EULOGIZING JASON RICHARD

 Whatever the reason, we as a nation are going to have to face the truth; Al Quida is a grassroots organization. Like what Japan by attacking Pearl Harbor, Osama Bin Laden awoke a sleeping giant by flying planes into the world trade center. However, his small organization did something else; it touched a sensitive nerve in the Islamic world. We have been able to destroy the leadership of Al Quida but not the membership. Muslims are joining other Muslims spontaneously without an identifiable group to join—a group within a group based on hate. To me, that is the definition of grass roots.  

It seems with every Al Quida leader our drones kill, or we put in prison, their membership expands. There is a similar deep and abiding but misdirected hate common to Christians and Muslims based on the fundamental belief that the only way for one to succeed is for the other to fail. The reason I refer to a fundamental feeling is that it is the same feeling Baptist have about Catholics, the same feeling Anglican feel toward Presbyterians, etc. It is notable that one little church in small town USA feels toward and toward another little church in the same town. They form small groups with in the Christian group based on hate. The thing with Christian vs. Muslims is that the competition has a long history of turning ugly the ends up with people killing people. Like the simple sign designed by the little boy, Martin Richard, who was killed in the Boston bombing: No more hurting people, Peace. How is it that a little boy can know what leaders of massive religious movements cab't know?

Like greed, competition is innate. We need competition to survive and we cannot survive without some degree of both greed and associated competition. Part of our humanizing process is by not eliminating but by control of  these innate tendencies. The best way to control competition is through compromise but the best way to create deadly chaos is by not being willing to compromise. I think that “compromise” is not innate but a learned art. If a little 8-year old boy can learn that lesson so can we.  I lived next door to a church for 18 years and could hear them on Wednesday night, Thursday night, Saturday night, and Sunday morning and night preach hate for idol worshipers (Catholics) and not believers (anyone who was not a member of that church). Although I have never an eyewitness, I see clips on TV of mosques filled with people listening to a Mullah, or whatever they call their leaders, preaching how to hate infidels and Christians, often with national identities. I hear our Congressional leaders in Washington D.C. preaching the same thing; not religious doctrine but hate, hate, hate.

Isn’t it about time we learn from an 8-year old boy; at least wake up by what is written on a hand lettered sign; learn how to compromise. Certainly his message was a powerful as a message can get. In the word of Maya Angelou, "If you learn, teach!" The sentiment is hers but the exclamation point is mine.     

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