon all whom it conquers. It is supremacist & racist.

The Crusades were not an act of aggression against Islam. They were a counter reaction to Islamic aggression against the Levant and Europe.
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Blandly Urbane's blog: DeMediacratic Nation
And Poop too! No Islam is not a race and if we were 1,000 years in the past the argument might hold at least some water in that it would be what we were dealing with, however with the exception of Persia it is 2007.

Sim, as you said, it may be a bad example and your finisher is part of the problem; the over reaction and the tamping down of anything that has the slightest negative hint to it with regard to Islamofascism.

If we don't like something we bitch, if they don't they go way overboard and kill; threats of violence and violence are a lame expression; they should keep it more to the verbal, but that won't be happening any time soon if ever.
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Snooper's blog: Take Our Country Back
"They" are here...NOW and more are coming. "They" have been here since 1950.

The war between Islam and Christianity started in 1948...the modern war.

The problem is this; we have chicken littles too worried about their next political move to be concerned about those small insignificant gnats called Islamic Jihadis. When Allah's sword slices thru the neck bones, it will be too late for them.
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Roger Gardner
Simmons -- I'm, sorry but your rationalizations are exactly the kind of obfuscations I am talking about. Comments like yours only serve to confuse the issues and weaken our resolve to fight back a against a ruthless enemy obsessed with our destruction.

Don't you see? The cartoons are NOT racist. There is nothing about "race" in them. They are -thank God --anti-Islamist. And Islamism IS the enemy. The enemy of the entire Western world -- even the liberal's Western world
Whether you mean this to be or not, this is exactly the way in which the left tries to reframe the argument into a debate about racism, so that they can assume the high moral ground and win the argument. You are the only one who brings up that issue.
I wonder why?
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Coyote Squirrel\'s Random Musings
Actually, the enemy of western civilization is religion, all religion. So I find it particularly humorous that you thank god for anti-islamist cartoons.

We've been fighting trench warfare with ancient mythologies since the Enlightenment.
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Roger Gardner
Thank you, Ben. I myself have almost forgotten the original intent of my article in all of this atheistic confusion. The article was about how some of us were -- and evidently still are -- asleep at the switch. Thanks for reminding me.
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Cyber Pastor
Ben, you are right on target - when they have nothing to rebut with they move to something else or start calling names!
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Roger Gardner
Actually, Coyotesqrl, I find your rather limp attempt at condescension to be "particularly humorous".
A perfect example of the self-satisfied pomposity of the cynic.

And, if you've "been fighting trench warfare...since the Enlightenment" you must be very old and very tired.

LOL
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Coyote Squirrel\'s Random Musings
"We've" been fighting. Not your ilk, I assume, but those of us who believe in reason and rational thought have been fighting against the entrenched religions for centuries. It's an ongoing struggle and I am but one in a long line of fighters.

Allah, Yahweh, Jesus: they're all the same. Big scary imaginary dudes who live in the sky.

I'm glad I've amused you, though Roger. Your faith, I'm sure, gives you great comfort. Much as the faith of the Muslims so derided on this blog comforts them. You've a great deal in common with those religious warriors.
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Evrviglnt
Sqrl: "You've a great deal in common with those religious warriors."

Honestly - what a stupid thing to say. We are talking about a minority of Islamists who believe their religion rewards them for murdering unbelievers. In comes waltzing an athiest who, senseless, lumps in all religious people as unreasonable and irrational - and murderous. We won't go into the athiestic movements like communism and Nazism that have killed millions, we'll just settle for dismissing another self anointed warrior for rational thought waving around a limp pretzel and calling it logic.

As a Catholic, I've always known that reason and rational thought can be found from both thiestic and athiestic minds. It's a humility that comes from being comfortable with who I am. As I've gotten older I've learned there's one thing I can always count on - the hubris of the athiest. That such intolerance and ignorance should abound in a chorus that paints itself superior is one of life's greatest ironies...
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Roger Gardner
Did he call me an "ilk"? Now that's really going to far. Go back and read some more Chistopher Hitchens, your points are getting a little slim.
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courtneyme109
Back to on target then. I am not so sure our complacency is the enemy. Perhaps, and history tends to bear this out, you can push Western Civ so far - at times farther than others - yet when WC tires of it they tend to turn and ANIHILATE their tormentor - so much so that the 'pusher' rarely recovers.

In the case of Islamic sensibilities - it is starting to look like anything unislamic is an attack on Islam. So what? The innate 'superiority' of Islam - taught about, fought for and killed for is a joke. History, technological advances and the ability to think outside the box without the religious police showing up and bashing in your head will trump Islam. Every time muslims complain about something WC should push back - reminding Mohammedists that unbridled free inquiry tends to solve more problems then it creates. Unlike Islam.
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Carmelo Lisciott
An intersting commentary...
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Ben
Does anyone else notice that this thread is being lead down the primrose path to be derailed in tangential diversion?