Confronting Radical Islam

I watched the coverage of last week’s terrorist attack in San Bernardino in stunned amazement. My concern for those who were victimized at the county Christmas party was predictable. The satisfaction that I felt when I saw that the two terrorists had lost their lives in a gun battle with police was also normal for me.

The female was an import from Pakistan. The male suspect was obsessed with ISIS and Israel according to his father. Both shooters immersed themselves in jihad theology.  As in the Paris tragedy, this sect of Islam uses its determination to install a global caliphate as the justification for the killing of innocents. There are over a billion Muslims worldwide and if only one percent ascribe to this belief, that is still ten million idiots trying to kill infidels. 

Interrupting my predictable emotions was a shock and disgust at the responses by some national politicians and media outlets. The verbal gymnastics employed while attempting to divorce the terrorist attack from radical Islam was astounding. We were treated to constant reminders that Islam is a religion of peace and the attacks shouldn’t be ascribed to radical Islam. We were also treated to an immediate attack on gun ownership. Never mind that the guns were purchased legally in California, which has some of the nation’s toughest gun laws. The couple could have engineered just as much carnage in their home bomb-making factory without access to a few guns. Perhaps if these and future attackers are identified as members of radical Islam, the Islamic community will be shamed into cleaning up their own house. Inevitably it is up to the Muslim community worldwide to stamp out this doctrine of destruction and bring its adherents out of their thirteenth century delusion.

Finally while we are being admonished to show religious sensitivity, the New York Daily News ran a front page proclaiming “GOD ISN’T FIXING THIS” and mocking those who offered prayers of support for the victims of the San Bernardino tragedy.  The lack of outcry from the same quarters who caution the country against offending Muslims was deafening.

No Connection, No Empathy

Last week co-pilot Andreas Lubitz locked himself in the cockpit of a Germanwings airliner and flew it into the side of a French mountain, killing all aboard. Apparently the 27 year old Lubitz felt that his life was unraveling and desired as much attention as possible when he took himself out. There are numerous recent examples of individuals who, fearing that no one will notice their passing, leave behind as much carnage as possible in the wake of their suicides.

Humans have become detached. Many substitute electronic interaction for relationships. Despondent and unstable individuals are afraid that their death won’t be noticed unless they create an event. It feeds into the old axiom “If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one to hear it, does it make a sound?” This mindset along with a complete lack of empathy for their fellow human beings makes for a deadly combination. If one’s social interaction is limited to the on-line variety, they are left detached from the agony suffered by others.

Life in Island Park cannot be maintained in a virtual environment. Personal relationships and interactions are essential. So much of Yellowstone Country life is conducted outdoors; one is forced to deal with reality and crisis. Our lives in Island Park have much in common with those of our grandparents. On numerous occasions I have been reverently told stories of how a resident was introduced to the country by parents or grandparents.

Unfortunately, many have retreated to their keyboards and phones. Their self-worth is based on the number of “clicks”, “hits” and “likes” that they garner instead of the lives they lead, the skills they develop or the children they raise. It is a shame that celebrity is desired over actual achievement. In the mountains, celebrity leaves you cold and hungry.

Identifying a Threat

Living near predators is dangerous regardless of how benign they may appear. People that either bait a bear into their yard or creep too close to get a better view can suffer a catastrophic attack. One must realistically identify a threat before a plan of avoidance or elimination can be developed.

The government approach to both the Ebola and ISIS threats are a bit too passive. In the case of ISIS (who have sworn to bring jihad to the USA), the advice is to not be too concerned because it is a regional problem. We will drop some bombs, tell others to mop up the mess and call it a day. A week after ISIS called on its followers to behead infidels in the USA; a Moore, Oklahoma woman was beheaded by a radicalized Muslim convert. The assault has been initially classified as “workplace violence”. There is a concern that a majority of Muslims will get their feelings hurt if the threat is identified as radical followers of the Prophet Mohammed.

So Grandma gets frisked at the airport because we don’t want to be accused of profiling. That’s like avoiding squirrels while walking through the forest because they are furry, just like grizzly bears. We certainly don’t want to give the bears a complex!  . Perhaps if there was less tolerance shown towards the Islamic world due to their destructive brothers, the Muslims themselves would rise up and eliminate the threat of the Jihadists.

Regarding Ebola, the virus is centered in three African countries. One would think that travel would be severely restricted from those countries until the epidemic has subsided, but no…… We are told that it will make things worse for the people in those countries if they can’t travel here. Well, that’s a dilemma, the safety of our families or the inability of a limited number of people to visit the states! We don’t want to bruise their self-esteem because we are selfishly concerned about contracting a deadly disease.

In the wild, one cannot avoid or confront a threat if that threat has not been identified. If you unknowingly walk upon a bear, no plan of action will help you avoid the consequences. Ignorance and hope is not a successful strategy for survival neither in the woods nor in the world.