2008 Woodie Awards
Tolerance is the first step in making a better world
Eye of the Beholder
By Erich Alvarado-Shoup
Rocket Staff Writer
Issue date: 2/10/06 Section: Opinion
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For one, these terms sound very much like the guideposts for world conquest. Secondly, a war cannot be waged based on paradigms alone. Fighting a war based on a belief system or economic structuring, such as democracy or capitalism, may be a different story. However, waging a 'war on terror' or a 'fight for freedom' seems like way too broad a definition for me. This would mean that the United States could fight and eliminate any other country based primarily on fear and/or knee-jerk reactions, and that's more than a bit scary.
By my estimation, other options seem much more viable reasons to fight, however unjust they may be. In my eyes, George W. Bush's Christian belief system is his compass in telling him to protect Israel. Bush just isn't coming right out and saying it because of fear of populace backlash.
An abysmal thinker's opinion may be that Bush is a change-fearing, oil-hungry, egomaniacal tyrant hell-bent on finishing a battle his father was entrenched in during the senior's presidency. This may not be too far from the truth if his Christian persona is just payola for right-wing moralists.
There's no shame in either of the aforementioned options. None of us are perfect. Some people are just more idealistic than others. Reality is all in the eye of the beholder.
Whatever the truth in Bush's head may be, I believe if he is trying to show people that he's a Christian, he'd stop killing people on both sides of the fight and start preaching peace and tolerance. With all due respect to your position, sir, let's not forget that no man knows the will of God. You're no different. You're not Jesus Christ.
To paraphrase the drug-addled thoughts of the late, great Hunter S. Thompson, the madness will always seep in no matter how firmly we batten down the hatches. We need to find a way to escape from this fear-based culture and make strides towards the end of conflict.
What I've just written is not to say that I don't support our troops. I've had a few friends go to Iraq and come back as finely-tuned, regimented gentlemen. I would just prefer if nice people like my friends never had to do or remember things like shooting innocent women and children. I also wish they knew what they were fighting for, since I've heard more than one say, even after his tenure was finished, mind you, that there was no clear-cut answer to our involvement or how far things would escalate.
Whatever the truth may be, I believe that understanding each others' differences is the first step towards building a saner, safer world. I'm about to propose a really crazy idea.
Atheists, why not come as you are to a church just to see what it's really like? Homophobes, why not make a gay friend, put on a cowboy hat and go see "Brokeback Mountain?" Donnie Darko can do no wrong, cinematically speaking. Christians, why not ask your friends of differing faiths why they believe what they believe?
Why not give tolerance a try, everyone? We all might learn a little more about each other, and maybe, just maybe, start to get along really, really well. Unify. Love. Compare. Change. Mobilize. Hug your friends. Say 'hi' to your neighbors. Peace. I'm out.
